Apple released the new MacBook at its Spring Forward event on Monday to much fanfare, being the thinnest and lightest laptop that Apple has ever released.
The new computer is not, however, perfect. Apple is under constant scrutiny, especially when it releases new products, and for good reason.
The first thing to notice about the new computer is its stunning new design. It's very sleek and very classy, in typical Apple fashion.
One of the most radical changes in the computer apart from the thinness is the keyboard. The keys are a little bigger than previous Apple computers, which is an interesting decision for the company. Along with the new keyboard design is the use of Apple's new "butterfly mechanism." It feels a little like the new mechanism might be why the keys are larger rather than previous Apple keyboards, rather than "to make it easier to type" as was said at Apple's event.
Apple also reivented the track pad, allowing for users to be able to use any part of the trackpad to click. It also allows for more gesture options, with different things happening depending on how hard the track pad is pressed. While it seems like it would be easy for users to accidentally press the track pad too hard, time will tell if this is the case.
Another interesting design choice for Apple is the single USB-C port that doubles as a charging port and can be used as a USB port, display port, HDMI port or VGA port through various adapters.
Unfortunately, there is only one of these ports. What this means is that users cannot charge their computer and have a USB device plugged in at the same time, without the use of adapters. The use of extra adapters, which are quite expensive, feels extremely un-Apple, however.
It's certainly understandable that Apple feels like the world is moving to cloud storage and wireless accessories, and this may be true, but we're not there yet. Users will still have to use their computer with external monitors. In fact, many likely will want to use an external monitor at all times, giving them two displays, which will not be possible with the new MacBook given the fact that they will also have to charge their computer.
The thinness of the computer is largely owed to the fact that it has no fan, which is in turn owed to the new Intel processor, rather than Apple's engineers redesigning the computer's logic board, as was said at the Apple event.
The Intel Core M processor is certainly an interesting choice for the computer, but an understandable one given the kinds of applications that Apple is targeting with the laptop. While some might have preferred a standard Intel Core processor with a little more power, the fact of the matter is that the new MacBook is designed for users to take notes in class, browse the web and check emails. This is not a high-powered computer -- that's what the MacBook Pro is for. Not only that, but using a lower-powered processor cuts down on costs in an already very expensive laptop.
The new MacBook is a work of art. It's absolutely beautiful in terms of design, however its application is limited, especially with the single port available on the computer. For those who don't need many peripherals, this is a great choice. For everyone else, perhaps it would be more appropriate to look at other options.
Photo Credit: Stephen Lam | Getty Images
