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Saturday September 3, 2016 8:03 am

Bleeding Edge TV 586: Apple MacBook (2016) Review [1.3GHz Core m7]

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, PC / Laptop, Podcasts, Product Reviews, Videocasts, Videos,

The new 2016 Apple MacBook brings with it a number of hardware upgrades, as well as a new Rose Gold color. We get into all the changes, including up-close looks at the Gold and rose gold colors, benchmarks on the faster SSD, Intel graphics chip, and RAM. Is this the best Mac laptop that you can buy when looking for a mix or portability, power, and a great display? Find out in our MacBook review.

You can pick up the Apple MacBook now.

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Video Transcript:

SKYLAKE PROCESSORS
For 2016, Apple has outfitted the MacBooks with Intel’s Skylake Core M processors. You get the choice of the dual-core M3, M5, or M7. It breaks down like this - the Core M3 is a 1.1GHz chip that Turbo Boosts to 2.7GHz. The M5 is 1.2GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz. Finally, the Core M7, which is a built to order option, is 1.3GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz. Each model rocks the Intel HD Graphics 515 chipset, which is 25% faster than last years graphics chip.

What’s interesting is that these models seem to be in Turbo Boost mode at almost all times. In fact, the M7 model is just about 4% slower than the previous-generation MacBook Pro in terms of processor speed, and that’s quite the surprise.

FASTER FLASH STORAGE, RAM, AND GRAPHICS
The second big change to the 2016 lineup is the inclusion of faster flash storage. This is the chips used to store your data on the MacBook. The new chips can do sequential reads of up to 1 GBps, which is 20% faster than the previous model. While a 20% read speed gain in great, even more impressive is that write speeds are 90% faster on the 2016 MacBook when compared to its predecessor. That’s a big deal, and means that when you are using the MacBook to get things done, you won’t feel the squeeze. The 2016 MacBook is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

The faster flash storage is paired with faster RAM as well - you get 8GB or 1867MHz DDR3 RAM, which is an increase from last years 1600MHz RAM. On top of that, there’s also the new Intel HD Graphics 515 chip, which Apple says increases graphics performance by 25%/

My main complaint with the 2015 MacBook is that it always felt like it was one step behind me, always trying to catch up to what I was doing, whether it was launching apps, or even the simple act of typing. With the new model, that issue has all but disappeared.

ROSE GOLD
Apple introduced the Rose Gold hue on the Apple Watch Edition - that was real Rose Gold. Then it brought Rose Gold colored aluminum to the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus smartphone line. Shortly after, it brought Rose Gold to the Apple Watch Sport. A couple of weeks ago, the 9.7-inch iPad brought Rose Gold to Apple’s tablet line, and now with the 2016 MacBook, Apple brings the hue to its computers.

From the outside, the 2016 MacBook looks exactly the same as the 2015 version, with the Rose Gold color being the only external choice that sets it apart visually. In some light the color looks more pink, in others it looks damn near close to the standard gold. It can even take on a copper color.

Of course, if Rose Gold isn’t your thing, you can also pick up the MacBook in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray as well.

CONCLUSION
So, should you buy it? Ultimately, the 2016 MacBook feels like a much more capable computer than its predecessor. There’s always the waiting game you can play, which in this case would be waiting to see what Apple has up its sleeve for WWDC before pulling the trigger, just in case there’s a thinner, more powerful MacBook Pro around the corner. However, with the faster internal specs, the MacBook is capable of accomplishing those everyday tasks that you’ll want to throw at it, and this year it does it without complaining back at you by way of a multi-colored beachball.

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