Updated 03:26 AM EDT, Fri, Mar 29, 2024

MacBook Retina 2015 Reviews, Specs, Features & Price: vs Microsoft Surface Pro 4

  • Staff
  • Mar 10, 2015 06:59 AM EDT
  • +
  • -
  • Sign up to receive the lastest news from LATINONE

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) launched its newest addition to the MacBook family. Rumors all over the web pegged the arrival of a 12-inch Retina MacBook Air, but the speculations were dismissed when "Spring Forward" unveiled the new MacBook instead -- no Air, no Pro in the name.

Not falling into the Air or Pro subsets doesn't make the new MacBook any less, at least for now. Read along and see for yourself.

The Thinnest Thing Yet

For a recap, the new MacBook comes with a 12-inch Retina display. It holds the record of being the thinnest MacBook ever built, weighing 2 lbs and measuring 13.1 mm at its thickest point, BGR noted.

The notebook, then thought to be a MacBook Air, was predicted to be fanless. Indeed, the Retina MacBook has no sign of an internal fan, and this is known to be possible through Intel's Broadwell Core M processors.

One for All

For Ars Technica, the "most controversial" aspect of the new MacBook is its port configuration. As told by the outlet, the device only had a headphone jack (for audio) and a single USB Type C port. Everything else connects to the latter.

In reference to the lack of ports, Ars Technica wrote, "Apple was showing off a couple of things that split the Type C port into a few different, more conventional ports made possible by Type C's support of multiple protocols."

Your Type of Butterfly

One interesting detail about the new MacBook is its edge-to-edge looking keyboard, but the story doesn't stop there.

As told by The Verge, Apple made use of an "all new butterfly mechanism," set to make typing feel better.

However, the outlet's reviewer commented, "The keys felt fairly stiff to me, with such little travel that I wasn't sure if I was really typing."

Force Touch

TechCrunch described the new MacBook's touch pad as "one of the more amazing feats." The technology has been dubbed "Force Touch," and according to CNET, it may be clicked anywhere as it detects the amount of pressure applied.

Force Touch is composed of four sensors. It features a taptic engine that provides tactile feedback, including Force Touch "gestures."

CNET's reviewer expressed, "With Force Touch, no longer will I feel the frustration of a denied click."

What This Means for the Surface Pro 4

Microsoft's rumored successor to the Surface Pro 3 has sustained public interest for a couple of reasons, but the most celebrated of them is the lineup's value of being hybrid.

The convenience of a tablet, coupled with the functionality of a laptop are both present in the current models, and we could only predict how far the Surface Pro 4 takes things.

At this point, the "laplet" is speculated to arrive in two different models, Phone Arena reported. Expected sizes include 12 and 14 inches, and both are pegged to sport a resolution of 2160 x 1440 pixels. The new MacBook houses 2304 x 1440 pixels.

Interestingly, the device is touted to sport the similar Intel Core M Broadwell processors, which could also mean thinner architecture. It's purported to pack 1 TB of storage, running the newest and ever-unified Windows 10.

Phone Arena added, "The Surface Pro 4 may be among the first full powered tablet/Ultrabook/laptop/PC that will ship without a cooling fan."

The device is also believed to own as much as 16 GB of RAM. The new MacBook, on the other hand, comes with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD in the entry-level unit.

Buying the MacBook?

To be released on Apr. 10, the new MacBook starts at $1,299. More information can be found here.

The Surface Pro 4 is reported to be out in July, but the recent price-cut of its predecessor is believed to hint that the laplet could arrive much earlier.

Catch the new MacBook Reveal video below.

© 2015 Latin One. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
  • Sign up to receive the lastest news from LATINONE
Close

Curiosidades

Real Time Analytics