Skip to main content

12-inch MacBook review roundup: The future of the notebook, but USB-C, keys and speed are issues

12-inch MacBook 2015

We originally reported that Apple was preparing to release a redesigned 12-inch MacBook in January and the company made the device official during its Spring Forward event. The 12-inch MacBook doesn’t go on sale until tomorrow, April 10th, but reviews have already started pouring in today.

The all-new 12-inch MacBook has been completely redesigned and is the thinnest MacBook Apple offers. The laptop sports a 2304×1440 resolution display and is just 13.1mm thick at its thickest point. To get the laptop this thin, Apple made compromises and those compromises have made many potential buyers worry. The new MacBook only features a single USB-C port, with Apple encouraging users to use adapters to fulfill their other needs. Performance concerns also arose when benchmarks allegedly emerged from the laptop showing performance on-par with that of a 2011 MacBook Air. You can read our roundup of all the 12-inch MacBook reviews below:

Mashable:

If you value speed and performance above all else, you want a MacBook Pro. If you want something portable, fairly powerful and extensible, the MacBook Air is a great fit.

The MacBook, as it exists today, is really for a very particular group of people who want the thinnest, lightest MacBook they can get. It’s not intended to be a professional machine — though I can see this as a new standard issue for some executives, those who value portability above all.

This is the notebook for people who love their iPad but want something with a real keyboard and a bigger screen. It’s a great second computer to compliment an iMac or a larger MacBook Pro.

Engadget:

Much like the original Air, the new MacBook is expensive, and it’s not for everyone. In particular, it’s for well-heeled shoppers who demand the most portable machine possible, and who also don’t want to compromise on screen quality. That might not be persuasive to would-be Windows users, who have several compelling alternatives, many with equally sharp screens and a bigger selection of ports. But for loyal Mac fans who wouldn’t dream of switching, the new MacBook is by far the lightest-weight machine in Apple’s lineup, especially with this caliber of screen. It’s not for everyone, especially not right now, but if it’s anything like the Air, it might one day become the standard.

The Verge:

This new MacBook is the future. All laptops are going to be like this someday: with ridiculously good screens, no fans, lasting all day. Just like the original MacBook Air defined a generation of competitors, this new MacBook will do the same. It, or something inspired by it, is what you’ll be using in two or three years. It’s that good.

Here’s a crazy surprise I didn’t expect: my 13-inch MacBook Air felt big and clunky after I went back to it. And make no mistake, the MacBook Air is itself a wonder of engineering. Yet compared to the new MacBook it felt like a heavy, kind of ugly throwback with a mediocre screen. I really didn’t want to go back to that Air.

But I still went back.

You see, the problem with the future is that it isn’t here yet. Instead we live in the now, and the now doesn’t have the ecosystem of adapters and wireless peripherals I need to use this laptop with its single port. The now doesn’t have the right processor to power through the apps I need without ruining battery life. And right now, this laptop is far from cheap at $1,299.

CNET:

My initial impression of the original MacBook Air from 2008 feels timely and fitting here. Of that laptop, which was considered both groundbreaking and frustratingly limited, I said:

“The design is revolutionary, but Apple’s MacBook Air will appeal to a smaller, more specialized audience than the standard MacBook, thanks to a stripped-down set of connections and features.”

Likewise, this new MacBook will also be the right fit for a smaller segment of a public than the more universally useful 13-inch MacBook Air or Pro. But those who can work with the limitations — primarily a lack of ports, shorter battery life, performance that’s not suited for pro-level photo and video editing, and a shallow keyboard that takes some getting used to — will love its sharp display, slim and light body, and responsive touchpad.

My primary caveat is this — if history is any guide, you can count on a near-future generation of this laptop boosting its utility by doubling the number of USB-C ports to at least two. So like many new technology products, it may be worth waiting for the next version, even if having a 12-inch, two-pound gold MacBook right now will make you the coolest kid at the coffee shop.

Recode:

If money is no issue for you, you want a significantly smaller laptop, and you don’t mind being limited by a lack of ports, then maybe upgrading to the new MacBook makes sense for you.

But if you rely on USB ports and SD card slots, this MacBook’s single port for charging, storage transfers and other functionality will really bug you.

In a few years, we may look back on this laptop’s missing USB ports like we look back on the original MacBook Air’s absent Ethernet port or missing optical disk drive (here’s that 2008 review by Walt Mossberg), thinking, “Who needed that?” We’re just not quite there yet.

Techcrunch:

Apple’s new MacBook seemed like a shift so dramatic that it was bound to cause some discomfort when it was unveiled on stage in March in San Francisco, but in practice the big changes are far easier to embrace than you might expect.

It’s true that for users who treat their notebooks as their sole computers, and who like to plug a lot of things into those computers as a result, this probably isn’t the best option. But for people looking for a mobile Mac to complement their desktop machine, and for those who aren’t sending their whole day on their Macs for work (meaning likely the vast majority of general consumers), this is a future-oriented notebook that is just as effective in the present, too.

Macworld:

The MacBook is a gorgeous piece of hardware. The Retina display is excellent, and I’m really loving the Force Touch trackpad. The keyboard is more of a hit-or-miss affair; if you’re someone who is particular about your keyboards and spends a whole lot of time typing, it may be a deal-breaker.

This is a laptop that will serve its audience well. That audience is one that prioritizes size, weight, and stylishness over compatibility and ports and computing power. I’d say that this isn’t a laptop for power users, but I don’t think that’s true—there are whole classes of “power users” who don’t actually need more power than the MacBook can provide.

But if your workflow includes lots of USB flash drives and external hard drives, if you’ve invested in Thunderbolt hard drives or displays, or if your work really does require 16GB of RAM and the very fastest processors around, the MacBook won’t be a good fit. Fortunately, Apple’s isn’t ceasing production of the MacBook Pro—and it offers all of that and more.

Ars Technica:

Peoples’ angst about the MacBook’s port situation isn’t really about the MacBook, but rather a fear that all of Apple’s laptops are going to jettison all their ports. The company has maintained separate “pro” and “consumer” lines of laptops for years and years—the MacBook is clearly the future of the consumer line, but less-compromised hardware for pros will continue to exist. Apple is still selling all the laptops it was selling before the MacBook was announced, though the Air’s days are probably numbered at this point.

Ultimately the new MacBook feels like a first-generation product—a very good first-generation product, but a first-generation product nevertheless. It’s got some promise and a couple of major shortcomings and you don’t need to be the first person who takes the leap into the Brave New Future it represents. I use an iMac as my primary computer and a 13-inch MacBook Air when I’m sitting on the couch or in a café or on a plane, and perhaps 90 percent of the time this MacBook can replace the Air without issue. If this is going to be your main computer or only computer or if you’re one of the bare handful of people who use Thunderbolt for something, it’s hard to recommend.

Yahoo Tech:

But unless you’re a well-heeled executive who doesn’t do much besides write, email, and surf the Web, the price you pay — in speed, utility, and, yes, price — is just too high.

We know what this is: This is the 2008 MacBook Air. Today, the MacBook Air is frequently cited as the best laptop on the market — but the first model, in 2008, was also called overpriced, underpowered, and amazing-looking. In the same way, the 12-inch MacBooks of 2016 and 2017 will lose their flaws, enter a new era of USB-C compatibility, and seem much more at home in a more wireless world.

Even Apple is allowed to start with a 1.0 version. But you don’t have to buy it.

USA Today:

The other innovation is the presence of a new connector called USB-C, an emerging industry-wide standard. I have no quarrel with Apple’s decision to lead with the new connector itself. It is small–about a third of a size of a conventional USB connector- and versatile. It can handle, power, data and video all in one, and the plug is reversible so that you can insert it into the computer in either orientation.

My problem is that aside from a headphone jack, this is the new MacBook’s only connector. If the USB-C power cable that Apple supplied is already plugged in and you want to plug in any other USB accessories at the same time you’ll need an optional adapter. And those don’t come cheap–a USB-C to regular USB dongle from Apple fetches $19. A multiport USB-C adapter (with ports for full-size USB, an additional USB-C port, and HDMI) costs $79. Of course, you’ll see cheaper adapters from third party suppliers but now you have another accessory to travel with and keep track of.

Fast Company:

Now, if you perform industrial-strength computing jobs such as serious video editing, you might well crave more performance than the MacBook provides. Then again, you’d also likely want a larger display, more copious built-in storage, and the ability to plug in external hard drives based on the ultra-zippy Thunderbolt technology. What you’d want, in other words, would be a MacBook Pro.

That’s the thing about the new MacBook: It doesn’t cater to exactly the same audience as any existing Mac. It’s a really good laptop—assuming you can figure out how to make USB-C make sense for you—and yet its size, weight, and overall minimalism give it an iPad-like persona. The thinking behind it is a different, more subtle way of mixing PC and tablet than all those other devices that try to be both at once. But like the original 2008 MacBook Air before it, this specialty Mac could also be a blueprint for the next generation of mainstream notebooks.

Bloomberg:

With the new keyboard and trackpad innovations, lust-inducing industrial design, and impressive downsizing of internal components, the MacBook feels like a an important next step in the evolution of portable computers. But this machine isn’t for everyone, particularly those who expect extremes from their devices. Still, if you prioritize style, need something ultraportable, and don’t mind trading power for a crisp and clear Retina display, then the perfect computer may have arrived.

Wired:

I’d much rather see the MacBook ship with two USB-C ports like the new Chromebook Pixel, but soon enough, even the one port won’t be such a problem.

Apple’s real bet is that you won’t need that port for much of anything. Ditch your external hard drive, the USB-C port begs, and use Dropbox instead. (Well, it would probably recommend iCloud, but don’t use iCloud.) Forget about your second monitor, because look at this screen! Oh, and that thing you do where you plug in your laptop every single damn time you sit down? Stop doing that. This’ll last you all day.

That last claim is so close to being true, too. I can work a full day at the office on the MacBook with no problems. Granted, this consists largely of using Office and a web browser, neither of which are terribly taxing. Those simple tasks are also exactly what the MacBook’s Intel Core M processor is designed for. But as soon as I open Photoshop, fire up Steam, or even crank up the brightness to watch The Tudors (great show), the laptop slows and the battery drains quickly.

The Wall Street Journal:

In a streaming video test, with all the laptops set to comparable brightness (around 75 percent), the MacBook conked out after 7 hours, while my 13-inch Air braved on for over 11 hours. Even the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina got 9 hours.

Our grueling Web browsing test brought similar results. The MacBook lasted only 6.5 hours—the 13-inch Air made it five hours longer. (Dell’s XPS, which crams a 13-inch, 3200×1800-pixel screen into a 12-inch laptop chassis, didn’t make it to 6 hours. However, its lower-resolution sibling, which starts at $800, was able to keep pace with the MacBook Air. (Remember: Screen resolution makes a huge difference!)

In actual daily use, the MacBook ran for about 7 hours, two hours shy of Apple’s 9-hour claim. A few years ago, that sort of battery life wasn’t to be scoffed at, but we’re now accustomed to better—largely thanks to Apple. We now have a choice, the difference between always having to keep an eye on the laptop’s battery meter—and never having to.

The new MacBook also isn’t as fast as the Air. It’s rather snappy at managing my basic routine—checking email, surfing the Web and running various messaging apps. But the Intel Core M processor, even backed by 8GB of RAM and a 256GB fast solid-state drive, struggles at performance-intensive tasks, like managing lots of open apps and browser tabs while editing photos. When I have over 25 tabs open in Chrome (which happens more often than not), I can feel it wanting to keel over.

The Loop:

The new MacBook is a gorgeous computer that expertly fills a niche that many need. It’s powerful enough to do all of the regular work you’ll need to get done at home, the office, or on the road. The model I’m using is Space Gray, has 8GB of RAM and a 1.1 GHz Intel Core M processor.

The MacBook runs completely silent and fits perfectly into my workflow. I haven’t touched either of my other two computers since I started using this one, and I’m very happy. This is my workflow now.

The good news is that if you need more ports or more power, Apple has two other MacBook product lines that may suit your needs. For me, I’m sticking with MacBook.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

  1. Maurice Hooijmans - 9 years ago

    Does anybody have the feather wallpaper shown on the MacBook?

  2. Gazoo Bee - 9 years ago

    I still would have bought one if they weren’t so ugly.

    It’s a MacBook Apple, make a white one for cripes sake! Especially if you are going to drown us in fake gold options, the lack of a white model is just stupid.

    • Daniel Scott (@Dss33) - 9 years ago

      White aluminum? I appreciate that this is just your opinion…but you’re honestly the first person I’ve ever run into calling the MacBook ugly. Strange.

      • Andrew Messenger - 9 years ago

        If you acquaint yourself with the comments here at 9to5 you will quickly see that Gazoo Bee doesn’t post anything that is strictly positive.

    • applesmith76 - 9 years ago

      They don’t want to produce plastic laptops anymore. They’re into highly-recyclable materials, like aluminum and glass.

    • Edison Wrzosek - 9 years ago

      I hereby crown you 9to5Mac’s new dunce, here, have a cookie…

    • bubffm - 9 years ago

      I guess Jobs would have called you a “complete bozo”

  3. I’d argue that if you need weightless computer, you probably don’t need a computer at all.

    • o0smoothies0o - 9 years ago

      98% of personal computer users would be fine using this computer for everything they do. I guess only Apple has intelligent enough people to understand that. Sigh..the world we live in.

      • Jurgis Ŝalna - 9 years ago

        88% of users will install Adobe Flash and kill that computer immediately.

  4. Erin Henriksen - 9 years ago

    I fell in love with the new MacBook when it was unveiled at the Apple Event. Think this would be a good graduation gift for my child who will be starting college in the fall? She won’t be doing any photo editing or gaming on it—-really just for school purposes…

    • ifunography - 9 years ago

      I can’t speak outright for her but I’d definitely love it if it were me :) Go right ahead.

    • rgbfoundry - 9 years ago

      I would get a different MacBook Pro for her. This model is too “bleeding edge” and not worth the expense. The price/performance ratio just isn’t right.

    • applesmith76 - 9 years ago

      As cool as the MacBook is, the MacBook Air (cheaper than the MacBook) and the MacBook Pro (similarly priced to the MacBook) are more versatile options (power, speed, ports, etc.) She’d be better off with one of those. I’d personally go with the Pro as it will easliy carry her through 4 years of college.

    • bubffm - 9 years ago

      Just perfect for a student who just needs surfing, mail, social media, some word processing and facetime calls

      • o0smoothies0o - 9 years ago

        Only intelligent person that understands it. Right here.

    • mpias3785 - 9 years ago

      I guess it depends on her major, but I think an 8GB MacBook Air would probably be a better choice since it has multiple ports and she’ll probably want to be able to make backups and sync her iPhone. Also since it’s available with an i7 processor it’s more likely to last four years. Remember, the new MacBook has the processing power equivalent to a four-year-old MacBook Air.

  5. Daniel Scott (@Dss33) - 9 years ago

    Do we know when they’re shipping? Will I be able to order one tonight and pick it up in the store tomorrow?

  6. impure - 9 years ago

    Wait for the Skylake version.

  7. charismatron - 9 years ago

    I really appreciate this article. My wife needs a new laptop and I had some thoughts about snagging a Space Grey Macbook. But after breezing through this helpful collection of reviews it’s pretty clear it’s not what she needs. I get the sense that these are designed for the Edition or Edition-wanna be set: form over function.

    Nothing wrong with that (well, actually there is), but it’s just not my cup of tea–and certainly not what my wife needs (or most people I know) from a portable computer.

    • rogifan - 9 years ago

      What did the reviews tell you that you didn’t already know? Keep in mind these reviews are likely coming from more of the tech/power user set that want more ports and performance. On the other hand Jim Dalrymple loved the machine and said its his main Mac now.

      • o0smoothies0o - 9 years ago

        The truly sad part about the reviews is that their general personal needs completely cloud their judgement. CNET stating that this is for a smaller segment of the public… Whoever wrote that is a total idiot.. I mean do they not realize that nearly all personal computer users are doing nothing more than what this laptop would provide? Do they not realize that almost all of them hardly ever plug anything into their computers? Those were rhetorical, of course they don’t understand it, hence their reviews which show a total lack of insight into the average user.

  8. rafterman11 - 9 years ago

    Apple “encourages” us to use adapters. LOL. And of course, Apple provides these adapters in the box free of charge, right?

    Oh, wait. . .

    • Colby Landwehr - 9 years ago

      This computer has all the wireless tech you need to do anyhting you need to do. Why is everyone complaining about ports?

      • I think the root issue with the complaining has to do with Apple moving away from making machines that more advanced users would want. Yes, that’s a sweeping generalization, and I can get into specifics if that helps, but essentially Apple is now making gear for my mother more than for me- particularly in the area of mobile devices. Selfishly, I’d say that’s a disappointing turn. From the hardware (this new Macbook has ONE port which is also the power connection, and which is undoubtedly vulnerable to USB based exploits) to the software (Yosemite has been a hair pulling adventure, and I would add is also uglier than it’s predecessors) they are demonstrating an interest in people who don’t have a passion for tech as their market. Those of us who eat and sleep this stuff are feeling a little jilted.

        As I sit here, working on an older Mac that has a magnetic power coupling, expandable/expanded RAM memory, external display, USB peripherals, and Ethernet (no wifi here) I can say that these are a big deal for me. I expect in the fullness of time, some other maker will see the opportunity and start making hardware of a comparable high quality (though I’m not holding my breath) and those of us who want more will move on. It’s a bad breakup, and many of us are still showing the hurt. If the Macbook is good to you, I wish you the very best.

      • o0smoothies0o - 9 years ago

        Mooky your comment is inherently incorrect. The MacBook is for your mother and nearly everyone else in the world. The MacBook Pro is for you. I don’t think Apple realized that they needed to rename them to ‘MacBook don’t worry few power users out there, we have the MacBook Pro for you!’ And ‘MacBook Pro for the users that need more ports and power to do the things you need to do!’

        I thought ‘MacBook’ and ‘MacBook Pro’ would be simple enough but ehh.

  9. I can (marginally) live with it being under-powered (for a 2015 laptop). I think i can live with the shallow keyboard too. But the lack of ports kills it for me.

    While I don’t use them every day, I use usb flash drives very often. Having to have a dongle dangling out of my laptop so as to have a single usb-a port, in 2015, is totally unacceptable and totally NOT my idea of elegance.

    Another not very elegant choice was dropping MagSafe. I absolutely love the way it works and in this perspective, usb-c’s method of attachment is a step backwards.

    But I have the suspicion that if Apple produced a Retina MBA alongside, 90% of the buyers would opt for that instead of the MacBook. And because Apple will want to promote the latter, it’s easy to deduce that the MBA is counting days, really (I give it two years, tops).

    • Leelinde Sanders - 9 years ago

      I don’t know about this laptop being a complete MBA killer… They might keep it around for people who can’t quite afford a MBPr, but still want portability AND ports. They still make and sell the MBPs w/ CD drives… Let’s be real: nobody knows what Apple is gonna do next.

    • jonshf - 9 years ago

      The next Macbook will probably be a 14″ with retina display and another usb-c port. It will be smaller and lighter than the 13″ Air. The Airs will be around for a couple of years until the new Macbooks drop in price. Eventually they will come out with a 16″ Macbook with more ports which will be smaller and lighter than the 15″ Pro, resulting in 3 different sizes and myriads of sub-options like cpu power and memory to cover everyone’s needs.

    • Sebastian Rasch - 9 years ago

      If there will be a 14” model in the same design with a proper CPU with fan it will totally kill the MacBook Air. But so far with only the 12” model, it doesn’t stand a chance against the Air. No freakin’ way.

  10. acgwipeout - 9 years ago

    I understand the irony of a techie guy seeking out techie news from a techie website. Of course 9to5mac is writing on behalf of power and pro level tech users but it’s short sided to alienate the other 75% of the population that doesn’t need a computer that is powerful enough to render 4k video edits or handle RAW photoshop edits without a hiccup. To break it to you lightly, we are the minority. The new MacBook is on par with the 2011 MacBook Air…. Sounds phenomenal. I run Logic Pro X with Native Instrument Libraries with my 2011 MBA. And that’s the base model. So, only one port! C’mon. Gimme a break. Aren’t all you 9to5’ers using NAS drives by now? Are we suddenly nostalgic for floppy drives or Zip disks? Cloud computing is now. Dropbox, Google drive, iCloud Drive or better yet your own Nas cloud. I think the new MacBook is awesome, but I do agree it’s not for everyone… 25% percent of everyone. The other 75% majority will do just fine writing their term papers and posting to FB. (Please note the percentages listed is not real data.)

    • dolfke barbosa - 9 years ago

      NAS drives never worked very good on a Mac, Thunderbolt does it much and much better.

      • acgwipeout - 9 years ago

        Both my NAS drives work great. I download and stream movies/music in my house flawlessly. When I’m out of my own network, I’m able to log into my Nas and grab whatever data or stream whatever movie or music I want. Take a look at Synology. Their App base is awesome.

  11. dolfke barbosa - 9 years ago

    I really can’t understand why Apple forsakes on a Thunderbolt port on this Mac …
    Shame at you, Apple, once more, since you started to make the Macs user maintenance so unfriendly by making it impossible to change SSD and RAM.

  12. Sebastian Rasch - 9 years ago

    Can’t wait for Anandtech to properly test it. Very interested about the general performance as well.

  13. jessicanewworld - 9 years ago

    Its brand-new design is absolutely amazing! And I always think this time I will keep it clean without downloading anything that will slow it down when I get a new Mac. And this is no exception.
    But, the truth is… Whatever, I will have a regular clean for keeping my macbook run smoothly. And I would like to share several pretty ways of cleaning, maintaining mac.
    http://maccare.over-blog.com/2015/04/how-to-speed-up-your-apple-mac-and-ios-devices.html

Author

Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com