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Quanta Computer has begun production on Apple's ultra-slim 12-inch MacBook and will look to ramp up its efforts beginning November, reports Digitimes. Despite these newest efforts however, the report also states that the notebook will not be ready in time for this holiday season.

macbook_air_2014.jpg
Since initial production of 12-inch MacBook Air has not yet reached a satisfactory yield rate, component makers and Quanta are making efforts to hike yield rates for the time being, the sources said. As initial production is in limited volumes, 12-inch MacBook Air may not be able to hit the store shelves in time for Christmas, the sources indicated.
Specifically, component makers are reportedly having issues with the new MacBook Air's ultrathin chassis, which is said to be slimmer than the current 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air. The supply chain sources also add that the 12-inch MacBook Air will come with a touch-enabled Retina display.

Rumors of an ultra-slim 12-inch MacBook from Apple have gained traction throughout the past few months, as reports from Jack March last month indicated that the notebook would launch in multiple color options and feature fanless internals. A fanless machine would also suggest that the machine would adopt an ultra low-power processor, such as the Broadwell-Y Core M processors recently announced by Intel.

However, a touch-enabled Retina display seems less likely for the 12-inch MacBook, as the inclusion of one would greatly increase the cost of the machine. A multi-touch 12-inch MacBook would also likely conflict with Apple's rumored 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which is said to be launching early next year.

March's report previously indicated Apple appears to be aiming for a mid-2015 launch for its 12-inch notebook. The notebook will reportedly come in silver, gold, and space gray options.

Article Link: Apple's Ultra-Slim 12-Inch Notebook Reportedly Entering Production in Small Quantities
 

Icaras

macrumors 603
Mar 18, 2008
6,344
3,393
I bet these are going to be the models that will add space grey and gold color options.

Edit: Oops, didn't read the last line of the article :p
 

arctic

macrumors 6502a
Jun 18, 2008
632
1
Wonder what's the integrated GPU that Apple'll utilize in these fanless machines?
 

Mr Fusion

macrumors 6502a
May 7, 2007
841
1,061
Touch screen on a laptop? Didn't Apple already dismiss that as a poor interface? :confused:
 

Jimrod

macrumors 65816
Jun 24, 2010
1,199
659
Oh good, slimmer. Everyone keeps asking for slimmer and not more power/battery...

Is it some weird space-time continuum thing going on that means for every percent Jony Ive gets fatter his devices have to get slimmer?
 

farewelwilliams

Suspended
Jun 18, 2014
4,966
18,041
The supply chain sources also add that the 12-inch MacBook Air will come with a touch-enabled Retina display.
shut up digitimes

-

Can I make up more plausible rumors to get it featured on Macrumors? digitimes is completely way off 99% of the time.
 

blipmusic

macrumors 6502
Feb 4, 2011
250
23
(...) A multi-touch 12-inch MacBook would also likely conflict with Apple's rumored 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which is said to be launching early next year.(...)

Conflict? Sounds more and more like this is about *one* product with all those specs, not two separate ones. Which, to be honest seems like the more natural product progression.

Risk of cannibalization is a short term issue during platform changes and mobility is far more important than raw power for many, coupled with the fact that even an 11" MBA is quite a powerful computer today.
 

Dilster3k

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2014
790
3,206
I definitely want some color choice again. A black MacBook Air / Pro would look sick.
 

Theclamshell

macrumors 68030
Mar 2, 2009
2,741
3
Perhaps the "iPad Pro" and "12"" MacBook pro will be the same product in the form of a convertible laptop.

If this is true I think it should be offered in colors from the same palette as the 5C, My favorite notebook is still the Blueberry iBook G3 clam.
 

MH01

Suspended
Feb 11, 2008
12,107
9,297
Looking forward to this one.

If fanless, concerned that it might be really underpowered. Really hope the performance is not worse than the 11"
 

Peace

Cancelled
Apr 1, 2005
19,546
4,556
Space The Only Frontier
Perhaps the "iPad Pro" and "12"" MacBook pro will be the same product in the form of a convertible laptop.

If this is true I think it should be offered in colors from the same palette as the 5C, My favorite notebook is still the Blueberry iBook G3 clam.

I was just thinking the same thing.

Perhaps Apple will be using the no fan Intel guts or possibly a multi-core A9 or even A10 64-bit CPU.

And more than 1GB of RAM.
 

darwen

macrumors 6502a
Apr 12, 2005
668
13
California, US
Conflict? Sounds more and more like this is about *one* product with all those specs, not two separate ones.

I was going to say the same thing. Considering how much we have heard about Apple separating hardware and software teams, this really sounds like two halfs of one story.

Imagine telling the OS team, we need OSX to run on a 12" touch screen with a less powerful processor. It's easy to assume that is an 12" iPad. That being said, I don't understand the market for either product. A 12" iPad seems too big, and a touch screen mac goes against my don't-ever-touch-the-screen habits.
 

richardw

macrumors member
Jul 13, 2011
87
7
Touch screen on a laptop? Didn't Apple already dismiss that as a poor interface? :confused:

Indeed. If this turns out to be true then I would say it's the most positive confirmation we've had that Apple is losing it's way (and no I'm not one who bangs on about Apple losing it's way).

If this device turns out to be some kind of iPad Pro hybrid, well I don't currently think I want one but could believe that others might.
 

dyrer

macrumors member
Feb 24, 2010
89
8
Greece
Apple is going to be the next Samsung, i have all variations with reduced quality.
This bad
 

Tough Guy

macrumors regular
Jun 2, 2014
144
2
Gotta love Apple and their interracial relationship ads. Somebody over there really has a fetish for that ****.

Don't think I've ever once seen a black couple in an Apple ad. It's becoming overtly racist at this point.
 

danthespaceman

macrumors member
Jun 15, 2009
30
0
After seeing Adobe demo some of their products on the Microsoft Surface Pro, I'm beginning to warm up the idea of a two-in-one device (and even a stylus). I know Apple have tried to tell us that we don't want a product like this... But I think the time is right to re-evaluate that.
 
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