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Refresh of 15" and 17" but not of 13" -- is it possible?
- Thread starter CopperX
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I honestly don't see that happening, the Core 2 Duo's are aging, if anything the 13" is in the most need of an update. I am waiting for new releases anyways before I buy a pro, I can wait, more time to save up to get even better extras.
Concur.
I see the 13" Air as the only 13" laptop Apple produces down the road. The MacBook gets dumped....makes sense from a manufacturing standpoint (only 1 13" model to build and support).
Low end is the 11" air.
13" air is next
Then the 15" and 17" models for a "workhorse" mobile solution.
I highly doubt that. Since its introduction, the 13" MBP has been their most popular laptop. It would be a really bad business decision to dump it before a 13" air with better specs and storage can be had for a similar price.
Also, that's rather unlikely that they would leave it alone, it's more in need of an update than the others are, so it should be more of a priority.
The 13" MBP is Apple's gateway drug into the Pro lineup. Audio and video hobbyist's and part time professionals, and even full time professionals that want a very portable laptop look to the 13" MBP. They need firewire. They don't need a knock-em-dead CPU onboard because they either make do with what's in it or they have something faster on their desktop.
I'm sure a lot of people that start with a 13" end up wanting a 15" with more horsepower in a year or too. I'm one of those people.
If the 13" MBP never existed, I'd probably still be using PCs today(and pulling more of my hair out). I needed a laptop last year that ran Pro Tools seamlessly. I needed firewire for my audio interface and audio drive. The White MacBook would not do, no firewire. The iMac would not do, it's not a laptop. Even if I decided to to it this year, the MBA would not have worked either, as it again has no firewire, and the processor is too barebones to run any decent sized audio sessions without choking. The 2.4Ghz is about the minimum for that stuff.
I know my case doesn't prove that the 13" will stay, I'm just pointing out that it's a terrific gateway for multimedia folks like myself that are sick of junky PC laptops, want into the Mac world, but don't want to drop 2 grand to try out a new OS and platform.
While I'm not fond of the idea that Apple would eliminate the 13", given their track record, they do have a history of eliminating/consolidating models in order to save a few bucks...like I said, having only one 13" model in their entire lineup makes sense, especially if they were to mark down a fully loaded 13" air to the base price of a 13" MBP.
I do think that the MBAir 13 & the MBP13 will eventually become one, however I doubt it will be on the next update or two. It can only happen when the price of SSDs come down to a more consumer friendly level. Currently HDDs are still far cheaper compared to SSDs, and lots of consumers still want 500GBs or more on their laptops.
There's still a bunch of consumers who is still unable to live without an optical drive .. removing both the optical and HDD may be too big of a shock for them..
My guess will be the optical will go first, followed by the HDD,.. then we'll see the Air taking over the MBP13.
There's still a bunch of consumers who is still unable to live without an optical drive .. removing both the optical and HDD may be too big of a shock for them..
My guess will be the optical will go first, followed by the HDD,.. then we'll see the Air taking over the MBP13.
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I agree. I have cash in hand and I am willing to give Apple up to $2000 for a nice FULLY PACKED 13" MBP. My 13" MB is nearing 5 years old and I'm really wanting a new 13" MBP but I refuse to get a C2D that is about to be 2 generations behind the latest Intel procs. Give me a 13" MBP with at least a SB i5 and 256GB SSD/Flash and high res screen please!
I will never get a MB Air and if for some reason they do change the MBP body to look like they Air I will get a current MBP and never get another one after that. I hate the MB Air body.
I personally prefer the MacBook, if it had Firewire I'd have no reason to even look at the MBP.
I strongly believe that the 13" macbook pro will get an update last. Its always been that way from what I've noticed.
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I sure hope the 13" MBP stays as that's what I'm looking at. The 15" is kind of expensive and not very potable while the air lacks in some of the features I'm looking at.
I sure hope the 13" MBP stays as that's what I'm looking at. The 15" is kind of expensive and not very potable while the air lacks in some of the features I'm looking at.
With regards to Apple's portable lineup, the 13-inch MacBook (now including the MacBook Pro) is and will probably remain Apple's best seller so I don't see why people speculate at every refresh that Apple will do away with the 13-inch models. I think for a lot of people who are looking to obtain their first Mac and even those who have owned a Mac before, the $1000 price point is pretty good.
At this point, I think it's obvious that the Core 2 Duo is pretty much done with in Mac's and the next refresh will rid of any C2D and replace them with iCore chips.
At this point, I think it's obvious that the Core 2 Duo is pretty much done with in Mac's and the next refresh will rid of any C2D and replace them with iCore chips.
The 12" PowerBook G4 was left behind on the final refresh that the 15" and 17" models had. The same generation just carried over. The same could happen here quite easily.
This.
This too.
They still need the white MacBook, (a) because it is their cheapest full-featured laptop and (b) because the education market needs a durable laptop and while it may be stronger, the aluminum isn't as durable as the plastic is.
+1
They should just merge Whitey and the 13" Pro.
It's not like customers who would've otherwise bought the 13" Pro wouldn't just buy a different Mac instead. They don't lose customers that way, they just lose the concentration of them.
IMO they never should of taken the Aluminum Unibody 13inch MacBook and turned it into a 13inch MacBook Pro. They need to be more consistent w/ the 13 inch MacBook. I upgraded to the 15 inch to avoid all that drama.
Finally, somebody has pointed this out! People make a big deal out of the unibody but the fact is, drop a unibody macbook and it suffers just as much as any other laptop or the older MBPs, possibly worse because metal dents.
Back on topic, the 13" MB(P)s are most in need of an update and they are also Apple's biggest sellers. It should be their top priority so if any model gets an update first, it would be the 13s.
I would dispute that the 13" is the most in need of an update, as the only thing that can be updated is the CPU, which probably means a decrease in graphics power. Whatever happens, the 13" MBP update is going to be very dull. All the best action is going to be with the 15" and 17", which actually have room for dual storage, and a discrete GPU.
No way!!
There is no way they cannot update the 13", they are so outdated its ridiculous. The only other option is to end the 13" line, either way you will see something new.
There is no way they cannot update the 13", they are so outdated its ridiculous. The only other option is to end the 13" line, either way you will see something new.
13" MacBook Pro will likely have a Sandy Bridge i5 with Intel integrated graphics.
White MacBook will likely have a Sandy Bridge i3 with Intel integrated graphics.
I am hoping for more but this is what we will most likely end up with for 2011. This situation will improve a little with Ivy Bridge, and a lot with Haswell.
White MacBook will likely have a Sandy Bridge i3 with Intel integrated graphics.
I am hoping for more but this is what we will most likely end up with for 2011. This situation will improve a little with Ivy Bridge, and a lot with Haswell.