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Do you want a 15" Air?

Mad Mac Maniac

Mad Mac Maniac

macrumors 601
Original poster
Oct 4, 2007
4,808
2,110
A little bit of here and a little bit of there.
As the distinction between trucks and cars (Macs and iDevices) continues to grow, I'm realizing that I'm needing my macbook less for portability and more for heavy duty tasks. I'm also finding that my 13" screen is often a little bit small. I don't want to hook up to an external monitor, because I still want it to be able to use it all around my home. I also don't need the power (or the cost) of a macbook pro. It seems to me like a 15" MBA starting at $1,499 would hit the sweet spot. Possibly even reduce the bezel further.

What do you think, is this something that you want? Do you think Apple would ever deliver?
 
Do you really need a larger screen, or just more screen real estate? If you need to open more apps on your screen, that's what the rMBP is for. It's only 0.6lbs heavier and slightly thicker overall.

The 13.3" MBA is fairly large as it is.
 
When I was looking for a laptop earlier this year, I was looking at the MBP and the MBA. One thing that was a sticking point was that I wanted a 15" screen. Since the MBA doesn't have one, I had to rule it out. Though if it was available, I probably would have chosen the MBA over the MBP for it's lightweight design and for the fact that I didn't really need all the extra power of the Pro for what I intended it's purpose to be.

So yes, I wish there was a 15" MacBook Air.
 
jadam said:
Do you really need a larger screen, or just more screen real estate? If you need to open more apps on your screen, that's what the rMBP is for. It's only 0.6lbs heavier and slightly thicker overall.
Click to expand...

mj1108 said:
That's where the MBP comes in, although the MBA can certainly hold it's own on handling heavy duty tasks.
Click to expand...

Well my version of "heavy duty" really isn't very heavy duty. It's much more akin to working in microsoft office, but I still would like more space. So the power of the MBA is more than enough for me, and I'm not going to spend an extra $1,000 just to get 2 more inches of screen....

Regarding the larger screen vs more screen real estate, I don't really want to shrink the graphics/text to get more screen. My eyes wouldn't like that.
 
Nah defeats the purpose of an Air. The MBP retina is pretty small and light now anyways.
 
Mad Mac Maniac said:
What do you think, is this something that you want? Do you think Apple would ever deliver?
Click to expand...

Personally I do know want it, and I think that Apple will never do such a thing. They would hurt their rMBP sales. In the future they might reduce the bezel of the 13" MBA which may turn it into a 14", but this is only by removing the bezel, I don't think they are going to overhaul the entire chassis of the MBA just to make the screen bigger. If they do, they might encounter structural problems with bending and torsion as this is my train of thought.
 
jadam said:
Do you really need a larger screen, or just more screen real estate? If you need to open more apps on your screen, that's what the rMBP is for. It's only 0.6lbs heavier and slightly thicker overall.

The 13.3" MBA is fairly large as it is.
Click to expand...

I'd love to have a 17-inch air.

The rMBP is not just for running more apps on your screen. Maybe it will allow you to, but more than that it allows for more intensive tasks.

Sometimes you don't necessarily need more resources but could use more space.
 
Mad Mac Maniac said:
What do you think, is this something that you want? Do you think Apple would ever deliver?
Click to expand...
I totally want something like this, but I doubt Apple would ever do it.

However, a few of my classmates have the 15" Samsung Series 9; which is essentially what you were describing. The new one with the super stupid name of ATIV Book 9 looks even beter: http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/pcs/NP900X4C-K01US

It's thinner than a MBA, and has a standard mSATA SSD and standard user-upgradable RAM as well. The only deal-breaker is that it runs Windows...


jadam said:
Do you really need a larger screen, or just more screen real estate? If you need to open more apps on your screen, that's what the rMBP is for. It's only 0.6lbs heavier and slightly thicker overall.

The 13.3" MBA is fairly large as it is.
Click to expand...
Under the default "best" setting on the 13" rMBP, there really isn't that much more screen space to use. It pretty much scales everything to be the same size as on the MBA, just crisper. Under the "more space" settings, there is plenty of more screen space to use, but everything becomes tiny (thus an eye strain or a back strain for having to be so close to the screen).

One could find some middle ground between the two, but it doesn't change the fact that there is only so much text that is ~1/8" in height one can fit on a 13.3" display. The only way to actually fit more of something, without changing the proportions or the size of that something, is to increase the actual display size.

Screen%20Shot%202012-06-11%20at%204.29.36%20PM.png
 
zipur said:
You do know that there is a 55" available, BTO. but they won't deliver.
Click to expand...

I used to have a 15" MBP, but I sold it a couple of years ago. Now, I have a 13" MBA, and it seems just right, especially when I take it to a meeting and I don't have to lug the power supply, too.
 
The 15 inch is already very thin and rumor is the next one will be even thinner. My 13' rMBP is only slightly heavier, slightly thicker, and actually smaller circumference wise than an Air. Plus the screen destroys the Air especially for my aging eyes. I'd love to have another Air and think they are great machines but can't go back from a Retina display.
 
DarwinOSX said:
The 15 inch is already very thin and rumor is the next one will be even thinner.
Click to expand...

Well for me it's less about the thinness and more about the cost. Based on the price differential of the 13" models, a 15" MBA would likely be $500-$600 cheaper. And since I don't need the extra power or retina display, I'd rather not have to pay for it!
 
Simple answer lies in the FUNDAMENTALS behind a MACBOOK AIR --> PORTABILITY, Light Weight, so considering these 2 alone, 15 inch is more of a skateboard kinda thing and most probably won't make a business appeal...however dorm boys may rush to get one as it may not matter to them
 
I wouldnt want this. I want my Air to be light and portable.
I'll be buying a rMBP 15" for my main workhorse machine!! Waiting for the update but could really do with it now! lol
 
While it would be cool I think a external monitor is better. My MBA is light and east move. When i want more space I just use my external display .
 
I wonder if Apple can build a 15" Air at this point in time. It would be very thin but have a large area, like a cafeteria tray. Just wondering about tolerances, hinges, and yields.
 
OneMike said:
I'd love to have a 17-inch air.

The rMBP is not just for running more apps on your screen. Maybe it will allow you to, but more than that it allows for more intensive tasks.

Sometimes you don't necessarily need more resources but could use more space.
Click to expand...

Me too.
 
How different would a 15" MBA be to a rMBP at this point?

Lose the discrete gpu, make the laptop a tad thinner and perhaps improve the battery - that's about it. I don't think you can make the 15" more portable.

Heck, I can see the 13" MBP being discontinued just because of how robust the 13" MBA is at this point
 
maflynn said:
How different would a 15" MBA be to a rMBP at this point?

Lose the discrete gpu, make the laptop a tad thinner and perhaps improve the battery - that's about it. I don't think you can make the 15" more portable.

Heck, I can see the 13" MBP being discontinued just because of how robust the 13" MBA is at this point
Click to expand...

I think a base 15" air would be probably $400 less than the base 15" rmbp. Personally I think price is more a factor than portability, but I don't count on seeing an air larger than 13". At least not any time soon.
 
ValSalva said:
I wonder if Apple can build a 15" Air at this point in time. It would be very thin but have a large area, like a cafeteria tray. Just wondering about tolerances, hinges, and yields.
Click to expand...

This. To keep the hinged screen as thin as it is, I don't think the lid could handle being opened as closed without increasing the thickness, thus putting it closer to the 15" rMBP. Since there is no glass, you are relying mostly on the aluminum shell for rigidity. I feel like my 13" 2011 and 2013 MBPAs flex a lot as it is....
 
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