Here's to hoping for new MBAs in 2016

[bwhaley]

Now I acknowledge that nobody here is more informed than MacRumors itself, and this is more or less just a circlejerk where we drool over possibilities from Apple. With that said...

I'm desperate for an upgrade this year! I love the MBA and have been using it since the first release. It's exactly the right blend of capability and convenience. The MB is underpowered, the MBP is too heavy/bulky. But the MBA has fallen a bit behind.

My dream MBA release this year would include:
- New form factor that is closer to the MB (e.g. thinner and lighter than current MBA)
- Skylake processors
- Option for 16GB
- Retina

Am I dreaming, or does it seem possible given the latest rumors?

 

[cincygolfgrrl]

My dream MBA release this year would include:
- New form factor that is closer to the MB (e.g. thinner and lighter than current MBA)
- Skylake processors
- Option for 16GB
- Retina

Am I dreaming, or does it seem possible given the latest rumors?

Skylake - probably, if there is an upgrade to the line.
16 GB RAM - possibly, though it's not really needed.
Retina - in your dreams.

But what do I know?

 

[Mal67]

Skylake yes. 8 gig memory as standard please. And if you could see the way to adding a usb 3.1 connection as well as a usb 3 port ta!

 

[Alexander_im]

Am I dreaming, or does it seem possible given the latest rumors?

Seems like everything is heading in that direction, given «the future of the notebook» phrase we’ve heard on last year’s event. The question is will it lost its «Air» moniker and will have a 14’ screen rather than 13’...

At least that’s what I’m waiting for this year as well

 

[navaira]

My dream MBA release this year would include:
- New form factor that is closer to the MB (e.g. thinner and lighter than current MBA)
- Skylake processors
- Option for 16GB
- Retina

Am I dreaming, or does it seem possible given the latest rumors?

I'm pretty sure you will be granted your wishes, except it will be called Retina Macbook 2nd generation and probably priced $1299+.

 

[bwhaley]

I'm pretty sure you will be granted your wishes, except it will be called Retina Macbook 2nd generation and probably priced $1299+.

\o/ I don't care what it's called if it's souped up from the current Macbook line and gives me a 16GB option.

https://forums.macrumors.com/members/cincygolfgrrl.685043/

16 GB RAM - possibly, though it's not really needed.

 

[joeblow7777]

16 GB of RAM is really overkill for most people, and for those who do need it, that's why there's the Pro line.

 

[Significant1]

16 GB of RAM is really overkill for most people, and for those who do need it, that's why there's the Pro line.

It makes a world of difference with virtual machine s and no pro is as small as the 11" air.

 

[navaira]

It makes a world of difference with virtual machine s and no pro is as small as the 11" air.

Yeah but how many people in the world even know what virtual machines are? (World, not Macforums)

 

[joeblow7777]

It makes a world of difference with virtual machine s and no pro is as small as the 11" air.

I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too. The more powerful machines are always a bit bulkier. The 13" Retina MBP is still pretty portable though. It also makes sense that Apple would want to steer power users to the more expensive MBP. If the Air offered comparable power, why would anyone buy a Pro?

 

[The Clark]

I always wanted a Macbook Air, but no retina display = no Clark. If they come out with a retina version, I'll be extremely interested.

 

[Significant1]

Yeah but how many people in the world even know what virtual machines are? (World, not Macforums)

Having been it-support at a university, it might matter more than you think. Not least in academic. Potentiel switchers are told that Mac's can run windows too. They want something easy to carry around, but also able to handle all the App's they may need.

That said, I just stated why I need it, and why Pro does not ring my bell. I am not into making (over) generalizing statements about people, other people have other usage and other reasons to need memory/storage. Some require more and some require less than what I need and that is fine. Apple is expert into pricing upgrades, so let people have the choice and determine for them selves, how far upgrading an air makes sense. Other ultrabooks are starting to offer 16GB and if Apple cannot give me what I need, I look elsewhere next time..

 

[dennya]

I wanted to pick up a new MacBook Air so I can better provide OS X support to my parents, and I was debating between a cheap refurb or holding off for a 2016 Air.

I have a really bad feeling they're going to use a keyboard similar to the new MacBook -- which I absolutely cannot touch-type on, it's so shallow -- so I went for the refurb route when Newegg offered a 2013 Core i5 11" Air for $550.

If they have a decent keyboard and there's some awesome new feature, I might resell the 2013 Air and upgrade. But it'll need to be WAY more than they did in 2014/15.

 

[bwhaley]

Regarding the "who needs 16GB?" issue, I'm jumping up & down with my hand raised. It's not just for VMs, though I do use one or two of those. It's ALL THE ****ING BAGGAGE that accumulates over time. I have menumeters running and it's currently showing < 1GB (out of 8GB on my MBA) free. 20+ chrome tabs, a VM, multiple terminal windows, 1password, probably 15+ background apps running, Omnigraffle, Mail.. it adds up. I notice swapping activity as well (when the CPU is spending it's time caching memory to disk because there isn't enough memory).

Sure, I could have the 13" MBP, but as I said in the OP it's just too bulky. I find the edge to be sharp and uncomfortable to type on. The MBA is far more comfortable on a plane as well.

 

[macbook_21]

Regarding the "who needs 16GB?" issue, I'm jumping up & down with my hand raised. It's not just for VMs, though I do use one or two of those. It's ALL THE ****ING BAGGAGE that accumulates over time. I have menumeters running and it's currently showing < 1GB (out of 8GB on my MBA) free. 20+ chrome tabs, a VM, multiple terminal windows, 1password, probably 15+ background apps running, Omnigraffle, Mail.. it adds up. I notice swapping activity as well (when the CPU is spending it's time caching memory to disk because there isn't enough memory).

Sure, I could have the 13" MBP, but as I said in the OP it's just too bulky. I find the edge to be sharp and uncomfortable to type on. The MBA is far more comfortable on a plane as well.

The rmbp is significantly smaller than the mba.

 

[bwhaley]

The rmbp is significantly smaller than the mba.

The numbers speak for themselves.

 

[NapoleonIV]

I need to replace my late 2010 11” Air, and I have been holding out for possible updates this year. Now I am terrified that they will eliminate the 11” model. The 13” won’t fit in my violin case, and the 12” macbook is actually smaller, more expensive, and underpowered. I dearly hope that I am not wasting my time by waiting.

 

[macbook_21]

The numbers speak for themselves.

http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/macbook-pro-13-9.jpg

http://www.gizmag.com/retina-macbook-pro-13-inch-review/26373/pictures#14

 

[toddzrx]

My dream MBA release this year would include:
- New form factor that is closer to the MB (e.g. thinner and lighter than current MBA)
- Skylake processors
- Option for 16GB
- Retina

Am I dreaming, or does it seem possible given the latest rumors?

A retina MBA would need a much larger battery than it has now if you want to maintain current battery life. You'd end up with something around the size of a 13" Pro.

 

[cincygolfgrrl]

Now I acknowledge that nobody here is more informed than MacRumors itself, and this is more or less just a circlejerk where we drool over possibilities from Apple. With that said...

I'm desperate for an upgrade this year! I love the MBA and have been using it since the first release. It's exactly the right blend of capability and convenience. The MB is underpowered, the MBP is too heavy/bulky. But the MBA has fallen a bit behind.

My dream MBA release this year would include:
- New form factor that is closer to the MB (e.g. thinner and lighter than current MBA)
- Skylake processors
- Option for 16GB
- Retina

Am I dreaming, or does it seem possible given the latest rumors?

If the MacBook Air line continues to be developed, Apple will do what works for most of the people who buy the machine. It's a highly portable computer that will do almost all that anyone short of a power user would need. Your 16GB and Retina requests don't fit that profile. You're looking for Pro qualities in a computer designed for average users.

If you need all that stuff, go get a MacBook Pro and quit complaining about the MBA not fulfilling your every need.

 

[NapoleonIV]

If the MacBook Air line continues to be developed, Apple will do what works for most of the people who buy the machine. It's a highly portable computer that will do almost all that anyone short of a power user would need. Your 16GB and Retina requests don't fit that profile. You're looking for Pro qualities in a computer designed for average users.

If you need all that stuff, go get a MacBook Pro and quit complaining about the MBA not fulfilling your every need.

Yeah, I really don’t care about retina, though a higher resolution would be nice. Also, 16GB ram seems excessive, especially in an ultra portable. I work with a variety of professional software and don’t need that much. My real fear is that the Air line is just going to be eliminated.

 

[macbook_21]

Technically, the MBA does in fact, have an HD display. That is, if 720p is "hd," then so is 1440X900.

I owned a MBA before returning it, and I thought it was an absolutely fantastic computer.

There is definitely a market for the MBA. Many, many people want an apple laptop at an affordable price point, and $1K is just very appealing to a lot of people on a budget especially students and for those who are light or casual users, which is probably the vast majority of computer users.

Most people using computers want to watch videos, check email, write a few papers and maybe occasionally use a spreadsheet or presentation programs.

The MBA can handle some photo and video editing as well, although of course the mbp's are going to be far more appealing for those applications.

What's really frustrating is the very slow rate of upgrades for the mba and even mbp lines. Apple pays far more attention to their ipad and iphone lines, and it sometimes seems as if the laptop lines seem like neglected stepchildren.

I suppose sales are robust enough not to necessitate significant overhauls.

I last bought an apple laptop in 2008, and I am astonished at the low storage capacity, and the several gen. behind the cutting edge display of the mba.

Apple just can't be arsed to overhaul their laptop lines. Sales are probably too robust to force their hand.

 

[MadDane]

I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too. The more powerful machines are always a bit bulkier. The 13" Retina MBP is still pretty portable though. It also makes sense that Apple would want to steer power users to the more expensive MBP. If the Air offered comparable power, why would anyone buy a Pro?

I bought a MBA in December 2010 (the first generation after the redesign). Back then the MBA and MBP was very similarly spec'd (both 13"), although the MBA came with an SSD instead of HDD, thinner, lighter and, for me, with the big difference that it had a higher resolution than the 13" MBP. Apple could choose to go down that route again. They could make a machine powered similar to the MBP but thinner, lighter, and with the same retina display. That would be something I would be interested in when it becomes time to replace my rMBP 13". I really liked the MBA, but at the time I needed to upgrade, the MBA had been significantly crippled compared to the MBP in terms of power which was a show-stopper for me.

 

[navaira]

My dream MBA release this year would include:
- New form factor that is closer to the MB (e.g. thinner and lighter than current MBA)

So something a bit like rMB?

- Skylake processors

So something a bit like rMB 2nd gen?

- Option for 16GB

Can't help you here I'm afraid

- Retina

So something a bit like rMB?

Am I dreaming, or does it seem possible given the latest rumors?

I think it's totally possible, it just won't be called Macbook Air. And it won't have the price of Macbook Air.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I'm not optimistic about the future of the MacBook Air, which is unfortunate because for what it is, it's a solid machine.

That said, yeah, as someone said earlier, if you want a Retina display, go with a 13" Pro. The only other differences between a (retina) 13" Pro and a 13" Air are higher clock speeds on the Pro, a slightly thicker profile (and with it, a near negligible weight difference), support for 16GB of RAM and better graphics. If you need one of these features, there's no reason to not get all of them.

So, no, I don't think think there will be a retina version of the MacBook Air. They'll get 16GB of RAM when the chipset they use starts supporting it. For everything else, it's helpful to remember that this machine is positioned to be the modern-day version of the polycarbonate MacBooks of old and soon, Apple will position the machine currently titled MacBook to replace it, much like the MacBook Air did with the machine previously titled "MacBook". Both systems were, for their respective times, Apple's vision of the consumer laptop. Apple doesn't believe we need ports, the philosophy that we had with the MacBook Air when it first came out and they reiterate that now with the MacBook. History is repeating.