REVAMPED KEYBOARD AND NEW USB-C PORT
You might have missed it at a recent Apple keynote where much of the limelight was on (once again) the Apple Watch and such other announcements as HBO NOW, but the Cupertino firm also showed off a refresh of its venerable notebook range that is well worth a second look. A thinner, lighter and all-new MacBook was given an airing, along with such features as a revamped design, revised keyboard and introduction of a USB-C port.
At least as interesting as the device itself, however, is how it was introduced at the March 9 event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, with Apple CEO Tim Cook first reeling off some typically impressive statistics about the Mac's success. He stated that "for every year for the last decade the Mac has outgrown the industry. And if you look at notebooks, it's even more telling. Last year the industry notebook sales shrunk by 2 percent and the Mac grew over 21 percent."
He went on to refer to how the iPhone and iPad had altered the portability game over the years, adding: "So we challenged ourselves to take everything that we had learned designing iPhone and iPad and do something incredibly ambitious and bold. We challenged ourselves to reinvent the notebook. And we did it. And here it is."
A TOP-TO-BOTTOM RE-IMAGINING OF THE NOTEBOOK
Now, an introduction like that may have given you the impression that a more dramatically new product was about to be unveiled - perhaps the ultimate 'hybrid' of an iDevice and the traditional notebook. Alas, the company didn't quite go that far, but the specification of what it did reveal certainly impressed.
The new device, simply named the MacBook, not only shaves pounds and inches off this popular product line as one has to come to expect from almost every new piece of Apple hardware, but also incorporates such features as a 12-inch Retina display, a full-size keyboard, what is known as the Force Touch trackpad and a new battery that is designed to last all day. There's also a compact USB-C connector that, within one connector, caters for data transfer, video out and charging.
As Apple's senior vice president Worldwide Marketing, Philip Schiller commented: "Apple has reinvented the notebook with the new MacBook, and at just two pounds and 13.1 millimeters, it's the thinnest and lightest Mac ever."
THE FEATURES THAT MAKE THE MACBOOK STAND OUT
Schiller's subsequent claim that "Every component of the MacBook reveals a new innovation" surely begs for a closer examination of the new notebook's feature set. Signifying its belief that a great notebook experience depends on a comfortable full-size keyboard, Apple set to work on completely rethinking the manner in which such a keyboard is engineered and constructed, with each key and its underlying mechanism having apparently been redesigned.
The company has claimed that such diligent attention to detail has resulted in not merely a "much thinner" keyboard, but also one that is more comfortable and precise and that provides more responsive typing. But the firm has also raved about such other features as a "gorgeous 12-inch Retina display with edgeto-edge glass [that] brings everything into focus", combining a 2304 x 1440 resolution with a 16:10 aspect ratio.
Then, there's the Force Touch trackpad that has been said to completely alter the trackpad user experience on notebooks, being designed to deliver a responsive, uniform click irrespective of where on the surface is pressed. Force sensors underneath the trackpad detect the amount of pressure that is being applied, which enables new means of interaction with a user's Mac.
Apple has also claimed that "the new MacBook is designed to fit effortlessly into our increasingly wireless world", with software being included that draws upon the most recent Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology to enable almost anything that one does with the device to be done over the air - from web browsing and the transfer of files to music listening and the organization of photos.
Nor could we neglect to forget to mention the three aluminum finishes in which the new MacBook is available - gold, silver and space gray.
WHAT REVIEWERS MADE OF THE MACBOOK
The MacBook sports many more features than those, but what did the 'hands on' reviewers think of it? One of those writers was Ashleigh Allsopp, who wrote for Macworld that "You'll immediately notice the bright, vivid and detailed Retina display on the new MacBook." She added: "Pick up the MacBook and you'll be amazed by how thin and light it is."
Another Macworld writer, Susie Ochs, found that using the revamped MacBook's keyboard didn't leave her fingers feeling as cramped as they did when she was using an iPad-sized keyboard. However, some other reports did suggest that it was difficult for the user to tell when they had actually pressed a key, the feeling being more akin to a touchscreen than a physical keyboard.
TechRadar's Gareth Beavis also weighed in with his verdict on the machine, marveling that it was "so light that you could mistake it for a half-empty sheath of papers. Holding it in one hand is quite unnerving, as you feel you could snap it without holding properly." His overall experience was a positive one, as he described the MacBook as "a great design from Apple".
A NEW USB-C PORT 'PUTS EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE'
When it comes to charging your MacBook, you will naturally need to connect your charger to a port, and there have been new developments on that front, too. In order to make its new MacBook's port "the most advanced and versatile one available", the company has introduced a USB-C port that is one third of the size of the current USB port.
A new port may be inconvenient news for those who were hoping not to be forced to switch to a new charger, but Apple has claimed that the change makes a big difference in the "charging, speedy USB 3 data transfer, and video output" that it enables over more outdated standards like USB Type-A and Type-B.
Although Universal Serial Bus (USB) cables remain ubiquitous in people's homes, with three billion USB ports being shipped every year, they have faced increasing competition in recent times from the speed and ease of use offered by the new Thunderbolt standard. With the USB-C - or USB Type-C - standard having only been finalized late last year, it's fair to say that owners of the new MacBook will benefit from the latest technology in this field.
THE MACBOOK: REASON FOR EXCITEMENT
If you're in the market for a new notebook, the MacBook may have arrived at the perfect time for you. It may not seem at first inspection to be the complete re-imagining of the whole concept of the notebook that Tim Cook's on-stage introduction might have led people to expect, but it certainly offers a lot of promise for those desiring the best performance and user experience.
From the new device's range of productivity-oriented apps and the ever-slick and efficient OS X operating system to an all-new battery design that ensures a battery life long beyond what would be possible with traditional rectangular batteries, there's a lot about the overhauled MacBook that's worth raving about.
While the Apple Watch may have attracted the most column inches of everything shown off at the latest big event held by the boys and girls at Cupertino, this MacBook's announcements might just be the more significant news for most day-to-day users of Apple technology. by Benjamin Kerry & Gavin Lenaghan