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Any guess on when MBA would get Sandy Bridge?

S

sammyman

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 21, 2005
998
66
I am reading about the new MBP release which sounds like it will most likely get the Sandy Bridge chips. Is it possible that Sandy Bridge would make its way into the MacBook Airs sometime this year? I am thinking I really don't need the storage in macbooks these days. All of my storage is on my desktop and everything else is streaming to my laptop. Plus with dropbox, and mobile me, I think a mba would probably be ok.

So any idea if sandy bridge would make it sometime soon to the mba, or will they lag far behind the macbooks (like next year or later)?
 
There was a rumor of June update for MBAs but to be honest, nobody knows when the next update will be.
 
nsdjoe said:
If you're referring to the 2537M, 2617M and 2657M, those are low voltage (17W TDP) but not ULV. Last I heard ULV is coming Q2 or Q3.
Click to expand...

ULV - 17W
LV - 25W

AFAIK Intel has no plans on releasing a Sandy Bridge CPU with lower wattage. That is what Atoms are for.
 
Normally I wouldn't think Apple would be quick to refresh a product, but the MacBook Air is a machine that just screams for an update for so so many reasons.

Speed - The biggest complaint about the MBA is the outdated CPU, but at the time this was the only choice for such a thin device. But with Sandy Bridge then I've read that it could easily replace the current CPU with no negative performance hit.

Thunderbolt - Apple went through the trouble of rebranding Intelsat LightPeak so it wouldn't make sense for them to just sit this technology on ONLY the MacBook Pro line. So purely out of brand recognition then Apple would want to fast track ThunderBolt on all their products.

FaceTime HD - Again, branding may get Apple to rush an update. They killed the iSight name in favor of FaceTime HD, yet the cruder MBA camera is as far from HD as you can get.

Standard MacBook - The elimination of the White Macbook not only kills the singular MacBook name, it also creates a huge gap between the MBA and the i5 MacBook Pro 13. This needs to be filled so what better than an i3/i5 MBA?

Excuse Makers - If you know a 2010 MacBook Air user then you know a very gifted excuse maker. They will try their best to convince you that a backlit keyboard wouldn't fit or go on and on about how you don't "need" a fast CPU, hard drive space or memory while completely ignoring that we're discussing a $1100 computer in 2011. Well, Apple already filled the orders of the "easy sales" but if they're going to nab the general public then they have to offer more than 2012 design with 2008 specs.

Timing - Many people say it's too early for an update but Its hard to believe its already been 5mo since the MBA release so the idea of an simple spec upgrade coming by June wouldnt be crazy at all. And I'll be first in line.

(BTW, my dream machine is an 11" MBA i3 4GB Backlit KB, FaceTime HD)
 
KittyKatta said:
Standard MacBook - The elimination of the White Macbook not only kills the singular MacBook name, it also creates a huge gap between the MBA and the i5 MacBook Pro 13. This needs to be filled so what better than an i3/i5 MBA?
Click to expand...

Huh? The white MacBook still exists. There's no gap. Where did you get this idea?

Excuse Makers - If you know a 2010 MacBook Air user then you know a very gifted excuse maker. They will try their best to convince you that a backlit keyboard wouldn't fit or go on and on about how you don't "need" a fast CPU, hard drive space or memory while completely ignoring that we're discussing a $1100 computer in 2011. Well, Apple already filled the orders of the "easy sales" but if they're going to nab the general public then they have to offer more than 2012 design with 2008 specs.
Click to expand...

While I don't really disagree with the rest of the points, these two didn't make sense to me. It's not about need, it's about tradeoffs. No, you don't need a larger drive if your primary need is for portability. If you want a big drive, you get a MacBook or MacBook Pro. If you want a really portable machine and you're willing to sacrifice some drive space, you get a MacBook Air. Same with performance.

jW
 
Mal said:
While I don't really disagree with the rest of the points, these two didn't make sense to me. It's not about need, it's about tradeoffs. No, you don't need a larger drive if your primary need is for portability. If you want a big drive, you get a MacBook or MacBook Pro. If you want a really portable machine and you're willing to sacrifice some drive space, you get a MacBook Air. Same with performance.

jW
Click to expand...

yeah, if MBA gets Thunderbolt, then you can easily add an external HD (SSD perhaps) if you really need a larger storage.
 
Mal said:
Huh? The white MacBook still exists. There's no gap. Where did you get this idea?
Click to expand...
My fault. The problem with rumors is that every credible site reports them. I saw it so many times that it must have subconsciously turned into fact in my brain. Sorry. But, that doesnt mean it should probably go away. The White Macbook simply doesnt fit Apple's lineup anymore in terms of style or purpose. And as a believer in the Macbook Air minimalistic design then I'd love to see that be the base sub-$1000 Apple notebook.

Mal said:
It's not about need, it's about tradeoffs. No, you don't need a larger drive if your primary need is for portability. If you want a big drive, you get a MacBook or MacBook Pro. If you want a really portable machine and you're willing to sacrifice some drive space, you get a MacBook Air. Same with performance.
Click to expand...
To be fair, capacity is only one minor point I brought up in a wishlist for a Macbook Air update. 128GB is an acceptable tradeoff because there simply aren't other options when it comes to SSD right now. But, as a short time 2010 MBA user, the things I feel shouldnt be compromised are things readily available. If things like Backlit Keyboards, more memory or better webcams are available then the exclusion then it isn't a tradeoff, its an excuse. And with the new Sandy Bridge and Thunderbolt now available then I'm hoping Apple wont wait a year to implement them in the Air because I want one. :D
 
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