Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple to Introduce Third MacBook Line with Retina Display at WWDC?

Status
Not open for further replies.
The idea of three lines is not outlandish. There was a time with a macbook, MBP, and MBA.

What is silly is the idea that one model is slimmer, retina, cheaper, and better battery life than the MBP. Essentially any two of those 2 is possible, 3 potentially, but all four is insanity.

My guess is MBP is biggest, with optical drive, retina display, longest battery life, but most expensive. I also expect a slimmer 15 and maybe 13 inch system w/o retina, cheaper, and equivalent battery life to the MBP, but without an optical drive.

The MBA remains the MBA, despite my passionate dreams of a 15 inch MBA.

My guesses, but not based on 'expert market research'.
 
No way Apple is going to have three lines of 13" machines. The Air, the AirPro, and the Pro? If the AirPro has the same power, but better internals why not just kill off the MBP and tell everyone to buy an external ODD?

And there'd better be a 17" on that list!
 
Yeah, none of this makes much sense. Guess we'll find out in a couple of days.
 
jasontll said:
This can't be true...
Thinner, MBP level processing power, and with Retina Display?????
I can't see why people would want to buy MBP anymore, so why bother having a MBP line where the new "MacBook" is better?
Click to expand...

I could see Price being a big factor to keep people interested in the non-retina machines. Or would they just make the Retina screen an option for BTO models?
 
I hope they do keep the 17" MBP. I found the ExpressCard slot to be very useful (unless they can at the very least make the SD card slot big enough so the card is actually flush with the notebook).

I guess if it's only 1% of sales, though, it makes sense to discontinue it unless in the end they still have no net loss.
 
Could explain the renaming, and the dropping of the original MacBook line.

So we'll have:
MacBook Air
MacBook (Old Pro Line)
MacBook Pro (Retina Display)
 
My 13" MBA is 1440x900. At 2-2.5 feet when on my lap, I cannot discern one pixel from another. I saw a huge difference when I got my iPhone4 and the new iPad(3). I just don't see a doubling of pixels. Maybe a higher density, but doubling is just silly.

I did pay the extra for the higher density on my last 15" MBP...well worth it.
 
Last edited:
Seems unlikely they'll be able to make this new one thinner than the pro, given it'll need more graphics power to run the retina display, doesn't it?
 
So are they suggesting no new imacs at wwdc based on this theory of part numbers musical chairs?
 
Seems weird that they would have a third, middle line, that includes their highest resolution displays.

The only way I see this happening is if the MBP line moves to IPS displays and has some serious battery life, otherwise why would you go MBP? An optical drive?
 
I believe

I could definitely see this happening. A "retina" display 15 would probably draw most of the form 17 inch users (conveniently at a similar price point as the 17) while also drawing away 15 inch MBP users who want the latest and greatest tech. Right now this type of technology would put the price at an amount that most 13 inch and 15 inch users would be hesitant about paying. They could be waiting until prices come down before doing away with the current MBP models in favor of this new model. I know I for one wouldn't pay a price hike similar to the one shown on the parts sheet, neither retina or the decrease in size would be worth it to me.

It's interesting to speculate what this means for that parts list from Wednesday. We assumed J30 and J31 were the iMacs, but based on existing australian pricing these could just as easily be the new MBPs with the D2s being the new product. I'm hesitant to believe this though because in this scenario the part numbers for the MBP would begin with MD, the same designation as the current generation part numbers. However, this could mean the MBP refresh is a minor one, since they plan to eventually integrate it with the new product line.
 
Last edited:
ciociosan said:
If it has a retina display, I hope they man up and call it the EyeBook
Click to expand...

I heard they were going back to their pirate days when they flew the Jolly Roger over the headquarters. The new system will be named the MacBook Arr.
 
Bollocks!

MBAs will stay essentially the same, just with ULV Ivy Bridge and USB 3.0. Perhaps HD FaceTime camera, if we're lucky.

MBPs, I feel at least, will drop the Superdrives, be slightly slimmer, get LV Ivy Bridge and USB 3.0, a bump in dedicated GPU, and probably have retina as a BTO option.

I don't see a third line being introduced at all. Also not too sure if the 13in MBP will get dropped or not, but hopefully not! I could see the 17in being dropped though.
 
Where's the "RETINA" iMac

What about the 'RETINA' iMac - I won't get out of bed until it has a RETINA display and will stay chained to my RETINA iPad for life!
 
Going back to having a single basic MacBook makes a lot of sense. It would be a cheaper entry-level computer for educational markets and consumers who don't need extra portability or extra performance. It's not adding clutter, it's presenting one easy choice to a large number of people.

I think it'll be just a 13" one though, not the 15".
 
No iMac!

Disaster, KGI Securities prediction is only 15in Macbook pro's will be demo'ed on Monday - does this mean another 12 month wait for a Haswell updated iMac - we are now in Mac Pro territory - shame on Apple.
 
Separate models in Pro lineup?

I can see these being separate SKUs in the Pro line, not a separate line. It's possible that the retina screen requires a bit more under the hood, so they can't just make the screen a BTO option like is currently done with the anti-glare screens. This is why you'd see a dedicated GPU in the 13" retina, perhaps.
 
Dude, where's my 17 inches?

I've owned three 17" MBPs and I loathe the thought of having to go back to 15". That being said, if I can hook up a bigger Thunderbolt display, keyboard, & mouse and run the MBP closed, I'd consider it.
 
Just going to be Ivy Bridge plus USB 3.

If there was a new form factor, I doubt it would have avoided leaks, as the iphone 5 parts can leaked!, and thats a much bigger secret then their computer range. The reason nothing has leaked is probably cause the cases will be the same, and probably the panels also.

If we are lucky all the screen will be capable of 1080p. Fingers crossed.

All all the talked about accessories will not doubt be USB 3 dongles for ethernet etc etc, Any expansive will probably be TB accessory! At least with USB we can get some decent speed upgrades without have to but RipOff TB stuff.
 
paulyras said:
The idea of three lines is not outlandish. There was a time with a macbook, MBP, and MBA.

What is silly is the idea that one model is slimmer, retina, cheaper, and better battery life than the MBP. Essentially any two of those 2 is possible, 3 potentially, but all four is insanity.

My guess is MBP is biggest, with optical drive, retina display, longest battery life, but most expensive. I also expect a slimmer 15 and maybe 13 inch system w/o retina, cheaper, and equivalent battery life to the MBP, but without an optical drive.

The MBA remains the MBA, despite my passionate dreams of a 15 inch MBA.

My guesses, but not based on 'expert market research'.
Click to expand...

Back when the Macbook was a thing, MBP's were only available in 15" and 17" sizes. The Macbook Pro 13" replaced the 13" Macbook.

The one exception was the plastic white Macbook, which stuck around for a little while, because it was the only notebook Apple could offer at the $999 price point. The price point was the only reason for its existence. But now the 11" Air fills that spot.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back