By Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge
Apple has stopped selling the 12-inch MacBook, just four years after introducing the laptop as the slimmest in its lineup. The previous generation MacBook Air (the one without a Retina display) is no longer on sale either.
The 12-inch MacBook hadn’t been updated in two years, but it still filled a spot that stood out from other models: it was thinner and lighter weight, though that also came with being less powerful. At $1,299, its price put it directly up against the entry-level MacBook Pro, which outperformed it, with only a small gain in weight and size.
The 12-inch MacBook hadn’t been updated in two years, but it still filled a spot that stood out from other models: it was thinner and lighter weight, though that also came with being less powerful. At $1,299, its price put it directly up against the entry-level MacBook Pro, which outperformed it, with only a small gain in weight and size.
Apple appears to see the new MacBook Air (the redesigned model with a Retina display) as the MacBook’s replacement. The Air isn’t as thin and light, but it is more powerful. And perhaps more importantly, Apple has been able to get the Air’s price down — as of today, it’s selling for $1,099, making it the clear entry-level option.
Along with dropping in the 12-inch MacBook, Apple also updated the entry level MacBook Pro today, making it so that all models now include the Touch Bar. That makes an even clearer difference between the two laptop lines — though it also means that, for anyone who wants a MacBook with a physical escape key, you’re now locked into picking the Air.
Along with dropping in the 12-inch MacBook, Apple also updated the entry level MacBook Pro today, making it so that all models now include the Touch Bar. That makes an even clearer difference between the two laptop lines — though it also means that, for anyone who wants a MacBook with a physical escape key, you’re now locked into picking the Air.
