The Tribune

THE 12-inch MacBook is a love-it-or-hate-it laptop. It seems to inspire either fierce loyalty or intense derision.

A new set of updates for 2016, including new processors for faster performance and better battery life, plus a new rose gold colour option, may help throw off some of that shade, but not all.

When Apple released the 12-inch MacBook this time last year, it felt like a bold shot across the bow of a computer arms race which saw companies competing to add features from touch screens and 4K resolutions to depth-sensing webcams and detachable keyboards. The MacBook - shedding the Pro and Air monikers used by other Apple laptops - was an exercise in strictly enforced minimalism.

But, doubters were quick to criticise. It relied on Intel’s initially unimpressive Core M processor, and its performance and battery life compared unfavourably to the bigger MacBook Air and Pro systems. The keyboard was unusually shallow, in order to fit into such a thin body. And most of all, the single USB-C port was a turn off for those needing separate power, video and data ports.

Despite these built-in limitations, I liked the 2015 version of the MacBook. Over time, I found myself turning to it more and more often, especially for on-the-go computing in coffee shops around New York. But it could still get bogged down with too many programmes and windows open, and the battery life was not at the level where it could go days between charging sessions. The USB issue turned out to be less serious than I feared, and only two or three times in the months after the product’s original release did I find myself stymied by a lack of ports (although when I did get stuck with a USB key and nowhere to connect it, it was annoying).

With this 2016 update, Apple has addressed some, but not all, of the issues with the original. Along with Core m3, m5 and m7 central processing units, the new MacBook gets Intel’s updated 515 integrated graphics, which won’t make you a gamer, but may help with video application performance. The speed of the internal flash memory has also reportedly improved.

The most obvious difference between the 2016 MacBook and the 2015 model is the addition of a fourth colour option, rose gold, which is already available on iPhones and iPads. The previous MacBook started the trend by adding gold. The step-up model costs $1,599 in the US and includes an Intel Core m5 processor and a big 512GB of storage. The base $1,299 model has the Core m3 and 256GB of storage.

In hands-on use, the new MacBook feels almost exactly like the previous version. If you’ve got the 2015 MacBook, there’s no need to upgrade, but if you were holding off to see what the second generation looked like, the potential boost to performance and battery life makes me feel even more confident about using this as a primary laptop, especially for frequent travellers.

However, the lack of ports and the feel of the keyboard will still be enough to discourage some, especially those who are looking for a laptop that will stay tethered to a desk for all day, every day use.

(DAN ACKERMAN

CNET.com)