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Is the MacBook air dead?
- Thread starter ByteTheBooty
- Start date
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I think eventually they might. The new retina MacBook will eventually move down to be the entry level MacBook at a sub-$1000 price and then there will just be the rMBP line. So basically I imagine an eventual line that looks like the following:
- 12" retina MacBook
- 13" rMBP
- 15" rMBP
But for now (and maybe the next couple of years) I think the MBA is safe. It'll probably be treated like the cMBP. Updated incrementally at first, then left as is, then dropped.
- 12" retina MacBook
- 13" rMBP
- 15" rMBP
But for now (and maybe the next couple of years) I think the MBA is safe. It'll probably be treated like the cMBP. Updated incrementally at first, then left as is, then dropped.
The Orginal MBA had to stay around because of price.
Apple calling it "MacBook" instead of "MacBook air with Retina Display" makes it pretty obvious that they plan to eventual make the new MacBook the replacement for their entry level Mac laptops.
What boggles my mind is why the 13" cMBP is still around. It should be dropped by now.
Apple calling it "MacBook" instead of "MacBook air with Retina Display" makes it pretty obvious that they plan to eventual make the new MacBook the replacement for their entry level Mac laptops.
What boggles my mind is why the 13" cMBP is still around. It should be dropped by now.
hahahahahahahahahahahah.
Erm...
Okay, sorry for being rude. I just... can't really figure out how to respond politely.
Do you realize how bad the next Macbook is?
Perhaps we'll see it disappear when the MacBook becomes available for order. Or when they run out of prebuilt parts for it.
That and it's still a good machine. I have one because I needed maximum internal storage.
The MBA is far from dead in my opinion it will still sell better than the new macbook the specs on that thing suck "1 port really apple Slower processor than the 11inch macbook air anyone with a brain will get the rMBP
No.
Did the original Macbook kill the Macbook Pro or original MBA when it came out?
All Apple is doing is backfilling their lineup when the original Macbook was discontinued.
BL.
You must be kidding. There's no way a fanless dual-core tablet-CPU 5W powered laptop can replace a 65W quad-core MBP, not even a 28W one. The Airs have the risk of being ditched (a Macbook Revenge for what happened in the past in the other way?
), the Pro's will remain untouched, at least if Apple wants to remain as a computer vendor instead of a toy vendor.
You must be kidding. There's no way a fanless dual-core tablet-CPU 5W powered laptop can replace a 65W quad-core MBP, not even a 28W one. The Airs have the risk of being ditched (a Macbook Revenge for what happened in the past in the other way?
They have already began the conquest on becoming the worlds most expensive toy vendor with the introduction current macbook
I am not talking about the new macbook replacing the rmbp now. I am talking about the future.You must be kidding. There's no way a fanless dual-core tablet-CPU 5W powered laptop can replace a 65W quad-core MBP, not even a 28W one. The Airs have the risk of being ditched (a Macbook Revenge for what happened in the past in the other way?
You're confused. If you think Apple is going to keep a thicker "air" and release a thinner and lighter "macbook" you're delusional. They're basically discrediting their entire branding. The term air was used to indicate it's the thinnest and lightest. Now the air isn't the thinnest nor lightest. If you think that name is going to be around in a year, I'd love to hear how you see the roadmap playing out.
Technology is flattening when it comes to laptops and tablets. No longer to consumers need one maker to feature 4 size screens and 3 different product families. There's workhorse, and thin and light. Thin and light means small screen, hence the merger of 11" and 13" to flatten the product line into a single product. The Air release today was the necessary spec bump to keep offering a thin and light because they're not ready to ship the ultralight yet. Once they do, rest assured, the Air will be gone.
The problem with these buzz words is like the iPod demonstrated... Classic > Mini > Nano > Shuffle... if you assign a word to a product with an evolutionary cycle of getting smaller\thinner\lighter, you eventually run out of words, or the descriptive product name becomes irrelevant. Nobody who saw the release today thinks the "Air" should be called the Air... it's a fat beast in comparison, and it's heavier in comparison.
If you want to think there's a place for the air\pro\macbook, think as you want.... but I bet within a year the air is gone....
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You must be kidding. There's no way a fanless dual-core tablet-CPU 5W powered laptop can replace a 65W quad-core MBP, not even a 28W one. The Airs have the risk of being ditched (a Macbook Revenge for what happened in the past in the other way?
Not sure why everyone is throwing a fit over this. The Macbook released today is not intended to replace the pro, it's intended to replace the air. Was that not blatantly obvious by all of the comparisons to the air? When Apple releases a product, they ALWAYS compare it to the product it's intended to replace. In this case, the air.
Everyone should clam down... Apple usually doesn't update the thin and lights and pro models at the same time... this won't be any different. The Apple Watch event was a consumer-targeted event (the Watch is not a pro device)... WWDC is 90 days away.. WWDC is a pro-targeted event, so you can expect a pro-targeted device launch at the event. Calm down, breathe.
It's so weird people are whining about it, but the capabilities overall are almost identical to the Air. The only real downside to this thing is the one-port-for-all thing, which I'm not too keen on, but the upsides far outweigh the downsides in my book. But I don't use it as a primary computer. If I did, I would say MBP all the way... but this is a 100% travel computer, and it's going to be AMAZING for that!
I never said they were going to 'keep' something thicker while putting out something thinner that is lower in their product lineup, so please don't put words in my mouth.
All I am saying is that they backfilled the macbook lineup with a product that has been missing from their catalog since the MBA came out. If you recall, their lineup went something akin to:
13" Macbook - 11" MBA - 13" MBA - 13" MBP - 15" MBP - 17" MBP
They dropped the 17" and the Macbook, leaving us only with the 11" and 13" MBAs and 13 - 15" MBPs.
They brought back something that they slotted underneath (in terms of CPU and accessibility) the MBA, which is what this new Macbook is. Keep in mind that you could still BTO an MBA with the same SSD and memory as the higher end Macbook for the same price, and get a CPU boost in the process.
If anything, what this Macbook release gives us is a roadmap for how they will be putting together the next MBA, which is what people should be excited for.
So does this mean the end of the MBA? no, because they put this new Macbook underneath it, creating a need and demand for an updated MBA.
BL.
That is exactly correct. The ritual displays of grieving are really over-blown and out of place.
I agree with all this (except calling the OP confused was kind of rude).
There is WAY too much overlap. There was already overlap between the 13" MBA and the thinner 13" Pro. I have a 15" rMBP 750M beast docked as a desktop with multiple monitors.
I have an iPad with a Logetic ultra thin keyboard cover that I take to school and other places. The new MacBooks screams "iPad replacement" to me. The only issues are:
- Giving up iPad apps and tablet form factor.
- Software that only has one license (I'd want Office on my "desktop" and portable computer" and only have the university subscription.)
- Keeping certain data in sync is annoying (like iTunes library.)
The new MB is a portability-first system. I would buy the $19 USB adaptor though. If only it were $999 I think I'd bite. $1,299 is a bit much for a first gen product like this.
Give it a couple years. I predict that there will be no MBA update in 2017, but the MBA will live as a zombie (sort of like the non-retina MBP did) for another year or two after that. At that point, the price-point of the retina MB will have dropped down to make it the entry-level device.
13" MacBook Air was $1299 in late 2010 for the base model. Now they're $1099. The 13" rMBP dropped $400 between the first and second version.
I didn't realize that the rMBP had dropped that much but still, $400 is what it would take for the new MB to become the entry level device and that seems like a big ask, considering that your 2nd big example of a price drop was only $200.
I got my 13" MBA last year for $900. From what I have read it's WAY more powerful than the new MacBook and also obviously cheaper. I'm not really sure what the point of the new MacBook is unless it's to test the market for going WAY thin. The ports stuff isn't much of an issue because of all the wireless options we have and the adapter cables you can buy.
I rarely plug anything into my MBA aside from power and headphones. The new MBA allows that. But I don't like the lesser battery life and the smaller display. Maybe the display is OK because of the extra pixels, but I need all of my display and more at times. Honestly if Apple wants to go nuts, create some way to extend my desktop with my iPad.
I think the MBA is here for a few more years at least. It's still the cheapest portable Mac and has more power than the MacBook.
I rarely plug anything into my MBA aside from power and headphones. The new MBA allows that. But I don't like the lesser battery life and the smaller display. Maybe the display is OK because of the extra pixels, but I need all of my display and more at times. Honestly if Apple wants to go nuts, create some way to extend my desktop with my iPad.
I think the MBA is here for a few more years at least. It's still the cheapest portable Mac and has more power than the MacBook.
In the UK at least with the pricing up on the apple website, 'The New MacBook' is more expensive than the 13" Retina Pro. I'd take a spade in the face willingly if i rewound time to when i bought my Pro and bought 'The New MacBook' instead.
Pricing, 'The New MacBook' > MacBook Air > Macbook Pro. #
So the watered down MacBook is a bit more expensive than an iPad Air.
Pricing, 'The New MacBook' > MacBook Air > Macbook Pro. #
So the watered down MacBook is a bit more expensive than an iPad Air.