Production of New Thunderbolt-Equipped MacBook Airs Set for Next Month?

[KPOM]

Been waiting to get one for a while now.

I do hope that the backlit keyboard comes to the 11.5 inch.

Bummed about Intel's graphics. I was hoping in some kind of settlement.

There was a settlement. Intel gave NVIDIA $1.5 billion to go away. Unfortunately, that means Intel integrated graphics for the foreseeable future.

 

[cirus]

This may have been asked and answered before, but is the common belief that USB and Firewire will be completely gone soon? For example, my Macbook Air has room for only two ports - a mini-display drive, and a USB drive. Is the idea that the Thunderbolt drive will replace the USB, and that purchasers of the new Air will use an adapter of some sort for "old" USB peripherals moving forward?

I don't think so. It would kinda destroy the purpose of an ultraportable if you have to carry an adapter around. The minidisplay will be replaced by thunderbolt instead. USB is still used a lot (currently) so it would be like shooting yourself in the foot to remove it (printers, USB memory keys, mice, etc.)

 

[blackpond]

Sounds great!

Maybe we'll see a new Mini with Thunderbolt and an SSD option during the same time frame!

One can hope...

 

[Marx55]

Apple should produce a really light and small MacBook Air: 400 to 600 g and 7-inches. The Mac in your pocket. Always.

 

[tigres]

I personally could care less about this upgrade. I have have been more than satisfied with my ultimate 13" w/4g and 256 SSD. Handles all of my needs I.E. work/VMware/ all the other bells and whistles; and even have been doing my Xcode projects on it.

Seriously, I see no need or reason to want a faster more reliable machine for it's purpose; other than saying it's got an older chip inside. Maybe next year when many thunderbolt devices are in the wild, but again no biggie for me.

I may be in the minority, but for once I am very satisfied with this revision over my old Rev B.

To each his own I suppose.

 

[parapup]

AMD Fusion w/RadeonHD 6xxx and Price drop to $799 for the 11" and $899 for 13.3" - now that would send the sales skyrocketing.

 

[LarryC]

SSDs still need to get cheaper before I plunk down money on a MBA. The capacities need to increase too. Ah..maybe a few years from now.

Exactly.

 

[zombierunner]

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I dont get it .... Why is every device other than the iMac getting these rumours ..... Hardly anything about iMacs since that Brian tong rumour ... Pfft

 

[cube]

AMD Fusion w/RadeonHD 6xxx and Price drop to $799 for the 11" and $899 for 13.3" - now that would send the sales skyrocketing.

Hmm... Mobile quad core @ 45W. When are the mobile dual core coming out?

 

[SilianRail]

Thinking of getting this for my mom. The top of her needs are 1080p YouTube videos, will they run smoothly?

 

[mwayne85]

AMD Fusion w/RadeonHD 6xxx and Price drop to $799 for the 11" and $899 for 13.3" - now that would send the sales skyrocketing.

$899 for the 13? A $400 price drop is a bit of stretch, don't you think?

 

[LarryC]

Err... and how is that relevant? I'm sure Blu-Ray will live on in other notebooks, but Apple's? Unlikely.

There were 100GB BDXL when Apple refreshed the MacBook Pro's this year.

Maybe when Steve Jobs is gone for good then Apple can finally have Blu-Ray and a laptop with a right-click mouse.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

Every time I get ready to pull the trigger on the 11' something holds me back

I don't really need one but I sure want one

My wife and I each have a Refurb 11" MBA 4GB 64 SSD, and we are so in love with them, We each have a OWC 360 GB SSd awaiting the release of LION, we are each replacing 2007 /2008 BMB's, and each adding a 27" ACD when tethered. Wicked machines, make my /our BMB's look like model "T"'s

 

[parapup]

$899 for the 13? A $400 price drop is a bit of stretch, don't you think?

For rotary hd, base version - may be $200 more for the 13.3 with SSD.

 

[LarryC]

Sounds great!

Maybe we'll see a new Mini with Thunderbolt and an SSD option during the same time frame!

One can hope...

I thought that the biggest benefit of the mini was its low price. Stick an SSD in there and that will be gone.

 

[cube]

Hmm... Mobile quad core @ 45W. When are the mobile dual core coming out?

10W and 17W look very far away.

 

[Thor74]

I personally could care less about this upgrade. I have have been more than satisfied with my ultimate 13" w/4g and 256 SSD. Handles all of my needs I.E. work/VMware/ all the other bells and whistles; and even have been doing my Xcode projects on it.

Seriously, I see no need or reason to want a faster more reliable machine for it's purpose; other than saying it's got an older chip inside. Maybe next year when many thunderbolt devices are in the wild, but again no biggie for me.

I may be in the minority, but for once I am very satisfied with this revision over my old Rev B.

To each his own I suppose.

My exact sentiments. Although a backlit keyboard would be momentarily tempting, I'll probably wait to upgrade my 13" macbook air until 2012.

 

[Funkymonk]

would be sweet if they lowered the price.

 

[bobob]

SSDs still need to get cheaper before I plunk down money on a MBA. The capacities need to increase too. Ah..maybe a few years from now.

Now is already a few years from then.

 

[Tsurisuto]

Sounds great!

Maybe we'll see a new Mini with Thunderbolt and an SSD option during the same time frame!

One can hope...

From your lips to Steve Jobs' ears!

 

[Cheffy Dave]

Because part of releasing a new, backwards approaching, IGP in the 13" MBP required saving face for both its MacBook "PRO" name and Intel's IGP capabilities itself.

If the resolution is upgraded to 1440x900, the IGP is going to perform worse in comparison to the prior 13" MBP...

I also fear Apple's ridiculous 10.6.7 downgrade was somehow to show the MBA's IGP isn't as bad as it is going to be with SB IGP. Look at OpenGL performance on it, as it dropped 30% from 10.6.6. Now, we have seen Apple screw these things up before, but they also market their new products based upon prior products and list an OS X version tested on the prior gen. If they reverse course with 10.6.8 or 10.7, in the new MBA, then they might show only a 20% loss in IGP performance vs. the prior Nvidia 320m... when in reality, it might be more like a 50% plus loss in performance.

The big thing here, that NOBODY likes to think about is the 13" MBP uses a standard voltage CPU, while the MBA will use either ULV and LV or just ULV depending on who we believe. The ULV SB IGP operates at a greater than 50% loss than the Nvidia 320m. We can see this from competing products, that yes are running Windows but still have better OpenGL capabilities in the first place.

I think the big advantage to this downgrade will be buying clearance and refurbished Nvidia-based MBAs for 25% discounts... Unless Apple somehow fits a standard voltage SB CPU in the 13" MBA, I think most will be better off with C2D and Nvidia 320m at discounts.

Apple has been down the path of using a low voltage Intel CPU and IGP in the MBA before, and it was the worst Mac created since the Intel transition. It wasn't until Nvidia 9400m that the MBA became even usable. Yes, the SB IGP is better than prior Intel IGPs, but it's still utterly disappointing in LV/ULV variants. I guess the smart buyers will be buying clearance MBAs with Nvidia 320m and skip Sandy Bridge for a more reliable Ivy Bridge model. It depends on how each person uses the MBA, but I believe the vast majority are much better off with Nvidia and C2D. I just hope Apple doesn't destroy the MBA brand to try to make Intel's inferior IGP work... especially in LV and ULV variants.

I heartly concur, which is why my wife and I jumped on two 11" MBA refurbs now. I don't care for any Intel graphics. As wild as you are for the 13" MBA we are for the 11'MBA. I agree the sweet spot, at least until 2012 will be the 2010 MBA. We have gone minimalist and are thrilled

 

[Cheffy Dave]

You have been pretty much dead on in the past HH so I shall yield to your wisdom. (I just downed another shot of that cheap canadian swill I've been drinking in your name).

never go with swill, always go with Makers Mark, or better yet Makers Mark "42"

 

[angrylawyer]

As long as it doesnt shudder with the OS X animations and it plays 1080p smoothly, why does it matter? Do people really game on an Air?

I play simple games like portal and amnesia on it, and even those will get mine quite toasty.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

AMD Fusion w/RadeonHD 6xxx and Price drop to $799 for the 11" and $899 for 13.3" - now that would send the sales skyrocketing.

What do you think of those specs Scottsdale ol friend?

 

[phpmaven]

Well its well known with Apple hardware to never buy the first generation of any new platform. The current MBA were a significant enough change from the previous to be known as a gen 1 all over again. Especially when we knew SB was around the corner. Still they are great as is.

It's also well known that that kind of thinking is complete nonsense. If I thought that way, I never would have bought:

iPad 1
iPad 2
iPhone 4
Apple TV 2

To name a few.
Those are all great products that I'm enjoying trouble free thank you.

If everybody thought like that, Apple would cease to exist.