MacBook Air 2013

[tongteh]

I like everything I have been hearing. Any kind of change will be welcome. Hopefully a different form factor. I am having the 2011 model, but i think it's about time for a new change.

Wishlist:
- different form factor
- retina display
- better internals (more power, graphics, and battery)

Am i asking for too many?

[krspkbl]

Originally Posted by tongteh

I like everything I have been hearing. Any kind of change will be welcome. Hopefully a different form factor. I am having the 2011 model, but i think it's about time for a new change.

Wishlist:
- different form factor
- retina display
- better internals (more power, graphics, and battery)

Am i asking for too many?

I'd say you'll get 1 out of 3 from your wishlist. I think 2013 will just be a spec bump to haswell architecture which will give 10-15% boost for CPU and up to 50% for gpu. There are 3 gpu for haswell gt1, gt2 and gt3. Only the gt3 will have ~50% boost. Apple could always put in a gt1 or gt2. Better battery life, maybe an extra hour at the most, the current 13" i5 air has 7-8 hour life. Maybe 8GB RAM will be standard. 128gb lowest amount of storage for 11" (no more 64Gb) and with 256gb on 13". 128GB is more than enough for me, still got 71GB Left.

Form factor is still quite new an I doubt they'll change it until 2014 with Broadwell and a retina display. I don't see retina coming before 2014. Haswell isn't out till 2nd June which is in line with rumours of an air refresh in late 2nd quarter. After that it will be about another 6-12 months before they update the Air again. Most likely 12. If the 2013 airs get retina and If the battery gets 8 hours life on haswell then it's just gonna drop because of all extra pixels it has to light up. It would be best to wait until the cpu's drop to 14nm in broadwell with even more efficiency across CPU/gpu and get more battery life. You need as much of that as possible before you put a retina display in.

I don't think there is anything wrong with current airs. The screen is beautiful, runs like a dream, battery life is amazing but obviously a lot of people want the absolute best as soon as possible.

If you can't wait then get 2012 air but if you can then wait till June for the refresh.

[tongteh]

Originally Posted by krspkbl

If you can't wait then get 2012 air but if you can then wait till June for the refresh.

:-) I am happy with my 2011 model at the moment, but wouldn't mind an upgrade if it's appealing enough. I do think the current air's form-factor is brilliant, but I wouldn't complain if there's something new coming on the horizon.

In terms of spec boost, coming from 2011 model, it's probably going to be 25-30% for CPU, and 50-65% in GPU. A 8GB memory would be sweet, memory is an issue with my current air.

Looking forward to see how Apple will update their MacBook Air line.

[Thors.Hammer]

Originally Posted by 53x12

The Samsung series 9 will soon have a better than retinal display .

Sorry, I am reviewing some of the speculation on the next MBA.

The comment above is highly speculative. That was a Samsung prototype, nothing more. Samsung has not committed to producing it for the masses. At CES a couple of weeks ago they did commit to updating the Series 9 machines with 1080p displays. They haven't said exactly when.

[matsukez]

It's hard to imagine what the next Macbook Air will look like. It already looks great and is one of the finest looking pieces of technology I've ever seen.

I am looking forward to seeing the new designs for them however. Part of me wants to hold out and see what the next generation looks like and what the specs are but the current 11" MBA is just what I want, so I'm thinking of going for it.

[MTD's Mac]

Originally Posted by matsukez

It's hard to imagine what the next Macbook Air will look like. It already looks great and is one of the finest looking pieces of technology I've ever seen.

I am looking forward to seeing the new designs for them however. Part of me wants to hold out and see what the next generation looks like and what the specs are but the current 11" MBA is just what I want, so I'm thinking of going for it.

I agree, it's hard to predict. This isn't like looking at an iPhone 4/S and imagining an iPhone 5 (thinner, taller, anodized, etc.). If the next Air design is thinner there won't be much room for batteries or a keyboard. Maybe a smaller footprint to match the 13" rMBP? Or will it need to use a new material (Liquidmetal?) to remain strong despite being noticeably more thin?

[jetlagged]

i'll wait and see what the specs are when the macbook air 2013 comes out.
i have a mba 2012 13" i5/8/256. if i'm gonna get the most bang for my buck selling it and going for the 2013, i have to decide when the macbook air 2013 is announced.

[l0gikb0mb]

Hopefully better quality control in 2013.

Went through 3 of these things because of great deal on the 8GB version.

Dents, scratches, massive hinge creaks etc.

The worst is the keyboard, which is most likely always crap. Some keys felt like fisher price toys and felt like they were going to fall off.

[JHUFrank]

I'm thinking Haswell and maybe (big MAYBE), larger standard SSD drive. Maybe dumping 64gig drives all the way around.

[HurryKayne]

I hope it will have a quad core BtO.
Will HD4600 be enough to drive a 11-13 retina display?
By the way Haswell Quad Core,Hd4600 and Retina and its mine.
Otherwise i'll pick up a 13 MacBooKPro because i hope to see it with a
quad core this time.
It doesn't make sense to me to see the MbPro...with a dual core.
Maybe the AIR...while i hope to see all macs going quad core.

[bogatyr]

Originally Posted by krspkbl

I'd say you'll get 1 out of 3 from your wishlist. I think 2013 will just be a spec bump to haswell architecture which will give 10-15% boost for CPU and up to 50% for gpu. There are 3 gpu for haswell gt1, gt2 and gt3. Only the gt3 will have ~50% boost. Apple could always put in a gt1 or gt2.

I don't think Intel will even offer GT3 with the ULV chips. Would be two different directions - either you want great battery or great performance.

[A Hebrew]

Haswell
Price drop or Storage increase.

That is all (MAYBE a SD Card slot in 11")

[QCassidy352]

Originally Posted by 53x12

The Samsung series 9 will soon have a better than retinal display .

The point of calling it "retina" is that increasing the resolution beyond that point is imperceptible to the human eye. So you're adding bragging rights at the cost of price, battery life, and performance.

[a.chufong]

Originally Posted by bogatyr

I don't think Intel will even offer GT3 with the ULV chips. Would be two different directions - either you want great battery or great performance.

You're totally on the mark! If I'm reading this article correctly, then we're looking at a 30 percent increase for the ULV Haswells. Not terrible, mind you, but far from the 200 percent promised on the quad Haswells. That being said, I am highly optimistic that the 2013 MBA has the quad Haswell as a BTO option.

It's easy to see how Apple would market the fan tech and cooling from the rMBPs and integrate them into fully powered MBA. It may also call for a minor revision of the MBA (i.e. less tapering and more square edges), but improvements to cooling and battery life are probably necessary in anticipation of the inevitable switch to retina screens. Just my $0.02

[DisMyMac]

Originally Posted by QCassidy352

The point of calling it "retina" is that increasing the resolution beyond that point is imperceptible to the human eye.

Retina is so wrong - we are missing important data.... I want to know every pixel's wavelength per 1/60th of a second, with no funny business displaying past my senses.

[hkim1983]

Originally Posted by l0gikb0mb

The worst is the keyboard, which is most likely always crap. Some keys felt like fisher price toys and felt like they were going to fall off.

I'm sorry to hear about your experiences with the Airs overall, but I'm glad someone out there agrees with me on the keyboard used on the Airs...they are sub-par, and (imo), easily the worst keyboards Apple has used on their portable line in a long...time, or as long as I've used them.

Please Apple, improve they keyboard on the Airs...

[Mercmanman]

Originally Posted by Beanoir

Its interesting this, and obviously i've already said my piece and why I don't think thy will reduce the size of the bezel if it meant reducing the keyboard size.

However, increasing the screen size in the same size body would of course reduce the width of the bezel...but firstly if you increase the size of the screen on the 11" to that degree then you end up with a 13" screen (you can see the problem there already right?) and if it was just the keyboard that constrained the size of the bezel on the 11" then why doesn't the 13" have a slimmer bezel already...??

Now i'm just guessing as just like everybody here, I don't actually know, but I reckon that the added 20mm of nasty extra bezel width that we all don't like allows the body to be that much bigger and is needed to accommodate the batteries and other jazz.

I'm sure it'll come, just not in the same body and not in 2013.

The 13" rMBP has a smaller footprint and smaller bezel than the 13" MBA. I believe it is screen construction that requires that wide bezel. The MBA screen (i.e. lid) is crazy thin...so it needs the extra support so it does not twist. Just a guess.