air update?

[tim100]

any rumors on an air update that will include the specs of the 13 umbp, better battery and trackpad?

[Jabbamk1]

not yet, the air was just recently updated with better processors and cheaper prices. If there was going to be an update it wouldn't be till 2010 Q1

[Gruber]

The recent change was too minor. No new processor, only added the 2.13GHz option. Very minor corrections on the board and the temperature management. No changes in the case, in the screen, in the trackpad or the RAM.

Cutting prices is nice, but no upgrade. So I expect a new revision of the Air in October.

[Veinticinco]

not yet, the air was just recently updated with better processors and cheaper prices. If there was going to be an update it wouldn't be till 2010 Q1
Sorry but that's rubbish. I would barely even call it an update. No new processor just a slightly 'faster' clock speed that in real-world use throttled back so much that it is actually slower than the supposedly 'slower' processor speed.

A price reduction - forced due to the economy and to preserve the already low value for money the MBA represented - is NOT an update. What they offered was actually borderline insulting in comparison with the MBP 13" - the MBA is now a practically slower machine utilising the one screen model (out of three!) that was plagued the worst by line issues - in terms of perception, it would have been better not to release a rev.C at all. It's barely a stopgap, hanging on in the market by the skin of its teeth.

As for your prediction of 2010, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. If there's no update by October (with increased RAM, SSD capacity, battery life, and display issues rectified) then I think we can wave goodbye to the MBA as a viable product.

[jessica.]

not yet, the air was just recently updated with better processors and cheaper prices. If there was going to be an update it wouldn't be till 2010 Q1

I disagree. While the update is considered an update by Apple that will not suffice for the next 6-9 months. My guess is we'll see another boost, albeit silent, around the holiday buying time.

[Jeffrosproto]

I'm pretty sure its gonna get bumped up soon, but how high and how great of an improvement will be present, well, no one knows that (but apple).

[Veinticinco]

I disagree. While the update is considered an update by Apple that will not suffice for the next 6-9 months. My guess is we'll see another boost, albeit silent, around the holiday buying time.
Disagree with that particular point. I think they'd be insane to do a silent update - this one will need to be announced by a spotlit Steve himself, swinging from the flying buttresses of St Peter's in Rome.

[neurobound]

I bought a MBA a few weeks ago, and sure - i'd love to have an updated version, but I'm extremely happy with this thing. I have an ssd drive in it, it's silky smooth and plenty fast. For just doing browsing and general day to day desktop stuff, it gives the perception of outperforming my 2.66 quadcore desktop. So, I'm not going to be doing any hardcore gaming or graphics on this thing, but it's an absolute pleasure to use when doing just about anything else.

We always want more, but come on - this thing is very attractive as is, unless all you care about is speed for speed sake.

[Jabbamk1]

I agree that the MBA update wasnt exactly and update but i do think that apple will not update the MBA till early 2010. The MBA has been selling quite well since rev c and people are still buying it. I think that it will be early 2010 before apple finally fix and add solutions to release a better MBA with all the things above.

[Scottsdale]

I think we are still waiting on the new high end MBA. I fully expect a 256 GB SSD and 4 GB RAM in a new high end MBA at a $2200 price tag before a true rev D MBA is revealed. I think we are waiting on the new SSD. But I could be completely wrong. I just feel that Apple had planned on the current high end as the rev C low end.

[iMacmatician]

H1 2010 with Arrandale. Anything earlier is optimism or even wishful thinking.

[tim100]

why cant they put the glass buttonless track pad on the the air?

[iMacmatician]

why cant they put the glass buttonless track pad on the the air?I've heard it was because the front part of the Air is too thin for the glass trackpad.

[Jeffrosproto]

I've heard it was because the front part of the Air is too thin for the glass trackpad.

I have also heard that the structure isn't strong enough, although I have no clue why.

[Scottsdale]

I've heard it was because the front part of the Air is too thin for the glass trackpad.

I think there are too many MBA cases and parts like trackpads in inventory and that's why we haven't seen a glass trackpad as it would fit but would cost too much to change it. Senseless if they have too much inventory. It's already big and nice.

Plus, how many more rev D MBAs will they sell by just upgrading the trackpad with a piece of glass that costs 20 cents but adds substantially in value. Like all the people who upgraded to the higher end MB for its lit keyboard for $300 more when it cost Apple $1 in LED lights.

Apple is genius at incremental updates! I have spent thousands for incremental updates that were immaterial in cost for Apple but shear genius in marketing to the added benefits!

Never underestimate what Apple has up its sleeve or why it didn't make the obvious upgrade now - it's all about small updates and a few at a time. Two updates in tech at one time means huge revenue losses for next revisions from us die hard fans.

[zedsdead]

I think there are too many MBA cases and parts like trackpads in inventory and that's why we haven't seen a glass trackpad as it would fit but would cost too much to change it. Senseless if they have too much inventory. It's already big and nice.

Plus, how many more rev D MBAs will they sell by just upgrading the trackpad with a piece of glass that costs 20 cents but adds substantially in value. Like all the people who upgraded to the higher end MB for its lit keyboard for $300 more when it cost Apple $1 in LED lights.

Apple is genius at incremental updates! I have spent thousands for incremental updates that were immaterial in cost for Apple but shear genius in marketing to the added benefits!

Never underestimate what Apple has up its sleeve or why it didn't make the obvious upgrade now - it's all about small updates and a few at a time. Two updates in tech at one time means huge revenue losses for next revisions from us die hard fans.

I agree, but first major flaws in design need to be worked out, ie. The Line, The Hinge, and the Airport Issues. Add a Glass Trackpad (which fixes the Bezel scratching issue, 4 gigs of RAM, and a 256 SSD and Apple has a sale).

As much as I love my 15" Macbook Pro, I miss my Air. The portability was just too good. I hope they fix the problems.

[tim100]

I agree, but first major flaws in design need to be worked out, ie. The Line, The Hinge, and the Airport Issues. Add a Glass Trackpad (which fixes the Bezel scratching issue, 4 gigs of RAM, and a 256 SSD and Apple has a sale).

As much as I love my 15" Macbook Pro, I miss my Air. The portability was just too good. I hope they fix the problems.


can you recommend a air over any of the umbp?

[madmaxmedia]

I really wish they had put 4GB RAM in the last update, especially since the GPU uses some of it.

[stoconnell]

I agree, but first major flaws in design need to be worked out, ie. The Line, The Hinge, and the Airport Issues. Add a Glass Trackpad (which fixes the Bezel scratching issue, 4 gigs of RAM, and a 256 SSD and Apple has a sale).

You forgot the placement of the vent interfering with being able to use the machine in your lap without taking steps to leave it uncovered.

[Veinticinco]

H1 2010 with Arrandale. Anything earlier is optimism or even wishful thinking.
Yet the majority here scoffed at the notion that Apple would bump any of the laptop range at WWDC. "The event has never been about hardware you poor deluded fools, always software" :rolleyes:

For a 'proper' MBA update, I'm sticking with October thanks all the same.

[jdechko]

I agree that we could see an update around November or so. Hopefully it's a good one and I've got money at that time. Intel just announced their 34nm, 160GB, 5mm high, 1.8" SSD's (the X-18M), so if it's performance is close to what we've come to expect from the 2.5" series, I would much rather have that. So really, I'm just hoping for 4GB in a machine that has a SATA connector (preferably SSD until I can replace it with the Intel SSD).

Linky (http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/21/intels-34nm-ssds-go-official-no-320gb-model-in-sight/#comments)

[Tallest Skil]

For a 'proper' MBA update, I'm sticking with October thanks all the same.

So what could they update to? What chip exists that would go in it?

[zedsdead]

can you recommend a air over any of the umbp?

No. Not at the present time. The machine is full of mechanical issues. Go with a Macbook Pro. Awesome battery on top of everything else.

[iMacmatician]

Yet the majority here scoffed at the notion that Apple would bump any of the laptop range at WWDC. I'm pretty sure I've been saying spring 2009 for a while now (although I changed to August at the last minute), since that's the logical update date given Intel's CPU update cycle (CPU updates in late Q2 2009) (and Apple's average update cycle). Now with the MacBook Air, the logical update date given Intel's CPU update cycle is Q1 2010 with Arrandale, since there are no CPU updates before then.

"The event has never been about hardware you poor deluded fools, always software" :rolleyes:They probably forgot the Mac Pro.

For a 'proper' MBA update, I'm sticking with October thanks all the same.Stick with whatever you want, just like those who thought that the Mac Pro would get a 3.2 GHz bump at WWDC or so. I think there was a similar group claiming a "real" update to the Mac Pro in mid 2007 or so. I think there's a tendency after an underwhelming update for people to predict the next update will come sooner than usual and with all the features they thought were left out.

[Veinticinco]

So what could they update to? What chip exists that would go in it?

Did I mention anything about CPUs? What could they update in the short term? Perhaps exactly what I said earlier if you'd bothered to read that far back...

(with increased RAM, SSD capacity, battery life, and display issues rectified)

I'm pretty sure I've been saying spring 2009 for a while now (although I changed to August at the last minute), since that's the logical update date given Intel's CPU update cycle (CPU updates in late Q2 2009) (and Apple's average update cycle). Now with the MacBook Air, the logical update date given Intel's CPU update cycle is Q1 2010 with Arrandale, since there are no CPU updates before then.

They probably forgot the Mac Pro.

Stick with whatever you want, just like those who thought that the Mac Pro would get a 3.2 GHz bump at WWDC or so. I think there was a similar group claiming a "real" update to the Mac Pro in mid 2007 or so. I think there's a tendency after an underwhelming update for people to predict the next update will come sooner than usual and with all the features they thought were left out.
Honestly, I'm not sure where this belief that only a CPU upgrade is worthy of being termed an update, and that Apple's marketing is immovably welded to Intel's roadmap, came from. It's a bit ridiculous to be honest. There's plenty of stuff they could improve on the MBA without much perspiration.

I don't recall exactly what your stance was in late May, but all I do remember is a LOT of know-it-alls in this forum denouncing the mere suggestion of a refresh to the laptop lineup in early June as laughable. Those laughs turned to embarrassed silences soon thereafter.

[iMacmatician]

Honestly, I'm not sure where this belief that only a CPU upgrade is worthy of being termed an update, Since the Intel transition, there have been no updates that have not involved some sort of CPU bump (if I've missed any let me know). Furthermore, there have only been a few updates that involve only bumps in the existing CPU range (not, say, Merom to Penryn or Q1 2009 Penryn to Q2 2009 Penryn). The MacBook Air is using both Penryn LV CPUs right now, so such a bump is unlikely.

and that Apple's marketing is immovably welded to Intel's roadmap, came from.There aren't many updates that don't follow Intel's schedule. Besides the Mac mini (which is far behind anyway), the Mid 2007 MacBooks and 2008 iMacs (and 2007/2009 Mac Pros in a way) are the ones I can think of.

It's a bit ridiculous to be honest. There's plenty of stuff they could improve on the MBA without much perspiration. It's true that the CPU isn't the only component that can be updated, and isn't the main component that can be updated either (I was saying something like this before the MacBook Pro updates). But most of the time, update dates revolve around CPU update dates, and that is why I'm saying H1 2010 for the next update.

[Tallest Skil]

Honestly, I'm not sure where this belief that only a CPU upgrade is worthy of being termed an update, and that Apple's marketing is immovably welded to Intel's roadmap, came from.

Maybe because Apple hasn't done computer updates without changing the CPU since 2003.

Other than that.

[Veinticinco]

Maybe because Apple hasn't done computer updates without changing the CPU since 2003.

Other than that.
Crossed wires and semantics here perhaps, in that I don't consider a speed bump to be an entirely new chip, as you seemed to be suggesting earlier. We were discussing generational architectural changes here, along with the litany of codenames we are forced to suffer.

My point remains there's an awful lot of components that can be upgraded in the MBA, ostensibly in the next 3 months, that would help reposition it as the forefront of what Apple laptops are capable of. Right now it's lagging behind. And in view of that, I think that for Apple to hold back any MBA update until Arrandale chips are with us sometime next year, would be a very big mistake. One I don't think they'll make.