“Lenovo’s Yoga 3 Pro convertible laptop–which uses the same Broadwell Core M processor as Apple’s new ultraportable MacBook – has provided the first look at its likely performance,” Ben Lovejoy reports for 9to5Mac.
“AnandTech‘s numbers show that in overall performance terms, the Yoga 3 Pro was delivering a little over 90% of the performance of the early 2014 MacBook Air which has far fewer pixels than the Retina MacBook,” Lovejoy reports. “There are a large number of variables beyond the CPU itself that can impact on benchmark scores, so the score should be viewed as a ballpark rather than an exact measure, but it does reinforce my view that this is a machine for the typical base-level MacBook Air customer.”
Lovejoy reports, “If you want to do anything more demanding than writing and Internet use, this is probably not the MacBook you’re looking for.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The MacBook, like every other Mac before it, is designed for a certain range of use cases for which it will be damn near perfect. If you’re a geneticist looking to sequence the human genome, no, the two-pound MacBook isn’t for you. There are other Macs that will better suit your needs.
Let’s not forget how expensive the original MacBook Air was (over seven years go!!) for fairly low end performance…in a couple years this feature much better performance compared to the Pros…
I am sooooo glad I didn’t sell my 11″Macbook Air to get this new Macbook. For me the 11″ Air is still the ultimate ultraportable.
Well seeing as how they aren’t yet available I guess you made the right decision.
When it is released, the new MacBook will become the ultimate ultraportable. You cannot argue with gas solid laptop weighing 2.03 pounds with a high-res display.
In my opinion, it is yet another example of Apple’s genius in computer design. You can carry a new MacBook and an iPad Air 2 for less than three pounds.
I’m guessing this “low-end” Mac has roughly the same power as a high-end Mac of three or four years ago, yes?
MacBook Pro 2012: processors ranged from a 2.5 GHz Core i5 (I5-3210M) dual core to a 2.7 GHz Core i7 (I7-3820QM) quad core Ivy Bridge
MacBook 2015: highest power processor is a 1.2 GHz Intel “Core M” processor (M-5Y51) dual core chipset
You have way too much patience if you think you will happily do any Photoshop, audio, or video on the new MacBook.
I would imagine that is a reasonable hypothesis. I was comparing my Macbook Pro 2010 (2.66Ghz i7, 8Gb RAM and Crucial SSD) against the Macbook Air Geekbench benchmarks and the Air was a lot faster, or it least based on the Benchmarks.
Saying that, I dare say the Macbook will struggle with the high-end graphics/video editing software as my 2010 MPB does.
It will be interesting to see how the 12″ Macbook compares to the current Air.
I too have the ’11 MacBook Air, but I wonder…
Does anyone here have a ballpark guess as to how much difference the doubled speed of the new drive makes? Hard drives have historically been the most significant bottleneck, so I wonder if the improved drive speed will bridge some of the gap between the MBA and MB CPU performance, at least in terms of overall zippiness.
I upgraded my factory MBA drive with an OWC, which resulted in noticeable, but not revolutionary, performance. I have the 2.0ghz i7 with 8gb ram and 1.0tb flash HD. I can easily run Parallels for my one legacy Windows app (but one I use constantly) and Photoshop AND AI and the 11″ Air doesn’t lag. It does get quite warm, but a Blue Lounge Quickflip solved that problem.
The OWC is much slower than the new SSD
Please post the benchmarks. Dual core i7 vs. the mobile processor. I have a 2012 MBA 11, not the new one. That should have been clear when I wrote “2.0 Ghz” but maybe not.
It looks like flash drive has exactly the same in both models. What are you referring too?
I wonder whether the law of diminishing returns is starting to apply to drive read/write speeds?
Clearly, faster speeds is going to be noticeable with large files, but for small, everyday files are we expecting to see big real-world differences when the time comparisons are milli-seconds?
MDN,
I am not a geneticist, but I do need light weight mobile power and I am sure that many others do also. I am on my second i7 MBAir and appreciate the power of this thing. I will not go backwards, powerwise.
However, I do feel this first iteration of the OnePort MB is like the first iteration of MBAir: UnderPowered but put out as a proof of practical concept. IN the second gen or third generation, it should be up to speed.
I hope they don’t stop production of the MBAir before they bring the MB up to MB i7 specs.
I wish Apple would have kept the market placement clear, with room for a little evolutionary growth between each major model line:
– MacBook Air
– MacBook
– MacBook Pro
Today instead we have:
-Proof of Concept MacBook with shit performance but Retina display
-MacBook Air with speed improvement
-Old MacBook (refurb or used only now)
-a complicated array of MacBook Pros with and without Retina Display and only the 13″ with a Broadwell processor
So the biggest screen is not available with the fastest/current chipset. There is no MacBook with greater than a 15″ display. There is no modestly priced MacBook with ports. not a good trend.
I do agree this is reminiscent of the Quadra, Proforma and whatever the others were called scenario of many a year ago when Apple was rudderless mind. Very confusing and clearly a fudge till they can sort out the range… or at least I hope so. Is this to do with lack of/delay in the appropriate chips being available? Doesn’t seem like something that would be done by choice.
Spy,
You made me think / remember that SJ would not allow such confusion. I appreciate TC but this is one area that SJ would have lowered the boom – preventing confusion of product lines without going backwards in progressing new features.
Lets not forget crappy netbooks running windows vista.
“If you’re a geneticist looking to sequence the human genome, no, the two-pound MacBook isn’t for you.”
For sequencing hobbyists with patience, however, the MacBook will not disappoint.
Frankly, until someone has REAL benchmarks, none of this is worth the time it takes to argue. Let’s wait till we have actual facts, okay?
Your sentiment is correct, but take a glance at the specs listed above. There is just no way that the new MacBook can be considered a productive machine for the work that most Mac owners do in the real world. It is bizarre that Apple felt the need to introduce a less powerful model than the current MBAs.
More hobbled up cheap shit at premium prices.
Crappy CPU, Vampire Video, a weak speaker and one connector that doubles for power.
But it’s thin and sleek.
Ooooh say the Fanbois.
I’ll take a real computer, please.
You don’t have to prove it to us that you have a double digit IQ. We get it. This mobile workhorse MacBook is likely equivalent to your existing 4 year old MacBook Pro and will suit the existing tasks you NEED a mobile solution for presently. You sound like someone who knows little about computing power and are only focused on perceived performance by arbitrary numbers.
No, I’m someone who actually needs a computer with ports.
You are living in yesteryear and have not realized that most peripherals work wirelessly. YOU DON’T NEED A HUGE NUMBER OF PORTS!
Well, Reality Check, why don’t you tell us all exactly how many ports we need?
For the price of the new MacBook, Apple should throw in all its cheap plastic dongles for free. Because everyone loves dongles, isn’t that so, Reality Check?
I think it’s a huge mistake to introduce a Mac with this little processing power and this little customer configurability. If somebody wants a computer without the ability to plug in anything, isn’t it already available? It’s called an iPad. And it weighs less than the new MacBook. What the hell is the point of this new machine?
Depends on what you do.
I think people are overlooking the “turbo boost” capabillities of these new processors, or I am overestimating their ability. 1.2 becomes 2.6 or 2.9 depending on who you believe. If these machines scan stay cool, they should run fast.
P.S.
I hope someone makes a proper dock for it with lots of old school ports, and sd card reader for those who want it… at least until new accessories are widespread.
And how do you propose that this machine will stay cool without a fan? Lack of active cooling means there will be no significant turbo boost.
Remember, it’s 4.5 watts 14nm… ( Also I prefaced with “if” it can stay cool)
… IOW: Artists! Aim for a MacBook Pro. I personally suggest the 15″. OMG what a great machine.
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