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I don't know about that... where I work, the Surface Pro 3 is attracting attention from people who previously wouldn't have considered anything but an iPad and don't want to carry a laptop. Although I'm skeptical about some of the claims in the Digitimes rumor, a very lightweight 12" laptop might be an attractive alternative, especially if its power consumption is low enough to guarantee great battery life.

This. Although the Surface Pro isn't a serious threat to iPad, it is a concept that Apple can take further and really get right. There is definitely a market for it, just like there is a market for phablets and Apple eventually came out with it's own. I don't see this as them playing catchup, but rather waiting to execute that form in a way that makes sense for Apple.
 
It's racist to feature an interracial couple? That's the most backwards thing I've ever heard.

I think the poster is referring to the fact that Apple feels the need to show at least one white face. They wouldn't have a black couple, but they would show a white couple or an interracial couple. #nuance
 
So if production is not ramping up until November??? does that mean this device will not make an appearance next week?
Unless they do an early announcement, but that doesn't make sense it would hurt MBA sales that are currently selling well.


not convinced that an iPad Pro and Ulta-Slim MacBook Air will be one device.

I don't think this is going to happen yet. I am also not convinced we will see an iPad pro this year.
 
No. With this rate of having every device thinned, I think we will have fold-able idevices.

Actually that should be the answer to that ridiculous question... Apple products don't bend they FOLD!
 
I think the poster is referring to the fact that Apple feels the need to show at least one white face. They wouldn't have a black couple, but they would show a white couple or an interracial couple. #nuance
That viewpoint is at best cynical, and at worst racist in itself.
 
A limited usefulness geek trick that would appeal to perhaps 2% of either the laptop or tablet audience.

Apple has spoken against the idea of blending tablet and laptop in one system before.

Agreed. Many seem to have no idea what the key strength of the iPad is - this hybrid idea is DOA.
 
Agreed. Many seem to have no idea what the key strength of the iPad is - this hybrid idea is DOA.

I think you then have to ask what is the strength of a super-slim (slimmer than a Macbook Air) 12 inch laptop and a 12.7inch 'iPad Pro'? I'm having a hard time seeing it, especially in 2015.

Hybrid in the sense of merging iOS and OSX into a new device is indeed pointless and not going to happen. But a 2 in 1 product is a real possibility. Considering the Surface Pro 3 uses a 12 inch display, I would say it's more likely than not that things are heading in this direction. It's just a question of how well they can pull it off.
 
A limited usefulness geek trick that would appeal to perhaps 2% of either the laptop or tablet audience.

Apple has spoken against the idea of blending tablet and laptop in one system before. Until we have valid proof of even a thought of putting A chips in laptops or Intel in the tablets, one should not expect anything like this from Apple. Double now that Microsoft has tried the same basic idea and it has been a total failure to a lukewarm meh

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I was thinking, of a different approach then MS did with Surface. I agree Surface hasn't been a huge success. But I think apple can do it better.

Instead of the blended software, "one OS to rule all devices approach"I was thinking Apple could offer two distinct experiences with this new product. Within the display, you have the A chip and the iOS, storage and software and all you need for the true iOS tablet experience ( ports, cameras touchIDs all of it). Within the keyboard body you have the Intel chips and the MAC OS X software, battery etc... Attaching the display and detaching it swaps the display between the two modes nearly instantly.

Two distinct experiences with separate hardware ( mostly) and software.

I don't see this the same as Surface at all. Surface was a blended approach, this is more of a "multi-tool" like approach. I wasn't tempted to buy a Surface, I would buy this "two for one" in a heartbeat. Am I the only one who sees the benefit of this idea? Instead of carrying around a MBA and iPAD, I could carry this type of product and have the best of both worlds using less resources.
 
I think you then have to ask what is the strength of a super-slim (slimmer than a Macbook Air) 12 inch laptop and a 12.7inch 'iPad Pro'? I'm having a hard time seeing it, especially in 2015.

Hybrid in the sense of merging iOS and OSX into a new device is indeed pointless and not going to happen. But a 2 in 1 product is a real possibility. Considering the Surface Pro 3 uses a 12 inch display, I would say it's more likely than not that things are heading in this direction. It's just a question of how well they can pull it off.

Yeah, if you look at the Surface Pro 3, it looks like it would be a really nice device to have if it were just designed better. Imagine replacing that god-awful keyboard with something similar to a Macbook Air's keyboard. You could have a device that's essentially both an iPad Air and an Macbook Air, with the right OS changes. Complex and risky to design though.
 
Bring back the 17"

12" really? so, lets see, we have an 11"12"13"15"....

As a guy who tends to buy a new powerbook every year, I've been holding onto my 2011 Macbook Pro 17" I've upgraded it as much as possible, in every way possible. I've finally caved and bought a 15" Macbook Pro, but I can't say I like it. Obviously I love the thinness, I just miss the bigger screen.

Yes, I've gone through the original powerbook 100, Powerbook Duo, PB 145, PB160, PB1400 and the huge jump to the 5300, and on and on...

Ok, Did the market for a Macbook Pro 17" stink that much? What a bummer. But, I'm amazed that there is some huge market for a 12"

So, did that feedback come from the people who had the 11" and felt it was too small, or the 13" who felt it was too big... My wife has an 11" and loves it.

Ok, I'm only venting... anyone else miss the 17"? Apple, please bring it back! While I no longer wait in lines for iPhones... I would sleep out for a new 17"

;->
 
I know you said you were kinda kidding, but this attitude is visible in way too many posts.

These things add up, for god's sake! I just bought a new bag that's 700g lighter. Last year I bought a mirrorless camera that saved me around the same. Now, if Apple gets the 12" Air under 1kg, I'll have saved at least 350g compared to my current 13" Air. That's *2kg* gone from my back just by changing *three* products.

If what you want is performance, just get the Macbook Pro. It's almost as slim as the current Air at this point. Why whine about the Air trying to be what it exists for?

(And on the flip side of the coin, of course, there's the ARM supporters. We do need *some* performance, guys. Currently, Broadwell Y is the only realistic option, and it's a damn fine one.)

Yeah, I'm definitely kidding. But I think Apple goes a bit too far. The current iMacs are unnecessarily thin in my opinion. I'm really glad I got a 2011 in the thick form factor and with a DVD player.

That said, if Apple didn't push the boundaries like this we would never have made it to the current Air. Or the current Macbook Pro. If Apple can do fanless and retina screen in a slim form factor in 2014 that will be kind of amazing, I think. I think it would be easier and just as good if they were able to reduce the weight, get rid of the fan and just stay in the current Pro form factor. A little extra space would probably help with the heat issues and the extra aluminum for that space probably weighs nearly nothing. That seems the easier way to go to me.

Also I don't love the loss of screen size. 13 inch still seems small to me. But I know the smaller screen will be easier on the CPU and the battery life.
 
Oh good, slimmer. Everyone keeps asking for slimmer and not more power/battery...
That. Even losing the ODD wouldn't be so bad if a similar-thickness MacBook Pro were released with day-long battery (not the current 6 hours).

A 12" iPad seems too big, and a touch screen mac goes against my don't-ever-touch-the-screen habits.
Just like a 5"+ screen is too big on a cell phone, yet  released it.

And Matte Screens option for designers/photographers
4G Sim card option for coffee shop bloggers

Yeah. All of that would be sweet.
Matte screens make much more sense when the machine is used on the go in uncontrolled lighting conditions.

My 15" non-Mac PC has a SIM card slot, just lacks a 3G modem and decent plans. Just to say it's far from impossible, as Apple already accidentally released a prototype MBP back in the day with just that capability.

Double now that Microsoft has tried the same basic idea and it has been a total failure to a lukewarm meh
Are you referring to the so-called Tablet PCs? They were delivered as heavy boxes, unoptimized OS and apps, and crappy touchscreens with unremarkable battery life, all at triple the price of a similar PC. That's why they failed, not because the idea was bad. That said, it's also true that touchscreen laptops tend to get incredibly dirty after a very short while.

The MBA sells. The 17 really didn't. Not even to business customers.
I know this is Apple, but I think the 17" broke a psychological price barrier in most people's minds: more than $3k. There was simply not enough value-added components and functions in the 17" over the 15" to justify such a large price increase between them.

But isn't the Safari, email, word processing, Facebook group the majority of users?
These users should just shut up and get an iPad or iPhone 6 Plus. For the rest of us who still need to get real work done, leave us with decent MacBook Pros. /crappy elitist

How about an ultra slim 15 17 inch apple? Some of us would like a bigger screen laptop that doesn't feel like we are lugging a baby elephant around.
Physics law being what they are, a 15" as thin as a MBA would be prone to bending, wouldn't it?

These things add up, for god's sake! I just bought a new bag that's 700g lighter. Last year I bought a mirrorless camera that saved me around the same. Now, if Apple gets the 12" Air under 1kg, I'll have saved at least 350g compared to my current 13" Air. That's *2kg* gone from my back just by changing *three* products.
Somehow not many users would be ready to shave 2kgs off their backs spending $2k+.

Seems wrong to me trashing perfectly capable products just because they're not the latest and lightest.

If what you want is performance, just get the Macbook Pro. It's almost as slim as the current Air at this point. Why whine about the Air trying to be what it exists for?
Personally I don't blame the Air trying to be thin. What I blame Apple for is the increasing lack of differentiation between the Pro and the Air. First they removed useful accessories from the box. No more -to-HDMI, -to-VGA, remote included. Not everyone used these, but "Pros" (as in the moniker) would probably have.
Then did away with discrete graphics, replacing it by a capable, Intel chip, but nevertheless with shared memory.
Then off with the ODD. Again, not used that much, but as the Mac is the most compatible laptop there is IMHO, it needs to do things for other machines: standard non-Macs are usually troubleshooted using, you guessed it, a bootable CD. This would have kept the MBP as a IT-guy standard.
 
Somehow not many users would be ready to shave 2kgs off their backs spending $2k+.

Seems wrong to me trashing perfectly capable products just because they're not the latest and lightest.

I don't see how that's relevant. Why are we even having this discussion about what we want in new products if we should just stick to the old ones?

And the weight isn't the only new feature. It's not like the weight reduction itself causes 100% of the product's cost.
 
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Thinner = more heat.
Honestly, who has not had a phone, tablet, or laptop get really hot on them? Wider = more air flow and better ventilation = cooler device.

Apple's "thinner = better" thinking reminds me of corsets. As with corsets, I hope the trend passes out.
 
Then off with the ODD.

Amazing you replied to nearly everybody :cool:

Personally I also lament the DVD/ODD drive removal. I rarely use mine either but guess what? A lot of people have a collection of BR, DVD, CDs.
A friend who had a collection of 100+ DVDs she used to watch on her iMac got a new iMac with no DVD drive. She gave away the DVDs to good will and torrented her collection. 131 movies on an external drive is convenient, but something is lost from being able to choose films from a shelf, holding the boxes, reading the descriptions, and taking the disc out of the box.

Half the fun of watching movies at her house with 5 other people was browsing through her shelf and choosing a movie. Now we huddle around the computer screen saying "scroll up" "no scroll down" "the comedy folder" "no the action folder" "no the drama folder". Sometimes being progressive is not a good thing.
 
I think we need to look at the 12" iPad and this new 12" MacBook as the same thing. Everything fits - split OS, touchscreen. I think it is Apple's first stab at a detachable/dockable screen and hardware running some kind of split OS.
 
I don't think that word means what you think it means.

webster's dictionary:

possibly true : believable or realistic
1. superficially fair, reasonable, or valuable but often specious

pretty sure that's the meaning I was going for. something that sounds more believable but still false because it's something I will have made up.
 
ipad macbook frankenstein

Sounds an awful lot like the "supply chain" is mixing up the "iPad pro" and "nMBA"- maybe these are actually the same device- just a larger iPad that comes with a detachable macbook air style keyboard as standard. Otherwise these rumored products make less and less sense.
g\
 
What I don't understand is that any designer worth his salt would have taken a step back, looked at the current ranges and made this a 12" iPad + keyboard clamshell design that locks together to function as a laptop or simply detaches the touch-screen iPad section if you want to keep it basic. It just makes sense and would be very popular, far more so than a mere laptop will be.

And that's why you don't work for Apple. This sounds clumsy as hell. Very un Apple-like.
 
I don't see how that's relevant. Why are we even having this discussion about what we want in new products if we should just stick to the old ones?

And the weight isn't the only new feature. It's not like the weight reduction itself causes 100% of the product's cost.
Don't get me wrong, it always feel warm and fuzzy to buy something new. Just pointing out that spending so much only to shave 2kgs isn't a sufficient reason to spend if features don't justify it, and that just put now-unneeded stuff in a box offsets the feeling.

Amazing you replied to nearly everybody :cool:
Guess my ADD still reared its head. :(

Personally I also lament the DVD/ODD drive removal. I rarely use mine either but guess what? A lot of people have a collection of BR, DVD, CDs.
A friend who had a collection of 100+ DVDs she used to watch on her iMac got a new iMac with no DVD drive. She gave away the DVDs to good will and torrented her collection. 131 movies on an external drive is convenient, but something is lost from being able to choose films from a shelf, holding the boxes, reading the descriptions, and taking the disc out of the box.
I don't use it often, but rather regularly. I would have expected a "pro" machine to come with at least an external drive in the box. But when your external drive breaks, and it will, sooner or later, one loses everything. No big deal when movies are torrented, but losing rare ones is extremely annoying. If only Apple had a Match feature for torrented movies just like they have for songs :cool:
 
IMO, this is dead in the water if it doesn't have a Retina display.

I think Apple's plan has been to move over to all Retina as soon as it's feasible. Why go through a new product launch with an inferior display and a less than optimum processor. They would just as well hold back and wait till Broadwell is available and drop in a better display.

Broadwell Core M is available now
 
Too thin - Need some heft. I want the 17" MBP Back.
Want some cheese with that whine? The 17" has gone the way of the DODO,
(Google it):apple:

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I'd be tickled pink, just to have Retina Screens across the MBA line, especially the 11", Apples most amazing Laptop:eek::cool::apple:

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I'd go so far to say,a Retina 11", would outsell the coming 12" Retina MBA;)
 
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