Apple to Introduce 11.6-Inch MacBook Air With 'SSD Card' Integrated Storage Next Week?

[nutjob]

While I'd love an 11.6" MBA, the 13" is the sweetspot to get some real work done. I have a lot of windows open all the time while I work, so I can already see myself looking away from the 11.6" for this reason.

So do I, that's why god invented Cmd-`. That's also why when I need to do a lot of work I just plug my MBP 13" into three 1920 x 1080 pixel monitors.

Keep in mind that 11.6" will almost certainly not reduce the number of pixels and there are other MBPs that have a much high pixel density than that and no-one seems to complain.

 

[Meandmunch]

So, is this going to be, dare I say it... a Mac Netbook kind of device?

Indeed. Apple is treading awfully close to hypocrisy here.

 

[lilcosco08]

How will it run on core 2 duos when they're being EoL'd soon?

 

[surroundfan]

To become a premium netbook it needs to have full HD 1920x1080. Would be disappointing to see it have anything less.

You'd be lucky to see anything at all with 1920x1080 on an 11.6" display!

Given that most (all?) other 11.6" netbooks use 1366x768 screens, and Apple appears to want to keep the price low, I imagine 1366x768 will be the screen resolution.

Still, if the new MBA's reasonably priced and *light* (1.2kg at most), I will say goodbye to my ancient MBP, my iPad and my Dell 10v HackBook Mini uni note-taker in one fell swoop...

 

[cmaier]

I agree that it is almost a certainty that Apple will use AMD's Zacate; however, I think this may very well be priced around $699-$799. AMD's Zacate was intended for use in compact notebook systems under $600.

No they won't.

 

[lilcosco08]

what if it replaces the macbook

NO

 

[KnightWRX]

You'd be lucky to see anything at all with 1920x1080 on an 11.6" display!

That would be an awesome display. I would insta buy that.

1366x768 is 16:9. I'd rather have 1280x800 personally in a 11.6 or 12" form factor. Even better would be 1440x900 on a 11.6" screen. The more pixels the better.

 

[lilcosco08]

You'd be lucky to see anything at all with 1920x1080 on an 11.6" display!

Given that most (all?) other 11.6" netbooks use 1366x768 screens, and Apple appears to want to keep the price low, I imagine 1366x768 will be the screen resolution.

Still, if the new MBA's reasonably priced and *light* (1.2kg at most), I will say goodbye to my ancient MBP, my iPad and my Dell 10v HackBook Mini uni note-taker in one fell swoop...

Actually most are at 1024x600 IIRC

I'm predicting a 1280x800 for the new air
+macbook pro 13 bumped up to 1440x900
+15" 1650x1050 standard
All IPS displays

 

[KnightWRX]

All IPS displays

In your dreams yeah. Notebooks with IPS displays are rare and very expensive.

 

[lilcosco08]

In your dreams yeah. Notebooks with IPS displays are rare and very expensive.

Well seeing as apple seems to be making a push towards IPS, I guess we will have to wait and see.

 

[deconstruct60]

Indeed. Apple is treading awfully close to hypocrisy here.

Not really. They said "netbooks" were bad because they were:

"cheap" ***
terrible software **
junky hardware **
"slow" ***
"had small, cramped keyboards" **
( that's close to hypocracy when look at iPhone keyboard)
"very small screens" **

** http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/apple-says-no-to-netbooks/
*** iPad keynote.

This new product will be

not cheap ... minimally $999 and probably higher.
Mac OS X and iLife ( of course Apple doesn't "do" terrible software)
non junky hardware ( relatively higher cost case and other components. )
not slow .... will use something better than an Atom or under powered Pentium. Minimally a AMD Zacate or something from C2D class performance.
have a full sized keyboard. (just trim side borders off current designs)
have a higher quality LED backlight and display circuitry and a much better GPU.
While 11.6 is smaller not in the 9-10" range. Apple had a PowerBook 12" rounded up 11.6 is 12".
(if drop much below 11.6 would have problems putting a full sized keyboard on the box. The 9-10" screens force you to abandon that. Apple is saying they won't cross that line. )

So it will be much more a laptop just packed into a marginally smaller, but relatively expensive, container with a several of compromises on flexibilty/utilty. Apple never knocked that concept. That matches the original Air concept. This is just the next step in reduction in size. It is still a vehicle to explore that concept .


Apple knocked netbooks in part because they just chucked stuff just to get the costs down to below notebook prices. It think that was a superficial knock. Not all netbooks were racing for the bottom on price. Apple isn't chucking things just to get cost down below overall PC industry notebook prices. It may be below for Apple's average prices, but that's still several hundred over the PC industry prices.

Apple is pushed back on concept they need to lower their laptop prices. For the next couple of years they may get away with it. When the iPads can move down slightly then will let the laptops drop a bit.

 

[Mattsasa]

PLEASE give it a decent GPU, if they throw the 330m they have in the mbp's now I'll gladly get it.

I've switched completely to bluetooth so there's really no need for any connectors.. I'd just need to get that lame burner drive.

That would be awesome, but its not happening. We will most likely get the 320m or not even that.

 

[Mattsasa]

if they can hit the $500 price point, I'll buy one sight unseen (assuming it doesn't use an atom CPU, obviously)

It will be double that price

 

[deconstruct60]

I agree that it is almost a certainty that Apple will use AMD's Zacate; however, I think this may very well be priced around $699-$799. AMD's Zacate was intended for use in compact notebook systems under $600.

What? AMD is going to refuse to sell Apple a Zacate if they put it into a more expensive box??? No.

Two huge factors you are overlooking.

1. If you put more expensive components into the system besides the CPU you can drive the overal system price up. Right now the SSD MBA is $300 more expensive than the entry level MBA. If somehow Apple got a $250 cheaper CPU and put the SSD into the entry level MBA the price would stay exactly the same. Apple is trading off CPU % of system costs to move that money over to another component (and to their profit margin to round it up to a "even" price so that still ends in "99". )

If Apple is putting SSD into the entry model that likely means they are taking costs out of other components so that prices remain close to where they were.

2. $699-799 is square in the iPad pricing zone. Apple isn't going there.
The lowest price the new machine could have without stepping into the iPad zone is $899. I doubt Apple will go that low. With a Zacate that will slightly cut the performance range of the new machine relative to the MBP 13" (***) so they probably would go slightly lower.. but that is only going to be by $100 or so.

People who need the "horsepower" and tolerate an extra couple pounds will pony the $100 difference. The folks who really didn't need speed, want ligher weight, but need real Mac OS X ( not iOS) will pay $100 less to go light. that old industry hustle that always need to pay more for less.... netbooks burst that bubble. However, that doesn't mean Mac prices are about to crater.

Apple minimized the iPad cannibalization effect by having now Mac Laptop products priced in that zone. It makes no sense to create a new product and toss it directly into the zone to cause the more pricing conflict.



*** on everyday stuff that involves CPU + GPU work it will be very close. If using your MBA to do heavy duty numerical simulations with no display then would take a hit. Many targeted MBA market users won't see the corner cases where there is a slowdown. If given 2GB more RAM and a SSD drive can easily get around several bottlenecks in the current MBA.... even withoug a C2D in the box.

 

[PittAir]

Don't be so sure we won't see something, using existing technology with a few novel tweaks, that takes the ultraportable space in a different direction.

With the iPad, Apple said: "OK, the majority of people surf the net, use email and facebook, and watch media on their computer. Let's make something that does that very well."

Ask yourself, honestly, what do you do when you travel, road warrior? You email, edit documents, give presentations, and manage spreadsheets. You need integration with Office, and you need to be able to rapidly type things and get documents to and from your device.

Sure, there are a minority of us who are computer guys, who need to code, do video editing, remotely manage networks, etc. Apple is saying to this (very small) minority: "Guys, we love you, but use your Macbook Pro for what you do."

For the vast majority of us who travel for work, and have a powerful desktop at home and/or work, we need a device: (1) that we can type on, (2) that manages documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with the most popular office suites, (3) that easily gets items to and from our desktops +/- the cloud, (4) that is very light and small but not cramped, (5) that has a long battery life.

Netbooks don't do that. The ipad, as much as I love it (I have two) doesn't do it. The Macbook series is too big and heavy, and for that reason I have an Air. But the Air has heat issues which make it suboptimal, as we all know.

The device we will see on Wednesday will likely do it in spades, with my guess being that the major heat issues will be addressed in a novel and really cool way.

 

[Krauser]

If this is under 900, has at least a 2.0 ghz core 2 duo, 4 gigs of ram, and an SSD at least 320gb, I will be ready to sell my 08 MacBook unibody. A 13 incher is great for college and such but the 11.6 is the glorious sweet spot for me... especially the thin form and the weight. Excellent machine for college. I hope it's not grossly over priced because this could be the students best friend. And if keeping the Core 2 Duo rather than the i3 can get me nVidia graphics at least as good as my current 9400m, let alone the 320m, I will not hesitate to sell my 08 as quickly as possible. Now to tell my parents how I plan to sell my 1500 dollar gift... that's another story...

 

[Wild-Bill]

Non user-replaceable storage?? Not sure I'm on board with that.... unless the storage they offer is plentiful enough (> 100 gigs). I also agree that it should come with 4 gigs of RAM standard, since every other computer they offer does... (well, except for the Mac Pro of course).

I love my current Air (except for the developing screen "wobble" ). I'll have to see the new one in person and test drive it before I commit to replacing my current Air.


** Also, I agree with previous posters that the 12" Powerbook G4 was the best laptop Apple has ever made. Hands down.

 

[ericinboston]

"CNET is offering its own hints at what we might be able to expect, citing a price "significantly lower" than the current $1499 entry-level price point. "

So $1498?

In all seriousness, if it's not below $900, to me it's pointless (and I'm sure to a lot of consumers)...11.6" netbooks can be had for $450-$550...bazillions of 13"-15" PC laptops can be had for $600-900...13" Mac laptops start at $1000 weighing about 1 pound heavier with much faster CPU and RAM expansion...9.7" iPads for $499-$699. Yes, I know...it all depends on what you're doing and why you may be thinking of buying a)a portable computer and b)a very thin/light computer.

Somehow I think the price will end up at $1099 so it doesn't cannibalize iPads and Macbooks...but that would still be too expensive for my blood. Nice design and everything, but e x p e n s i v e.

 

[pr5owner]

Could be a Mini PCIe SSD, those are fairly small but very fast.

you mean small and painfully slow? no PCIe SSD reads and writes over 150MB's

a 10" netbook usually houses a 2.5" laptop drive, you can replace those with 120GB Sandforce controled SSD's for $200 (a netbook only costs $300-$500)

Sandforce SSDs read and write at 275+MB/s

 

[pr5owner]

To become a premium netbook it needs to have full HD 1920x1080. Would be disappointing to see it have anything less.

yes 1080p on a 11.6" screen, im sure everyone will love reading on that (people say im crazy to get a 15.6" 1080p screen)

also according to apple 720p is their version of HD so 1366x768 like most smaller Tv's is probably what they are going to use

 

[pr5owner]

Quicky 'chop to take the current design, shave 1" off each side and scale the screen to 11.6"

remove the touch pad, have a 16:9 screen, ultra wide

i think thats what they are going to do, touch screen, no touch pad

kinda like this

 

[JoEw]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A306 Safari/6531.22.7)

I noticed what apple has been able to do the past few years making quality products that just work more and more affordable to the middle market.

They have been able to move from high end pricing to middle market pricing without sacrificing high quality in there products.

 

[JoEw]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A306 Safari/6531.22.7)

I'm going to slit my wrists with it

Most messed up oneliner I've ever read. Digg it!

I believe it's all about reddit now...

 

[einmusiker]

this would be perfect, hope it's true. will sell the ipad and pick up this

 

[fuzzielitlpanda]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/16/is-this-the-new-macbook-air/