New Slim 12" MacBook and MacBook Air Updates Soon

[garylapointe]

A undesirable development if true. iOS and iOS applications are toys compared to OSX and OSX applications. Who will want to spend $1,000 for a 12" notebook that is nothing more than an iPad Air with a physical keyboard?

An iPad Air satisfies the computing need of many many users (if not most users). Most of those users are not here in this forum.

A 128GB iPad air is $800 and it's just a tablet.

For $200 more to have a "real" OS and a keyboard and a mouse isn't much of a problem. Oh, they'll throw on some USB ports and lightning too.

Regardless of what they do with the processor, I think it's still going to be a MacBook and that's quite a bit different than iOS.

Gary

 

[Roller]

I've pondered an idea in the past of a MacBook Cloud. Perhaps this rumour may bear this out.

Strip practically everything from a MacBook Air and simply provide it with a 32gb drive. Everything else is done via iCloud and iWorks...yes, just like a Chromebook.

You heard it here first.

When secure, reliable, inexpensive high-speed Internet access is available everywhere (and I mean everywhere), I may be interested. Without that, I need a lot more than 32GB on board.

 

[dalupus]

I own a mid-2011 13" MBA and a mid-2012 15 MBP.

They each have their own uses. The MBA goes with me when I just need to grab something to go for less than a day. I strip down the MBP and bring it with me when I am going somewhere for a few days.

Needless to say, whatever they come up with will be a huge upgrade from my 2011 MBA. The battery life on those is pretty bad. I get around 2-3 hours when using flash based video sites (mostly watching lectures for school). And it does get extremely hot and the fans are extremely noisy to the point that I have to use ear-phones to hear the audio.

Can't wait to move to a retina MBA model. Will love the clearer screen and the ability to step up the resolution a little bit when I need more space. Will most likely upgrade my rMBP model as well as soon as apple releases a retina 27" display.

The one thing I really wish apple would put in the MBA is the option for an LTE card.

 

[Eadfrith]

Tuesday

 

[bungiefan89]

Maybe strain isn't the right word. It's just effortless to tap rather than physically click down, it actually takes a decent amount of pressure. I noticed that right away when I started to use tap to click.

Eh, different strokes I guess. I doubt buttons will be on them for much longer, might as well get used to it.

Well I, for one, will not buy a computer without an actual tactile keyboard or physical buttons. You take those elements away and it's just a tablet.

 

[johngwheeler]

Was the 17" MBP a laptop or a desktop replacement?

I'm not (only) talking about resolution - also about screen estate. A larger-screen device / notebook will always be better on the eyes. If you have both an rMini and a 9.7"-screen iPad (3/4/Air), you surely know how it's easier to read stuff / play on the latter.

In my practice, the larger screen estate offered by the 17" models have proved to be very useful. It lets for opening another pane in Eclipse / Xcode or even displaying two source files (e.g., SVN compare / direct XIB wiring-in) next to each other.

While it's certainly possible to do the same on a 15" screen, a 17" one will always have a definite advantage over the 15" one. No wonder coders / programmers have always preferred as large screens as possible. Also it's mostly them (us) that mourn the loss of the 17" line also here at the MR forums, not the usual "let's show off my MacBook and pick up some girls in the local cafe" hipster folks not doing anything serious on their notebooks.

I'm just pissed off by Apple's abandoning the 17" line. When I abandoned Windows and, as the primary OS I use, switched to OS X as a full-time and (for both HW and apps) paying user, I wouldn't have thought Apple would, in some years, stop offering the 17" line - a model that can directly be compared to the best of the PC notebooks. Now I'm pretty much stranded with a system that is more of a fashion item for the above-mentioned cafe hipsters than a serious, large-screen work tool.

Whilst I agree that using a bigger screen aids productivity & is generally gives better visibility for a given resolution, you have to consider the compromises that this involves. Another thread has already brought this up:

1) A bigger screen means a bigger, heavier computer - at least until some kind of foldable / flexible screen technology arrives.

2) Apple has to rightly consider whether their customers are prepared to make the screen size vs computer size/weight compromise.

They have clearly decided that the majority of customers are not prepared to make this compromise and that the effort of maintaining a product for the people that do want this is simply not worth it.

This clearly irritates some former 17" MBP users, but it's a commercial decision by Apple that is unlikely to change given their current ethos of "thin and light".

3) You need to ask yourself what the purpose and function of your computer is: Is it a desktop replacement, a general purpose laptop or a portable workstation?

i) If it's a desktop replacement, you can pretty easily and cheaply add an external screen, keyboard & mouse. Or simply get a desktop Mac (more cheaply). Yes, you lose the portability (although the Mini is easily transported), but you get a comfortable, powerful machine for less money than a laptop.

ii) If you want a general purpose laptop, that combines portability and power, then arguably 17" is just too large to carry around on a regular basis. At least this is what the vast majority of people think, and this aligns to Apple's product offerings.

iii) If you really need a portable workstation, and don't have external screens available, then you are unfortunately out of luck with Apple. Other PC manufacturers do still offer these machine both in screen sizes ranging 14-18", so this may be where you end up.

One more point, which I've made before on MacRumors, is that I am always surprised by people who prefer to use the internal laptop screen when they have other screens available. You get a much better posture, desktop size and generally improved usability by using one or more external monitors. I travel to lots of different offices with my work, and there is nearly always a monitor I can use. Your experience may vary, but once you connect to that external screen, the size of the laptop's own screen becomes irrelevant.

 

[iRun26.2]

When secure, reliable, inexpensive high-speed Internet access is available everywhere (and I mean everywhere), I may be interested. Without that, I need a lot more than 32GB on board.

I barely consider my design data secure if it only exists on MBA. I can't imagine many company's letting highly valuable IP ever sit in the cloud.

I believe Chromebooks will never work for business people (and they have the most money to spend anyway).

 

[Gudi]

We 17" fans have absolutely no problems with that. It has always been a good compromise, given that the 17" model has only weighed in 0.5kg more than the 15" of the same generation, which is tolerable, particularly if you take your MBP with you with car or in a backpack.

It's always the vendor not the customer, who gets to decide what is a good compromise. The user can only accept or reject what has been offered to him. You must trust Apple to make the right decisions for all of us or you must abandon them. Since Apple is the most valuable corporation by market capitalization, most people have faith in Apple.

 

[dampfnudel]

17" MBP please!

Time machine please!

 

[MattInOz]

While it's certainly possible to do the same on a 15" screen, a 17" one will always have a definite advantage over the 15" one. No wonder coders / programmers have always preferred as large screens as possible. Also it's mostly them (us) that mourn the loss of the 17" line also here at the MR forums, not the usual "let's show off my MacBook and pick up some girls in the local cafe" hipster folks not doing anything serious on their notebooks.

How about a 16" screen in the same case as the current 15"?
To me 17" was just a bit gangly for a laptop. Not great as a desktop replacement.
The current 15 is a definitely laptop portable but still extra bit a of screen space wouldn't go astray.

Change the whole line up to 12,14,16 without changing the case size but maybe rounding the corners a bit more and reducing the frame.

 

[iRun26.2]

Well I, for one, will not buy a computer without an actual tactile keyboard or physical buttons. You take those elements away and it's just a tablet.

Wait until you try the new trackpad. I think it will good (in a new way like nothing before).

I do love the current 'button' too, but I think what the rumors have been about my be even better.

----------

How about a 16" screen in the same case as the current 15"?
To me 17" was just a bit gangly for a laptop. Not great as a desktop replacement.
The current 15 is a definitely laptop portable but still extra bit a of screen space wouldn't go astray.

Change the whole line up to 12,14,16 without changing the case size but maybe rounding the corners a bit more and reducing the frame.

I'd like that.

I really rather have a 12" MBP (in the 11" MBA footprint)

 

[johngwheeler]

It's always the vendor not the customer, who gets to decide what is a good compromise. The user can only accept or reject what has been offered to him. You must trust Apple to make the right decisions for all of us or you must abandon them. Since Apple is the most valuable corporation by market capitalization, most people have faith in Apple.

Have Faith, unbeliever! If the Good Lord Jobs had wanted us to have 17" laptops, he'd have given us all muscles like Arnold Schwarzenegger.....

 

[Matt Leaf]

My prediction - it will be a Retina Macbook Air. Unfortunately, it's pluses will also be its shortcomings. The screen will make it the premium base Macbook and also the most expensive. The battery life will be lower, ballpark 5 hours. Thunderbolt 2 as standard. I think this points to a 15", or potentially 14" Air, as they eventually phase out both 11 and 13" models. $1499 at base. 2k specc'd out. It'll be a coveted product. The iPhone 5s of Airs.

 

[iRun26.2]

My prediction - it will be a Retina Macbook Air. Unfortunately, it's pluses will also be its shortcomings. The screen will make it the premium base Macbook and also the most expensive. The battery life will be lower, ballpark 5 hours. Thunderbolt 2 as standard. I think this points to a 15", or potentially 14" Air, as they eventually phase out both 11 and 13" models. $1499 at base. 2k specc'd out. It'll be a coveted product. The iPhone 5s of Airs.

That is precisely what I want! I want it to special enough for Apple to be able to charge $1499 for it (at least initially).

I'd spent up to $3000 for the top of the line BTO model.

I don't think the battery life will only be 5 hours. There's IGZO and Broadwell. They makes up for the retina screen right there (unless it is a lot thinner...which I'd like!). I'd be fine with just 5 hours but I don't think many others would stand for going that far backwards on battery life.

 

[KPOM]

I don't think the battery life will only be 5 hours. There's IGZO and Broadwell. They makes up for the retina screen right there (unless it is a lot thinner...which I'd like!). I'd be fine with just 5 hours but I don't think many others would stand for going that far backwards on battery life.

But Broadwell has been delayed a few months to late Q3. That suggests that the 12" Retina notebook will be Haswell, unless somehow Apple got Intel to pull a rabbit out of the hat and can ship them the chips early.

IGZO is probably for the iPhone 6 and 2014 iPad lines first.

----------

My prediction - it will be a Retina Macbook Air. Unfortunately, it's pluses will also be its shortcomings. The screen will make it the premium base Macbook and also the most expensive. The battery life will be lower, ballpark 5 hours. Thunderbolt 2 as standard. I think this points to a 15", or potentially 14" Air, as they eventually phase out both 11 and 13" models. $1499 at base. 2k specc'd out. It'll be a coveted product. The iPhone 5s of Airs.

I'd be fine with it. I had an 11.6" MacBook Air over 2 years before switching to the 13.3" rMBP. I like the screen on the latter, but miss the ultraportability of the 11.6" MBA. I would throw the Air into the front pocket of the bag for my larger Windows notebook (work) on short trips without hesitation. Most of the time I leave the rMBP home on those trips. That extra pound makes a lot of difference when you are already lugging a 4 lb. notebook in the same bag.

 

[Vctr]

While it's certainly possible to do the same on a 15" screen, a 17" one will always have a definite advantage over the 15" one. No wonder coders / programmers have always preferred as large screens as possible. Also it's mostly them (us) that mourn the loss of the 17" line also here at the MR forums, not the usual "let's show off my MacBook and pick up some girls in the local cafe" hipster folks not doing anything serious on their notebooks.

I'm just pissed off by Apple's abandoning the 17" line. When I abandoned Windows and, as the primary OS I use, switched to OS X as a full-time and (for both HW and apps) paying user, I wouldn't have thought Apple would, in some years, stop offering the 17" line - a model that can directly be compared to the best of the PC notebooks. Now I'm pretty much stranded with a system that is more of a fashion item for the above-mentioned cafe hipsters than a serious, large-screen work tool.

But ... have you considered that a 19" laptop would have a definite advantage over a 17" laptop? ... Oh wait, what about a 21" laptop over a 19" laptop?!?! OH WAIT !!!

 

[falser]

What about 4K monitor support? Currently only the rMBP's can do this, and this the main thing that's been holding me back from buying an Air.

 

[hleewell]

Trackpad with actuator? Kinda like those Nokia Lumia phones that go "bzzzzt" when you press the "Home" buttons?

 

[Mattsasa]

Watch is still a prototype? That's disappointing.

Late 2014 means Summer 2015.

I am surprised nobody else on this thread is talking about this. But I suppose you are right, sounds like a late 2014 announcement, and a mid-2015 Launch.

Also, the current stock configurations of the 13" rMBP are ridiculous.

The 13" rMBP with 4GB RAM for 1299? Who is buying this turd?

What is wrong with the 13" rMBP with 4GB RAM for 1299? that is probably apple's best selling notebook at the moment.

If it is an i3 or i5 it would have to at least not go backwards in performance if it has to power 4 times the pixels... I can't imagine apple pushing out a less powerful MBA.

The 2012 MacBook Air can run a 4k display. The current MBA is nearly twice as powerful as that. A 2014 MBA will have no problem running retina display, even if its raw CPU/GPU power is slightly weaker than the current model.

This is assuming a rMBA will be using a Broadwell-ULT or Broadwell-ULX.

This is what Apple has to do:

There has to be more choice so Apple should have the following lines:

11" Non-Retina MacBook Air
12" 16:10 Non-Retina MacBook Air
12" 4:3 Non-Retina MacBook Air (like the popular old Powerbook)
12" 16:10 Non-Retina MacBook Air
12" 16:10 Retina MacBook Air
13" Non-Retina MacBook Air
13" Retina MacBook Air
13" Non-Retina MacBook Pro
13" Retina MacBook Pro
15" Non-Retina MacBook Pro
15" Retina MacBook Pro
17" Non-Retina MacBook Pro
17" Retina MacBook Pro

And what's with these names? So hard to pinpoint which model is which. Apple needs better product names, for instance X109-11-SMBA14 for the Non-Retina MacBook Air and X109-13-RMBP14 for the 13" Retina MacBook Pro. "MacBook Pro" and MacBook Air" are too vague. This would give us choice and make the lines more differentiated and clear.

Ha! You're funny

Apple's strategy is very simple:

• iOS and Touch Apps for Tablets/Smartphones with ARM
• Mac OS and Keyboard/Mouse/Trackpad Apps for x86 laptops/desktops

You will not see any mixing between the two, not this decade.

Thank you for laying this out clearly.
So many people on this thread are having trouble understanding this.

It is almost certain that apple has touchscreen MacBooks(and other macs) in there testing labs, along with ARM MacBooks, maybe even AMD Macs. They probably have some kind of iOS running on x86 laptop and desktop machine. They probably have Mac OS X running on touch based ARM tablets. They probably have iPads with Mice or trackpads. Convertible form-factor devices. All of the ideas that people are throwing out on this forum, Apple has definitely considered and tested. But apple is not going to release anything unless they know it is a perfect product for the customer.


ARM chips are getting more and more powerful and will continue to.
x86 chips are getting more and more power efficient and will continue to.

Maybe someday ARM chips will become dominant in the laptop/desktop arena.
Or Maybe x86 chips will become dominant in the tablet/smartphone arena.

But I don't see these things happening soon.


Earlier someone mentioned that iOS is Mac OS for the ARM architecture, there is truth. at WWDC 2007 where the iPhone was announced. Steve Jobs said "iPhone runs Mac OS ten" followed by a huge applause. Then steve went on to explain how they had created a new UI called Cocoa touch for iPhone OS. So if Apple wanted to write Mac OS for ARM systems it would technically be possible but however would be no small project. And as other people have mentioned there would be major problems like Mac OS was not designed for touch, and it would be a poor user experience. And as people have talked about it one of the major problems be applications, mostly 3rd party applications. All current Mac OS applications would have to be rewritten for ARM architecture. Apple could make an ARM iOS device than runs iPad apps in a MBA form factor. (iPadBook?) but the problem with this that iPad Apps won't work well with a trackpad and therefore a bad User experience, which makes it unlikely for apple to release a device like this. Vice Versa, apple could release an x86 device running Mac OS and Mac OS Apps in a tablet form factor or touchscreen notebook, but the problem would be that Mac OS and Mac os Apps won't work well with touch and therefore another Bad User experience.

So like ctyrider said:

we have -
iOS - Touch - Tablets/Smartphones - ARM
Mac OS - Mouse/Trackpad - Notebooks/Desktops - x86

We won't be seeing any mixing and matching of these for a couple years to come. From apple at least.

Nothing is impossible however apple is willing to try anything, and will make whatever will be the most successful.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

so now back to this 12" inch fanless ultra-thin macbook.

If we believe this poster and article to be true. The article says that it will be released/announced May 17th 2014. Which would be before WWDC....I don't think broadwell-ULT/ULX will be ready by then, unless apple is getting something special, sounds off to me.

This article also says updates to the current MacBook Air are coming 'soon'

The poster seems to imply that the updates to the current air are coming before the Pros, in september and even before the 12" in May.


I am confused about what will be updated in this early 2014 Airs. There is no way Broadwell will be ready, and I am not sure what else will be updated.

Also it makes sense that the 12" rMBP will replace the current 11 and 13" MBAs. But then I don't understand why would apple be updating them just to discontinue them shortly after....

I suppose it is not impossible for apple to sell the 12" along side the 11 and 13, but as many people talked about, that would make a confusing product lineup for consumers. Not impossible, but also not very apple-like.

It sounds like people are assuming that the 12" rMBA would start at $999. I think this is possible but I am not completely convinced. That would be $300 less than the rMBP 13", how is apple going to be able to sell this thing $300 cheaper? Slightly smaller display? Cheaper CPU? Anyone have any thoughts on this?

What kind of resolution are people thinking would appear in this 12" rMBA Kuo said 2304x1440 (16:10) or 2560x1600 like the rMBP 13" (16:10), or 2560x1440 like the 27" iMac (16:9). Surely all of these have more than enough pixels for 12" notebook. The Chromebook pixel is 12.85" at 2560x1700 just for reference. At one point it was discussed that apple was going to try to use the same display panel in this machine as the iPad Air, just cut at a different size, in order to reduce costs. If someone wants to do the math on these sizes and resolutions to figure something out, that would be lovely, otherwise I'll do it tomorrow.

Sounds like people are hoping for an edge to edge display, that sounds nice to me too, but Apple has to put the webcam somewhere. But there is definitely room to shrink the current bezel.


I am also wondering when is Apple going to be having another media event? not until WWDC? that's a long time away to wait for excitement.

 

[jger77]

What is wrong with the 13" rMBP with 4GB RAM for 1299? that is probably apple's best selling notebook at the moment.

Based on an entirely unscientific survey (what the kids on campus are rockin') I'd say its in fact the 13 in MBP classic, education priced $999 Canadian, the DVD player is probably a big selling point, there's still a lot of archived material at the library on optical media.

 

[jger77]

From the 'hit' movie The Goods:Live Hard, Sell Hard

This is what Apple has to do:

There has to be more choice so Apple should have the following lines:

11" Non-Retina MacBook Air
12" 16:10 Non-Retina MacBook Air
12" 4:3 Non-Retina MacBook Air (like the popular old Powerbook)
12" 16:10 Non-Retina MacBook Air
12" 16:10 Retina MacBook Air
13" Non-Retina MacBook Air
13" Retina MacBook Air
13" Non-Retina MacBook Pro
13" Retina MacBook Pro
15" Non-Retina MacBook Pro
15" Retina MacBook Pro
17" Non-Retina MacBook Pro
17" Retina MacBook Pro

And what's with these names? So hard to pinpoint which model is which. Apple needs better product names, for instance X109-11-SMBA14 for the Non-Retina MacBook Air and X109-13-RMBP14 for the 13" Retina MacBook Pro. "MacBook Pro" and MacBook Air" are too vague. This would give us choice and make the lines more differentiated and clear.

to sell you must... Confine, confuse, conflict; to close, you must...Lie, loan, leave.

 

[Ironduke]

if apple are taking out the fan this new macbook air will hardly have any speed gain over the last, apples 2013 MBa's had great battery because they were down clocked to give the same performance as 2012 MBA's

 

[Macboy Pro]

And what? Macbooks have great resale value, if u find that u need upgrade, sell old mb, buy new and you get specs u need, new tech, new design... Minority of people upgrades notebooks nowadays, that is simple fact apple knows, few geeks here fail to see/accept.

Much of the resale value of Macs in the past 4-5 years has been been the ability for people to buy them and put some more memory in them or a faster/bigger drive and then use them. Macbook Pros from 3 years ago came with 250GB or 320GB SLOW 5400RPM drives and 2GB RAM. If that was soldered, the resale value would be MUCH MUCH lower. 2GB is not usable and with a a very slow 5400RPM drive, it is even more unusable. It is not as simple as you put it. Apple knows it and by soldering and going proprietary with their flash, they are forcing their products to be obsolete so you must upgrade and the guy that would normally buy your old Macbook, will also buy a new one, not yours with 2GB RAM.

MANY people do upgrade and keep their older systems longer. You are incorrect. It is the folks that don't who fail to accept that.

 

[proline]

I never said that Apple aspired to be niche, although they were comfortable being that for a long time, as they covered (and cornered) the high(er)-end PC market.

I am not using my imagination too much here. I am mourning the loss of devices with capabilities they already produced. Especially products that to this day have absolutely zero comparable alternatives in the market (like my treasured 2011 17" MBP). It is highly disappointing to watch a keynote expecting an update on your favorite Apple product only to find out it has been discontinued. So it's not, as you say, "neat to imagine what Apple's engineering prowess could do for you". It's sad to visualize what Apple's engineering prowess had already been doing for you, but won't be anymore.

Apple left the desktop replacement market when it killed the 17"MBP, as it was the only entrant in the space. The 15" is NOT an alternative. They replaced a desktop, umm, replacement with an ultra-portable. Less capacity, less flexibility, less ports, smaller screen.

Not everything needs to be miniaturized. A bigger screen is more useful (i.e. visible) than a smaller one. When it comes to this you cannot replace bigger with smaller. More hard drive space follows the same concept. One can make tradeoffs based on needs if the products exist. Apple kills products and leaves you with a big, fat nothing to replace them.

I am, and have been, an Apple customer for decades. Of course I care about aesthetics (which Apple customer doesn't?), quietness (I'm a musician), etc. For you to say that I don't, when you don't know me, makes you come off a bit jerk-ish. Perhaps you don't mean to do so.

Interesting. So I guess the issue is that you don't know what 'desktop replacement' means. The 17" had absolutely nothing the 15" rMBP that replaced it lacked, except 2" of screen. 2" of screen does not make a product a 'desktop replacement'. 'Desktop replacements' are typically made by Dell or HP, are 2" thick, noisy, have 3+ fans, screen 17" or larger, actual desktop CPUs and GPUs, etc. The 17" MBP had almost none of these and was not a 'desktop replacement'.

So in your case, you don't want a 'desktop replacement', you just want a 17" MBP. That's a proven failed product- the amount of sales wasn't worth the R&D time it took to maintain. Apple also had good market research to show that no update or improvements would make the product viable (they don't do things for no reason as you seem to think). Furthermore, at the time the 17" was discontinued, its price would have had to go up $700 or more to make the retina transition (even the 15" went up $500 at the time, though the retina premium has gradually gone down as production improved). Do you really think Apple should waste time developing a product that is either too expensive for anyone to buy, or glaringly lacks key features such as a retina display? Now in the future, when the technology is ready, that's not to say Apple won't take another kick at that can. They won't however, release a 'desktop replacement'.

 

[Menneisyys2]

Interesting. So I guess the issue is that you don't know what 'desktop replacement' means. The 17" had absolutely nothing the 15" rMBP that replaced it lacked, except 2" of screen. 2" of screen does not make a product a 'desktop replacement'. 'Desktop replacements' are typically made by Dell or HP, are 2" thick, noisy, have 3+ fans, screen 17" or larger, actual desktop CPUs and GPUs, etc. The 17" MBP had almost none of these and was not a 'desktop replacement'.

1. Before 2006 (16:9 / 16:10 screens appearing on the market), the largest (4:3) screens were 15" ones, at least from reliable / reputable manufacturers (e.g., IBM). Many of those models were officially called "desktop replacement"; for example, the a31p, which had no less than three spinning drives / bays (while still not weighing more than 3 kg's). That is, being a "desktop replacement" doesn't necessarily mean having 19+" screens, not even today, in the world of 16:9/10 screens.

2. "Desktop replacement" also means no need for external-anything, not necessarily even screens. 17", particularly if it's 16:10 and not simply 16:9 Full HD, is plenty and already allows for productive work, even with multiple panes open. Now, try doing productive e.g. Xcode work on a 11...13" screen...