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Rumor Suggests 12-Inch Retina MacBook Air Could Launch During March 9 Apple Watch Event

Mattsasa said:
Yes!! I have been looking forward to this computer since last summer!
Way more excited about this than the watch personally.

I think it will be:
12" rMBA
13"cMBA <-- possibly updated to retina at somepoint but remain at the same form factor
13+15" rMBP


Intel has 3 (4 if you count larger notebook sizes) laptop categories. And Apple should try to make the best notebook they can at every category.

There is the new ultra-ultra thin fanless category: Y-series, Core M, Intel HD 5300, 4.5W, This category is most portable, lowest energy consumption, lowest performance. The new 12" rMBA will fall into this category.

Then there is the original ultra-book category: U-series, corei3-i7, intel HD 6000, 15W, This category has average portability, middle range energy consumption, and medium performance. The current MacBook Airs are in this category. And when they get updated they will stay in this category. Who knows if apple will put a retina display in this MacBook Air series... I really hope they do.

Finally, there is the performance category: also U/M-series technically, corei3-i7, intel iris 6100, 28W, this category has lower portability, higher power consumption, and high performance. The Current and future rMBPs are in this category.


Personally, I am stoked for all three notebook categories. One could argue that apple is going to phase out the current MacBook Air line, and not have a 11.5W ultra book category. But I believe they will keep this category as there are plenty of people that want something more portable than a MacBook Pro, but something more powerful than Core M. And I hope they do keep this line.


I suppose one could count the 47W extreme/power category for larger notebooks.

So this could put the product lineup like this:

13" current non-retina MBA(hope it does get retina) - $999
12" new fanless 12" rMBA - $1199
13" rMBP - $1299
15" rMBP - $1999 (yikes that's a lot still)


Or I suppose it could also look like this:

12" rMBA(new fanless) - $999
13" rMBA(old form factor, updates with retina display) - $1099-$1199
13" rMBP - $1299.


What do you guys think? I am genuinely interested in y'alls opinions.
Click to expand...

The line up you are present looks good! But the price difference between Retina MBA (fanless) & normal MBA is not big enough.
 
Mac-lover3 said:
The line up you are present looks good! But the price difference between Retina MBA (fanless) & normal MBA is not big enough.
Click to expand...

yea, I agree. there should be a little more. But more but I don't think the fanless macbook air will start any lower...

here is a fanless samsung one which will be very similar
http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/pcs/NP930X2K-K02US

I don't think apple would increase the price of the pros or non retina airs though.


maybe it will be like this:

12" retina MacBook Air(new fanless - core M- 2560x1440) - $999
13" retina MacBook(old MBA form factor but with retina display) - $1099-$1199
^^^ maybe it won't have the tapered design so it can have thicker batteries -> more batery life
13" retina MacBook Pro- $1299
15" retina MacBook Pro- $1999
though like you said there is still that problem, of not enough price gap
 
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4look4rd said:
I think you are close. I think Apple will drop both the 11'' and the 13'' MBA (or just not update them), make the 12'' rMBA fanless with the Core M processor. However I also believe that the 13'' rMBP will use a lower voltage processor, while the 15'' will keep the full voltage processor and Iris graphics.

The reason for Apple moving the 13'' rMBP is because the lower voltage CPU is good enough for most users and if they don't do this they will face a lot of competition from Windows ultrabooks (I can't think of any 13'' ultrabook with Iris graphics). The gains in battery life will be a trade off that most people who are going for the 13'' rMBP are willing to make.

Price is going to be along the lines of:

12'' rMBA $999 (Core M/128GB/8GB)
13'' rMBP $1199 (Core i5/256GB/8GB)
15'' rmBP $1799 (Core i7/256GB/16GB)
Click to expand...


Putting a U series chip into the 13" rMBP would be a big step back from the mid 14 Haswell chips. Not only in clock speed but overall performance.
 
Belmont31R said:
Putting a U series chip into the 13" rMBP would be a big step back from the mid 14 Haswell chips. Not only in clock speed but overall performance.
Click to expand...

true,

and also the core M will be a huge step back compared to the regular U-series chips...

2015: they year apple's laptops all get slower
 
Investor27 said:
Not a chance in the world that will happen. The battery life of the Retina Macbook Air will be less or equal to the current MB Air.
Click to expand...

I realize that, however, I was thinking that Apple would utilize new battery technology. It's still very unlikely that we will get a better battery life from these new airs if they are even released next week.
 
Mattsasa said:
true,

and also the core M will be a huge step back compared to the regular U-series chips...

2015: they year apple's laptops all get slower
Click to expand...



I would not buy a Core M anything. And if the port rumors are true on this 12" rMBA its basically a suped up iPad running OS X.


I have had family members buy various laptops and such while ignoring my recommendations and they always end up disappointed. Spending a little bit more can get quite a bit more performance than the low end models. One of them spent around $700 a Lenovo Windows RT machine and asked me why they couldn't install iTunes.

Core M is a big step backwards even from the current Haswell U series in the MBA, and a big step back from the MBP i5's and i7's. The iPad Air 2 3 core chips are not even that slower in benchmarks from the Core M.
 
thefredelement said:
Hmmm, 12" iPad Pro rumor, 12" Macbook Air rumor...

I can't picture Apple doing a combined type of iPad / Macbook, then again, I couldn't picture the 5.5" phone on my desk right now.
Click to expand...

They won't do a combined design. The iPad Pro will be able to serve as a second monitor/touch input for the new Macbook Air. Why sell you one device, when they could sell you two?
 
The lineup on this year doesn't matter because in 2017 the lineup after removing the non retina mba&mbp will be

12" Mba thin light dual core i5 i7
13&15" MBP thin enought dual core and quad core i5 i7

that it simple and Apple
 
I would have thought they would have tagged the event "Spring is in the Air", but then maybe that would have emphasized the MBA over the Watch. Perhaps the mere mention of "Spring" in the tag is inferring "Air".
 
What I don't really understand is this obsesion with a fanless design & thinness. It doesn't give any real functionality other than "wow, it's thin!" because the weigh will be similar maybe a bit less, but definitely not light like a smartphone.
Not only that, but it takes off other functionalities: probably less ports (and only usb C, thunderbolt won't fit in it), and the real possibility of a throttling machine. Fan is not a step backward, it has its functionality, and a fanless machine means one of two things: a throttling/boiling machine, or a noticeable step backwards on performance (not only on CPU comparing with a 2013 processor, but on GPU compared on what we would have if going to i5). You just can't compare a tablet-oriented CPU with a 4,5W TDP with a CPU with 15W TDP.

So seeing that even the 11" is a little beast cappable almost of anything, the only real upgrade on the new Air would be the retina screen, nothing else. Oh yeah, I forgot the important one... not having to hear the jet reactor noise that comes from the fan...
 
Makes sense to show off the new Macbook air. Certainly not going to do a whole event around it.
The 12" iPad? They may show that off too. There're not going to do a whole event for that either.
So, Tim will run some numbers, maybe a look at the Apple Campus construction, perhaps a sly crack about the car rumours, update the Air and iPad Pro, then onto the meat.
 
Plutonius said:
Not interested in the watch but may watch if a new Touch is announced :D.
Click to expand...

Maybe alongside new version of iTunes. I think they could rejuvenate iPod sales if they focussed it primarily as either a portable gaming device or high end music player with support for HD music downloads.

----------
Jiz said:
Makes sense to show off the new Macbook air. Certainly not going to do a whole event around it.
The 12" iPad? They may show that off too. There're not going to do a whole event for that either.
So, Tim will run some numbers, maybe a look at the Apple Campus construction, perhaps a sly crack about the car rumours, update the Air and iPad Pro, then onto the meat.
Click to expand...

New MBA and iPad Pro? Now that would be nice as I've been waiting patiently to buy both.
 
dsh3 said:
Because?
Click to expand...

oh i don't know, because the last real revision was in 2012 and many sub-$100 devices have since been introduced that mirror or exceed the AppleTV capabilities.


if anything give us an up-to-date processor. The A5 is played.
 
You'd think by now we'd have heard a "Yep" or "Nope" from Jim Dalrymple about the 12-inch MBA rumor...
 
Does anyone think that Apple might be moving towards a new lineup style:

Apple Watch small
Apple Watch large
iPhone small
iPhone large
iPad small
iPad large
macbook air 12 inch small
macbook pro 15 inch large
iMac 21 inch small
iMac 27 inch large?

forgot to include the
mini small
MacPro large :)
 
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It is possible that there could be a strong possibility that I might buy the new potential 12" rMBA if, just if it should be made possibly available eventually. /LOL!

Just bring it out already ;)
 
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