I was really hoping Apple was going to update the 12" MacBook alongside the 13" MacBook Air. It's been 17 months since it was last updated.. 17 months with the same pricing.. it seems so wrong to buy it new today but it's the only option I'm left with besides finding one 2nd hand.
Having silent operation and being light weight is why I still prefer the 12" MacBook over the newly released 13" MacBook Air. I actually prefer slower performance with no fan noise. Had Apple omitted the fan in the 13" MacBook Air, I would have considered it.
It looks like even if Apple was prepared to launch an updated 12" MacBook, they wanted the focus to be entirely on the 13" MacBook Air before doing so. Those of us who were waiting for an updated 12" MacBook will now have to wait till at least March/April of next year. I've however run out of patience.
In the next update I expect a similar updated feature set to the new 13" MacBook Air with added Touch ID, 3rd Generation Keyboard, T2 chip and Thunderbolt 3 port while retaining a fanless design. These are realistic updates and could potentially be the ultimate fanless portable mac. I wish I was buying this today but instead have to opt with the 17 month old MacBook as I can't wait any longer.
I've decided on the 12" MacBook but have a few questions before I buy:
Having silent operation and being light weight is why I still prefer the 12" MacBook over the newly released 13" MacBook Air. I actually prefer slower performance with no fan noise. Had Apple omitted the fan in the 13" MacBook Air, I would have considered it.
It looks like even if Apple was prepared to launch an updated 12" MacBook, they wanted the focus to be entirely on the 13" MacBook Air before doing so. Those of us who were waiting for an updated 12" MacBook will now have to wait till at least March/April of next year. I've however run out of patience.
In the next update I expect a similar updated feature set to the new 13" MacBook Air with added Touch ID, 3rd Generation Keyboard, T2 chip and Thunderbolt 3 port while retaining a fanless design. These are realistic updates and could potentially be the ultimate fanless portable mac. I wish I was buying this today but instead have to opt with the 17 month old MacBook as I can't wait any longer.
I've decided on the 12" MacBook but have a few questions before I buy:
- Going from a 13" to a 12" screen, does the working screen space feel a lot smaller? Did it feel like a downgrade or did it still feel comfortable and right to you?
- Is it worth upgrading from 8GB to 16GB RAM on this Mac with its 5W CPU? Are there tangible differences in performance when using pro software like Final Cut, Logic Pro, Adobe software?
- Is the single USB 3.1 port capable of running and transferring files between two 2.5" external hard drives with a dual port hub? From my experience transferring files between 2 drives off one USB-C port on a MacBook Pro make at least one of the drives fail and eject due to insufficient power. It could be my Satechi USB-C hub though, so I wonder if anyone has more experience with this and can recommend a better hub?
- Does the 2017 MacBook feel uncomfortably hot on the lap after CPU intensive high workloads?
- Any photographers / videographers have any opinions to pitch in on RAW file editing and Final Cut timeline editing? Specifically also any opinions on the retina screen color profile accuracy?
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