Apple to Update MacBook Air to Penryn Soon?

[iMacmatician]

I was in Best Buy last week and they no longer had the MBA on display. I'm guessing the refreshed version comes out this Tuesday.

That fits in with the rumor of a MacBook update next week.

 

[arctic]

Are you serious? That looks aaaawful.

Beauty is subjective. I love the IBM oldschool look. But it's not about that. Hardware that MBA owners want. Plus, American Specifications + Japanese Engineering!! ....then Vista boots up.

 

[drsmithy]

So the price is about the same as a macbook......

Why would you be comparing a desktop PC to a laptop ?

Since VGA is not supported, you will have to buy a high end monitor or an LCD TV - so which means the monitor you have now, probably will not work. Add in price for that.....

VGA is supported, you just need a DVI-VGA adapter.

Of course, the suggestion you need a "high end" monitor or LCD TV to get something with a DVI (or HDMI) port is ridiculously disingenuous. If anything, it is VGA ports that are becoming difficult to find.

 

[137489]

Why would you be comparing a desktop PC to a laptop ?



VGA is supported, you just need a DVI-VGA adapter.

Of course, the suggestion you need a "high end" monitor or LCD TV to get something with a DVI (or HDMI) port is ridiculously disingenuous. If anything, it is VGA ports that are becoming difficult to find.

Oh really? Most every LCD TV's I see now have a VGA port on the back (they just call it a PC port), and you can still buy LCD monitors that are VGA. Since CompUsa went out of business in my area, most people are buying monitors at Wal-Mart rather than paying the bloated prices in an office store. 90 % of those sold are VGA only and still give good quality.

Also, with Dell saying VGA is not supported, tends to lead me (and obviously a bunch of other people) to believe that sticking an adapter on it would not work. Hey, I am just going off of Dell's own website. of course, I talked to them in the past - they have no clue of even what their own website says as I argued over price, delivery dates, specs, etc. This is even at one of their kiosks with one Dell rep on the phone and another standing in front of me looking at the computer screen with me and the order I just placed. They came back and said, well those are just estimates and your order is wrong - here is the real deal. Oh really, so the delivery/ship date on the confirmation and receipt which is a contract - is just an estimate. and the price you just charged my Debit card is just and estimate and you reserve the right to credit more to my card for a replacment should you cannot get the part I just ordered?

Thus why I am never doing business with Dell. I just through it out there since so many people are talking about it, what a great deal it was and how it is going to blow the mini away. Not Really. Base model is less than the mini, but lacking. A comperable model will run you more the mini, and to get what you need - you might as well just get a macbook or mackbook pro - because those will be less expensive than this studio hybrid.

So which mean Dell's pricing is not that good. they start out lower than a mini, but by the time you add in the specs that you really need - you'd be better off buying a macbook that has that standard and paying less.

Also, here is a copy of an email chain with a go worker on Dell. All the company uses is Dell computers, and everyone's computer is a year to 2 years old at the most. Every employee who comes on board is given a brand new machine.

-------------------------------------------------------------

From: Scott Hervieux
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 1:42 PM
To: <Name ommitted>
Subject: FW: computer trouble

Oh and if you want a mac, let me know - I know a great sales guy at MACMALL in California who could give you a discount. They ship same or next day, the system will come preconfigured – so all you have to do it load your software. And because they are in Cali, no sales tax. And when in OSX – you will love the Expose button and wish windows had one (Expose lets you hit the button, all windows size down equally but keep running and updating the display. Then you just click on the one you want to switch to… So it is nice when I have 5 things running, I just hit the expose and watch them all. Then when one finished, I just click that screen to go to it and then expose back to watching it.

I really wish I had a mac for work……

Scott Hervieux

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: <name omitted for privacy>
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 1:40 PM
To: Scott Hervieux
Subject: RE: computer trouble

Ya, I wonder if it does have to do with the ms updates.

I think you are right on with the dell products, just talked to Ops and he stated I could get a company price on a Dell…NO THANK YOU.

I heard HP and Sony were the best bet because they are not just a bunch of random parts thrown together.

My VPC blew up yesterday,…I’m still trying to rebuild it with a new one..fun fun fun…
Thanks, <name omitted>


________________________________________
From: Scott Hervieux
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 1:34 PM
To: <name ommited>
Subject: RE: computer trouble

Probably MS updates.

1. My outlook slow
2. VPC – rebooted my cisco VPC for the 3rd time today as PCA keeps locking up or not launching
3. I can no longer open spreadsheets by double clicking them, I have to open Excel and browse to the spreadsheet.

What ever you do, don’t buy a dell. My friend had one, it died after one year (LCD backlight or inverter board went – was going to cost over $400 to repair and Dell cancelled the order twice)

My Dell laptop I was using as my backup work machine is dead (DVD drive never did burn DVD’s and also started making grinding noises- had to buy an external one, screen went fuzzy, LCD cracked)

The Dell desktop work gave me, well you know what happened in May. Only 3 months old – hard drive, motherboard, and power supply all blew separately.

All the Dell towers at my last company had power supply issues within one year, plus every single one of them had the front USB ports stop working on them.


I think Dell knows they have bad equipment, they started offering a 3 year warranty, 24X7 on call support, tech team, and tune up plans all for around $100 each.

I like HP, I had an HP tower for 3 ½ years. I just retired it as it was too old. Never really gave too much problems (everything was centered around windows Media center or the fact it only had 512 ram).

Also, make sure you do not get Vista. While SP1 fixed a lot, I am still hearing on the blogs problems here or there. But MS told everyone to pull XP and stop offering it as a downgrade after June 18th – some companies will still downgrade though.

Newegg always seems to have the best prices.

But if it were up to me – GET A MAC AND RUN BOOTCAMP, PARALLELS, OR VM. For heavy intense stuff we do (like all the virtual PC’s) – I would go with boot camp to ensure I had the entire system resources.

YOU WILL LOVE OS X…..

Scott Hervieux
----------------------------------------------

From: <name Ommited>
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 1:22 PM
To: Interface Support
Subject: computer trouble

Hi All,

I’m having serious computer problems today…my computer just keeps shutting down with no warning. Happened 4 times already, it boots right back up so If I’m in a chat with you I’lll be right back.

Enough is enough..i’m buying a lap top this weekend…argh…

Thanks,

 

[AppliedMicro]

As is often the case, (some) expectations for a new revision of an Apple product seem a bit exaggerated. Here's my take:

- New form factor, smaller bezel etc.: Not going to happen. Apple does not change its machines' form factor so soon or often
- HD: depending on what's available on the market in sufficient quantities at reasonable prices. If anybody is making 120GB HD or if SSD prices have dropped enough, then the whole line will possibly be moved to SSD
- RAM: 4GB, hopefully (OS X needs it, and it's relatively cheap)
- CPU: Processing power is sufficient today, IMO. And name a subnotebook that does pack a similar amount of processing power in such a tiny and lightweight package, as Apple does with the MacBook Air? There isn't hardly any. Instead, competitors like Toshiba, Sony and Lenovo are mostly stuffing more ports and larger hard disks, PC Card slots and even some smallish optical drives in their subnotebook offerings - different interpretations of the "subnotebook" concept.

Also, the current MacBook Airs, or at least a considerable number of them have cores shutting down under high load. You're gonna tell me, Apple will move to CPUs with even higher TDP? Now, even though higher TDP does not necessarily mean higher power draw on average, and even though we haven't seen Core 2 Duo SP9300/9400 and/or SL9300/9400 in the wild, it still seems improbable if not infeasible to pack a 25W TDP CPU in such a tiny frame. Plus... it's really NOT going to help with battery runtime. Seems a bad decision, and I really do not hope they're gonna do that. And mind you, many people cannot even use the "full" 2x 1.8GHz for more than a few seconds/minutes today, because of core shutdown.

Here's what I think is a reasonable assumption. One that I personally am waiting / hoping for:

- same form factor
- CPU: Low Voltage Core 2 Duo SL9300 / SL9400 @ 17W TDP, 1.6 / 1.86 GHz, with improved battery runtime (that should be why they call it the "Air", shouldn't it?) - and you should be able to actually use the full 2x 1.86 GHz for longer periods, without thermal throttling or core shutdowns.
- HD: 120GB if available and / or larger-capacity SSD as an option. Maybe complete move to SSD, though that seems to be either quite expensive, or a step back from the present 80GB HD.
- RAM: 4GB seems possible
- Price: possibly small price drop (depending if they move to SSD completely)


Bottom line: Upgraded hard drive (options), longer battery runtime, maybe more RAM and/or maybe a small price drop - a rather conservative (but more likely, IMO) revision B...

 

[AidenShaw]

thin and huge

And name a subnotebook that does pack a similar amount of processing power in such a tiny and lightweight package, as Apple does with the MacBook Air?

If you define "tiny" as "thin", the MacBook Cube Air fits the bill. Otherwise, it's full size!

It is definitely not "tiny" if you consider the overall size, however. "Tiny" starts with 10" screens, and goes smaller from there.

 

[AppliedMicro]

If you define "tiny" as "thin", the MacBook Cube Air fits the bill.
It is definitely not "tiny" if you consider the overall size, however.

You're right, of course. That was a mistake in translation.

(I know there's a difference between the two... just didn't stick out to me while typing in a foreign language )

 

[Macinposh]

- same form factor
- CPU: Low Voltage Core 2 Duo SL9300 / SL9400 @ 17W TDP, 1.6 / 1.86 GHz, with improved battery runtime (that should be why they call it the "Air", shouldn't it?) - and you should be able to actually use the full 2x 1.86 GHz for longer periods, without thermal throttling or core shutdowns.
- HD: 120GB if available and / or larger-capacity SSD as an option. Maybe complete move to SSD, though that seems to be either quite expensive, or a step back from the present 80GB HD.
- RAM: 4GB seems possible
- Price: possibly small price drop (depending if they move to SSD completely)


Bottom line: Upgraded hard drive (options), longer battery runtime, maybe more RAM and/or maybe a small price drop - a rather conservative (but more likely, IMO) revision B...

Exactly my toughts as well.. I think it will be a silent upgrade,as apple possibly wont make a scene because of the lack of advance in speed.
Merely a "cooler,roomier and even more affordable" or something.

Intresting is how Macbook and Macbook pro will continue to be more differentiated?
Quad core options for MBPs,HDMI and option for BR,perhaps?

 

[darngooddesign]

There are still many reasons to get a MacBook over a MacBook Air. Price, specs, expandability.

Significantly worse screen, no backlit keyboard (after having one in my PB for several years I now despise not having one in my MB), thicker and heavier design, which if you carry around a lot of other junk does make a difference.

 

[DJY]

I'm hanging out for them to update the MBA!

I don't think any updates that require changes to the physical casing are likely (as much as I'd love a swappable battery, or extra ports)...

but a speed bump and bigger hard drive options will see me grabbing one of these ASAP!


If only they will update it now please!

 

[Macinposh]

I'm hanging out for them to update the MBA!

I don't think any updates that require changes to the physical casing are likely (as much as I'd love a swappable battery, or extra ports)...

Smaller bezel dictates for one.
If they make the bezel smaller the footprint goes down close to the old 12" ibooks/Powerbooks.
And they cant upsize the screen as the 15" screen doesnt fit into the present casing.

Hopefully they make it smaller,had the chance to use the MBA for couple of days and it would be the perfect tool for me, if only the size would be a tad smaller..