Monday, March 9th 2015

Apple Announces its Slimmest MacBook Yet

by
btarunr
 Discuss (63 Comments)
Apple announced its slimmest MacBook yet, equipped with the Retina display. Barely ripping the scales at 1 kg, just 13.1 mm thin (at its thickest point). Dressed in an all-metal unibody, including the antenna. Bolstered by a slimmer "butterfly" keyboard that's slimmer and more precise; and a new 12-inch Retina display with 2304 x 1440 pixels resolution; and a slimmer Taptic-engine backed trackpad. The best part? It's versatile connector that combines power, USB-C (10 Gb/s), DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, and more.

Under the hood, the MacBook Retina features a completely fanless design, and a logic board that's 67% smaller than the previous generation. The notebook is driven by an Intel Core M processor (5W TDP). With a new space-efficient layered battery, it offers 24-hour battery life, including 10 hours video playback. Storage is care of a 256 GB PCIe SSD. Connectivity includes 802.11 ac and Bluetooth 4.0. And then there's OS X "Yosemite." The MacBook Retina comes in silver, space-gray, and gold. Prices start at US $1,299 for the base-model with 8 GB RAM, 1.1-2.4 GHz processor, 256 GB SSD storage; and $1,599 for a 1.2-2.6 GHz processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 512 GB storage.

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63 Comments on Apple Announces its Slimmest MacBook Yet

#2
ssdpro
TheGuruStudSo.... A tablet.
Tablet with a keyboard and that new "don't bump it!!!" USB type-C connector. There are only so many ways Apple and others will be able to put different labels on the same thing. The next innovation needs to come along that is better than "a computer a little bigger" or "a computer a little smaller".
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#3
apertotes
TheGuruStudSo.... A tablet.
Not really. Many tablets have a micro-sd slot, and most have a 4G/LTE version.
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#4
W1zzard
Best notebook I've ever seen. But super expensive and I already have the 11 inch MBA w/ Haswell (which is the best laptop I ever used)
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#5
lemonadesoda
If it runs Windows, I'm buying. I wanted the Samsung ATIV Book 9 and it got discontinued, and the 2015 edition seems to be US only. :( So, well done Apple. It looks great. If it is robust, and the screen not too glarey, then you've found yourself a new customer. So long as I can run W of course! It's not an obvious answer with the new ports.
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#6
NC37
Think Apple needs to just open their own landfill...that is the only place these computers will end up in about a year or two.
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#7
macintux
$1,299 for a laptop with a dual core 1.1 ghz processor, no headphone jack, no video output port, and ONLY ONE USB type C for all connectivity? How will you use ANYTHING else while it is charging?
Are they serious?

Of course idiots will buy it like always.
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#8
W1zzard
lemonadesodaIf it runs Windows, I'm buying.
that's what i thought before buying my mba. i installed windows 7 via bootcamp (which is perfectly supported by apple), then switched to a virtual machine, now i'm only using osx. got word, excel, powerpoint, outlook, photoshop, firefox, chrome .. dont need anything else on the road. but no way i could see myself using osx on my main pc.

that touch pad is the best invention since sliced bread. actually i rather have no bread but that touchpad
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#9
Cheeseball
Not a Potato
macintuxHow will you use ANYTHING else while it is charging?
USB Type-C hubs. It's capable of 10 Gb/s, so daisy-chaining devices wouldn't be a problem, with the only inconvenience having to carry it around with you. But then again, it also makes the AC adapter smaller and less cumbersome so there's the trade-off there.
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#10
macintux
CheeseballUSB Type-C hubs. It's capable of 10 Gb/s, so daisy-chaining devices wouldn't be a problem, with the only inconvenience having to carry it around with you. But then again, it also makes the AC adapter smaller and less cumbersome so there's the trade-off there.
Oh ok, I see. So I have to buy yet another accessory to use a USB device while it is charging. Totally acceptable.

I'll stick with my laptop with more than one freaking port.
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#11
The Von Matrices
NC37Think Apple needs to just open their own landfill...that is the only place these computers will end up in about a year or two.
If anything, it's the opposite. For some reason, Apple laptops hold their value like no other computer and are kept long beyond what most of us would consider obsolete. For example, a mid 2010 model with a Core 2 Duo CPU is inexplicably still worth $400 on eBay.
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#12
macintux
The Von MatricesIf anything, it's the opposite. For some reason, Apple laptops hold their value like no other computer and are kept long beyond what most of us would consider obsolete. For example, a mid 2010 model with a Core 2 Duo CPU is inexplicably still worth $400 on eBay.
Too bad you can't replace the battery on this one, and is probably glued shut like the iPad is, meaning it will be worthless in two years.
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#13
bpgt64
The Von MatricesIf anything, it's the opposite. For some reason, Apple laptops hold their value like no other computer and are kept long beyond what most of us would consider obsolete. For example, a mid 2010 model with a Core 2 Duo CPU is inexplicably still worth $400 on eBay.
Apple doesn't compete on rational thought.
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#14
timta2
macintuxToo bad you can't replace the battery on this one, and is probably glued shut like the iPad is, meaning it will be worthless in two years.
Please, cite your source.

I've actually personally done it on the 2010 MacBooks. It involves using a screwdriver and removing 12 screws.

My 2007 MacBook still runs for ~2 hours on the original battery and I could replace it in 5 minutes.

Haters are gonna hate.
Posted on Reply
#15
Aquinus
Resident Wat-man
W1zzardthat's what i thought before buying my mba. i installed windows 7 via bootcamp (which is perfectly supported by apple), then switched to a virtual machine, now i'm only using osx. got word, excel, powerpoint, outlook, photoshop, firefox, chrome .. dont need anything else on the road. but no way i could see myself using osx on my main pc.

that touch pad is the best invention since sliced bread. actually i rather have no bread but that touchpad
I thought that a 13" MBA was a nice device to develop and do work on, until work upgraded me to a 15" MBP with Retina and a larger SSD. If you take gaming out of the equation, it is by far one of the nicest laptops I've ever used. Regardless of what you're doing, Retina and OS X' scaling makes for a very nice picture. I really have no complains about retina scaling.
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#16
macintux
timta2Please, cite your source.

I've actually personally done it on the 2010 MacBooks. It involves using a screwdriver and removing 12 screws.

My 2007 MacBook still runs for ~2 hours on the original battery and I could replace it in 5 minutes.

Haters are gonna hate.
I don't have a source, I'm just going based on what previous apple products have done. Apple has recently been all about sacraficing repairability/expandability for thinness.
Posted on Reply
#17
Aquinus
Resident Wat-man
macintuxI don't have a source, I'm just going based on what previous apple products have done. Apple always sacrafices repairability/expandability for thinness.
Yes, @macintux is right. Apple has soldered a lot of things together and have made their newer models much harder to even get open. The batteries in the newer macs aren't a single module like it was in older models.

Take my current mac laptop for work, thanks to ifixit.com, we can have a peak at what's under the shell:


How many batteries do you count there are how do you figure they're wired in? It's not exactly as simple as replacing the battery like on a 2012 MBP:


There are a lot of factors that go into this, but the simple fact is, a smaller package won't always sport easily replaceable parts.
Posted on Reply
#18
GreiverBlade
W1zzardthat's what i thought before buying my mba. i installed windows 7 via bootcamp (which is perfectly supported by apple), then switched to a virtual machine, now i'm only using osx. got word, excel, powerpoint, outlook, photoshop, firefox, chrome .. dont need anything else on the road. but no way i could see myself using osx on my main pc.

that touch pad is the best invention since sliced bread. actually i rather have no bread but that touchpad
yep ... totally perfect ... i am a kinda a Anti Apple way of thinking/doing but i like the OS tho, got lucky to have a friend who needed a special build, and he gave me in return a Macbook Pro (early 2008) now running Yosemite for learning purpose, i just see ... well linux (more ubuntu) was ... enough to learn that kind of OS o_O altho the trackpad gesture is ... awesome (but i might need that mbp later for other purposes, ahah)

also worth mentioning even a T8300 2.4ghz 4gig DDR2 667 and a 8600m GT 256mb run smooth as hell on 10.10 (well 7 run quite fine on a E8400 3.5ghz 4gig DDR2 920 and a GTX760 2gb ... )

just need a new battery (31chf) and fully operational (if i except the ODD who is f.u.b.a.r but doesn't matter)
Apple is good when you pay nothing or almost nothing for it (albeit being too closed too simple too guided)
Posted on Reply
#19
Caring1
macintuxOh ok, I see. So I have to buy yet another accessory to use a USB device while it is charging. Totally acceptable.
They expect top dollar for their product, then want to further bleed you dry with expensive accessories and services, that wouldn't be necessary with other manufacturers.
Posted on Reply
#22
Caring1
Interesting to note, Apple are capping throughput of the USB-C port at 5GB/s, which is half it's theoretical speed.
Is this so they can then bring out a new faster model in 6 months and charge more?
Posted on Reply
#23
lemonadesoda
Caring1Interesting to note, Apple are capping throughput of the USB-C port at 5GB/s, which is half it's theoretical speed.
Is this so they can then bring out a new faster model in 6 months and charge more?
I think it is more about early-adopter 100% reliability. 5GB/s is already so much faster than any other laptop USB port, and pushing the limits might only cause problems with quality of cables, connectors, multiplexing USB/power/display etc. Makes sense to dial back the speed a little for additional robustness.

Not keen on the extra $79 required on the macbook purchase price just to be able to get display and USB out, and not keen that ONLY ONE USB port is possible at the moment. Perhaps a 3rd partly will product a better "docking station".

Still want to know bootcampability of this new USB-C and the dongles. If I can get W8.1 or W10 on there fully functional, then I'll get one. Can't go OSX... too much legacy software and require 100% compatibility with my desktop/workstation.
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#24
Uplink10
Apple can always cheer you up: their laptops start at 900 USD. Buying spare laptop will cost you 900 USD and you will only use it in emergencies.
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#25
MikeMurphy
CheeseballUSB Type-C hubs. It's capable of 10 Gb/s, so daisy-chaining devices wouldn't be a problem, with the only inconvenience having to carry it around with you. But then again, it also makes the AC adapter smaller and less cumbersome so there's the trade-off there.
This is USB 3.0 implemented on USB Type-C. Therefore, it's only 5Gb/s.
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