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Thinner MacBook Air in 13" and 15" Sizes Coming at WWDC 2016?
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Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
We can only hope. This would make the most sense. The only problem with that happening (at least within the next 1-2 years) is that the 12" MacBook would need to be able to start at the same $899 price as the 11"MBA, otherwise I can see Apple killing the Air line. That'd require a petty hefty price cut.
Also, something you left out, the new MacBook will transition to the upcoming A10 processor (maybe that could help reduce the cost)
Bingo. This makes the most sense. And the biggest reason I call BS on this rumor is it says this stuff will be announced st WWDC. No way is Apple going to wait 7 months to release Skylake Macs when PC OEMs are selling them right now.
So the MacBook Air is introduced as a "lite" alternative to the MacBook. The MacBook is eventually rebranded as a "lite" alternative to the MacBook Air. Apple considering (?) dropping the MacBook Air in favor of the MacBook.
It seems to me as though the flagship laptop has taken a step backwards with respect to itself. (Or Apple die-hards really will buy anything.)
It seems to me as though the flagship laptop has taken a step backwards with respect to itself. (Or Apple die-hards really will buy anything.)
What I mean is that the names of the MacBook and the MacBook Air lines should be swapped with each other. The current MacBook Air should simply be renamed "MacBook" (and then of course updated as usual), being the more "normal" computer of the two, while the current Retina MacBook should be renamed "MacBook Air", being the lighter one of the two. It's just that they're badly named.
Not happening.
The MacBook is here to take the place of the MBA.
Apple dropped the price of the MBA just as they dropped the price of the ATV a year before they revamped the controller and tvOS, because they knew they would be dropping the MBA after this.
The MacBook is here to take the place of the MBA.
Apple dropped the price of the MBA just as they dropped the price of the ATV a year before they revamped the controller and tvOS, because they knew they would be dropping the MBA after this.
At this point I think the blame has to go to Jony since he is responsible for all designs. Apple has a mess in its line up and I hope someone slaps him and says - wake up and fix it.
You have in IOS devices that are sized at 1.3, 1.5, 4, 4.7, 5.5, 7.9, 9.7, and 12.9. The names are a mess, watch, iPhone 5/6/6+, iPad mini/air2/pro.
Then you go to OSX devices and you have a similar mess - MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro, Mac Mini.
Seriously all of these devices overlap and do not have any consistency in their names that would help explain where you are in the family.
I think they need to come up with something that helps people understand things better. My example would be straight forward -
Phones - Apple Phone Mini, Air, Pro (4", 4.7", 5.5")
Watch - Apple Watch Mini, Air, Pro (1.3", 1.5", 1.7"?)
Tablet - Apple Pad Mini, Air, Pro (7.9", 9.7", 12.9")
Laptop - Apple Book Mini, Air, Pro (12", 13", 15") (each with CPU upgrade capabilities)
Desktop - Apple Desk Mini, Air, Pro - Only the Air would have the built in screen at 21 and 27"
You have in IOS devices that are sized at 1.3, 1.5, 4, 4.7, 5.5, 7.9, 9.7, and 12.9. The names are a mess, watch, iPhone 5/6/6+, iPad mini/air2/pro.
Then you go to OSX devices and you have a similar mess - MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro, Mac Mini.
Seriously all of these devices overlap and do not have any consistency in their names that would help explain where you are in the family.
I think they need to come up with something that helps people understand things better. My example would be straight forward -
Phones - Apple Phone Mini, Air, Pro (4", 4.7", 5.5")
Watch - Apple Watch Mini, Air, Pro (1.3", 1.5", 1.7"?)
Tablet - Apple Pad Mini, Air, Pro (7.9", 9.7", 12.9")
Laptop - Apple Book Mini, Air, Pro (12", 13", 15") (each with CPU upgrade capabilities)
Desktop - Apple Desk Mini, Air, Pro - Only the Air would have the built in screen at 21 and 27"
Yea, I am not buying it either. These reports are likely for the new MacBook Pro's. Air's will be discontinued , the price of the MacBook will be closer to $999/$1099 for a base, and new Pro's with a similar design to the MacBook will be introduced at $1299 for the base.
Doubtful. What I think is possible is keeping the 11" Air around to have as a cheap entry level Mac. And then having the MacBook line in two sizes and the MacBook Pro line in two sizes.
If anything I think the mess falls on marketing, not design or engineering. I'll bet any money it's Schiller's org that decides specs, price and names. But to me your naming convention is just as confusing. Why do you need different names for different sizes? Why not just one name with different sizes or two names delineating consumer versus professional?
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I'd like both 17" and matte. But I don't have any hope for matte option. The best we can hope for is less reflective glossy displays.
It's unlikely, at least at present, but I do hold out a little hope for a 17". I'd love a 17" so that I could use it in 2560x1600 equivalent mode or something similar. I use my 15" rMBP in 1920x1200 when I'm sitting at a table and my face is close to the screen (at work when I'm in meetings and not at my desk), however, I do find it difficult to use when laying in bed or on the couch, where my face is further away, in which case I often switch it to best-for-retina if I'm not doing work for my job. I still have an old 17" unibody MBP, and the screen on it is just glorious. My hope is that once MacBook Pros get thin to the point where a 17" would be very light, that they bring back the 17" and make it an absolute monster in performance (better CPU/GPU options than 15") and give it an option for more than one SSD modules (at least double the storage capacity of whatever the equivalent 15" can have). I dream of such a machine existing and my employer buying me a maxed out configuration of one
The A10 will not be in a "New" MacBook. MacBooks and Airs' will all be using Low Power Silicon from Intel.
All of these baseless predictions. It's like everyone in here works for Apple.
Can we just wait people.
Can we just wait people.
what makes a bigger phone or bigger watch "pro"?
the ipad pro is not "pro" because of it's size, but because of what you can/are supposed to be able to do on it. of course, this has an impact on it's size, but it isn't pro just because it's 12.9".
In general I think their lineup is too complicated right now. Why not a 12" MacBook (MacBook Mini, if you will), a 14" MacBook Air, and a 16" MacBook Pro, all thin, all with Retina Displays, and that's it? The word "Pro" doesn't need to be on a computer to dictate that it's powerful. Maybe the biggest differences would be that the bigger devices have more ports.
Maybe I make too much sense.
Maybe I make too much sense.
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
The A10 will not be in a "New" MacBook. MacBooks and Airs' will all be using Low Power Silicon from Intel.
How can you be so certain? I believe the A9X is already more powerful than the processor in the MacBook. Graphics are more powerful than MacBook Pro's...
The lineup is getting a bit too big and confusing. I love my rMBP 15" from 2013, the thing is still a beast. But the macbook, macbook airs, not really sure they play all that nice with each other. I'm surprised such an underpowered and expensive machine like the macbook would even do well. Is a 13" MBA that clunky and heavy??
"So called professionals" ?! Give me a break and speak for yourself.
I'm "a professional" and use my Macs mainly for work. Professional is a pretty wide category, and in my line of work I need USB ports close to never.... It's obviously not for everyone - which is why they sell more than one model...
The lineup is getting a bit too big and confusing. I love my rMBP 15" from 2013, the thing is still a beast. But the macbook, macbook airs, not really sure they play all that nice with each other. I'm surprised such an underpowered and expensive machine like the macbook would even do well. Is a 13" MBA that clunky and heavy??
It helps the consumer decide which laptop model best suits their needs, and certainly offers better direction than a string of seemingly random numbers and letters strung together.
But I agree that Apple's current Mac lineup does seem bloated, and could do with some streamlining.