Long before the Spring Forward presentation, there was information on the Internet that Apple would release a special version of the MacBook Air with a Retina screen and a complete rejection of ports. Insiders managed to almost accurately predict the company's actions, except that it is not a MacBook Air.
The new computer received a laconic name MacBook, without prefixes and indexes. Everything is absolutely new in it, and there is no similarity with the Air line at all: it is thinner, lighter and incredibly beautiful. And the apple on the lid no longer glows. However, this is far from the biggest change.
MacBook Screen
As expected, the MacBook received a 12-inch Retina screen with a ppi of 226 pixels. The screen resolution is 2304 by 1440 pixels, the aspect ratio is 16:10. On the Yerba Buena stage, Phil Schiller assured that this screen is the thinnest of all that Apple has ever released. Especially for MacBook, the company redesigned the arrangement of pixels so that they produce more brightness, but at the same time energy consumption was reduced by 30%.
MacBook Design
The laptop slightly resembles the MacBook Air, but in fact it is much more compact.
The MacBook weighs only 920 grams, the thickness of the device at its thickest point is 13.1 mm, and at its thinnest point - only 3.5 mm.
Everything is known in comparison: the 11.6-inch MacBook Air weighs 1.08 kg, and the thickness is 17.1 mm. Another feature of the MacBook is the all-metal case.
If you look at the lid of your MacBook Pro or Air, the display is held on by a plastic part. In MacBook, this part is made of aluminum.
MacBook Specifications
Another feature of the MacBook is that the computer does not have a cooling system. It was possible to remove it due to the Intel Core M processor, made using new technologies. It is extremely energy efficient and it is expected that the heat it generates will not be enough to melt all the parts inside without a cooler. It is also worth noting that due to the complete redesign of the entire motherboard, it was possible to reduce its size by 67%. All the space that was saved was given to the battery - the computer with the Retina screen will work from 8 to 10 hours.
The processor itself is dual-core, the chip frequency is from 1.1 to 1.3 GHz depending on the version. RAM - 8 GB. SSD drive - 256 and 512 GB, which is really a lot. True, the graphics let us down - Intel HD Graphics 5300. The chip is quite weak, you will not be able to play games for fun.
USB Type-C
As expected, Apple completely abandoned all ports, putting only one - a new generation USB Type-C. In the new computer, it will replace the usual USB, MagSafe charging port, VGA, HDMI and Display Port video outputs.
Thus, the MacBook has jumped into a new era in one fell swoop, where there is no room for anything other than cloud technologies and the Internet. You can’t charge both your computer and phone via a cable at the same time, you can’t connect a screen and a power adapter, you can’t connect a flash drive and a mouse. Moreover, at the moment, only the MacBook has USB Type-C in its arsenal, so you won’t even be able to find devices for the new connector. To do this, you need to buy special adapters, which cost a lot of money: from $19 to $79.
Why did Apple take such a step? It’s all about subtlety. The Type-C connector is almost twice as thin as a regular USB — only 8.3 mm. Otherwise, Ive would not have been able to make the computer so thin and light. A similar step was already taken with the iPhone 5 and iPad 4 a couple of years ago. We survived. It’s really a pity that MagSafe has saved the cable and the computer more than once. The MacBook is a computer of the future. And there is no room for old stuff in Apple’s future.
Keyboard and trackpad
For compactness and efficiency, the keyboard design had to be changed. Firstly, the keyboard stretched the entire length of the case. Due to this, the keys became 17% larger, compared to the 11.6-inch MacBook Air, and the module itself became 40% thinner. This was achieved due to the new design of the keyboard module, which was called "butterfly". According to Schiller, the new version will work more reliably, and typing will be easier. The backlight system was also updated, due to which the light will be collected only under each key, without background noise between them.
The new trackpad is also a pleasant surprise. It is built using Force Touch technology, like in the Apple Watch. The peculiarity is that the user feels the force of pressing. Like the MacBook: depending on the force of pressing, the function performed changes. For example, the harder you press on the trackpad in the player, the faster the scrolling will go.
