Apple Discontinued the 12-Inch MacBook Three Years Ago Today

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

I’m quite interested to see how the new M2 Air feels given they’ve reduced the volume of it over the M1 version. It’s not going to be a 12”, but maybe it doesn’t need to be.

True, there needs to be a definite balance between utility and convenience.

The 12" MacBook had a relatively wide bezel around the panel that, with current technology, could be reduced significantly. But given how Apple has actually taken advantage of increased screen estate with recent changes - macOS has more 'breathing room' in its UI, and the notch - I find it difficult to accept that they would reduce the screen size further and risk making the experience more cramped than necessary.

 

[kiranmk2]

This whole product line was hobbled by Intel's failures. It seems clear that the original plan was the 2016 model would implement Skylake which gave a decent level of performance and the the 2017 model should have had Canonlake (Intel's 10 nm chip) which should have allowed much better power usage and higher performance. In the end Canonlale never appeared and it took Intel years to finally hit 10 nm chips by which time Apple had essentially pulled the plug.

What was a bit naughty of Apple was to actually release the 2015 model - that was clearly a proof-of-concept product that really didn't perform particularly well and another example of why you shouldn't buy the first version of a new Apple product.

 

[aknabi]

If someone wants my Macbook 12" 16Gb core I9, he will have to take it apart from my dead hands.

Have you checked your pulse because the highest end processor for the MB 12 was the i7 ... but yeah great form factor, heck wife and I even still uses the base 2015 8GB model more than our current iPad Pros (BTW the M1 iPad Pro proves they could easily do a M1 MB 12).

 

[aknabi]

Weird anniversary to remember

Well it did get us clicking and commenting so mission accomplished...

 

[IllinoisCorn]

Speaking of the picture in the article....man, Apple makes great hero shots of their products. Makes me want to run out and buy one right now. Except I had the first 2015 model and had to have the keyboard and motherboard replaced, so that would be foolish. Plus the battery life was just awful. I remember complaining about the battery life in the Apple Store when I was getting it fixed and they were like "maybe this is just not the laptop for you." I was incredulous. I'm just an office worker using Office apps and Safari, and I was struggling to get 4.5 hours out of the thing. Just a junk machine, but man was it gorgeous!

 

[IllinoisCorn]

Was basically a Jony Ive vanity product.

Crap keyboard, way underpowered but pushed the envelope on how thin and light a laptop could be. Although this product was the beginning of Ives downfall.

"Although this product was the beginning of Ives downfall." This is interesting to think about. I wonder if Ive was nudged out the door?

 

[jonnysods]

I'm typing on a 2017 MacBook right now - its not as quick as other laptops thats for sure, but the portability and weigh is perfectly, I'd take this over an iPad any day.

I'm eyeing up the 22 MBA now though....

 

[BrownyQ]

I always liked the size of the 12", small laptops have always been a soft spot for me (big shocker considering I always go for the mini variant of products).

But I never had a real need for one until my current profession, and through no real fault of my own I ended up with a 16" MBP. But if Apple ever brought back this size, I'd be tempted to buy one for my own personal use.

 

[Doomtomb]

The greatest machine ever conceived

 

[JM]

Wait a minute…. That laptop wasn’t a computer, it was a Razer phone iPad!

no fans, thin, light, physical keyboard…

The flip phone never died, y’all. It just got with the iPad and had a baby.

 

[seek3r]

I remember touching one in a store and thinking 'People actually use these?'. It seemed very small, cramped even. More toyish than I expected, but I'm sure it would be tremendous for people that travel a heck of a lot.

My wife absolutely adores her’s, she’s probably updating to a M2 MBA this year because her 2016 MB is getting long in the tooth, but if they offered a new version of the 12, especially given a new version would have the modern keyboard, I know she’d jump at it instead

 

[seek3r]

"Apple's first fanless notebook" – this is incorrect. You're forgetting the 1999-2000 iBook G3 Clamshells, they were fanless.

For that matter neither my powerbook 180c, which is from ‘92, nor any of its ilk have fans

 

[Octavius8]

So… we commented on this news 3 years ago and again today?…

 

[hiphopdan]

I'll probably get flamed for this, but I was using my 2016 12" as my primary DJing laptop for years.

I don't have enough space here to tell y'all how many times this totally blew up in my face and caused serious issues for me...standing on stage and just having my heart sink because of compatibility issues, etc....

So yeah, on a M1 Pro 14" now but man this thing is huge compared to the MacBook.

In the end, it was great for travel...just ended up being a constant source of frustration when I actually arrived wherever I was traveling to.

 

[dgdosen]

Yes, I think it would be a 3nm chip, assuming a new 12" is branded a MacBook or Air vs. a revived 12" Pro. What might also make sense is a 12.7" Pro (with a notch) to "replace" the existing 13" Pro but in a format smaller than the 13" Air.

Undoubtedly, A laptop the width of a keyboard and a standard height to width ratio, along with slimmer bezels, would have a screen size > 12" - so the world needs another name for it. 12.7" doesn't roll off the tongue .

That form factor + benefits of Apple Silicon on a 3nm chip + OLED + Cellular?

PS - I've had all of Apple's smallest laptops - the 2007(?) 12" Powerbook (still working in it's box in a closet), the 2012 11" Air (still working) and the 2018 12" Macbook (traded in because of fear the keyboard would stop working). I say bring it!

 

[rgwebb]

I remember touching one in a store and thinking 'People actually use these?'. It seemed very small, cramped even. More toyish than I expected, but I'm sure it would be tremendous for people that travel a heck of a lot.

They can probably make something closer to the physical dimensions of this machine with a bit more screen than the MacBook. I’m sure they can squeeze a bit more keyboard space but that has less room to grow within the physical dimensions than the screen.

My opinion is that the iPad Air/Pro with keyboard case serves this target customer for the 11in MBA or 12in MB better. My wife moved from 11in MBA to iPad Pro when it was first released in the mid-10s. The magic keyboard in 2020 essentially took her full circle with an 11in screen, keyboard, and trackpad.

To that point, I think the future “travel laptop” is actually just a continued refinement of the magic keyboard case for iPads.

 

[dgdosen]

They can probably make something closer to the physical dimensions of this machine with a bit more screen than the MacBook. I’m sure they can squeeze a bit more keyboard space but that has less room to grow within the physical dimensions than the screen.

My opinion is that the iPad Air/Pro with keyboard case serves this target customer for the 11in MBA or 12in MB better. My wife moved from 11in MBA to iPad Pro when it was first released in the mid-10s. The magic keyboard in 2020 essentially took her full circle with an 11in screen, keyboard, and trackpad.

To that point, I think the future “travel laptop” is actually just a continued refinement of the magic keyboard case for iPads.

Strong disagree, as IMO, iPadOS is very limiting, but to each their own...

I'd add that the 12" Macbook and 11" MBA all had standard-size keyboards.

 

[Bug-Creator]

I'd add that the 12" Macbook and 11" MBA all had standard-size keyboards.

Same with the 4:3 12" iBook/PowerBook, the width of a kbd with standard sized keys minus bezels defined the screen size not the other way round (as with many of the Netbooks).

 

[Zdigital2015]

I wonder, if apple decides to revive this 12” MacBook somehow, which chip would they choose. M3? Considering M2 isn’t power efficient and thermal efficient enough, it’s going to be very interesting to see how M3 would fare.

Honestly, Apple could simply reuse the older 12” MacBook chassis add a USB-C to the right side, put in an M1 and have a winner on their hands. I realize this isn’t the Apple Way, so they’ll be wringing their hands over it for another year or so before basically giving us 90% of the old 12” MacBook, but with a notch. To me this is where Apple falls down trying to make the “perfect” product instead of simply repurposing an already excellent chassis and getting a desired product out quicker.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Hmm, hoe much larger is the m2 MBA chassi compared to that of the 12” MB?

Well the new Air is obviously wider and longer.
In terms of thickness, the new Air is quite a bit thinner than the 12 At it’s thickest point, 13.2 MM At it’s thickest while the new air is 11.18 MM all around.
In terms of weight, the 12 was 2.03LB while the new Air is 2.7LB.

 

[Bug-Creator]

To me this is where Apple falls down trying to make the “perfect” product instead of simply repurposing an already excellent chassis and getting a desired product out quicker.

They did that with the M1/2 MBnotPro and everyone loves it!!!

A redone 12" would need:
- more ports
- better kbd
- better screen
- smaller bezels

So no that old chassis won't cut it.
They only real chance we had at a new 12" was if the M2 Air had grown into a 14" as of right now the difference would be just to small for 2 separate product lines.

 

[Enlightened Doggo]

Hmm, hoe much larger is the m2 MBA chassi compared to that of the 12” MB?

They are obviously both very small. If the size or weight of an Air is a problem, then it would do you some good to get used to, um, hauling(?) it around.

 

[Zdigital2015]

They did that with the M1/2 MBnotPro and everyone loves it!!!

A redone 12" would need:
- more ports
- better kbd
- better screen
- smaller bezels

So no that old chassis won't cut it.
They only real chance we had at a new 12" was if the M2 Air had grown into a 14" as of right now the difference would be just to small for 2 separate product lines.

More ports are not likely on a 12”, but a better TB3/USB4 port is. New keyboard is a given and could be accomplished with the the same case as it was with the 13” MacBook Pro. The screen could be a drop-in replacement. The bezels are fine…I’m not part of the Cult of Small Bezels, so I have a different perspective. All things being equal, Apple needs to speed up their new product engineering, but I think they may have a talent void due to the competitive labor market for that skill set.

 

[Xand&Roby]

The 12" had it's fair share of real issues some of them can be attributed to Ive

When he started with the candy color Macs it was "function with form" which over time errored to "form over function" and ended with "form form, who need functions".

He simply overstayed his welcome and by the end it seemed noone at Apple had the balls to confront him.

Post Ive Apple has brought back a proper MacPro, MacBooks with ports and grown the SpaceGrey Mini into a form factor that can actually handle more than a mobile chip (with front I/O, the horror).

If that's okay you're an engineer, certainly not a designer: stop making yourself ridiculous.

 

[Xand&Roby]

No it died because of bad performance, bad thermal, bad battery life, and the god forgotten horrible keyboard that was prone to defects. Intel processors at that time (and still today) simply couldn't provide the performance required while being fanless. But seriously WTH is this rambling?

And since when do you talk about the characteristics of the product?! Here it’s full of imbeciles who want MacOS on iPad Pro (but insult Ive and the 12-inch MacBook which was an iPad running MacOS and cost less than an iPad Pro) or a 15-inch or 18-inch MacBook Air, imbeciles so used to Acer products that they want to see them made by Apple, at discount prices.

Did he have any flaws? Like any product. The biggest flaw was that Intel cpu crap, but I'm biased, I've been a PowerPC user for decades.

The rest? Usual nonsense I've been reading for 7 years. I had 2 12” PowerBooks and bought 2 12” MacBooks in 2015 and 2020, and with all its limitations, I’ve always enjoyed the products. But unlike many useless people I studied as a designer, so I can distinguish a designer's project from that of an engineer and, precisely for this reason, I have always appreciated Ive's products, even with all the limitations. Do you think putting engineers instead of designers will improve products? No, it will only make scarcer, more complicated and unnecessarily complex products to make up for the inherent need of every engineer to believe himself an inventor, when at best he is at most an assembler, and the results can be seen: Macs and other useless products sold at crazy prices, in the hope that they will become something they will never become, iPad Pro is the best example.