Pink MacBook. New MacBook: Improved Specs, Pink

Apple has just announced an update to its line of Macbook and MacBook Air laptops.

On Tuesday, April 19, to the great delight of fans of Apple products, Apple announced the release of a new 12-inch MacBook with Retina display. The device received a version in “rose gold” color and an improved “filling”.

The new 12-inch MacBook boasts sixth-generation Intel Core M processors (m3, m5, and m7 depending on configuration) for quiet performance and energy efficiency.

“Working in tandem, the processor and OS X use so little power that the computer barely heats up, so there's no need for a fan to cool it. This means your MacBook will work silently,” according to Apple’s official website.

The device is equipped with 8 GB LPDDR3 RAM with a frequency of 1866 MHz and built-in storage of 256 GB or 512 GB. The graphics are handled by the Intel HD Graphics 515 processor, which increases performance by 25%. The Retina display resolution is 2304 x 1440 pixels (pixel density – 226 ppi). The screen has LED backlighting.

The 12-inch MacBook supports Bluetooth 4.0 wireless connectivity, Wi‑Fi 802.11ac, and is compatible with the IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n standard. As reported on the Apple website, the new product can work up to 11 hours without recharging, so users no longer have to limit themselves to wires. Charging is carried out via the USB-C port, but the much-rumored Thunderbolt 3 is missing from the new MacBook.

The laptop is extremely lightweight and compact (dimensions: 28.5 x 19.65 x 0.35/1.31 cm, weight: 0.92 kg). The device is available in four color options - gold, silver, space gray and rose gold.

Users from Russia can purchase a MacBook now. A model with a dual-core Intel Core M processor with a clock frequency of 1.1 GHz and 256 GB of internal memory will cost 106,990 rubles. The new product with a dual-core Intel Core M processor with a clock frequency of 1.2 GHz and a built-in memory capacity of 512 GB costs 129,990 rubles.

As for updating the MacBook Air, Apple only managed to increase the amount of RAM. From now on, 8 GB of RAM is standard on all 13.3-inch configurations. The line of 11-inch versions of the “air” MacBook has not received any changes.

In recent years, Apple, intentionally or not, has shown new mobile devices as accessories and image details. It seems that the matter has come to laptops - this week Apple showed an updated MacBook of 2016 in a rose gold case. Five facts you need to know about the new product are in our test.

Color - now pink

The color of the laptop case is perhaps the last thing that true gadget lovers pay attention to. However, it is worth considering that we are talking about Apple - which means that design plays the same (if not more) important role as the technological “filling”.

The 2016 MacBook will be available in rose gold, in addition to the usual silver, space gray and gold. Externally, the device is really nice - the manufacturer tried to rid the aluminum unibody case as much as possible of details that distract attention from the color. If you want to collect the entire collection of portable devices in “rose gold” color (remember, the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch are produced in the same solution) - then this is the only option for now.

Dimensions and weight remain the same - at 920 grams, the MacBook is 160 grams lighter than the smallest 11-inch MacBook Air. But, unlike the entire Air line, the MacBook is equipped with a Retina display with a resolution of 2304 x 1440 - a display of the same quality that only Pro line MacBooks can boast of.

Performance - increased, but inferior to Air and Pro

In terms of hardware, the most important difference from last year's MacBook is the updated processor. The laptop is equipped with a dual-core sixth generation Intel Core M processor (Skylake) with a clock speed of up to 1.3 GHz (up to 3.1 GHz with Turbo Boost), as well as faster memory with a frequency of 1,866 MHz.

A GeekBench synthetic test showed that the processor in the base model of the new MacBook is 10-12 percent faster than in the 2015 laptop. However, the younger MacBook Air model, also released last year, was ahead of the new MacBook in the single-core test by 6 percent and by 12 percent in Multi Core mode. Some older MacBook Pro models showed almost 2.5 times superiority in the multi-core test.

Considering that Apple positions the MacBook exclusively as a portable device, I decided to compare it with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. In Single Core mode, the mobile chip in the tablet turned out to be more powerful, and in the multi-core test it lost by only 7-8 percent.

Graphics performance in the MacBook has also increased due to the Intel HD Graphics 515 accelerator. The GFXBench Metal test, designed to evaluate the quality and speed of graphics processing, showed that in terms of image output speed (39 frames per second for regular images, 72 frames per second for Full HD versus 28 and 53 frames) the new MacBook has really “accelerated” compared to last year’s version.

However, even the base model MacBook Air does it better (60 and 80 fps). Although the new MacBook copes with displaying video content in games and movies on the screen, the speed of working with graphics programs leaves much to be desired. Thus, assembling one three-minute video in iMovie with video processing took almost an hour.

There is still only one port

The only USB-C port is what gave me the most doubt about the device. In general, I believe that a personal computer should be selected according to the work scenario. Simply put, if you work at home more often, naturally, you need a good home desktop, if you work on the go, then a powerful laptop, and so on.

My job, among other things, involves frequent travel and working in almost any conditions. Therefore, the idea of ​​a super-compact and lightweight MacBook with relatively good hardware (and also design) is very attractive to me. But - there is one big “but”: it still has one USB-C port for charging the laptop and almost all of its connections to the outside world (with the exception of another headphone input).

May fans of the minimalist design of the MacBook forgive me - one connector is not enough for me even to work on the go. Do you want to charge your iPhone while you are working with an external flash drive? Will not work. Need to connect to hotel Ethernet when the Wi-Fi in your room is very slow? Only if you don't need to charge your MacBook at the same time. The computer died while watching a movie via HDMI - well, you'll have to wait until it charges.

Of course, it is beneficial for Apple to maintain exactly this option in the era of the “cloud”, wireless synchronization and over-the-air software updates. But many of the usual work scenarios that you expect from a laptop disappear.

Apple predicts that USB-C will eventually become an industry standard. But this hasn't happened yet - and even the company itself still includes standard USB cables with all mobile devices. Therefore, if you still decide to make a choice in favor of a MacBook, it is better to linger in the accessories department and buy the necessary cable or adapter.

Battery charge - worth saving

Continuing the theme of the only port in the MacBook, a device in this configuration, logically, must provide the longest possible operation without recharging. Apple stated battery life as 10 hours when browsing the web and 11 hours when watching iTunes videos. Either I overloaded the laptop with applications and videos, or the full brightness mode played a role, but the MacBook did not even last up to 8 hours of intermittent use. Of these, 2 hours (and a little more than 30 percent of the charge) were consumed by a movie from YouTube when connected via Wi-Fi. I had to wait almost 3 hours before it was fully charged.

This is an expensive laptop

Finally, about the main thing. The price for MacBook 2016 in Russia is from 107 thousand rubles and above, depending on the configuration of the processor and flash drive (256 or 512 GB). The older MacBook Air (13 inches, Intel Core i5 processor with a frequency of 1.6 GHz, 256 GB flash drive) will cost 14 thousand rubles cheaper (93 thousand), but without a Retina screen and a Force Touch touchpad.

The MacBook Pro (13 inches, Intel Core i5 with a frequency of 2.7 GHz, 128 GB storage) is equipped with a Retina display and Force Touch, which is sold in Russia for the same 107 thousand. But it is much less portable and has 2 times less memory.

To sum it up, the two reasons I would buy the MacBook 2016 are looks (the rose gold color looks surprisingly good on the laptop) and compactness (it's almost invisible in your bag). However, you shouldn’t expect performance records from it (in comparison with Air and Pro). And yes, one USB-C port is only comfortable for those who are used to living in a completely wireless world.

Apple has updated its MacBook to include the latest Intel processors, powerful graphics, faster flash memory and an hour more battery life. MacBook is now available in four colors: gold, silver, space gray, and, for the first time in Mac history, rose gold.

“MacBook is the thinnest and lightest Mac we've ever released, and it represents our vision for the future of notebooks,” said Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Customers will love this upgrade to their MacBook, which includes the latest processors, faster graphics, faster flash storage, even longer battery life and a beautiful rose gold finish.”

The updated MacBooks feature dual-core sixth-generation Intel Core M processors clocked at up to 1.3 GHz and Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz, as well as faster 1866 MHz memory. New Intel HD Graphics 515 GPUs deliver a 25 percent boost in graphics performance, and faster flash storage lets you complete everyday tasks in a snap, from launching apps to opening files. The MacBook is the perfect everyday laptop for work on the go, with up to 10 hours of battery life for wireless browsing and up to 11 hours for watching movies on iTunes.

MacBook features a stunningly small and versatile USB-C port that lets you charge, transfer data, and stream video from a single connection in just one-third the size of a traditional USB port. Since the last announcement of USB-C in MacBooks, the entire Apple ecosystem and third-party USB-C accessory manufacturers have been ramping up production, providing users with additional flexibility and compatibility.

Designed with no moving parts or external openings, MacBook is completely fanless for quiet, efficient operation. Built for a wireless world, MacBook features the latest wireless technologies, including built-in Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0 for fast data transfer. MacBook is ideal for tasks like wirelessly streaming content from your MacBook to your HDTV via AirPlay, quickly sharing files via AirDrop, or using wireless headphones.

MacBook is available today at Apple.com/ru. A MacBook configured with a dual-core Intel Core m3 processor clocked at 1.1 GHz and Turbo Boost up to 2.2 GHz, 8 GB of memory, and 256 GB of flash storage will be sold on Apple.com/ru starting at 106,990 rub. A model configured with a dual-core Intel Core m5 processor with a clock frequency of 1.2 GHz and Turbo Boost acceleration up to 2.7 GHz, 8 GB of memory, and a 512 GB flash drive will be sold on Apple.com/ru at a price of 129,990 rub. Build-to-order options include the ability to install faster quad-core Intel Core m7 processors with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz.

I've been working on the same MacBook Air since 2013. Basic model, the simplest technical characteristics. During this time, thousands of photographs were processed, dozens of videos were created and almost three thousand articles were written.

For me, the Air has been the benchmark laptop for six years now. Until now, I have forgiven it for its outdated display, monotonous design and, in general, that’s all. I couldn't find any more flaws.

But you and I can’t calm down, we constantly want something new. What if you like it? I took in re:Store A 12-inch MacBook for one week to understand: is Apple's smallest laptop worth the money? Moreover, am I ready to exchange my beloved Air for it?

And this one port of a rare standard - is it possible to live with it in working conditions?

The conclusions were mixed.

Portability has a limit. It is he

Most readers saw the heyday of netbooks. Do you remember the impressions from the first time you used them? Such a small computer, but it is already capable of so much - it handles office tasks, even lets you watch movies and at the same time fits into a regular bag.

The 11-inch Air isn't exactly big either. But that's exactly what it looks like after working on a 12-inch MacBook. Not sure what it is Badly.

Apple's smallest laptop amazes with its size and weight. Every time you take it out of your bag, the thought runs through your mind - unrealistically cool, simply magical. Super thin, super light, very stylish. But at the same time toy.

When you work on such a small computer, from the outside it seems that you are doing some kind of useless crap. A device of this size is purely psychologically associated with entertainment, even a little show-off. Coffee shops, cross-legged, thoughtful look, latte macchiatto, that’s all.

It doesn't help that it's the "colored" versions that are popular. Almost no one buys the silver model, which is most similar to a MacBook (fact). Everywhere is either black or gold. Now they've added pink too.

So, over the course of a week I constantly caught myself thinking a strange thought: this laptop is so small that Seems unsuitable for work. Even when you work on it yourself and don’t know any troubles. All this seems to be out of habit, although there is some reality in it.

For example, not everyone will be so physically suitable small display. Everything on such a screen will be real small. If your vision is not very good, the macOS scaling settings will help. And then it’s not clear why this laptop is better than the cheaper Air with the same powerful hardware inside.

And the keyboard area seems small. I can't imagine how a person with big hands would type on this and feel normal.

But the whole irony is that the 12-inch MacBook is smaller than the Air when used ABOUT larger display area. That is, it seems to be better – if you measure usefulness by the effective screen area. But prejudices and habits play a role; we couldn’t get rid of them in one week. Other factors also interfered.

Keyboard I never got used to

Exactly at keyboard I fell in love first when I bought my first Mac in 2010. The tactile feedback from typing, the location of the keys, the movement of the mechanism and the shape of the pad - after so many years of living with Windows laptops, I suddenly found my standard.

Since then, the keyboard in MacBooks of all models has remained virtually unchanged. And only the 12-inch MacBook breaks the rules. They put something strange in it. Perhaps it just takes a month or two to get used to. In one week I was unable to adapt to the new buttons.

To be fair, the reduced key travel is a benefit: it reduces the time and effort required to write each letter. If you write a large text, you notice that you do it a little faster than usual. If only this feature could be combined with the MacBook Air, it would be great!

And still no fun from typing that comes with working on any of the standard MacBook keyboards. Now he’s gone, that’s all. It feels like writing on the iPad screen and listening to software clicks from the speaker. Someone has tampered with your familiar keyboard.

I don’t like the spaces between the keys, their height and width - the buttons almost merge with each other, I often make typos. Finally, the tactile surface is too rough and, excuse the expression, rustles. Because of the matte finish. It will be 100% erased and the problem will go away, but the fact remains.

All this, of course, nitpicking. Getting used to the keyboard is always a matter of time and desire. But I still have it open. It was these little things that previously stopped people from buying a 12-inch MacBook as their only work laptop.

The screen has two sides. One of them is glossy

What I have always liked about the MacBook Air is the specific display coating. In the Air, the screen is not covered with glass and is actually “recessed” inside a wide aluminum frame. Therefore, in terms of glare reflection, it is very close to a matte rather than a glossy type of display.

Here's the new MacBook really shines.

This is a very contrasting difference, noticeable instantly. You will see this in photographs and will always notice it at work, especially if you often use your laptop outdoors or in well-lit rooms.

There is an anti-reflective coating here. It's good and reduces the brightness of the highlights (and makes them blue-purple). But it doesn’t work miracles; you can’t just suppress the bright sunlight on the glass, while leaving it transparent. On the street, the picture from the Air display is readable a little better.

Does this mean Air wins? Hardly.

Let's be real: the Air has huge display bezels, simply wild by modern standards. This is a tribute to the old design and simply Apple's reluctance to change anything in a well-selling laptop. It's a pity, because against the backdrop of a 12-inch MacBook, these stumps look funny. I’m not talking about the quality of the matrix now, that’s a separate topic.

But the aluminum frames and plastic protection are not collect stains just like the glass in a 12-inch MacBook. Every time you open the “twelve”, you leave a small stain. It's a small thing, but it infuriates a perfectionist. If you accidentally touch the frame, the mark will inevitably remain until the next cleaning with microfiber.

It's strange that they don't include a cloth in the kit. I miss it so much, at least carry it with you.

There is one more point. This is not so much a drawback of the device as a conclusion from personal experience. I always have a Mac with me, in my hands or bag, in different situations and conditions. And therefore he is in additional danger.

Periodically falls, it doesn't scare me. There’s no getting around it; I’ve already stopped noticing the small ones. So, if the Air falls, in the worst case, you will bend a corner or leave a miniature dent. Nothing critical.

To damage the screen itself, you need to try very hard, at least to open the laptop itself.

Everything is worse here. The fall of the 12-inch MacBook risks ending broken display glass. This means a complete replacement of the cover, which can cost from 20 thousand rubles, or even more. You can't just replace one piece of glass.

The chance of getting into unscheduled repairs increases 20 times. Just the thought of such a fragile device falling on a corner makes you want to hug the Air. And remember what wild things I had with him over the past 3 years. Everything went without the slightest consequences for the case, performance and wallet.

As a result, my impressions of the display are twofold. On the one hand, there are bright reflections, hand marks, and the danger of breaking the display. On the other hand, narrow frames and, of course, picture quality.

The display quality is fabulous and beyond praise

In order not to repeat hundreds of reviews, including ours, I will not go into details. But the display here is magically good.

It is incredibly contrasty, very bright, super saturated and brutally clear. Editing anything on it, be it photos or videos, is a real pleasure. And watching a movie in good quality is generally a thrill.

The screen has awesome viewing angles, and high resolution and high-quality scaling algorithms make the font and any texts very smooth and pleasing to the eye, regardless of lighting or background. macOS itself looks better, more detailed, just more colorful.

After Air, it seems that you simply upgraded your eyes and began to see what you had not noticed before.

Such a screen has another plus that only owners of several Air models of different years of production will understand and notice. He Consistently good, regardless of model.

The fact is that color calibration in the “air” series of Apple laptops is constantly different, as are the screens themselves. Four different manufacturers supply approximately ten different matrices for MacBook Air, each of which has slightly different viewing angles, contrast and color rendering parameters, and maximum brightness. Therefore, two different Air models will display the same color differently.

LG- matrices are often faded, and Samsung– on the contrary, super contrasting. The colors vary from bluish to green-yellow. Some cannot be corrected even by calibration using built-in system tools.

All this chaos is missing from the Retina display in the 12-inch MacBook. It is perfectly calibrated from the factory. You just take it and use it, enjoy the correct, bright colors. This alone is worth a lot. I speak as a person who almost went crazy adjusting color rendering in Air after a complete reinstallation of the system.

Performance. Everything is fine here, guys.

In our editorial office, Roma Yuryev and Dima Cherenkov use 12-inch MacBooks. Roma lives far away, so he is lucky. But Dima got it. We have already named his first generation laptop SlowBook and we joke not only about the brakes (sometimes honestly made up), but also about the foreign black color of the body. Otherwise, his Asus is very good.

I was underwhelmed by the base models of the first generation 12-inch MacBooks. They were sufficient for basic work with text, but their power was lost when there were a large number of open browser tabs and a “heavy” program running in the background. Like Photoshop.

What my working mode looks like: 20 Chrome tabs, of which three with running Flash and another ten with very heavy web pages; Photoshop + Bridge open and regularly called in the background to edit RAW photos; running iTunes, Skype, Slack, Telegram and Viber, background processes of Yandex.Disk, Google Drive and Twitter client.

I constantly noticed that in many tasks the 12-inch MacBook 2016 really faster my Air. This concerned not only the speed of opening files (thanks to the super-fast SSD drive), but also the overall efficiency of the system.

Except that at peak loads and with Photoshop open, the animation of the Dock interface sometimes lags. A light reminder that the computer has limits, it’s just that now they are harder to find when actively working.

I think everyone here understands what this is Not gaming laptop. I haven’t run any games on it and I’m sure that nothing modern will work with a readable picture and performance. But I watched a 4K video from YouTube, and, unlike my Air, it played perfectly well, without brakes or delays.

The conclusion is simple: this no longer SlowBook, even if you take the basic model. And that's great. All basic “two-piece” models have a 256 GB SSD, which is enough for most people. And there is also 8 GB of RAM, which is very useful for those who like to edit photos, and in general a good foundation for the future.

So I advise a new model for those who were disappointed in the power of the first generation.

How to live with one port?

Not too bad. In my case.

Firstly, I discovered that I need to connect to the laptop only card reader. And once every 3 weeks, charge your iPhone from it. The first can be solved by purchasing an adapter compatible with USB Type-C. The second is about the same: you buy an original Lightning to USB Type-C cable, and move on with your life.

Thanks to this MacBook, I was again convinced: no flash drive needed. It's easier and faster to transfer files using AirDrop. Or throw it into a free “cloud”. In extreme cases, there is an adapter, it’s not the biggest pain: you poke it into the port, throw off what you need, and pull it out.

Some people will need to have two connected USB devices with full-size ports at once. Then special extension docks for USB Type-C will do; they are made by several companies. This one is easy to take with you, it takes up no more space than a card reader. A good thing.

If you desperately need three USB ports or even more, I can only recommend buying a MacBook Pro - sorry, but demanding so many connectors from a miniature laptop is simply stupid.

Speaking of ports. The laptop is small, you often use it on the sofa without a stand. One day I sat down and suddenly realized that I don't miss MagSafe. And all because the charger no longer falls out of the port, you don’t knock it out with your knee, you don’t worry about it like before. This is a twofold point; after all, the magnetic mount has a bunch of other advantages. But it’s not bad without it, 50/50.

It turned out that you can already live with USB Type-C. It is most important. What is missing is a second such connector. Since we are stepping into the future, why not?

Last thing. About color

I took not just a 12-inch MacBook, but the most unusual one. Pink.

Color "pink gold" appeared this year. It is immediately clear who it is intended for. But the interesting thing is that its shade is very unstable, it is almost impossible to photograph it or evaluate it in its original state.

In different lighting conditions, a pink MacBook can appear golden, gray, pale red, or wild pink. The run-up is big, the impressions are also different. When it’s completely pink, I’ll be honest – brr, I don’t like it.

But a little pale is already normal. But no matter how you feel about color and prejudices, this laptop is not suitable for a man at all. And the comparison with the pink iPhone is incorrect: the MacBook uses a different shade, it is more saturated, towards purple.

You can get a pink iPhone if you're a hipster or don't care about the crowd and just like the shade. But a pink MacBook only looks good on girls. Just like the gold one, but that’s ok.

Take the silver one, guys. The rest is for the girls :)

So should I swap the Air for a 12-inch MacBook?

Yes, If:

• you want a normal display
• ready to get used to the keyboard (and type faster)
• I need the most portable laptop possible
• almost never use USB ports
• ready to buy a couple of adapters and cables
• used to carrying a laptop in a case and with microfiber
• your Air model was manufactured before 2015
• 108 thousand rubles are lying idle

No, If:

• you are completely and completely satisfied with Air
• frequently drop or treat your laptop carelessly
• use your laptop in difficult conditions
• you type poorly or slowly on the keyboard
• you are nearsighted or have vision problems
• I probably don’t have any money, I don’t know what to come up with

Personally, I decided to wait another year at most and think. If nothing changes, my next work laptop will be a 12-inch. The screen is great, performance is now good. You will have to straighten your hands, try not to drop them and, of course, get used to the keyboard.

I will give the conclusion using simple examples.

12" MacBook- This is a fragile secretary. Young, smart, beautiful, slim, efficient! But with a subtle mindset and a couple of cockroaches in the head, which you will need to adapt to in order to appreciate all the other advantages.

But if you really love your Air, then don't rush.