Pros & Cons
Ever since the PowerBook G4 went away almost 10 years ago, Apple fans have clamored for a premium laptop that emphasizes portability, but still has the computing power of a full-size Mac. The new Apple MacBook ($1,299 as tested) is a prime candidate to fill that gap, since it weighs just under 2 pounds, but packs a bright 12-inch Retina Display and a power-efficient, yet capable Intel Core M processor. It is one of the most desirable Mac laptops yet, but you will have to make some sacrifices if you get one, including having to do without a lot of connectivity options, save the USB-C port, and getting used to the new keyboard and the Force Touch trackpad. For the same price, the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro, our Editors' Choice high-end ultraportable laptop, performed better than the MacBook on most of our tests, and more importantly, its ports are more plentiful.
Editors' Note: There is a newer version of this product, read our review of the 2016 Apple MacBook.
Slim and Streamlined
For the first time in an aluminum Apple laptop, the MacBook is available in a choice of finishes: silver, gold, or space gray, like our review unit. These match the hues of the latest Apple iPad Air and iPhone 6, a boon if you're into color coordination. Like the Apple iPad, the new laptop has an opaque logo, instead of the backlit white Apple seen on the latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models.
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This MacBook is all about portability. Measuring 0.52 by 11 by 7.75 inches (HWD), and weighing in at 1.98 pounds, it's a featherweight, compared with the newest 13-inch MacBook Pro, which is relatively heavy at 3.41 pounds. The MacBook fits easily in backpacks and shoulder bags made for 10-inch tablets or 13-inch ultrabooks. Sitting the MacBook on top of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3, you'll notice it's visibly shorter and narrower, though the latter is thinner once its Type Cover is removed.
The new keyboard features what Apple calls butterfly switches (as opposed to the scissor switches on traditional laptop keyboards). It's not as bouncy or forgiving as a standard keyboard, but it's certainly very solid. The keycaps and spacing are full size, and thanks to the slightly concave keys, it's more comfortable to use than the Surface Pro 3's Type Cover, and certainly quicker to type on than the membrane keyboard of the Dell XPS 11. Some third-party iPad keyboards like the Zagg Rugged Book tout a steel plate to prevent flex, but the MacBook's keyboard felt even more solid and showed zero keyboard flex while typing during the test period.
Instead of using traditional rectangular battery packs or packs made of cylindrical cells, Apple installs thin lithium polymer plates here. The plates are of various lengths and are stacked, so they fit into the tapered chassis in a terraced formation. They fill the case more evenly, with barely any air gaps, which would be a waste of space. They help the MacBook achieve an unprecedented battery life for such a thin laptop: up to 14 hours by our measure (more on that later).
Final Thoughts
