Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

driceman

macrumors 6502
Mar 13, 2012
313
185
Tough Balance

I don't foresee the entire line being Retina next year. I know that's Apple's ultimate goal, but considering the pricing of the Retina Pro's right now, a Retina Air couldn't possibly remain at $999. It's already hard to convince a lot of people to make the switch, and if they up the entry level price even higher, it only gets worse.

I can imagine MORE Retina Macs, but not all.
 

Vinamra

macrumors regular
Nov 21, 2012
187
1
Melbourne, Australia
IF its going to be all retina, I hope they bump up the hardware big time. Graphics cards and all that jazz! And keep the pricing same for at least the 13 and 15" rMBP.

Too hopeful I guess! :rolleyes:
 

OllyW

Moderator
Staff member
Oct 11, 2005
17,196
6,799
The Black Country, England
I'd like to ask everyone what they think the chances are of new MBPs having fusion drives (hybridized solid-state drives and HDDs) as one way of addressing the high price of large capacity storage on their flagship laptop.
Plus: lowers $/Gb for storage, contains most of the performance increases of SSDs
Minus: reintroduces a part apple have EOL'd, could be seen (illogically) as a step back.

Personally, the inability to replace the battery after a couple of years into what will be a ~4 year life cycle is a deal breaker.

No way in the retina but it could replace the optical drive in the standard MBP.
 

Michael Scrip

macrumors 604
Mar 4, 2011
7,922
12,470
NC
More apps sold in the mac app store = more $$$$ for apple. Sad but true.

That's true... in theory.

But the real truth is... Apple is, and has always been, a hardware company.

The money they make from apps and music pales in comparison to the money they make on hardware.

Less hardware = devastating loss of $$$$ for Apple.
 

TC03

macrumors 65816
Aug 17, 2008
1,272
356
I have serious doubts Apple will go 100% retina. Even though Apple has never been a pricefighter, they always aimed for a low-entry point in each product line. For example, the iPod mini/nano/shuffle, the iPad mini, the white MacBook, the 11" MacBook Air, the iPhone 4 (currently), the Mac Mini etc. I doubt they will sacrifice this, especially when there's no need.

More apps sold in the mac app store = more $$$$ for apple. Sad but true.
Apple gets profit from hardware, not software. Apple is no Amazon, where hardware is sold at a discount to keep content alive, it's the other way around: the software and content is used to sell the hardware.
 

Lesser Evets

macrumors 68040
Jan 7, 2006
3,527
1,294
... the new MacBook Airs ... will feature a "new processor platform"

The new MacBook line will also use Intel's new Haswell chips which are expected between March and June 2013.

Apple designed chips for the Air? I wonder if Apple is going to start designing their "prestige" computer CPU/GPUs starting with the Air in 2013. If so, I'd start suspecting Apple to have iMacs and Minis switching over in 2014 or 2015.

I'm more excited to see how Apple designs "Pro" CPUs in the future. If Apple can customize their own high-end CPUs, they could regain the professional market and make excellent products on a regular schedule again.
 

Nightarchaon

macrumors 65816
Sep 1, 2010
1,393
30
That's how I read it, too. Perhaps Apple is close to introducing its own processor. If that happens, I think it would silence those who criticize Tim Cook as not being an innovative CEO.

Would this also mean a new OS, perhaps even iOS for desktops, removal of bootcamp (as its no longer intel chips) turning the macbook line into big iOS devices with keyboards attached ?

my fear is this seems to be where apple wants to go with its product lines..

i hope its going to be an Intel CPU/GPU and not a proprietary Axxx chipset, i like my Apple products, but all of them have been split 50/50 and Windows installed on them so i can actually use them for work and some gaming.

I use apples OS pretty much solely to handle my large iTunes library, emails and web browsing, and video editing. Gaming and work gets done via windoze (although my company has just struck a deal that means i can get office for mac for £8 which will help a lot.
 

Lancer

macrumors 68020
Jul 22, 2002
2,217
147
Australia
I'd like to ask everyone what they think the chances are of new MBPs having fusion drives

Not likely since the current MBPr doesn't support a HDD, no room. So unless they make the case taller the MBPr will only have SSD. But prices continue to drop so the 2013 range should be cheaper.

Personally, the inability to replace the battery after a couple of years into what will be a ~4 year life cycle is a deal breaker.

Currently you can't easily change the battery in any MacBook so why would this change?

DVD and HDD are dying in portables, long live SSD!
 

Mustard Seed

macrumors member
Jul 21, 2004
34
13
That's a very interesting idea, if technologically feasible. That would be an Apple Fusion CPU.

One out-of-the-box idea:

Apple ask Intel to produce their new A* CPU instead of Samsung and make in addition a hybrid X86 and Apple-designed A* Core. This way they can still use high performance to drive retina screens, FCP X and Photoshop. On the other side for many cases a new power safe mode with ARM support only for simple email and surfing could increase runtime of battery.
Could be easier to realize in two a chip-design though.

Or nothing really happen and they just use Haswell ...
 

Mike MA

macrumors 68020
Sep 21, 2012
2,089
1,811
Germany
hmm... my read of it was Haswell, but just to invoke a crazy theory -- "new processor platform" - something not intel?

Please no - I don't want a transition period again :(

Besides, things have to move on. But at the moment the Intel processors seem to be competitive. I don't see for example the A* iOS processors spending enough power and sufficient battery life when combined with the Macbook series...
 

wshyang

macrumors newbie
Nov 24, 2012
28
0
I'd like to ask everyone what they think the chances are of new MBPs having fusion drives (hybridized solid-state drives and HDDs) as one way of addressing the high price of large capacity storage on their flagship laptop.
Plus: lowers $/Gb for storage, contains most of the performance increases of SSDs
Minus: reintroduces a part apple have EOL'd, could be seen (illogically) as a step back.

Personally, the inability to replace the battery after a couple of years into what will be a ~4 year life cycle is a deal breaker.

I just hope Apple will *at the very least* in their great mercy, use standard mSata connectors in their next MBP rather than the current bastardised and copied mSata look-alike connector now shipping in the 1st gen rMBP.

No intel = me no longer buying apple products.

+1

Let's see $2200 for a computer. Sell it in two years for $1000

Cost of ownership $50 a month or about $2 per work day. Ouch!

Do you earn anything from the use of your computer?

What makes you think it will even sell for $1000? What if that computer of yours died in 2 years and you didn't get Applecare?

Unlike the older Macbook Pros, these non salvageable units are scrap metal when they die.

Besides, with Obamacare and the upcoming fiscal cliff, can you honestly blame anyone for wanting to save a few dollars?

What do YOU do for a living anyway? Sit around in Starbucks with your latest Macbook Pro?

A lot of work these days do NOT require the latest and greatest anymore.
 

QCassidy352

macrumors G5
Mar 20, 2003
12,028
6,036
Bay Area
Ugh, pass on retina, thanks. I'd much rather have smoother performance and better battery life. Screen on the current MacBook airs doesn't need to be improved at the cost of those things.
 

Northgrove

macrumors 65816
Aug 3, 2010
1,149
437
So will the Macbook Air become more expensive? :(
The MBA was quite expensive when it was first released. I think this is common with new hardware revisions affecting actual sales arguments from Apple. MBA Retina's will present yet a new such opportunity for Apple. Prices fell as competition caught up though, or at least had the potential to, and I expect the same to happen with everything Retina from Apple.

Maybe not quite as soon as 2013 although it would be nice, but I expect certainly by 2014. So my completely amateur prediction is that this year might see a price bump, especially since it will be the First Time Ever™ that MacBook Air has Retina and Apple will try to sell this. But in 2014, it'll start becoming the norm even among PC laptops, and Apple won't have this leeway anymore.

I think 2013 will be a transition period among PC's.
 

unplugme71

macrumors 68030
May 20, 2011
2,827
754
Earth
Looks like the MBA's will feature ARM processors, unless Intel has something other than Haswell lined up for Apple.

I can see Apple raising prices by $100-200 and making the lineup all retina. Especially if they plan to bring manufacturing to the US.

Their prices have been pretty steady for the past 5 years from what I remember. I'm sure this and SSD will given them a reason to bump the prices.
 

unplugme71

macrumors 68030
May 20, 2011
2,827
754
Earth
I just hope Apple will *at the very least* in their great mercy, use standard mSata connectors in their next MBP rather than the current bastardised and copied mSata look-alike connector now shipping in the 1st gen rMBP.



+1



What makes you think it will even sell for $1000? What if that computer of yours died in 2 years and you didn't get Applecare?

Unlike the older Macbook Pros, these non salvageable units are scrap metal when they die.

Besides, with Obamacare and the upcoming fiscal cliff, can you honestly blame anyone for wanting to save a few dollars?

What do YOU do for a living anyway? Sit around in Starbucks with your latest Macbook Pro?

A lot of work these days do NOT require the latest and greatest anymore.

This is why Applecare needs to be extended to 5 years, even if it costs $200 more than it is now. Having, 1, 3 and 5 year warranty would make me more confident buying another Apple computer.
 

KylePowers

macrumors 68000
Mar 5, 2011
1,688
197
Can't wait to dump my 2011 MBA for a 2013 rMBA or rMBP :D

Assuming, you know, I have a job and stuff lol
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.