Apple led today’s event by talking about two of its most-loved devices: the MacBook Air and the Mac mini. While Apple customers may have loved these devices since their debuts, Apple hasn’t shown them much love over the past couple of years.
That changed today with the introduction of the new MacBook Air (which includes updates like a Retina display, Touch ID, and Apple’s butterfly keyboard) and a new Mac mini (which got a big spec bump with quad- and hexa-core processors). Today’s event brought the biggest hardware changes that both devices have seen in a long time, and yet they still have a lot in common with their predecessors – and that’s a good thing.
The new MacBook Air and Mac Mini are very welcome and much-needed spec bumps – they hadn’t been updated in years – but especially the MacBook Air almost feels like a practical joke. It uses low-power don’t-call-them-Atom processors that run at 5W and are only dual-core, with base 8GB of RAM – and Apple charges €1350 for said base model, which needs to push a lot of pixels for that new Retina display. Back when the previous generation MacBook Air was new, it was a good deal at its around €1000 price point, but this new one is impossible to justify. The new Mini has the same pricing problem, but at least offers full power processors and a bit more configurability.
These are incredibly expensive computers for the paltry performance they offer – especially since they’re tasked with running macOS – but I’m sure they’ll still sell well, since performance hasn’t really been the Mac’s strong point these last few years anyway. These expensive, underpowered Macs are the new normal.
No MacBook Hermes Edition with leather enclosure and gold accents for me to put next to my chihuahua inside my Hermes handbag? I thought I knew you, Apple. Heartbroken…
Joking aside, the move to USB-C is interesting. Hopefully Apple won’t embarass themselves like most other OEMs out there, and hopefully accessory makers will take the standard seriously now (yeah yeah, wishful thinking, I know). Still, I wonder if this means iPhones will switch to USB-C next year.
Edited 2018-10-30 22:32 UTC
That was never Apple’s style, but I believe HP has got you covered with their Spectre lineup.
https://www.cultofmac.com/315099/17000-gold-apple-watch-might-be-too…
It is super stupid to say that before you even got a chance to use one.
Some people will find this laptop awesome, some not.
iPhones have less RAM than most Androids. And? They still perform much better.
Just stating stuff like that kills any values your comments brings. If you don’t know what you are saying don’t say them until you have solid evidence.
The solid evidence is already there. Have you been following Apple products lately?
This idea has to die. Apple’s CPU/GPU are great, their memory isn’t. So when you do a speedtest that measures a 1st start iPhones often beat Androids. But after opening a few apps the iPhone maxes out on RAM while Android doesn’t so when you switch between open apps Androids often beat iPhones.
There is a reason that Apple keeps adding RAM to their iPhones. From 1 GB to 2 a few years ago and now 3 (Xr) and even 4 (XS).
(The Pixel 3 is a notable exception. It has limited RAM and too aggressive memory management so app-switching is just bad!)
Thinking that a 5W 1.6 GHz dualcore in the new MacBook Air would somehow perform great (which a Euro 1350,- machine should do!) when we already know how a 2.3 GHz quadcore in the MacBook Pro (with higher powerbudgets so better turbo-performance) performs is just denying common sense.
Edited 2018-10-31 09:54 UTC
macOS benchmarks are readily available and it’s far from performance demon.
I was waiting for this. Portable, light, long battery life … MacBook Air was perfect for everyday computing (emails, notes, quick coding, blog, etc).
The only downside of the previous Air was the screen – poor colour gamut, poor accuracy, poor resolution, poor viewing angles.
So if they had *just* upgraded the display, the new MacBook Air would have been amazing.
But they replaced the keyboard with the disastrous butterfly keyboard. This keyboard, despite 3 revisions, is still a disaster. Here are some thoughts:
* the keyboard is not ergonomic at all – human physiology required travel and feedback
* the keyboard is killed by normal office/household dust
* a single key that’s damaged will still require the entire laptop keyboard (top case) to be replaced. that is expensive out of warranty, and very very bad for any work if they take 10 days to do, and if the failures happen every 3-6 months
* heat from poor thermal engineering damages the keyboard
* the attempt to fix the keyboard by adding a membrane only delays the issue – it collects dirt which is then released under the mechanisms
* the material science of the the mechanism is a key problem – the plastic is just not suitable for the task
On top of that, the loss of ports, and a very low powered CPU to drive a retina display, together with 8GB RAM is poor engineering. This thing will struggle more than the MacBook Pro that I had doing basic things like HD youtube full screen. That Pro would hit full and loud fan and CPU would hit 100C if I watched HD youtube or compiled code. (My 5yr old Thinkpad with linux doesn’t suffer like this).
So today there is *no* current Apple laptop with a working keyboard.
I haven’t even started on USB-A or MagSafe ….
https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/macbook-vs-air-vs-pro
It looks like the only real differences between air and pro are:
* air receives much weaker CPU/GPU
* that require less power so the battery works longer
* and you pay 100 less
(form factor, weight, etc are barely different anymore)
I am actually pretty okay with that choice. Once you have decided Mac/no-Mac it is now an easy choice “performance or battery”. I am not going to mention any comparison with non-Macs for once. “For Apple” this makes sense.
As always, Apple greatly overcharges for updates. The only difference between the 1199 and 1399 version is the update from 128 GB to 256 GB storage. That is right, you pay 200 for 128 GB extra storage for a laptop in 2018!
For anyone that wants to have a look at many more detailed changes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU6oRPGhbw8. It basically points out all the little ways that the MBA is different (and inferior) compared to the MBP, like screen brightness, audio quality, older bluetooth, dpi-scaling, etc. If those matter enough to care about is up to you
Damn, Im realising more and more that im stuck on my Macbook pro 15 (2015) for life.. I refuse to switch to a computer where i lose all my data and have to replace the ssd if the motherboard dies. Also i refuse to pay 100s extra for a touchbar. After every event i feel less and less optimistic.
I work as an architect and i pretty 0 out of 10 of the tools i use you can find on linux. In windows though you have most of the same programs.. I have not used windows since my main system since back in 98 though and every time i have to use it at a extended period i kiss my macbook when i come back.
I pray to god there will be a solid hackintosh laptop by the time i need to replace my 2015 i7 macbook pro.
I jumped to Mac back in 06/07 when they switched to Intel.
I still have a Macbook Air (2012) but also a NUC and a Xeon Workstation for heavy lifting, both running Windows 10. It’s fine, really.
The non-touchbar MacBook Pro is AFAIK the only current MacBook that has a non-soldered SSD. See https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Function+Keys+La…
It’s a proprietary thing, but at least it’s salvageable and theoretically easily transferred between same models.
Given this and the fact that the entry-level MBP 13″ is only $100 more than the new Air for significantly better performance, it seems like the proper laptop to get for anyone in the market for a 13″ Mac.
I think I’ll wait around until they update the MBPs with 8th-gen chips though, before making any purchase decisions.
Edited 2018-10-31 12:29 UTC
Yeah like i said in my previous comment I have the 15″ 2015 model that they just recently stopped selling as well, the i7 version. and i’m keeping it for life. There are converters to put normal ssds in it for the future. I need a few extra cores for work so that leaves the 15″. The touchbar 13″ is the only 13″ with 4 cores at least. I bought mine about 1.5-2 years ago so i wont need another one for another 2 years probably, but when that day comes well, then there wont be any option left. The 13″ without touchbar is 2 cores even with upgraded cpu.
Like some previous commenter i switched to apple back in 2006-2007 after having used linux since 1998-2000..
I know people find windows better but i some times have to run windows on my hackintosh because of specific software and my god i just cant believe it. I know im suposed to like it better i just cant see it. Also if any of the software i use locks up in macos i can always resume them with kill -CONT after freeing up some memory, if the same happen in windows i lose hours of work.
Anyway, with them just having one model left with a normal hd and its already to weak to be my upgrade option, i doubt they will continue to provide stronger ones in the future. 2-3 years from now I will probably cry 😐
Sorry for ranting.
Have you tried requesting a Linux port from any of the developers? They won’t port if they don’t know there’s demand.
The CPU on the new MacbookAir is part of the Y family but it’s a 7W part not 5.
Not sure where the “don’t call them Atom” comment comes from, these chips have nothing to do with the Atom range.
Edited 2018-10-31 12:33 UTC
I’m going to wait for the iFixit tear down to see how much is soldered on.
The Mini actually has ports, and quad and 6 core processors. It might actually be a pretty decent machine. And a path (however unreasonably priced) to 64 gb of memory. I mean, the Mini might just be the computer that’s worth getting, compared to their notebooks and even the iMac lines.
There’s a lot I don’t like about Apple’s modern direction and especially the hardware they now laughingly put out as “Pro”. There are a lot of better options, especially if you only care about speed and upgradability, user upgrades/repairs, etc. But if you are invested in the Mac ecosystem, those changes can be very disruptive and very expensive to make.
That said, while I won’t touch a modern (anything after 2015) macbook pro, the new Mac Mini has potential. If they’ve learned and stopped soldering the RAM and drive on the boards like they do the MBPs. I doubt they have, but I’m hopeful.
Regardless, I disagree with your performance characterization and the dig at Mac OS for “low powered” systems. It seems to work better on older hardware than Windows 10 does. Much better from my experience of running it on hardware circa 2008 to 2014.
There’s a lot to dislike about Apple these days, but keep criticisms on point and don’t resort to hyperbole or exaggeration, give credit where credit is due (increasingly hard to do, I admit), otherwise all of your criticisms can be easily dismissed.
My opinion of course. All of this is subjective of course.
<rant mode>
Despite the hoopla of the event, for me as a small developer macOS is no longer a viable option. The “affordable” MacBook Air comes with 128GB of storage and 8GB of memory. 128GB is a joke these days, and upgrading that alone brings it into base 13″ MacBook Pro territory. For this premium price (and it is very premium) I am buying a system that I cannot upgrade in future. Memory and storage are all soldered to the system board. If you buy the entry level system that’s it, for it’s (short) life. And for me that is an absolute deal breaker.
The Mac mini is a more expandable system, but £800 for a Core i3 system? Almost £1100 for Core i5, and another £200 for Core i7. That’s a whole helluva lot of money for a system with basic integrated graphics, no keyboard, no mouse and no screen.
It used to be easy to recommend macOS to friends and customers, but if I can’t swallow the Apple tax, I can’t expect others to either.
And that is where it’s easy for the wheels to come off the Apple train. macOS was built on word of mouth, which is continuing to dry up.
</rant mode>
Right now, in the fanless cooling CPU dept (roughly 5W), Intel can barely push a dual-core. While ARM can push hexa-core easily in just 2W. The problem is not Apple it’s Intel. In their best Xeon, they give you 28 cores for 165W or 5,8W/core. It’s the limit of their 14nm technology. At the same time the A12X (which is considerably faster than the Intel CPUs) can push 8 cores (bigSmall) in the same TDP. But Apple has 7nm tech while Intel basically has 14nm for 99% of it’s product lines (10nm is only for some limited quantities). You wanted a reason for the 4x performance difference between Intel and Apple? You have a 2x size difference, which translates to a 4x surface difference. It’s that simple (actually it’s not, but oversimplifying helps make the point).
Performance-wise, an iPad Pro will beat the living hell of a macBook Air with similar battery life, similar display (13″ vs 12,7″), adding 4G connectivity and detachable keyboard and touchscreen while having a similar price point. The only notable difference is that the macBook Air has one extra USB-C connector.
The only reason for not buying an iPad Pro is not having VMware Fusion to run some special apps. Everything else I use is available on the iPad.
My personal candidate for this mess is Intel.
Actually, the iPad has a USB-C connector while the MacBook Air has two Thunderbolt 3 connectors. The interface is the same but the underlying technology is different and much more expensive in the case of the notebook.
Having four of those on the Mac Mini has really jacked up the price.
I heard a comparison yesterday that put the i5 in this MBA at the same level as the CPU in the Surface Go. I thought that was wrong, but actually the difference is very small.
CPU differences: 2 MB vs 4 MB cache, no Turbo, no AVX2.
GPU differences: The MBA has a 1050 vs 850 MHz frequency, but also has a bigger screen with more pixels so no benefit here at all.
source: https://ark.intel.com/compare/122697,189912
Of course these devices have several differences (10″ vs 13″, keyboard/touchscreen, macOS/Windows), but the 550 Euro Surface Go also has 8 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD, Windows Hello (like TouchID) and great build quality.
It really seems Apple is driving up all prices, counting on their buyers not to care too much. This might make sense for them. If they can increase their margins from 30% to 50% while only loosing 10% of their customers. It might also make sense in their general view where the Mac-line has too move up in price to make room for their iPad-Pro-line. “As long as you are inside the Apple-world, this all makes sense”
Edited 2018-11-01 09:55 UTC
Maybe Apple has to increase the prices to compensate for the revenue lost to all the customers that are becoming ex-Apple customers every year
Leaving less and less suckers to keep up the trillliiiiioooon dollar market cap?
Instead of trolling like that you could have a look at the numbers and see that it is not as simple as that:
(all numbers are 2017 vs 2018, same quarter. Sales are in millions, average selling price in dollar
iPhone: 46.67 vs 46.89 (no change), 618 vs 793 (major increase of 29%). This means that Apple is now selling just as many “even more expensive” phones. Of course the parts for those hones are also more expensive but in general you can say that “raising the price of iPhones caused a major increase in profit”
iPad: 10.33 vs 9.7 (7% drop), 468 vs 422 (11% drop). So Apple is selling cheaper iPads to less people. Because iPads are a strange mixture between “300 to 1000” I cannot say anything definitive but “iPad continues on a downward path” roughly covers it.
Mac: 5.39 vs 5.3 (2% drop), 1332 vs 1399 (5% increase). So Apple is selling less Macs for a higher price resulting in “Macs raised prices more than compensate for fewer sales”. Again, not enough information about costs to say anything about profit.
So there you have it. 3 different reactions to prices
iPhone: Much higher price, same amount of buyers
iPad: Lower price, less buyers
Mac: Higher price, less buyers
(just for completeness, Apple is also greatly increasing their revenue from services (appstore/music/iTunes) and other products (watch/headphones/accessoires)
Some nice charts (Dutch labels) to show that Apple isn’t reaching more customers anymore: https://charts.tweakzones.net/IEInI/18/index.html
https://charts.tweakzones.net/VJZE1/3/index.html
sources: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/11/apple-reports-fourth-quarter-…
https://tweakers.net/nieuws/145217/apple-levert-iets-meer-iphones-ma…
You are making my point: number of sales declined (more or less) except iPhones. iPhones sales are the same. Make iPhones more expensive = more profits.
There is a limit to this…
Edited 2018-11-03 00:03 UTC
Being ultra thin isn’t the be all and end all.
Be healthy size and then you could have:
– decent keyboard
– better thermals
– more RAM
– more storage
– faster CPU
– bigger battery