The new MacBook goes on sale this week, and while the first reviews have raved about its incredible design, unbelievable thinness and jaw-dropping display, it’s probably not for you.
While early critiques might have alleviated concerns that the new MacBook’s CPU is about as powerful as a 2011 netbook, there are a few other issues you should know about before you rush to the Apple Store to snap up a shiny gold MacBook.
These are the new MacBook’s 10 biggest flaws:
It doesn’t work with Thunderbolt displays
“Bad news for owners of Apple’s Thunderbolt Display: The new MacBook is not compatible with that (though it can drive higher-res monitors via HDMI)” – Recode.
It’s not for professionals
“The MacBook, as it exists today, is really for a very particular group of people who want the thinnest, lightest MacBook they can get. It’s not intended to be a professional machine.” – Mashable
It gets hot
Playing games causes the bottom side of the laptop to get hot, especially back toward the hinge. That’s probably to be expected during gameplay, but I also noticed overheating even in more mundane use. Which is surprising, since the processor only draws five watts of power; it’s not supposed to get hot. – Engadget
You’ll need lots of adapters
“If you get a MacBook, be prepared for some adapter logistics and probably to buy some new cables. You’ll also need to keep a video adapter with you at all times if you ever attach to a projector or TV anywhere, because nobody’s going to have one that matches your computer for years.” – SixColors
You can’t upgrade it
“Upgrades are impossible. Everything from the RAM to the SSD is soldered to the tiny motherboard.” – Ars Technica
It’s too pricey
“[It’s] expensive to the point of being hard to recommend.” – Wired
You can’t charge your iPhone on it (yet)
“While USB Type-C ports will one day become industry standard, they’re still uncommon enough that you will need a dongle to plug in any of your peripherals that use a full-sized USB Type-A connector. In my case, that meant I couldn’t charge my phone off my laptop. I also couldn’t use the USB headset I normally wear while podcasting and making voice recordings. If I did want to use my USB gadgets, I would have had to plug in a $79 adapter — that’s right, it’s not even included in the box.” – Engadget
The keyboard could be a problem
“I did find that extended periods typing on the new MacBook keyboard tired my wrists a bit more than a traditional keyboard.” – Mashable
It’s almost too light
“The lightness sometimes makes the notebook hard to steady on your lap. It has a tendency to bounce around as you type, without any noticeable center of gravity. And because the computer is so small, I found it difficult to place on my knees without squeezing them together uncomfortably.” – Bloomberg
The webcam sucks
“The webcam is only 480p, and by MacBook Air or iMac standards it’s poor. Colors are muted and images are noisy. Webcams only have to be good enough for you to make out the face of the person talking to you, and it does that. Just don’t expect it to do anything else.” – Ars Technica
