It’s easy to compare the new MacBook to the first MacBook Air. But that’s not totally fair, because even in its first generation, the 12-inch MacBook is a much better product than the first Air was back in 2008. Whereas the original Air suffered from problems like short battery life and spotty wireless performance, most of the design decisions Apple made on the new MacBook are smart; well-thought-out. Even though Apple went with a less-powerful processor than on the current Air, this new model still delivers brisk boot-up times, quick disk speeds and fast everyday performance. Although the keyboard is flatter than on other Macs, it’s almost as comfortable to type on; in that respect, I could easily make the new MacBook my daily driver. Also, despite having such a pixel-dense display, it has roughly the same battery life as the similarly sized 11-inch Air. Again, most of the compromises actually seem to have paid off.
The two exceptions are the trackpad and the absence of full-sized USB ports. Don’t get me wrong, the Force Touch pad is usable, and I realize it’s one of the reasons Apple was able to build a laptop this thin. I’d even go so far as to say that Apple deserves credit for being able to simulate a button press on a trackpad that doesn’t actually move. Still, it’s not as comfortable as the trackpad on the MacBook Air and many other laptops. It’s a similar story with ports. I’d much prefer a setup like on the Chromebook Pixel, which offers a mix of full-sized and USB Type-C sockets. Alas, it seems that Apple’s decision to include just one port, and not even a common one, was a concession made for the sake of achieving a slim design.
Much like the original Air, the new MacBook is expensive, and it’s not for everyone. In particular, it’s for well-heeled shoppers who demand the most portable machine possible, and who also don’t want to compromise on screen quality. That might not be persuasive to would-be Windows users, who have several compelling alternatives, many with equally sharp screens and a bigger selection of ports. But for loyal Mac fans who wouldn’t dream of switching, the new MacBook is by far the lightest-weight machine in Apple’s lineup, especially with this caliber of screen. It’s not for everyone, especially not right now, but if it’s anything like the Air, it might one day become the standard.