Editor’s note: This deal has expired.
If you seek portability above all else, you’ll find few better laptops than the adorable 12-inch MacBook. And today, thanks for Woot, you’ll find few better prices for it.
For today only, Woot is selling the 2016 512GB version of Apple’s scrappy notebook for just $999.99, which represents a hefty leap down from the roughly $1,299.99 you’d normally expect to pay for a new version of this device. (The 2016 512GB model is currently selling for $1,119.90 on Amazon.)
If you’re not looking for power, it’s a winner. If you’re looking for something you can slip into any backpack or briefcase without worrying it about taking up more space than a legal pad, it’s a champion.
What’s the bad news? The 12-inch MacBook only comes with a single USB-C port, and most of the time you’ll be using that port for charging. (Fortunately, this MacBook also boasts a decent battery life, especially compared to the energy-hogging 15-inch MacBook Pro.)
That means that any time you want to hook up a mouse, an external monitor, or an external hard drive, you’re going to have to take out the charging cable for however long you plan on using the other gadget.
Fortunately, docks and hubs aren’t hard to find these days but you’ll struggle to find any that have multiple USB-C ports on them. In essence, if you want to charge while using everything else, you’re going to have to find a dongle for your dongle.
That said, I personally love it. Something about the 12-inch MacBook’s smaller size keeps me more focused on my work, as my mind tends to wander when I have a larger screen to tinker with. It feels like it weighs nothing, which is a godsend during crowded press events where you have nothing to type on besides your lap. For that matter, it has no fan like the larger Pro models, which keeps it from scalding that lap.
For the right folks, in other words, the benefits are superior to the tradeoffs. Honestly, if I were in the market for a new MacBook at the moment, this is probably the one I’d get.