Ivy Bridge delay - could affect timing for next MBA?

[Bob Coxner]

http://www.tgdaily.com/hardware-features/58235-intels-ivy-bridge-surrounded-by-muddy-waters

A new report claims that tepid PC sales could prompt Intel to postpone its planned upgrade to a 22nm process at Fab 24.



The move would effectively delay the launch of Intel's next-gen Ivy Bridge by a quarter (to March 2012) as the company attempts to save costs.
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There can't be a major revision to the MBA without Ivy Bridge, so this is news.

 

[oiuh151]

http://www.fudzilla.com/processors/item/22814-ivy-bridge-to-launch-in-march-/-april-2012
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/di...t_Generation_Ivy_Bridge_Processors_Slide.html


^^
March/April has been the known release date for Ivy Bridge for a while.

 

[gloss]

If anything, this might help Apple. Ivy Bridge-powered Ultrabooks were due to see release later this year, whereas Apple has already updated the Air in 2011 so wouldn't be adopting the chipset until 2012 anyway. If all the Ivy Bridge machines end up getting pushed to 2012, it seems like a net win to me.

 

[iphonsteve4ajob]

So would the Ivy Bridge update be one of those where Apple just lists upgraded processors on their website? No form factor change or anything.

That is going to be a kick butt MBA! Well...at least this generation will have decent re-sale value because Sandy Bridge.

 

[jsolares]

If anything, this might help Apple. Ivy Bridge-powered Ultrabooks were due to see release later this year, whereas Apple has already updated the Air in 2011 so wouldn't be adopting the chipset until 2012 anyway. If all the Ivy Bridge machines end up getting pushed to 2012, it seems like a net win to me.

those ultra books aren't ivy bridge they're sandy bridge

 

[pgiguere1]

I doubt an updated MBA would have been released this early anyway.
This is more of a delay for the upcoming (likely redesigned) MBP.

 

[halledise]

geez - you've gotta be kidding haven't you?

they've only just released MB Air a month ago and already speculating on possible delays on the next revision - gimme a break

 

[rhinosrcool]

geez - you've gotta be kidding haven't you?

Agreed.

they've only just released MB Air a month ago and already speculating on possible delays on the next revision - gimme a break

It never ends. Funny, I thought Windows users were the spec whores.

 

[blunti]

Agreed.



It never ends. Funny, I thought Windows users were the spec whores.

maybe they're ex-windows users...

 

[flight]

geez - you've gotta be kidding haven't you?

they've only just released MB Air a month ago and already speculating on possible delays on the next revision - gimme a break

This is the MacRumors discussion board. We love to speculate, even on the headphone jack of the upcoming iPod touch.

 

[richpjr]

That sounds like an awfully short time for a new model...

 

[flight]

That sounds like an awfully short time for a new model...

If Ivy Bridge processors are available in March and Apple releases the Air in April, it'll be similar to the time in between the MBA 2010 and 2011 releases.

 

[richpjr]

If Ivy Bridge processors are available in March and Apple releases the Air in April, it'll be similar to the time in between the MBA 2010 and 2011 releases.

I guess - still hard to believe they'll release one 9 months after the last one.

 

[major7]

I guess - still hard to believe they'll release one 9 months after the last one.

LOL!

Have you been on Earth lately?

They released this one 9 months after the last one

 

[Confuzzzed]

6 months after?

although the MBA 2011 was released 6-7 months after Intel launched its Sandy bridge processor so if Ivy bridge is launched March/April 2012, then perhaps the next generation MBA would be closer to 4Q 2012?

 

[clyde2801]

LOL!

Have you been on Earth lately?

They released this one 9 months after the last one

Yes, so we'll be expecting it then....which is proof that they WON'T release it.

 

[flight]

although the MBA 2011 was released 6-7 months after Intel launched its Sandy bridge processor so if Ivy bridge is launched March/April 2012, then perhaps the next generation MBA would be closer to 4Q 2012?

Good point. While Sandy Bridge had already been available for several months, its ultra-low voltage variants were not released until recently. Unless the upcoming Air will allow for the standard notebook chip, we might expect the same wait for the ULV version. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[jsolares]

although the MBA 2011 was released 6-7 months after Intel launched its Sandy bridge processor so if Ivy bridge is launched March/April 2012, then perhaps the next generation MBA would be closer to 4Q 2012?

They probably waited for higher performance chips to offset using worse/similar gpu, with ivy bridge they might use the ones close to launch.

Good point. While Sandy Bridge had already been available for several months, its ultra-low voltage variants were not released until recently. Unless the upcoming Air will allow for the standard notebook chip, we might expect the same wait for the ULV version. Thanks for pointing that out.

There were ULV (17W) 1 month after release, but they probably waited for the current ones which are faster to offset using the HD3000 gpu. the ones release in February were 200-300mhz slower than the ones in the airs and had slower gpu as well.

The ivy bridge ULV near release might be faster enough to warrant a refresh