Lamenting the loss of the adorable 12-inch MacBook

24

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 68
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 820member
    A very sad day for Mac consumer laptops. One of the best Mac laptop designs ever gets killed in favor of the so-called “Air,” which belies all its bs marketing as a lightweight wonder with a weight that’s just 4 ounces less than a MacBook Pro. 
    christopher126
  • Reply 22 of 68
    macplusplusmacplusplus Posts: 2,112member
    Apple never showed it any love though. In its last few months of life, it was priced higher than the new MacBook Air, thus nobody bought it. 
    Priced higher because of 256 SSD.
    Yes, but Apple has already benefitted from lower cost components so reducing the price would have sold more units and possibly kept that
    model alive

    Compare it to Apple still selling the iPod touch in new configurations. 


    I agree. Yet 256 SSD is justifiable by the lack of ports. It may be cannibalized by iPad Pro and incoming iPad OS. For those who need Mac power in an iPad footprint here is the iPad OS...
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 23 of 68
    dr. xdr. x Posts: 282member
    Eric_WVGG said:
    neilm said:

    #237  12" MacBook. Well, outside of a store I've never seen a 12" MB in the wild. Not one. Not Ever.

    So "adorable"? Apparently not by many.
    Sorry man, I see them all over NYC. Huge with sales, marketing, executives. 

    I've been thinking about getting one for my significant other, who suffers from ME/CFS and finds her 13" Pro a bit too much to haul around. Just wondering what the best way to work out a trade with someone might be, or if she should just be on an iPad Pro.
    You should be able to snag one from Swappa. They sell MacBooks. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page for Used MacBook Retina. Swappa is like eBay but just for electronics. They don't allow junk. I've gotten some excellent deals on iPhones there and even sold my iPhone 6 for a very good price.

    Hope it helps.

    I agree, sad why Apple discontinued the MacBook, it might come back later and better, who knows.
    edited July 2019 watto_cobra
  • Reply 24 of 68
    jibjib Posts: 56member
    I loved my MacBook.  I've owned over over 8 different PowerBook and MacBooks going back to the PowerBook 100.  The MacBook was almost my ideal.  I kept it for 3 years, hoping Apple would add another USB port and a 16 GB ram option.  But they didn't so I somewhat reluctantly moved on to a MacBook Pro 13", which meets my needs, but is not as svelte and light as the MacBook. 
    watto_cobraphilboogie
  • Reply 25 of 68
    neilmneilm Posts: 985member
    Eric_WVGG said:
    neilm said:

    #237  12" MacBook. Well, outside of a store I've never seen a 12" MB in the wild. Not one. Not Ever.

    So "adorable"? Apparently not by many.
    Sorry man, I see them all over NYC. Huge with sales, marketing, executives.
    Interesting. Especially for that market I'd have thought an iPad (with or without external keypad), at least when outside of the office. The 'killer app' for the iPad is the onboard cellular data option, eliminating the need for a WiFi access point. My wife uses her iPad all the time for on-the-go business email. I have an iPad Pro with cellular for similar reasons. (We both have 13" MacBook Pros too.)
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 26 of 68
    I have only one good thing to say about the one-port MacBook.

    At least the battery was glued to the bottom case instead of the keyboard housing.
    caladanian
  • Reply 27 of 68
    mpw_amherstmpw_amherst Posts: 563member
    I’ve written three novels on mine, and it’s been the perfect companion. For writing, I demand the tiniest, lowest-specced laptop I can get, stripped down to only writing-related software. Granted, my needs are pretty uncommon, but I’ve loved my MacBook. Now I guess I’ll be keeping it until it quits on me, because I’m not about to upsize to a hulking 13-inch lummox. (Kidding … but seriously.)
    Written books on mine too. I’m actually genuinely conflicted this evening. I have a 2016 MacBook and wanted to upgrade for a little while - partly because somehow I dinged the lid. I was waiting for an update. Now I don’t know whether to get a new Air or a cut price 2017 MacBook. The weight thing really matters to me. I write out and about, in libraries a lot. I often carry several books in my bag. The MacBook Air is a MacBook and then a quarter again. I don’t need the extra screen. I’d have liked Touch ID but can live without it. Would I really notice any difference for what I do, mainly Word and Ulysses, between the m3 and the processor in the new Air? I’d like to be buying for some future and future macOS updates - presumably the 2017 would give me more than the 2016 but not as much as a new Air. Genuinely. Torn. 
    edited July 2019 watto_cobra
  • Reply 28 of 68
    Eric_WVGGEric_WVGG Posts: 966member
    neilm said:
    Eric_WVGG said:
    neilm said:

    #237  12" MacBook. Well, outside of a store I've never seen a 12" MB in the wild. Not one. Not Ever.

    So "adorable"? Apparently not by many.
    Sorry man, I see them all over NYC. Huge with sales, marketing, executives.
    Interesting. Especially for that market I'd have thought an iPad (with or without external keypad), at least when outside of the office. The 'killer app' for the iPad is the onboard cellular data option, eliminating the need for a WiFi access point. My wife uses her iPad all the time for on-the-go business email. I have an iPad Pro with cellular for similar reasons. (We both have 13" MacBook Pros too.)
    True, I am seeing more of those as well. I guess when you consider the twelver as being squeezed from both the Air and the iPad Pro, it starts to make less sense.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 29 of 68
    I had the first version for three years, in gold, bought as a self-reward for completing nanowrimo that year. I loved almost everything about it but especially it's incredible lightness of being. It was light enough to take anywhere whether or not I thought I might use it.

    The only real downside, which did start to get to me later, was that it wasn't very desktoppable. as in, the single USB-C reall was a bit inadequate. In the first version it couldn't actually do 4K@60 at all, and in fact even seemed to have problems with 1440p, let alone the problems if you wanted it to get power at the same time. Just a *leetle* bit more oomph, and a thunderbolt 3 instead of USB-C, and I'd have got a new one when, instead, I got the 2018 Macbook Air. (with which, btw, I've never had cause to plug anything into the second TB3 port, so one is enough there, with a TB3 dock.) The Air is *just* a bit too heavy to take everywhere.

    But as a satellite system, supplementary to a "proper" work machine on the desk so desktopping it wasn't really an issue, it was just superb. Oh, and the keyboard on mine never went wrong either. Nor has it yet on the Air I got next, and I *keep* spilling crumbs on it almost like I'm *trying* to make it go...

    edited July 2019 fastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 30 of 68
    Perfect size and weight when you are bike touring and never had a problem with the keyboard.
    watto_cobraphilboogie
  • Reply 31 of 68
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    Just placed my order for the 2019 Air after filling out the paperwork to trade in my 2017 MacBook.

    Happy to move on.
  • Reply 32 of 68
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,152member
    Eric_WVGG said:
    neilm said:

    #237  12" MacBook. Well, outside of a store I've never seen a 12" MB in the wild. Not one. Not Ever.

    So "adorable"? Apparently not by many.
    Sorry man, I see them all over NYC. Huge with sales, marketing, executives. 

    I've been thinking about getting one for my significant other, who suffers from ME/CFS and finds her 13" Pro a bit too much to haul around. Just wondering what the best way to work out a trade with someone might be, or if she should just be on an iPad Pro.
    Are you sure they aren’t MBAs?
  • Reply 33 of 68
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,408member
    I have only one good thing to say about the one-port MacBook.

    At least the battery was glued to the bottom case instead of the keyboard housing.
    Interesting, never realized that until now (or forgot).  Just looked at the teardown again. Wonder why that hasn’t been a thing on other models, seems like it’d make everything easier to service (I’m sure there are reasons).
    caladanian
  • Reply 34 of 68
    caladaniancaladanian Posts: 380member
    I am astonished they didn’t unify the MacBook and MacBook Air lines with a new machine replacing both. Dropping the “Air” in it’s name and adding a touch bar - again to unify the portfolio. 

    I miss the consequence in the line-up of Apple sometimes. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 35 of 68
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,408member
    I am astonished they didn’t unify the MacBook and MacBook Air lines with a new machine replacing both. Dropping the “Air” in it’s name and adding a touch bar - again to unify the portfolio. 

    I miss the consequence in the line-up of Apple sometimes. 
    The Air I think only got that name due to marketing and how beloved the previous Air line was. My guess is the next major refresh of the MacBook Pro, the Air drops the Air moniker and just becomes MacBook.

    I used to think they were gonna do two sizes of MB and then two sizes of MBP, but not so sure anymore. Kind of depends on screen size differentiation in the new MBPs later this year or next, when those come out. Still could happen depending on a few things. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 36 of 68
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    It was under powered, keyboard sucks, requires a dongle for everything. But it was so thin and light and it actually fits in my Travelon passport bag when I travel and I don't need to reach my carry-on to put it away.
    Did not require a dongle for anything. First because adapters historically weren’t called dongles until it came out, and second because you can get native USB-C cables for any devices you need them for. You’re crying about a problem solved years ago, dur.  
    fastasleepmacpluspluswatto_cobra
  • Reply 37 of 68
    neilm said:
    Eric_WVGG said:
    neilm said:

    #237  12" MacBook. Well, outside of a store I've never seen a 12" MB in the wild. Not one. Not Ever.

    So "adorable"? Apparently not by many.
    Sorry man, I see them all over NYC. Huge with sales, marketing, executives.
    Interesting. Especially for that market I'd have thought an iPad (with or without external keypad), at least when outside of the office. The 'killer app' for the iPad is the onboard cellular data option, eliminating the need for a WiFi access point. My wife uses her iPad all the time for on-the-go business email. I have an iPad Pro with cellular for similar reasons. (We both have 13" MacBook Pros too.)
    The only device I have with cellular circuitry is my iPhone. I always have it with me, so if I need the connectivity on another device I just share the network from the phone. About a decade ago I had a separate device that connected via USB to my laptop but (a) using and keeping track of it was annoying and (b) the data plan cost more than the one for my phone by the time I got rid of it.

    The only use I can see for a WiFi AP is in locations where a wired connection to the WAN is too expensive to install, but I realise other people have situations where it makes sense for them.
    fastasleepwatto_cobra
  • Reply 38 of 68
    DuhSesameDuhSesame Posts: 1,278member
    I just realized: This will make the latest gold MacBook one of the rarest machine that Apple ever produced!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 39 of 68
    kamiltonkamilton Posts: 282member
    My hunch is that the new Mac Pro is the paradigm shift in design.  I’m hoping that sensibility will carry on with the 2020 MBP and MBA.  
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 40 of 68
    ajcarrajcarr Posts: 2unconfirmed, member
    Perhaps they should re-introduce the 11" MacBook Air? I had one (mid-2012), and it was a beautiful little machine, capable of doing 90% of what I wanted, but for my tasks, there wasn't enough screen real estate, so I got rid of it and replaced it with a 13" model of the same vintage. A Retina 11" MacBook Air would be utterly gorgeous.
    watto_cobra
Sign In or Register to comment.