opinions re rumored mba update

[tim100]

recent 13 mbp how do you feel about the rumored new mba? do you wish you held off on your purchase until the rumored september mba announcement?

what similarities/difference will it share with the 13 mbp

1) will it continue to be 13 inch
2) will it have a c2d, i ulv, or something else
3) will it get glass over the screen
4) will it have 10 hr battery

i would assume it will be lighter and not have an optical drive, cant tell you the last time i used an optical drive.

rumors are the price will be lower.

 

[saxon48]

I'm feeling they'll make an 11.x" model, which in turn will be much lighter than the 13" one.

Wrong place for this thread, BTW.

 

[tim100]

I'm feeling they'll make an 11.x" model, which in turn will be much lighter than the 13" one.

Wrong place for this thread, BTW.

i want to know what pro users think. its funny i would never consider a white macbook but i have some interest in the macbook air. i guess because its so thin. i started with powerbook and have continued with macbook pro. the air may be my first non-pro notebook, dont know.

i think a better macbook air will eat into the 13 macbook pro. i would not consider the current air its stuck with 2 gigs of ram, no glass track pad and low battery life. if apple increases the ram and battery life at the same or close in price to the pro, why not go air?

 

[Corndog5595]

Its a light, expensive machine. I’d much rather have a 15” mbp. What’s 5 pounds anyway?

 

[saxon48]

i want to know what pro users think. its funny i would never consider a white macbook but i have some interest in the macbook air. i guess because its so thin. i started with powerbook and have continued with macbook pro. the air may be my first non-pro notebook, dont know.

It will be interesting to see, especially if they offer an 11" model, how many people will choose a refreshed MBA. It's amazingly light, and knowing Apple, it can only get more so.

Personally, I'm sticking with my MBP because I use my optical drive quite often.

 

[tim100]

It will be interesting to see, especially if they offer an 11" model, how many people will choose a refreshed MBA. It's amazingly light, and knowing Apple, it can only get more so.

Personally, I'm sticking with my MBP because I use my optical drive quite often.

i think some 13 pro users may opt for the air over the pro if the specs are close. 15/17 probably will not care.

 

[gwsat]

I have wanted an updated MBA for a long time. Nevertheless, I didn't vote in the poll because whether I decide to buy an MBA instead of another MBP will be determined by what the new MBA's features turn out to be. At this stage of the game that is an imponderable. Despite all our speculation around here and what we hope happens, we can't know what the future MBA will look like until Apple rolls it out. Ask me the poll questions again after than happens and we can talk.🙂

 

[tim100]

I have wanted an updated MBA for a long time. Nevertheless, I didn't vote in the poll because whether I decide to buy an MBA instead of another MBP will be determined by what the new MBA's features turn out to be. At this stage of the game that is an imponderable. Despite all our speculation around here and what we hope happens, we can't know what the future MBA will look like until Apple rolls it out. Ask me the poll questions again after than happens and we can talk.🙂

thats the thing its hard to figure out where the new air fits in with the product line-up. when the air was released it was a high end, new unibody design, and thinner than anything on the market. now the mbp are made the same way with better specs, the air is just thinner. so will the air just be a thin mbp 13 how does it fit in between the ipad and 13 mbp? should people who are looking to buy 13 mbp wait to see whats announced in sept before they buy?

 

[iPagan]

USB 3 Support

I want USB 3 support on the MBP, if there's a refresh. What are the chances?

 

[tim100]

i would not buy a mb or mbp 13 inch if the mba had decent specs. look at it now 2 gigs of ram, no glass track pad, c2d processor, no real update on the air ever.

i can see the interest in a collage student for a 13 mbp/mb but for me i have multiple macs and like a small notebook to use on the couch, outside, and on the move. so why not go thinner if its close in specs and price? the air is a bad buy now because apple has not updated it.

ipad factor: its not a notebook. it can be used for the above uses but is just not as good as a full notebook with a keyboard.

 

[LedCop]

i would not buy a mb or mbp 13 inch if the mba had decent specs. look at it now 2 gigs of ram, no glass track pad, c2d processor, no real update on the air ever.

i can see the interest in a collage student for a 13 mbp/mb but for me i have multiple macs and like a small notebook to use on the couch, outside, and on the move. so why not go thinner if its close in specs and price? the air is a bad buy now because apple has not updated it.

ipad factor: its not a notebook. it can be used for the above uses but is just not as good as a full notebook with a keyboard.

The Air will probably get a 4GB upgrade but I'm doubtful about the glass trackpad and Core processor.

The problem with the current Air, at least for me, is that it's NOT close in specs and price. I'd have to pay quite a bit more and lose a USB port, a firewire port, ethernet port, quicker processor, hard disk space, RAM, and upgradeability of RAM and hard disk, all of which I use and appreciate. Even with the impending update I don't see any of that changing except for the RAM which will probably match the MBPs. But even at the same price you're getting less for the money. And if you'll probably be stuck at 4GBs while MBP users can move up to 8GB down the road.

I really do appreciate the light weight (not so much the thinness) and if I really had no problems splurging I'd get the Air as a second notebook. Btw, I'd prefer a 17" on the couch, but that's my preference.

I want USB 3 support on the MBP, if there's a refresh. What are the chances?

I'd guess close to none. 🙁 Intel won't be including it in their chipsets until perhaps 2012 so Apple would have to install a third-party, additional, chip to provide the functionality which I just don't see them doing. And heck, Apple has less of an incentive to do so compared to PC makers since they have firewire and you still don't see many PC makers including it yet. Add to that the assumption that Apple wants to have their competing Light Peak connection standard widespread in the future...

 

[gwsat]

i would not buy a mb or mbp 13 inch if the mba had decent specs. look at it now 2 gigs of ram, no glass track pad, c2d processor, no real update on the air ever.

i can see the interest in a collage student for a 13 mbp/mb but for me i have multiple macs and like a small notebook to use on the couch, outside, and on the move. so why not go thinner if its close in specs and price? the air is a bad buy now because apple has not updated it.

ipad factor: its not a notebook. it can be used for the above uses but is just not as good as a full notebook with a keyboard.

I think you are right on all counts. The current MBA is obsolescent and getting worse every day. Despite its gorgeously small and thin form factor and ultra lightweight the 13 inch MBP is much more powerful than the MBA out of the box and the MBP, unlike the MBA, can be easily upgraded with up to 8Gb of RAM and an SSD. The downside to the 13 inch MBP is that, at 4.5 pounds, it weighs 50 percent more than the MBA. I keep getting back to the same dreary truth: in the laptop world, there are so many compromises involved that whichever one you choose will be beset with almost as many weaknesses as the ones you passed over. In short, there is no free lunch.

I have an iPad and agree with you about its limitations. While the iPad is very good at a few things it falls far short of being a satisfactory substitute for a real computer, even the MBA.

 

[LisaMaree]

It will have built-in 3G card, a la iPad but with different pricing structure. Mark my words!

 

[gwsat]

It will have built-in 3G card, a la iPad but with different pricing structure. Mark my words!

Maybe so, maybe not. Apple takes internal security more seriously than any organization short of the White House I know anything about. The sad fact is that we won't know what the MBA update will be, or even if it will be, until Apple rolls out that update. Anybody who accurately predicts which improvements any refreshed Apple product would have does so based on luck, not foreknowledge.

 

[tim100]

I think you are right on all counts. The current MBA is obsolescent and getting worse every day. Despite its gorgeously small and thin form factor and ultra lightweight the 13 inch MBP is much more powerful than the MBA out of the box and the MBP, unlike the MBA, can be easily upgraded with up to 8Gb of RAM and an SSD. The downside to the 13 inch MBP is that, at 4.5 pounds, it weighs 50 percent more than the MBA. I keep getting back to the same dreary truth: in the laptop world, there are so many compromises involved that whichever one you choose will be beset with almost as many weaknesses as the ones you passed over. In short, there is no free lunch.

I have an iPad and agree with you about its limitations. While the iPad is very good at a few things it falls far short of being a satisfactory substitute for a real computer, even the MBA.

i hope the rumors are true and a new air is released

 

[DVD9]

I'm feeling they'll make an 11.x" model, which in turn will be much lighter than the 13" one.

I think this is likely since it is not in anyway an innovation, and after seeing the latest "refresh" of the MBP line it is apparent to all but the koolaid guzzlers that Apple is a gadget company.

11" is a big phone, not a laptop.

The Sony Z already blows away the MBA in every conceivable area except thinness. The weight is virtually identical. The Air has netbook output while the Z can run with desktops.

Apple is no longer capable of dealing in this neighborhood.

--

 

[tim100]

I think this is likely since it is not in anyway an innovation, and after seeing the latest "refresh" of the MBP line it is apparent to all but the koolaid guzzlers that Apple is a gadget company.

11" is a big phone, not a laptop.

The Sony Z already blows away the MBA in every conceivable area except thinness. The weight is virtually identical. The Air has netbook output while the Z can run with desktops.

Apple is no longer capable of dealing in this neighborhood.

--

i think alot of people are picking 15/17 over 13 due to the i processors. i am not sure if the i processor are that much better than c2d in every day computing but i see alot more people saying they have a 15. maybe an updated air will change that.

 

[entatlrg]

I think this is likely since it is not in anyway an innovation, and after seeing the latest "refresh" of the MBP line it is apparent to all but the koolaid guzzlers that Apple is a gadget company.

11" is a big phone, not a laptop.

The Sony Z already blows away the MBA in every conceivable area except thinness. The weight is virtually identical. The Air has netbook output while the Z can run with desktops.

Apple is no longer capable of dealing in this neighborhood.

--

The Sony Z sucks in so many ways, take it from someone who's owned a few of them.

For everyday computing C2D or i processors don't show a very noticeable difference in speed, if any. SSD and increasing ram is far more noticeable.

There's lots of (cool) 11" notebooks on the market, if Apple does it they'll do it right.

Tim - With the recent rumor about an MBA update I think the way to go is an MBA and either a 15" or 17" MBP. The MBA for on the go anywhere computing and the MBP as a portable desktop replacement.

That's what I'm gearing up for ... this week my 13" MBP will go to my warehouse manager, I'm going to pick up a new 15" MBP and wait/hope for a Aug/Sept update to the MBA.

I just finished taking all my data from my 13" and I repossessed my MacBook Air from my wife 😀, since she prefers her 15" MBP the most.

Looking forward to my future set up - 15" MBP with ACD and 2010 MacBook Air!

From my experience with the 13" MacBook Pro I think for some it is the perfect 'all in one' notebook, meaning small enough to be very portable and big enough to do serious work.

For others the 13" MBP may seem like a 'compromise' computer, it's small but not light enough to be considered a real ultra portable, it and on the other end it's capable of heavy work, but many feel you need at least a 15" screen to do that. As I try out different computer set up's I'm leaning a little towards the second category and that's why I'm going to try out the 15" MBP / MBA set up.

 

[Xombie11]

11" is a big phone, not a laptop.

--

Have you ever heard of a netbook?

 

[tim100]

The Sony Z sucks in so many ways, take it from someone who's owned a few of them.

For everyday computing C2D or i processors don't show a very noticeable difference in speed, if any. SSD and increasing ram is far more noticeable.

There's lots of (cool) 11" notebooks on the market, if Apple does it they'll do it right.

Tim - With the recent rumor about an MBA update I think the way to go is an MBA and either a 15" or 17" MBP. The MBA for on the go anywhere computing and the MBP as a portable desktop replacement.

That's what I'm gearing up for ... this week my 13" MBP will go to my warehouse manager, I'm going to pick up a new 15" MBP and wait/hope for a Aug/Sept update to the MBA.

I just finished taking all my data from my 13" and I repossessed my MacBook Air from my wife 😀, since she prefers her 15" MBP the most.

Looking forward to my future set up - 15" MBP with ACD and 2010 MacBook Air!

From my experience with the 13" MacBook Pro I think for some it is the perfect 'all in one' notebook, meaning small enough to be very portable and big enough to do serious work.

For others the 13" MBP may seem like a 'compromise' computer, it's small but not light enough to be considered a real ultra portable, it and on the other end it's capable of heavy work, but many feel you need at least a 15" screen to do that. As I try out different computer set up's I'm leaning a little towards the second category and that's why I'm going to try out the 15" MBP / MBA set up.

which 15 are you looking at? how about a 17?

 

[entatlrg]

I'm totally undecided, still considering a 17" and not sure whether to go with hi-res and/or AG screen.

I need to make a trip to the Apple Store.

 

[Eric5273]

My last computer was a MBA first gen, and I just bought a new MBP 13". I definitely prefer having the most portable machine, but battery life is surely just as important as weight if you want to avoid having to carry around your power adapter all the time. The new MBP allows me to leave the adapter at home most of the time because of the much longer battery life.

For me, the perfect machine would be something with a smaller screen (11" would be fine), without an internal DVD drive, and even one USB port would be fine. But I dislike where the USB is located on the MBA. I would prefer a regular port like on the MBP. And I want the good battery life of the MBP.

So maybe keep the thickness of the MBP, but shrink the footprint to an 11" screen, and use the space from losing the DVD drive to keep the larger battery. Then the weight would be around 3 lbs, but they could keep the higher specs of the MBP. That would be the perfect computer for me. But as I just bought a new MBP, I won't be getting a new one for at least a couple of years.

 

[DVD9]

Have you ever heard of a netbook?

Yes. They look and feel like something that is a free prize inside a box of Lucky Charms cereal.

13" is a small screen for a laptop. Anything smaller is a big phone or a kids toy.
--

 

[tim100]

I'm totally undecided, still considering a 17" and not sure whether to go with hi-res and/or AG screen.

I need to make a trip to the Apple Store.

i would go 17 over 15. 15 is my least favorite of all the mbp sizes

 

[gwsat]

Yes. They [netbooks] look and feel like something that is a free prize inside a box of Lucky Charms cereal.

13" is a small screen for a laptop. Anything smaller is a big phone or a kids toy.
--

I, too, am underwhelmed by netbooks and would never, ever buy one, although I do have an iPad. The iPad, while being very good at a few things is far too limited to serve as a satisfactory substitute for a real computer.

Screen size is always a tradeoff between ease of viewing and portability. How much screen shrinkage a user is willing to live with will, of course, be governed by how often he has to use his computer in on-the-go situations. The old 12 inch Powerbook was very popular in its day, although I have had no first hand experience with it. I agree that anything smaller than 12 inches would be getting small indeed, by the standards of real computers anyway.