Apple Ramping Up Production of 12-Inch MacBook Air for Q1 2015 Delivery

[antonis]

Sorry, but no way here for Apple.

Samsung, Google, Microsoft, etc. all seem to travel the wrong road & eventually host a fire sale, lick their wounds & watch share rice drop like oil stocks.

After that, Samsung and a few others get back to pirating all of Apple's products and increase the size of their legal staff. Hah!

Agreed on all that, but you're obviously referring to the mobile device market. Laptop/computer market is a totally different story, and there's no Microsoft, Google or Samsung competing with Apple there, regarding h/w. Apple is competing with other manufacturers that they do not seem so hesitate to cripple their machines, for the shake of...I don't know. Thin ?

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Besides, they are probably getting pretty close to max thin/flatness.

I agree with your latest post. However, I kept this line as it should be mailed directly to Apple. I'm really not sure if they have realized that as they seem too obsessed with flatness right now. Maybe dangerously obsessed.

 

[peterdevries]

I agree with your latest post. However, I kept this line as it should be mailed directly to Apple. I'm really not sure if they have realized that as they seem too obsessed with flatness right now. Maybe dangerously obsessed.

In what way? The only product that is being reduced in terms of plug-in connectivity is the MBA. Sure it has less ports, but for those that require more there is the MBP and that has thunderbolt for endless expansion.

In terms of the iPhone, all reviewers and tests agree that battery life has improved over previous versions.

So, it seems Apple is trying very hard to make their products as portable as they can possibly get, while trying to preserve as much functionality and battery life as is possible.

I can see how some prefer to carry thick laptops and cellphones around for maximum battery life and connectivity, but the fact of the matter is that the majority of the market prefers it the other way. Regardless of what is said on this forum. I think we can all agree that Macrumors is not exactly a good representation of the average Apple consumer.

I for one am happy that Apple is pushing the envelope here. Wireless connectivity is the future, even with peripherals such as external storage. Wifi networks are becoming more potent and device to device communication is also increasing in usability.

It is for companies such as Apple that standards advance. Apple was the first to ditch floppy, CD rom and look where the competition is now. They have all done the same. None of the competition is doing anything similar. All my work laptops (windows) still get delivered with a VGA port.

 

[Steve121178]

That's a joke, right?

No.

For me, OS X hasn't changed for years. There's a bit more visual garnish and some extra stuff bolted on to it (some useful stuff I might add, but it is 'bolted on' and not integrated very well), but essentially OS X has been fundamentally the same since Leopard.

Windows 8.1 & Windows 10 are moving forward and at least look like they are from 2014/2015. The Dock has had zero improvements for years. The file management is still more basic than Windows 98. The menus & overall structure is of an operating system from 10 years ago. Apple need to get with it.

Is OS X still good? Yes, of course. But it is dated and thanks to its ageing foundations, it is showing its age.

 

[sracer]

No.

For me, OS X hasn't changed for years. There's a bit more visual garnish and some extra stuff bolted on to it (some useful stuff I might add, but it is 'bolted on' and not integrated very well), but essentially OS X has been fundamentally the same since Leopard.

Windows 8.1 & Windows 10 are moving forward and at least look like they are from 2014/2015. The Dock has had zero improvements for years. The file management is still more basic than Windows 98. The menus & overall structure is of an operating system from 10 years ago. Apple need to get with it.

Is OS X still good? Yes, of course. But it is dated and thanks to its ageing foundations, it is showing its age.

You make some good points if one is looking for flashiness in their operating systems.

One of the things that I really appreciate about OSX over Windows (any version) is the lack of visual clutter in the UI. I like that it "fades away" and doesn't draw attention to itself but allows the content within the applications to be front and center.

 

[Steve121178]

You make some good points if one is looking for flashiness in their operating systems.

One of the things that I really appreciate about OSX over Windows (any version) is the lack of visual clutter in the UI. I like that it "fades away" and doesn't draw attention to itself but allows the content within the applications to be front and center.

I agree with you and I also like the lack of clutter, but as I said above it's the foundations that are showing their age and restricting what Apple can really with with OS X. I'm sure a small team somewhere must be working on a true successor to OS X, at least I would like to think they are. To be honest, it would have been better to dedicate more resources to a next-gen operating system rather than pushing out annual updates for the last few years. Imagine what the team could have done in the time they had to faff about and get Mountain Lion, Mavericks & Yosemite ready for release.

Perhaps the reason for the lack of any real update to OS X is because Apple have put all their focus and resources in to iOS. Although if iOS 8 is the result of this focus then I'm a little lost for words.

 

[shenan1982]

You won't be using a Logitech MX Anywhere mouse when USB type C is all that's in the wild - until they create a type C dongle, that is. What this really looks like is that Bluetooth mice and keyboards will finally get the push they needed 10 years ago. There is no reason we should need dongles when our PC's have no less than two wireless radios and sometimes many more.

Yeah I'd agree but there's not a single bluetooth any-surface mouse on the market .... none, I've tried every one people claim work on any surface and they don't. I would LOVE to find one, my MBA looks so tacky with the logitech dongle, but the MX Anywhere is the only mouse I've had that works on clear glass, mirror, wood, sheets, etc.

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Without a fan they can put in a thinner yet more powerful battery. That and the missing ports will save battery life also.

The bulk of the power usage is the screen. And not only would the screen be bigger, but it'd be retina. The battery life will only worsen if they shrink the battery, it's physics 101.

 

[malexandria]

This Vs. Surface Pro

I don't understand the point of this, besides trying to go after the Surface Pro? At least that thing has ports. Really not liking the direction Apple is going with their hardware. As someone who owns almost every Mac Product, sadly, this may be my last year on Macs. Going to hold onto my 2012 MBP as long as possible.

 

[antonis]

In what way? The only product that is being reduced in terms of plug-in connectivity is the MBA. Sure it has less ports, but for those that require more there is the MBP and that has thunderbolt for endless expansion.

In terms of the iPhone, all reviewers and tests agree that battery life has improved over previous versions.

So, it seems Apple is trying very hard to make their products as portable as they can possibly get, while trying to preserve as much functionality and battery life as is possible.

I can see how some prefer to carry thick laptops and cellphones around for maximum battery life and connectivity, but the fact of the matter is that the majority of the market prefers it the other way. Regardless of what is said on this forum. I think we can all agree that Macrumors is not exactly a good representation of the average Apple consumer.

I for one am happy that Apple is pushing the envelope here. Wireless connectivity is the future, even with peripherals such as external storage. Wifi networks are becoming more potent and device to device communication is also increasing in usability.

It is for companies such as Apple that standards advance. Apple was the first to ditch floppy, CD rom and look where the competition is now. They have all done the same. None of the competition is doing anything similar. All my work laptops (windows) still get delivered with a VGA port.

In every way, I'd say. Removing a bunch of ports that are current standards by the entire computer industry, without any practical benefit at all, is hardly an innovation. The new glued-everything crippled-to-the-bones Mac Mini is also hardly an innovation, as much as the new iMac with the reduced upgradability.

How's that removing all these ports from MBA benefits the user that wants a wireless-only connectivity ? And how can anyone be so sure of what people really want and that these forums do not represent the majority ? I haven't heard anyone so far saying "Hey, Apple, please remove all of my ports so my MBA's weight drops even below 1kg".

Regardless, I'd hardly call the current MBA as a "thick laptop", although it allows you to connect in every possible way, at the same time. People should stop thinking like they are Apple shareholders (well, unless they are Apple shareholders of course) and justify everything as "it's good for profits". They should start thinking as computer users, since it seems that what benefits the former is not exactly the same that benefits the latter.

IMHO Apple is keeping strong at mobile device market, but they start losing it in the computer market. Of course, it might be a business strategy to turn Macs into larger iToys, and prove to be very profiting, but as a professional adult user who wants a computer for work and entertainment, I can't help but feel that Apple alienates me more and more every year.

 

[Steve121178]

In every way, I'd say. Removing a bunch of ports that are current standards by the entire computer industry, without any practical benefit at all, is hardly an innovation. The new glued-everything crippled-to-the-bones Mac Mini is also hardly an innovation, as much as the new iMac with the reduced upgradability.

How's that removing all these ports from MBA benefits the user that wants a wireless-only connectivity ? And how can anyone be so sure of what people really want and that these forums do not represent the majority ? I haven't heard anyone so far saying "Hey, Apple, please remove all of my ports so my MBA's weight drops even below 1kg".

Regardless, I'd hardly call the current MBA as a "thick laptop", although it allows you to connect in every possible way, at the same time. People should stop thinking like they are Apple shareholders (well, unless they are Apple shareholders of course) and justify everything as "it's good for profits". They should start thinking as computer users, since it seems that what benefits the former is not exactly the same that benefits the latter.

IMHO Apple is keeping strong at mobile device market, but they start losing it in the computer market. Of course, it might be a business strategy to turn Macs into larger iToys, and prove to be very profiting, but as a professional adult user who wants a computer for work and entertainment, I can't help but feel that Apple alienates me more and more every year.

The 13" MBA & MacBook Pro will still exist, so users that need regular sized ports will be catered for.

I think a 12" MBA will be aimed at users on the go who demand battery longevity & portability but just need it for the internet & general usage. It will still have USB functionality, although it will allegedly adopt the new USB Type-C standard. Not a big deal.

Why can't a product like this exist alongside the current MacBook's?

 

[dilbert99]

To be fair, there are Bluetooth mice and keyboards available. I'd be most worried about connecting an iPhone or iPad to it. This thing won't even work with Apple's own products without a dongle.

It was an example...what if i want to charge and plug in a usb pen or hard drive and charge at the same time?

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Connect a 24 USB port hub and add as many USB devices as you want (or buy a MBP)!

Already got two...

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You're using it wrong, but seriously how about we just wait an see what their solution is for all of this before we jump to conclusions. There is always that option of, you know... buying something else.

What like having to buy a dongle if i want to plug in ethernet on my current laptop? Why should I want to buy something else when I can whinge and hope that Apple takes note...Its not as if Windows 8 is an alternative.

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Why dont you use a bluetooth mouse so no dongle required?

Because my mouse with a dongle is perfectly good and I want to spend my money on other things which is a bit mute cos I won't be buying one of these anyway, I need more power...I just hope they don't do that to the rMBP, the soldered ram and proprietary SSD is bad enough and Apple has lost a lot of latitude with me.

 

[Keirasplace]

I'm really interested to see how this turns out.

However, OS X looks a dated mess next to Windows 10 so whilst I really would like an ultra skinny MacBook, some of the machines displayed at CES last week show how the competition hasn't stood still. For me, Apple are going to need to do more than shave off a bit of weight to make this a "must have" notebook. I wonder what hardware innovations it will bring apart from being ridiculously slim & light?

So, what "innovation" has the others done. If their using Intel, and windows, they not innovating much at all. So, what? Please inform me. Seriously?

No phone or tablet is really beating Apple either. So, what are you talking about?

In fact the way for Apple to truly innovate would be to release a 14 nm A9 (Samsung supposedly has started producing this I believe) much higher clocked by June and blast those very thick heavy brick laptops to smithereens. Getting away from Intel would be a great way to differentiate.

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It was an example...what if i want to charge and plug in a usb pen or hard drive and charge at the same time?

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Already got two...

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What like having to buy a dongle if i want to plug in ethernet on my current laptop? Why should I want to buy something else when I can whinge and hope that Apple takes note...Its not as if Windows 8 is an alternative.

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Because my mouse with a dongle is perfectly good and I want to spend my money on other things which is a bit mute cos I won't be buying one of these anyway, I need more power...I just hope they don't do that to the rMBP, the soldered ram and proprietary SSD is bad enough and Apple has lost a lot of latitude with me.

Funny, you act like its a big surprise that Apple cuts ports/anything physical. That's been their thing for at least 15 years. Doesn't seem to have hurt them much hmmm...

 

[shanson27]

This s how it should be

 

[2457282]

If what we see is legitimate (and not the musings of a fan, or a trial balloon floated by Apple itself), then there must be more to it than what has been revealed.

Remove the ports but keep the archaic 3.5mm headphone jack?! I'm sure someone will claim that it is important to keep the jack while at the same time defending the removable of all other ports. *shrug*

You outline a very narrow use case where this device makes sense. Even minimal devices like Chromebooks have more connectivity features.

Pricing may help position this device well... a $500 base price could make things interesting. $900, not so much.

If they can make a bluetooth earphone that gives me at least (and not say much here) the same quality of the ear pods under $50 bucks, then we can get rid of the headphone jack. This is really the only place where we still have issues. I use to use a bluetooth in-ear headphone (cost me $100) but it was not convenient, battery drained quick, did not like the sound when talking to people, and was not really all that good for music. I am back to using the pods. I will revisit this in about a year with the 6s and see whats out there.

My point in all of this is that (with the above exception) we no longer need to directly attach things to what is supposed to be a mobile device. The point is to eliminate the need to attach because everything can be done without wires and in most cases without external accessories. That stuff only adds weight and junk to be carried around, making things less mobile.

 

[D.T.]

The 13" MBA & MacBook Pro will still exist, so users that need regular sized ports will be catered for.

I think a 12" MBA will be aimed at users on the go who demand battery longevity & portability but just need it for the internet & general usage. It will still have USB functionality, although it will allegedly adopt the new USB Type-C standard. Not a big deal.

Why can't a product like this exist alongside the current MacBook's?

Yeah, I agree and I suspect Apple’s Roadmap for notebooks is to make this new 12” _the_ new Air design. It puts the Air and the Pro into more discrete product categories (since the Air 13” and Pro 13” almost overlap right now).

I could also see them going to slightly larger pro options, so a 12” Air, 14” and 16” Pros. The MBPs, keep a full array of ports, options for faster CPUs, discrete GPUs, the Airs are super minimal filling the usage model you described.

If/when my MBP dies, I’m probably going to do a Mini at the desktop (my notebook spends 90-95% of its time “docked” at a large display,KB,mouse anyway), and one of these for the road.

 

[Mitch1984]

It seems like some people want this to be a MacBook Pro when it comes to certain specs / features. But, it's NOT a "pro" laptop. Call it an ultra-portable - or whatever you wish. Just keep in mind that it is designed to have less than a standard laptop. The focus is portability, lightness, etc. Be reminded, it was first marketed as a good second computer, not as one's primary computer.

Apple is moving tech forward, sometimes to the dismay of people locked into old ways of doing things. We've been getting nudged by Apple (and others) to have a more wireless (non port) mindset. We should be happy when they nudge us, even if it can be difficult to accept at first.

Bottom line, I'm eager to see what they've come up with.

Exactly, if you need all the bells and whistle you'll have to get a higher end mac. I am glad they are doing the a stripped down one as it's all I can afford this time I upgrade.

 

[linkgx1]

I agree with you and I also like the lack of clutter, but as I said above it's the foundations that are showing their age and restricting what Apple can really with with OS X. I'm sure a small team somewhere must be working on a true successor to OS X, at least I would like to think they are. To be honest, it would have been better to dedicate more resources to a next-gen operating system rather than pushing out annual updates for the last few years. Imagine what the team could have done in the time they had to faff about and get Mountain Lion, Mavericks & Yosemite ready for release.

Perhaps the reason for the lack of any real update to OS X is because Apple have put all their focus and resources in to iOS. Although if iOS 8 is the result of this focus then I'm a little lost for words.

I still think that Apple is waiting for OSXI to have the largest changes. Since iOS is the money maker, naturally Apple will focus on that. But we must also look at the fact that Mac sales has steadily increased over time. If people are buying it at the current rate, Apple can keep this up for at least another 5 years before deciding to upgrade to ''XI''.

 

[technosix]

This... is what I've been saving my pennies for.

What about this new model appeals to you?

 

[Yvan256]

MacBook Air retina 12" (same LCD display as the 12" iPad Pro)
MacBook Pro retina 15"
MacBook Pro retina 17"

 

[linkgx1]

I think the biggest issue is that Apple doesn't want to eat either the MBPro's market share nor the iPads. They want the thinnest, lightest laptop avail...that's still usable. Make it to usable and that can cut into valuable profit margins.

 

[jrswizzle]

Who even buys the MBA when they could buy a 13" retina pro? It's not like the rMBP isn't ultra-portable or doesn't have a great battery life already.

Sure the MBA might be a little lighter with a little better battery but it comes at an enormous performance cost. I mean I guess if you are a die-hard Starbucks dweller who needs to surf facebook for 12 hours, then I guess the Air is for you since it's about all it can do, somewhat negating the need for huge battery life IMO.

And it sounds like they are going to keep the 13" air with it's screen from 2003? lolol.

Man.....what a douchey post.

I bought a top-of-the-line 13" MBA in 2013 because I wanted ultra-portability and the MBA was as thin and light as it gets.

I travel a lot for work and already have to carry a Dell laptop. My MBA is for my school work and I didn't want to be lugging around two semi-heavy laptops.

Enter the 2013 MBA - which does a lot more than "surf facebook" in Starbucks....

 

[Iamthinking]

I'm eagerly anticipating this machine but am saddened to hear about all the rumours of no ports.

I can't see why apple could not at least provide a wafer-thin lightning connection a la ipad. I already have the Lightning>usb dongle for that and it works very well. I think providing at least a lightning and preferably a single Thunderbolt connection for this model would be enough for many of us. And it provides apple with a continued stream of cash for their dongle ecosystem.

Thoughts?

 

[peterdevries]

In every way, I'd say. Removing a bunch of ports that are current standards by the entire computer industry, without any practical benefit at all, is hardly an innovation. The new glued-everything crippled-to-the-bones Mac Mini is also hardly an innovation, as much as the new iMac with the reduced upgradability.

No one here was arguing the innovativeness of the iMac. The fact of the matter is that Apple is selling more computers every year and its market share has been increasing continuously since 2006. So, you can debate the annoying thinness and lack of upgradability all that you want and pretend you are the focus of the Apple customer segment, but you are not.

And how can anyone be so sure of what people really want and that these forums do not represent the majority?

come on, you are not seriously suggesting that Macrumors presents a perfect sample of the entire Apple customer population?

They should start thinking as computer users, since it seems that what benefits the former is not exactly the same that benefits the latter.

Apparently Apple knows perfectly well what computer users need, considering the fact that they sell more each year.

IMHO Apple is keeping strong at mobile device market, but they start losing it in the computer market.

Please review the computer sales and then your statement. It does not make sense what you are saying.

I can't help but feel that Apple alienates me more and more every year.

Exactly, that is your point. YOU do not agree with the direction that Apple is taking, especially on a new laptop product. But Apple has several other laptop types for sale, so why not just accept that you don't need to be the default customer for all Apple products and be happy with the product you actually need. There are enough people that will happily buy this new laptop, despite all the flaws that you seem to have figured out, even before it has been released.

 

[bingeciren]

I have been an 11" Air user since day one. I'm on my 4th 11" Air (older ones are passed down to the family members).

Although I'm 60+, I have no problems with the 11" screen and I will not tolerate anything heavier than my current 11" Air.

I think most renderings of the 12" Airs are not accurate. The footprint of the current 11" Air is wide enough to accommodate a 12" screen (just get rid of the thick bezel). Also, the 11" Air is actually 11.6" to be precise, so the difference between an 11.6" display and a 12" display is not as big as it sounds.

The most logical "upgrade" for my 11" Air would be a 12" Air with the same amount of ports with the addition of a retina display.

If the new 12" Mac Air has less that 2 USB ports and less than one Thunderbolt port, it would be a downgrade in my opinion and would be a sufficient reason for me to hang on to my current 11" Air regardless of the screen resolution.

 

[malexandria]

Seriously, Who is this For?

Seriously, who is this computer for? People with too much money and little sense? What is the point of spending over a grand on a computer that has no ports, not enough storage space to really do anything and oh yeah no cd drive (yeah, yeah, I know all you MacForum people don't believe in CDs because Apple told you not to).

But seriously, any portability gains are lost by the time I would have to carry around an external hard drive that contains my photo and video library, keep track of dongles, usb hubs and yes, I DO use my DVD/Blu-ray drive all the time - though I don't need it when I travel. Not to mention, iPhoto, iTunes and iMovie makes it darn near "impossible" to actually properly manage storage space.

 

[barmann]

Honestly, you are completely overlaying your needs and values on every other computer user and saying the MBA isn't worth the money when millions and millions of people buy and happily use these computers everyday for both personal and professional purposes. A lightweight portable MBA that has long battery life and cost $300 less than a rMBP is not the trade-off that you would make, but it is reasonable trade-off for many folks.

.....

Absolutely right .
The proverbial 95% of Mac users don't need more than what any MBA has to offer .

Unfortunately, that's the same 95% that come running to people like me - not a computer expert at all - and ask why their Mac is getting slow, can't run this or that app, or what to do when the damn thing isn't working at all .

And then it's people like me who search the forums for drivers for their ancient scanners, adapters for their displays and whatnot, and find out why their particular Mac doesn't provide enough port power for their camcorder or explain how the FW drive can't be connected to the 'it just works' Mac they just bought.

Those 95% of 'happy' Mac users never visit the forums, much less post on them; of the remaining 5%, 1% post and just bitch, 1% bitch and offer solutions, and the 3% majority tells everyone how everything is just peachy in Apple land .

I love my Macs, but I believe this is not a good time for Mac users .