Since the October 30th Apple event, I’ve been dwelling on the new MacBook Air. I’ve already written about this, but I wanted to take a couple days to construct a better thesis on why the introduction of this notebook is confounding me.
Let me be clear, I think the new MacBook Air is a great notebook. I have never had an issue with the new low profile keyboards, and the new third generation butterfly keys are fantastic. I also never hated on the USB-C ports. I have had to use dongles from time to time, but not enough that it was a burden. The new MacBook Air is a sleek, lightweight laptop with some really great technology built-in. I don’t have an issue with the new MacBook Air at all, but I have thoughts and questions about three other notebooks in Apple’s lineup; the 12-inch MacBook, the previous generation MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar.
The 12-inch MacBook
I’ve done some thinking since the event and I’ve come to the conclusion that there is still a place for a 12-inch MacBook. There are customers who want the smallest and most compact notebook. Having said that, the pill I’m having a hard time swallowing is two fold. First is the price. Still set at $1299 USD, the 12-inch MacBook is $100 more than the new MacBook Air. I know Apple’s response to this is that the technology put into the 12-inch to make it so small and compact is more costly, but I think this would be a bit easier to accept if we at least saw a refresh. Faster processors, Touch ID, a 720p FaceTime camera. Instead, Apple just changed the shade of the gold option. Now, I’m sure Apple will refresh the 12-inch MacBook at some point and is following it’s own refresh cycle, but as it stands now, the 12-inch MacBook is not a good buy.
The Previous Generation Air
A slight disappointment many had, with the new MacBook Air, was the $1199 USD price point. The previous generation Air was $999, and it still is. Apple decided to keep the previous generation Air in the lineup and this is likely for two reasons. First, I’m sure Apple couldn’t bare the idea of not having a $999 notebook in the lineup and because they couldn’t hit that price point with the new model, they keep the older model around. The other reason Apple is keeping this aging model around; it is now the last MacBook to have the older I/O ports. Apple won’t admit this, but I believe Apple is still easing customers into the USB-C only era. Bottom line, don’t expect to see this MacBook Air around for much longer.
The MacBook Pro without Touch Bar
Originally marketed as a lower cost option for people wanting a MacBook Pro, the 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar fell somewhere in-between the MacBook Air and Touch Bar models. It sported a slower processor and fewer USB-C ports, so pros who wanted the top of the line had to go with the Touch Bar versions. However, this past summer, when the Touch Bar MacBook Pros got refreshed, the non-Touch Bar model got no love. It was widely assumed that it was going to be phased out, likely by the end of the year, but with the release of the new MacBook Air, this model still remains in the lineup.
I suppose there is a place in the lineup for this computer. The new MacBook Air is still not as powerful as this MacBook Pro, especially when you consider the MacBook Air doesn’t have an i7 option and some people just don’t need the higher specs of the Touch Bar versions. But, just like the 12-inch MacBook, it’s puzzling why we didn’t see Apple refresh this model in light of the new MacBook Air.
A MacBook for Everyone
The point is moot, but I believe Apple has some of the best MacBook models they’ve ever release, on the market today. The new MacBook Air is going to be a great computer for pretty much everybody. The MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is such a solid and powerful machine from the entry level 13-inch to the highest end 15-inch. But, the lineup as a whole is a bit convoluted. My best guess is Apple going for “a MacBook for everyone” approach. You want the cheapest? The $999 last generation MacBook Air is for you. You want the smallest possible notebook? The 12-inch MacBook might be for you, but it’s older tech and costs more than the new Air. You want a more powerful computer, but don’t want to pay the premium? There’s the MacBook Pro without Touch Bar. I get what Apple’s trying to do, but it’s not elegant and it’s confusing. We’ll see if Apple is bold enough to next year to drop some of the dead weight.
