Click track and volume controls on the first generation, the second generation, removed from third generation (mistake), back on the fourth generation to fix that mistake.
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Apple Said to Delay Production of New MacBook Air With Retina Display to Second Half of 2018
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Click track and volume controls on the first generation, the second generation, removed from third generation (mistake), back on the fourth generation to fix that mistake.
The though occurs, what if Apple had a MacBook Air refresh waiting to go last year but decided not to pull the trigger on it? This 6 month old posting posits an unused MacBook Pro which is not a Mac Mini.
Remember that the Air got stalled with a Broadwell spec bump in June 2017 when the other 2017 MacBook pros got released. If there was an air potentially ready for release late last year it might have got the much discussed i5-8250u but releasing a quad core cpu into the cheapest Macbook 13” model would not have been great for the rest of the range,
Especially with the expense of the new models already driving buyers towards the air.
The retina MacBook and air might be due a revamp but could Apple have decided to wait for October when 5w or 15w cannon lake cpus might be available?
Remember that the Air got stalled with a Broadwell spec bump in June 2017 when the other 2017 MacBook pros got released. If there was an air potentially ready for release late last year it might have got the much discussed i5-8250u but releasing a quad core cpu into the cheapest Macbook 13” model would not have been great for the rest of the range,
Especially with the expense of the new models already driving buyers towards the air.
The retina MacBook and air might be due a revamp but could Apple have decided to wait for October when 5w or 15w cannon lake cpus might be available?
This looks like Apple playing with the timing of releases. Maybe the 13" replacement is a compelling value and Apple doesn't want it to steal the show (or share) from 12" MBs or 13" MBPs. Giving the spotlight to the more expensive machines early might be a reason to hold off on the cheaper model - at least until the school purchasing season starts.
I can't recall when they last did this - but I specifically remember they did do this on other products.
I can't recall when they last did this - but I specifically remember they did do this on other products.
Fair comment on the delay but the 2017 MBA was just a warmed over 2015 model. The ideal time to update would have been at the same time as the rest of the core laptops and desktops.
October could end up being a refresh for hardware likely to be bought by students in time for college - Retina MacBook, MacBook Air and perhaps the Mac Mini. All of these could be powered by early release Cannon Lake hardware meaning the Mini could be powered exclusively by 15w CPUs although the chance to add eGPU via Thunderbolt 3 might be interesting.
The main Cannon Lake stuff is due next year now but, as with the Kaby Lake stuff, the low wattage stuff tends to be on sale earlier.
It used to be a no brainer, buy a macbook or an air. Now I am using an XPS 13 because I don't want a touchbar, I don't like the keyboard, and I don't want a 12 inch screen. It really was the simplest update ever to make, give the air a retina screen, thin out the bezels, and update the specs. I am not saying that the 12" macbook is not cool, but it cannot be my main device even if the keyboard was better. In the iPad space they have basically just been remaking iPad Airs but with updated specs and functionality. When you have a great product you should realize that and stay within it. Re-imagining the laptop is not always the best path when you already have near perfection.
I'm waiting to see what they deliver next. If they can do something about the MBP's inflated price, and maybe make the non-touchbar MBP a bit more capable, I'd consider it. The current lineup is just not worth the asking price.
And dont forget the keyboard...
This right here seals the deal for me. Barring the possibility Apple might completely cure the keyboard issue or come out with a new keyboard design altogether by the time my 11" Air bites the dust, I'll be heading back to the Windows camp when it does. I'm not going to drop another significant chunk of change on something with cut-rate specs and piss poor QC/design issues like this.
It's also long past time for Apple to streamline/simplify their notebook lineup. Straighten out the sizes/performance levels, price them accordingly and call it a day already.
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October would be bad news for people that have been outpriced by Apple in recent years - at least when the MBP is updated before that and hopefully comes with a more moderate pricetag. If not, even worst news because the MBP's get more and more outdated every day.
Either way, tired of playing the waiting game.
Either way, tired of playing the waiting game.
My issues weren't related to a career really. Some of the things that bothered me was the lack of a rotatable screen which limits its use with keyboard to a desk/table setting. Also macOS is still miles ahead in using multiple documents and apps simultaneously. And to be honest I don't see a device that uses touch input as a replacement for point and click ever catching up with the latter in terms of efficiency. That includes managerial positions. I mean selecting and copy/pasting segments of a document is just abysmal, and if it gets improved on, it's still counter intuitive and less efficient to raise your hand from the keyboard, where it's right next to the trackpad in the case of a MacBook. I know for some people it works, I tried to make it work for over six months but ended up longing back to MacBook.
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I've also been considering a return to Windows. The thing is though despite all criticism for macOS, it still suits my workflow better than Windows. Also I'm not so sure whether OEMs sporting Windows will satisfy my needs better than MacBook. I know what these machines do well and where they suffer. As for W10 laptops, I'm afraid I'll be disappointed by some of the things Mac has me taking for granted. But yeah, after WWDC it might turn out I have to make that plunge.
I know what you mean. I've been using Windows 10 at work for quite a while (since it came out basically) and found it to be as easy to use in most cases as macOS - in a whole other league from previous iterations like 7 and Vista. I was intrigued a bit, but still stuck with macOS for my photography. After watching my friend/mentor (who built his own desktop rig) do a lot of his editing on an off-the-shelf HP laptop though, that really got my gears spinning (breezed through photoshop/lightroom).
I haven't touched one in over 8 years, though I feel like I've read enough reviews on my top two candidates to know what I'd be getting into. The one thing I'll definitely miss when I make that plunge is the iCloud keychain - am either going to have to spring for something like 1Password or figure out some other way to keep all my different credentials handy.
I am in the exact same position. I probably need to buy a new laptop in June to include it in a sponsorship for my master thesis and it would be a shame if I just miss a refresh or new gen by a month or two.
I am currently using a HP Elitebook 820, which has a superb keyboard for a notebook, but I'd like to use macOS. I tried the latest Macbook (Pro)'s keyboard in some stores and it felt worse than a Surface Pro one.
When a lot of you are bashing the keyboard of the MBP, are you referring to known quality problems (defects) or just the typing experience in general?
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Even if it's delayed until Autumn, I hope the will announce it at WWDC. I want to know what I have to look forward to (if anything).
My guess for the Delay, they don't want to tip their hand wrt adding company-wide 10-bit color support.
The fan won't go off on my mid-2011 iMac and High Sierra won't install; it is mostly off now whereas I simply left it on 24/7. My Spectre x360 is my main machine and has been for a couple months. Touchscreen/tablet mode, nice keyboard, was on sale, wonderfully portable. I still think win10 is a PoS but I can make it work; its more about the hardware now.
Ideally, an updated Mini would be my new computer or even last years' iMac, but am hesitant to pull trigger before WWDC.
I was referring strictly to the known quality problems/defects. I could understand/accept a handful of units with problems, but this strikes me as way too widespread. Definitely not something I'd be willing to spend big money on.
Products that aren’t due yet also can’t be described as delayed!
Just because there was a rumor that AirPower was coming out in March or April doesn’t now make it delayed.
I know people want it and they want it now, but AirPower was only promised for 2018. There’s another 7-1/2 months to go before it will have been delayed.
AirPower hasn’t been delayed. See above.
Apple pre-announces when it suits their purposes. And sometimes products are delayed. Apple Watch and HomePod come to mind. Sometimes there is no actual information made available (yet), like the Mac mini.
It can be frustrating, but I prefer pre-announcements, long or short, to no announcements. I also prefer products not be delayed.
Events don’t always happen as I prefer, but I try to maintain perspective. Life’s too short, and Apple product schedules aren’t actually so important, in the grand scheme of things.
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