Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I highly doubt 4gb RAM standard... why would Apple cannibalize their huge profit margins from making you BTO an extra 2gb for 100 dollars?

Maybe they'll have an "Ultimate" config with 4gb RAM built in as one of the standard options. But I wouldn't put even a single dollar on 4gb RAM being on the 64gb SSD base model for 999.

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.
 
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.

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).
 
Apple could make a laptop whose screen turns around and lays flat. Then you could have a laptop and an iPad in one machine.
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.
 
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...?
 
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
 
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.
 
I don't think it's true. If anything, they would release them after lion is released so they are shipped with the latest OS X version.

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.
 
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.
nah -
The Mac OS X Lion Up-To-Date upgrade is available at no additional charge via the Mac App Store to all customers who purchased a qualifying new Mac system from Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller on or after June 6, 2011.
 
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. :p

Looking forward to next week. Heh heh heh.
 
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. :eek:
 
Really?

Lion won't be playing nice with hard drives.

:eek: Please explain that statement - it really makes no sense.


I thought the current graphics card doesn't work well with sandy bridge processors, hence why they took it out of the 13" MBP and put in intel HD graphics?

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.


With 4G on the horizon?

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

vzw_lte_usb_551l_modem.png
 
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.
 
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? :)
For many people, the MacBook is still better than base 11" MBA for getting their (school?) work done.

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.
 
2GB is a bit lame, frankly. Check out the sub $500 notebooks on Amazon.
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.
 
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.
That would be sooo retarded. I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.