Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Skylake CPUs for next MB. (merged)
- Thread starter dubydoo
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
- Status
Hold off until
a) this actually surfaces...it could come out in a couple months or this could be out later this year
b) there are actual enough performance enhances to make it worthwhile upgrading. Yes, there will be people doing benchmark tests and they'll look awesome (as benchmark tests always do compared to older things) but real world testing may prove that it may be faster, but not night and day
i am afraid the rmb wont be update any time soon. my fear comes from the fact the skylake core m frequency is the same or lower then exciting model. appel might assume that the average person is not very tech savvy and would not care so much. unless they lay emphasis on added battery life and graphics.. but historically speaking a large part of mb air upgrades were focused on increased core frequency.. but i sincerely hope for a update soon - i for one will not buy one the rmb is faster then my current mb air and i think many other current mb air user feel the same. unfortunately the folkes at appel think that they have created something soon uniq and future proof so no upgrade within the first 500days of product release, just like the mb air saw 500days before first upgrade. - they still market the rmb on appel.com´s front page as "light , years ahead"
Last edited:
While I would agree with you on some part of that, I don't think trying to find a trend or pattern based on a previously released product line would be a good comparison. Since Apple, along with many other companies, had a huge involvement in making the USB-C port it could be they could upgrade the USB-C port to Thunderbolt 3 as well. As well, if they throw in another port or something along those lines - that could help them move more units by addressing a frequent complaint of some users, though I am doubtful about this.
I don't know how viable that is, but it's a good start. Also given this is an ultraportable (which begs the question: why Thunderbolt 3? Docking! And before you start saying why Thunderbolt 3 on a weak processor, there are already several manufacturers doing this) perhaps an extended battery life like you mentioned would be a great selling feature. Adding 2-3 extra hours of battery life would be huge for the intents of this laptop.
I don't believe the MacBook like is made for power-hungry folks, especially since it features an Intel Core M processor but on the road or student laptops with extended battery life, an extra port (maybe), incorporation of Thunderbolt 3 and a boost in integrated GPU performance would make a good announcement I would think.
The refresh is probably a year away and will offer marginal improvements. You shouldn't bother to be worried about it.
BJ
A year away? The MacBook is around 9 months old now, plus skylake Core M devices are starting to appear (Hp Spectre X2, Dell XPS 12). What makes you think it's a year away?
Three reasons:
First, even though the RMB was introduced last May it was not fully in stock in all colors and configurations until September.
Second, the Air and Pro are long overdue for drastic redesigns and are of a higher priority.
Third, Skylake doesn't offer anything to the RMB that will sell a single extra unit; it already has all-day battery life and its owners aren't speed-freaks.
BJ
All the hard work is done, all Apple need to do is bang a skylake chip into the same chassis (maybe put in an extra usb-c port) and they're done. I can see the rMB being released in the March event, and the 13/15 rMBPs being released at June's WWDC.
Curious what you think Apple will do in an Air redesign. I'd probably buy one with a Retina display.
The Pro will be the RMB but thicker so it has room for big processors, fans, and legacy ports.
The Air will remain cosmetically identical but get cheaper quality materials and become the iPhone 5C of the MacBook line for third world markets as a budget Mac.
BJ
I think the Macbook will get the skylake update, but it will be a silent or at least quiet release. Updating it should take little engineering time, and it will help keep the computer cutting-edge for another year. Nobody will complain about the slight increase in speed or battery life. And it would provide the ability to drive a 4k display at a full 60hz, or dual, lower resolution displays.
Seems odd to me that Apple would make the Air the lowest cost machine in their portable line given that it has a faster processor than the MacBook. It would also mean that the Air would move from its former position as a cutting-edge laptop to an entry level. Is there any evidence that Apple wants/needs to sell computers in the third world market, as opposed to iPhones?
It is pretty much universally accepted that the new RMB was introduced to be this decade's version of what the Air used to be.
As one of the worlds largest corporations Apple is under tremendous pressure from shareholders and board members to continue their amazing run of innovation and success. Being honest, the Tablet business is eroding, the Phone business is commoditizing, the TV business is still niche, Music is a mess. That leaves Computers and Apple has a very small marketshare to this day, single-digit in a world dominated by Windows. Having an inexpensive and cost-effective notebook makes a lot of sense in the context of everything else working against Apple.
BJ
Apple has never been about raw speed, only selling whatever people think looks great (At least the last 15 years).
Apple needs to upgrade their MacBook models. Get with it, Apple!
I agree that the rMB is the new Air, which is why I think Apple is more likely to drop the Air than move it to the low end. And, as an Apple shareholder, I'd be surprised and concerned if Apple expected laptop sales to make up for declines in other product lines like the iPhone to any significant degree.
[doublepost=1453345934][/doublepost]
True. All I'm saying is that it would be odd for a low-end computer to be faster (or have faster options) than one further up the chain.
Nothing about this post is factually correct.
[doublepost=1453370990][/doublepost]
No it wasn't. Apple themselves said it was their vision of the future of computing (which was just marketing garbage to push a new product).
Totally wrong on #3.
I am going to buy «a single unit» as soon as Apple release an updated MavBook. Todays battery life is fine, but I want something substantially more powerful than my 2011 MacBook Air when I finally upgrade.
I agree and disagree with Bolt James [as I have before....].
There is no reason for Apple not to do the upgrade and currently battery life in the RMB is not great. I am looking forward to a faster GPU and better battery - it will then be a great computer so is in Apples interest to get Skylake in there.
If Apple told you today that they would never upgrade the RMB to Skylake you'd whip out the credit card and buy one tomorrow.
And that's why you should.
BJ
BJ I don't have anything against you but every forum thread I see you on, you're desperately trying to convince people to buy now. Are you getting commission or something? Skylake is coming, the chips are ready. There's no real arguments against an upgrade. The reason the rMBP has gone for so long without a new CPU is because Broadwell was heavily delayed and sort of glossed over, most Broadwell chips were low voltage ones designed for a rMB. I'm sure the Airs, rMB and rMBP will all be getting Skylake this year.
Actually, I do think you have something against me as you are making these discussions personal instead of sticking to the subject matter. This is a thread where we speculate on if/when the RMB will be advanced to a new processor. I am offering my opinions just like everyone else.
You believe one thing based on past experience, I believe another based on present marketing strategy. You believe that vaguely incremental processor upgrades will always be important enough for Apple to stop production immediately and re-tool on the fly, I believe Apple has a product strategy for which the RMB gets taken out of that loop entirely. Time will tell.
I encourage people to buy what they want right now because there is no indication that Apple is going to make any changes in the coming months let alone the next year. And, let's be honest- these processor improvements aren't anything that we can 'feel' anyway. My sons have iPhone 6S's with the A9 processor and they feel no faster than my iPhone 6 with the A8. On a bench is one 30% faster at opening an app? Perhaps. But sitting at the dinner table, we're talking fractions of seconds here, it's just not meaningful. And that's regarding brand new iPhone's with state of the art processors, not the RMB with its circa 2008 powerplant. "Waiting" for "improvements" is usually waiting for nothing.
BJ
- Status