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MBA: "What about me?"

Mr. Savage

Mr. Savage

macrumors regular
Original poster
If all the recent rumours of iMac and Mac Pro materialize on Tuesday (July 27th) it'll be hard to ignore the fact that the entire Mac line-up, except the Air, will have been recently freshened up, therefore relegating the MBA to the sad role of red-haired, buck-toothed stepchild of the family.

Thus, does the question then become, How long until the Air is dragged out behind the barn and put down?

PS, I apologize for mixing my metaphors–– I am in no way advocating the shooting of ugly step-children. 😉
 
Mr. Savage said:
If all the recent rumours of iMac and Mac Pro materialize on Tuesday (July 27th) it'll be hard to ignore the fact that the entire Mac line-up, except the Air, will have been recently freshened up, therefore relegating the MBA to the sad role of red-haired, buck-toothed stepchild of the family.

Thus, does the question then become, How long until the Air is dragged out behind the barn and put down?

PS, I apologize for mixing my metaphors–– I am in no way advocating the shooting of ugly step-children. 😉
Click to expand...

please read the other threads/posts on this topic and contribute there rather than starting a new one
 
I agree with the above statement.

However, just give it time. Yes, it's been awhile. We get it.

The Air hasn't been updated in over 400 days. The Mac Pro, LCD's, and XServe haven't been updated in an even longer period of time.

Apple won't update everything at one time. Mac Pro's, iMac's and LCD's could all possibly be refreshed tomorrow. I doubt all would be released all at the same time, but who knows. And I'm sure soon after this, the Air will be updated or EOLed.

Also, what could the air be updated to? It will still have a C2D because of the graphics. Intel, Nvidia crap. If it keeps the C2D everyone will be pissed, so why update it. Look at the MBP 13". 😉
 
millertime021 said:
I agree with the above statement.

However, just give it time. Yes, it's been awhile. We get it.

The Air hasn't been updated in over 400 days. The Mac Pro, LCD's, and XServe haven't been updated in an even longer period of time.

Apple won't update everything at one time. Mac Pro's, iMac's and LCD's could all possibly be refreshed tomorrow. I doubt all would be released all at the same time, but who knows. And I'm sure soon after this, the Air will be updated or EOLed.

Also, what could the air be updated to? It will still have a C2D because of the graphics. Intel, Nvidia crap. If it keeps the C2D everyone will be pissed, so why update it. Look at the MBP 13". 😉
Click to expand...

Why presume it will have intel/nvidia graphics?
 
millertime021 said:
I agree with the above statement.

However, just give it time. Yes, it's been awhile. We get it.

The Air hasn't been updated in over 400 days. The Mac Pro, LCD's, and XServe haven't been updated in an even longer period of time.

Apple won't update everything at one time. Mac Pro's, iMac's and LCD's could all possibly be refreshed tomorrow. I doubt all would be released all at the same time, but who knows. And I'm sure soon after this, the Air will be updated or EOLed.

Also, what could the air be updated to? It will still have a C2D because of the graphics. Intel, Nvidia crap. If it keeps the C2D everyone will be pissed, so why update it. Look at the MBP 13". 😉
Click to expand...

The MBA hasn't truly been updated since October 2008. The 2009 spec bump was simply a matter of Intel offering 1.86 for the former 1.6 and 2.13 for the former 1.86. The USB -> Ethernet offering really wasn't a bump. The motherboard stayed the same. Ram stayed same. GPU stayed same. Drive stayed same. Display got worse (used only low-end model from rev "B" offering). And case stayed same. Battery got less than 3% bump too... but I am certain that was to attain some "gold" or "energy" star requirement.

However, the MBA has improved so much by Apple really focusing on the drivers. OpenCL has improved tremendously. SSD drivers have made the drive much faster like the Runcore.

There is a hint of a possible update in the fact that it seems Apple has upgraded the SSD in the latest releases of the MBA. Apple does these quiet bumps to products sometimes right before they get updated. I am thinking of the unibody MacBook that got the high end displays about a month before Apple switched it over to the 13" MBP and marketed the higher quality/gamut displays.

There is hope, but looking at the big picture doesn't really say much at all. Unfortunately, Apple has let its entire Mac lineup get terribly old and lags behind PC offerings more than ever before. The MBP needs another update, again. The MacFive all need real CPU upgrades... and in the long-term there's hope that Nvidia and Intel settle their dispute. If Apple waits long enough to upgrade the MacFive, it can probably go ahead and use Nvidia in them still/again.

I say 15% chance of an MBA update in the next three months. October or January seems a lot more realistic... assuming Apple will use the MBA to introduce what's beyond C2D for MacFive computers.

*MacFive = MB, 13" MBP, MBA, Mm, and 21.5" iMac. If everything holds true, the 21.5" iMac gets an Nvidia 320m today along with another C2D. If Apple switches the 21.5" iMac over to the MBP logic board setup it gets the 330 GT along with Core i5 CPU. I really think it makes a lot of sense to keep the 21.5" iMac at its current price range, so Nvidia 320m seems by far most sensible. The 27" is a completely different beast - one I love dearly.

Here is for not only a 27" LED ACD but also a 32/33" LED ACD to go along and forever change the Apple display offerings... sign me up for three of them! And if SJ really loves us MBA faithful, he will give us full capability to drive native resolution on those beasts from our mDP in the current MBAs.
 
scottsdale wrote: "Display got worse..." (!)

That's something I wasn't aware of. The full sentence in that summary of Air upgrades was: "Display got worse. (used only low-end model from rev. 'B' offering)".

Do I understand this correctly, that both of the current "Rev. C" Airs have a screen that is "worse" than what the "Rev. B" SSD model (which is now in the refurb store at $1349.) has?

Hmmmm. Interesting.

Screens have several variables. Though I assume I'll have to use a big monitor at home... Imy ageing eyes can use all the screen quality they can get... when I'm mobile and using the laptop's own screen.

So, would you please explain the specifics? In which way(s) is the current C's 2.13ghz model's screen a step down from the prior SSD model's screen? And in which ways did things stay equal? And the C's screen doesn't have any aspect in which it got better?

And if you would be so kind... in your understanding, how does the current 13" MBpro screen compare with both of those Air screens?

Horizontal angle of view can mean a lot if 2 are looking at a screen, such as when somebody's teaching someone else how to use the machine.

If I'm sitting in a shady spot on an otherwise sunny day, which of those 3 screens would be best/worst?
 
That would be sad if it was eventually killed soon, because I know there are a lot of people out there who love it. I personally have never had one, but I think it was a cool thing to have in the range. Guess it just doesn't sell enough anymore perhaps 🙁
 
Its obvious to me what Apple is doing. They are upping the price of their other notebooks and desktops with every update so that the out of date Air looks less and less overpriced 😀

/Sarcasm
 
I understand Apple doesn’t have a lot of room to move as far as internal upgrades at the moment.

However, what about the flimsy hinge? It seems to me that they’ve had more than enough time to resolve this (well-documented) issue. For myself, and many others I suspect, it alone is reason enough to have held off purchasing. I know some will say “It’s not as simple as it sounds; it’s a major engineering change” etc., but the fact that it isn’t a simple or cheap fix isn’t a good reason to not resolve a fairly significant design flaw. ( And no, free replacement of one failed part(s) with another destined-to-fail part(s) is not really a solution.)

I’m asking the more knowledgable members of this forum, Could it be that due to the presumably high warranty costs associated with the MBA (all those replacement screen/hinge assemblies, not to mention regular problems like batteries and problems related to over-heating etc.) a decision has been made to allow it to die on the vine? In other words, Could it be that, with iPad happily chomping away at large swaths of the portable market, Jobs now regards the Air as having been “a bag of hurt”?

I’m not predicting the demise of the MBA or trying to anger those who’ve been patiently waiting for a revised Air (I have been waiting for over a year myself). Just trying to discern whether waiting still makes sense or if it’s time to settle for something else––even as the sweet little MBA continues its persistent tugging at my heart strings.
 
Mr. Savage said:
Could it be that due to the presumably high warranty costs associated with the MBA (all those replacement screen/hinge assemblies, not to mention regular problems like batteries and problems related to over-heating etc.) a decision has been made to allow it to die on the vine? In other words, Could it be that, with iPad happily chomping away at large swaths of the portable market, Jobs now regards the Air as having been “a bag of hurt”?
Click to expand...

I think you could be right. There's nowhere to go with the Air in it's current form. Can't add ram, no more space for battery's, cooling, quality issue's etc all good reasons to let it go.

Maybe a new Air will surface with a similar look/style similar to the new iPhone4?

I think Apple needs a 3lb full featured/powered ultraportable ... they may not think so ... or have 'better' future plans ???
 
Seriously, this is getting unacceptable now.
Every Mac computer has been updated within the last few months beside the Macbook Air.
 
This might be a good time for more Air e-mails to Jobs.

sjobs@apple.com

Dear Mr. Jobs: Is Apple going to cede the whole field of ultralight notebooks to it's competition? The Macbook Air has needed an upgrade so bad, for so long... it gives the impression that you are probably abandoning it. With some new effort, it could again be a really great product!
 
thinkdesign said:
sjobs@apple.com

Dear Mr. Jobs: Is Apple going to cede the whole field of ultralight notebooks to it's competition? The Macbook Air has needed an upgrade so bad, for so long... it gives the impression that you are probably abandoning it. With some new effort, it could again be a really great product!
Click to expand...

it won't be long now, boys and girls. Steve :apple:
 
One sure thing, when the Air will come out (if it ever will) It will be awesome and probably more than just a speedbump (they wouldn't wait so long for nothing)
 
ozreth said:
Why presume it will have intel/nvidia graphics?
Click to expand...
Every laptop is currently.
But I have no idea what's going to happen in the future.

thinkdesign said:
sjobs@apple.com

Dear Mr. Jobs: Is Apple going to cede the whole field of ultralight notebooks to it's competition? The Macbook Air has needed an upgrade so bad, for so long... it gives the impression that you are probably abandoning it. With some new effort, it could again be a really great product!
Click to expand...

halledise said:
it won't be long now, boys and girls. Steve :apple:
Click to expand...

Air is dead. Now go **** yourself.
Steve
Sent from my iPad

😉

halledise said:
as in the guy who walked into see the psychiatrist dressed in nothing but a shrink-wrap loin cloth to which the psychiatrist said: I can clearly see you're nuts 😀
Click to expand...

+10 internets to you good sir
 
Aussie by any chance?

The thread title wasn't inspired by the song by Shannon Noll by any chance?

I did consider getting a MBA but C2D and more importantly 2GB RAM just don't cut it for me. Shame 'cause otherwise I'd love to own a light laptop.
 
After looking at the other updates, I think tech has finally hit a wall. Minor updates and that is all. I plan to purchase the Air in August.
 
i love my Air. Hope they do update this puppy though.

Need a 7 hour battery
Need 4G ram
Want it to run cooler.
Want it to remain sexy

that's all.
 
BornAgainMac said:
After looking at the other updates, I think tech has finally hit a wall. Minor updates and that is all. I plan to purchase the Air in August.
Click to expand...

A wise decision IMHO.

I just bought the 2.13 C2D air, got it last week. It is replacing my rev A MBA that had a 1.8 GHz C2D, and 80 GB HDD. So, this was a big jump for me in performance with the very fast SSD. Apple seems to have changed the drive back in May, and it looks to be almost 3 times faster than the previous 128 GB SSD. Though the CPU heat issue has not gone completely as compared to the rev A MBA, it is much better. Seems the processor still runs a bit hot, but the rev B/C do a lot better job of dissipating the heat so that the bottom of the case does not get really warm as it does in the rev A.

I too think tech has hit a wall. I don't see how they can add lots of stuff to the MBA design and control the heat that will be generated.
 
BornAgainMac said:
After looking at the other updates, I think tech has finally hit a wall. Minor updates and that is all. I plan to purchase the Air in August.
Click to expand...

I agree tech has hit the wall as well, the intel / nvidia dispute didn't help anything either.

BUT ...

Apple is a design company, right? Well then, design the ultra portable computer that MANY business users want.

Give it a design that goes to the style of the iPhone4 for example, forget about the tapered edges, add more space to allow for better cooling, larger battery, more ram etc and keep it under 3.5lbs.

Can Apple do it? For sure. Is it a priority? No. To bad for us 🙁

What other decent ultra portables are there to choose from. From my own experience it's NOT the Sony Z, Lenovo x301/x201 ...
 
I have become wedded to the MBA form factor, because it is the ultimate magazine. I wouldn't want to give this up for something any heavier.
 
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