Who's to say it'll last two hours? It's not WWDC. They could easily talk about their biggest ever product for an hour and a half and announce nothing else.
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June WWDC Launch Looking More Likely for 12-Inch Retina MacBook Air
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Who's to say it'll last two hours? It's not WWDC. They could easily talk about their biggest ever product for an hour and a half and announce nothing else.
I agree with you. When was the last time Apple had an event for a single item? I can't think of any. Even the Apple Watch was introduced at the iPhone 6 event.
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Except when has Apple ever done that?
That's not 'typical Apple fashion' at all. Most products get around a year between updates. Some products even longer, like the Mac Mini, Apple TV, and Mac Pro. MacBooks sometimes get a spec bumb around the 8 month mark, but only if the right processor is available.
Not sure. I can see Apple delaying the MBA announcement till WWDC to hype it up for the late summer/fall school shopping season, which makes sense to me (especially for the retina MBA (if real)). However, I can also seeing them announce it on monday with preorders starting shortly thereafter (monday night) since the new intel chips are out.
Don't forget that the last refresh for the MBA was early 2014 so it has been a year and makes sense (for me anyways) for Apple to do a refresh now.
Don't forget that the last refresh for the MBA was early 2014 so it has been a year and makes sense (for me anyways) for Apple to do a refresh now.
me too, I need a laptop now, not in June, I am still hoping that they will launch the 12" retina Air on Monday. If they already have been mass producing them since January, I can't see them stockpiling them for 6 months. If Apple fails me Monday, I will at least buy an updated Air to have someting for now
and I don't care about the watch, I already have one (and one on my iPhone)
Captain Obvious called... he reminded me that Apple has never launched laptops at spring events. He reminded me that Apple has always either done silent spec bumps in nov\jan\feb, or done refreshes of the MBA\MBP in front of its target audience at WWDC. Glad Captain called and reminded us all that no matter what we WISH would happen, there's logic and reason still to be considered.
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You can't wait 90 days?
Where do you get that they've been mass producing them since January? Do you know anything about how a supply chain process works? If they've been mass producing them since January, they would have been on the shelves for a month already. The cost to sit on produced product is insane, and there's no reason to do it. Why do you think anytime a new product comes out they make it then ship it right from China, even things as simple as a new case or power plug? NO company sits on stockpiles of mass production product for months... or even days normally.
If you're already seeing Monday as an Apple fail for not releasing MBAr, you're in for a sad day of let down. Does anyone here actually know about marketing? When you're talking about a flagship product (which Apple intends to make the Watch, obviously), there's ZERO sense in diluting it with anything that doesn't support it. You have to have iOS 8.2 to support Apple Watch, so they'll likely touch on it... but a laptop? GET REAL! Especially something as new as a retina Air, that's an event\discussion of its own. Apple has never done a whole gamut of products in a day. Every time they have a key note someone says "oh I hope they also update ____" and it never happens.
Set your expectations in line with reality. Monday will be Apple Watch, and iOS 8.2, nothing more whatsoever.
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I do love the name the community and media have given the rumored larger iPad. The "iPad Pro" ... lol... so because it's bigger, it's for professionals? Not sure too many professionals would agree. Take a flight... how many "professionals" do you see with 17 inch laptops? How many "professionals" do you see with 30 inch suitcases? The notion that a larger version of an existing product would appeal to a professional is laughable.
I'm a professional (or so I consider myself), and a larger screen doesn't equate to more productivity, ESPECIALLY on a device crippled by Apple's incessancy on the ridiculously oversized icons that make it look like it's designed for a child as it is. On the flip-side, maybe they mean professionals in the design\artistic space? I can't really comment to that because it's not my field, but I do have friends in graphic design, and one in live-editing... and I've never heard any of them talk about how amazing an iPad is for doing that sort of work, and I can't imagine it very effective for photo editing... but that's just based on my limited experience. iOS is the problem, but last time I talked down about iOS I had 20 people clawing at my face telling me how iOS is so amazing and that Apple should continue to cripple what users can do with it and that users don't want more functionality out of their tablets, etc... the wounds are still healing.
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You can't wait 90 days?
Where do you get that they've been mass producing them since January? Do you know anything about how a supply chain process works? If they've been mass producing them since January, they would have been on the shelves for a month already. The cost to sit on produced product is insane, and there's no reason to do it. Why do you think anytime a new product comes out they make it then ship it right from China, even things as simple as a new case or power plug? NO company sits on stockpiles of mass production product for months... or even days normally.
If you're already seeing Monday as an Apple fail for not releasing MBAr, you're in for a sad day of let down. Does anyone here actually know about marketing? When you're talking about a flagship product (which Apple intends to make the Watch, obviously), there's ZERO sense in diluting it with anything that doesn't support it. You have to have iOS 8.2 to support Apple Watch, so they'll likely touch on it... but a laptop? GET REAL! Especially something as new as a retina Air, that's an event\discussion of its own. Apple has never done a whole gamut of products in a day. Every time they have a key note someone says "oh I hope they also update ____" and it never happens.
Set your expectations in line with reality. Monday will be Apple Watch, and iOS 8.2, nothing more whatsoever.
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I do love the name the community and media have given the rumored larger iPad. The "iPad Pro" ... lol... so because it's bigger, it's for professionals? Not sure too many professionals would agree. Take a flight... how many "professionals" do you see with 17 inch laptops? How many "professionals" do you see with 30 inch suitcases? The notion that a larger version of an existing product would appeal to a professional is laughable.
I'm a professional (or so I consider myself), and a larger screen doesn't equate to more productivity, ESPECIALLY on a device crippled by Apple's incessancy on the ridiculously oversized icons that make it look like it's designed for a child as it is. On the flip-side, maybe they mean professionals in the design\artistic space? I can't really comment to that because it's not my field, but I do have friends in graphic design, and one in live-editing... and I've never heard any of them talk about how amazing an iPad is for doing that sort of work, and I can't imagine it very effective for photo editing... but that's just based on my limited experience. iOS is the problem, but last time I talked down about iOS I had 20 people clawing at my face telling me how iOS is so amazing and that Apple should continue to cripple what users can do with it and that users don't want more functionality out of their tablets, etc... the wounds are still healing.
Am I missing something? Q2 is April 1-June 30, so why should we assume that Q2 launch means it won't be announced until the end of Q2? Does Apple typically start ramping up production a full six months before starting sales?
Indeed, you are not missing anything. I think they will announce the new MBA with Retina Display at this event, but won't "launch" or ship it until April. Possibly even the same day as the Apple Watch ships as well. They might even take pre-orders.
Alternatively, they might actually do what they did with the Mac Pro, and announce it now, and ship it around WWDC time...but I think that is less likely.
The event on Monday can't be about only the Watch. It just can't, unless it is only a 30-45 minute event.
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That is a good point. If Apple has been in mass production since January, there is no way they are going to be leaving that product stuck in the supply chain for that long. It is like burning money. Not only do you have tons of potential sales not being converted, but having goods stuck in supply or shipping channels is freaking expensive. Tim wouldn't allow that to happen on his
Watch... 
MacBook Airs in March and April
Some are just not getting it. The Watch is the "also" product. Apple does not want that, and Tim Cook may be wishful thinking, but it is. It's the most Gee-Whiz product Apple's come out with in a long time - perhaps ever. It's The Jetsons - what we think would be great in our imagination, but not what we need. Almost as obsolete as a shoe-phone. The notebooks, OTOH, are a known, steady, significant revenue stream.
Which is to say that we'll see new/updated MacBook Airs in April, at the latest. The Apple Watch almost needs to share the event with the Airs, to cushion the blow of the (likely) disappointing sales volumes of the Watch. I think Apple would be much wiser to share the same event. It won't dilute anything by doing so.
Make no mistake - we'll see new Airs in the coming weeks - including the new 12" retina, unless production problems have cropped up (which we've heard no rumors of).
Some are just not getting it. The Watch is the "also" product. Apple does not want that, and Tim Cook may be wishful thinking, but it is. It's the most Gee-Whiz product Apple's come out with in a long time - perhaps ever. It's The Jetsons - what we think would be great in our imagination, but not what we need. Almost as obsolete as a shoe-phone. The notebooks, OTOH, are a known, steady, significant revenue stream.
Which is to say that we'll see new/updated MacBook Airs in April, at the latest. The Apple Watch almost needs to share the event with the Airs, to cushion the blow of the (likely) disappointing sales volumes of the Watch. I think Apple would be much wiser to share the same event. It won't dilute anything by doing so.
Make no mistake - we'll see new Airs in the coming weeks - including the new 12" retina, unless production problems have cropped up (which we've heard no rumors of).
Cool concept idea. But Apple will not build this machine unfortunately
Yea but skylake processors suitable foe this new machine are a year and a half away. This new computer is definitely coming out sooner than that.
Retina MacBook Air is good..
But, what we really want is a REAL refresh on the MacBook Pro lineup using the latest Broadwell Processors and NVIDIA 900M series graphics..
MacBook Pro refresh is wayyyyyy overdue..
It will be nice when the Macbook Pros get the 900M series. Perhaps a 965M in the high end 15" I can't find the specs of the the 965M, so I don't know if it fits the MacBooks thermal design requirements.
But the macbook pro refresh is not that overdue. and the MacBook Pro's will unfortunately not be updates until fall sorry. The broadwell processors are not ready yet. the 28W ones for the 13" hasn't began shipping yet, or just barely has definitely not enough volume for apple to update the macbook though. and the 47W ones for the 15" won't be ready til fall or even Q4.
Nope
I agree with you about the watch being an 'also' product.
And I also hope to see the new Airs next week
Yes Please!
So you can't wait 4 months for this rumored mba you apparently were set on getting if it were coming out this next week?
I want to agree with you but I can't. Look at Apple's revenue distribution and you are going to see that in the new Apple, Macs are becoming more and more the "also" product, as in "yes, we still do Macs." Even if the Apple Watch is a relative failure, it will probably still account for more revenue and, more importantly for Apple, a higher profit margin and total profit during 2015 than all its Mac sales combined, all they have to do is sell 25-30million of them and this is achieved.
I'm well aware that Apple's become mostly a mobile devices company.
These are percentages of total revenue in the graph - not dollar amounts. I wouldn't be surprised if the $ amounts for the Macs are closer to level, year to year - especially for the Airs, which must be the majority of Mac sales now. Thus the Airs continue to be a very important product.
Selling 25-30 million $350+ toys - that's quite optimistic. It's not a toy which gives an "immersive" experience like a game console or something. I don't think the utility will be high enough for the average consumer. How will Apple convince enough people to put watches back on their wrists? Especially one that absolutely must be taken off and charged every night, without fail? Casual iPhone users can go 3 days between charges. The utility and convenience may be too small, while the drawbacks and cost are too high. And if they bring the price down low enough to what people think they should pay ($200?), profit margins are in great danger.
If they do end up releasing this in June the CPU will have been on the market for 8 months? Core M broad well chips shipped in November or December right?
I would order one for sure in March but I think if it comes out at first in June with Broadwell I will wait for Skylake refresh...
I would order one for sure in March but I think if it comes out at first in June with Broadwell I will wait for Skylake refresh...
With a 2 hour event, I guess anything could happen but since there is no quad-core Broadwell I don't think Apple will update the 13" and leave the 15" hanging in the balance (it's in dire needs of a GPU update). Perhaps the rumored 12" could be announced on the 9th and it would be a huge warm welcome considering their competitors are offering hi-res IPS displays with decent pricing; not placing bets.
Far as the current Air's I suppose there's a good chance they will get a Broadwell update. HD6000 could run a retina screen but knowing Apple they love that current screen too much to update the current Air's display. Now with that said I could see a quick announcement about the new 12" and say it's shipping later (like the Mac Pro), but I think they might spend 30 minutes on Photo's.
With 2 hours I could see 1 hour dedicated to iWatch, 30 minutes to hand selected premier app developers who have iWatch apps ready to go and 30 minutes to Photos. With a silent Broadwell update for the Air's, updating the 13" Retina without the 15" seems unlikely, then again it's Tim Cook anythings possible...
Far as the current Air's I suppose there's a good chance they will get a Broadwell update. HD6000 could run a retina screen but knowing Apple they love that current screen too much to update the current Air's display. Now with that said I could see a quick announcement about the new 12" and say it's shipping later (like the Mac Pro), but I think they might spend 30 minutes on Photo's.
With 2 hours I could see 1 hour dedicated to iWatch, 30 minutes to hand selected premier app developers who have iWatch apps ready to go and 30 minutes to Photos. With a silent Broadwell update for the Air's, updating the 13" Retina without the 15" seems unlikely, then again it's Tim Cook anythings possible...
Like I said, I want to agree with you. You say it is just a toy. We'll see. I'm not saying the Mac isn't still an important product. It is of course where it all began, and Apple still needs them as the pinnacle of Apple hardware. They are not going to be a solely mobile device company. They're getting the more traction in this segment than they ever have, I believe they sold record numbers im 2014. I'm simply saying that it has become, as a percentage of revenue and profit, a smaller and smaller part of their big picture.
I just feel that Apple is not going to be treating the Apple Watch as an "also" product.
I do think we'll get at least an announcement of the new Air at Monday's event, hopefully a release date as well. They might even do it first before going into the Watch. In fact if they do announce, it probably wll be this way. They're going to want to leave you with that Apple Watch aftertaste in your mouth when the event ends.
I don't think it is unrealistic at all to predict that Watch sales will exceed Mac sales over the initial 12 month period. Its a new product in a new category for Apple. Macs are a mature market with upgrade cycles to contend with.
While I'm here, and I don't mean to get too off topic, but regarding all the comments on not buying the rMBA the first go around due to it being a gen 1 product...isn't it actually a gen 3 product? I mean you had the gen 1 with the original Air, then you had the chassis redesign in 2011, and now we are having another chassis redesign...isn't that gen 3? Just because the screen is updated and a different processor and different numbers of ports...its still an evolution of the MBA...