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In 2012, Apple drops the MBP. Introduces a 15-inch MBA. MBA line is renamed "iBook".

X

XX55XX

macrumors regular
Original poster
How would you feel if Apple did the following:

1. Introduces a 15-inch notebook with no DVD drive, a quad-core Ivy Bridge processor, proprietary SSD, and no discrete graphics. Looks just like a larger MacBook Air.
2. Declares that MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs will be merged into one product category, the iBook. All current MacBook Pro models up until that point will be dropped.

How would you guys feel? I have a strong feeling that something like this might just occur later this year...
 
XX55XX said:
How would you feel if Apple did the following:

1. Introduces a 15-inch notebook with no DVD drive, a quad-core Ivy Bridge processor, proprietary SSD, and no discrete graphics. Looks just like a larger MacBook Air.
2. Declares that MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs will be merged into one product category, the iBook. All current MacBook Pro models up until that point will be dropped.

How would you guys feel? I have a strong feeling that something like this might just occur later this year...
Click to expand...

This is what the mayans were referring to when they predicted that 2012 would be the end of an era.
 
This prediction is so not possible, it's not even funny. The MBP is Apple's best-selling line of Macs period. There's no reason for them to drop it entirely.

Apple also has a history of not naming current products the same name as an old one.

Where are you getting these ideas?
 
XX55XX said:
Alright, forget about the renaming aspect. Let's say that it's all renamed "MacBook".
Click to expand...

Still a discontinued line, though slightly more reasonable.

They're still not going to discontinue their most successful line of Macs ever without having something better and more powerful to replace it with. That's not possible with your prediction.
 
XX55XX said:
Note the difference: "iBook" vs. "iBooks".

Alright, forget about the renaming aspect. Let's say that it's all renamed "MacBook".
Click to expand...

Lol! There's no difference. If I said I wanted to buy an iBook, am I buying a book or a computer? But all jesting aside, I agree that the underpowered computers should just be MacBooks.
 
shanshor said:
Lol! There's no difference. If I said I wanted to buy an iBook, am I buying a book or a computer? But all jesting aside, I agree that the underpowered computers should just be MacBooks.
Click to expand...

But OP is suggesting that all Apple's laptops would be underpowered and they would drop the MBP line entirely.
 
XX55XX said:
Note the difference: "iBook" vs. "iBooks".

Alright, forget about the renaming aspect. Let's say that it's all renamed "MacBook".
Click to expand...

Predictions are fun and all, but Apple will not rename any hardware models to "iBook." They made a clear decision to abandon using that name for laptops in favor of iBook for software. For a company that has deliberately omitted "Mac" from "Mac OS X" in 10.8, they obviously take naming and phrasing seriously.
 
Not gonna happen. The iBook moniker has gone to the ebook product line...that and Steve said they want 'Mac' in their computer names.
 
The ever popular and iconic "PowerBook" model name was one of Apple's finest.

Much like the model name "ThinkPad" ... PowerBooks had a long and very successful run.

When Apple screwed up and dropped the PowerBook name that NO ONE Complained About... it was sheer madness. Despite a lot of push back and protests from customers, Apple proved they only think of themselves.

MacBook Pro is cumbersome if not needless. Especially when the public's awareness that the PowerBook was an Apple Laptop anyway.

Further relabeling of Apple Laptops would be terribly stupid.
 
This will always be an iBook:

tumblr_l742spMBUk1qzwtph.jpg



This will never be an iBook:

small-macbook-air-11.jpg
 
I can see them implementing "i" back into their notebooks. Although, "i" Seems to be reserved now for iOS products.
 
ixodes said:
The ever popular and iconic "PowerBook" model name was one of Apple's finest.

Much like the model name "ThinkPad" ... PowerBooks had a long and very successful run.

When Apple screwed up and dropped the PowerBook name that NO ONE Complained About... it was sheer madness. Despite a lot of push back and protests from customers, Apple proved they only think of themselves.

MacBook Pro is cumbersome if not needless. Especially when the public's awareness that the PowerBook was an Apple Laptop anyway.

Further relabeling of Apple Laptops would be terribly stupid.
Click to expand...

The PowerBook name wouldn't fit very well for Intel Macs, would it? I thought this is why they changed the name. No more PowerPCs.
 
With all the rumours of Apple redesigning the entire MacBook line this year and merging them into one line, here's what I think will happen: the 13", 15", and 17" laptops will all get a closer design to the current MacBook Air and all three of those will be called just "MacBook". The 11" Air will stay as it is and that will retain the name "MacBook Air". Makes sense since if all the other laptops become similar, the 11" becomes the odd one out for being smaller and lighter. In summary:

"MacBook" = redesigned 13", 15", and 17" laptops
"MacBook Air" = 11" laptop
 
bad decision to phase out the Mac name imo, Macintosh is where it all started for Apple. Next thing you know they will be removing the start up sound 😱
 
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