Those who want an affordable portable Mac as their only Mac would probably disagree. The Air is not suitable for iLife, iTunes and the storage requirements of both. Sure there are external drives, but I think there should still be a $999 MacBook that contains a real hard disk drive. I think the 13" aluminum model will step in at $999 to replace the white one.
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I predict the next MBP refresh will make the 13.3 MBA a hard sell
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I don't think Apple wants to go that low. They've maintained the $999 minimum for a long time.
Or a discrete GPU
I imagine that when the CPUs start being able to recognize 16GB then we will see 16GB
There will be major changes anyway
If they remove the optical drive, that leaves them plenty of room to add a Core i5 with a discrete GPU. Right now, there is little that's "pro" about the 13" MBP. It's basically the old aluminum MacBook, except they put a Firewire 800 port in there.
High res screens, SSD's, lighter, thinner (maybe), more battery life. Pretty much the usual suspects. But I imagine basically just more affordable processing power will be the main update. There's still (heavy) glass and bigger everything in the MBP, so the MBA will have the exact same place in the macbook lineup, for those who prefer ultra portability over performance.
You don't buy a MBP 15 for max portability and size. And NO ONE buys a MBP 17 because they are afraid of a little bulk. You buy the MBP 15, and certainly the MBP 17, because you want Maximum power and flexibility in a small, portable form factor. Losing the the Optical drive and reducing the size makes little sense with the way that people currently use the platforms.
If the optical drive was removed, I'd be surprised if it happened in the next iteration. Unless it was part of an option for high performance graphics and CPU.
In my humble opinion.
He also said that the major reason was no support from Intel. As soon as Intel starts shipping chipsets that actually support USB3, expect it to start popping up across Apple's line.
MBP 13 is done. They will drop the MBA 13 price down to 1199, drop the MBP 15 price down by a hundred bucks, and drop the plasticbook down to 899 or 949.
THere is no point in having the MBP 13 anymore. Anybody who doesn't want the Air is going to want the MBP 15 over the 13 anyway, so just bring the 15" price down and let everybody get what they really want: a thin and light 13" or a really powerful 15".
THere is no point in having the MBP 13 anymore. Anybody who doesn't want the Air is going to want the MBP 15 over the 13 anyway, so just bring the 15" price down and let everybody get what they really want: a thin and light 13" or a really powerful 15".
maratus
macrumors 6502a
I can't agree with those saying 13" MBP is going to be discontinued.
What I think is:
– White Macbook may be replaced with current 11" and 13" MBA (13" Air is longer as expensive as it previously was)
– Both 15" and 17" will probably still have built-in DVD drive (they have too large footprint to not include them)
– 13" MBP may have several important changes:
1. No DVD
2. Same full-power hardware as 15"/17" (i.e. 330M and up to 2.66/2.8Ghz i7s or their Sandy Bridge equivalents)
3. It'll become lighter (1.7-1.8kg)
4. Slightly larger battery
5. Obviously, 1440x900 screen and hopefully with AG option.
– The whole MBP line may receive IPS screens which will make them much more competitive.
What I think is:
– White Macbook may be replaced with current 11" and 13" MBA (13" Air is longer as expensive as it previously was)
– Both 15" and 17" will probably still have built-in DVD drive (they have too large footprint to not include them)
– 13" MBP may have several important changes:
1. No DVD
2. Same full-power hardware as 15"/17" (i.e. 330M and up to 2.66/2.8Ghz i7s or their Sandy Bridge equivalents)
3. It'll become lighter (1.7-1.8kg)
4. Slightly larger battery
5. Obviously, 1440x900 screen and hopefully with AG option.
– The whole MBP line may receive IPS screens which will make them much more competitive.
wirelessmacuser
macrumors 68000
Apple has an excellent track record of managing product lines. There will not be a problem.
Yep, only Apple knows how many of each model are sold. I can't help thinking there will soon be just two 13" MacBooks, not three, unless the larger models just aren't selling very well.
I like what you are forecasting here and this is very plausible on all counts.
A 13" MacBook Pro with i7, 256 SSD, IPS screen & discrete GPU is a dream come true and probably will come close to what I consider the best all round laptop in the market: Vaio Z. However, if you love watching BluRay, Sony still has an edge.
It only makes sense that SOMETHING will go, it is hard to say which.
When you layout the product lines as follows:
11" MBA
13" MB
13" MBA
13 MBP
15" MBP
17" MBP
Clearly, there are too many 13" models. However, the MB line could be the one to go. After all, it is a solitary model. Why would you want a single plastic model while all 5 other models are aluminum?
I'd drop the plastic model, not the MBP 13.
When you layout the product lines as follows:
11" MBA
13" MB
13" MBA
13 MBP
15" MBP
17" MBP
Clearly, there are too many 13" models. However, the MB line could be the one to go. After all, it is a solitary model. Why would you want a single plastic model while all 5 other models are aluminum?
I'd drop the plastic model, not the MBP 13.
The only problem with the MBP 17 and 15 going to the same type of SSD storage used in the MBA is that the people that I know using those models grip about the 500 GB that they already have. Heck my 500 GB (in a MBP 13) is sitting at 88% and that's with the apps and data that I used frequently. Space requirement grow as time goes by. Unless there is a large jump SSD storage capacity and an equally large drop in price per GB, that might be a tough sell for many people.
I have NO DOUBT that one day SSD will be the way to go, it still seems a few years off. Current storage media is fairly cheap and reliable. The 15 and 17 inch model can accommodate the drives.
Getting MBP owners to pay more money for less storage than they get today might be a rough sell... One day though.
I agree, and I'd slide the 13" aluminum model down into its place at $999 (with bto at higher prices). Something would have to be done to reduce its cost but I'm sure that's possible.
every model of Mac is made of Aluminium except for the MacBook
500GB? I'm surviving just fine with 120GB and no external storage
My iTunes library is 100 GB. Between iPhone apps, digital copies of movies etc. That grows a little every month.
My mother can get by on 40 GB. I know that there are people that can get by on small amounts. The fact remains, storage requirements only grow... They almost never shrink. SSDs will be great with you at least the current amount of storage that people use for a reasonable price.
I'd bet that if you took a poll of MBP 15 and 17 owners, few would even consider trying to get by on 120 GB.
EDIT:
I should mention that most of the people that I know with MBPs and MB use them for photography, video editing and music. I know that my experience is not everyones experience. Excluding casual users, I personally don't know any MB or MBP users that can get by today on 120 GB. We are talking about systems in future. People would be purchasing this workstations for use years from now.
Also, lets be honest, do you really see ANY computer computer telling the general public "Hey, yeah we are going to give you half of the storage that you used to get for the same, or more money... Oh by the way, we have no clue how you'll migrate you 500 GB of data to the 256 GB SSD". It COULD happen but you'd have to be a marketing genius the likes of which the world has never seen.
I could see it on the lower end models... not MBP 15 and 17s across the board.
PS.. Didn't mean to sound snotty 🙂
So we all agree that Apple is going to fo something about their lineup. But we all on what they are actually going to. And there is no way we are going to know for sure before Steve announces it.
And we all agree that Apple will have to upgrade the MacBooks with SandyBridge. But that has got me thinking: I have heard that the Core 2 Duo is going to discontinued in 2010. But SandyBridge is going to be released in Q1 2011. So what is Apple going to if production of C2D stops in December '10, and production of Sandy first starts in, let's say, March '11?
And we all agree that Apple will have to upgrade the MacBooks with SandyBridge. But that has got me thinking: I have heard that the Core 2 Duo is going to discontinued in 2010. But SandyBridge is going to be released in Q1 2011. So what is Apple going to if production of C2D stops in December '10, and production of Sandy first starts in, let's say, March '11?
The MBA line was introduced in October. I have to think that Apple a plan that doesn't "dead end" in 2 months. I would guess that either the C2D will be produced well into 2011 or Apple has some sort of supply well into 2011.
I would also guess that the MBA will not be refreshed until at least the spring or summer so I would expect to see C2D products from Apple for another 6 to 9 months.
That would make sense.
It but then again, on the other hand, it would be so like Apple to make a wonderful machine wait a few months, and then, after a lot of people have bought the old one, come up with a brand new CPU that would make the wonderful machine a fantastic machine.
It but then again, on the other hand, it would be so like Apple to make a wonderful machine wait a few months, and then, after a lot of people have bought the old one, come up with a brand new CPU that would make the wonderful machine a fantastic machine.
Wow, that's a lot of stuff. Maybe Apple will put in an SSD and a HDD
CPU stockpiles I suppose. Sandy Bridge is coming in Early January
maratus
macrumors 6502a
Exactly! If you need built-in DVD and lighter notebook, then Sony suits better. If you need more solid enclosure and better (should be almost 2x more) battery life in thin profile without sacrificing performance, then Apple is better.
There's a problem on the other hand ditching DVD will automatically result in better port selection than 15 and 17 models. Of course, this is not the case if 13" has Air-like profile.
Will Apple replace 2.5" HDD with stick SSD without getting rid of DVD in 13"? Probably not, because it doesn't correspond with their strategy to eliminate need of optical media.
Future of the Pro
Ok i read most of this. so heres what i think:
SJ likes to change the media world in a lot of ways, and most of the time succeeds. Instead of completely replacing the DVD drive, re-scale it to be only the 8cm mini CD model. They already have 5GB mini DVDs out there for cameras and such, why not just have them in the general media? CDs are getting outdated with the new DVD MP3 players. But you could still use them if you want to preserve data for decades so a crash wont wipe the memories. (such as a vacation or just a small amount of important data that you wouldnt waste a DVD on.) They have mini Bluray disks too with 15 gigs of space. And also make it a bluray writer. It would attract more media and act as a marketing tactic. Sooner or later the majority of DVDs will be gone as well replaced by bluray. and after a while, PCs will jump on the bandwagon and do the same, and then there will be no choice but to make all (or at least most) BD releases come with a mini-disc version too. And it can fit in your pocket. You know how much apple loves to be thin and ultra portable.
This way, there is plenty of room for extra whatever you may please. i expect flash storage's price to drop radically in the near future as well.
I say just replace the firewire with an HDMI. or make the mini-display capable to transfer audio too. if so, another USB drive for those poor souls who need a printer, external monitor, and flash drive. (those who won't just go with the iMac. I've met them. they're out there.) i have never used firewire and usb 3 is supposed to be 800mb/s to match it.
i wouldn't want the Pro line any thinner than they are. i like them sturdy. If you want a thin one, get the air. i want a sturdy one that still has a little weight to it, but not too much.
If you don't like the mini-CD idea then there's news for you. Most programs you have to buy would never consider using a flash stick for an install. it would need extra copyright protection and they're just not ready for that yet. maybe in 2 years.
I think they should make the 4GB RAM standard and lose the 2GB. (personally i think 8 gigs is pushing it.)
with the extra space freed up from the mini-CD idea, on the 13" they could have a section called "extras" and you could choose from a more powerful graphics card, extra battery life (though i never have needed the full 10 hours as it is), some backup storage space like an external hard drive that saves all your stuff in case your computer "breaks", etc,
on the 15" and up, it will have even more freed up space so another place to put a better processor (because i3s will be outdated by something else by then), the option for an extra usb maybe?, i don't know something fancy they could throw in there that i haven't thought of.
MBP4Life
Ok i read most of this. so heres what i think:
SJ likes to change the media world in a lot of ways, and most of the time succeeds. Instead of completely replacing the DVD drive, re-scale it to be only the 8cm mini CD model. They already have 5GB mini DVDs out there for cameras and such, why not just have them in the general media? CDs are getting outdated with the new DVD MP3 players. But you could still use them if you want to preserve data for decades so a crash wont wipe the memories. (such as a vacation or just a small amount of important data that you wouldnt waste a DVD on.) They have mini Bluray disks too with 15 gigs of space. And also make it a bluray writer. It would attract more media and act as a marketing tactic. Sooner or later the majority of DVDs will be gone as well replaced by bluray. and after a while, PCs will jump on the bandwagon and do the same, and then there will be no choice but to make all (or at least most) BD releases come with a mini-disc version too. And it can fit in your pocket. You know how much apple loves to be thin and ultra portable.
This way, there is plenty of room for extra whatever you may please. i expect flash storage's price to drop radically in the near future as well.
I say just replace the firewire with an HDMI. or make the mini-display capable to transfer audio too. if so, another USB drive for those poor souls who need a printer, external monitor, and flash drive. (those who won't just go with the iMac. I've met them. they're out there.) i have never used firewire and usb 3 is supposed to be 800mb/s to match it.
i wouldn't want the Pro line any thinner than they are. i like them sturdy. If you want a thin one, get the air. i want a sturdy one that still has a little weight to it, but not too much.
If you don't like the mini-CD idea then there's news for you. Most programs you have to buy would never consider using a flash stick for an install. it would need extra copyright protection and they're just not ready for that yet. maybe in 2 years.
I think they should make the 4GB RAM standard and lose the 2GB. (personally i think 8 gigs is pushing it.)
with the extra space freed up from the mini-CD idea, on the 13" they could have a section called "extras" and you could choose from a more powerful graphics card, extra battery life (though i never have needed the full 10 hours as it is), some backup storage space like an external hard drive that saves all your stuff in case your computer "breaks", etc,
on the 15" and up, it will have even more freed up space so another place to put a better processor (because i3s will be outdated by something else by then), the option for an extra usb maybe?, i don't know something fancy they could throw in there that i haven't thought of.
MBP4Life