More Claimed MacBook Air Specs: 8-10 Hour Battery, NVIDIA 320M, Upgradeable RAM and SSD

[cheesymogul]

Why? The MBA is the lowest selling Mac product line. Lower even than the Mac Pro which costs twice as much . (For the last 10-12 months the MBA has been ranked at the bottom of the "top 10" best sellers list on Apple's online store in the Mac category. ) It is the most poorly targeted product in their line up. [Apple's objective is to make money. Not build the more narrowly niched product possible. ] For the other Mac products many more people see the value proposition that the product is addressing. Why would they kill off one of the more better targeted products in their line up to keep the worst one ??????????

The Air was always a good concept - only its exorbitant price prevented a mainstream hit.
Compared to how much more the MBP 13 is offering, the white Macbook also has turned into a rather poor value.

Limited interfaces/expandability and slower CPU's are acceptable, as long as they are being rewarded with a super light body for a competitive price!
With similar specs and price as the current MB, the new Air could cover the needs for beginners and Office users (typical MB customer), as well as those of business travelers and commuters looking for a small, lightweight notebook with a decent keyboard. Your typical MBA user, but also hordes of disappointed netbook users looking for better quality.

Yes, I'm afraid the smaller Air might indeed be the final nail in the white Macbook's coffin.
But no, this will be anything but a niche product!
Au contrary, many customers will now have to ask the question: iPad or 11" Air?

Ironically the first serious competitor that might hurt iPad sales, is going to be launched by Apple itself...

 

[Hellhammer]

I am sick to death of hearing people complain about the C2D. Blame INTEL for their stupid licensing on the i3 - i7 series. You guys who live and die by hardware specifications don't get it.

I get 5 hours of battery life from my current 13" MBP. The 3D is pretty good (320m destroys the X4500). I find the people who want the i3 over a C2D the funniest of all.

Portable computers are all about tradeoff. Can you fit dedicated graphics in? What does that do to the cost? What about the heat? How much does it affect the battery life? How does it affect the form factor?

Other companies can fit iX + discrete GPU in 13" just fine.

Cost? Well, the NVidia IGP ain't free either. Low-end discrete GPU is only pennies for Apple.

Heat? The NVidia IGP needs power as well. Apple could have put GF GT 320M in it or ATI 5450M for example. 9400M has TDP of 12W, I guess 320M has similar. ATI 5450M is 11W, would fit there perfectly.

Battery life? There is GPU switching for that.

Intel licensing system is not an issue, no matter how many people keep saying it. Apple can't keep using C2Ds for ages. In fact, mobile C2Ds are being EOLed soon (Q1 2011 I think). Sooner than later Apple has to do something

 

[headfuzz]

Best comeback to date. It got a lol.

 

[MattSepeta]

Ironically the first serious competitor that might hurt iPad sales, is going to be launched by Apple itself...

Apple has got it made: Instead of their products competing with competitor's products, they are competing amongst themselves!!!

I will be weighing the options of ipad vs MBA when it drops if the specs are anything at all like this. Even the current MBA's are so unbelievably lightweight. I cant imagine how light an 11" would be.

If apple can maintain a super-high battery life with these, they have a winner. Matte screen would pretty much seal the deal for me though.

 

[hachre]

Looking at the Mobo size in the iP4, iPT4, MacMini and, TV, I do not think its going to be much of an issue. I would not be surprised if they stick the Power Adapter in there as well for a "clean look" marketing props. Granted it will generate heat, however I believe if anyone is willing to do it, it be .

This won't happen since you would then be unable to use Magsafe anymore..

The cable to the notebook would transport the 110V not the 12V or whatever and magsafe would be too dangerous a connector for that.

 

[Shanpdx]

Matte screen would pretty much seal the deal for me though.

there might be a matte screen for a different reason, glass is heavy, to reduce the weight the might get rid of the glass. IMHO.

 

[godostoyke]

I wonder how many of you who are willing to buy this have iPads as well?

I’m curious if you guys will carry both devices or just MBA?

Ha ha, good question!

Last trip I carried both (often, the iPad was my only internet access in Europe, and I needed the MBA for some heavy-duty lifting).

But I expect that for conferences I will only carry the iPad and leave the clunky MacBook Air at home ...

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

It will be cheaper in price.

 

[MacKeeperFanMod]

What's holding Apple back is Intel!

Intel's chipsets are the real bag of hurt for Apple. Intel isn't natively supporting USB3 until next year at the earliest, maybe even 2012! And Intel won't allow integrated graphics from anyone with their Core iX series chips except their own less attractive offerings. These two things, I believe, make it incredibly hard for Apple to make the computers they want to release.

Do you want great processors and crap graphics? Or do you want cheaper older processors and much better graphics? It's a compromise Intel forced on the industry. Same with USB3 vs. LightPeak.

Unless Apple figures out how to build a 13" with a Core iX and dedicated GPU with a cool thermal threshold and low PPW, Core iX isn't going to happen.

 

[Yr Blues]

The mock-up is kind of ugly. My brother's black MacBook still looks bad-ass. Why can't they go back to black. And the wedge shape is lame.

But if they're making one smaller than even the holy 12" PowerBook, then I'm all in. The 12" was the best laptop I ever owned. It felt and looked luxurious—and it was ultra portable.

 

[canucksfan88]

Hmm...this is going to be another fail for the Air if they dont get that price sorted out.

The air may be 'magical' but its price is just laughable. It needs to be HALVED to actually make it worthwhile (especially in Europe where we'll be paying almost another 50% of the price on top!).

I've never been a huge fan of the Air. It just seems that to get the formfactor and weight, they have had to comprimize performance, build quality and basic common sense (why would you ship a laptop with just 1 usb port, and why in this day and age are they not providing 4GB RAM as standard!).

For me, the air would need something more along the lines of the following specs to make it be worthwhile:

• i5 or i7 processor
• Minimum of 4GB RAM (DDR3)
• 2-4 USB 3 ports (again, futurerproof your damn hardware like everyone else!)
• changeable battery
• upgradable ram
• upgradable hard drive
• should ship with something like an option of say 250GB SATA or 64GB SSD (giving you a choice)
• Maybe an SD/memory card reader? I can see the Air being useful for family vacations and photographers on location.

I can understand the 1st gen air being expensive. Its new, it cost money to research, etc - but subsequent models should be much cheaper (providing there are no huge mind blowing changes, which from what we've seen so far - there are not.).

I'm sure I'm probably going to annoy one or two people with this post, but if the Air is to be taken seriously, it really needs to be considered as a slightly expensive netbook (I'm talking $500-$700) and not an under performing crippled machine that costs more than the MacBook Pro .

LMAO! oh god...there is no way i5/i7 will make its way in this...
nor will it EVER have a user replaceable batter...refresh my memory...which current macbook/macbook pro's have one....oh wait...none?

this is more like you fail.

 

[SkippyThorson]

As anyone can tell from my signature, you can safely assume that I'm ready to upgrade to an Intel machine of any sort. Even if this new Air has a ~2ghz Core 2 Duo, I'd love it if the price was right.

I've said it time and time again, and it just needs repeating - the biggest problem with the Air is the price. Reading through so far, it seems that a lot of people agree. -- Why buy the Air for so much when you can get the standard MacBook for less? Similarly, why get the MacBook Air when you can get the MacBook Pro for the same(ish) price, and get more?

The only thing with the Air that you save is weight. Nothing else at all. In every other aspect, is is a trade off in a negative way, or repeats what is already available. 13" glossy screen, backlit keyboard, aluminum body, Core 2 Duo... Been there. 1 USB port, stripping most other ports out, no CD/DVD use without the aid of another piece of technology, $500 more than the regular MacBook? Whoopee!

That price needs to go way down, and we all know that it won't. It'll go down, but not as "Way Down" as Elvis sang about, which is where it needs to be.

The mock-up is kind of ugly. My brother's black MacBook still looks bad-ass. Why can't they go back to black. And the wedge shape is lame.

But if they're making one smaller than even the holy 12" PowerBook, then I'm all in. The 12" was the best laptop I ever owned. It felt and looked luxurious—and it was ultra portable.

You and I could have a long talk. I always thought it would be a nice standout simple feature to make the Air black anodized aluminum. Isn't the AppleTV anodized aluminum? It's black. A black Air would fit nicely into Apple's "Shades-Of-Black-&-White" lineup. Black, white, grey(silver(aluminum)), and everything in between.

I do hate that wedge look. It better stay as a mockup. I love the curves of the current Air. This one is nowhere near as appealing. In fact, it makes it look fatter.

(Let me throw it in, the 12" PPC laptops are the best laptops on earth - period - and I would love a black 12" PowerBook. We could be long lost relatives.)

 

[chrmjenkins]

Other companies can fit iX + discrete GPU in 13" just fine.

Cost? Well, the NVidia IGP ain't free either. Low-end discrete GPU is only pennies for Apple.

Heat? The NVidia IGP needs power as well. Apple could have put GF GT 320M in it or ATI 5450M for example. 9400M has TDP of 12W, I guess 320M has similar. ATI 5450M is 11W, would fit there perfectly.

Battery life? There is GPU switching for that.

Intel licensing system is not an issue, no matter how many people keep saying it. Apple can't keep using C2Ds for ages. In fact, mobile C2Ds are being EOLed soon (Q1 2011 I think). Sooner than later Apple has to do something

The problem is that it represents a larger TDP than what Apple has ever put in a notebook of that size. They've never done a 35W part plus a 10W discrete GPU in a 13" or smaller enclosure AFAIK.

 

[keruah]

So it's basically a MacBook Pro without the DVD drive....

Wrong, it's a big iPod Touch without touchscreen

 

[godostoyke]

I don't think there's much point in that, since the 13 inch is plenty portable as it is. The difference between 2.7 and 4.5 pounds won't make a big difference, unless you have some type of arm problem? Plus, it's nice to have all your stuff in one place. I definitely wouldn't spend $1000+ on an 11 inch if I already have a more powerful, portable 13 incher.

If you're planning to complement a 15" laptop, then that makes more sense.

It would be unusual to replace a 13" computer with an 11" one.


But for a road warrior, 4.5 vs. 2.7 pounds is a HUGE difference ...

 

[Moodikar]

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MBA do's and don'ts:

Don't:
-don't Take away headphones, cam, mdp, IR,or current features that have no issues with.

- don't make the 11.6 inch less power than current.

Do:
-Do add sound in mdp like new MacBook pro so when using hdmi adapter, it will include sound.

-Do come out with both 11 & 13 inch as it seems many want one or the other.

-Do make battery better than current...many want more but will be happy if better.

-don't use the same hinge system.
-don't using a button mouse like the original that scratches the top bezel.
-don't have such a larger bezel around monitor.
-don't have just one USB especially if you have a small harddrive/SSD.
-Do make it have more ram. Mac Os takes a lot more when given more.
-don't make the machine so hot the fan is on all the time...fix this...no excuses or trade offs.
-dont use the same line crappy screens of the original. Noticable or not, this shouldn't happen again.
-do keep it light. 3pm was a goo average.

I think these are all that I want that's realistic. Yes I want usb3 and touch...etc but let's fix what we can and add to it rather than another speed bump or EOL. Most will be happy with the above.

 

[chugg]

The mock-up is kind of ugly. My brother's black MacBook still looks bad-ass. Why can't they go back to black. And the wedge shape is lame.

Man the original black Macbook was awesome. I would've gone back to it any day if they had updated it with the multi-touch touchpad instead of the ugly white one.

 

[deconstruct60]

Apple has got it made: Instead of their products competing with competitor's products, they are competing amongst themselves!!!

That is exactly backwards. Apple minimizes the products competing with themselves to a large extent. They make sure pricing almost never overlaps (with rare exception none of the standard configs overlap in price. The MBA is the rare exception rather than the rull where the upper MBP 13" and MBA both share the $1499 price point. ) . They leave off features to also create separation.

They will even go so far as to cripple characteristics so as to keep the separation. For example the Macbook. It is caught between a "rock and a hard place". It can't drop below the $999 because would get tangled up with the iPad price zone. Likewise the Macbook has been trimmed of usage FW 800 port to placate the MBP product line. It also doesn't have "better" and "best" options because those would overlap MBP 13" pricing.

Apple isn't afraid of high iPad cannablization because they kept most of the products out of the iPad's zone.

Even the current MBA's are so unbelievably lightweight. I cant imagine how light an 11" would be.

Perhaps as light as Sony X
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...0151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644667494

Or
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/notebooks/ideapad/u-series/u150
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...ages/ThinkPad_notebooks/2010/X201-X201s-X201t

The problem for the MBA is that market moved. That is what a ultra-mobile is now. 3 lbs is at the upper end of the spectrum. If can do that without making as large as CPU/GPU sacrifice then will have better hit the targeted market.

If apple can maintain a super-high battery life with these, they have a winner.

that is one point of going to 11.6 versus 13.3. A relatively huge energy consumer is the screen. Smaller screen can lower power requirements. That means more life out of a same sized battery.

 

[chrmjenkins]

that is one point of going to 11.6 versus 13.3. A relatively huge energy consumer is the screen. Smaller screen can lower power requirements. That means more life out of a same sized battery.

With less space to fit said battery.

 

[JakeTheMac]

Too perfect. I better wait till wednesday before I buy anything. Was about to pick up a refurbished macbook.

 

[Moodikar]

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MBA is not iPad. Not the same. They are different. Stop thinking the same and think different. They will not hurt eachother's market until the MBA become touch or iOS can do full Mac stuff like flash, custom desktop, dock...

 

[I WAS the one]

Do u think it will be hybrid with OS X and iOS?

 

[deconstruct60]

The Air was always a good concept - only its exorbitant price prevented a mainstream hit.
Compared to how much more the MBP 13 is offering, the white Macbook also has turned into a rather poor value.

The iPads are blocking the MacBooks "poor" value much more than the MBA or MBP 13" is. Apple has put a price floor on them ("stay out of iPad range") and a price cap ("stay out of MBP range" ). It is boxed in. However, even boxed in it kicks the MBA in terms of volume sold.

Next iteration the MacBook will likely be freed from its "4GB" memory cap. It has upgradable memory and more flexible sockets. If they added back the FW 800 capability there would not be much of problem at all. When the MBP gets Sandy Bridge era upgrades won't need these cheesy barriers as much. They can clock bump the MB and de-cripple it for another round.

Likewise if the MB screen remains 13" and the MBA 11.6" then there is a gap. All the more so if there is slight chop on CPU performance range flexibility to boost battery life on MBA.

Air could cover the needs for beginners and Office users (typical MB customer),

I'm not sure why folks constantly ignore price as a primary factor. The MB gets chosen far more because it fits the only laptop that fits budget rather than its feature set is better. All Apple needs to do is price the new MBA at $1099 ( a $400 cut) and that is still just as true.

The only way the MacBook is impacted is if Apple cuts to the price to $999. I don't see that happening. Below $999 ... you should strongly consider taking less drugs. If Apple refuses to let the MB fall below $999 why would they let a shiny aluminum product do that ?

Au contrary, many customers will now have to ask the question: iPad or 11" Air?

~$699-799 or $999-1099 .... when there are $600 (and less ) non Apple alternatives out there...... Like that is much of a dilemma . If only have around $600 to spend.... it isn't that hard.

Ironically the first serious competitor that might hurt iPad sales, is going to be launched by Apple itself...

Apple isn't going to price them within $200 of each other so they really aren't going to compete much since that will represent 20+% difference in pricing.

Is there perferct separation between all Apple products. No. the iPad and MBA are both computers. There are many things they do that are relatively the same. That doesn't mean there aren't different submarkets to the PC computer marketplace. Apple targets at the submarkets that are distinct from each other. They do not try to kill off their own products directly. In fact go there numerous measures not to do that.

 

[Hellhammer]

The problem is that it represents a larger TDP than what Apple has ever put in a notebook of that size. They've never done a 35W part plus a 10W discrete GPU in a 13" or smaller enclosure AFAIK.

But with GPU switching, only one GPU is in use so it's either 10W discrete GPU OR the Intel IGP (not sure about its TDP, I would guess it's around 7W) So in real world usage, the power consumption should be around the same.

Of course there is still the issue that that combo requires three chips (CPU + GPU + Southbridge) instead of two but it can't be that hard to solve. Others have done it

 

[deconstruct60]

With less space to fit said battery.

Not if claw back space some some of the other components. For example, chuck the relatively large metal box of the 2.5' drive for a card. Or get rid of the gratuitous narrowing of the lower part of the MBA. It can be a more squared off shape if not purely going for some silly "world's thinnest at some extreme edge of the device" record. In other words stop wasting space elsewhere in the device. (either by omission or commission. )

You can also just simply used less power consuming components and take slight hit on overall battery size but keep same "power allotment" assigned to the battery system. ( e.g., lower CPU/GPU ... Zacate ... or same CPU and lower power drawing 320m )

You don't "have to" shrink the battery at the exactly same proportions as the screen. There are a number of factors that dictate how much room there are for batteries.