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16'' MBA?
- Thread starter MBX
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Apple has been known to produce products that cannibalize another, existing product of theirs, but I have never seen them do that to another product they had just came out with. They're quite savvy that way. So, no, a 16" Air won't happen because they want you to buy the MBP if you want a bigger screen.
The MBA's claim to fame is a light highly portable laptop. I can't see a 16" form factor fitting that need
I don't think it will happen, but I do think it could be a popular product for them. There's lots of people who would like a Mac with a bigger screen, but who don't need the power (and don't want to spend the money) on a MacBook Pro.
They could easily make a 15/16" version of the Air which is night and light, but its still going to have a large footprint which as @maflynn says, goes against what the Air actually is.
They could easily make a 15/16" version of the Air which is night and light, but its still going to have a large footprint which as @maflynn says, goes against what the Air actually is.
I would love an ultra-thin MacBook type laptop but with 15'' or 16'' screen.
My dream laptop would be 15'' or 16'' Macbook (the one that got discontinued) with powerful A14+ ARM Cpu's and up to 16GB Ram (or more but then it would rival the MBP). No fans. Super thin bezels.
My dream laptop would be 15'' or 16'' Macbook (the one that got discontinued) with powerful A14+ ARM Cpu's and up to 16GB Ram (or more but then it would rival the MBP). No fans. Super thin bezels.
On PC side, an ultra portable with 15” is popular enough to be offered by variety of vendors.
There are certainly people interested in the category, but I doubt Apple will offer.
There are certainly people interested in the category, but I doubt Apple will offer.
Add me to the chorus of users who would like a 15/16" MBA. I'd love the extra screen real estate, but the horsepower of even the base level 16" MBP is way overkill for my use case.
I would also like to see such a machine, but Apple have been perplexingly resistant to making it. Whether this is because of financials (they'd rather sell anyone wanting a full sized laptop the £2,399+ 16" Pro than an £1,299 Air) or because they don't believe there is a market for it (which is odd as most manufacturers do offer such a machine, it seems 15.6" Windows laptops are the most popular size) I don't know, but a 15" Air was also rumoured from the very start of the product line and never came to fruition.
I do think there's a possibility of a lower end 15" Pro returning to the lineup - like the 2013-2015 integrated graphics model ($1,999) or the $1,799 unibody model before they bumped the prices with retina. To my mind this would just take the price and specs of the higher tier 13" Pro - 28W U series cpu with integrated graphics starting at $1,799. The reason being there's basically no reason for this machine to exist in its current form anymore, the cheaper 13" model (2 thunderbolt 3 ports) is too close to it.
I do think there's a possibility of a lower end 15" Pro returning to the lineup - like the 2013-2015 integrated graphics model ($1,999) or the $1,799 unibody model before they bumped the prices with retina. To my mind this would just take the price and specs of the higher tier 13" Pro - 28W U series cpu with integrated graphics starting at $1,799. The reason being there's basically no reason for this machine to exist in its current form anymore, the cheaper 13" model (2 thunderbolt 3 ports) is too close to it.
Have an early 2015 MPA, and am beginning to mentally shop for something new in a year or two. My MBA has a 13" (well, 13.3" I am told) screen. I rarely take it out as a portable; mainly sits on my desk. I do my spreadsheets, surf the net, do email, watch YouTube a bit, but don't "stream". I have been reading about the 16" MBP, and basically wondering why I would want a bigger screen than what I have now. Seems like it would be more effort to look from one side of a 15" to the other. What would the advantages of a bigger screen be?
Not if it's very thin (like the discontinued Macbook), has an ARM Cpu, no fans and very light.
But I'll take 15'' or 14'' too if they shrink the bezels a lot... even more than on the new MBP.
As to your first point, that's the first time I'ver ever heard anyone say that an extra inch or two horizontally on a screen caused more trouble looking around on that screen. Your eyeball is at the end of a large lever, basically, traversing even a pretty long distance out in front of you takes only a very minute movement of your eyeballs. I think at 24" away, an extra 2" horizontal would change that so negligibly that you would have trouble measuring it even with sensitive equipment.
Your second point is valid. Not everyone needs or wants a bigger screen. I like the 16" because it's easier to have a word processor imbricated over Safari in such a fashion that I can see both and easily switch between them. Basically I can write and research with greater ease. I can also put my WP in dual page mode and see more of my writing at once.
I have no issues taking it out to coffee shops and elsewhere.
Where I'd want a smaller rig would be on planes, trains and automobiles.
I think we're much more likely to see the Air refreshed as a 12", with the new laptop line moving forward being separated into a 12", a 14" and a 16" -- the latter two being pros.
Forgot about the split screen aspect! I use it so little (partly because the half-screens are small) that I totally forgot about that! Thank you for reminding me!
I get the appeal of a mid-line model with 16" display, but you're right.
If anything, they should do a 16" MBP sans touchbar and charge like $1899. That's as close as I think we can get to a 16" MBA
This is EXACTLY why I want a 15/16" Air with a more reasonable price tag than $2399...
Not all Airs, but I think you already kind of meant that. Something like a 12" Macbook a again, a 14" Air and a 16" MBP. Sounds logical.
How so? Have you felt the weight of the 16" MBP? They could easily make a lighter, more streamlined 16" laptop that is half the weight of the MBP. I love my 16" MBP, but light it is not.
The way I see it, the main argument of the Air is to be as portable as possible - hence the (discontinued) 11" MBA. I'm not saying we will never have a really portable 16" MacBook ever, but if we did Apple would most likely retain the "Pro" nomenclature on this model. Therefore I think it's highly unlikely we'll ever get a 16" MBP alongside a 16" MBA.
