Thing is, sacrificing ports will not lower the price to the point where this upcoming MBA-like laptop costs as much as an iPad, so this new MBA is likely somewhere in between/replacing low-end MBAs (which puts us somewhere between $500 and $1k).
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Apple Ramping Up Production of 12-Inch MacBook Air for Q1 2015 Delivery
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Thing is, sacrificing ports will not lower the price to the point where this upcoming MBA-like laptop costs as much as an iPad, so this new MBA is likely somewhere in between/replacing low-end MBAs (which puts us somewhere between $500 and $1k).
You might be underestimating battery life here. This computer probably will have no need to be charged mid day no matter how much you use it. So you will never be on site and needing to charge. You will leave the house or office with a fully charged laptop from the night before and you will still have a charge by night time.
That is my guess.
I guess the USB port charger included with the iPhone is too old fashioned? Give me a break.
Ah, part of the "Apple is doomed!" crowd, are we?
People have been saying this for years, and it hasn't happened yet. I'm sure when it does, you'll all be right there to shout "I told you so!"
Seriously, Apple isn't forcing anyone to buy a dongle for anything. If you have specific needs for something and Apple isn't providing it, then don't buy that Apple device. Because they have a whole line of devices that fit different needs.
That's a lot of words to say... a Chromebook for the Apple crowd.
I can understand your amazement if you don't understand the difference uses and purposes between a tablet and ultra-lite notebook.
And how exactly did you get those files that you placed on your super fast USB 3.0 thumb drive? I think at some point, you used the "inherently unreliable internet" to get them in the first place, which kind of defeats your entire argument.
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The new (slimmer) port form factor for TB isn't coming until TB v3.0 which is probably at least another year away. Not only slimmer but it will have USB 3.0 pass through. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014...olt-doubles-speeds-but-changes-the-connector/
Version 2 or 3 of this MBA 12" will probably magically rediscovery the solution the 2nd or 3rd MBA made of one port is too few.
I suspect Apple is going to gauge the concept with this first model and then walk back from that excessive minimalism later with the incremental refinements. [ Perhaps throw in their insanely great Beats wireless headphones when they nuke the headphone jack in the swap. ] When fully evovled will have two Type C connectors.
However, even with two Type C ports many classic USB devices aren't going to fit without some sort of dongle. Once carrying around 1-2 dongles it isn't that big of a leap to have a mini hub.
To be fair, people lamented early on the fact iPad how no real ports until it became accepted.
This may be the case in the future for this notebook but at least give us a video out so it can be in same way useful.
What if the charging plug itself (the end that goes into the laptop) had like 4 USB ports on it?
March 24, 2015 Keynote:
- Updates about the success of iPhone 6/6+
- Apple Watch
- iOS 8.2
- Yosemite 10.10.2/3
- Photos App
- 12" MacBook Air
The current MBA doesn't have Ethernet port. There are Thunderbolt docks. It won't be surprising to see USB Type C docks show up in various sizes. The original MBA had same one port issue and managed not to choke on finding customers to buy it. It didn't maximize sales but didn't die either.
If Apple moves the price of the MBA 13" model down under this new 12" model I doubt there will be many real complaints. The issue is resolved by just not buy this "as slim as possible" Mac model.
If carrying the power cord/supply and a Ethernet dongle with current MBA then really isn't much of a difference if merge those two into another single dongle have to carry.
Apple has trimmed size/weight off of a couple generations of MBA. What was wrong with the original MBA's portability? This iteration is on the same motivational track as the previous ones. What was wrong with the old MagSafe socket? Apple is consumed with making things as flat as possible in the laptop space.
Apple's overall laptop sales are on an upward trend so they must be good for something for broad spectrum of buyers.
i suspect will add the 2nd port back in when TB v3.0 comes out with equally as slimmer and different-from-current form factor ports. Decent chance the audio in/out jack will get tossed in the process though.
Winner winner, chicken dinner!!
This is the perfect product for "Road Warriors who are not power users and need all of the input funtionality that a laptop can only deliver.
Having owned Apple Duo (230 & 280) this machine will be powerful enough for many of us to dock at the office and/or home. and have one computer......cool.
Bring it on!!
Somewhat true. Because the iPad has no ports, I can't use it in a way that would replace my laptop. I use usb keys quite a bit and I still charge my phone this way too so until storage devices become wireless and wireless phone charging is more convenient, I won't buy a laptop without ports.
That will be dependent upon what using it for. A broad set of workloads will work "all day", but there are still going to be some max battery drain workloads that if turn them on for 8 hours they will seriously deplete the battery.
Double the amount of what? A Windows machine? I do that anyway every time I buy Apple products, and I know the reasons for it well. I made peace a long time ago with paying more for something I truly believe is better.
The way I see it, they can price it right alongside the iPads. If this beast costs the same at base as a 128G iPad Air 2 with cellular, then it's a sale. The mere fact that they run a different OS is differentiation enough for me. But if that's not enough, there is the real probability that regardless of what Apple wants us to believe, the iPad is still more a device of consumption than creation. Most people I know of, the main purpose of the iPad is web, email, reading. This new Air, if it turns out to be this, will be the same, but will actually leverage OS X making it much more capable as a creation machine. Not for big things like 1080p video rendering, but certainly for writing. Taking notes. Blogging. Content creation. Organization. Planning. It is most of what many people do in their work, and this device would hit the sweet spot in a way the iPad never did.
what if the charger had a wireless connection too so you dont have too so it can act live a media/disk hub?
i wish apple wasn't so behind in technology. I also would like someone more aggressive as a CEO, but apple is still amazing (100%). the 12 inch MacBook Air is going to be slow, maybe with a good overclock. they need to put touchscreen on all the laptops even a chromebook has one
If this thing has the power of my 2013 13" MBA in a smaller form factor with a retina display, color me highly interested.
I've somewhat regretted not opting for a retina MBP when I bought my laptop, but I still prefer the thin MBA form factor.
Though, I'd imagine this baby will be pretty pricey.
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WHY?!?!?
If you want a touchscreen, buy a tablet. I think it's incredibly awkward and unnecessary to have a touchscreen on a laptop.
I'll never understand why this is so desirable.
I've somewhat regretted not opting for a retina MBP when I bought my laptop, but I still prefer the thin MBA form factor.
Though, I'd imagine this baby will be pretty pricey.
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WHY?!?!?
If you want a touchscreen, buy a tablet. I think it's incredibly awkward and unnecessary to have a touchscreen on a laptop.
I'll never understand why this is so desirable.