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I hope this is true. I mainly got my 15 inch MacBook Pro for the screen size, but I don't need that much processing power. I'll definitely buy a 15 inch MacBook Air. But I just bought my current one in 2019 so I'm not in a rush to replace it yet.
Yes but supporting two externals is a must.
 
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I'm a 'pro' - a pro engineer. I don't need mountains of computing power to render complex textures or multi stream 8k video. But I do need to have 3 screens, for reviewing drawings or working on multiple spreadsheets while having teams or outlook open on another screen.

Its an active choice by apple to restrict the machines unnecessarily (as proven by the multi display capability over display link using the CPU to render) and its very annoying. I'll eventually end up spending 3 grand on a M1 or M2 pro machine when a MBA could do the jobs I need perfectly. I used to edit 4K videos on my 11 inch MacBook Air back in 2013.
I can see both sides of this.

On one hand, I can appreciate what you're saying, the MBA perhaps has the horsepower to do basic work on 3 screens.

One the other hand, Apple might want to restrict the MBA to one external display so that it always performs well on those two screens. If they allowed for more than one extra screen, it might give people the impression that it's more capable than it is, and next thing you know people are whinging about it under-performing. Of course, Apple like to make money and I fully appreciate the business side of this as well.

All in all, I'd say that you're in a very small minority of people who are needing an Apple laptop for professional use, to in turn earn money out of, and need the screen output capability of the MacBook Pro but don't wan't to lay out the extra dollar for it. But I do appreciate what you're saying.
 
No point in dual-external display support for the target demographic. Very few people of the target audience use or miss a second external displays. These are the „Pro“ users, and „Pro“ choices exist for them

It’s just disappointing that they’re selling and releasing new „Pro“ machines without support for more than one external display.
If you go into the offices of non-technical office workers at large companies and universities (account managers, HR, accountants, etc,), you'll see two external monitors is SOP at many of them. That means if they want to issue their employees work laptops, Apple laptops may be too expensive because the lack of dual display support rules out the Air and 13" MBP (which is prosumer in name only).
 
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If you go into the offices of non-technical office workers at large companies and universities (account managers, HR, accountants, etc,), you'll see two external monitors is SOP at many of them
…but I rarely see fanless notebooks with only 2 USB-C ports issued to them either (though honestly, considering my work laptop‘s fans even on dual-1080p, I wish they did).

If we’re talking account managers, HR and accountants in corporate environmenta, they’re mostly using Windows anyway. And so do their software applications. Same if a company is very price-sensitive about their tech.

I do somewhat agree that 2000$ is a bit steep an entry price for dual-monitor support - but it’s not MacBooks filling that role - it’s Pros.
 
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would be cool but the keyboard would suck big time
What because it’s12”? Apple keyboard have sucked for a while anyway. The butterfly keyboard was excellent but reliably a nightmare.(i had 3 replaced). The new keyboard on the 16” mbp sucks. Its like Typing in a sponge and you can press the key s and it will only register gable m the time. You need to press them really firmly. The arrow keys suck beyond belief and frankly the trackpad is too big
 
What because it’s12”? Apple keyboard have sucked for a while anyway. The butterfly keyboard was excellent but reliably a nightmare.(i had 3 replaced). The new keyboard on the 16” mbp sucks. Its like Typing in a sponge and you can press the key s and it will only register gable m the time. You need to press them really firmly. The arrow keys suck beyond belief and frankly the trackpad is too big
The butterfly keyboard was terrible to type on. Between the keys being sensitive to the slightest touch, they keys were too close together and it was too each to hit the key next to the one you wanted. I have used lots of keyboards over the years and adapted to all of them but I could never get used to the butterfly keyboard. Too many typing mistakes. The newer keyboards are much better. They have more travel than the butterfly keyboard but less than the pre-butterfly keyboards. My typing accuracy is much improved.
 
The butterfly keyboard was terrible to type on. Between the keys being sensitive to the slightest touch, they keys were too close together and it was too each to hit the key next to the one you wanted. I have used lots of keyboards over the years and adapted to all of them but I could never get used to the butterfly keyboard. Too many typing mistakes. The newer keyboards are much better. They have more travel than the butterfly keyboard but less than the pre-butterfly keyboards. My typing accuracy is much improved.
Complete opposite for me. Butterfly light, responsive fast and accurate. Latest keyboards are hard to type on feel like mush and i make far more mistake and missed letter than any other kb. The most annoying is when you press the key it doesnt register unless you press it exactly in the middle. I suspect this preference is based on hand size, and typing technique ie light touch or heavy bash
 
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I think Apple has lost the original meaning of the Air.
Or they’re changing it on purpose. In the iPad line up, Air is the mid-range. I could see a return of the 12” MacBook (but probably closer to 13” now with the new design language) and the addition of a 15” Air to structure the laptop line up more like the iPads. I’d love the return of a two pound laptop, and a lot of people would dig a 15” Air methinks.
 
What because it’s12”? Apple keyboard have sucked for a while anyway. The butterfly keyboard was excellent but reliably a nightmare.(i had 3 replaced). The new keyboard on the 16” mbp sucks. Its like Typing in a sponge and you can press the key s and it will only register gable m the time. You need to press them really firmly. The arrow keys suck beyond belief and frankly the trackpad is too big
because it would not be wide enough, the 11.6" MBA had a massive bezel, the New 12" would not and the keyboard would be too cramped.
 
If I were the one naming things at Apple, I wouldn't allow the 12 inch to be the MacBook and the 15 inch to be an Air, because there was already an 11.6 inch MacBook Air while the pre-Retina MacBook was 13.3" exclusively. I can see a 15" Air, but the 12" should be an Air for sure.​
 
If I were the one naming things at Apple, I wouldn't allow the 12 inch to be the MacBook and the 15 inch to be an Air, because there was already an 11.6 inch MacBook Air while the pre-Retina MacBook was 13.3" exclusively. I can see a 15" Air, but the 12" should be an Air for sure.​
Air should be 12 and 13.6” flavors, and 15” should be MacBook or MacBook Studio.
 
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If I were the one naming things at Apple, I wouldn't allow the 12 inch to be the MacBook and the 15 inch to be an Air, because there was already an 11.6 inch MacBook Air while the pre-Retina MacBook was 13.3" exclusively. I can see a 15" Air, but the 12" should be an Air for sure.​
I'd say it depends on the product design. If it's just a smaller version of the Air, then they're going to call it an Air. But if it's a qualitatively different design, then they'll call it something else—most likely a MacBook, particularly if it's lower-end than the Air.
 
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If I were the one naming things at Apple, I wouldn't allow the 12 inch to be the MacBook and the 15 inch to be an Air, because there was already an 11.6 inch MacBook Air while the pre-Retina MacBook was 13.3" exclusively. I can see a 15" Air, but the 12" should be an Air for sure.​
Alternatively, Apple could use even numbers for the "Pro" moniker, and leave the odd sizes as Air's. 12/14/16 Macbook Pros, and 11/13/15 Macbook Airs. They basically already do this, they just need to add a larger size to the air, and a smaller size to the pro.
 
Alternatively, Apple could use even numbers for the "Pro" moniker, and leave the odd sizes as Air's. 12/14/16 Macbook Pros, and 11/13/15 Macbook Airs. They basically already do this, they just need to add a larger size to the air, and a smaller size to the pro.
The simplest solution is just to come out with an ultra-thin MacBook Air 12 and 15, and rebrand the MacBook Air M2 as "the MacBook," which is what they should have called it in the beginning IMHO.
 
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I'd say it depends on the product design. If it's just a smaller version of the Air, then they're going to call it an Air. But if it's a qualitatively different design, then they'll call it something else—most likely a MacBook, particularly if it's lower-end than the Air.
They shouldn’t make that mistake again. They confused the product line once by calling the smaller, lighter 12 inch laptop the “MacBook” while keeping the heavier 13-inch as the “Air.” Hopefully, they find a way to correct this by introducing a thinner and lighter 12” and rebranding the current M2 Macbook Air as the MacBook.
 
@transpo1 Personally, if any of these hypothetical laptops should be the "MacBook", my pick would have to be the 15" -- the 13" Air is pretty much a staple and expected, and it paired historically with an 11" Air, but a 15" I dunno if I'd call particularly small and ultraportable.
Not that I'd imagine it would be at all hard to carry around, I manage bringing my 15" PowerBook G4 around places just fine, but it would probably be a bit big for the Air moniker if we're dead set on introducing a third MacBook line. It would be IMO the ideal candidate for "didn't need the hyperportability of the Air, wanted a bigger and nicer screen, but didn't need the power or price of the M2 Pro/Max" that a suffixless MacBook to my mind suggests.​
 
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"The 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ would be close to the size of the larger-screened 16-inch MacBook Pro"

Not sure what I'm missing here, but this makes no sense. From what I've seen the screen design on the Air mimics the Pro nearly identically. The bezels seem about the same width etc.

So how on earth could a 15" Air be the same size as the 16" Pro? And of course 'size' is a stupid term when talking about a laptop.

I expect they meant footprint, which to my point, can't be the same as the 16" Pro. Then it would be much thinner, so... yeah. In no universe would a 15" Air be "close to the size of the larger-screened 16-inch MacBook Pro"
And the thing that will make it worse is if it is priced too high, I might as well just get a refurb 16Pro
 
They shouldn’t make that mistake again. They confused the product line once by calling the smaller, lighter 12 inch laptop the “MacBook” while keeping the heavier 13-inch as the “Air.” Hopefully, they find a way to correct this by introducing a thinner and lighter 12” and rebranding the current M2 Macbook Air as the MacBook.
I disagree completely. The Air was already an established, iconic product. It would have been far more confusing to call the new MacBook the Air, and rebrand the Air as something else. Imagine sales people trying to explain to customers who want the Air that the Air is no longer the Air, what's now the Air is this entirely different laptop, and if you want the what used to be the Air it's now called the [whatever].

Plus when you've got this great branding already established for your best-selling product, why completely screw that up by calling it something else?
 
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They shouldn’t make that mistake again. They confused the product line once by calling the smaller, lighter 12 inch laptop the “MacBook” while keeping the heavier 13-inch as the “Air.” Hopefully, they find a way to correct this by introducing a thinner and lighter 12” and rebranding the current M2 Macbook Air as the MacBook.
Exactly 💯
 
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I disagree completely. The Air was already an established, iconic product. It would have been far more confusing to call the new MacBook the Air, and rebrand the Air as something else. Imagine sales people trying to explain to customers who want the Air that the Air is no longer the Air, what's now the Air is this entirely different laptop, and if you want the what used to be the Air it's now called the [whatever].

Plus when you've got this great branding already established for your best-selling product, why completely screw that up by calling it something else?
But nomenclature-wise, he is right for the most part, wil explain in a sec.

Even though, the problem that you presented is valid and would be confusing for the masses a.k.a. everyone else who isn’t like us in this forum. But, at the end of the day, as someone who had 3 12” retina MacBooks in the family, the 12” and 13.6” need to be Airs, and the MacBook for the rumored 15”-ish with a fan. MacBook is bigger and more powerful (in this case, M2 with a fan) than the Air, but less than a Pro.
 
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I disagree completely. The Air was already an established, iconic product. It would have been far more confusing to call the new MacBook the Air, and rebrand the Air as something else. Imagine sales people trying to explain to customers who want the Air that the Air is no longer the Air, what's now the Air is this entirely different laptop, and if you want the what used to be the Air it's now called the [whatever].

Plus when you've got this great branding already established for your best-selling product, why completely screw that up by calling it something else?
I agree it would be confusing in the short term (and Apple probably will never do it), but in the long term it would actually be a LOT LESS confusing.

Perhaps a better approach would be to just come out with a ultra-portable 12” Air and allow the 13” to stay the way it is. But for God’s sakes, don’t call a thinner machine the “MacBook.” 😄
 
@transpo1 Personally, if any of these hypothetical laptops should be the "MacBook", my pick would have to be the 15" -- the 13" Air is pretty much a staple and expected, and it paired historically with an 11" Air, but a 15" I dunno if I'd call particularly small and ultraportable.
Not that I'd imagine it would be at all hard to carry around, I manage bringing my 15" PowerBook G4 around places just fine, but it would probably be a bit big for the Air moniker if we're dead set on introducing a third MacBook line. It would be IMO the ideal candidate for "didn't need the hyperportability of the Air, wanted a bigger and nicer screen, but didn't need the power or price of the M2 Pro/Max" that a suffixless MacBook to my mind suggests.​
Yeah, I could see that happening. And eventually we will get our ultra-portable 12” Air or whatever but it may take some time.
 
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