The best worst MacBook

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The 12 inch retina MacBook has long been considered a failure, but today we're going to example what is arguably the best version of the worst MacBook. With nice examples now decreasing in value they can be quite affordable, but the question is: should you buy a 12 inch MacBook in 2022? To find out, I decided to buy the cheapest one I could find.
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Пікірлер: 753

  • @lukemiani
    @lukemiani2 жыл бұрын

    Would you pay $150 for a 12 inch MacBook? Since filming I've actually been enjoying it quite a bit, despite the slow performance! Rather surprised that the listing showed so many issues- in total they said it had no power, bad battery, bad speakers, and a trackpad that wouldn't click!

  • @Bc232klm

    @Bc232klm

    2 жыл бұрын

    No, that's $150 that could be spent towards a new MacBook Air.

  • @ZzzsamzzzG59

    @ZzzsamzzzG59

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hello, i bought a 2017 12" macbook back in 2019 for $250, it said it had multiple dead pixels, was going to do exactly what you were going to do, then i got it, they sent me the wrong laptop, different color, different serial number etc. also from the same seller as you. Seems they have a Q/C control issue.

  • @MrVman858

    @MrVman858

    2 жыл бұрын

    Would be funny if you complain to the seller and said false advertisement I wanted a non-functioning computer what is this crap and send them pictures and videos

  • @pussypussypussypussypussy

    @pussypussypussypussypussy

    2 жыл бұрын

    I would pay even more. That’s a great deal, even for nostalgia reasons, because I remember wanting this laptop SO BAD when it just came out. I still want it really, really bad because, performance and all other issues aside, it’s absolutely stunning visually, esp. the rose gold one. It’s one of my favorite Apple designs ever when it comes to just visual appeal and nothing else.

  • @mr.techie8565

    @mr.techie8565

    2 жыл бұрын

    $150? Oh yeah. But my name isn't Luke Miani so I can't get that good of a deal 🤣

  • @zayneytem
    @zayneytem2 жыл бұрын

    The laptop turning on unexpectedly is a common thing with me. I always bring my old laptop to the shop whenever there was an issue and when I do... EVERYTHING MAGICALLY WORKS!

  • @That.One_Luke

    @That.One_Luke

    2 жыл бұрын

    me💀

  • @fireball0093
    @fireball00932 жыл бұрын

    I've never owned one due to their numerous problems, but I've always had a soft spot for them because of that ambitious form factor and how appealing it is to me as a secondary laptop. Imagine one with an Apple Silicon chip inside, it might just work.

  • @TimonSchuetz

    @TimonSchuetz

    2 жыл бұрын

    This formfactor with the M1 would be beautiful

  • @potato_jesus23424

    @potato_jesus23424

    2 жыл бұрын

    I'd be sold on it. I'd be in line for one.

  • @lukemiani

    @lukemiani

    2 жыл бұрын

    I would kill for one of these with larger display + thinner bezels and an Apple Silicon chip!

  • @potato_jesus23424

    @potato_jesus23424

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@lukemiani dream laptop w/ the magic keyboard

  • @leopoldbuttersstotch6060

    @leopoldbuttersstotch6060

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@lukemiani can you delete the scam sex bots comment?

  • @eUploads
    @eUploads2 жыл бұрын

    Would love it if Apple brought this design back with an M1 and the new not-butterfly keyboard.

  • @Sonic6293

    @Sonic6293

    2 жыл бұрын

    And two USB C ports. It'd be killer at $1000

  • @user-e-idk

    @user-e-idk

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Sonic6293 well that is basically the MacBook Air

  • @emrefifty5281

    @emrefifty5281

    2 жыл бұрын

    M1 MacBook Air?

  • @sicfxmusic

    @sicfxmusic

    11 ай бұрын

    Shh.. shh... don't! If you really want something from Apple, just ask the opposite. 🤣🤣

  • @boltok1732

    @boltok1732

    2 ай бұрын

    @@user-e-idktheres no 12 inch macbook air

  • @jimscarlett
    @jimscarlett5 ай бұрын

    My wife carried a 2015 in her purse as a doctoral student and college professor. She LOVED it. It no longer holds a charge beyond running between plugs, but especially when the battery was good, it was perfect for her use case. It did get a logic board and audio board under warranty, and the keyboard replaced under the extended butterfly keyboard program. So it wasn't exactly reliable, but the form factor was PERFECT. And all she needed, really, was a web browser, full Office suite, and iCloud - and a real keyboard (she actually really liked the butterfly keyboard despite its issues), making her gravitate to the Retina MacBook for work, and leave her iPad Pro for grading electronically submitted assignments with the Pencil. She has a 13" M1 Air now, which is great, and obviously a more capable machine that's better in almost every way, but she feels like it's huge and heavy. It no longer fits in her purse and has to go in her school bag. This form factor with Apple Silicon and a magic keyboard would be AMAZING. She'd probably line up to buy one.

  • @chumbawumba1959
    @chumbawumba19592 жыл бұрын

    I had one of the 2015 models and loved it. Used it for infrequent travels to corp office (otherwise used 27in iMac). Light as a feather, fan-less, Retina display. Lots of "oohs" and "awes" when people would see it and touch it. Even used a USB-C to VGA adapter and drove projectors with it. For me, it was great. The ONLY thing I didnt like was the keyboard feel (altho never failed) and if I typed too quickly, it would miss characters or have false palm reads (even if disabled). For me, the "Macbook Nothing" was perfect executive travel Macbook.

  • @sagew7377

    @sagew7377

    2 жыл бұрын

    Likewise almost entirely. Got me through a winter of guest service emails at the resort I work at without issue! Still feels modern to me.

  • @DimitriTheSaint

    @DimitriTheSaint

    4 ай бұрын

    Same here, I loved it, now I use an M1 that feels super heavy in comparison to the 12"

  • @Melih_R_Calikoglu
    @Melih_R_Calikoglu2 жыл бұрын

    An incredible form factor. I have been using this for the last 6 years for work. Its retina screen is really great. Yes it is slow and yes the keyboard (butterfly) sucks. But as you said it was ahead of time. Didn't have the right components to carry out the job. And don't recommend buying it now in 2022. But hear me say: If Apple puts an M2 chip into this form factor (which I hope they will) it will be one hell of a portable computer.

  • @TheOmegaRiddler

    @TheOmegaRiddler

    2 жыл бұрын

    Even if they put an M1 chip in it, it would be a nice little budget Macbook while the Air and Pro get the M2

  • @Melih_R_Calikoglu

    @Melih_R_Calikoglu

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheOmegaRiddler Maybe such a device could also cannibalize the iPads. Don't know!

  • @pedroh4778

    @pedroh4778

    2 жыл бұрын

    Same here. Just turned mine of after 10h of usage, just like almost everyday. I like it.. but definitely going to upgrade when the next air comes out

  • @jangguttok7437

    @jangguttok7437

    2 жыл бұрын

    yeah.. I don't really understand the hate that this 12" get when 2020 intel Air is wayyyy worst. even 2020 intel 13" MacBook Pro is worst the the 12". both 2020 intel MacBook went way too hot I sold my 2015 12" to "upgrade" (or so I thought) to the 2020 intel Air. it was the worst decision ever.

  • @GavinDurbin1223

    @GavinDurbin1223

    2 жыл бұрын

    I am really hoping that when the M2 MacBook Air and pro come out they will put the M1 in this thing and sell it as the equivalent to the iPhone SE or iPad 9th gen. Something under the 1000 mark but still with good performance

  • @shahriarfahim6533
    @shahriarfahim65332 жыл бұрын

    Imagine how incredible it would have been to combine the efficiency of M1 with the form factor of the 12" MacBook.

  • @ard99x
    @ard99x2 жыл бұрын

    I've used the 2016 version for 6 years, I've recently upgraded to M1 Air. I'm not sure if the battery did not fail, I might have not made the purchase. 12 inch MacBook was more than enough for me for the first 5 years, it was light, cute, gold & efficient. Now my mom uses it as storage & a media consumption device. In my own personal opinion, it is still a good device.

  • @chrisatye
    @chrisatye2 жыл бұрын

    When I first considered moving to the Mac ecosystem, I looked at all the shiny MacBooks online but eventually decided to go to an Applestore to give them a go. This was such a disappointment; I loved the OS but this laptop… it was small, the keyboard was dreadful… not for me. It was another 2 years when the 2018 Mini came out before I eventually got one, because this was so bad. The only good thing is that it was the low point, Apple learned from it and it probably gave them the final push to Apple silicon. Which is brilliant.

  • @halpri
    @halpri2 жыл бұрын

    I used one of these for several years and LOVED it. I was a student, so mostly what I did was carry it around in a backpack. It was so light and small! When I used it, it was for typesetting math (using LaTex), or sending email, or looking something up on a web site, or watching a video. It was almost perfect for these activities, once you got used to the feeling of typing on concrete. At home, I had an external keyboard, so the typing was a lot better. I eventually upgraded to an M1 Air, also a fanless machine, once I stopped going to school every day, but I could never bring myself to sell the 12", and I still pull it out now and then to admire it. Just holding this work of art in my hands is a real pleasure. I hope Apple eventually does a ultralight MacBook again; I would certainly buy it.

  • @weljenks
    @weljenks2 жыл бұрын

    Love mine. I don’t do a lot of heavy lifting so it’s perfect for daily use and travel. The weight and screen clarity are on point. At this point I wouldn’t want a laptop over 2 pounds, definitely not over 2.5.

  • @aasimw.youtube

    @aasimw.youtube

    2 жыл бұрын

    Why not get an iPad then? Does pretty much everything that 12” MacBook can do and is way way way faster

  • @weezintrumpeteer

    @weezintrumpeteer

    2 жыл бұрын

    What year / specs do you have? I'm considering one for the same reasons.

  • @weljenks

    @weljenks

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@weezintrumpeteer 2017, 256gb. 1.2 Ghz, dual core intel m3. I prefer it to an iPad because of the keyboard and macOS.

  • @simonkimber1152

    @simonkimber1152

    2 жыл бұрын

    Love mine too…… great for travelling and so light… an iPad is a hassle for serious work

  • @DimitriTheSaint
    @DimitriTheSaint4 ай бұрын

    I have to disagree with a few things said here, I bought a macbook 12 back in 2017 and used it for 4 years intensively, then gave it to my wife and she still use it today, it is holding very well, and perfect for normal average user, safari, Word or Excel. It's not over heating as you said and the battery is still working good.

  • @johnmckay1961
    @johnmckay19612 жыл бұрын

    I adore the form-factor of this machine, I wish they would bring it back and put an M1 chip in it!

  • @evilvendingmachine
    @evilvendingmachine2 жыл бұрын

    If they only could release same design with M1 and usb 4 🤤

  • @mezhdutem
    @mezhdutem2 жыл бұрын

    I’ve got exactly this model and honestly it works fluently. I really like the butterfly keyboard. Nice option for a writer (like me)

  • @dimakonstanta1868

    @dimakonstanta1868

    2 жыл бұрын

    Помимо написания текстов какими ещё задачами нагружаешь?)

  • @ChrisAngeloPerez
    @ChrisAngeloPerez2 жыл бұрын

    I'm currently viewing this video, and working on my school paper on a MacBook early 2016, connected to an external monitor. It's not as zippy for sure but boy do I love how charming this thing is. I hope I get to use this for as long as I can.

  • @chrisnt1371
    @chrisnt13712 жыл бұрын

    I really love the design of this Macbook and hopefully they will bring it back with a powerful processor and a better keyboard. Awesome video, as always!

  • @tbs3050
    @tbs30502 жыл бұрын

    Had one of these as my first ever MacBook, hammered it for years and frankly loved it, did everything fairly well, so portable and light, enjoyed the keyboard and never failed me! I’d have another in a heartbeat

  • @joserascon9836
    @joserascon98362 жыл бұрын

    I bought the original 2015 version when it first came out, and I used it throughout my undergraduate studies and career. And although it has seen better days it still sits on my desk everyday along side my trashcan Mac Pro as I use it as secondary machine. All in all, it has held up and still continues to work like "The Little Engine That Could."

  • @shaunrockett2885
    @shaunrockett28852 жыл бұрын

    I have the 2017. Still love it and have no plans to replace it. 🤷🏻‍♂️

  • @jabezj8723
    @jabezj87232 жыл бұрын

    I still have mine, and still enjoy the look and feel as well as it's capability to be compact in size. It makes it easy to work with in an office or travel environment (only for work). It's never meant for high intensity stuff and its understandable. For me I have never faced any issues as mentioned and therefore was a great buy.

  • @Doompjez
    @Doompjez Жыл бұрын

    I have one for years now. It's surprisingly fast, super compact and the keyboard is amazing. I use it to watch movies, download and transfer files and apps, I use it for work (mostly writing) and webbrowsing. Never thought it was slow in any way. I absolutely love it!

  • @nadireitor2870

    @nadireitor2870

    Жыл бұрын

    Completly agree with you, mate. This is not a fair review… I mean, if you want a computer for editing 4K videos and play AAA videogames, go for a Mac Pro, but instead, if you want a really light computer to do daily basis things, I think this one is a great choice. I love mine and I would buy it again with no doubt.

  • @atomsofstardust
    @atomsofstardust2 жыл бұрын

    I actually have the worst version of this worst MacBook (ie 2015 version) and let me tell you: no, there isn’t any justifications to have this abomination of a computer. I swear, it can barely play YT videos, and any time I have to edit a bit of video or music I wanna end myself and anything I do, that’s how miserable that machine makes me feel, because of how awfully slow it is. I bought it in 2020 because money were limited and I wanted a mac to type texts basically, but wanted to have good screen, force touch trackpad, and 500GB of ssd, and at that time I didn’t have an option to buy MacBook Pro 2015 because it simply was like $200 more expensive. I regret that decision every day of my life. P.S. Oh, and the battery is dead now and replacement of it is actually pretty costly because it’s all glued to the chassis, so it’s hard to replace it by yourself. Garbage piece of a device, trust me.

  • @FLTech

    @FLTech

    2 жыл бұрын

    F

  • @ronlevin2339

    @ronlevin2339

    2 жыл бұрын

    installing windows will not help ? It might will be faster that MACOS ?

  • @LBSiUK

    @LBSiUK

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@ronlevin2339 aparrently installing Windows 8 (or a light build of 10/11) is pretty common with these machines

  • @chidorirasenganz

    @chidorirasenganz

    2 жыл бұрын

    Tbh I’d say you’re better off installing something like chromeOS especially with the release of Flex

  • @dan_zuck

    @dan_zuck

    2 жыл бұрын

    I have the same exact model of yours, but only with 256GB of storage, was running smoothly until i decided to hop on big sur a few years ago, then battery started degrading after that, installed Monterey on it last month got ride of a few bugs and issues. Can barely keep an hour of charge so i pretty much plug it in everyday. This thing overheats and drop frames so much nowadays.

  • @kriegs089
    @kriegs0892 жыл бұрын

    The only thing I really liked about my 2015 12" was the speakers. They were fantastic! Way louder than my 2020 M1 MBA

  • @Slurkz
    @Slurkz2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Luke! Great one. 💜 In 2015 when I was looking for a replacement for my 2008 MBP, I was excited when the first MacBook was introduced. Beautiful machine. But I’m glad I waited for the first benchmarks, because it turned out to be only 30% faster than that 7 year old machine. And this was peak performance…. I did not buy it.

  • @RayTheVideoGuy
    @RayTheVideoGuy2 жыл бұрын

    My wife and I both got one, and I still use it to this day. It was not very powerful, but it was GREAT for portability, and I would take it with me for plane rides, when my MBP was too big.

  • @BowmanBoy2015
    @BowmanBoy20152 жыл бұрын

    I bought one of these brand new for my wife after her college graduation 7 years ago. It has held up quite well for the minor specs it has. Now she isn’t doing anything other than making classroom lessons or working on masters assignments, but it has held its value and then some.

  • @internetplumber
    @internetplumber2 жыл бұрын

    I still have and use (I'm typing this on it) an Early 2016 MacBook (m7, 8GB, which may have been the equivalent of 'maxed out' for this). When I first got it, the thing that impressed me most was the battery life. My daily driver was still a 2010 MBP at that point, and being able to take notes for up towards 10 hours was astonishing, even if I was taking 10 hours of notes on a butterfly keyboard. The keyboard has survived pretty well, as has the battery. It runs Monterey (I’ve even had Win10 running via Bootcamp, y’know, for fun), and even if it isn’t the fastest thing around (though given the relative cost the Geekbench 5 results don’t compare that poorly to my late 2016 i7 MBP - 19% slower on single core, but 55% slower on multi-core), if all you’re using it for is a bit of email and writing, it does the job well and is very portable. For the past couple of years I’ve been thinking of using it as trade-in on a new, smaller, MBP for myself (I’ve got a 16” MBP for work), but I never seem to get around to it. Maybe on March 8th.

  • @nitrax8629
    @nitrax86292 жыл бұрын

    Got a 2016 12" MacBook personally, it has been an amazing machine for travel and light use, sadly even web browsing with more heavy sites is becoming unbearable though. Shame there really isn't a good replacement for it - the Air has always felt a bit awkward and bulky in comparison.

  • @tobiasosterberg
    @tobiasosterberg2 жыл бұрын

    I love my 2017 12 inch MacBook. Keyboard is actually great, and it’s quite fast. I disagree with almost everything in this video. It’s the best laptop I’ve ever had and I’ve gone through a lot of them. Priority for me is that it must be reliable, quiet, small and light. Today there are other options but 2017 this was the very best.

  • @intervations
    @intervations Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for an insightful video. I actually have the original 2015 model and use it as my primary device. I have (touch-wood) NEVER had any issues with it, other than because of its age, the battery needs replacing, which is quite normal. I use my 2015 model (which seems to have rubbed you the wrong way) for coding, illustrating, Final Cut Pro editing and much more and it never skips a beat.

  • @GG-lq5yb
    @GG-lq5yb2 жыл бұрын

    I’ve still got one of these and love it still. Not had any problems (apart from changing battery). I’m no video editor or anything but for browsing, watching movies and making documents it’s still a good computer.

  • @RealWorldReview
    @RealWorldReview2 жыл бұрын

    The MacBook is known for the failing/random battery, so the reaction at 3:30 makes sense, but so does the fact that it works

  • @vaclavstoupa1911

    @vaclavstoupa1911

    2 жыл бұрын

    MacOS tells me already for 2 years that I should visit the servis with battery, but it works solid 4hrs or more on battery. It has almost 800 cycles.

  • @DrewPera
    @DrewPera2 жыл бұрын

    We got one of these for my daughter years ago. It's still running like a champ and works perfect for her. She only does school work and media consumption on it so she doesn't need much. Only issue is battery life isn't great on these compared to newer models.

  • @MrCed122
    @MrCed1222 жыл бұрын

    I remember when the 2015 model was released and some people were saying that it didn't matter that it was underpowered, OS X optimisation would make it as fast a any other modern Macs, unlike the bloatware that was Windows. Then the first reviews came out and, surprise, Windows 10 ran better on it than OS X, because El Capitan was an unstable POS at release on the new MacBooks and because Windows 10 was really lightweight at the time (oh, how that changed since then!).

  • @inmyslumber
    @inmyslumber2 жыл бұрын

    I really wish the 12” would be revived. I feel like it would excelled with an Apple silicone chip + the scissor mechanism keyboard. I love the design of it.

  • @chriscasillas
    @chriscasillas2 жыл бұрын

    Watching this video on my base model 2017 12-inch MacBook! The computer has been great for me for the last 4+ years. I mainly use it docked at my desk with external peripherals. The most intense work I do on it is graphics with Photoshop and very light video editing and creation. This is a great machine for most people.

  • @SurajKumar-dz6jn
    @SurajKumar-dz6jn2 жыл бұрын

    I had one of these and due to some financial issues i had to sell it but I really adored it and for my personal use it was perfect! I will always desire one too! ♥️

  • @oscarcharliezulu
    @oscarcharliezulu2 жыл бұрын

    We’ve got one of these and I find it surprisingly awesome. You could say it’s slow, but it’s faster than the fastest laptop from 5 years ago and if you’re using office, web browser and even a bit of dev work, it’s more than fine. It’s tiny but so usable. I love it.

  • @JasonChamberlain
    @JasonChamberlain2 жыл бұрын

    i bought the 2015 version a year after it came out, i just fell in love with what they did with the design. In the end it overheated constantly and couldn’t even handle my zoom meetings. Never doing that again

  • @yyouthcanoee
    @yyouthcanoee2 жыл бұрын

    I still use my 2017 12 inch MacBook every day. Luke keeps making videos on why he hates this thing lol

  • @vipertt100
    @vipertt1002 жыл бұрын

    Am fairly new to macs. Have been going through your videos. Very informative great channel.

  • @KonichiwaMoshi
    @KonichiwaMoshi2 жыл бұрын

    When you threw the MacBook in the air at 8:29 I got a mini heart attack :O

  • @JuanHunnidBandz
    @JuanHunnidBandz2 жыл бұрын

    I literally been waiting on you to make this video cuz i've been considering getting this macbook to take to work with me to do light things. Shoutout to you!

  • @matejaem

    @matejaem

    2 жыл бұрын

    Get the Early 2020 Air. Same design, thin and light but slightly bigger, much better 10th gen Intel processors and a much reliable Magic Keyboard. They currently go for about $600 in good condition

  • @gregedwards69
    @gregedwards692 жыл бұрын

    It’s worth mentioning that the 2016 and 2017 models are also compatible with Monterey. I picked up a 2016 model recently in very good condition for this reason. No scratches or marks and only around 65 charge cycles on the battery (I avoided ones with high battery cycles or service battery issues as replacing the battery is just added cost and too much faff). I bought it as a second Mac, as an ultra portable alternative to my 15” 2015 mbp and 11” 2018 iPad Pro. So far I’m quite pleased with it. Sure it’s not a high powered machine, but as a casual sofa surfing laptop it’s great. I considered a similar period MacBook Air, but once you’ve gone retina, it’s hard to go back, and the form factor is delightful. It works great as a second screen via Luna Display with my main computer (slightly but noticeably larger screen res than the iPad Pro) and is ideal for chucking in a bag or suitcase for tasks that the iPad just can’t do - such as HX Edit for my Line 6 Helix. I love the fact it’s fanless which not only makes it silent, but also means it has a standby battery life similar to the iPad. Oh, and because it’s retina, I can force it to run higher resolutions than a few years ago would have required a much bigger screen. All in all, I’m quite enjoying using it. It even seems to run Lightroom (not classic) adequately for my needs. Could be a useful alternative to the iPad for this task.

  • @EpicBr0
    @EpicBr02 жыл бұрын

    Man i really hope this new 2022 macbook is just called the macbook. Then theres a $999 macbook air, a new $1199 macbook, and then the high end $1999 macbook pros

  • @CraigGorsuch
    @CraigGorsuch2 жыл бұрын

    Owned a 2015 Retina 12” MacBook since the beginning as my main driver. Haven’t had any issues I couldn’t deal with

  • @PossibleJothamChin
    @PossibleJothamChin2 жыл бұрын

    I think that the 12” macbook is one of the best… I wish apple would bring the m1 or m1 pro to it… I don’t mind it being a little thicker for MagSafe and another usb c port

  • @morganwin350
    @morganwin3502 жыл бұрын

    This review was very similar to my thoughts on the 2012 Air I just bought. It could be beat by a new base iPad yet it’s form factor as a computer and $100 price tag still make it a solid option as something I can always have with me but if it breaks or some one steals it I wouldn’t be upset.

  • @koendecrock
    @koendecrock2 жыл бұрын

    I have one of these, exactly the same specs, year and color, and have loved it ever since I bought it secondhand in 2019. I travel a lot, prefer a Macbook to an Ipad and use this mainly for some light work (email, writing docs, light Excel work) and watching movies or listening to music in the airport and on the plane. For that it is just perfect: it weighs nothing, has a good display, 256 GB of fast storage, has a tactile keyboard (which is very important to me) and is super portable. I understand all the issues with and complaints about this laptop, but for me it is not the best worst macbook; it is the best macbook for a very limited use case. I would never use it as my primary computer, but I always take this on short trips instead of my new Macbook Pro, and love it for what it is.!

  • @GavinDurbin1223
    @GavinDurbin12232 жыл бұрын

    I was thinking about getting one as a travel computer. I recently upgraded my 2012 unibody MacBook Pro with a M1 Mac mini and I am loving it so far. The issue is that I want something newer that is portable. Because yeah my 12.9 inch iPad Pro is good for traveling sometimes I do need a actual computer to work from. But yeah great video Luke!

  • @SciFlyGal
    @SciFlyGal2 жыл бұрын

    A fun video idea may be to compare this MacBooks performance to that 2007 black MacBook you did a video about before. I have a 2008 model black MacBook, and with Ubuntu running and an ssd it’s fully useable even today.

  • @EDLuke246
    @EDLuke2462 жыл бұрын

    Loved the 11" MacBook Air, and loved this 12" MacBook too - I have the 2017 model. Still dreaming of an M1 or M2 12" MacBook, but don't think it'll ever happen sadly. It laid the groundwork for the new gen fan-less MacBooks!

  • @mattywampa
    @mattywampa2 жыл бұрын

    I've had one of these for several years as a second / light duty computer. That form factor is wonderful, it's basically the size of a ipad, but has a real keyboard and mac OS. I agree with everything pointed out in the video though, it's way too slow for anything beyond the most basic computing tasks in 2022, but everything else about it is still really great. Honestly, if they just updated it with an M1 processor and zero other changes, I'd highly consider buying one.

  • @thisisadebrown
    @thisisadebrown Жыл бұрын

    I bought one, it’s the most useful little MacBook I’ve ever owned, the problem is the chips, the SSD card and the motherboard are prone to fatal crashing And self-destruction at a moments notice

  • @creekfreak1997
    @creekfreak19972 жыл бұрын

    Bought an Apple-refurbished 2017 model for college classes, with a desktop Mac mini setup in my dorm. Fortunately mine never had any issues, was a dream to carry around, battery lasted a day away from home, and if I just uploaded everything I needed to iCloud, I was set. I knew I wouldn't need more than 1 USB C port either...this computer is perfect for SOME use cases, I'd be interested to see what Apple could do with this form factor now or in the coming years.

  • @phillipjames453
    @phillipjames453 Жыл бұрын

    I've got all 4 colors. The silver one is a 2015 model with a new battery and new keyboard replacement. The other 3 colors are 2017 models with no battery or keyboard issues. They are not my primary laptops but they are useful when traveling or on vacation.

  • @positivanollan6353
    @positivanollan63532 жыл бұрын

    I bought the 12-inch Macbook to my wife in 2015 and she still uses it as her only computer, 7 years later, and is very happy with it 😃

  • @OhMyPoBoy
    @OhMyPoBoy2 жыл бұрын

    Before getting my M1 air, i had an 11 inch i5 macbook air and i loved how small and light it was. If they made a tiny one with an M chip im interested

  • @Corelila
    @Corelila Жыл бұрын

    I use this laptop for traveling (I don’t travel a whole lot) if a client needs something I grab it off my big computer at home from the cloud. The other thing I use it for is writing. You never notice slowness if you’re literally just writing a book with it. Now I got mine used and there were several sticky keys from the start, so I tore the thing apart, cleaned the keys and boom. Perfect. The butterfly keyboard DOES take some getting used to, feels like my fingers are just slapping on the keys all the time but I can live with it.

  • @zednik8956
    @zednik89562 жыл бұрын

    I still use one of these every day for general tasks, I use it as an ipad that can actually get stuff done. I have a main desktop which is a gaming pc with a 5800x, 32gb ram and a rtx 3080 so if i ever need grunt for anything then I have that. The 12" macbook serves a place for people like me who want something super light and portable but dont need a whole bunch of power. Its worth noting that I've not once felt that the machine held me back in the use cases that I have for it as I know that it isn't powerful so i dont do anything thats super demanding on it. The most demanding thing being xCode development when out and about. I am however looking to upgrade to a new macbook air hopefully after they redesign it

  • @nuggo3068
    @nuggo30682 жыл бұрын

    That moment when the robotic vacuum cleaner has more CPU cores than your laptop...

  • @cutieflysclay5496
    @cutieflysclay54962 жыл бұрын

    I have one of these, and I like it. It's also 2015 version...

  • @SoundHoundStudios999
    @SoundHoundStudios9992 жыл бұрын

    @Luke Miani Does the 12 inch MacBook you reviewed preform better or worse than a 2017 base MacBookAir?

  • @StrikerJewell
    @StrikerJewell2 жыл бұрын

    Wow early hi Luke! Love how your format has evolved over time!

  • @rickypelletier363
    @rickypelletier3632 жыл бұрын

    Luke has done a couple of videos on this Macbook. I have read a lot of comments saying they really enjoyed the experience. I did the same as Luke and purchased 2 different ones for around 300 dollars. The beat up one had the "ultimate" 2017 i7 1.4 16gb 512ssd logic board. The other had a dead logic board. I did purchase a grade A used battery with 23 cycles which was 29$. This was a nice little project but I wouldn't recommend this for everyone not familiar with taking apple laptops apart. I would like to see Luke pick up the fully maxed out 2017 because the performance is pretty decent. I have also done a thermal pad mod I found on mac forums if anyone is interested, just google macbook 12" thermal pad mod.

  • @davidbourne6478
    @davidbourne64782 жыл бұрын

    I love the design and hope this type comes back with an M1 too. I did own one of these as my first MAC (which was later stolen). I thought the keyboard was fine, actually.

  • @RichsRandomRetroReviews
    @RichsRandomRetroReviews2 жыл бұрын

    I think you're missing the point with this model laptop - and I had the original 2015 one from new and LOVED IT. It is still, to this date, my FAVORITE Apple laptop I've ever had. Because it's passively cooled with no fan, it's of course limited to what it can do, but it's a MacBook...Not a MacBook Pro - therefore it isn't designed to run Cinebench and have high numbers or it's not a Final Cut Pro machine. It's designed to be an ultraportable machine with an amazing screen web browsing, word processing, music player and other 'light' stuff. I used to run the odd VM of Windows 98 or DOSBOX, play emulators for SNES or MegaDrive, surf the web, listen to music on mine and even though it was a 2015 1.1GHz Core M - it did what I wanted it to do. I accepted the compromise that it had one USB port, but I used AirDrop or the USB-C to HDMI + USB-A connector on, or the four port USB hub. The prices you can pick these up for now is crazy if all you want is small and light laptop with adequate performance for a bit of online shopping or social media consumption then get one of these rather than the MacBook Air. Your eyes will thank you for it. Don't be put off getting one purely on the results of a benchmark. Strangely mine never got that hot - it would get Luke warm (see what I did there ;) )

  • @falklevien
    @falklevien2 жыл бұрын

    I got a 2015 version some time in 2017 for about 400€. Decent deal back then. I had a cheese grater Mac Pro as my primary machine then, so it made sense to get something from the exact opposite end of the spectrum. Also, it was fanless and I could use it without making a sound when my wife was asleep. And you know what? Nothing ever failed on the thing (knock on wood) Nowadays, my workflow has changed completely and I’m almost 100% mobile. The Mac Pro is gone, to the detriment of my energy supplier, and I’m still using the 2015 Macbook for those few tasks that can only be done on a desktop system. Funny how things go sometimes.

  • @richarddcrossley
    @richarddcrossley2 жыл бұрын

    One thing that is amazing with the 12 inch MacBook (and was great with the MacBook Air 11) is if you have a work laptop you can carry them in tablet pocket of bags, and keep work and personal laptops separate without extra bulk.

  • @Pululupulu
    @Pululupulu2 жыл бұрын

    I bought a 2016 version new and never regretted. It’s a great companion to my heavy 15 inch MBP as well as the 16 M1 Max I have right now. To me it is a real computer in a form factor of an iPad (Even smaller than my iPad Pro 12.9)

  • @jamesbubnick
    @jamesbubnick2 жыл бұрын

    I learned my lesson on the 2015 the hard way. Bought it used and was in excellent shape, zero scratches. Like new…the motherboard died 3 months later

  • @lukespivey6236
    @lukespivey62362 жыл бұрын

    Take that macbook, give it a scissor switch keyboard, put an m1 chip in it, maybe give it another usb c port, and this device has some potential.

  • @tonyconpint1342
    @tonyconpint13422 жыл бұрын

    I have always loved the 12 inch MacBook, but never owned one (yet). Good video especially on the differences between the later revisions. I thought they all had motherboard problems.

  • @DeRock401
    @DeRock4012 жыл бұрын

    Just recently found your channel when I bought my m1 Mac mini. Gotta say , your channel is addicting man lol. Also a bad influence cuz now I am getting apple crazy.

  • @musakphil0305
    @musakphil03052 жыл бұрын

    I found one destined for the recycling bin. It works great so far. Can't argue with free.

  • @imgranth
    @imgranth2 жыл бұрын

    I daily this thing and it’s AMAZING i won’t be upgrading for a while

  • @weezintrumpeteer
    @weezintrumpeteer2 жыл бұрын

    Great video Luke. I've always been interested in these as a couch computer to use alongside my main desktop. I am currently using an i7 2012 Macbook Air for that purpose (which I adore) and it mostly does fine. Occasionally bogs down, fans come on, but it handles youtube videos, browsing reddit, and doing email just fine. The size and weight of the 12" is appealing to me, as is the Retina display. A couple questions: Would this 2017 12" Macbook be more performant than my i7 2012 Air for those tasks? Would I be able to use it for a few years for youtube/reddit/email/etc? Would buying a version with upgraded processor/ram make a noticeable difference? I know that cost goes up in that case. Bottom line, I've always liked the form factor of these and have always wanted one. Wondering if a 2017 can replace my '12 Air as a daily couch computer. Cheers! PS: Stick an M1 in one of these with the modern keyboard and I will buy it instantly.

  • @vaclavstoupa1911

    @vaclavstoupa1911

    2 жыл бұрын

    I used it since 2017 and I love it on my couch. It's perfect except hot summer when it gets thermal throthling. Web/email/youtube/imovie/spotify everything perfect. I have i3/256/8GB if I'd had more money I'd probably buy i5/512/16GB making it future proof or wait for new Macbook Air M2 :-) That's all I can say.

  • @mustafabahsheemy
    @mustafabahsheemy Жыл бұрын

    If you still have it, can you show us a real-world performance test, because the low performance for you might be a great upgrade for others 😁, and thanks for your efforts

  • @GANONINC
    @GANONINC2 жыл бұрын

    I have a 2015 one and I modded it to improve the passive cooling of the CPU using some thin copper plates and thermal pads. It's not good for the battery, but it made the MacBook faster and should preserve the CPU and SSD. I think it's one of the best MacBook I ever used. And, if I really need power, I can use "Screen Sharing" to control remotely my iMac when I'm away, so it's also a very good professional VNC client.

  • @dan_zuck

    @dan_zuck

    2 жыл бұрын

    Can u elaborate more on this? would love to mod mine in order to get a few years off it.

  • @GANONINC

    @GANONINC

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@dan_zuck I've just posted on MacRumors Forums some photos of how I did it. You should find this post in the "MacBook" subforum.

  • @dan_zuck

    @dan_zuck

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@GANONINC Much appreciated!

  • @mattfrickendalen
    @mattfrickendalen2 жыл бұрын

    I love the size of the 12” macbook. The size of the laptop and the quality of the screen make it still feel “NextGen” even though I purchased mine in 2015! The big trend at the time was “Cloud Computing” I had figured the pitiful power would be a non-issue soon because Apple must have been working on some sort of remote “access to performance” cloud computing service. For an additional subscription fee I could use my impossibly small device to accomplish real tasks. This is still a possible use case at home with your own devices, but the simple apple ecosystem integration I imagined would happen never occurred (for many logistical reasons I am sure). I have replaced the keyboard through the free program, I still use it as my daily driver to this day. When I pull it out, people who don’t know the 12” often go “WOAH! Is that new?” It is a beautiful little machine that I would eagerly buy again if Apple released a refresh with a properly powerful/efficient SOC and the new-old keyboard.

  • @earlmcmanus194
    @earlmcmanus1942 жыл бұрын

    I bought one for school('17 base), I loved its 2nd-gen butterfly keyboard but invariably had battery and thermal throttling issues. I bought a new battery for it but that battery assembly is gathering dust in my closet now that I've got the 14" MBP. Steve would have loved the form factor, I really hope they bring it back, I don't see myself needing another Mac for some time but if this chassis came back with Apple silicon I'd buy it in a second.

  • @aaronlane8276

    @aaronlane8276

    2 жыл бұрын

    I bet Steve would have loved the fact that it was fan-less too because he originally wanted the MacBook Air to be fan-less.

  • @ins1ghtz
    @ins1ghtz Жыл бұрын

    Got my wife’s one at the beginning of the year and it’s running Ventura really well. The form factor is amazing and it’s currently with me on my travels. If you’re not a power user and not video rendering etc it’s amazing although it surprisingly does anything I throw at it. I even use it sometimes as a VM for windows 10 and Linux and it does it no problems.

  • @Barbarianjosh
    @Barbarianjosh2 жыл бұрын

    What do you use to clean the MacBooks?

  • @thebusinessfirm9862
    @thebusinessfirm98622 жыл бұрын

    I had a 2015 one of these. It was the most beautiful computer I’ve ever seen. I didn’t mind the fact it wasn’t powerful, but ended up selling it because I was scared the butterfly keyboard would fail on me. What a bloody pity.

  • @masonkeiper9587
    @masonkeiper95872 жыл бұрын

    I had a 2015 inch, bought it for around $900 it was great for what I used it for, just casual stuff but then it got dropped and messed up the screen, still worked, considered keeping it for a little bit as just a random device to have, glad I sold it tho, got $400 out of it😬

  • @jimmyzhang6456
    @jimmyzhang64562 жыл бұрын

    Still using my 2015 MacBook from time to time for class. Definitely not a snappy one but still able to do most of my basic school work with 0 problem. The form factor is really something irreplaceable. That being said I’m definitely looking forward to that upcoming new MacBook Air refresh.

  • @VidTechwRick
    @VidTechwRick2 жыл бұрын

    Great video Luke! I bought that exact model new in 2017 for travel and it accidentally became my daily driver for 3 1/2 years 🥹. I loved it! Mostly in clam shell mode. I could very comfortably edit 4k iPhone footage, and traveling was awesome 😎 I sold it for $300 and got an M1, but I loved our time together. 🤗

  • @gideonMorrison

    @gideonMorrison

    2 жыл бұрын

    No issues with the keyboard??

  • @VidTechwRick

    @VidTechwRick

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@gideonMorrison Several issues with the keyboard! LOL! Mussy keys and some keys got stuck. I had Apple care, so got it fixed and sold it. But, as I said...I had this in clam shell mode hooked up to a monitor and using an external keyboard 98% of the time.

  • @gideonMorrison

    @gideonMorrison

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@VidTechwRick right ok. But the 2017 model version or an earlier one?

  • @VidTechwRick

    @VidTechwRick

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@gideonMorrison I had the 2017 version, but from 2015 to when they discontinued it they were all the same body and keyboard. I loved mine, so if you are thinking of buying one, do it. Just know that the keyboard is a known issue that might give you problems. I'd wait for the m2 MacBook Air next month if I were you now that I think of it.

  • @howiewilliams7378
    @howiewilliams73782 жыл бұрын

    bought the 2017 macbook 12" because of its size and weight and to learn Mac OS. I am not disappointed. I have 15% lung function and am a VP at a large medical foundation working mostly at home and carrying a heavier laptop is problematic. So far this has done everything I have thrown at it including making explainer videos, light video and sound editing. Battery life has been acceptable and it is updated to the latest OS. It does exactly what I need it for and does it well. I can take it with me to appointments easily and keep up with my workflow. I has been a great machine! My primary machine is a windows desktop.

  • @game.different
    @game.different2 жыл бұрын

    I wonder if the M1 MBA thermal mod would be applicable to one of these devices. And if it is, how much it would help..

  • @gregedwards69

    @gregedwards69

    2 жыл бұрын

    I had too google it but I can't see why it wouldn't work. These 12" MacBooks are known for throttling to keep the temperature down to a safe limit. You do run the risk of the bottom casing getting rather hot though, to the point of potentially hurting yourself if you're not careful. The alternative would be to use a laptop riser with a built-in fan, or even both. That said, would you really want to use one of these machines for the sort of tasks that forces them to throttle. A similar age or even older MBP would be better for these tasks.

  • @game.different

    @game.different

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@gregedwards69 You're right of course as far as usability. But it would still be interesting to see how much you could improve the experience on one of these devices. I did look at some teardowns, and it seems quite a bit more disassembly is required than for the MB Air.

  • @gregedwards69

    @gregedwards69

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@game.different absolutely it would be interesting to see. Perhaps Luke could take up the challenge so we don’t have to.

  • @1dsrocks
    @1dsrocks2 жыл бұрын

    I'm watching this from my maxed out 2015 12" Macbook. *chuckles*

  • @seemoremacstuff
    @seemoremacstuff2 жыл бұрын

    I used the i5 2017 MacBook for a while and it was good for light html work. Funny enough I mostly used it in BootCamp running Windows 10. I upgraded to the 8 core GPU M1 MacBook Air and while I admit I miss the slightly smaller size of the MacBook the performance increase absolutely destroys the old MacBook. If Apple were to resurrect the design with an apple silicon CPU and get rid of the butterfly keyboard I'd definitely consider it.

  • @tschl_8
    @tschl_87 ай бұрын

    I currently own the 14 inch MacBook Pro of 2017, Ventura 13.6 in silver, 256GB and 8 RAM. I got it for 380 euros. It has slight battery issues so I'm definitely thinking of replacing the battery because it drains fast and the laptop overheats, and also eventually upgrade the SSD card for better performance as I am thinking of using it as my primary laptop for the moment due to my budget efficiency, mostly for emails and other work performance, KZread and hopefully a bit of gaming. Other than that it has great display and does it's job as long as I don't overwork it which honestly is a bit exhausting at times... However do you think it is a good deal?

  • @JoaoGuilhermePan
    @JoaoGuilhermePan2 жыл бұрын

    My wife used to have this and she actually liked it. The problem began when COVID hit and she would do a lot of Zoom and Teams calls and the apps would just crash because of high temperature... so we just traded it in for an iphone 12 pro and she's supper happy lol

  • @txa1265
    @txa12652 жыл бұрын

    I bought that model and loved it in so many ways … but also had to get rid of it because it failed to meet my needs in a couple of key areas: games and music (studio), two big hobbies for me. It was useless trying to load VST synths, and playing pretty much any game was a waste of time. Fortunately I got good money selling it to buy a 2018 15” MBP … and now the M1 MBAir is just incredible, not as small but really delivers that portable powerhouse

  • @ComeJesusChrist
    @ComeJesusChrist11 ай бұрын

    I’ve got a 2015 mid-spec one of these and it’s a nice portable computer. You have a full OS, keyboard, a great screen and provided that the battery is not faulty, great battery capacity. I use a dongle, but I only need it when I use a USB drive or an external monitor. I preferred my 11” MacBook Air, but that is getting frustrating to use due to Apple’s iCloud Keychain nonsense. The keyboard and the bezel are better on the MBA. I now mainly use my 2009 iMac that is going strong, so an ultra portable MB is complementing what I have. When you need a truly portable computer or need a second computer, these small Apple portables are truly amazing. Ideally, I’d go back to the days of Snow Leopard and second-third generation MBAs, (also running XP) and wonder what digital cloud-prison nonsense the future will hold.

  • @imyusuf1586
    @imyusuf15862 жыл бұрын

    I love this chanel and this man

  • @WhittyPics
    @WhittyPics2 жыл бұрын

    It may be alright for basic tasks like checking emails and browsing the web.

  • @ekennedy6645
    @ekennedy66452 жыл бұрын

    Very lucky find!!!! Just curious as to which parameters you used in an eBay search (I assume?) when you searched for this MacBook? Thanks! Can't wait to see your video on the Apple Event of 3/8!

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