As Apple bids farewell to the MacBook for a
second time, we take a closer look at its history,
explore whether there’s a gap in the market for a
12-inch model, and get hands-on with the new
MacBook Pro and MacBook Air notebooks which
serve as the MacBook’s successors...
MACBOOK: APPLE KILLS
ITS LIGHTEST NOTEBOOK
In an effort to clean up the Mac family and add
some distinction to each product line, Apple
announced plans to kill off the iconic 12-inch
MacBook notebook it revived back in 2015.
Apple’s lightest ever notebook lasted just four
years under three generations, prompting many
to question Apple’s new approach to hardware -
and mourn what was one of the company’s most
innovative laptops. Considered Apple’s “coolest”
MacBook, the 12-inch model certainly wasn’t
the most powerful Mac ever made, but it offered
students and light users the ability to access the
macOS ecosystem at an affordable price, and
take advantage of the incredible applications
that come alongside it.
When Apple first announced it was reviving
the standalone MacBook brand four
years ago, many praised the company for
offering a portable version of macOS
in a body that felt both practical and
discreet, offering enough power for everyday
computing, without chugging around a
heavy and expensive MacBook Pro, or the
then-underpowered MacBook Air. At the time
of its release, the MacBook pre-dated the iPad
Pro with Smart Keyboard, so for users always
on the go, the MacBook was the preferred
choice, offering an ergonomic design which