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MacBook Air 11.6" vs 13.3" - Side-By-Side Comparison [pictures]

Love it and agree with the speculation, but am praying that they somehow put ati or nvidia in there.
 
The tech specs made me laugh :D He forgot to add another 9 to the end, no way we will see something like that for 1299$. It looks nice though, very interested to see what's coming
 
Yeah the price may be a bit low, but we can dream : )

I keep coming back to look at the picture because it looks so solid without the bezel.
 
While the mockups are good, the specs don't seem to have much credibility.

First, I don't think that Apple will reduce the screen resolution to 1024x640. The technology is definitely there to keep the resolution at 1280x800 for an 11 inch screen (or 1366x768 for 11 inch pc laptops), but seeing as how 16:10 is pretty standard for most mac laptops, Apple will probably try to keep a 1280x800 resolution.

Second, I doubt that Apple will switch to Intel HD graphics. They showed that with the 13in Macbook Pro and will probably stick with that decision for the upgraded Air. However, this means no Core i3 or i5 processors, still Core 2 Duos (possibly with an Nvidia 320m).

There is one exception to this though, and that's if they redesign the Air. With a redesign that has a constant .5-.6in thickness, they *might* be able to engineer a 13 inch Air with graphics switching technology (think of a slimmer 13 inch pro without a cd drive and without as many ports), but I doubt that any 11 inch Air would be able to take advantage of that.

Ideally, there would be 2 new Macbook Airs this September.

An 11.6 inch Air with a Core 2 Duo, 320m, possibly 4gb RAM, and 1280x800 screen starting anywhere from $899 to $1199 (without SSD), around $1200-$1400 with 128gb ssd. ("The smallest/thinest/lightest mac ever").

That leaves the 13 inch Air... if there's no redesign, expect similar specs to above starting at 1199-1399. If there is a redesign, a 13 inch Air with Core i3 or i5, 4gb RAM, 320m, and same 1280x800 screen. ("Portable Professional Performance"). The problem with a redesign of the air is that eventually (once Apple removes cd drives from most mac laptops, probably in late 2011 or early-mid 2012), the 13 inch Air and 13 inch Macbook Pro would merge into the same machine (which would probably just be called the 13 inch Macbook Pro).

Thinking rationally, I don't expect a redesign, but I can always hope for one.
 
Maybe its just me, but my 2.53GHz C2D gets a little warm when maxed out with temperatures near 80°C with fans at 6k2.

No way the will put something like that in a small shiny metal box as shiny and small as this mockup predicts.

Just wait and see what comes out...
 
Thanks for all your comments! More time was spent on the design of the images than finding totally accurate tech specs. Then I came to realize that the bottom of the computer is too thin too even have a harddrive, even the 7mm one from Seagate.

Regarding Graphics, Intel HD Graphics was just something I pulled out of my... donkey! ;)

I agree with iPhysicist that C2D would be too hot, so let's hope Steve tries out the new MacBook Air on his naked lap for an hour, and if he doesn't burn anything vital, it's good to go for production!

Let's keep our fingers crossed for some more months to see what Mr. Jobs can pull out his hat!
 
nicmar said:
What do you think? Is it realistic, or will it have a look more similar to the iPhone 4?
Click to expand...

Reducing the footprint will probably force Apple to remove the tapering. The tapers are currently almost empty and only added for aesthetical reasons (i.e., they are not functional). If we are lucky, we get an iPhone4ish design, and if unlucky, then it will look MBPish, with sharp. wristcutting corners.

Also note that a lighter underside would mean that there is less room for batteries, and that the MBA would be even more top-heavy than it is now. So I would not expect it to become significantly thinner.

The return of the box will also give us ports that are flush with the sides instead of unpractical receded flaps. Perhaps we get even back Ethernet, and a second USB port!
 
What if it was an 11.6" Slate/Tablet. Thicker and bigger than an iPad. Running a full version of OSX (Flash cabability) with the touch interface on top. Uses a stand or dock then a bluetooth keyboard and Magic Trackpad for use at home and more comfortable way to type when seated. I have never seen a mockup of the guts of an air squeezed into a Slate/Tablet form factor. I imagine It would be very thin. Without the keyboard and the trackpad area the display and hing removed with all the associated materials cases and such the Air tablet would be cooler than the iPad.

Face it folks the touch interface is the future. The Air is the science experiment for them. When full touch interface comes to OSX it will probably be on the air. That is unless apple builds a new OS using blend between iOS and OSX.
 
Gruber said:
The return of the box will also give us ports that are flush with the sides instead of unpractical receded flaps. Perhaps we get even back Ethernet, and a second USB port!
Click to expand...

The tapered edges do waste space, but they also help to give the impression that the unit is thinner than it really is. The Air looks much more thinner than it really is because the tapered edges help to hide its thickness. Of course, dropping the tapered edges would provide a surface to embed some ports in, so I'm all for it.

The one thing that has me worried is the 11.6" screen. For me, that's simply too small. A screen that small make the Air a netbook (assuming the current Air isn't considered the same), and Apple doesn't do netbooks, right?

In my opinion, the 13" screen is ideal, and I'd rather see this refresh bump the internal specs and maybe trim away some of the bezel and wasted space around the keyboard. Make the case smaller, but keep the screen size!
 
The tapered edges (MBP, MBA) as well as glass display (MBP, iMac) with extra wide bezel (MBP, MBA, iMac) were the saddest departures of Apple from functional design in their history. I can't believe what happened to Ive here. Pure ugliness from a Dieter Rams point of view. Who cares about how thin a computer/phone LOOKS? The new iPhone IS thinner than the old one, and in large part because it isn't tapered.

Going back to the box design for the Air would be great. I'm not so worried about wrist-cutting for the Air, as long as they keep the overall tapering in the design (thicker in back than in front), which also is a better design for typing-ergonomics. If they make it the same thickness in front as in back like the MBP, they could always taper the edges slightly on the INside, without taking away much volume for internals. They should have done the same thing on the MBP.

EDIT: The overall tapering in the current Air is probably some waste of internal volume as well, however maybe they could fill this with the battery, since it can be shaped pretty much any way desired?
 
weckart said:
Battery life - 2 hours with the screen dimmed.
Click to expand...

That was my reaction - the 11" size is great, and I love the mockup pictures, but don't for a moment believe they can replicate the same proportion of height to width in that format. The battery would suffer I would assume and this kick of theirs of late where they are emphasising longer battery life in their machines (i.e. iPad, MBP 13" - right?) would indicate they might trade-off utterly small sizes for better battery life (as would I).
 
If you took the 11.6" mock-up, stretched the screen to 16 x 9 format (so only significant bezel at top and bottom) you'd have a 13" screen in a format that apes the look of the desktops in an 11.6" sized machine... :cool:

If that means you can taper the lid to keep it looking slim and 'fill out' the bottom a bit to give you more component space, then you could still have a slim stylish and workable machine... :eek:

(Makes sense to me!)
 
Tazmaniac said:
If you took the 11.6" mock-up, stretched the screen to 16 x 9 format (so only significant bezel at top and bottom) you'd have a 13" screen in a format that apes the look of the desktops in an 11.6" sized machine... :cool:

If that means you can taper the lid to keep it looking slim and 'fill out' the bottom a bit to give you more component space, then you could still have a slim stylish and workable machine... :eek:

(Makes sense to me!)
Click to expand...

Why do you care so much about having a slim-looking, versus an actually slim, laptop?
 
whats the general opinion on the release date? because im selling my macbook air, and dont want to be without a laptop for Too long. thanks guys
 
I agree that I might have made it too thin. And I just read that Dell are stopping production on their Adamo XPS, so maybe the New MacBook Air can be the thinnest in-production computer in the world, again? :)

I was at an Apple store comparing the screen of a new MBP with the MBA, and that's mostly the reason why I didn't buy a MBA. 11.6" screen doesnt matter that much, but if there comes one of each size, I think I'll go for the 11.

But anyhow I just want a better screen and a little performance-bump. The rest is just a wet fantasy ;)
 
steeex said:
why?

what do you need a 11.6" computer for that NEEDS dedicated graphics? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I didnt say I hope for dedicated graphics, I said I hope for nvidia or ati, they don't only make dedicated cards, two examples being the 9400m and 320m's used in the 13" mb and mbp's.
 
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