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Apple Prepping 11.6'' MacBook Air and New iPod Touch with 3MP Camera

peapody said:
I think the 12" lend themselves to the 4:3 ratio...

Netbooks these days are 11.6"..at least the Asus ones I know.
Click to expand...

Ah yes, that makes sense.

I hate that ultra portables have become synonymous with the poorly made tripe that gets squeezed out by the netbook market. Apple will have to be careful to craft it with better performance than netbooks and higher quality components. I don’t mean an alu’ shell, and precision engineering, that’s a given. I mean shoe horn a discrete graphics option, a really top notch display and SSDs only. That would definitely help legitimise the price premium that it will obviously have.

The current air does have an identity crisis in that the footprint is so similar to the macbook, that very few of the laymen in store will appreciate the volume difference between the air and the macbook, when they're sitting on opposite ends of a table.
 
I'd be glad to see an 11.6" size for those who want it, but I personally hope that's in addition to, not instead of, the current 13" model. 11.6" seems just a tad too small to me, and something of that size would probably skimp on RAM/GFX.

I'd be happy to be proven wrong, though.
 
Perhaps it's just a smaller macbook air.

However, a macbook air will be clobbered by slightly thicker netbooks with 10+ hour battery life. The only way that Apple knows how to get such long battery life out of a computer is to use a different CPU... such as an ARM processor.

Obviously a mac with an arm CUP and hence no applications for it, wouldn't sell very well.

So what if it was a Macbook Air, with an ARM CPU, that has a touchscreen and runs the iOS apps naively. This would also reduce competition from other netbooks, while giving Apple a reason to price it above $500, even with the inferior CPU's.

Plus, I just want a ~12" Powerbook that doesn't have an Intel CPU in it. :p
 
As I see it, the Air will still be a "premium" computer with it's premium price of course. Now, if the rumors are predicting a new product with those specs, I'd say the idea from Apple is to create a true lightweight laptop, out of the range of the 13" MBP.

Although, as now there is the iPad, and in order not to interfere both markets, the price difference will probably remain big enough and consequently, the MBA will remain a limited luxury laptop, far from the price ranges of the classic 11,6 netbooks around.

I think we will see a much better battery life, as we've seen with the iPad and the new MBP, at least it would make sense on an ultraportable device. It will still have the essential ports, will be lighter and thinner, and lack a bit in power. I don't see the size reduction as a bad idea, but we'll see, it could be interesting.

Related to the 'touch, well, I find it a logical progression, nothing too impressive, I'd be more surprised about the adoption of the iPhone design on it though.
 
My (slightly hopeful) Guesses:
  • Core i7 680 - 1.46GHz, 2.53GHz Turbo! The Core-i7 680UM is absolutely perfect for me. 18 Watts TDP so it won't sear my thighs/duvet/sofa - I love to lap/bed/sofa surf – being able to at least watch videos on these surfaces is an enormous factor for me. Its 1.46GHz standard clock is perfectly sufficient for my everyday use, with the 2.53GHz Turbo reserved for those few times I personally do heavy lifting – eg video editing – whereupon I'll put it on a hardtop table and let it roar.
  • 4GB RAM (though would be nice to have more, for VM)
  • 256GB SSD
  • Intel Graphics - Integrated is the only realistic option that I can think of I'm afraid, barring major improvements in cooling tech (though see Toshiba rumors!)
  • IPS Display
  • Improved Battery
  • Current MBA is according to Apple "Up to 5 hours". With improved throttling algorithms in Snow Leopard (eg throttling individual cores) and potential for improved battery tech/spacial efficiency and lower idle clock speeds from a more efficient 32nm-process processor and integrated graphics only, I guess an 8 hour-battery
  • Lighter, Aluminium - say 2.5lbs? Despite reading reports late last year about rumors of Apple looking into Carbon Fiber tech for a possible future MBA, the argument of poor thermal conduction and perhaps price means that it is difficult to imagine them not continuing with their proven aluminium model. However, regardless of material I hope the design is as equally killer as the current MBA. And I'd like to see this one in black.
  • Integrated 4G, or even 3G
  • 3rd Gen Bear-slaughtering algorithm
    [*]Shards of moon
    [*]Pleasant to the tongue
  • Some as yet unknown Apple X-factor - a "one more thing" perhaps? :D
 
Regarding the rumored iPod touch, does anyone think it'll have that flat-backside w/ the aluminum trim as does the iPhone 4 or will it be like the current model, chrome and round w/ a black front...
 
sputnik3 said:
I have a 10.1" screen hackintosh, and the screen is way too small for most things other than consumer grade stuff (itunes, iphoto). My opinion is that an 11.6" screen will still be too small for the stuff people want to run on macbooks (photoshop, etc). But, just my $0.02. Apple usually knows what they're doing.
Click to expand...

11.6" netbooks usually run at 1366x768, which is the same resolution as the 13" Asus I am currently working on and more pixels than the 13" MBP. This is plenty for Photoshop, but obviously you would want to output to a separate larger display for comfort. Depends whether you think a netbook is suitable for PS, mind.
 
If this MacBook Air rumour were true, I'd definitely consider a purchase. I only really use a Mac when I'm out, say at University or doing work at the library, and to have an Air at this size would be absolutely perfect. It'd be light, compact, and unlike the iPad, it'd be nicer to type on which is the key thing.

Only thing is the price... When Apple initially said the iPad was only £429, it seemed so unlike them, but obviously when you get down to the hardware, the cost of manufacture is only a quarter of the retail value. With the current MacBook Air a stupidly high price for the spec, I would seriously expect to pay no more than £600 for this machine. If it's more, count me out.
 
oh hai, we've downgraded our smallest laptop. that'll be $2000, plz.

seriously, if 11.6" rumor is true, then that will be a big disappointment. i don't see them charging anything under $1500 for this laptop, which would be "o k" if it was a 13" laptop or even 14", but 11? you're entering netbook territory with that, and there are much better priced alternatives with similar sized screens.
 
Jobsian said:
And despite it only being 1.5lbs lighter than the 13" MBP (terrific notebook too), that's still a whopping 50% lighter.
Click to expand...

I don't mean to be pedantic, but for the MBA to be 50% lighter than the 13" MBP, it would have to weigh 2.25 lbs:

4.5lbs x .50 = 2.25lbs. As it stands, the 3lb MBA is 2/3 the weight of the 13" MBP, or 33% lighter.

The 13" MBP is, however, 50% heavier than the MBA:

3lbs x .50 = 1.5lbs. 3 lbs + 1.5lbs = 4.5lbs (13 MBP weight) ;)
 
alphaod said:
Didn't Apple mention how they wanted a full-size keyboard? I can't imagine that on an 11.6" formfactor unless you want the keyboard to go to the edge.
Click to expand...

This may be a stupid question but what is the smallest that a "full size" keyboard can be ?:)
 
If it's not <$1500 I'm not sure I'm interested. I'm curious to see what video card it has.
 
Of course it's a laptop that no one uses.... I cannot believe there still is no mac pro update.
 
We are either getting boned on the graphics card, boned on the chip, or we aren't getting anything.

Basically we are getting boned, I suppose there is an outside chance apple found a way to handle the heat (unlikely) or a new video solution.

:eek:
 
rhb said:
Unless of course the plan is to migrate everything to iOS eventually, in which case nevermind.:eek:
Click to expand...

I could see Apple migrating towards iOS, or hopefully a cross between iOS & full fledged Mac OS. Yes, I know, iOS is based on Mac OS X, hence why I put the "full fledged" part. While I would be against using the current version of the iOS on the Mac lineup, since it's mainly a consumer OS than a creator OS, if Apple added more serious creative functionality, I'd definitely consider it. But at the moment, the iOS doesn't offer enough to totally replace my MBP.
 
Jobsian said:
My (DELUSIONAL ) Guesses:
  • Core i7 680 - 1.46GHz, 2.53GHz Turbo! The Core-i7 680UM is absolutely perfect for me. 18 Watts TDP so it won't sear my thighs/duvet/sofa - I love to lap/bed/sofa surf – being able to at least watch videos on these surfaces is an enormous factor for me. Its 1.46GHz standard clock is perfectly sufficient for my everyday use, with the 2.53GHz Turbo reserved for those few times I personally do heavy lifting – eg video editing – whereupon I'll put it on a hardtop table and let it roar.
  • 4GB RAM (though would be nice to have more, for VM)
  • 256GB SSD
  • Intel Graphics - Integrated is the only realistic option that I can think of I'm afraid, barring major improvements in cooling tech (though see Toshiba rumors!)
  • IPS Display
  • Improved Battery
  • Current MBA is according to Apple "Up to 5 hours". With improved throttling algorithms in Snow Leopard (eg throttling individual cores) and potential for improved battery tech/spacial efficiency and lower idle clock speeds from a more efficient 32nm-process processor and integrated graphics only, I guess an 8 hour-battery
  • Lighter, Aluminium - say 2.5lbs? Despite reading reports late last year about rumors of Apple looking into Carbon Fiber tech for a possible future MBA, the argument of poor thermal conduction and perhaps price means that it is difficult to imagine them not continuing with their proven aluminium model. However, regardless of material I hope the design is as equally killer as the current MBA. And I'd like to see this one in black.
  • Integrated 4G, or even 3G
  • 3rd Gen Bear-slaughtering algorithm
    [*]Shards of moon
    [*]Pleasant to the tongue
  • Some as yet unknown Apple X-factor - a "one more thing" perhaps? :D
Click to expand...
fixed
 
budha said:
Of course it's a laptop that no one uses.... I cannot believe there still is no mac pro update.
Click to expand...

I don't mean to be rude, but are you kidding? It seems like everyone's gaga over the iOS, iPhone & iPad. While Id like a Mac Pro update as much as you, but while everyone's so interested in the iOS, I don't see much progress towards the Pro lineups.
 
So worried.

.
My gosh. I really hope Jony I've is not behind the design of this. If so, I may have to wait for Rev.2. I want it ASAP but I can't risk it if he designed it.
.
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
 
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