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NVIDIA Powered MacBooks on October 14th?

A full featured noteboook for $1000

I am looking for the Macbook pricing scheme to match up better with the pc competition.

Hoping for a reasonable processor, 5hr battery life (like my ibook), a super drive, 200GB hard disk, 2GB RAM for $999 or lower. MAcbooks need a 15% price drop that would be a game changer.
 
Digital Skunk said:
These prices are more reasonable. We may all want the prices to drop significantly, but don't count on it if Apple does do a major redesign. People are buying Apple laptops in droves, why lower the price for them?
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I concur, except regarding the MacBook Air.

In fact, I am wondering if they haven't already lowered the Air's price in a sort-of, sneaky way.

The Air appeared on Apple's refurbished stores around the world some time ago and (as far as I know) has been available there ever since. Day after day, week after week, at a US price of 1499$. And I have never seen the basic configuration with conventional HD having run out. And, mind you, this despite them coming with built-in localized keyboards! I doubt whether all these units are "refurbished" at all. I wouldn't be astonished if Apple sold brand-new units in a price-discriminating way there, until the release of a sucessive model. If I am wrong, well then... the Air cannot be selling that well, can it? So that'd be another good reason to drop its price... And, compared to Apples other notebooks, the MBA also shouldn't be that more expensive to manufacture. Another possibility of course would be eliminating the conventional HD configuration and moving to SSD altogether, selling at about current prices. This should however make the product far less appealing as customers should have been rather underwhelmed by SSD technology so far.
 
AppliedMicro said:
....
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I have been keeping an eye on that as well. Very surprising to me and my fiancee (who wants one badly) indeed. Once we hit certain financial goals, we want to grab one up either the current model or a new/updated one.

The thing I see happening with the Air deals with Intel's chip not being a special order, and SSD tech coming down in price, along with that 1.8" SATA drive that was introduced months ago.

A faster Monteniva based Air is what I really hope for, no new ports, no more USBs or FW or 3G/EVDO or anything, just a speed bump via the CPU, GPU, and HDD. I wish for a $100 price drop but I am not holding my breath.

If the update isn't as amazing, then I will do the usual and buy refurbished, possible a 1.8/80 model. I do think the Air is selling well. It's a very nice light fully useable notebook that makes this TZ lover scratch his head and have a hard time deciding which one.

As for it being closely related to a netbook..... it's just not. Even the hybrid books that are just netbooks with big screens aren't that close to the Air, they are more the bridge machines with the Air and TZ at the top.

I love carrying around my 17" MBP and it does fit anywhere I need it, but I wouldn't mind having a smaller lighter notebook to toss around here and there for writing, note taking, meetings, etc. An Air is too much (especially since the fiancee will already have one) so I either take her old 12" with dim screen, or I grab a Dell Mini 9 for $350 or splurge and get that new Asus (a netbook with big screen)
 
I don't want an Air or a netbook I wan't a companion for my touch and tablet pro. Jonathan Ive wants a tablet too since his name is on the patent. So what is the hold up?

:sighs: I may have to just settle for one of those new shiny mbs
 
Adamo said:
Don't you realise saying "FACT" after everything doesn't make it so? It just makes you look like a massive prat, stop doing it.
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Fair enough, point taken-I think I got a little carried away, I just get so frustrated with some peoples posts!

I still stand by my point, that the MacBook Pro and Macbook will stay different lines- I mean, look historically: has Apple ever done anything similar? No. Instead they diversify their product portfolio, because unifying two seperate lines doesn' make any sense.

And the same thing with the Air-the reality is, the Air is a premium product, with expensive parts, that Apple has spent a huge amount of time developing, tooling for production, advertising etc. And until they recoup a great deal of that cost and reach saturation at the current price point, it just wouldn't make sound economic sense.

That's what I was trying to say, so I apologise to everyone if it sounded juvenile. :)
 
zambia1989 said:
I still stand by my point, that the MacBook Pro and Macbook will stay different lines-
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The MacBook could become an "MacBook Pro" or MacBook "Pro" could become 16" and 18" MacBooks (with all the "pro" stuff). It makes no sense to not unify them.
 
I think the mba will become the entry level notebook for Apple. All those rumors about the Macbook looking like an mba and having keys like the mba. Hmmm that would be one hell of a price drop but it is possible.
 
puffnstuff said:
I think the mba will become the entry level notebook for Apple. All those rumors about the Macbook looking like an mba and having keys like the mba. Hmmm that would be one hell of a price drop but it is possible.
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I think the MacBook Air would still stay where it is and the market it is designed for (maybe for $1499 now).

The MacBook, on the other hand, has great potential and might be even considered: "MacBook Pro" (if the name change to MacBook Pro does not occur and the MacBook Pros get unified with the MacBook in name).
 
puffnstuff said:
I think the mba will become the entry level notebook for Apple. All those rumors about the Macbook looking like an mba and having keys like the mba. Hmmm that would be one hell of a price drop but it is possible.
Click to expand...

So you think that Apple will reverse its current standings? Why would they backtrack so much?

This will not happen-because in order to maintain their current growth and to grow further, Apple need a competitive entry level laptop that caters to all needs-and college and university students need a comprehensive entry level machine with an optical drive, multiple connections etc. The new MacBook updates will simply be an upgrade, both physical and performance-wise.

Expect the updates to be similar in essence as the iPod updates-the same ideas, new looks, better performance, and crucially, CHEAPER-although not by nearly as much as some people on these forums are suggesting.

I think that the screen sizes will change, as some people have said, to a 14 inch MacBook (same footprint, smaller bezel, LED screen), and a 16.4 inch and 18 inch Macbook pro. I think the Air will stay exactly the same except in terms of performance-after all, its still pretty new in aesthetic terms. New chicklet keyboards across the whole ranges( although not all backlit), larger multi-touch trackpads etc. will all be incorporated into each line.

And I'm willing to wager it will happen by the end of October.
 
zambia1989 said:
I think that the screen sizes will change, as some people have said, to a 14 inch MacBook (same footprint, smaller bezel, LED screen), and a 16.4 inch and 18 inch Macbook pro.
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I see that you also agree of the switch to 16:9 ratio. Do you have a preference (16:9 or 16:10) or you do not care about that?
 
Adamo said:
No, no it wasn't. It may have been the number one seller at a specific time on the Mac part of the store, but not the Apple Store. Unless, of course, you want to try telling everyone it outsold the iPod range for months? Haw haw.
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kk fine you know what i mean -_-
Just the mac part

NT1440 said:
epic triple post jojo :D

I have to agree. For your average user, an AIR that doesnt have any core shutdown problems will do what most consumers do with their computers. Thats also known as surfin the web.

It is NOT a computer for those who do video editing, photoshop, that kind of stuff.
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lol
 
kabunaru said:
I see that you also agree of the switch to 16:9 ratio. Do you have a preference (16:9 or 16:10) or you do not care about that?
Click to expand...

I don't personally have a preference (although I saw the new Sony FW series 16:9 screen and it is sweet) but I do think that that screen format will soon become the norm in the same way as HD will become the standard for TVs etc.

Also it ties in with Apples long term aim of being a HD video content provider-they always optimise their hardware and software to work together-they want people watching their iTunes movies on their laptops-so why not give them a screen best to do that?
 
Adamo said:
Sounds like you should stick with your iBook then!
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These aren't unreasonab;e requests, and completely inline with current costs on these components and whats in spec today. I hope Apple is a lot more agressive about price.

So 15% drop on today's midrange whitebook puts is at $1100. Are you telling me $1k isn't possible?

I went to bestbuy.com and found this similar to macbook laptop a Vaio: http://www.igodigital.com/bestbuysstv2/pProduct.aspx?RetailerGroupID=518&RetailerProductID=253748

MacBook Specs:
13.3 inch screen
2.4 core duo
2GB RAM
160GB 5400 RPM SATA Drive
x3100 Graphics
Superdrive
$1299

Vaio Specs
14.1 inch screen
2.0 core duo
2GB RAM
250GB 5400 RPM SATA Disk Drive
x3100 Graphics
Superdrive
Windows Vista Home Premium
Price $899

So Apple really couldn't put up something like
13.3 inch screen
2.4 core duo
2GB RAM
2000GB 5400 RPM SATA Drive
TBDGraphics
Superdrive
$999

I think this is highly plausible. And Sony doesn't really like to play in the no-margin space, and i am sure they are not able to negotiate Apple's volume discounts......
 
wider screens would be great and make blu-ray possible in future models. the exact ratio doesn't really matter to me. i am on the wagon for nvidia dedicated graphics. i also am for the centrino 2 processor and that brings up this question: what speeds do you expect on the macbook processors? i am thinking 2.4 and 2.6: any thoughts?
 
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