I remember the time when we saw the 2015 Macbook get released, and boy did it turn heads. It did also left a few, like me, with raised eyebrows. With the ever increasing demand for seeing a revolutionized Retina Macbook Pro and of course Apple’s investment in the iPad Pro series. The Macbook was meant to do one thing, compress and smoothen the user experience with a lightweight machine and it did that rather well. A better keyboard, Retina Display, Force Touch-enabled trackpad and of course a sleek look. Again the iPad Pro’s have also fit in the “PC replacement” category and it’s now a question as to how the second generation of a great device fits in.
If you didn’t cash in early with the Macbook last year, should you do it now ? Well if you’re kind of person that likes to go with less is more then maybe, just maybe, you’re going to see the Macbook the way I did. Also to add on with Mac OS Sierra, the user experience that Apple prides on so much is about to get even better. The Macbook is a testament of Apple’s design and now with the second generation, you’re definitely looking at the same Macbook from last year but its guts have definitely improved, that however does come at a price and I’m at odds where you can position it.
Design
Let’s get this out of the way, I can’t see a difference. The second generation of Macbook looks exactly the same. You’re getting a really slimmed down version of the Macbook Air. 12″ Retina Display and finished with full aluminum. On a demo with Apple, they emphasized on the weight of the device and at just under a kilo. It’s extremely light, easy to hold it with one hand. The reason for it being so light and thin is that it has no fan and heat distribution gets split sideways. Not much to say on ports either, Apple’s controversial gamble on leaving it just one USB-C port along with a headphone jack means you’re left without a USB, Ethernet or Display port, instead you’re going to have purchase a separate adaptor. Good news is, USB-C is becoming the norm so expect to find third party adapters, bad news, if you’re the sort who does a lot with physical data and leaving it on USB’s, you lucked out. Your best case scenario with using the Macbook is iCloud. Most mobile devices now support USB-C if you are using an android or non iOS technical device.
The review unit I received was in Rose Gold which is now a staple design that you can expect to see more of. In fact, a rose gold Macbook will get you the immediate attention from everyone else who will know that this is the new Macbook. It also holds the title of being Apple’s thinnest laptop though HP and Asus have gone ahead to build thinner devices. Of course the Rose Gold finish has that appeal for people who invest in Apple products and want some consistency I do see it being popular but I do have concerns on it being durable enough to not show any wear or tear.
Display
I’ve always been a fan of the Macbook’s 12″ Retina Display. This is now packed with 3 million Pixels in 2,304 x 1,440 resolution. Colors are fantastic and it’s amazing to read. There’s definitely more light coming from each pixel and you’ll notice this mostly when you watch video. Of course, the caveat is that while it does look great in an indoor setting or even low light outdoors, don’t expect to have a great viewing experience in a bright and sunny day.
Keyboard and Trackpad
It’s got a full size keyboard, larger keys in fact, over the other Macbooks out there by 17% and you’re going to have to deal with shallow key presses. They are backlit individually with their butterfly design we saw last year and it took me quite a while to get used to typing on it. With keys feeling less spaced out and being thinner by 40%, you’re going to nitpick on response times by a very tiny margin. It’s not a major deal breaker but it was something that I had to adjust myself. The Force Touch Trackpad as I’ve learned is that it has taptic feedback and doesn’t actually physically move but does give the impression of a clicking sensation.
You can even adjust the sound of a click if required. A nifty feature in my opinion that lets you do more, force clicking a word lets you see a definition. It’s force sensors spread out on the trackpad. Using it contextually on the web lets you open a menu depending on whether you, in some instances open a map when you highlight and force click an address.
Performance
So where is it different, the guts, like I mentioned have been updated. Last year’s Macbook had a Broadwell Intel Core M processor while this year it’s refreshed to have a dual core Intel M5 processor. It does have better processing power this year, the standard entry level macbook has an Intel turboboost to 2.2ghz while the second tier comes with a boost of 2.7 Ghz. It’s certainly and noticeably faster than last year but again the processor does more, it extends battery life, more on that in a bit. It doesn’t overheat and aps are as usual smooth to operate. There are exceptions obviously, the clock while turbo boosted can handle some high resolution video editing with the exception of course running and encoding video in 4K.
These are of course specific tests I ran to check the limits of the Macbook’s power and isn’t reflective of the Macbook in a real world scenario. The customer base for this macbook are the mid range power users. Those looking for a Macbook with power, for now, have to turn to a Macbook Pro. Also worth noting that the Macbook Air is cheaper and more powerful with a better Intel Core i7 chip. Battery on the other hand has been touted to last for about ten hours and yes it works exactly as advertised. I suspect USB-C has something to do with the way it charges since it recharges pretty quickly too so expect this little tiny machine to cater to most of your needs through the day.
It ships with OS X 10.12, El Capitan and soon, macOS Sierra. The current version El Capitan has an updated mission control that’s now cleaner and apps can run split, side by side. Virtually this means you can resize windows. Same way you snap them on Windows. The notes app has been given the most notice with enhancements to adding anything from photos to video, to map locations to another person. Continuity also keeps the information flow between your apple devices so your workflow runs smoothly.
Verdict
So should you get it ? A lot of users are arguably holding out for a Macbook Pro. Yes the Macbook 2016 is definitely faster but if you wanted a lightweight Apple laptop to use, now’s a great time to get one. It’s no denying that it’s definitely faster and better optimized. The major downside to this is that single USB-C port that will detract people from getting it and it certainly raises questions if that sacrifice should be reflective in the price.
That said, the Macbook has been created in mind for people who want the OS X experience in a snazzy looking lightweight package who don’t have too much to connect it to. It’s great to use as a standalone work or home device. The Rose Gold is a gorgeous touch and one that screams attention. If that’s what you like then the Macbook is your pick.
For Apple laptop lovers, obsessed with a certain design aesthetic, who are willing to ignore the inconvenience of a single port, and who aren’t put off by the price, the new Macbook won’t be a tough sell. At all. Sometimes when we buy a new consumer product, we buy into the possibilities of the product rather than its capabilities, and this is one of those times. But for most people? I’d wait to see what’s coming down the pipeline.
