My rumor takeaway from this is not so much the chip as the significance of the codename "H14P". To me that suggests a single SKU for cost containment with a 14" screen. The MB Pro line has 14" screens that we wouldn't expect Apple to use for low end product. So what is it then, assuming I'm on the right track? If I'm off what does it mean?
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Apple Tested a MacBook With the A15 Chip
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This is true. I bought a MBP M1 Pro back in 2021 and used it all through undergrad and even recently through graduate school. I have zero doubts it could see me through most of the doctoral program coming up, as well. It absolutely manhandled everything I through at it from daily use to big heavy data focused projects and applications. Not a single slowdown. Super impressive and more than enough horsepower for 99% of people. M5 is just for bragging rights if anything these days
I agree. I think that upper DRAM limit will most likely be 16GB, same as the M1. There’s no reason that the A18 or A19 cannot support it. The A12Z in the Developer Mac mini had 16GB and it previously had a “supposed” upper limit of 6GB, so a base 8GB is possible at the lower price point although I think Apple may just go with 16GB for AI and then let people upgrade storage only. I’m excited to see what they come up with.
It’s not just we need a lot of power now.
But I don’t expect a A18 can last for 10 years for real daily usage. My iMac 2011 lasted for 10 and my MacBook Air 203 too.
I know two people who used really cheap Windows laptops since 2012 with the original Windows 7 install up until 2024.
We bought an M1 MBA for my older son when he started grad school in 2021 and it looks like it will last to when he gets his PhD in the latter half of 2026. One caveat is that he does his really heavy work on a desktop Windows PC, but a large part of it is that the software he uses only runs on Windows. OTOH, he does run Matlab on both his MBA and PC. With the A18 Pro chip's performance being comparable to the M1, he may have able to get by with an A18 Pro laptop had one been available in 2021.
Excited to see an A model Mac and for Apple to compete at the mid range.
Google seems to be getting ready to unleash a new generation of Chromebooks with chromeos built on android.
So I think these A series Macs need to be seen in this context.
Oh and Apple nobly (along with Google) saving many people in the world from buying a mid range windows 11 laptop…
Google seems to be getting ready to unleash a new generation of Chromebooks with chromeos built on android.
So I think these A series Macs need to be seen in this context.
Oh and Apple nobly (along with Google) saving many people in the world from buying a mid range windows 11 laptop…
I said this way back when this rumour was first touted.
I saw this as something that would replace the $999 MBA, while the MBA would move to the ~$1500 non-Pro MBP price point, leaving the MBP starting at $1999. The non-Pro MBP could then be dropped.
Given the current RAM crisis pushing up prices, I think this is even more likely. Apple need a way to increase prices while still having a sub-$1000 MacBook, and this “low cost” offering would do it.
A MacBook without an M-series processor wouldn’t be able to use Rosetta 2, would it? I think a lot of the stuff for that is built in to the M-series processors.
I’m surprised Apple wastes M-series processors on iPads that can’t even use Rosetta 2. I keep thinking that Apple must have plans to eventually allow iPads to run MacOS.
I’m surprised Apple wastes M-series processors on iPads that can’t even use Rosetta 2. I keep thinking that Apple must have plans to eventually allow iPads to run MacOS.
My daily machine up until 2 weeks ago was a 2018 15" MBP with Touch Bar. Doesn't get the macOS upgrades anymore but it still works. 1tb and 32gb of ram.
The only reason I changed was because there was a very good deal on a 15" MBA M4 with 1tb and 32gb of ram during Black Friday week. I still use the MBP as an external screen for the MBA.
Computers last way longer than most people think. I find the annual upgrades from Apple a bit disgusting. Where's the sustainability in that I wonder?
I can’t see it happening, I would abandon the Apple platform if they removed macOS, and I’m in this ecosystem deep. I can see where your fears come from as they are in my mind too, the slow blending of features and ever so slowly bringing them together.
Not everyone upgrades at the same time. You’re not intended to update every year, but that’s a personal choice.
Tim couldn’t find the saturation dial if he wanted to.
What I never understand is that any time they do colour these days it’s flat and half the users want boring black or silver. The other users, who we’ll mark down as ASD for convenience, like bright things so why not cater to them properly? I don’t think I’ve ever met someone that wanted colour but not too much of it. Product Red was awesome because they gave Apple no option.
I think it's longer than you might expect. newer laptops obviously get faster over time, but when you are using something every day, that speed becomes your normal & you don't really miss the faster theoretical speeds you could get from a new computer. If you were running them right next to each other, you'd notice the difference, but when you only use one computer, you get used to it.
I used a 2017 12" Macbook up through 2024 as my main computer and would have kept using it except the battery started to expand. I had to upgrade to an air. And while the air is definitely faster, aside from starting up & when I have lots of tabs open in Safari, I don't really notice a large speed difference. I still have a 12" as a backup, but it only has 8 GB of Ram, but I could easily use that as my daily driver if it had 16.
Going by the current line-up, this would be the iPad Air's turf then - perhaps that one is going away for all I know, the midrange models are always weirdly positioned
Only the current iMacs have half decent colors.
You would hope that Apple would give a small, funky laptop some nice bright colors. Bring back some of the fun.
Wasn’t Intel in the picture again to produce A-series chips?
Could be part of the marketing around this laptop … “Made In America”
Sort of, ish. 😉
Could be part of the marketing around this laptop … “Made In America”
Sort of, ish. 😉
I agree. I don't see the Ax chips being enough cheaper than the Mx chips to make a noticeable dent in the overall cost.
They'll have to reduce costs in manufacturing, chassis, screen, or something else.
No, those are hints, not colours. Do a search for yellow, blue, pink, green and you’ll see what colours look like. If you work it out, email Tim Apple.