There's a lot to like about Apple's new MacBook. It's amazingly thin and light, it's beautifully designed and it brings several interesting new technological solutions, including a thinner keyboard and the thinnest Retina display ever.
Given its looks and portability, I desperately want to buy one -- but I won't. And I reckon many professionals won't, either.
The new MacBook (notice that it's not an Air and it's not a Pro -- just MacBook, which basically positions it as an entry-level laptop) is actually much more similar to an iPad with a keyboard than a laptop. It's fanless, runs on a low-power Intel Core M processor (aimed primarily at tablets and tablet hybrids) and has just one port.
And though the MacBook's USB-C port is expandable via separately bought accessories, it seems that Apple's aim was to make the laptop experience more similar to that of using a tablet. No fans, no wires, low power.
No ports, lots of problems
While all that's nice and dandy -- I definitely wouldn't mind strutting my feathers with a brand-new "space gray" MacBook at a meeting -- I have serious concerns about whether this thing can withstand the workload that my top-of-the-line MacBook Air endures on a daily basis (I also recently owned a 2014 13-inch MacBook Pro).
First, I need my USB ports. Even with Apple's new multiport adapter, you only get one (plus an HDMI port and another USB-C port). Connecting to stuff at home is not so much an issue, because there I use a USB hub. But when I'm on the move, I often need to charge my iPhone and iPad without looking for an outlet. I also often need to connect an external USB drive. And sometimes I need to plug in an Ethernet cable (via an adapter) because Wi-Fi is just not fast enough.
I would likely be able to solve all that with a combination of various adapters and hubs, but is it practical to carry all those around and plug them in and out all the time?
Truth be told, I wouldn't mind my Air having three USB ports -- I want more, not fewer. And don't get me wrong; just like Apple, I'm enamored of a future where everything is wireless. We're just not there yet.
Will it overheat?
My MacBook Air's fan is spinning at high speeds nearly all the time. I have a minimum of 15 Chrome tabs open at all times, plus Slack, Tweetbot, Word and a couple of other apps. Sometimes, I'll even play a game on top of all that. I've bought a stand with a fan to keep the Air from overheating, especially in the summer months.
The new MacBook uses an entirely different processor than my Air's dual-core 1.7GHz Intel Core i7. Its dual-core, 1.1GHz Intel Core M (or 1.2GHz or 1.3GHz variant) uses far less power and doesn't generate as much heat. It comes at a tradeoff, however, since it's not nearly as powerful.
Simply put, I'm afraid that if I bought the new MacBook, it would be slower than my current computer or overheat, or both.
A recent PC Pro test of the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro, a laptop/tablet hybrid that also uses Intel's Core M processor, showed that the device did have heat dissipation issues -- and the Yoga actually has a small fan. Performance figures were disappointing, with the new processor scoring far worse in benchmarks than a midrange Intel Core i5 processor.
Let me be clear about one thing: We don't know yet how the MacBook will behave in real-life usage. No one has thoroughly tested it yet. But based on what we know about the Intel Core M, it doesn't look like it's going to be a powerhouse processor.
Perhaps you don't care, and that's OK
The issues I've outlined above -- lack of ports, possible overheating and performance being slower than an Air or a Pro -- will not bother a lot of users. Business travelers who need a very light and portable device for a quick note, video or presentation will likely love it, as will most casual users just looking for a beautiful machine. But IT professionals and tech enthusiasts should wait to see this thing tested in the real world before they commit to buying.
I include myself in that category, and I'm nevertheless thrilled about the new MacBook -- not because of the machine itself, but for the innovation Apple has put into this thing. Its features, such as cascading batteries, the metal hinge and the ultra-thin screen, will surely make their way into other Apple laptops in their next iterations. Some, like the Force Touch feature, already have; the new touchpad is built into the latest MacBook Pro.
But, beautiful and innovative as it is, this is just a MacBook. Pros should consider a Pro, and probably even an Air, before they dish their money out on a possibly less powerful and less versatile laptop.
BONUS: Hands on with Apple's new MacBook