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You’re forgetting the most underrated piece of hardware to come from Apple in the last couple of years, the 12” MacBook. The weight to capability ratio of that

You’re forgetting the most underrated piece of hardware to come from Apple in the last couple of years, the 12” MacBook. The weight to capability ratio of that machine is off the charts and it’s the perfect encapsulation of what a portable Mac should be.

Wowfunhappy 6y ago
I'm glad you like that machine, but I would not put it in the success camp. It was the start of the butterfly keyboard, and Apple ended up discontinuing it after just a few years.
- machello13 6y ago
  It's not really correct to say they discontinued it. They basically just started selling it under the MacBook Air brand.
  - Wowfunhappy 6y ago
    The new Macbook Air is a very different computer. Much larger and thicker, even compared to the 11" Air that was discontinued.
slantyyz 6y ago
If it's so perfect, why is it so underrated? "What a portable Mac should be" is going to mean different things to different people. My perfect portable Mac (based on what's available) would be a 16" MBP, because I care about screen real estate first and foremost, followed by a desire to have a fast chip/gpu, battery life be damned. Other people prefer other models like the 13" MBP or the 13" Air for other reasons.
pier25 6y ago
I couldn't disagree more. IMO it encapsulated everything wrong about Apple's approach to laptops during these past 5-6 years like the butterfly keyboard.
BillinghamJ 6y ago
It was a nice computer, but it was essentially a netbook really. Browsing basic internet sites is about the limit of what it could manage, critically underpowered. Even things like the Intercom web dashboard - a use-case you'd think a laptop like this would be ideal for with a customer support staff member - it simply couldn't manage comfortably. Though to be fair a high-spec £400 Chromebook couldn't comfortably run Intercom either...
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sutterbomb 6y ago
Since everyone else is replying to hate on this machine, want to throw in that I loved it. My situation maybe wasn’t typical, but living on the road it was such a joy to have something that for all purposes disappeared into my pack and was totally capable for my basic needs. This style body w/ better arm chip is for sure future of “gen pop” Apple laptops.
woah 6y ago
I have one, and I do a lot of programming on it, but it has serious overheating problems, even on things like video calls or driving a 4K screen (god forbid you try a video call on a 4K screen). It brings my colleagues great hilarity when I have to get up and get an ice pack in the middle of a call.
mrkstu 6y ago
The idea of it was what a portable Mac should be. In the end it could very well be the perfect demonstration of why a move to ARM would be worth it. The main issue/downfall of the Macbook was the slowness and the heat. Those are also the two strengths of the A series of chips- performant w/o excess heat. You take the exquisite form factor and marry it to Apple's chips, and you potentially have a drool worthy portable powerhouse, though the sticking point may be getting a magic keyboard in that form factor vs the butterfly.

Wowfunhappy 6y ago

I'm glad you like that machine, but I would not put it in the success camp. It was the start of the butterfly keyboard, and Apple ended up discontinuing it after just a few years.

machello13 6y ago
It's not really correct to say they discontinued it. They basically just started selling it under the MacBook Air brand.
- Wowfunhappy 6y ago
  The new Macbook Air is a very different computer. Much larger and thicker, even compared to the 11" Air that was discontinued.

slantyyz 6y ago

If it's so perfect, why is it so underrated? "What a portable Mac should be" is going to mean different things to different people. My perfect portable Mac (based on what's available) would be a 16" MBP, because I care about screen real estate first and foremost, followed by a desire to have a fast chip/gpu, battery life be damned. Other people prefer other models like the 13" MBP or the 13" Air for other reasons.

pier25 6y ago

I couldn't disagree more. IMO it encapsulated everything wrong about Apple's approach to laptops during these past 5-6 years like the butterfly keyboard.

BillinghamJ 6y ago

It was a nice computer, but it was essentially a netbook really. Browsing basic internet sites is about the limit of what it could manage, critically underpowered. Even things like the Intercom web dashboard - a use-case you'd think a laptop like this would be ideal for with a customer support staff member - it simply couldn't manage comfortably. Though to be fair a high-spec £400 Chromebook couldn't comfortably run Intercom either...

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sutterbomb 6y ago

Since everyone else is replying to hate on this machine, want to throw in that I loved it. My situation maybe wasn’t typical, but living on the road it was such a joy to have something that for all purposes disappeared into my pack and was totally capable for my basic needs. This style body w/ better arm chip is for sure future of “gen pop” Apple laptops.

woah 6y ago

I have one, and I do a lot of programming on it, but it has serious overheating problems, even on things like video calls or driving a 4K screen (god forbid you try a video call on a 4K screen). It brings my colleagues great hilarity when I have to get up and get an ice pack in the middle of a call.

mrkstu 6y ago

The idea of it was what a portable Mac should be. In the end it could very well be the perfect demonstration of why a move to ARM would be worth it. The main issue/downfall of the Macbook was the slowness and the heat. Those are also the two strengths of the A series of chips- performant w/o excess heat. You take the exquisite form factor and marry it to Apple's chips, and you potentially have a drool worthy portable powerhouse, though the sticking point may be getting a magic keyboard in that form factor vs the butterfly.