As part of its March press event, Apple unveiled a new ultra-thin laptop simply called the Macbook. The 12-inch notebook with edge-to-edge display weighs a svelte 2 pounds and is 13.11mm thin. It also features a full-length keyboard that’s been overhauled with a new butterfly mechanism that both improves tactile feedback and slims down the keyboard. Each key also has an individual LED to improve the backlight when working in poor lighting conditions.
Apple also refreshed the trackpad in the new MacBook with a new pressure-sensitive Force Touch trackpad that allows for Force Click gestures and other new interactions. The MacBook also features a new unibody design that allows Apple to ditch the fan, making this model the first MacBook ever with a completely fanless design. Another unique feature is the single-port design that uses a USB-C connector to provide charging USB, DisplayPort, HDMI and VGA connections.
The MacBook will be powered by a 1.3 GHz Intel Core M processor with a turbo charge feature that’ll boost the processor speed to 2.9 GHz. The new Mac will deliver all-day battery life with up to 9 hours wireless web usage and 10 hours of iTunes playback. Other features include Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11ac WiFi connectivity.
The new MacBook will be available starting April 10th with an entry-level price of $1299 for 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. Color options include silver, space grey and gold.
Our take on the news:
A wonderful update to the MacBook lineup, which is now comprised of the MacBook Air, the MacBook and the MacBook Pro. We must admit that it is a curious move by Apple to now design and develop three distinct MacBook models. Will the company abandon the MacBook Air now that it has the MacBook? Or will the MacBook Pro lineup change in response to this new model?
