Roger Fingas
Apple lifted its review embargo on the new 12-inch MacBook on Thursday, and the first early-access reviews began to emerge, praising some of the notebook's futuristic design traits while typically criticizing issues like weak performance and a lack of present-day compatibility.
The Verge
Dieter Bohn of The Verge said that in light of the new MacBooks' thin size, light weight, and Retina display, even his MacBook Air felt "like a heavy, kind of ugly throwback with a mediocre screen."
He nevertheless returned to using the Air, since he found there currently aren't enough adapters and wireless peripherals needed to get around the MacBook's single USB-C port. He also complained that the system's Core M proecessor isn't enough to power through the apps he uses without harming battery life, and that a $1,299 entry cost is "far from cheap." He suggested that eventually, these problems should disappear.
Engadget
Site author Dana Wollman called "most" of the design decisions on the MacBook "well-thought-out," for instance noting that performance is generally quick in everyday use, and that the flattened keyboard is nearly as comfortable as those for other Macs. She also praised the device's battery life, which is similar to an 11-inch Air despite a much higher-resolution display.
Criticisms were leveled not just at the lack of standard USB ports but the Force Touch trackpad, which Wollman said is not as comfortable to use as the ones on the Air or other notebooks.
The product was ultimately described as aimed at "well-heeled shoppers who demand the most portable machine possible, and who also don't want to compromise on screen quality."
Re/code
Re/code's Katherine Boehret considered the MacBook "too extreme" and "too expensive" for most people, based mainly on the lack of standard USB ports or even an SD card slot, and the machine costing $100 more than a top-end MacBook Air. She also found battery life to be worse than expected during intense testing, coming in at a little over five hours versus more than 10 on a previously-reviewed 13-inch Air.
She argued however that the device may appeal to richer shoppers who want a thinner notebook and won't mind present-day port issues. She further suggested that people may eventually look back on it the way they now consider the 2008 MacBook Air, which did away with then-standard Mac features like an Ethernet port and an optical drive.
Wall Street Journal
The Journal's Joanna Stern asked readers not to "give in" to the appeal of features like the Retina display or the trackpad, precisely because like the first-generation Air, there are "too many key compromises" for an "early-adopter price."
For her these included issues with performance, battery life, and the lack of ports. As with some other reviewers, she suggested the MacBook will probably improve in subsequent generations, but said there are more practical options at moment — including the Air and the MacBook Pro.
Macworld
Writer Jason Snell called the computer "gorgeous," also complimenting the Retina display and Force Touch trackpad, but said the keyboard could be a "deal-breaker," and that overall the product is not for people who need external drives or powerful performance.
The MacBook is finally painted as a "trade-off," the harbinger of an Apple transition to USB-C. "To get the cutting edge technology, you've got to deal with the incompatibilities and limitations that go with it," Snell said.
CNet
CNet's Dan Ackerman also likened the computer to the 2008 Air, proposing that it may appeal to a smaller segment of the public than that served by the "more universally useful" 13-inch models of the MacBook Air and Pro. Those people will still have to cope with an unusual keyboard, missing ports, and limited speed, Ackerman said, but may enjoy the Retina display, slimmer dimensions, and "responsive" trackpad.
He predicts that a future MacBook will come with at least one more USB-C port, and could be worth waiting for.
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133 Comments
This review, among others, make it pretty clear that the New MacBook is pretty much what everyone secretly feared it would be: an overpriced iPad with non removable keyboard. Cook should have just given the Air line a retina screen and held off another year or two on this thing. Or at least figured out how to give it more than one dang port.
[quote name="Cash907" url="/t/185682/macbook-reviews-ahead-of-its-time-but-hurt-by-weak-processor-too-few-ports#post_2706754"]This review, among others, make it pretty clear that the New MacBook is pretty much what everyone secretly feared it would be: an overpriced iPad with non removable keyboard. Cook should have just given the Air line a retina screen and held off another year or two on this thing. Or at least figured out how to give it more than one dang port.[/quote] The Verge is garbage. Ars's review of it was pretty good. If you don't like it, buy an rMBP. This, however, is the most telling: "Another interesting thing to note, though we didn't include it on these charts: the MacBook’s multi-core CPU performance is nearly identical to that of the iPad Air 2. The A8X still has lower single-threaded performance—it needs a third core to match the dual-core Core M—but we’ve gotten to the point where top-end ARM chips and low-power Intel chips have very similar power usage and performance characteristics." That should send INTL plunging to the basement, personally, but most analysts are idiots.
This review, among others, make it pretty clear that the New MacBook is pretty much what everyone secretly feared it would be: an overpriced iPad with non removable keyboard.
Cook should have just given the Air line a retina screen and held off another year or two on this thing. Or at least figured out how to give it more than one dang port.
I do agree that Apple really needs to put a Retina screen in the 11/13" Macbook air (and also needs to update their 27" Thunderbolt display to support 4K & USB-C). But considering this Macbook has a 12" screen, tiny keyboard, weighs only 2lbs, uses a 1.1ghz CoreM processor.. and is only about a thick as a 1st gen iPad.. it was never meant to be much more than an iPad with a non-removable keyboard. The New Macbook is basically redefining what an "ultra" portable laptop should be. For those who need more ports or more power.. then Apple still sells the 0.6" thick, 2.95lb Macbook Air and the 0.7" thick, 3.48lb Macbook Retina Pro.
I also dont see having 1-port as an issue, because USB-C is an open standard and supports almost everything, including up to 100w of power. I'd imagine as the standard gets more popular, we will see plenty of third party adapters that combine a small 3 port hub + a 29watt (or higher) power supply. Multi-functional adapters like this USB 3.0 three port hub + ethernet adapter do exactly what I'm talking about and cost $14: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S5L9K1G/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687442&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00S5IA568&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0F5MV73M7K1DESVZMR6M
[quote name="Cash907" url="/t/185682/macbook-reviews-ahead-of-its-time-but-hurt-by-weak-processor-too-few-ports#post_2706754"]This review, among others, make it pretty clear that the New MacBook is pretty much what everyone secretly feared it would be: an overpriced iPad with non removable keyboard. Cook should have just given the Air line a retina screen and held off another year or two on this thing. Or at least figured out how to give it more than one dang port.[/quote] The problem IMO is that because single port is used for everything, it's all the more inconvenient than if it was a single port for a specific purpose (power, for example). It means people will be constantly fumbling around swapping power/USB stick/phone/whatever, at least if it had one dedicated charging port (a-la MagSafe) and one USB-C port, it'd be much less hassle. But as it is now, if the battery is low and you need to use a peripheral, you have to wait for the MB to charge before being able to swap to the peripheral. Really seems pretty stupid to me. I know all this can be "solved" so to speak with multi-port dongles, but to me, that really defeats the point of a portable if you have to lug around a bagful of adapters to make it work with anything. With the MPBr you're pretty much guaranteed it'll work with anything standard; be that Ethernet, USB, MagSafe, etc, without a multitude of dongles. I really can't see why Apple didn't add had at least one more USB C port, on the opposite side would have been great.
I know all this can be "solved" so to speak with multi-port dongles, but to me, that really defeats the point of a portable if you have to lug around a bagful of adapters to make it work with anything. With the MPBr you're pretty much guaranteed it'll work with anything standard; be that Ethernet, USB, MagSafe, etc, without a multitude of dongles.
You literally solved your own proposed dilemma in your post.
If you are "constantly fumbling around swapping power/USB stick/phone/whatever".. why would you buy this tiny computer instead of a "MPBr you're pretty much guaranteed it'll work with anything standard; be that Ethernet, USB, MagSafe, etc, without a multitude of dongles."
Anyone who always has the need to plug that much stuff in.. should not be buying this.