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Notebook Refresh to Be Highlight of WWDC, Non-Retina MacBook Pro to Continue?
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What makes you say that? Last I heard, Intel officially confirmed that fixed chipsets would ship by the end of July. That doesn't sound like a June refresh would include the fix...
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Larger storage sizes for cheaper.
Consumers will upgrade as needed. 4K is a small step in advancement. It's not like the transition from SD to HD. Hell, even 3D offered something vastly different and look how that has "taken off." There are always going to be the videophiles who need the latest and greatest, as well as those who fall for the marketing BS and run out to be an early adopter. But most will just upgrade when they need to, adopting the new tech by default. There simply is little to no demand for 4K in the home right now.
There is no mainstream delivery system for consumers yet. 4k is still in its infancy in that regard. Pushing it over cable is one of the issues due to the bandwidth required. They'll probably just compress the hell out of it, negating much of the point in the process.
Yeah, and look how much weight they've thrown behind it.
Retina MacBook Airs might not happen until they use two specific technologies:
1. More power-efficient display technology (OLED, for example).
2. ARM-based CPU: lower cost, lower power consumption.
Yes, an AX SoC would require recompiling OS X and all apps. But don't forget that OS X was originally developed on RISC-based PowerPC CPUs. It might be as simple as selecting "Universal ARM / Intel binary" in your Mac app's Xcode build settings. Apple has transitioned their user base and developers from 68K to RISC to Intel already. Been there, done that. And they could easily do it again.
The arguments against ARM-based MacBook Pro break down into:
"Not 64-bit"
The ARMv8 spec, which was released in late 2011, includes a 64-bit instruction set.
Just a matter of time before Apple ships 64-bit AX SoCs.
"Not powerful enough"
Apple could easily develop quad-core AX chips.
Also just a matter of time.
"Tim Cook said 'no'"
No, he didn't. CNET's report implies that converging iOS and OS X (and their respective devices) will never happen. But Cook never said that the MacBook Air hardware roadmap will never include AX SoCs:
There will always be a segment of the mobile computing population that needs to touch-type on a physical keyboard (students writing lengthy papers, journalists / bloggers, etc.). And there will always be a market for mobile computing devices with screens bigger than 9.7" (designers, programmers, engineers, photographers, etc.) So the iPad will never totally replace the legacy "laptop." Think back to Steve Jobs' trucks vs. cars analogy.
MacRumors story: https://www.macrumors.com/2012/02/04/arm-based-macbook-air-unlikely-based-on-analyst-talk-with-tim-cook/
But a physical keyboard doesn't require a smoking-hot Intel CPU to keep up with your keystrokes.
Does it?
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You can a buy a Mac in any country in the world if you really want to.
The rest of the world all have 16MB ADSL for £15/mo do they?? LMAO
If people prefer to pay for mobile broadband then they're not going to stream or download HD freaking movies are they which means they'll keep buying disks instead which was my freaking point in the first place.
Then somebody should take away their optical drive to teach them that you can have fixed internet access and watch four movies for the price of two DVDs.
Yes, they do have similar offerings in North America and across Europe. And if you knew what they have in the parts of Asia where people can afford MBPs, it'd make people with 100MBit/s cable blush.
North Africa and the Middle East engages in censorship, so you're likely to watch your stuff online anyways instead of buying DVDs.
Not to mention that an USB SuperDrive is available if you can't live without it. Rip your movies at home if you want to watch them on the go, the Audio/Video subforum will surely assist you with that.
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I don't understand why people looking for an MBA and a retina display would not just get the rMBP, the 13" model baseline is 1,500 a 13" MBA is what 1,200? So for $300 more you can purchase significantly light portable laptop with an amazing display, granted not as light as the MBA but still not heavy by any means especially compared to a normal MBP.
I will be happy to see the cMBPs continued for another year. With that being said, I would like to see the 13" feature an NVIDIA card alongside the newest Intel HD graphics. I won't be buying it but it would be a nice addition considering they are ridiculously overpriced currently.
What would make me buy the cMBP 15" over the retina would be:
1) Same graphics card with at least 1gb of VRAM (Same meaning as the one on the next-gen rMBP)
2) 7,200 RPM drive. Honestly, 5,400 is way outdated and it is ridiculous a premium laptop is using it.
3) 8gb RAM standard. 4gb is simply too little for OS X.
4) The higher resolution screen as a standard. Still offer glossy/matte options.
and
5) Put in another USB port and put in an HDMI port.
What would make me buy the cMBP 15" over the retina would be:
1) Same graphics card with at least 1gb of VRAM (Same meaning as the one on the next-gen rMBP)
2) 7,200 RPM drive. Honestly, 5,400 is way outdated and it is ridiculous a premium laptop is using it.
3) 8gb RAM standard. 4gb is simply too little for OS X.
4) The higher resolution screen as a standard. Still offer glossy/matte options.
and
5) Put in another USB port and put in an HDMI port.
I would vote for that line up except that I would cut Airs prices, $999 for an 11 inch is a robbery in my opinion. Thus I would either price the 13 MBA at 999 or put the 13 cMBP (called MacBook) as the entry level 13" for everyone. Although I think it's about time they make Airs cheaper.
To anyone who wishes Apple would discontinue cMBPs so that Retina prices go down... keep dreaming.
If Apple were to drop the cMBPs (which doesnt make sense since they make good money on the 13) they wouldnt drop the Retinas prices unless they could keep their current margins. And I think that will take them another year or so.
Because they want to watch DVDs on such laptops, and do not yet want to pay to move their libraries to digital only.
Yes you're correct but I'm not sure you understand how marketing works in the tech industry. Tech companies create the demand not the consumers. There was no demand for tablets before the iPad. There was no demand for HD TVs before the industry launched HD TVs. Tech companies create new technologies and new products and people see them and want them.
I wonder how many people are still sitting at home watching their old SD TVs versus how many people went out and bought a new HD TV even though they didn't actually need a new TV. Apple have been masters at creating demand for products that didn't previously exist and nobody was asking for beforehand.
I don't see the adoption of 4K being any different unless it doesn't capture the imagination of the public like 3D hasn't so far.
Even if technically possible, a rMBA seems highly unlikely at this stage for the simple reason that it would seriously affect the sales of the rMBP. A price drop or some slight improvements would be enough to keep customers with smaller budgets without affecting the sales of the pro line.
Likewise, I imagine upgradeable laptops are less appealing to apple, who'd rather see their customers upgrade more often their whole computer. Once the retina prices have dropped enough (third gen probably), only people left complaining will be customers wanting optical drives (how often do you use CDs on the go? a superdrive at home or work is fine) and upgradeability.
Likewise, I imagine upgradeable laptops are less appealing to apple, who'd rather see their customers upgrade more often their whole computer. Once the retina prices have dropped enough (third gen probably), only people left complaining will be customers wanting optical drives (how often do you use CDs on the go? a superdrive at home or work is fine) and upgradeability.
I personally do not need retina on a 13" if there is no more screen real estate in terms of actual screen resolution. Neither do I want to pay more for less HD (or lack of) storage.
It appears that market share agrees with me.
Before we launch back into the 'size' issue, remind ourselves just how small the rMBP actually is over the MBP. A bit like choosing which Supermodel you would prefer to date... The skinny one or the really skinny one.
Seriously, If I wanted a thin and cheaper MB, I (and others) would stick with the MBA.
I prefer the optical drive as I travel to countries and areas that do not have a Starbucks offering WIFI... But what do I know, I am only the consumer.
It appears that market share agrees with me.
Before we launch back into the 'size' issue, remind ourselves just how small the rMBP actually is over the MBP. A bit like choosing which Supermodel you would prefer to date... The skinny one or the really skinny one.
Seriously, If I wanted a thin and cheaper MB, I (and others) would stick with the MBA.
I prefer the optical drive as I travel to countries and areas that do not have a Starbucks offering WIFI... But what do I know, I am only the consumer.
I'm surprised they aren't doing an optical drive free MBP with (optional) SSD. Something that is for people who want more power than a MBA but doesn't need a retina screen or optical drive but also want the slimmer profile.
You can still get your bulky MBP with an optical disk... just hurry up.
Now, serious... It still sells very well because it's a lot cheaper and people don't get the difference between an SSD and a hard-drive, not because there's an old optical disk.
If the rMBP would cost the same as the MBP, people would dump it for the thinner retina version in a second.
Would it be a bad idea to keep only the 13inch mbp and rebrand it MacBook? Maybe that's a step backward.
This thread is derailing fast. WTF happened to this site? Used to be such a nice place...
