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“Oh, it’s so pretty,” I thought. I reached out and touched my iPad screen as Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed the new gold MacBook at the “Spring Forward” event on Monday. I watched the live stream on my tablet and saw the unveiling of the 2-pound, razor-thin beauty with a 12-inch screen. It was love at first glance.
Apple’s event was supposed to be the big-bang debut for the Apple Watch, but the sleek new MacBook arguably stole its thunder. I got a little lightheaded thinking about the keyboard butterfly mechanism, Force Touch trackpad, contoured battery design and complete lack of a fan. Get out of my dreams, get onto my lap, MacBook!
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My goodness, I told myself; a 12-inch screen sure is the sweet spot: a little more compact than my 13-inch Air, but not as tiny as the 11-inch Air. And 2 freakin’ pounds! I could put it in my back pocket, if only I had a back pocket big enough to accommodate it.
I picked up my 2011 Air. It felt like a lump of lead. So big. So heavy. So outdated. I loaded up Apple’s online store and gazed at the animated images of the new MacBook floating across the screen, whispering “gold, gold, gold.” I selected the gold finish, reminiscent of cheap champagne, and chose the entry-level $1,299 model with the 1.1GHz Intel Core M processor.
It’s a good thing the new MacBook isn’t available to buy just yet. I might have succumbed on the spot and loaded up my credit card on sheer impulse. Instead, I slept on it. I didn’t actually dream about the new MacBook Monday night. I woke up in the morning and thought twice.
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The $1,299 price tag is a heck of a lot of money. I’m not one to fuss about a lack of ports, but what finally turned my mental tide against buying the new MacBook is the cost of adapters to use devices with the single USB-C port. I would need to connect my thumbdrives, USB heated mittens, card readers, Ethernet adapter and HDMI adapter.
The budget geek in me just can’t get with the idea of adding anywhere from $19 (USB-C to USB adapter) to $79 (USB-C to digital AV adapter) onto the already expensive price just to use all my gadgets. What I really want out of my laptop life is a lower weight than my Air offers. I want to throw it in a backpack and barely feel it. The new MacBook would qualify, but the price and usability compromises aren’t ones I’m willing to make just yet.
I’m left with a couple of options. Most likely, I’ll stick with my Air for another year and wait to see what the second-generation MacBook looks like. I expect there to be plenty of third-party USB-C adapters on the market to choose from by then. That also gives Apple time to refine the new keyboard and trackpad tech. The anticipated arrival of faster next-gen Intel processors could also ease my concerns about the performance of the MacBook’s Core M processor. In the meantime, I might even take a fresh look at a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 or a regular 11-inch MacBook Air.
I have to hand it to Tim Cook. He almost had me there. I’m sure I’ll stop by the local Apple Store and ogle the new MacBook when it comes out. I will touch, but I won’t buy.
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