MacBook review 2016

Knock it for its USB Type-C port. Bash it for its wimpy horsepower. But don't even try to deny that Apple's new MacBook is one of the most attractive, impressively-engineered laptops that the world has ever seen - there's simply nothing quite as slick out there.

Tim Cook says Apple's not planning a MacBook-iPad hybrid

Even though it combines the portability of Apple's MacBook Air with the Retina MacBook Pro's high pixel-density Retina display, the new MacBook doesn't resemble either product line – or Apple's older, polycarbonate white MacBook of the same name, for that matter.

Instead, it feels like an entirely new species of otherworldly laptop that has more in common with an iPad Air than a ThinkPad. Flip open the lid, and you're transported into the best-looking OS X Yosemite playground yet – one that goes wherever you go.
But it's far from perfect: the new MacBook's sole USB Type-C port and moderately-powered Intel Core M processor mean that many of this playground's games are off-limits, and while some will find its unique keyboard more fun than a revolving roundabout, it will make others sick with frustration.
Divisive and sickly sweet, the new MacBook is the notebook equivalent of Marmite. Personally, I love the stuff (and like the new MacBook a lot), but whether it's for you depends on how much you're prepared to compromise.

Recent developments

Want one of these but aren't prepared to plunk down quite this much? Apple is now selling refurbished 12-inch MacBooks for a rather sizable discount (at least relatively) in the UK and US.
The entry-level, refurbished 12-inch MacBook goes for a much lighter £889 – 15% off, to be exact. The model packing a 1.2GHz CPU, 8GB of memory and a 512GB flash storage drive goes for £1,099 refurbished, a saving of £200.

In the US, the low-end model carries a $1,099 price tag when refurbished (a $200 discount), and the 1.2GHz model calls for $1,359 ($240 cheaper than it normally sells for) after being prepped for re-sale.
Of course, your chances of scoring a refurbished MacBook depend entirely upon what Apple has in stock in either region, so your milage may vary on this one.

Five reasons why you should reconsider the 12-inch MacBook

But, if you're looking out for savings on a brand new MacBook, check out our page for the best cheap MacBook deals for February 2016. You'll find deals on just about every other MacBook model there, too.
Also, for those growing bored of OS X El Capitan, Apple issued a new beta version of the operating system recently, allowing you to play with new features before they make it into an official update. So long as you're enrolled in the Apple Beta Software Program, you can now enjoy toying with password-protected notes and throwing Live Photos directly into Messages.

On the catwalk

Two qualities stand out above all else when it comes to the new MacBook: thin and lightweight. Apple has managed to squeeze its components into an incredible aluminum body that measures just 0.35cm at its thinnest point and 1.31cm at its thickest.
Its thinness is in part due to Intel's fan-less Core M CPU, which is passively cooled and runs whisper quiet. There's no fan inside, which enabled Apple's engineers to make its chassis slimmer. The new MacBook is an ideal option if you're frequently sharing a room with light sleepers – particularly compared to noisier, fan-based notebooks sporting Intel's Core-series chips.

Another factor that's helped Apple achieve the new MacBook's svelte dimensions is its dramatically thinner keyboard, which uses an Apple-designed butterfly mechanism instead of a traditional scissor type underneath the keys.
And while we're on the topic of thin, the new MacBook's bezel is slimmer than ones on previous MacBooks and is complemented by a matte strip along the bottom that bears the MacBook logo. It's available in three colors: Space Grey, Silver and Gold.