Tightening MacBook Air Supplies at Resellers Hint at Upcoming Refresh

[metalsquid]

That's a rMBP. Don't tell me you're someone who thinks because they made Pros slightly thinner there's no point for the oober-ultra-incredibly thin MacBook Airs?

With the introduction of the 13" rMBP, I think there is increasingly less reason for the 13" MBA to exist. The MBA is actually 1.1 cm wider and 0.8 cm deeper than the rMBP, which means the rMBP takes up 6.8% LESS desktop area than the MBA.

The rMBP is 1.9 cm uniform thickness, only 2mm more than the thickest part of the MBA. For that it's only 270g, or 0.6 lbs, heavier.

rMBP vs. MBA
W x D (cm): 31.4 x 21.9 vs. 32.5 x 22.7
H (cm): 1.9 vs. 0.3-1.7
W kg (lbs): 1.62 (3.57) vs. 1.35 (2.96)
CPU: 35W vs. 15W low-power

The high-end 13" MBA with 256GB flash and 8GB RAM is only $200 less than the base rMBP with the same specs. Why would I not want to pay $200 more for a retina screen, a major bump in processing power, and an additional thunderbolt and HDMI port?

When I got my MBA in 2010 I thought I'd never move away from this form factor, it was perfect. But the rMBP has become really compelling. All I'd really miss is the MBA's wedge shape which makes picking it up from the front really nice. But you know what? Picking it up from the backside isn't that a big deal either and with the rMBP only 2mm thicker than that and negligibly heavier, there really isn't any argument that I can find to get a 13" MBA over a rMBP. If the next refresh makes the rMBP even slightly thinner or lighter then it really will be a no-brainer as I already find the thickness and weight arguments against the rMBP to be somewhat exaggerated.

 

[opinio]

can't wait. Just have to work on my excuse for the wife now...

I am running out of reasons.

 

[iSayuSay]

That's a rMBP. Don't tell me you're someone who thinks because they made Pros slightly thinner there's no point for the oober-ultra-incredibly thin MacBook Airs?

Yeah the rMBP is slightly thinner than cMBP. So it's also very slightly thicker, heavier and more expensive than equivalent 13" MBA.

But it also get significantly more powerful CPU/GPU, better screen and sexier thinner bezel.

All in all .. 13" MBA is getting more and more irrelevant. Price point and portability is just getting less justifiable to purchase MBA over rMBP.

 

[iRun26.2]

With the introduction of the 13" rMBP, I think there is increasingly less reason for the 13" MBA to exist. The MBA is actually 1.1 cm wider and 0.8 cm deeper than the rMBP, which means the rMBP takes up 6.8% LESS desktop area than the MBA.

The rMBP is 1.9 cm uniform thickness, only 2mm more than the thickest part of the MBA. For that it's only 270g, or 0.6 lbs, heavier.

rMBP vs. MBA
W x D (cm): 31.4 x 21.9 vs. 32.5 x 22.7
H (cm): 1.9 vs. 0.3-1.7
W kg (lbs): 1.62 (3.57) vs. 1.35 (2.96)
CPU: 35W vs. 15W low-power

The high-end 13" MBA with 256GB flash and 8GB RAM is only $200 less than the base rMBP with the same specs. Why would I not want to pay $200 more for a retina screen, a major bump in processing power, and an additional thunderbolt and HDMI port?

When I got my MBA in 2010 I thought I'd never move away from this form factor, it was perfect. But the rMBP has become really compelling. All I'd really miss is the MBA's wedge shape which makes picking it up from the front really nice. But you know what? Picking it up from the backside isn't that a big deal either and with the rMBP only 2mm thicker than that and negligibly heavier, there really isn't any argument that I can find to get a 13" MBA over a rMBP. If the next refresh makes the rMBP even slightly thinner or lighter then it really will be a no-brainer as I already find the thickness and weight arguments against the rMBP to be somewhat exaggerated.

One of the things that Apple is really good at is making impressive product updates that are compelling enough to make you consider upgrading even if you told yourself ahead of time that you would not. This also true when it comes similar products like the MBA and the MBP.

You make comparisons between a totally new MBP and a three year old (form factor) MBA. It might be that Apple doesn't change the form factor of the MBA and your arguments are valid. We need to see what, if anything, has changed in the MBA first. They may surprise us!

Even if there is only a processor update, the difference in weight might still be enough for some to still consider the MBA as their best choice. Everyone has their own priorities.

My priority is weight and size and I choose the 11" MBA over the 13" MBA. I give up a lot, I know, but the super small form factor pretty much lets me bring it everywhere (and many who see it think I have an iPad...not so! My computer can do so much more!)

 

[winston1236]

You got me really excited there. So which non-Apple product in the market is a better option than a MacBook Air? I'm looking forward to hearing your suggestions.

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Steve Jobs is not Apple. He is, in fact, dead. It's a shame, but he is.

Apple doesn't mind at all if you upgrade your machine. Plenty of machines that are upgradeable. However, it is not essential to Apple that _all_ computers are upgradeable. And if upgradeability is the price to pay for an overall better product like the Retina MacBooks, or the MBA, then so be it.

I would have to disagree. Upgrading is something done without Apple's involvement. You buy the upgrades elsewhere, not from Apple, you install it, not using Apple employees, both of which are missed income opportunities for the company. It seems they would rather block everyone else from making that money if they can't have it.

 

[DisplacedMic]

Less upgradable or not at all is the future at Apple. In other words, Apple's solution for you is to get the highest specs when you order, and to upgrade to new hardware when you begin to feel restricted with what you currently have. That could change in the future, but at the moment that's the path Apple has chosen.

that has been a big complaint about Apple for the past 20 years... it is what it is.

 

[James_C]

Retina is a step back at this certain point.

Remember iPad 3? It was actually runs a bit slower and hotter at real world usage compared to iPad 2, why? Retina Display
rMBP? Oh yes it's nice to look at, but it's a bit sluggish even on iTunes interface animation, compared to cMBP with the same 650M.

No doubt retina improves contrast and color accuracy. But it's just too ahead of its time. Notebook graphic hardware barely catch up with 1080p gaming and having Retina display on 13" or 15" is asking for trouble.

Plus it's technically a more sealed and locked machine, screw customers up. It's so easy to go FUBAR and have a hard time with the repair. I would say rMBP is one step forward and two steps backward.

It's good to see Facebook and Twitter page colors popping out though

I have had two 15" rMBP's and I have not experienced any noticeable lag with either of them.

 

[thekev]

Every Mac except for the 11" MBA has a 16x10 display. 1080p is 16x9.

That only applies to the macbook pros, not every other mac. The thunderbolt display and imacs are 16:9. 16:10 27" displays don't even exist. It's basically a widened version of the prior panel generation of 25.5" displays, often marketed as 26". Those were 16:10. The current ones picked up the approximate extra inch diagonally by widening to 16:9

Retina is a step back at this certain point.

Remember iPad 3? It was actually runs a bit slower and hotter at real world usage compared to iPad 2, why? Retina Display
rMBP? Oh yes it's nice to look at, but it's a bit sluggish even on iTunes interface animation, compared to cMBP with the same 650M.

No doubt retina improves contrast and color accuracy. But it's just too ahead of its time. Notebook graphic hardware barely catch up with 1080p gaming and having Retina display on 13" or 15" is asking for trouble.

Plus it's technically a more sealed and locked machine, screw customers up. It's so easy to go FUBAR and have a hard time with the repair. I would say rMBP is one step forward and two steps backward.

It's good to see Facebook and Twitter page colors popping out though

I sometimes wonder about actual color accuracy. It probably tracks sRGB closer than the cMBP if comparing both mapped against sRGB in LAB or XYZ values. For all practical purposes, assuming the profile description is accurate (in other words the system describes the behavior accurately to other software, as it's basically one part of the ICC profile), that would provide better accuracy of values that fall within the display gamut. I think a lot of the lag comes down to drivers. Even integrated graphics can handle the thunderbolt display, which is of comparable resolution to the 13" rmbp. I like that IPS generally means better viewing angles, higher bit depth panels (typically 8), and a move away from wonky native color temperatures.

 

[DisplacedMic]

So, I am undecided wether the Air or Pro 13" is the better option

I would like 16GB RAM.

for me the bigger choice is between the 11" mba and the 15" rMBP.
ultralight vs ultrapowerful

the 13" rMBP is a wonderful machine and i doubt many people who buy it regret it, but A - it's not as good a deal in my opinion as the 13" MBA B - it does not have a dedicated gpu and C - it is first generation tech which i personally don't like buying.

 

[DisplacedMic]

That's a rMBP. Don't tell me you're someone who thinks because they made Pros slightly thinner there's no point for the oober-ultra-incredibly thin MacBook Airs?

you, and many others, missed his point entirely. he didn't say there was no point, but rather that there's no point for a retina MBA - and i agree entirely. At least not right now - what most people would rather see is a nice boost in battery life - especially on the 11"
if you really want a retina display, the rMBP is perfectly adequate and doesn't sacrifice much of what attracts most people to the MBA in the first place.

The 13" rMBP weighs less than .5 lb more than the 13" MBA and actually has a smaller footprint! While i think the mba is a better deal bang for your buck, i don't like that the mbp has no dedicated gpu and i don't buy 1st gen tech, if a retina is a requirement, the 13" rMBP is a wonderful computer that meets both specifications of power and weight extremely well.

i actually went into the fruitstand set to get the 13" but after holding it and the rMBP, i decided on the 11" MBA....i wanted an ultralight, the 13" was "too heavy" if you can believe that.

 

[snipper]

If new Airs come out and only support 10.9, that'll throw a serious wrench into things. Mainly because we don't know how it would affect other software & systems we use.

As said, it's highly unlikely that new machines will come with 10.9 installed since it's not even final.

Even if the new macs came with 10.9, I wonder why this would be a such a problem? Since usually the OS is backwards compatible with older software and even it you find something that is not, the publisher usually makes a compatible version / update available before 10.9 is declared final.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

for me the bigger choice is between the 11" mba and the 15" rMBP.
ultralight vs ultrapowerful

the 13" rMBP is a wonderful machine and i doubt many people who buy it regret it, but A - it's not as good a deal in my opinion as the 13" MBA B - it does not have a dedicated gpu and C - it is first generation tech which i personally don't like buying.

Regarding C - I would not buy now but will wait for the refresh in any case.

 

[snipper]

Retina is a step back at this certain point.

Remember iPad 3? It was actually runs a bit slower and hotter at real world usage compared to iPad 2, why? Retina Display rMBP? Oh yes it's nice to look at, but it's a bit sluggish even on iTunes interface animation, compared to cMBP with the same 650M.[…]I would say rMBP is one step forward and two steps backward.

It's a matter of preference. Once you're used to the retina iPhone, for example, non-retina iPhones look like 1999. It was OK, but you don't want to go back.

 

[scottsjack]

Retina is a step back at this certain point.

rMBP? Oh yes it's nice to look at, but it's a bit sluggish even on iTunes interface animation, compared to cMBP with the same 650M.

No doubt retina improves contrast and color accuracy. But it's just too ahead of its time. Notebook graphic hardware barely catch up with 1080p gaming and having Retina display on 13" or 15" is asking for trouble.

Plus it's technically a more sealed and locked machine, screw customers up. It's so easy to go FUBAR and have a hard time with the repair. I would say rMBP is one step forward and two steps backward.

It's good to see Facebook and Twitter page colors popping out though

Totally agree. I'm writing this on a 15in MBP. Sure, if I look really hard I can see pixels (!!).

A better display is always appreciated. However I'll take better video performance and all of the MBP attributes that are absent from the current Retina models.

It's time to replace the trusty old late 2008 2.4GHz C2D. I'll get a Haswell if the classic MBP is continued. Otherwise I'll order a refurb 2012 i7.

A gen 4 with Iris Pro graphics would be preferred but I insist on replaceable memory and storage. My late 2008 is slugging on with 8GB RAM and a 750GB 7200 RPM HDD not even available when I bought it.

 

[DisplacedMic]

It's a matter of preference. Once you're used to the retina iPhone, for example, non-retina iPhones look like 1999. It was OK, but you don't want to go back.

1999 was my first year in college, speak for yourself

 

[buysp]

can't wait. Just have to work on my excuse for the wife now...

I am running out of reasons.

I've talked the wife into offloading my 2012 cMBP onto her so i can pull the trigger on either a 2013 rMBP or MBA

 

[thekeyring]

Yeah the rMBP is slightly thinner than cMBP. So it's also very slightly thicker, heavier and more expensive than equivalent 13" MBA.

But it also get significantly more powerful CPU/GPU, better screen and sexier thinner bezel.

All in all .. 13" MBA is getting more and more irrelevant. Price point and portability is just getting less justifiable to purchase MBA over rMBP.

Understood, but I can't help thinking if they can make a Pro that thin, the airs will become even thinner.

 

[iGrip]

I like freedom.

Do you use Linux then? ISTM that if you like freedom, Apple products would not satisfy you in the least.

 

[designs216]

Bring it on!

 

[iGrip]

I shudder imagining the text size on a 13" notebook with 1080p resolution... (which I know are already out there)

Simply press Ctrl+ to increase the size of any screen elements. Or at least, do that if you have a Winblows machine.

Is there any analogous way to do it in OSX? I have a 15 inch 1080p screen, and I do that. One nice thing is that I only need to do it once, and the machine remembers for next time - it just works.

 

[subsonix]

Do you use Linux then? ISTM that if you like freedom, Apple products would not satisfy you in the least.

Freedom as in freedom fries? Please define freedom™.

 

[iGrip]

I can't see Apple putting a retina display in the MBA line, as it is currently Apple's low cost notebook line. Unfortunately a retina display would push the price up. I can see it happening in the future when the cost of the panels come down, but not this year.

Apple might calculate that it could make higher total profits by pushing the price up. If so, rest assured that they will do exactly that.

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The problem that all these companies have that you mention is the same: Nobody wants to pay good money for something that runs Windows.

ISTM that about 90% of buyers pay good money for Windows machines. Less than 10% decide to buy OSX machines.

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But I love Dell Ultrasharp 2713HM moooorreeee than crappy Thunderbolt Display.

Yeah, go figure

Isn't it a lot thicker than Apple's displays?

----------

Freedom as in freedom fries? Please define freedom™.

What are freedom fries?

 

[subsonix]

A
What are freedom fries?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_fries

Basically, the use of freedom in a way that is nonsensical and completely disconnected from it's real meaning.

 

[guzhogi]

As said, it's highly unlikely that new machines will come with 10.9 installed since it's not even final.

Even if the new macs came with 10.9, I wonder why this would be a such a problem? Since usually the OS is backwards compatible with older software and even it you find something that is not, the publisher usually makes a compatible version / update available before 10.9 is declared final.

I agree, it's unlikely that the Macs will ship with 10.9 if/when we buy them. But companies don't necessarily update their products in a timely fashion, if at all. We used 10.7 this school year, and there's still software that we want/need to use that's still PowerPC only. And some of this software goes with our textbooks. And please don't say "Then why doesn't your school just get new textbooks?" Unfortunately, it's easier said than done to just change our curriculum.

 

[snipper]

And please don't say "Then why doesn't your school just get new textbooks?" Unfortunately, it's easier said than done to just change our curriculum.

I suppose it's quite specific literature, since it isn't made available in a widely accepted format, like pdf?