Bad news for the outlook of the MBA 3,1... Are we waiting for MBA v 2,2 or v 3,1?

[Scottsdale]

All of you hopeful for an MBA update today were disappointed. I am certainly extremely disappointed too. However, I did fear this in the sense of what is possibly happening with the MBA. Apple has a lot of updates to do this year, and it has to have something great lined up for WWDC. I believe the MBA will be updated then.

I am disappointed to see that the 13" MBP got Nvidia integrated graphics AGAIN. This was supposed to be the whole validation in waiting this long. We were all extremely hopeful to get Core i7 with a dedicated graphics card in the MBA. I believe this could mean the MBA will get a slight update with the same C2D CPUs and the same Nvidia 320m GPU/chipset. I had actually said before that it would be better than Core i7-6x0UM with solely Intel graphics.

The MBP news was terrible. People had hopes of ATI dedicated graphics in all the MBPs. Most wanted an Core i5 in the low-end 13" MBP, but they're stuck with C2D. People were hopeful for Blu Ray, IPS displays, HD displays, ATI 5830 graphics, USB 3.0, and more... the 13" MBP buyers got almost NOTHING for their wait.

What does this mean for the MBA??? I suppose one of two things (three if I want to be honest with myself).

1. MBA v 2,2. SL9x00 CPUs *same, Nvidia 320m, 4 GB RAM, glass trackpad, and no other improvements.

2. MBA v 3,1. Core i7 *either low voltage or ultra low voltage, Intel HD graphics only, 4 GB RAM, probably a case redesign, and maybe some surprises worth our wait.

Of these two options, I WILL GLADLY TAKE NUMBER ONE! I would be devastated if option number two was our only choice.

Today shows us Apple is still stuck in the dark ages when it comes to graphics. Even on the high-end MBP, Apple is only going with the 330 GT and only 510 MB VRAM which is inferior to most consumer grade mid range laptops. For the MBP to get those shows us Apple has no plans for better/dedicated graphics in the MBA. What we can really hope for is Apple to come up with its own damn chip so we can get a graphics package worthy of our wait but that is years off.

Finally, there is one last option that I dismiss, although my worst fears have been somewhat realized as potential today, that the MBA will be EOL'd. No, I really don't believe this, but at the same time I am shocked that Apple has updated the 13" MB PRO without its own graphics card and same C2D CPU. We all hoped Steve Jobs was being serious when he said the Mac notebooks were being taken to the next level... what a disappointment for the MBP fans. What an imaginative mind Steve Jobs has!!!

 

[soundtonoise]

How does Apple let its customers know when a product is going to be (or gets) EOL'd?

 

[OasisNYK]

If Jobs comes out and says the Macbooks are getting A+ upgrades and being taken to the next level, then something like today happens - doesnt it bring into question his marketing credibility?

Dont get me wrong, there were a few updates in there that I thought were great (intel i5/i7, and finally a higher res screen on the 15 inchers). But these are hardly A+ updates...I was thinking something more revolutionary.

I still love the products but was really hoping for an updated Air like the rest of you - I need a second laptop to bring with me on trips (I am a consultant) and I want something thin and light with some power.

Here's to waiting

 

[JonTok]

Terrible news?

To say the MBP news was terrible is simply melodramatic and wrong - I think a major section of these boards will be delighted and that sales of the 15 inchers especially will go through the roof.
That the 13 inch didn't get i5 is a shame but talking about C2D like it's something out of the dark ages is plain wrong for 95% of people's computing needs. That the base 13 gets a bigger processor, double the memory, better graphics and better battery is probably going to make it even more popular than it is already - I'll be getting one, instead of what I thought would be an updated MBA - c'est la vie - I'm not complaining of far more MBP for the same money. Anyone who does complain seems narrow minded and purely self-interested. Apple is here to make great computers and tons of money - it's doing both, and no, it ain't perfect.

 

[gwsat]

Finally, there is one last option that I dismiss, although my worst fears have been somewhat realized as potential today, that the MBA will be EOL'd. No, I really don't believe this, but at the same time I am shocked that Apple has updated the 13" MB PRO without its own graphics card and same C2D CPU. We all hoped Steve Jobs was being serious when he said the Mac notebooks were being taken to the next level... what a disappointment for the MBP fans. What an imaginative mind Steve Jobs has!!!

Apple's failure to refresh the MBA and halfhearted upgrade of the MBP have convinced me to stop waiting on them to introduce an MBA I can use and simply buy an iPad. The iPad has a lot of weaknesses, God knows, but it also does a lot of stuff that I need right out of the box. Thus, I guess I'll buy one just as soon an the Apple Store gets some more 16Gb iPads. At least I will have a super portable Web browser and save a bunch of money in the bargain. For me, at least, the MBA is for much later, if then.

 

[pol0001]

Just relax. It took Apple about 1,5 years to refresh the MacMini. So you're still fine.

 

[Scottsdale]

I think today was a terrible day for the MBP overall. It's sad that there is NOTHING new in terms of features. The Arrandale CPUs are the same damn price as the C2D before them. The graphics are behind anything in any other "PRO" laptop. The 13" MBP is the biggest joke ever.

The problem is Apple is letting everything cool about tech bypass it. Apple used to always have the coolest products not just in terms of looks but also in terms of cool tech, new ports, unique features, and etc. There is NOTHING about the new MBPs that isn't available on PC "consumer-grade" notebooks at half the price OR LESS. That's the problem!

Apple is at 4.5 lb. in its 13" MBP that is literally HALF the computer that the Sony Vaio Z is at 3 lb. In addition, the Sony has Blu Ray, higher resolution display, far superior graphics, Core i7 Arrandale, and more.

I truly believe that Apple has made a change in strategy to completely abandon its resources from focusing on the Pro markets at all. Seriously, the iPad has obviously had 1000 x the attention given to it as this MBP update.

I find it shocking that anyone would be happy about this... but then there are people who just read Core i5 and think they're golden. One guy over in the new MBP thread said he just bought a Core i5 13" MBP with dedicated graphics!!! This is how clueless people are... they don't even read the damned specs anymore!

No USB 3. No ATI graphics. No Blu Ray. No lightweight transformation. No IPS display. No boost in VRAM for graphics. No benefit added at all other than an option to upgrade the display resolution in the 15" model. Other than that, it was shear disappointment in my estimation.

 

[flynz4]

I love my MBA... but I really want to waterfall it to my wife, and get an updated model. She would be delighted to get my current rev C w/SSD. I will be doing this as soon as new MBA models are introduced. If she didn't want the MBA so badly, I would hold on to my Rev C for a while longer.

For my work computer, I have a choice to replace my 3 year old 15" MBP with either the new 13",15", or 17" MBP. I am choosing the 13". After using the MBA as my personal laptop, I am just too spoiled and my 15" feels old and clunky by comparison.

Prior to owning my MBA... I always used my work laptop for personal as well as business use. The MBA is so spectacular that I prefer to purchase and use it as my main personal machine... even though it means having two machines. I really wish my employer would buy MBAs... but that does not seem likely... if they did, I would use it as a combo business and personal machine.

/Jim

 

[macboy4]

If Jobs comes out and says the Macbooks are getting A+ upgrades and being taken to the next level, then something like today happens - doesnt it bring into question his marketing credibility?

Dont get me wrong, there were a few updates in there that I thought were great (intel i5/i7, and finally a higher res screen on the 15 inchers). But these are hardly A+ updates...I was thinking something more revolutionary.

I still love the products but was really hoping for an updated Air like the rest of you - I need a second laptop to bring with me on trips (I am a consultant) and I want something thin and light with some power.

Here's to waiting

What were you expecting to be "revolutionary" for the 15 inchers? They've been brought up to date with the PC world.

 

[bobjob186]

If we can't get updated processors in the 13" pro's we're not getting anything for the MBA's. Seriously i7 in a macbook air!? Not gonna happen when we can't get an i5 in all the pros and the i7 is a bto option. 4 laptops should have been updated today, 3 were and unfortunately number 4 is going to be discontinued

 

[bobjob186]

correction, the i7 isn't bto on the high end 15" but it is on the 17".

 

[gri]

What were you expecting to be "revolutionary" for the 15 inchers? They've been brought up to date with the PC world.

We waited so long - for THIS? Still C2D in the 13 inch, no improved graphics and even worse still no sight of a real MBA. This

 

[roxygal9]

Apple's failure to refresh the MBA and halfhearted upgrade of the MBP have convinced me to stop waiting on them to introduce an MBA I can use and simply buy an iPad. The iPad has a lot of weaknesses, God knows, but it also does a lot of stuff that I need right out of the box. Thus, I guess I'll buy one just as soon an the Apple Store gets some more 16Gb iPads. At least I will have a super portable Web browser and save a bunch of money in the bargain. For me, at least, the MBA is for much later, if then.

Im with u gwsat. What a disappointing update for 13 in. And null for mba. Id like to goto osx but the crrnt updatebwith c2d is unacceptable for tht price. Im still looking at mba i hope they update to 4gb ram otherwise i may entertain 2gb one hate to though. Should i wait go with crrnt mba or goto z?

 

[gri]

Question - I am now seriously contemplating buying a refurbished MBA privately. Any tips, which one? I would still buy a new one if it ever comes out (through work). This way I would at least be able to use a MBA on the road (and could still profit from the new model once it comes out...).

 

[manhattanboy]

All of you hopeful for an MBA update today were disappointed. I am certainly extremely disappointed too.

No, I really don't believe this, but at the same time I am shocked that Apple has updated the 13" MB PRO without its own graphics card and same C2D CPU. We all hoped Steve Jobs was being serious when he said the Mac notebooks were being taken to the next level... what a disappointment for the MBP fans. What an imaginative mind Steve Jobs has!!!

Hate to say I told you so!!
Apple is overcome with hubris.
It's only a matter of time before it self-destructs like Toyota

 

[Scottsdale]

If Jobs comes out and says the Macbooks are getting A+ upgrades and being taken to the next level, then something like today happens - doesnt it bring into question his marketing credibility?

Dont get me wrong, there were a few updates in there that I thought were great (intel i5/i7, and finally a higher res screen on the 15 inchers). But these are hardly A+ updates...I was thinking something more revolutionary.

I still love the products but was really hoping for an updated Air like the rest of you - I need a second laptop to bring with me on trips (I am a consultant) and I want something thin and light with some power.

Here's to waiting

I agree. The biggest problem here is the wait for 10.5 months for a PRO MB and then to get this extremely minor update. The 13" MBP was supposed to show us POSITIVES for the future of the MBA if the MBA itself wasn't upgraded today.

As an MBA lover, the biggest thing I fear is the graphics strategy of Apple. It appears Apple doesn't want to stick people with just Intel graphics, but then it sticks them with C2D CPUs that are seriously outdated now. When one considers a PRO laptop, doesn't one think that for $1199 and $1499 Apple could put 256 MB of dedicated VRAM? Think of the MBA now stuck with its 2 GB of RAM, and 256 MB of that is shared with the GPU. It just seems CHEAP. No it seems TOO CHEAP in this day and age to have these graphics strategies. Why in the hell cannot Apple give us more than 256 MB of RAM in an iPad, 2 GB of RAM in an MBA, 256 MB of dedicated VRAM in a $1999 15" MBP?

When one considers the CPU in the 13" MBP, it's no different than the original MB with Intel processors introduced over three years ago. The higher end black MB was a 2.4 GHz. I know it's slightly faster with Penryn over Santa Rosa, but why? Worst yet, how is the 13" MB Pro even a "Pro?" I think the 15" is quite far from any pro PC notebook, so what's the 13" MBP?

We read the Mac mini rumors a few months ago. Those rumors said the mini would get another C2D CPU with the successor to the Nvidia 9400m. This has happened. In the past, Apple used one graphics solution across all products except the Mac Pro (low-end MBPs/iMacs). Does this mean we're going to have C2D for another 10.5+ months? Seriously? I didn't expect that. If we were to get a C2D I would guess it for four to six months until Apple could give us a proper graphics solution (but Apple could have upgraded the MBA last October with 4 GB of RAM and this 320m integrated GPU and the same two SL9x00 CPUs). Why make us wait so long for NOTHING?

How about something like USB 3.0? Normally Apple comes through with one futuristic port like this. eSata, HDMI, and Express Card are all questionable in terms of need for a computer user, but a USB 3.0 port is what would make the Mac usable for several years also keeping it relevant and worth the seriously high price tags to own Macs in the first place.

Nevermind how nearly every PC notebook priced at $700 or more has a BluRay drive in it (I mean sale laptops we see at Best Buy every Sunday - so don't go find the most expensive one to compare it). Apple is so damned used to its margins on the iPhone OS products that it's just not going to give us what we want anymore in the Macs. HELL, I am willing to pay twice or three times of four times as much for my Mac, BUT I WANT RELEVANT AND CURRENT COMPONENTS AND 4 GB OF RAM!

I guess the thing is what I heard last October from a friend... the MBA was being tested with something like an Atom CPU and was going to at some point get some changes to make the MBA weigh even less... well I have since found out that chip was an ultra low voltage CPU "test chip" (not a real Core CPU but probably an Atom) meant to show performance and draw of a CPU like the Core i7-6x0UM. Also, the information lead to a new display tech being used at some point which is why I have been predicting HD IPS, 3D or OLED - something crazy and new. I found the information disturbing at the time, and I really thought the iPad would change that one prototype's purpose for the MBA. Maybe not now. It makes me wonder WTF is Apple doing? I can accept C2D in a current form factor MBA. Today showed me that Apple still doesn't give a damn about graphics, and that's the biggest concern for the next MBA. How does Apple go smaller or with an Arrandale ultra low voltage CPU and give us the graphics performance we are used to in the MBA? Or is Apple truly planning on sticking us with only Intel's GMA IGP? That isn't necessarily what we're seeing because Apple did at least bump from the 9400m to the 320m. It is still shared RAM which is disappointing. At this price level, I really want a damned graphics card for the MBA. I guess that is out of the question.

I guess I am just frustrated. I really really wanted an MBA or some great information. To me a great update today to the MBPs would have been a Core i5 in the low-end and 13" MBPs with a 310m dedicated card and 512 MB of VRAM, I would have been completely happy with the direction.

When the MBA was introduced in October 2008 it was the most powerful ultraportable with a C2D Penryn 1.86 GHz CPU, it had the best GPU in an ultraportable, it had a 128 GB SSD unheard of at the time, it had 2 GB of DDR3 FAST RAM, it had SATA-II drive controller, it was the thinnest ultraportable, it was the lightest weight ultraportable, it had the best LED backlit display in an ultraportable, it had the best aluminum unibody case, it had a mini display port capable of driving a 30" ACD at its native resolution, it had a backlit keyboard, and the design was truly amazing featuring even more than the other Mac notebooks by concealing the ports via the port tray.

Where has Apple gone with the MBA? NOWHERE. The MBA used to blow away every other ultraportable out there. In addition, any one component was better than that exact component on any other ultraportable, and it had ten great features blowing away every competitor. Look at how the time has changed. What has Apple done, NOTHING. Apple doesn't even give a damn, as if it doesn't run iPhone OS it's not worthy of taking Apple employees' time. SAD!

 

[entatlrg]

Wow, we all have some common thoughts and we're all sounding grumpy ... for GOOD REASON I might add.

Dammit Apple, just when I was "all in" things seem to be stumbling along in a bad way ...

We may need a cure for the iPad fever, I dunno I'm still stunned by today's updates ... what they did and what they could of done, blah.

 

[Scottsdale]

Hate to say I told you so!!
Apple is overcome with hubris.
It's only a matter of time before it self-destructs like Toyota

I don't know that it will self destruct, but what it appears to be doing is ignoring the customer base that made it the successful brand it is today. The Mac users are being left out, and we can see it when Apple is so focused on an iPad that hadn't sold one damn iPad and it gave all of its attention to the iPad rather than its MBPs. We all can read the rumors that Apple isn't working on OS X 10.7, because every employee available is working on the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch or the iPhone OS.

I think its current strategy is bad news for Mac customers, but I don't know that it will destroy Apple. The bottom line is Apple likes selling consumer electronics now, and it really has left out its Mac computers. Look at these MBP updates. It appears that there was almost ZERO effort to improve these things. In addition, Apple raised the price because it had to further the margins to make it worth selling Macs. Look at the Mac Pro at nearly 17 months old. Look at the MBA that hasn't had an update since October 2008 (June 2009 was due to Intel changing the SL9x00 CPU specs). Look at the MBA that has 2 GB of RAM. Look at the iMac with ATI 4XXX graphics. Look at the Mac mini, MB, and iMac already six plus months old still not with Arrandale CPUs. Look at the AppleTV. Look at the Time Capsule drive offerings. Look at every aspect of the Mac... Apple has lost its way. Never before did the MacBook Pro take 10.5 months to update. When it did take over six months to update, the wait was usually worth it. We went through unibody updates, glass trackpads, backlit displays, backlit keyboards, chiclet keyboard, multitouch trackpad, mini display port, FW 800, HUGE battery gains (today's batteries are the same size the loss in graphics performance is the savings), and price drops. What did today bring? Nothing making the MacBook Pros better... a slightly faster CPU, and graphics that are only two years outdated instead of three years outdated (when figuring VRAM).

If Apple loses its battle with Google and Android, it might not have any Mac fans or OS X to fall back on. It is quickly abandoning its Pro users. Its model with consumers is to sell them an iPad not a Mac. In the long run, Apple is going to have a problem if it puts all its eggs into this one iPhone OS basket and LOSES. Sure, it looks bright now, but competition is improving in the smartphone and pad markets. Windows Phone 7, Android, Chrome, WebOS (Palm), and RIM are all going to challenge well. I would prefer Apple focus half its energy on what made it the company it is today, the Mac.

 

[Scottsdale]

STUNNED!!! - Great word to describe this conundrum.

Wow, we all have some common thoughts and we're all sounding grumpy ... for GOOD REASON I might add.

Dammit Apple, just when I was "all in" things seem to be stumbling along in a bad way ...

We may need a cure for the iPad fever, I dunno I'm still stunned by today's updates ... what they did and what they could of done, blah.

Stunned is the perfect word. Some of these MBP fans have been waiting so long they're not even looking at the raw deal they were just dealt. What happened to innovation and the Mac? What happened? Seriously, never before have Macs been so out of line in terms of technological and innovative qualities vs. the competition for the grossly outrageous prices.

I want to pay a ***** load of money and get the MacBook Air I want... why doesn't Apple give a damn about our market? Why is Steve so caught up with his damn iPad that he has shifted all of Apple's resources away from the Mac for the iPhone OS?

I am concerned as an AAPL shareholder, and I am concerned as a Mac fan. I am seriously contemplating the Vaio Z. I have to think about it for another couple of days... in case anyone forgot, I said if the MBA didn't get an update by April 14th I was buying a Vaio Z at least to hold me out through the MBA update.

We can all hope for an update at WWDC, but will Apple even give a damn? I just don't know anymore.

STUNNED!

 

[entatlrg]

They got drunk over the iPhone's success and plan/hope to do it again with the iPad perhaps.

Scottsdale you make good points, people should come back and read this 6 months and a year from now when iPad fever wears off ... plus any little hiccup in Apple's consumer market endeavors and and they won't have the market that made them famous - the business market to fall back on....

The more I think about it the more it sucks.

Keep in mind, Apple apparently sells 20,000 MBA's worldwide a week. That's coming from our Corporate Apple Rep ... she's mentioned that more than once...

 

[bloodycape]

I have to agree with you Scottsdale, your concerns are reasonable. It is really shame the 15 and 17in MBP only got the nvidia GT330m. They should have at least given it 1gb GT335m, and then give the 13in GT310m with at least 1gb of ram.

 

[glitch44]

Christ, you guys are being melodramatic. "Hubris"? "Stunned"? Come on.

You guys expect every update to be revolutionary. Well, sometimes they're just evolutionary. Maybe it's not the pro updates you want and we'd all certainly like a MBA update, but Apple's not "self destructing" just because the laptop updates aren't exactly what you want. That's just silly.

The MBA is a niche market product. We all know this. At this point I see the MBA a couple different ways. Either they switch to a long update timeline (like the mini) or they completely EOL it. So I guess I'm hoping for an update in Q4 2010. There was a rumor that the MBP would be updated in April and the MBA in the fall, so this seems fit.

 

[skate71290]

What were you expecting to be "revolutionary" for the 15 inchers? They've been brought up to date with the PC world.

Seriously? The day Apple Laptops are up to the same specification standard as PC Laptops will be the same day: Pigs Fly; Hell Freezes Over; Flash is supported by Apple and actually works; and the Apple Laptops are actually worth buying.....

 

[Jobsian]

Ah Scotts, good to see a thread here that's outright honest. I still can't believe the giddy posts elsewhere as much as I can't believe the updates. I'm truly, exceptionally disappointed. The volume of people who keep asking for Core i3s is almost unbelievable.

The 15" and 17" updates are ok but not earth-shattering or exciting. The 13" update is almost soul-destroying.

 

[Wild-Bill]

Stunned is the perfect word. Some of these MBP fans have been waiting so long they're not even looking at the raw deal they were just dealt. What happened to innovation and the Mac? What happened? Seriously, never before have Macs been so out of line in terms of technological and innovative qualities vs. the competition for the grossly outrageous prices.

STUNNED!

Could not have said it better myself. That, Scottsdale, is the perfect summation for today's MBP updates.