MacBook (2017) Review | TechRanger.net

For me, the 12-inch MacBook has always been an oddity in the Mac line. It doesn't offer better performance than the MacBook Pros or MacBook Air, it has issues with ports or lack thereof. It's lightweight, but is it so lightweight that it makes a noticeable difference for most people? The MacBook has always had its advantages, but it has also had its fair share of disadvantages. Only in its third iteration in

2017

, let's see where Apple takes the MacBook. On the outside, absolutely nothing has changed in the three generations. Apple has always been very good with build quality. And this is true with the

2017

MacBook.

One of the best builds in its category. All aluminum construction, very solid, barely flexible for something so incredibly thin. The Razer Blade Stealth probably comes closest in build quality. The Asus ZenBook 3, which is visually almost identical to the MacBook in this ultraportable category, its build quality simply isn't up to par. The Huawei MateBook X is probably something that is on par in build quality with the MacBook. But I haven't had a chance to try one myself, so I can't say. As for dimensions, the MacBook measures 28 centimeters wide, 19.7 centimeters high and just 1.31 centimeters thick, even at its thickest point; this thing is incredibly thin.

The thinness also translates to the weight of the MacBook: less than a kilogram, 0.92 kilograms to be exact, or about 2 pounds. So, physical characteristics. We have a 12-inch retina display, above which there is a 480º FaceTime camera. We finally get an upgrade to the second generation 'butterfly' keyboard. We have, of course, the multi-touch trackpad and of course the speaker grille that runs along the top of the keyboard. On the left side we have a solitary USB C port. On the right we have a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack as well as 2 holes for microphones. Moving on to the MacBook specifications.

We have new 7th generation Intel Core m processors. In the base model we find an Intel Core m3 processor, and this is upgradeable to core i5 and i7 processors. Now this is important: the updated processors are actually the same low-power Y-series processors as the Core m-series. Why is it labeled Core i? I'm not sure. But all this really does is confuse the consumer. So for all intents and purposes you can treat the line as Core m3, m5 and m7 processors. So despite the nomenclature, you won't get the same performance you'd find on MacBook Pros. So when it comes to memory, we have the same 8 gigabytes as last year, but now you have the option to upgrade it to 16 gigabytes.

Because? This laptop is not for intensive tasks with its Core m processors. Not to mention that. It is fanless, so its thermal components should not be subject to long periods of high operating temperatures. So I'm wondering why that 16 gigabyte RAM upgrade is available in the first place. But also, why would anyone need it? But it does open up some freedom of customization. As for the graphics, there is nothing to highlight. The 2017 MacBook comes with integrated Intel HD 615 graphics. There is almost no point in mentioning this: the integrated graphics are identical across the entire MacBook line and cannot be upgraded.

PCIe drives have seen a speed increase. Again, this isn't huge but it's definitely noticeable. It is available in 256 gigabytes and can be upgraded to 512. Therefore, hardware upgrades are incremental over last year's model. But to me they seem almost useless. Because they are very small and especially when you consider how it is designed to be used in the first place. The only notable change in specifications is that the new CPUs can increase their clock speeds much faster than the previous year's model. So if you suddenly throw some intensive tasks at it... again, intensive, relatively speaking... you'll notice that the 2017 MacBook will handle them a little better.

So for day-to-day things like browsing, watching videos, editing texts, you shouldn't have any problems. More intensive tasks like Photoshop and video editing – it can handle these, but don't expect things to be too snappy. And if you want to edit videos and play games in 4K... yeah, don't bother. Of course, it can handle basic games like Minecraft, but again, don't forget that it doesn't have a fan and doing a lot of intensive tasks won't do any good in the long run. Going to the screen. Same as last year: we have a 12-inch retina display with a resolution of 2304 by 1440.

Beautiful, sharp and vivid colors. For this category of laptops, this is one of the best screens on the market. If you opt for a laptop like this, the screen is more than enough. It's not the brightest screen ever, and in sunlight you'll have a hard time seeing it. If you're looking for color accuracy and brightness, go for the MacBook pro 13 or 15. The speakers are excellent for something so thin and light. Pleasant and powerful sound, of good quality. I would say they are probably the best on the market in this category, but I can't be sure. Because I've heard a lot of good things about the Huawei MateBook X's speakers.

But I haven't actually heard any in person, so I can't be sure. So let's go down to the keyboard and mouse. Finally, Apple has included the second generation 'butterfly' keyboard in this. This was really necessary. Because I think the first generation keyboard was absolutely terrible. Again, some people say they got used to the first generation "butterfly" keyboard. But now the second-generation 'butterfly' keyboard gives the MacBook a much more responsive tactile response, making typing on it really enjoyable. You'll have to get used to it. But once you do, it's a good keyboard. Again, it's not better than a regular keyboard, but it's not worse either.

The trackpad is a forced touch trackpad. It is large enough to be comfortable to use. And it's the size it is because it's literally the biggest Apple that could fit in it. Unlike the stupidly large 15-inch MacBook Pro. Again, as with all Apple trackpads, it's a very pleasant and precise experience. But there are no changes from previous versions of MacBook. Finally, we look at I/O and battery life. Like all versions of the MacBook, the 2017 MacBook still comes with a single USB C port and a 3.5. Millimeter headphone connector. And honestly, for the average person considering the MacBook, above all performance and other considerations, this should be one of the factors you should think about very carefully before purchasing the MacBook.

You'll need an adapter that gives you a USB C port for charging while you have other things connected. Otherwise, some multitasking simply cannot be done. Or at least you can do it, but in a very tedious way. In my opinion, I would rather sacrifice a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack for another USB C port. I mean they did the same thing with the iPhone except with the Lightning connector. The lack of ports is not a decisive factor. But it's something you'll have to think about very seriously. Aside from the problem with the single USB C port, USB C accessories are either expensive or few and far between.

But in a few years the market will catch up. As for battery life, for general use like browsing or watching videos at medium brightness, you can expect 7 to 10 hours of battery life. Turn up the brightness and you'll start to lose some battery life. At higher brightness, the battery life is 4 to 6 hours. If you use it for something really light with medium-low brightness, like Word and Notes, I get 10 to 14 hours of battery life. Price-wise, the MacBook starts at £1,249, but with upgrades it can go up to £1,864. So should you consider buying the 2017 MacBook? With MacBooks, you really have to look at what you need from a laptop.

If you're considering the MacBook, there's a good chance you're a student. My personal opinion is: at this price, the MacBook Pro 13 with or without the Touch Bar is an all-around better laptop (it has 2 or 4 USB C ports), so that solves the port issue. Better speakers, better performance, so you'll have more flexibility in what you can do and be future-proofed for years to come. Similar battery life, but has a larger screen. In my opinion, 12 inches is too small for meaningful use. 13 inches is a good starting point if you want to multitask. And this is essential for a student.

Now, for those students who are concerned about portability, I know that the 13-inch MacBook Pro weighs half a kilo or 30% more than the MacBook. But remember, you will most likely be carrying the laptop in a backpack or similar, and you won't even notice that extra kilo. So if you're a student, I'd recommend the MacBook Pro 13 and the wide range of great Windows laptops out there. And the same would apply to the normal user: it just doesn't make sense. For high performance users, stay away. It doesn't have the performance to perform intensive tasks, the screen is too small and there is hardly any connectivity.

So this begs the question: who is it for? If you need a laptop that's as portable as you can get and you're willing to sacrifice screen real estate, connectivity, flexibility of use, and performance for that... definitely take a look at the MacBook. But also look at what's in the Windows world. The Asus ZenBook 3, Razer Blade Stealth, and Huawei MateBook X come with many of the positives of the MacBook but with fewer connectivity and performance drawbacks. So definitely check them out. But as a general rule, Windows usually matches Macs when it comes to battery life, but some can.

And that's our

review

of the 2017 MacBook. It really is a very niche laptop, but it's still one of the best in the ultraportable category. Great battery life, great screen, although it's a little small for most people. Finally a good keyboard and one of the best speakers in its class. Thanks for watching our 2017 MacBook

review

. Remember to like this video if you liked it and subscribe to learn more about the latest technologies.