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Apple Launches MacBook 2016 With Intel Skylake Processor, Longer Battery Life
Apple, on Tuesday, announced a refresh for its 12-inch MacBook laptop. The 2016 MacBook comes with an Intel Skylake processor -- sixth-generation dual-core Intel Core M model, offering up to 1.3 GHz clock speed with Turbo Boost speeds of up to 3.1 GHz, faster 1866 MHz memory, and a 'rose gold' color variant. Apple assures 10 hours of wireless Web browsing time, or 11 hours of movie playback on a single charge. The new model will hit retail stores on Wednesday. It starts at $1,299 for the 256GB SSD and 8GB (up from 4GB) version, and goes all the way up to $1,599 for the top-of-the-line model which offers 512GB SSD.
A couple of points: the first-generation MacBook didn't fare well with reviewers and plenty of users alike. Second, today's announcement also hints that the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro lineups won't be getting the Intel Skylake upgrade for at least a few more months -- which is really sad, because, at present, they come equipped with almost three-year-old processor and graphics chips. No wonder, Oculus executive made fun of Apple's computers.
A couple of points: the first-generation MacBook didn't fare well with reviewers and plenty of users alike. Second, today's announcement also hints that the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro lineups won't be getting the Intel Skylake upgrade for at least a few more months -- which is really sad, because, at present, they come equipped with almost three-year-old processor and graphics chips. No wonder, Oculus executive made fun of Apple's computers.
Another increment in technology, overpriced to get as much out of the less technical as possible...smh
Are macbooks overpriced? Last time I checked (a few years ago, I admit), they weren't, at least not significantly. They were in the same ballpark as others given the the specs which of course include weight, size and some general notion of "build quality".
Main difference is htey don't drop prices so before a refresh, they're a little overpriced for the specs relative to the competiton, but just after the refresh they're pretty decently priced.
I don't even owna mac.
SJW n. One who posts facts.
the 15" line needs a refresh badly, and we need the return of the 17" with a 4K display.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
/ducks
You can say that about almost every one of Apple's main computer products these days. The older gear is better. The only notable benefit of their recent iMac, Mini, and laptop offerings is that they are smaller. Upgradability is less, maintenance (getting into them to fix or replace things) is more difficult, they've cheaped out on sub-2GHz CPUs at the low (affordable) end while keeping the prices roughly the same, and removed the discrete graphics in all but the highest-end machines. The new hyper-thin MacBook keyboards are ... crap. One USB-C port? Insane. Heck, I'd pay more for a "thick" laptop like the MacBook Pros of old with an even larger battery and the simple blessing of having screws to open it instead of glue to unstick.
I knew that Apple products were more expensive on average, but usually you got what you paid for. Their laptops, for example, lasted me for years more than a typical Windows machine. I still use one as my main machine now (upgraded with a bigger SSD and more RAM = years more use). But in the last couple of years Apple is slowly but surely losing it. They're just too expensive for what you get most of the time, and some of the cosmetic design decisions (e.g., thinness) come at too high a cost in terms of practicality. As much as I like the older hardware I own and still use regularly, I can't see getting any of the newer machines unless they suddenly reverse the trends of the last few years.