First look: Hands-on with Apple's all new 12" MacBook with Retina display

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited March 2015
Following the redesigned 12-inch MacBook's unveiling on Monday, AppleInsider was on hand to take a first look at Apple's latest thin-and-light, which comes in three colors including gold.




Announced earlier today, the all new MacBook is the lightest and thinnest Mac Apple has ever made, weighing in at only two pounds and measuring 13.1 millimeters at its thickest point.




A bright 12-inch Retina display is featured front and center, with Apple touting the panel as the thinnest and most efficient ever used in a Mac.




The MacBook is a departure from Apple's most recent laptop designs in that it eschews the MagSafe protocol, as well as other input and output ports, for a single USB Type C connector located on the left side of the device. On the opposite side is a single headphone jack and dual mics for FaceTime and dictation duties.




Another new feature is the MacBook's keys, which use a new butterfly type mechanism for a more solid typing experience. Prior MacBook Air and Pro models used scissor type keys that are more susceptible to flexing and bending when pressed near a key's edge.




Like Apple's iPhone offerings, the new MacBook will come in three different colors: silver, Space Gray and gold.




Apple's redesigned MacBook is slated to hit store shelves on April 10 at a base price of $1,299.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 101
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    They're beautiful laptops for sure. I'm going to miss the safety of a mag-safe connector for sure. In the end, less ports means less parts, less need for space and a smaller, more reliable design. I really wonder how that fanless design is going to work in the real world for those that push the performance limits of the new MBA. It's why I finally went to a MBP a six months ago after being a die-hard MBA user. The heat got to be too much.

    Great product though. I look forward to seeing one in person.

    I'm sure Samsung is firing up their photo-copy machine as we speak!
  • Reply 2 of 101
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sflocal View Post



    They're beautiful laptops for sure. I'm going to miss the safety of a mag-safe connector for sure. In the end, less ports means less parts, less need for space and a smaller, more reliable design. I really wonder how that fanless design is going to work in the real world for those that push the performance limits of the new MBA. It's why I finally went to a MBP a six months ago after being a die-hard MBA user. The heat got to be too much.



    Great product though. I look forward to seeing one in person.



    I'm sure Samsung is firing up their photo-copy machine as we speak!



    I hope Apple patented the crap out of that keyboard design. It's very well designed. In fact, the whole thing is very well designed. I'm getting the space grey top-end model for my daughter for college. For me, I'm more than happy with my 15" rMBP which does not need to be as portable.

     

    AI, can we have some feedback as to the feel of the new keyboard and trackpad?

  • Reply 3 of 101
    ds92jzds92jz Posts: 90member
    Single USB-C port ($80 for an adapter LOL) and Intel M processor is a fail.
  • Reply 4 of 101

    I was wondering when the "gold" finish would make it to the Mac line.  Probably will make me get the laptop. Very beautiful. Well done! :)

     

    Best.

  • Reply 5 of 101
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by GadgetCanadaV2 View Post

     



    I hope Apple patented the crap out of that keyboard design. It's very well designed. In fact, the whole thing is very well designed. I'm getting the space grey top-end model for my daughter for college. For me, I'm more than happy with my 15" rMBP which does not need to be as portable.

     

    AI, can we have some feedback as to the feel of the new keyboard and trackpad?


    If she's anything like my daughter, consider the gold finish. :)

     

    Either way, great call. :)

  • Reply 6 of 101
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ds92jz View Post



    Single USB-C port ($80 for an adapter LOL) and Intel M processor is a fail.



    Why? It sounds like the perfect machine to replace my aging 2008 Air. I just wish I had $1350 for it. (including tax)

  • Reply 7 of 101
    ds92jzds92jz Posts: 90member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon View Post

     



    Why? It sounds like the perfect machine to replace my aging 2008 Air. I just wish I had $1350 for it. (including tax)


     

    Intel M isn't that great of a processor.

     

    Honestly, you'd be better off with the 13" retina Macbook Pro now that it's been updated with the newer trackpad. 

     

    But if your heart is set on the new Macbook down the road, wait until sept-oct when it starts to pop up on the refurb site.

  • Reply 8 of 101
    zoetmbzoetmb Posts: 2,654member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ds92jz View Post



    Single USB-C port ($80 for an adapter LOL) and Intel M processor is a fail.



    A fail that will sell extremely well.    But I agree that the adapters are overpriced and that there should have been two USB-C ports. 

  • Reply 9 of 101
    magman1979magman1979 Posts: 1,292member
    ds92jz wrote: »
    Single USB-C port ($80 for an adapter LOL) and Intel M processor is a fail.
    Damn, the product hasn't event hit store shelves, has new, state-of-the-art components, and you're already calling it a fail?

    ROTFL, trolls a plenty on Ai today!
  • Reply 10 of 101
    tommy0gunstommy0guns Posts: 119member
    Where does a MacBook end and iPad begin? Imagine and iPad with no touch screen, a non-detachable keyboard, and runs Mac OS.
  • Reply 11 of 101
    I was still hoping for Touch ID. I want to make Mac App Store purchases and in app purchases with Touch ID. I do like that they finally got gold in the Mac line.
  • Reply 12 of 101
    tommy0guns wrote: »
    Where does a MacBook end and iPad begin? Imagine and iPad with no touch screen, a non-detachable keyboard, and runs Mac OS.

    Exactly.

    My first thought during the unveil was that this was Apple's answer to the Surface. And for those of you who will poo-poo this comparison, think about it for a minute.

    New MacBook fills the niche between iPad Air and MacBook (Air, Pro). It's extremely lightweight, runs "full" applications, has limited physical connectivity but wide-ranging wireless options.

    I think this will be a hit.
  • Reply 13 of 101
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member

    When you buy it on the Apple Store online, it's just like buying an iOS device. You choose your color and storage and that's it.

  • Reply 14 of 101
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    I'm sure Apple will get crap for only one port but I'm seeing a lot of 'drool I'm getting one' posts on Twitter. Jason Snell said the keyboard is great. And Ben Thompson says the trackpad is "crazy" and "plays tricks on your mind". My impression from the event today is Apple is doubling down on high quality and charging for it. And knowing people will pay for quality.

    I thought it was interesting though that we didn't see Dan Riccio or Craig Federighi at all. Jony Ive in all the videos and Jeff Williams on stage. I get sense that in terms of importance Jeff, Jony and Eddy are Tim's top guys and it wouldn't surprise me if Jeff or Eddy are being groomed as Tim's eventual successor.
  • Reply 15 of 101
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    ingenious wrote: »
    Exactly.

    My first thought during the unveil was that this was Apple's answer to the Surface. And for those of you who will poo-poo this comparison, think about it for a minute.

    New MacBook fills the niche between iPad Air and MacBook (Air, Pro). It's extremely lightweight, runs "full" applications, has limited physical connectivity but wide-ranging wireless options.

    I think this will be a hit.

    I guess time will tell if Microsoft's vision of a touch screen keyboard is what people want (we're not really seeing it so far) but it's obvious that Apple still believes notebooks should not have touch screens. It's not just marketing speak because they don't have a similar product on the market. If Apple really believed in it this product would hace a touch screen and detachable keyboard.
  • Reply 16 of 101

    I hadn't noticed it still includes a 3.5mm jack for headphones, nice.

  • Reply 17 of 101
    ingenious wrote: »
    Exactly.

    My first thought during the unveil was that this was Apple's answer to the Surface. And for those of you who will poo-poo this comparison, think about it for a minute.

    New MacBook fills the niche between iPad Air and MacBook (Air, Pro). It's extremely lightweight, runs "full" applications, has limited physical connectivity but wide-ranging wireless options.

    I think this will be a hit.

    This is lighter than Surface Pro 3 with Touch Keyboard. No kickstand required.
  • Reply 18 of 101

    Very interesting. Not a laptop designed for me in mind, I need my ports for various things, but for others who don't need them this looks great.

  • Reply 19 of 101
    Quote:



    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post





    This is lighter than Surface Pro 3 with Touch Keyboard. No kickstand required.

     

    That's actually the point I was trying to make. Microsoft was on the right track with a highly portable and highly functional "work machine," but Apple has executed it correctly.

     

    Apple doesn't need a kickstand because it's not trying to half-ass this product, like the Surface. It's "full" OS X, but no shortcuts like a kickstand or a stylus when an incredibly light "work" laptop with a full keyboard and Multi-Touch trackpad is actually what people need and want to use.

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    I guess time will tell if Microsoft's vision of a touch screen keyboard is what people want (we're not really seeing it so far) but it's obvious that Apple still believes notebooks should not have touch screens. It's not just marketing speak because they don't have a similar product on the market. If Apple really believed in it this product would hace a touch screen and detachable keyboard.



    The new trackpad shows Apple still believes in bringing Multi-Touch gestures to OS X while keeping in mind how users actually use the device, which—unless people suddenly decide they want to hold their arms in the air for long periods of time while interacting with touch-screen laptops or desktops—makes the most sense.

  • Reply 20 of 101
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,415member
    Beautiful laptop but the iSight went from 720p to 480p?!?! No way I would do that as I use FaceTime all the time.

    And while I like the idea of single port, I know from my experience that I will wish for more ports.

    Definitely going with MacBook Pro. It's cheaper since I won't need several adaptors.
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