Killing the 12-inch MacBook is Apple’s big chance to reset its laptops

Change is in the air Apple.

the major MacBook update This morning is great for anyone looking for a new Apple laptop.

The MacBook Air has an improved screen, the supposedly more reliable keyboard that was first introduced with the new MacBook Pros in May and now starts at $ 1,099 (or $ 999 for students). Meanwhile, the new entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro now has faster performance, a Touch Bar (love it or hate it) with T2 security chip for fast data encryption, Touch ID, and enhanced speakers for the same price of $ 1,299 ($ ​​1,199 for students).

But the real What’s new is that the 12-inch MacBook is officially dead. Four years after its inception, Apple discontinued the £ 2 laptop. His death marks a major turning point for the company, which marches into the future without the leadership of Jony Ive.

the 12 inch MacBook was controversial from the start. Introduced in 2015, the MacBook felt like a laptop from the future.

At two pounds, the MacBook was incredibly light. Its only USB-C port heralded the dongle era. The 480p-resolution FaceTime camera was frustratingly low-resolution. The fanless design – quiet as it was – didn’t allow for much power. And, oh my god, it was typing on the flat “butterfly keyboard” not Fun.

I was probably one of the harshest critics of the MacBook, and yet I am very sad that it will end up in the cemetery.

After destroying the MacBook for all of its above shortcomings, I bought one at a huge discount a year after it launched, and it’s been my trusty travel laptop ever since.

I had a love-hate relationship with my MacBook. On the one hand, I think it’s great that it’s so damn thin and light. A 2-pound laptop seems needlessly light, but I appreciate it most when I’m traveling or about big events like. reports CES or MWC.

I used to have to haul a 5-pound MacBook and 2-pound DSLR (with lens) around the sprawling halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center to cover CES. Since purchasing the MacBook in 2016, the backpack’s weight has dropped to around 4 pounds: 2 pounds for the laptop and 2 pounds for a compact mirrorless camera. I can’t stress how great the MacBook has been on my back over the past few years.

With every tech journalist lugging around their heavy gear, I was able to fly freely without the same physical strain.

Image: luke leonard / mashable

That said with the MacBook was a real learning experience. Instead of complaining about what the laptop can’t do, I’ve adjusted to its limits. For example, I’ve learned that lightly pressing the keys is more effective than pounding on them. (For what it’s worth, my MacBook’s keyboard has never been under one of the reported problems.)

Since the screen is smaller than a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, I started using the various desktop areas of macOS to better manage windows and apps. This also reduced a large part of the bottlenecks caused by the underpowered processor.

And what about the individual USB-C port? It grew in me. It’s still the laptop’s biggest weakness – you can’t charge and plug in another accessory at the same time – but be able to be fast charge via a rechargeable battery was a godsend. Also, the MacBook helped me lean into AirDrop with my iPhone.

Image: luke leonard / mashable

Killing the MacBook is almost a silent admission that Apple has left even far. Now is the time to correct course. With Ive leaving later this year, Apple’s industrial designers can begin to reverse their extremes.

Word on the street from well-connected Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that Apple will release future MacBooks with keyboards based on a traditional scissor mechanism instead of butterfly switches. This is really promising news.

I hope that future MacBooks will emphasize function more than form. Instead of saving a few millimeters on the case, I would appreciate the latest performance with Windows laptops with improved thermals or – gasp – the return of popular features like MagSafe and a Memory card slot.

In addition, Apple’s MacBook range is now a lot less confusing. Instead of Apple’s sub-15-inch lineup that looked like this before today:

• $ 1,299: 12-inch MacBook

• $ 1,199: 13-inch MacBook Air

• $ 1,299: 13-inch MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar

• $ 1,799: 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

It’s slimmer now:

• $ 1,099: 13-inch MacBook Air

• $ 1,299: 13-inch MacBook Pro (two USB-C ports)

• $ 1,799: 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (four USB-C ports)

If you’re looking for the cheapest, lightest Apple laptop out there, get a MacBook Air. Choose a MacBook Pro when you need more power. It’s that simple.

I know I’m in the minority who have come to love the MacBook (RIP little guy!). But as I mourn his death, I know it’s for the best. Out with the old and in with the new.