Ultra-Thin 15" Mac Notebook Getting Closer to Production

[MacRumors]

Macotakara follows up our July report of work on an ultra-thin 15" Mac Notebook with news that this new thin 15" model is getting closer:

according to asian source, Apple seems already to have finished to develop MacBook Air 15" LCD test component to add its line-up and to go product develpment of it.

Macotakara is calling the new notebook a 15" MacBook Air, but we aren't entirely sure that would be the name.

Current MacBook Air​

Back in April, we had heard reliable confirmation that the 2012 revision of the MacBook Pro would carry a new case design. iLounge had described it as a "milestone" release. Later, in July, we heard that Apple was already finishing up work on this ultra-thin 15" Mac Notebook.

At this point, it seems clear that Apple's next MacBook Pro revision will carry this new design, which many believe will take cues from the current MacBook Air designs. What's not clear is how Apple will integrate the new models with the current MacBook Air models. The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lines seem destined to converge over time. In fact, Intel believes that Air-like "ultrabook" designs could make up to 40% of the consumer laptop market by the end of 2012. Apple just updated their MacBook Pro line with faster processors, which places their next revision sometime in the first half of 2012.

Article Link: Ultra-Thin 15" Mac Notebook Getting Closer to Production

 

[ECUpirate44]

Credit card ready and Ebay listing for my current machine is set! I've wanted this since the original MBA, I just could never use a 13" screen.

 

[ucdortbes]

I think we are nearing the return of the "MacBook" as the sole mobile computer line of Apple; pros and airs no more. Credit card ready indeed!

 

[noodlelegs]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

The faster processors are kinda pointless when the standard MacBook pro ships with a 5400rpm hard drive. I hope the next revision includes ssd drives in the base model.

 

[TheJing]

I wonder how they are going to manage to squeeze everything in there.

Do you guys think it will be as user upgradeable as the current Macbook Pros or do you think it will be more like the Airs where you cant change anything?

 

[bpeeps]

Credit card ready and Ebay listing for my current machine is set! I've wanted this since the Rev A MBA, I could never use a 13" screen though.

Yep, I've been waiting so long for this. I don't need a Macbook Pro anymore and the 13" screen has been just too small. My CC is ready.

 

[l3it3r]

I hope this is true. I'd put my MBA up for sale and pre order this the day it's announced. The 13" is nice, but I wouldn't mind some more screen real-estate. SSD is key however.

 

[yetanotherdave]

They're still going to want to have a line with proper graphics. I think they'll have a macbook line which is an expanded air line, 11, 13 and 15 inch, and a pro line, similar to now, but dropping the 13" option, 15 and 17" MBP's.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

This dooms the MB Pros, as IMHO the numbers don't justify a 17" MBP

 

[nagromme]

We’re getting to the point where more people use a DVDs only rarely—or not at all—while on the go. And some people don’t even use DVDs (with their computer) at home.

I hope they make a new Pro (good graphics!) with the DVD optional and external—and price the machine fairly for a package that doesn’t include that. This will make a thinner and better machine for most people. The rest can get the DVD option relatively cheaply, and STILL have a better machine: one that doesn’t have a DVD drive except when they want to use it.

For those (increasingly few) who want a DVD drive often while on the go, Apple’s external is nice and slim. It’s a second-best solution for those people, but certainly not a bad one. (For movies, ANY disc at all is a compromise, as we shift to more convenient options.)

I’d have an external DVD, if/when I only have one Mac. (Right now my old iMac is all the DVD player I need.) But I’d leave it at home 99% of the time.

 

[larryinfl]

The only reason I bought a Macbook Pro was for the 15" screen. I would much prefer a slimmer, lighter machine to carry around. No need for an optical drive for me. This would be great news. I would still like the 1440 x 900 resolution I currently have though, just in the 15" Macbook Air.

 

[Sam Yikin]

I wonder if the 15" inch space means they can fit a dedicated GFX card in them. And in general if next gen parts (mobile GPUs, ivy bridge) means these new thin designs can match the power of the current gens, which are damn powerful.

 

[wordoflife]

Not going to lie, but a 15 inch Macbook Air would just be fantastic

 

[funman895]

The only reason I bought a Macbook Pro was for the 15" screen. I would much prefer a slimmer, lighter machine to carry around. No need for an optical drive for me. This would be great news. I would still like the 1440 x 900 resolution I currently have though, just in the 15" Macbook Air.

Well you'll definitely have that, since the 13" MBAs have a 1440x900 screen.

 

[bettaboy123]

I'm hoping Apple does not ax the DVD drive quite yet, or at least hope that they give customers the option of a DVD drive or an optibay. A second hard drive (or SSD in addition to one of their blade-SSDs) would be really cool too. This will end up being a really nice, especially if they give more (cheaper) SSD options and stored the OS and most commonly-used programs on a blade SSD. Talk about a blazing fast machine right there!!!

Just imagine, 20GB blade-SSD with the OS and programs, and 500GB harddrive or (cheaper) SSD for the rest of your storage, with a possible second harddrive option instead of a DVD drive in a slightly thicker, heavier Macbook Air chassis sporting Ivy Bridge and more RAM (like 6GB minimum) and a slightly better screen. That would be the best laptop ever!

 

[Prodo123]

If this happens, then I'm not buying a Mac laptop ever again...
15" will not have:
GPU (Heat constraints)
35/45W CPU (Heat & power constraints)
User-upgradeable RAM (soldered on RAM)
FireWire 800 (too big)
Kensington lock (No space for such a lock)
Many, many more feature that make the MBP superior to MBAs

 

[Sam Yikin]

We’re getting to the point where more people use a DVDs only rarely—or not at all—while on the go. And some people don’t even use DVDs (with their computer) at home.

I hope they make a new Pro (good graphics!) with the DVD optional and external—and price the machine fairly for a package that doesn’t include that. This will make a thinner and better machine for most people. The rest can get the DVD option relatively cheaply, and STILL have a better machine: one that doesn’t have a DVD drive except when they want to use it.

For those (increasingly few) who want a DVD drive often while on the go, Apple’s external is nice and slim. It’s a second-best solution for those people, but certainly not a bad one. (For movies, ANY disc at all is a compromise, as we shift to more convenient options.)

I’d have an external DVD, if/when I only have one Mac. (Right now my old iMac is all the DVD player I need.) But I’d leave it at home 99% of the time.

The way I see is, there is NO way a next gen thin MacBook will have an optical drive. With the way they're putting all their software online, I'm almost surprised current gens have ODDs.

 

[Steve's Barber]

Knew the writing was on the wall but I was hoping the Pro and Air lines would stay separate for at least 3 years or so.

My only fear is "thin and lean" will once again trump power as sacrifices will be made to squeeze everything in.

 

[jayhawk11]

If this happens, then I'm not buying a Mac laptop ever again...

I'm sure

 

[Prodo123]

The way I see is, there is NO way a next gen thin MacBook will have an optical drive. With the way they're putting all their software online, I'm almost surprised current gens have ODDs.

The way I see it, there's NO WAY a next gen "MacBook Air 15" would have a GPU.
Heat constraints much? Also, lack of ports that I frequently use (major one being FW800)?

 

[wikus]

get rid of the dvd drive BUT give us space for two 2.5" internal drives!

 

[cube]

Soldered RAM doesn't cut it and a 256GB SSD is too small.

 

[mikecorp]

evolution is necessary

Apple will ditch CD -dvd roms hopefully in the next model. I used last CD/DVD 3 years ago.

I would like to see some SSD combined with normal hdd. 1gb/s ????
where is the thunderbolt ??? stuff.

I'm ready to purchase:
new macbook pro
Ipad 3

 

[jasonxneo]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

The faster processors are kinda pointless when the standard MacBook pro ships with a 5400rpm hard drive. I hope the next revision includes ssd drives in the base model.

I hope your wallet has an extra ssd drive bay to store more cash

 

[dagamer34]

I'm hoping Apple does not ax the DVD drive quite yet, or at least hope that they give customers the option of a DVD drive or an optibay. A second hard drive (or SSD in addition to one of their blade-SSDs) would be really cool too. This will end up being a really nice, especially if they give more (cheaper) SSD options and stored the OS and most commonly-used programs on a blade SSD. Talk about a blazing fast machine right there!!!

Just imagine, 20GB blade-SSD with the OS and programs, and 500GB harddrive or (cheaper) SSD for the rest of your storage, with a possible second harddrive option instead of a DVD drive in a slightly thicker, heavier Macbook Air chassis sporting Ivy Bridge and more RAM (like 6GB minimum) and a slightly better screen. That would be the best laptop ever!

Dealing with multiple drives is... complicated. Plus, that would require OS-level support. The future is pure SSDs anyway.

I see the Air-style 11-15" models, and 15-17" Pro models. The 13" Pro goes by the wayside, as it doesn't offer that much to be a completely separate model. I don't think they can fit a super-beefy GPU inside an Air-like body, so we'll probably see a lower grade GPU in there. There will still be people who clamor for a true workstation replacement so the 15-17" models will remain as is.

15" Air will come with 128GB standard with high end model offering 256GB standard. Perhaps a Radeon HD 7400-7500 class GPU. Dual core CPU (as even the current MBPs barely handle the quad core CPU that well). No optical drive. Designed specifically for thinness and high battery life.