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Apple to "Completely Overhaul" the iPad, iMac, iPhone and MacBook Air in 2012?
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IR never no more
The new Apple Remote will be a Bluetooth Smart product. The 2011 MB Air is already a Bluetooth Smart Ready device (and not running Front Row anymore).
The iRemote is primarily intended for the iVision and has a microphone built-in for Siri and Face Time, as well as either an integrated gyroscope or a touch-sensitive surface for gestures that the camera doesnt catch well enough.
The new Apple Remote will be a Bluetooth Smart product. The 2011 MB Air is already a Bluetooth Smart Ready device (and not running Front Row anymore).
The iRemote is primarily intended for the iVision and has a microphone built-in for Siri and Face Time, as well as either an integrated gyroscope or a touch-sensitive surface for gestures that the camera doesnt catch well enough.
Nikon is going to release a 36 Mpx camera when their most popular pro camera is the 12 Mpx D3s. Mercedes still making SLS Gulf Wing when the C-Class is their bestselling model. Blackberry partners with Porsche Design for a $2,000 BB Messenger while the $600 version could do 100% what that super-expensive model could. Every company needs to have a flagship model that represents its highest level of achievement. It's more about a PR routine than a true profit-making activity. Apple will keep their Mac Pro for this reason alone. However, I still think they should reduce the size of the casing. The whole "Size Does Matter" school of thought is very 80s.
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Why do so many people want to drop the optical drive from the MBP and iMac? Went I bought my MBP I specifically chose it over an Air BECAUSE OF THE OPTICAL DRIVE. I had a netbook (I know, I know, horrible) and the biggest pain in the rear issue was the lack of an optical drive and needing to always have a portable one with me. I gave the netbook to my daughter who is always having to plug in her portable optical drive to watch movies or add software. Again, her biggest complaint is the lack of an on-board optical drive. I think trying to make the MBP or iMac into the MBA is a mistake. They are different machines that serve different purposes and appeal to different customer bases. If the MBP lost the optical drive, I would certainly choose a Windows based laptop instead of an Air the next time a purchase situation arose. I'd bet I'm not alone in that feeling. At least that is the way I see it.
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Things will look much more different... Intel will have ivy bridge out with 22nm process!!! Amd will have 28nm graphics chips out!! The tdp will drop alot! Allowing who knows what???? Small thin machines yet very powerful!!!!
Things will look much more different... Intel will have ivy bridge out with 22nm process!!! Amd will have 28nm graphics chips out!! The tdp will drop alot! Allowing who knows what???? Small thin machines yet very powerful!!!!
Agreed, the black bezel makes the screen look bigger too.
I've had a 13" MB and MBP and the MBP looks "bigger", all because the bezel doesn't crowd your eyes.
When you think iPod, which model comes to mind?
For me, it's the iPod Classic, pale-coloured with the click-wheel and 320x240 resolution. But I wonder how popular that version of the iPod is nowadays?
We haven't had an update to the iPod Classic since at least 2008 (that's when I bought one!). I was in a Mac store recently and I noticed that the iPod Classic has remained virtually unchanged to this day. They're either desperate for a refresh or desperate to be axed.
Once you've gotten used to the luxury touch-screen/interface of the iPod Touch, the benefit of the iPod classic become questionable.
With iTunes In The Cloud and iTunes Match, you'll supposedly be able to access your entire purchase history + uploaded CD collection over WiFi, so do we really need huge 160GB internal harddrives any more?
Even if the iPod Classic had Wifi, there would still be those who claim they couldn't make it from one WiFi connection to the next without 160GBs (2,000 hours) of music to listen to - but I would argue that the iPod Classic is due to be discontinued and the iPod Touch and Nano will somehow expand to fill its place.
Just as there will always be a separate bigger, more powerful, more expensive version and smaller, lighter, cheaper, more surface-level version of every product, I think it seems appropriate that the Macbook Pro and Macbook Air will remain separate entities for as long as Apple cultivates its two separate customer bases:
For me, it's the iPod Classic, pale-coloured with the click-wheel and 320x240 resolution. But I wonder how popular that version of the iPod is nowadays?
We haven't had an update to the iPod Classic since at least 2008 (that's when I bought one!). I was in a Mac store recently and I noticed that the iPod Classic has remained virtually unchanged to this day. They're either desperate for a refresh or desperate to be axed.
Once you've gotten used to the luxury touch-screen/interface of the iPod Touch, the benefit of the iPod classic become questionable.
With iTunes In The Cloud and iTunes Match, you'll supposedly be able to access your entire purchase history + uploaded CD collection over WiFi, so do we really need huge 160GB internal harddrives any more?
Even if the iPod Classic had Wifi, there would still be those who claim they couldn't make it from one WiFi connection to the next without 160GBs (2,000 hours) of music to listen to - but I would argue that the iPod Classic is due to be discontinued and the iPod Touch and Nano will somehow expand to fill its place.
Just as there will always be a separate bigger, more powerful, more expensive version and smaller, lighter, cheaper, more surface-level version of every product, I think it seems appropriate that the Macbook Pro and Macbook Air will remain separate entities for as long as Apple cultivates its two separate customer bases:
iToy users (I use my old white Macbook to listen to the radio while I'm the kitchen and to watch DVDs on/write emails while I'm in bed)
and Design professionals (I use my iMac for animation and music content-creation).
I'll be buying a Macbook Air and Macbook Pro to replace both (to fill very different functions!). Obviously, most users want a single computer that fulfills everything.
Welcome to Apple! The thing is, Apple is going to release new (and usually enticing) products on a fairly predictable schedule. This doesn't really translate into "forced obsolescence" though. Just because something newer is out, it doesn't mean your current product will suddenly stop working.
Case in point: I bought a MBP back in 07, and sure I had a little unibody envy when the newer ones came out, but this computer was perfect for my needs when I bought it, and it still meets those needs and runs well doing it. When I choose to upgrade it will be because I choose to, not because Apple put something new out and forced me to upgrade. Or because the old beast gives out (no sign of this impending but who knows). But any computer can fail, especially one going on five (work-intensive and somewhat abusive) years.
I doubt Apple would drop the Air moniker. It's too successful in their marketing campaign. Remember the manila envelope Ad? However it's possible that they will name their tiniest & lightest model 11.6" as MacBook Air, while the rest as just MacBook. Steve would have approved. Just keep the Pro in Mac Pro. A lot of Hollywood folks still use them as do scientists & medical people.
Your dream might just come true. Ivy Bridge size reduction would allow MacBook 13" form factor to accommodate in Quad Core configuration. There.
I don't mean to incite any anger, and I know that there is a segment of the population that really wants to see this option, but I personally suspect Apple has crossed this bridge and isn't looking back.
That said, I would opt for the glossy given the choice (in fact, now that I think about it I did have the choice and opted for glossy), but am always for others being able to choose what works best for them. Who knows, maybe Apple will allow the choice, but I doubt it.
Most people focus on form factor but the real challenge facing Apple IMHO is to find a way to sandbag third party applications that currently are developed for corporate use which is dominated by PCs. If they can make most of these often bespoke applications / software work on a OS-X and keep them stable by 'sandbagging' or whatever the term is for this kind of manipulation, then the corporate world will have no alternative but to change over to Apple products. Already we have seen much more stable co-existence of many Apple products on Windows platforms so the lure into the Apple ecosystem has began but can non-Apple software be manipulated enough to keep the Mac user experience in tact and overcome the disadvantage of these applications give to Apple?
Yep, that's what I'm hoping for. I'm happy with my MBP (late 09) especially after swapping HDD with SSD but it's when I start to test stuff, I need to run win in the VM so having additional 2 cores would be a huge plus for me and also for occasional video transcoding I do.
Is there any technical reason (like processor cooling or motherboard space) why a mac mini can not integrate a quad core processor?
Would also like better battery life on the 11' MBA and I'd go back to it in a beat
Would also like better battery life on the 11' MBA and I'd go back to it in a beat
No, because the mac mini currently does integrate a quad core processor.
Combining it with discrete GPU shouldn't be a big issue either, IMHO. The 15" and 17" MBPs have discrete GPUs in them along with quad core processors, and they have arguably more severe power/cooling constraints.
I think at least part of it is that they want to keep the mini low end, although they do so at their own detriment in my opinion.
Don't be discouraged about these new redesigned products coming out and not being able to afford them. The current models we have are still great machines and always will be.
I find that I am forced for whatever reason to occasionally hook up an optical drive to flash a ssd or whatever, but they are slow, bulky and way pst their prime. We need to move to flash drives where downloading isn't an option and loose all the optical drives entirely as soon as possible. Remember floppies? I bet people thought they couldn't live without them when they got yanked.
Thing with floppies which no one brings up, is that CD's were right there ready to take their place. Windows box makers killed floppy when it stopped shipping in ALL those machines not apple.
I thought SD cards would be awesome for media if the prices could be cheaper. Small footprint, nothing spinning. Instead we are going to have this PITA download only solution, where optical will be the other option. Believe me, download only is going to have massive growing pains.
Dunno how popular it is, but I do know I just bought one. It's the only device large enough to carry (more or less) my entire music library.
Curiously, every single one of my friends who I would classify as a real music lover also has a Classic - for the same reason - even the ridiculously overpriced 64GB Touch can't hold anything close to our complete libraries.
True examples.
Can you say "Vertu Ayxta"?
A modest $7,200.00 USD
http://www.vertu.com/en/collections/ayxta.aspx
Wireless battery charging PLEASE! I am getting tired of all the batteries laying around and constantly having to switch for keyboard, mouse, trackpad and so on.