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New MacBook Air Due This Wednesday?
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Does Intel not have low-voltage Core i3 CPUs? Seems like that may be more logical for the base 11" to keep the costs down.
They would cannibalize a lot more than $99 on average. Many people that go into a retail store just want the 4GB RAM option but Apple only sells ultimate models which force SSD and CPU upgrade at large profits on all of it.
For this reason, Apple will stick with 2GB standard. However, I feel that 2GB is sufficient for the 11" but not the 13" and since the 11" is more popular perhaps they will go 4GB standard in it. They also could have an 8GB upgrade option if doing 4GB standard. Although for 95% of users 4GB would be sufficient for several years.
Looking to replace my 2008 MPB. I'd like an Air with 15" screen (Yeah, I know), back-lit keyboard, 4GB RAM standard. Here's to hoping.
No, not in the Sandy Bridge version. There are 1.4GHz and 1.5GHz versions of the Sandy Bridge Core i5 that can be used to keep the cost of the 11" down while still providing a significant CPU boost. One issue is that the built-in GPU is also slower than the one that is used in the new MacBook Pro (and thus noticeably slower than the NVIDIA 320m).
That ship has long sailed. Apple would never do it (even ignoring the significant re-engineering of the MacBook it would require).
Marginally more realistic would be a MacBook [Pro] with a detachable screen that became an iPad, but that's a bit too much utility in a single device for Apple, so I seriously doubt it would ever happen either.
Q
Q2Air2Pro
Guest
IMHO Apple will not release "ultimate" models as base models. MR forum members are always disappointed w/ the new MB, because (as Apple knows) there are always things to be improved.
So my predictions:
* i3 - i5, w/ upgrade options to i7 (similar to current MBP 13").
* Thunderbolt (Apple apparently needs to push this as a new standard).
* Less B2S $discount$ compared w/ other M(B)-models. Note that educational discount for the MBA has consistently been lower for MBA ($50) compared w/ MBP ($100).
* No backlit, where would the ambient light sensor put into? Batter life?
* No more GBs harddrive, so 64 - 128GB.
* 4GB RAM in base 13" model? This has probably raised the most discussions in the Apple Board, so we'll have to wait. The current models work fine w/ 2GB, but Lion may require somewhat more RAM power...?
So my predictions:
* i3 - i5, w/ upgrade options to i7 (similar to current MBP 13").
* Thunderbolt (Apple apparently needs to push this as a new standard).
* Less B2S $discount$ compared w/ other M(B)-models. Note that educational discount for the MBA has consistently been lower for MBA ($50) compared w/ MBP ($100).
* No backlit, where would the ambient light sensor put into? Batter life?
* No more GBs harddrive, so 64 - 128GB.
* 4GB RAM in base 13" model? This has probably raised the most discussions in the Apple Board, so we'll have to wait. The current models work fine w/ 2GB, but Lion may require somewhat more RAM power...?
Q
Q2Air2Pro
Guest
BTW - Does anybody understand why the Mac Refurb Store states that the following model (which I would love to have), has a "Built-in iSight Camera" as opposed to a "FaceTime Camera" like all other refurbished 13" MBAs? Did they replace it w/ an older webcam during the refurb-process? Or just a typo?
Refurbished MacBook Air 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Originally released October 2010
13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
4GB memory
128GB solid-state drive
NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics
Built-in iSight Camera
Refurbished MacBook Air 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Originally released October 2010
13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
4GB memory
128GB solid-state drive
NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics
Built-in iSight Camera
From the rumors about the new MacBook Air, it sounds like essentially an Apple version of Asus UX21 but with Apple-specific features, including possibly a Thunderbolt port.
If they ship them now, they will make mba buyers spend an extra 30$ on OSX Lion, whilst if released later they will make no profit from the new OSX and airs.
Yeah, 2GB doesnt cut it anymore. Even for a netbook these days. Just not enough. The macbook air may not be a Macbook Pro...but it is DEFINITELY NOT an ipad either running iOS 4.
It runs full mac OSX, and with LION coming out next month which will probably demand even more....4gigs of ram SHOULD come standard.
Guess we will find out soon enough eh?
Personally, with Sandy Bridge being a given, 4gigs of ram and bigger capacity HDs are all i care about. Upgrading the ram thru apple is easy enough should it come standard with 2gigs....but i hope Apple can offer more than a 256gig HD on this go around. iCloud schmiCloud! I want a bigger HD on this baby! Lol.
Backlit keyboard? I am a touch typist, and couldnt give a hoot. Although i know others fins this important, i couldnt care less.
Looking forward to next week. Heh heh heh.
It runs full mac OSX, and with LION coming out next month which will probably demand even more....4gigs of ram SHOULD come standard.
Guess we will find out soon enough eh?
Personally, with Sandy Bridge being a given, 4gigs of ram and bigger capacity HDs are all i care about. Upgrading the ram thru apple is easy enough should it come standard with 2gigs....but i hope Apple can offer more than a 256gig HD on this go around. iCloud schmiCloud! I want a bigger HD on this baby! Lol.
Backlit keyboard? I am a touch typist, and couldnt give a hoot. Although i know others fins this important, i couldnt care less.
Looking forward to next week. Heh heh heh.
Got it right
For a variety of reasons, y'all know Apple releases stuff on Tuesdays. There are news cycle reasons, call center reasons etc..
For a variety of reasons, y'all know Apple releases stuff on Tuesdays. There are news cycle reasons, call center reasons etc..
Then only thing that will make me upgrade my current 11 inch is a back-lit keyboard--and 4 Gigs of Ram standard. The i5 seems great, but I don't think the extra speed is needed for what I use my MBA for.
Honestly, I don't even need the extra ram or the back-lit keyboard. I only said it needs those two things because when I upgrade I like it to feel like I really upgraded. And the i5 isn't enough for me anymore.
Honestly, I don't even need the extra ram or the back-lit keyboard. I only said it needs those two things because when I upgrade I like it to feel like I really upgraded. And the i5 isn't enough for me anymore.
Really?
Please explain that statement - it really makes no sense.
Won't work at all. The 320M isn't a "graphics card", it's a "chipset with integrated graphics".
Nvidia doesn't make a chipset for Core i* CPUs, so if the GPU is integrated into the chipset it has to be Intel. Non-integrated GPUs (discrete) work fine with SandyBridge, but are not as compact or power-friendly.
Only on the "horizon" if you're stuck with AT&T.
Buy them online at Verizon today - http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/...viewPhoneOverviewByDevice&deviceCategoryId=15
Please explain that statement - it really makes no sense.Won't work at all. The 320M isn't a "graphics card", it's a "chipset with integrated graphics".
Nvidia doesn't make a chipset for Core i* CPUs, so if the GPU is integrated into the chipset it has to be Intel. Non-integrated GPUs (discrete) work fine with SandyBridge, but are not as compact or power-friendly.
Only on the "horizon" if you're stuck with AT&T.
Buy them online at Verizon today - http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/...viewPhoneOverviewByDevice&deviceCategoryId=15
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)
Please please please please...I've been holding off for more than a month and decided that if it's not updated by next week I'm going with a MBP.
Please please please please...I've been holding off for more than a month and decided that if it's not updated by next week I'm going with a MBP.
For many people, the MacBook is still better than base 11" MBA for getting their (school?) work done.Additionally, can anyone name a single good reason why Apple would continue the Macbook line now that low the Air is $999? I was shocked to see it remain alive when the $999 Air came out. Lion won't be playing nice with hard drives. Portability is becoming more important for the target audience. iCould will be alleviating the storage needs. (Not well enough, can't deal with movies, photos very well, but it is a start. I really wish it was better.) And if you are in the small group of people who prefer a 13" screen, pay the difference. How many low end Mac purchases will turn away from Apple because they can only get an 11" screen for rock bottom price, or the lesser storage when iCould is an option, or no optical drive? Can anyone give me a compelling reason to keep the Macbook?
It has a bigger screeen (not everyone wants to stare at 11" for hours on end), comes with hard-drive for more storage (this is a big one), comes with optical drive, it's white, it's pretty solid.
It's not as big a deal when you have a super fast SSD, which is why MBA can get away with it. Those sub $500 notebooks have slow hard-drives.
