With 2-3 years to go, I would hope Apple's A14 or A15 would compete on its own merits rather than marketing.
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Apple's Confusing Mac Lineup: MacBook Air vs. MacBook
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With 2-3 years to go, I would hope Apple's A14 or A15 would compete on its own merits rather than marketing.
I completely Agree! I always looked at my macbook 12 as just an ipad with a keyboard and when it gets apple's A12 look out...the performance will be blistering!
Oh, right, IBM and Xerox not Microsoft. Thank you thank you! Now I'm sad.
When that video was taken, Microsoft was doing great with Bill Gates and his products. I think they are getting back to that again with the new Microsoft leader.
Good to know. I have not had them side by side and have not personally owned either. Maybe they could still shrink it down slightly but it might make the keyboard too cramped.
The MB line certainly is confusing as all hell. Apple should just do away with the MB line and just keep MBA and MBP.
This is coming from an owner of a 2017 MB (which I’m completely happy with as well).
This is coming from an owner of a 2017 MB (which I’m completely happy with as well).
Pretty stupid article. Nothing confusing at all. The models will realign when the MacBook is refreshed. There is still a market for a very small 12" form factor. Hell, lots of folks are still crying that there is no 11" Air. I guess they never set an 11" Air next to the 12" They are nearly the same size. The 12" is also over a half pound lighter.
FaceID adds to the price and isn't as useful on a laptop with a keyboard as it is on a touch-based device that's used for selfies.
The tapered design is a big part of what makes it a MacBook Air.
I have had a Macbook Air 11 2012 and i am a big fan of it ever since i got it. It's really light and up until now has been working great for me. At the time i think it cost around 2.2K or 2K i dont remember but why it was a great buy at the time was because it had great specs, was light, small and had MAC OS. At the time there wasnt really a lot of other options in the same form factor.
The specs are:
i7 Dual Core 2.0
8GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM
256GB SATA SSD
I could have even done 512 SSD at the time.
Its kinda mind-blowing with other companies putting GTX 1070s and 1060s in their 14-15 inch notebooks that 13inch Macs still have some of these default configs today. I have put off upgrading my Air because i wanted the Macbook 12 but with an extra port, 720 camera [with my Air has] and 16GB Ram. I already loved that it was 12" Retina with smaller bezels.
What makes the Macbook great is that there is no fan, something i have wanted for a long time, i couldn't justify doing that with 8GB of Ram which was basically the same as my Air.
There should be 2 Macs in the lineup, MacBook 12 or 13 with no Fan and a Pro [i personally haven't tried the touch-bar but from what i have read here people think it costs more and isn't really worth having, i kinda agree from looking at it]
Default Specs for Macbook
i5 Dual Core
8GB RAM
256GB
For 2K u should be able to get an i7, 16GB and 512GB
Which already is the case but now the MacBook hasnt been updated with new processors that the new Air got.
Default specs for PRO
i5 Quad Core
16GB Ram
256SSD
for around 2.5K u should get i7, 32GB and 512SSD
Part of my and other fellow MacBook users here is that its amazing that prices have stayed high for the components u are getting, and for a company that was known for trying to be simple and offer the best there is with 1 or 2 options have completely offered no real innovations when it comes to MacBooks, let alone offer people good components in default configs. I know price is relative for everyone and based on experience a Mac is worth it because of the reliability, the repair options and the operating system, but come on. Compare the specs i posted to the ones that are available now. Frustrating to say the least.
The specs are:
i7 Dual Core 2.0
8GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM
256GB SATA SSD
I could have even done 512 SSD at the time.
Its kinda mind-blowing with other companies putting GTX 1070s and 1060s in their 14-15 inch notebooks that 13inch Macs still have some of these default configs today. I have put off upgrading my Air because i wanted the Macbook 12 but with an extra port, 720 camera [with my Air has] and 16GB Ram. I already loved that it was 12" Retina with smaller bezels.
What makes the Macbook great is that there is no fan, something i have wanted for a long time, i couldn't justify doing that with 8GB of Ram which was basically the same as my Air.
There should be 2 Macs in the lineup, MacBook 12 or 13 with no Fan and a Pro [i personally haven't tried the touch-bar but from what i have read here people think it costs more and isn't really worth having, i kinda agree from looking at it]
Default Specs for Macbook
i5 Dual Core
8GB RAM
256GB
For 2K u should be able to get an i7, 16GB and 512GB
Which already is the case but now the MacBook hasnt been updated with new processors that the new Air got.
Default specs for PRO
i5 Quad Core
16GB Ram
256SSD
for around 2.5K u should get i7, 32GB and 512SSD
Part of my and other fellow MacBook users here is that its amazing that prices have stayed high for the components u are getting, and for a company that was known for trying to be simple and offer the best there is with 1 or 2 options have completely offered no real innovations when it comes to MacBooks, let alone offer people good components in default configs. I know price is relative for everyone and based on experience a Mac is worth it because of the reliability, the repair options and the operating system, but come on. Compare the specs i posted to the ones that are available now. Frustrating to say the least.
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When I first read talk of an Apple CPU based Mac, the MacBook was the first thing that popped in my head.
My gut tells me that it hasn't been updated because it will be the first Mac with an Apple designed CPU/GPU. It's already fanless, and not the kind of thing people many people buy to dual boot Windows from.
My gut tells me that it hasn't been updated because it will be the first Mac with an Apple designed CPU/GPU. It's already fanless, and not the kind of thing people many people buy to dual boot Windows from.
[doublepost=1541463867][/doublepost]Confused about this muddy laptop lineup ? I think it’s pretty obvious, as Tim Cook stated during its Original introduction. The MacBook is Apples Represenative of what the future vision of what state of the art Laptops will be.
Apple at its October event unveiled a new 2018 MacBook Air that's been entirely overhauled with a Retina display, Thunderbolt 3, a slimmed down design, a faster processor, and other hardware upgrades.
The new $1,199 machine is a great addition to the MacBook Pro, but there's just one problem - Apple already had a notebook with all of these features. The 2018 MacBook Air is very similar to the 12-inch MacBook, which did not receive a 2018 update.
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The 2018 MacBook Air, which Apple is selling for $1,199, is better in almost every way than the 12-inch MacBook, which is still priced at $1,299. It has a larger Retina display, a faster Amber Lake processor, upgraded Intel UHD Graphics 617, two Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports, up to 1.5TB of storage, Touch ID and T2 chip, better battery life, and it costs $100 less (though you're getting 128GB storage instead of 256GB with the base model).
At this point in time, with no update, all the MacBook has going for it is a slimmer body and a lighter weight, but even then, the difference is minute given the revamped design of the MacBook Air.
The 2018 MacBook Air measures in at 0.16 to 0.61 inches thick, compared to the MacBook, which comes in at 0.14 to 0.52 inches. It also weighs 2.75 pounds instead of the MacBook's 2 pounds, but those are really the only differentiating factors.
Right now, there is absolutely no good reason to purchase a MacBook over a MacBook Air, and anyone considering a new Apple notebook that's aiming for portability and good battery life should choose the MacBook Air.
You can get close to MacBook Air performance with the upgraded MacBook with a 1.4GHz Core M processor, but the MacBook Air is still going to beat it because it's using eighth-generation processors instead of seventh-generation and it costs $1,549 to upgrade to that higher-powered processor.
If and when Apple upgrades the MacBook with next-generation Intel chips, it's still going to be almost on par with the MacBook Air if there are no other changes to form factor or specifications, so it's a mystery why the MacBook is still in Apple's lineup and why Apple has opted to have two machines that are so similar.
Prior to the October update, Apple hadn't made significant changes to the MacBook Air since 2015, and it was believed that the machine, which was priced at $999, was sticking around as a low-cost option until component prices for the MacBook came down. With the launch of the new version, that's clearly no longer Apple's plan, and the future of the MacBook and MacBook Air is murkier than ever.
As for the MacBook Air vs. the MacBook Pro, things are a bit clearer. The MacBook Air is still the lower-cost lower-performance option that is ideal for lighter workloads that don't require high-powered software.
All MacBook Pro models, including the 2017 non-Touch Bar models, offer better performance than the MacBook Air's 7W Amber Lake processor, but with the base MacBook Air vs. the base non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro priced at $1,299, there's not a huge difference. When deciding between these two machines, it's going to come down to whether you prefer a smaller form factor and Touch ID or slightly better performance.
What do you think Apple is planning for the MacBook in the future? Let us know in the comments.
Article Link: Apple's Confusing Mac Lineup: MacBook Air vs. MacBook
I can’t helped but think that once we enter into 2019 it will become clear that the MacBook will spearhead Apple's transition to its own silicon.
Leaving the Air to represent Applesworkhorse laptop
With its 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports, 128GB SSD, 2560x1600 pixel 13.3” Retina display, dimensions of 8.36” x 11.97” x .61” and weight of 2.75 lbs., the MacBook Air is most similar, and best compared, to the MacBook Pro—not the 12” MacBook. The MBP is slightly thinner at .59” and slightly heavier at 3.02 lbs., but all the other specs above are identical. The Pro has a better display (brighter, wider P3 color gamut) and faster CPU and GPU, for only $100 more. But the Air has better battery life, and has TouchID.
Compared to the MBP/nMBA, the 12” MacBook has a smaller, lower resolution display and is missing the dual Thunderbolt 3 ports (it only has a single, 5Gbps USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 port), so it can’t support a 5K or dual 4K external monitors. However, the MacBook is much lighter at 2.02 lbs., is smaller at 7.74 x 11.04 x .52” and at $1,299 for a 256GB SSD, is cheaper than nMBA ($1,399) and MBP ($1,499) when they’re configured for that same 256GB capacity.
The author would have been better off comparing the new MacBook Air to the non-TouchBar MacBook Pro. The Air does have the same Intel Y-series class CPU/GPU as the MacBook so they’re roughly equal in performance, but that’s pretty much the only way they’re the same.
Anyone who is considering the Air should consider the nTB MacBook Pro with its better display and much faster CPU/GPU for only $100 more.
Anyone who wants the smallest, lightest notebook wants the 12” MacBook, since the Air/MBP are larger, thicker and 35-50% heavier. The MacBook is awesome for road warriors and is the best for use on an airplane tray table.
Compared to the MBP/nMBA, the 12” MacBook has a smaller, lower resolution display and is missing the dual Thunderbolt 3 ports (it only has a single, 5Gbps USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 port), so it can’t support a 5K or dual 4K external monitors. However, the MacBook is much lighter at 2.02 lbs., is smaller at 7.74 x 11.04 x .52” and at $1,299 for a 256GB SSD, is cheaper than nMBA ($1,399) and MBP ($1,499) when they’re configured for that same 256GB capacity.
The author would have been better off comparing the new MacBook Air to the non-TouchBar MacBook Pro. The Air does have the same Intel Y-series class CPU/GPU as the MacBook so they’re roughly equal in performance, but that’s pretty much the only way they’re the same.
Anyone who is considering the Air should consider the nTB MacBook Pro with its better display and much faster CPU/GPU for only $100 more.
Anyone who wants the smallest, lightest notebook wants the 12” MacBook, since the Air/MBP are larger, thicker and 35-50% heavier. The MacBook is awesome for road warriors and is the best for use on an airplane tray table.
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I think the Macbook is almost the iPad with regular macOS that everybody wants without the touchscreen. Its dramatically more portable than the MacAir. I think it would be absolutely ridiculous to discontinue it and I dont see what the big deal is, although a price drop from last years tech would have been warranted or better yet at least a minor spec upgrade this year.
Stop picking on the Macbook!
Stop picking on the Macbook!
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I think the nTB MBP will be discontinued. When the Air gets Cannon Lake, it will have equivalent performance to the current nTB.
Steve was absolutely correct in this video, especially about IBM. Remember that, even though IBM had forays into other product areas, it has always been about mainframes. Sure, complimentary products would be wrappered around them, and consulting and services were there to figure out how to plug these mammoth systems into a company's environment, and that was very lucrative. But that's a market that's been saturated for decades. And now the company is floundering because a few generations of the most senior execs have had no clue about future products. Watson, anyone? Cloud? Now, Red Hat? Certainly not consumer products. IBM is the exact failure that Steve predicted. But I worry that Apple is, too. Incremental product improvements are not what long term success is built on. Apple needs to again produce the "next big thing", which the iPhone was. What is it? It's not AI or VR.Oh, right, IBM and Xerox not Microsoft. Thank you thank you! Now I'm sad.
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It has proven a better auth experience than Touch ID overall, and it will have the same accessibility as Touch ID on the new MBA. Saving it for the ARM Macbook is a quality feature differentiator.
Just watching this video not only confuses me but also gives me headache. Stupidest Apple’s decision ever in the history of their Mac lineup. This just to show Apple don’t care because they’re in the position where people buy their Macs anyway because specs don’t matter to them, and Apple just want their money.
They should have:
12" Macbook - $999
13" MacBook Air - $1199
13" MacBook Pro - $1299
15" MacBook Pro - $2299
17" MacBook Pro - $2499
and...
a 27" MacBook Pro - $4999
12" Macbook - $999
13" MacBook Air - $1199
13" MacBook Pro - $1299
15" MacBook Pro - $2299
17" MacBook Pro - $2499
and...
a 27" MacBook Pro - $4999
This is how they make tons of money, by confusing people.
I miss Steve Jobs, specially the good old days.
I miss Steve Jobs, specially the good old days.