Apple announced its latest MacBook, a new laptop with a 12-inch screen that’s thinner and lighter than any current MacBook Air, although it doesn’t bear that name.
The new MacBook features several new technologies. For instance, it’s the first laptop to feature a new connector port called the USB-C. That’s a reversible USB connector that’s just starting to roll out to devices everywhere.
The laptop’s trackpad, called the Force Touch, detects a range of pressure, making possible new gestures and controls. During his presentation at Apple’s media event Monday, company vice president Philip Schiller gave one example in which the harder you press on the trackpad while fast-forwarding a video, the faster the process would go.
Apple also significantly reduced the size of the logic board for the new MacBook, in part by removing the fan. Schiller said that makes additional room for batteries that will give the new computer 9 hours of battery life for wireless web browsing and 10 hours for movie playback.
In addition to Apple’s now-standard silver, the new MacBook will be also come in “space gray” and gold. Apple is also refreshing current MacBook Air models with faster processors, while the 13-inch Macbook Pro will also get the Force Touch trackpad.
The new MacBook begins shipping April 10. The base price for the new model is $1,300, while an upgraded set of specs (twice as much flash drive and a slightly faster processor) will set you back $1,600.
Photo courtesy of Apple
