Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

UPDATE OCT 2020: Five and a half years later and still going strong, original battery and all. The only hiccup has been the "infamous" keyboard, which Apple replaced at no charge even though I was a few months out of warranty. The Macbook STILL doesn't feel "slow" by any means for my general needs at work. If the current rumors are true, and the Macbook gets resurrected and powered by a new Apple processor, then it may be time for an upgrade. UPDATE JAN 2016: Oh, sweet vindication! You can read my extensive review below, or... read "5 Reasons to Reconsider the Macbook," just written by TechRadar reviewer Kane Fulton. That's pretty ironic coming from a guy who titled his original Macbook article, "The New Macbook May Be Outdated At Birth," with the sub-headline, "Core M for Mediocre." But guess who switched to the Macbook last year and now loves it? Kane Fulton. Funny what happens when your opinion is based on actual use rather than repeating what's in the tech press echo chamber. Of course, Kane had to justify his new-found love, claiming that El Capitain sped up the Macbook like "jet-powered oars." Nonsense. This has been a great laptop for most people since day one. I have zero complaints after nearly a year of use. ORIGINAL REVIEW: Not since the tech press slammed the original iPad ("Who need this?" "Nothing but a big iPod Touch!") have I seen such a wrong-headed rush to criticize a new Apple product. It's like watching a lunatic mob roam the village at night with torches and pitchforks, shouting: "Kill the beast!" And here's what's so bizarre about the criticism: the Macbook Air has always been compromised compared to the Macbook Pro. Worse screen, fewer ports, less available memory, slower processors. But everyone understands that these are the trade-offs if you want a thinner, lighter laptop. Now the new Macbook 12' takes thin and light to a whole new level, with a much better screen, while the main compromises vs. the Air are the reduction to one port and a slower processor... and the press has reacted like Apple shot someone's dog. This review will take you through the major critiques of the new Macbook, tell you the truth about them, and help you decide if there's really any issue FOR YOU. But let's start here: the new 12" Macbook is one of the best pieces of design work to ever come from Apple, and that's saying a lot. It's certainly their sexiest and most gorgeous laptop ever, and I've been using Apple laptops since the Powerbook 170. It makes my 13" Macbook Air seem clunky by comparison, something I never would have thought was possible. And the screen is absolutely stunning. Criticism #1: "It's just a low end laptop for consumers." Not true, not even close. If you're a video or photo editing professional, a hard core gamer or someone who plugs in multiple peripherals regularly--then you'll want either a Macbook Pro or possibly an Air. The price you'll pay will be size, weight and dollars in the case of the Pro. But for most everyone else, and that means most laptop buyers, the new Macbook can easily handle whatever you're likely to want it to do. The longer term use reviews now coming out confirm this. Keep in mind that you CAN still do things like edit video and photos on it--I do them often, though not professionally--it will simply take longer. But if you're not a pro who does it all the time, the speed difference won't matter, and the retina screen is huge plus for these uses. Criticism #2: "It only has ONE port!!!" If you plug-in multiple peripherals regularly, you should be looking at a Pro or Air. Simple as that. But many/most Mac laptop users now plug-in peripherals infrequently. And if that's you, then one port isn't an issue. You'll need a USB to USB-C adapter cable, but they're readily available now starting at $10. The tech press screamed that only Apple's two USB-C adapter cables were available when the new Macbook was announced. "It has no ecosystem!" Well, yes, because companies don't make cables when there are no products to use them. But already Belkin and Monoprice have jumped in with USB-C adapter cables. So in a matter of weeks, this became a non-issue. And soon to come will be native USB-C peripherals, no adapter required. Criticism #3: "The processor is slow!" The important question here is, "Slow for what?" Pro video and photo editing, or other similarly power hungry software? Yes. Hard core gaming? Yes. Everything else? No. Processors reached the point a few years ago where they were about as fast as most people needed them to be. But if you're really a power user--or just someone who wants the fastest toy on the block--then go buy a Macbook Pro. Criticism #4: "I hate the new keyboard!" The truth is... you might. Or you might love it. How a keyboard feels is a very personal decision. Go try it at an Apple store. Based on reviews, I expected it to feel like learning to type all over again. Instead, I was shocked by the ease of transition from my Air and Apple wireless keyboard. It had a different feel, for sure, but I was up to normal typing speed immediately. Personally, I like the more stable-feeling keys on the new keyboard, and the new LED backlighting is beautiful. Then again, one reviewer complained bitterly that the letters on his "esc" key didn't have perfectly even illumination. Geez. So if you're one of "those" people, take note. Criticism #5: "How could Apple ditch MagSafe?!" Yes, I'm kinda bummed, too. But this was the choice: create a MagSafe single port, proprietary to Apple, which third party accessory makers would not support. OR, lose MagSafe and adopt a port that will become the next industry-wide standard. Apple chose the latter, which has many advantages (like an ecosystem of USB-C products that started appearing in weeks)... but yes, your new Macbook will hit the ground if you trip on the power cord. A future version of the new Macbook might have both MagSafe power and a USB-C port--but there is zero room in the case to include that now. UPDATE JAN 2016: "Coming soon" from Griffin is their new BreakSafe power cable for the Macbook that restores MagSafe-type protection when charging. It's a simple, elegant solution and I'm shocked that Apple didn't think of it first. Criticism #6: "It's disappointingly expensive." Not really true. People say that when comparing the MB 12" to the entry level Air prices, but those machines have half the RAM and SSD size of the MB 12". When you configure an Air the same as an MB 12", the Air 13" is the same price, and the Air 11" is only $100 cheaper. And both Airs lack a Retina screen, though they do have more ports and faster processors if those features are more important to you than screen quality. Bottom line: the whole point of the new Macbook is about having the power and functionality of a Mac laptop in a device only slightly bigger and heavier than an iPad. If those sound like YOUR priorities for a laptop, then go check out the new Mabook--I think you'll love it, and the compromises are nothing like the reviews would have you believe. Thanks for taking the time to read my review, and I hope you find it helpful in making a buying decision. I do try to respond to all questions posted in the comments section.