Does the MacBook Air need a refresh?

[skaertus]

Before you count Mac Airs out of competition, try Windows 8 - it is unfinished.

Well, I have tried Windows 8. Have you or are you just reading what people post on the web?

Windows 8 is a weird beast. It is not an unfinished product. I wouldn't say that. I have the Release Preview installed on my computer. It boots very quickly, quicker than any other OS X or Windows that I have tried before. It never crashed with me. Nothing unfinished about it.

But the "metro" or "Windows 8" interface, or whatever Microsoft chooses to call it, is very weird for someone using a conventional laptop. However, it is not difficult to get used to it. Window management is better under Windows 8 - and if you look deeper, it has similar advantages to using Mission Control in OS X.

In addition, Windows 8 has multi-touch capabilities, in both the screen and the trackpads, that we haven't been able to test yet in our laptops - and they will add functionality to the OS.

It is a bold move for Microsoft, and it won't please anybody. In fact, the press is thrashing it before launch, and it certainly won't be a success like Windows 7.

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We definitely won't see a refresh, let alone redesign, until Haswell.

Honestly, there's not too much they can do. But I really think they can make the 13in chassis smaller.. or alternatively, shove the 13in panel in the 11in chassis and a 14in panel in the 13in chassis.

There will be a redesign, sooner or later. The next spec bump will be when Haswell is released, probably. But what about a redesign? It may come with the next refresh, or it may come even later. But, considering that the MacBook Air was last redesigned in 2010, it is not too far away.

A redesigned MacBook Air would perhaps be a little bit lighter, use different materials, and accomodate internals in a different manner to accomodate a retina display and a larger battery.

 

[Agent-P]

And what about a retina display? Will Apple be able to put one in the current form factor? Or will it need to redesign the MacBook Air to benefit from retina resolutions?

I think technically they could, but the battery life would take a major plunge. When the retina iPad and rMBP were released, both devices saw a huge battery size increase to compensate for the screen.

 

[DrumApple]

Absolutely, but not so much the design but the components.

Highest priority should be the screen. It's very outdated now and has bad viewing angles compared to what's out there today.

Second would be the keyboard. I believe Apple can up there game and come closer to something like the ThinkPads stellar keyboards with a little more travel and not as clacky.

Also, different colors would be great. At least a business black.

And discrete GPU. (If the Zenbook can do it, why not the MBA?)

 

[skaertus]

Absolutely, but not so much the design but the components.

Highest priority should be the screen. It's very outdated now and has bad viewing angles compared to what's out there today.

Second would be the keyboard. I believe Apple can up there game and come closer to something like the ThinkPads stellar keyboards with a little more travel and not as clacky.

Also, different colors would be great. At least a business black.

And discrete GPU. (If the Zenbook can do it, why not the MBA?)

I agree with you. But to implement those features, a redesign may be required.

The current MacBook Air design may not support a larger battery or a GPU, for instance.

Other vendors - such as Samsung, Acer and Asus - are putting IPS displays on their laptops, and with higher resolutions than the MacBook Air. The only Apple laptop to offer an IPS display so far is the MacBook Pro with a retina display. Asus Zenbook offers an IPS display for half the price.

Apple could pay more attention to the keyboard. But, as we can see from the MacBook Pro with a retina display, it didn't get too much attention. A new MacBook Air would not see much improvement in this area. Lenovo is still the king of laptop keyboards. Lenovo did a great job in designing the chicklet keyboard for the ThinkPad models.

 

[seong]

Lol, I meant number three as a joke, not with seriousness. And, to the guy who said it was a selfish statement.... Well, I'm sure you'll have a great time when you realize the 1199 dollars worth of computer that you bought could have been better if you waited less than three months. A student like me work my ass off to earn money and buy computers, so don't judge ppl like that.

Anyways, I was starting to think..... Was there any point in time when Apple released a new revision of their product in less than a year?

 

[Saturn1217]

+1

We definitely won't see a refresh, let alone redesign, until Haswell.

Honestly, there's not too much they can do. But I really think they can make the 13in chassis smaller.. or alternatively, shove the 13in panel in the 11in chassis and a 14in panel in the 13in chassis.

I voted no in the poll because design wise the MBA is pretty perfect as is. I just wish the upgrades were more affordable (which is why I will be waiting for the next refresh to finally get mine)

BUT if Apple did decide to redesign the MBA down the road (probably not next year) this is exactly what I would hope they would do. Make the bezel smaller and fit a larger screen into a smaller body. Ideally I would love to have a computer the size of the 11inch but without the tradeoff of an 11inch screen. I wouldn't even mind if the computer was marginally thicker and maybe 0.1lbs heavier than the current 11inch if it had a larger screen

 

[skaertus]

Lol, I meant number three as a joke, not with seriousness. And, to the guy who said it was a selfish statement.... Well, I'm sure you'll have a great time when you realize the 1199 dollars worth of computer that you bought could have been better if you waited less than three months. A student like me work my ass off to earn money and buy computers, so don't judge ppl like that.

Me too. These computers are not cheap, and I wish they would never become obsolete.

I'm not judging and I'm sorry if I gave you that impression.

I've been through this before, in fact. I've bought a 13-inch white MacBook in May 2008, and in October Apple released the 13-inch unibody MacBook. The 13-inch white Macbook was expensive, I paid about US$ 2,300 for it (I live in Brazil and prices here are out of this world) and I wish I could have waited a little bit more.

The 13-inch white MacBook lost some of the magic (= hype?) when that happened. In the end, of course I would prefer an aluminium unibody model, but it was still a great machine anyway.

Anyways, I was starting to think..... Was there any point in time when Apple released a new revision of their product in less than a year?

A revision? Yes. Look at the buyer's guide (https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//). The average time for refreshing the MacBook Air is 322 days (less than a year). And the average time for refreshing the MacBook Pro is 267 days (also less than a year). But that's spec bumps. Apple doesn't redesign its products so often.

 

[seong]

Me too. These computers are not cheap, and I wish they would never become obsolete.

I'm not judging and I'm sorry if I gave you that impression.

I've been through this before, in fact. I've bought a 13-inch white MacBook in May 2008, and in October Apple released the 13-inch unibody MacBook. The 13-inch white Macbook was expensive, I paid about US$ 2,300 for it (I live in Brazil and prices here are out of this world) and I wish I could have waited a little bit more.

The 13-inch white MacBook lost some of the magic (= hype?) when that happened. In the end, of course I would prefer an aluminium unibody model, but it was still a great machine anyway.



A revision? Yes. Look at the buyer's guide (https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//). The average time for refreshing the MacBook Air is 322 days (less than a year). And the average time for refreshing the MacBook Pro is 267 days (also less than a year). But that's spec bumps. Apple doesn't redesign its products so often.

Haha, it's all cool now good to get those misunderstandings out of the way quickly

Lol, same here, bought a Macook back in 2007 for hell a lot of money, but not as much as you. $2300! Ridiculous.
Well, I know for sure there weren't any serious revision in six months frame, so I'm assuming my MacBook Air will last for another nine to ten months before we see a revision.

 

[skaertus]

Haha, it's all cool now good to get those misunderstandings out of the way quickly

Lol, same here, bought a Macook back in 2007 for hell a lot of money, but not as much as you. $2300! Ridiculous.
Well, I know for sure there weren't any serious revision in six months frame, so I'm assuming my MacBook Air will last for another nine to ten months before we see a revision.

Well, I don't think that the MacBook Air will get a redesign before Haswell is out.

The MacBook Air had just one redesign, in the end of 2010, about two years and a half after its original release. And it was nothing radical. If Apple follows the same schedule, a brand-new MacBook Air will be out in early/mid-2012, which will coincide with the release of Haswell.

Haswell low-powered processors will be very energy-efficient, and they will have a much better integrated video card. Due to these facts, Apple may be able to put a retina display in the MacBook Air when Haswell is out.

As for the prices in Brazil, you ain't seen nothing. I paid US$ 2,300 because I bought a low-end model. The 15-inch retina MacBook Pro is currently selling for no less than US$ 5,000 (the base model).

 

[seong]

Well, I don't think that the MacBook Air will get a redesign before Haswell is out.

The MacBook Air had just one redesign, in the end of 2010, about two years and a half after its original release. And it was nothing radical. If Apple follows the same schedule, a brand-new MacBook Air will be out in early/mid-2012, which will coincide with the release of Haswell.

Haswell low-powered processors will be very energy-efficient, and they will have a much better integrated video card. Due to these facts, Apple may be able to put a retina display in the MacBook Air when Haswell is out.

As for the prices in Brazil, you ain't seen nothing. I paid US$ 2,300 because I bought a low-end model. The 15-inch retina MacBook Pro is currently selling for no less than US$ 5,000 (the base model).

True that. But, you mean 2013 instead of 2012, right?

As for the price, you should just go to US and live there for the sake of saving momey! And I thought $2100 was expensive for Retina.

 

[skaertus]

True that. But, you mean 2013 instead of 2012, right?

Yes, I meant 2013, sorry...

As for the price, you should just go to US and live there for the sake of saving momey! And I thought $2100 was expensive for Retina.

It might be worth to pay the trip to the US just to buy a laptop. However, if you get caught by the customs office bringing a laptop to Brazil, you'll have to pay 60% of import taxes over the amount that exceeds US$ 500, plus a fine of 40%. And a 6% tax for the exchange from US dollars to local currency (and vice-versa). The MacBook Pro with a Retina Display, bought for US$ 2,199 in the US, would cost US$ 4,131.88 in this scenario. It's still the most expensive country in the world to have consumer electronics...

 

[Miat]

My wish list for the next refresh/upgrade:

1) IPS screen. Absolute must and should be Apple's top priority for the Airs.

2) Haswell chip set.

3) 8 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD as standard. 16 GB RAM, and up to 1 TB SSD, as options.

4) Two Thunderbolt ports would be nice, but may not fit. If so then Apple need to at least offer a TB to 2 TB adapter, and a USB 3 to GB Ethernet adapter.

A TB driven hub with 2 TB ports, 2-3 USB 3 ports, and single eSATA, HDMI, FW 800, and GB Ethernet ports, would be nice. (Actually quite surprised Apple did not offer such a beast when the Airs first got the TB port. Don't see how they could have seriously lost out doing that, in the long run.)

5) The Air shell needs to be slightly more rigid and robust. An extra 1.5 mm or so on the overall thickness, and an extra 150 grams weight, would be barely noticeable to the user, but should beef up the strength quite a bit.

6) Slightly more rounded edges on the top edge of the palm rest area.

7) The bezel is wasted screen space. Reduce the depth of it by about 2/3, and you can add another inch or so to the screen size, and run 1080 vertical res.

Over to you, Apple...

 

[seong]

Yes, I meant 2013, sorry...



It might be worth to pay the trip to the US just to buy a laptop. However, if you get caught by the customs office bringing a laptop to Brazil, you'll have to pay 60% of import taxes over the amount that exceeds US$ 500, plus a fine of 40%. And a 6% tax for the exchange from US dollars to local currency (and vice-versa). The MacBook Pro with a Retina Display, bought for US$ 2,199 in the US, would cost US$ 4,131.88 in this scenario. It's still the most expensive country in the world to have consumer electronics...

Man, I feel ya. Sucks to live in a country with highest tax

 

[skaertus]

My wish list for the next refresh/upgrade:

1) IPS screen. Absolute must and should be Apple's top priority for the Airs.

Agreed. And will probably happen.

2) Haswell chip set.

That will surely happen when Haswell comes out.

3) 8 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD as standard. 16 GB RAM, and up to 1 TB SSD, as options.

Higher end models will have 8 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD. Lower end models will probably not. The lower end 11-inch MacBook Air still has a 64 GB SSD. It's not going to get 256 GB so soon.

Up to 1 TB SSD? Wow, that would be expensive...

4) Two Thunderbolt ports would be nice, but may not fit. If so then Apple need to at least offer a TB to 2 TB adapter, and a USB 3 to GB Ethernet adapter.

A TB driven hub with 2 TB ports, 2-3 USB 3 ports, and single eSATA, HDMI, FW 800, and GB Ethernet ports, would be nice. (Actually quite surprised Apple did not offer such a beast when the Airs first got the TB port. Don't see how they could have seriously lost out doing that, in the long run.)

If the MacBook Air gets any thinner, I don't see how Apple would put two Thunderbolt ports on it.

5) The Air shell needs to be slightly more rigid and robust. An extra 1.5 mm or so on the overall thickness, and an extra 150 grams weight, would be barely noticeable to the user, but should beef up the strength quite a bit.

It may become more rigid and robust without adding weight. But it is basically a consumer laptop, and not meant to be very resistent. Apple could use other materials instead of aluminium. I don't think it will add thickness or weight to it. It may even reduce them.

6) Slightly more rounded edges on the top edge of the palm rest area.

OK.

7) The bezel is wasted screen space. Reduce the depth of it by about 2/3, and you can add another inch or so to the screen size, and run 1080 vertical res.

Over to you, Apple...

I agree. I thought Apple would reduce the bezel in the next-generation MacBook Pro, but then it released the 15-inch retina with the very same bezel of the last generation. I don't have much expectation for the Air in this department.

As for the resolution, Apple will adopt some sort of retina in the MacBook Air, sooner of later. It will not adopt 1920x1080 because that would spoil the scaling it is using.

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Man, I feel ya. Sucks to live in a country with highest tax

Thanks!

 

[yegon]

I've a maxed 2011 Air, amazing buy, still looks and runs like it's just been pulled from the box. Don't see any real need of a redesign personally.

That said, since that I never leave the house with it, preferring instead to take my iPad these days (more battery related than anything else), probably plump for a rMBP next time. Probably wait till the refresh after next though, a true 10hr battery life is top of my wishlist. GPU, meh, not that fussed so long as it's enough to run everything non-gaming without a hitch. Got a ninja PC for gaming duties.

 

[Lindsford]

no

 

[Booji]

I think they need to step up the cycle in design refresh. Competition gets tougher and tougher. The MBA used to be unique in its category. Today I saw a Samsung Series 9 and it was drop dead gorgeous. I think the MBA needs a design refresh (not just technical refresh) at least once every two years to keep up.

 

[iSayuSay]

Macbook Air definitely needs a better screen. I'm not talking about pixel density. Well it's not retina but the clarity is adequate.

I'm talking about color gamut and quality. MBA's screen is crapshoot compared to iPad, iPhone, iMac or Apple displays. Hell it's even crappier than MBP's. Comparing the same photos side by side between iPad, MBA and ATD I can see MBA has the worst screen of all.

So yes, if something to be changed and redesigned, it should be the LCD. I don't see a good reason why MBA can't have as good display as iPad at the least. No need to be Retina considering you need to conserve power over screen resolution, but please. No TN panels crap. It's a $1000 11" ultrabook at least for Steve sake!!

 

[skaertus]

Macbook Air definitely needs a better screen. I'm not talking about pixel density. Well it's not retina but the clarity is adequate.

I'm talking about color gamut and quality. MBA's screen is crapshoot compared to iPad, iPhone, iMac or Apple displays. Hell it's even crappier than MBP's. Comparing the same photos side by side between iPad, MBA and ATD I can see MBA has the worst screen of all.

So yes, if something to be changed and redesigned, it should be the LCD. I don't see a good reason why MBA can't have as good display as iPad at the least. No need to be Retina considering you need to conserve power over screen resolution, but please. No TN panels crap. It's a $1000 11" ultrabook at least for Steve sake!!

An IPS screen would be great. I am also in favor of retina -- and I think that they will both come together.

 

[skaertus]

And now that Apple has just released a thinner, lighter MBP, which is more powerful than the MBA and has a better screen, doesn't the MBA feel outdated?

 

[Lukewarmwinner]

My wish list for the next refresh/upgrade:

1) IPS screen. Absolute must and should be Apple's top priority for the Airs.

2) Haswell chip set.

3) 8 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD as standard. 16 GB RAM, and up to 1 TB SSD, as options.

4) Two Thunderbolt ports would be nice, but may not fit. If so then Apple need to at least offer a TB to 2 TB adapter, and a USB 3 to GB Ethernet adapter.

A TB driven hub with 2 TB ports, 2-3 USB 3 ports, and single eSATA, HDMI, FW 800, and GB Ethernet ports, would be nice. (Actually quite surprised Apple did not offer such a beast when the Airs first got the TB port. Don't see how they could have seriously lost out doing that, in the long run.)

5) The Air shell needs to be slightly more rigid and robust. An extra 1.5 mm or so on the overall thickness, and an extra 150 grams weight, would be barely noticeable to the user, but should beef up the strength quite a bit.

6) Slightly more rounded edges on the top edge of the palm rest area.

7) The bezel is wasted screen space. Reduce the depth of it by about 2/3, and you can add another inch or so to the screen size, and run 1080 vertical res.

Over to you, Apple...

That's pretty much the rMBP..

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I don't think a redesign is around the corner. They really need to separate the rMBP from MBA and by making two different screens they've completed that. They might update the screen though, but not retina - until they've sold a load of the 13" and 15" rMBPs, in likely two years. Redesign will only happen in the event of better screen. Specs bumps are due in June with Hasswell though.

 

[skaertus]

That's pretty much the rMBP..

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I don't think a redesign is around the corner. They really need to separate the rMBP from MBA and by making two different screens they've completed that. They might update the screen though, but not retina - until they've sold a load of the 13" and 15" rMBPs, in likely two years. Redesign will only happen in the event of better screen. Specs bumps are due in June with Hasswell though.

A redesign could make the MBA thinner and lighter. The rMBP is currently almost as light as the MBA, and with better specs. There are no reasons, apart from the price difference, to keep both laptops.

 

[Lukewarmwinner]

A redesign could make the MBA thinner and lighter. The rMBP is currently almost as light as the MBA, and with better specs. There are no reasons, apart from the price difference, to keep both laptops.

There you have it - "almost". It isn't and it's not.

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And now that Apple has just released a thinner, lighter MBP, which is more powerful than the MBA and has a better screen, doesn't the MBA feel outdated?

Not really. It's a different laptop for different needs. Eventual the rMBP will have better specs making the difference between air and retina bigger. They won't change their ultra notebook for some time - need to sell some rMBPs first

 

[Abazigal]

And now that Apple has just released a thinner, lighter MBP, which is more powerful than the MBA and has a better screen, doesn't the MBA feel outdated?

The Rmbp is still much more expensive than the air, and the jury is still out as to whether the integrated graphics can support that retina display adequately or not. If you don't need the extra ram, and can live with a lower-res display, then you are basically flushing good money down the toilet for perks you don't really need.

I must say the dual-core processor caught me by surprise. I thought Apple would finally give the 13" MBP a quad-core to make it worthy of the pro-line, and to sufficiently distinguish it from the air. I do agree there seems to be some overlap between the pro and air lines - it basically boils down to whether you are willing to pay more for a better screen.

 

[skaertus]

Not really. It's a different laptop for different needs. Eventual the rMBP will have better specs making the difference between air and retina bigger. They won't change their ultra notebook for some time - need to sell some rMBPs first

So what you guys are saying is that the MBA is a second-tier laptop, while the rMBP is the premium offering? After all, they are both thin and light, but the rMBP is more powerful and has a higher screen resolution than the MBA - for a higher price. That makes the MBA a lesser laptop than the rMBP, and that justifies the price difference.