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Accessory Manufacturer Claims 15-Inch MacBook Air Coming in April

I'm all for a 15" Air... more options are awesome. As long as they don't discontinue the 15" MBP.

I don't need ultra portability. The 15" MBP is already portable enough for me, and I love having internal space for up to two 2.5" HDD devices (you can replace the optical drive), built in gigabit ethernet (100mbps USB adapters don't cut it), and a fast CPU + discrete graphics.

I'm also not a fan of ports on both sides; makes docking at a desk more cumbersome.
 
My bet is that we'll see a pro refresh using a more air-like form factor. Pricing will stay the same or similar to what the 15 and 17 pros are selling for. The 13" pro will go away, as it should. So you'll have 11" and 13" airs, 15" and 17" pros as the offering. The pros will have at least some of the things that airs lack, like increased ram, more ports, higher res screens (with matte option), dedicated graphics. Batteries will grow in size, but even with the newest processors running more efficiently, you'll see the same rating given the increased screen resolution will require more leds for lighting.

I thought before that I would jump at a 15" air if Apple released it, but I'm really better off just getting the TB Display, keyboard and trackpad and using my 13" air to drive it while in the office and enjoy the air for traveling. I'm really satisfied with the air as a traveling laptop and don't want to go back to carrying more weight that a 15" model would create.
 
roch said:
Retina Display would make this craze and a definite cop on my part... Actually a larger SSD would be sick too!
Click to expand...

Sadly I must admit if Retina MacBooks becomes a reality, I may just upgrade my late 2007 MBP even though it'll surely run Mountain Lion flawlessly. Retina displays and the possibility of Airplay Mirroring are incredibly attractive.
 
John McCollum said:
I thought that too -- until I got a Mac Book Air. I've never once missed the ethernet port, and the SSD erases (for me, at least) any sense of a processor-related performance gap.

The form factor is just so compelling. When I pick up my friend's MBP, I can't believe I lugged that brick around for so long.

Plus, the battery life is pretty amazing.
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I use the ethernet port on my 15" MBP all the time. I live on a college campus where the hardline gives me ~60mb/s and ethernet gives me somewhere between 5 and 15. Setting up my own wireless is out of the question - since the spectrum is basically trashed by the campus wi-fi.

Plus, I have other (gigabit connected) machines on my network which I use for data storage.

Admittedly, if the Belkin thunderbolt dock wasn't $300, I would jump on that in a heartbeat. It would take the number of cables I have to plug in unplug from 5 down to 2. (Power, Ethernet, Firewire, External Display, USB -> power, Thunderbolt)

I really don't like seeing Apple discarding stuff like the ethernet port and the optical drive - I use both of those!
 
As far as IVY bridge:

Let the chips fall where they may...........

Apple will figure it out.

I do think there is a real delayed demand for MBP users.

At least I am waiting to get rid of my current MBP's to go with something lighter.

Despite the usual complaints Apple has proven that they are right with the Air line.

If you set things up right, all you need is the Air and an internet connection.

No need for a disk drive, Wifi is almost everywhere and as one poster mentioned take an airport extreme with you for ethernet needs.
 
I love the design of the airs, but if they replace the MPB and don't allow me to upgrade ram and HDD then I (and my entire family) will not be going there.

Sorry apple, but for the price your machines are already under spec'd. If you don't let me spend my own money bringing them inline with everyone else why would I buy into that?
 
garybUK said:
Ugh I hope they don't replace the pro with a air lineup, 15 inch in air format is pointless. I see them ditching the 13" mbp or the air though.

My 2007 MBP is also on it's last legs (Battery is kaput, 3 mins and it just power off's with no warning), Optical drive takes about 16 tries before it accepts a disk, Lion runs like a dog and Lion just eat's up it's 250gb hard disk (which i also think is on it's way out).

I just hope they keep the 2011 15" MBP and just bump up it's internals.
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Funny, my late 2007 MBP's battery lasts 3 hours on lion and is rumored to be much better in ML. I think you just need a new battery. As for the optical drive... Who really needs that nowadays anyway. I chucked mine out a while ago and added a second HDD in the laptop. Lion runs very smooth when you upgrade the machine to 4gb ram. I'm also always impressed how much faster my 2007 MBP is compared to my other family member's 2011 MBA.

As for lion eating up your HDD. Turn off Mobile Time Machine and everything will become normal again concerning HDD usage. I think you just need to optimize your MBP, not get rid of it.
 
I think they should exist next to each other.

At no point would an Air be able to replace what my MBP does now. Period.

Removing the optical drive and replacing it with a bigger battery I *can* see.
 
I can't imagine it replacing or phasing out the Pro line.
That would put Apple in a situation where they only appeal to a certain audience. I don't think I would want a 15" air over a 15" pro. I understand the appeal, but I think they both serve their purpose. Plus, they didn't get rid of the 13" Macbook Pro when the 13" Macbook Air came out.
 
Hardtimes said:
I love the design of the airs, but if they replace the MPB and don't allow me to upgrade ram and HDD then I (and my entire family) will not be going there.

Sorry apple, but for the price your machines are already under spec'd. If you don't let me spend my own money bringing them inline with everyone else why would I buy into that?
Click to expand...

Have you tried working on an 2011 air? I don't think you'd consider them to be slow or underpowered. I moved from an old 15" pro ('07) and even compared to a 2011 pro that my wife got from work, the air is faster for everyday computing tasks (web, email, spreadsheets, docs, iPhoto, etc). Sure, you're stuck at 4gb of ram, but the ssd really makes that less of an issue than it seems. It would be great if you could upgrade the ram, but for the next couple of years, 4gb will work for me.

Even the storage piece is going to become a moot point when you start getting more TB external ssd drives hitting the market. They'll run almost as if they were internal and give you options for future upgrades.
 
adbe said:
swarmster said:
Yep

http://www.thunderbolt-peripherals.com/thunderbolt-adapter
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I don't see a price. Do you have any further info on that line lump?

I see Thunderbolt, and my credit card goes into panic mode, but I know prices are starting to inch downwards.
Click to expand...

Well, here's the press release. It's out in 2Q and they haven't announced a price yet.

http://www.sonnettech.com/news/pr2011/pr041111_thunderbolt.html

Belkin has a many-port dock rumoured to be $299 that is also launching 2Q.

For immediate GigE availability, see Apple's docking station:

http://www.apple.com/displays/

Or get a $2 USB adapter and slum it at 100Mb.
 
The beginning of the end of the MacBook Pro's.

Just a matter of time now.

2012: cut 13" MBP
2013: cut 15" MBP
2014: cut 17" MBP
 
ericschmerick said:
I dunno, maybe I'm a luddite, but I really like the existing macbook pro 15". I don't really see any compelling reason why it should be thinner.

I guess if it's thinner that's fine too, but for me it wouldn't be worth it to trade features (processing power, ethernet port) for thinness.
Click to expand...

I also have 15" pro. I never thought it was too thick. If anything it can sometimes be too wide/big like on an airplane. a 15" MBA will have the same issues (Which is why I would love to have an 11" MBA for travel)

If they can keep the 15" just as powerful I can see removing the optical drive and Ethernet port as long as they do have a reasonably priced dongle ($20-30) with Gigabit speeds available.
 
the Air could not and should not replace the MBP, to me the Air should be marketed like PC's market netbooks.

just a hand ultra-portable device for emailing browsing etc
 
2011 Line up: Air 11" and 13" / Pro 13", 15" and 17"

2012 Line up? Air 11", 13", 15" / Pro 15" and 17"

This is just a guess. But it makes sense.
 
igazza said:
You can use a USB adaptor, no drama. :D
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I usually like most decisions Apple makes, but this one is ridiculous. Ethernet is an extremely popular way to connect with the internet, especially in businesses. I don't want to not only pay extra money to buy a ethernet connector, but that means I would have to carry it around with me, too. If they give a good reason for dropping it beyond "we don't really like it," then I'll hopefully understand, but this is totally random and unexpected...
 
iisforiphone said:
the Air could not and should not replace the MBP, to me the Air should be marketed like PC's market netbooks.

just a hand ultra-portable device for emailing browsing etc
Click to expand...

Unless you're talking about using the airs for graphics heavy computing, they're nowhere near being considered along the lines of a netbook. And remember, it's Apple we're talking about. They're not going to do what people think they should do - they'll push forward. They'll piss you off because they removed some port or drive option. And they'll try to move you towards a new future until they revamp again and change the game once more.
 
osx11 said:
The beginning of the end of the MacBook Pro's.

Just a matter of time now.

2012: cut 13" MBP
2013: cut 15" MBP
2014: cut 17" MBP
Click to expand...


Apple just doesn't like Pro anything it seems these days.

----------
SPNarwhal said:
I can't imagine it replacing or phasing out the Pro line.
That would put Apple in a situation where they only appeal to a certain audience.
Click to expand...

Ya think?
 
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