Thursday, January 19, 2017
Apple MacBook 2016 NEW
Apple MacBook 2016 NEW
HI
The MacBook (priced between AED 4,399 and 9,899) is notable as the Apples thinnest and lightest laptop. The MacBook keeps the slim profile of the original thanks to a fanless design, and the Retina Display remains, but this time around theres a Skylake-based Intel Core m5 processor with improved performance.
Though theres plenty to like here, drawbacks include a very limited I/O port selection and a sleek, but shallow keyboard and trackpad that are likely to be uncomfortable for some. The aluminum laptop is now available in four colours including gold (our review unit), silver, space gray, and rose gold (a metallic pink, which is the newest addition).
Physically, not a lot has changed from last years model. At 0.52 by 11.04 by 7.74 inches (HWD), the MacBook weighs 902-gms, an imperceptible increase that makes it slightly heavier than its predecessor. It fits easily in backpacks and shoulder bags made for 10-inch tablets or 13-inch laptops.
The MacBook should be on your short list if you often find yourself in coach class working on an airline tray table. It can also be your go to machine if you are looking for a capable ultraportable to haul around while on the road.
Also unchanged are the butterfly-switch keyboard and Force Touch trackpad. Both are less comfortable than traditional laptop keyboard and trackpads, since the keys offer very little travel, and the trackpad doesnt move at all. Though, Haptic feedback vibrations on the trackpad make it feel like youve clicked, and the sensor can detect pressure, so if you press a little harder, the touchpad will click a second time, and activate the Force Click function. In practice, it does feel like two separate physical clicks.
You can use the Force Touch trackpads pressure-sensitivity for signing your name on the trackpad, or to vary fast-forward or zoom speeds in programs like QuickTime Player or Apple Maps. The shallow, but clicky keyboard is tolerable for extended typing sessions, but traditional keyboards are more forgiving on your fingertips.
USB-C adoption has improved since the MacBook was introduced last year. Apple now offers a USB-C-to-Lightning cable so you can sync your iPhone to your MacBook. Because theres still only one IO port on the laptop, youll have to unplug the AC adapter to do so, however. Youll also need a USB-C-to-USB-3.0 cable for most other peripherals, including connecting a USB SSD or flash drive.
USB-C-to-DisplayPort and USB-C-to-Ethernet cables are available from third-party companies such as Belkin and Monoprice. Cables arent included, so youll have to budget for them. If youre considering a MacBook, youll have to decide if the sleek design is worth the inconvenience of the single port and required adapters.
Also disappointing, Thunderbolt 3 support still isnt built into the MacBook. That means you wont be able to use your legacy Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 drives here, even if an adapter is available. New Thunderbolt 3 drives that are just coming to market are also a no-go. The only other physical port on the laptop is a 3.5mm headset jack on the left side.
For wireless connectivity, the MacBook integrates 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. The 12-inch IPS screen is a bright point. Its 2,304-by-1,440 resolution isnt quite as expansive as the 4K (3,180 by 2,160) screens on some systems on the market. However, text and graphics are displayed smoothly with sharp outlines and vivid detail.
1080p and scaled-down 4K videos looked excellent and played back without a hint of stutter in my testing. The speakers, located just above the keyboard, are loud and clear, which is rare in such a thin system. Inside, theres 8GB of memory and a 512GB Flash Storage module (Apples way of saying solid-state drive or SSD).
The MacBooks flash storage, memory, and CPU arent upgradable after purchase, so youll want to think in terms of future proofing. Apple covers the system with a one-year standard warranty. An upgraded Intel Core m5-6Y54 processor with integrated Intel HD Graphics 515 powers the laptop and helps maintain the thin profile.
The Core m5 processor is cooled without a fan, allowing the remaining space inside the chassis to be filled with more battery packs. As we continue to test more Core-M-equipped laptops and tablets, were seeing that they perform almost, but not quite as fast as, Intel Core i5-powered systems.
Mac laptops cant run our PCMark and 3DMark benchmarks, so we couldnt compare those scores with PC counterparts. The system took 2 minutes 55 seconds to complete the Handbrake video encoder test and 5:17 for the Adobe Photoshop CS6 test. Thats an improvement over last years MacBook (3:39 on Handbrake; 5:24 on CS6).
The new MacBooks 3D scores on the Valley test were better (15 frames per second (fps) on Medium quality; 6fps on Ultra quality) than last years model (9fps on Medium; 4fps on Ultra), which shows the improvement of Intel HD Graphics 515 over the older HD Graphics 5300.
Recent Macs have been battery champs, and the new MacBook is no exception, returning an excellent 11 hours 37 minutes on our rundown test. Thats 27 minutes longer than the MacBook Pro. You can run the new MacBook on a long flight, with a recharge needed for juice for the return trip.
Aside from the new Rose Gold option, the new MacBook is visibly unchanged from last years model, though its new Skylake-based processor improves benchmark performance a bit. But battery life takes a hit due to that faster CPU. You cant deny the sleek design, but connectivity compromises youll have to make may be deal breakers, particularly the single USB-C port and shallow keyboard.
If these drawbacks are show stoppers, and you still want an Apple laptop, the MacBook Pro 13-inch, though not as slim, offers more versatile connectivity and will likely be a better choice. However, if you need a very very slim and light ultraportable that can do all the jobs you would ever want to throw at a laptop, while on the road, the Apple MacBook (2016) should definitely be on you shortlist.
Pcmag
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