Apple launched its slimmest MacBook yesterday with a solitary Type C USB connector. Apple talked about beautiful retina display, its 13.3 mm slim design, light weight, new keyboard, vibrating trackpad and 9 hours of battery life. But here are some of the compromises Apple made with its new MacBook
Only One Port
New MacBook has just one port on the left side and one audio jack on the right. The single Type C connector is slim, reversible and can be used for data transfer, power and Video Out, but you can use it only for one thing at a time.
This also means you will have to buy an extra adaptor and take care of it if you wish to charge your phone and use an external flash drive simultaneously. Is all the trouble worth over few millimeters of thickness? We think not.
Recommended: Why Single USB Type C Port On New MacBook Does A Lot
Lower Resolution FaceTime camera
Instead of 720p HD FaceTime camera, Apple has opted with 480p web cam this time. This means even lower resolution than what you get from iPhone’s FaceTime camera, and this hurts even more as the display has even more pixels.
The Forced Right Click
Apple has been steering off and discarding second click on mouse, but has now come up with a weird compromise. The new Trackpad (which also vibrates) has 4 force sensors, which can detect when you press too hard. Apple finally admits to the need for a right click substitute with the new MacBook.
MagSafe is Gone
The beloved Megasafe port which prevented damage every time you stumbled on your charger chord, thanks to its magnetic trip proof technology is now history. The new USB Type C connector can deliver express 100W of power and thus there is a good change Apple will replace it on all other devices.
The New Keyboard
Apple claims a new butterfly mechanism for keys which is 40 percent thinner. This was again required to accommodate the slim design, but again the lack of travel due to slim design doesn’t translate into good typing experience as is confirmed by almost all initial hands on reports. Perhaps things will improve when you get used to the new keys.
Conclusion
The new MacBook follows a design first approach, and indeed Apple is bound to upset several consumers because of all these changes and compromises. However, it is still too soon to condemn Apple’s new fan-less Machine. We will wait till full reviews are out before making up our minds.
