Upcoming Ultra-Thin 12-Inch MacBook Air Design Imagined in New Renderings

[CausticSoda]

Isn't it obvious what Apple is doing? The MacBook air was always meant to be a limited yet super portable device. They are just taking it to the next level of portability, and I bet soon to follow the retina MacBook Pro slims down to about what the current MacBook air is. So if the new MacBook air is not your perfect computer, the new MacBook Pro will likely be.

Also, your signature about the new thunderbolt display, it should be obvious they can't come out until a faster thunderbolt is rolled out that supports 5k.

"It should be obvious" blah blah blah... Oh to be as wise as and knowledgeable you! That signature was there long before you or I had heard of an Apple 5K display, and there it will remain until we finally see a new one. It is getting on for four years since a Thunderbolt Display update.

 

[johnny_b]

So how the hell are you supposed to charge it?

You aren't. You are suppose to send it to Apple Store where they'll charge it for $200, or better you could buy a new MBA when it's out of charge.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Thankfully, angry strangers online do not define me or my worth. I've learnt that many years ago. If I didn't have that peace of mind, you may have got to me, but since I know my created worth in life, from God as my creator, your opinion is merely that, and not much more to me.

Views don't change fundamental truths, they just change your view of the subject (me). You may or may not think what you wish - with respect, I have zero opinion about you (not that I do not care if I am intentionally nasty or offensive, not the case here, I am hoping), because I am not one for making sweeping, superfluous judgements of people, based upon my brief, and only interactions with them - a block of text on a screen.

Have a nice day, person represented by ascii. I hope you won't think too much more about me - I won't about you, as I have to work

Cheerio, old bean.

Far from angry, just wondering why you bother to be on an Apple specific website, not using their products with nothing you post based on facts or research.

As for you creator God, she must have made a mistake

 

[Mackan]

Look to Dell's new XPS 13 for a true edge-to-edge screen. It deserves attention. I bet the new 12'' from Apple will continue to have a noticeable bezel.

 

[435713]

You aren't. You are suppose to send it to Apple Store where they'll charge it for $200, or better you could buy a new MBA when it's out of charge.

And the major web sites will give it a 9.0-9.3

BRILLIANT!

Cue Johnny Ive in front of a white background, talking for 5 minutes about pompous stuff.

joking around obviously. Look forward to the reveal.

 

[69650]

I like the new colours but I'd prefer a much narrower bezel around the screen. Might look better if the width of the keyboard lines up perfectly with the width of the screen.

 

[576316]

so the future of mobile connection is you either choose to charge your laptop.. or connect your computer to any accessory.

I will pass

Well obviously not. A laptop is not going to come with one connection. Thunderbolt is capable of a lot, but they don't give you just one of those do they? Your comment is illogical.

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I think we have to be realistic about this (and I actually got "engrossed" in a USB Type-C conversation *before* I dove into MacRumors this evening):

It is unreasonable IMNSHO to think that the host computer, portable as it may be, will be *charged* through a single Type-C port, *but* in much the same way as the Type A port bearer (host device) sends its *information* to the Type B port bearer (peripheral), it makes sense for the new MacBook (that is proposed/rendered/imaged/imagined/conceived/contorted/distorted/etc) to take *in* power in a differnet way than from the Type C port. The Type C port would then allow the proposed MacBook to *deliver* power to an (appropriately) limited number of peripherals.

Personally, I would like to be able to go on vacation with my MacBook, my iPhone, and my iPad, and simply plug the MacBook into the wall/adapter/port, and my iPhone into the MacBook and my iPad into the MacBook.

But in truth, I usually plug my iPhone into the wall, because I let it sing me to sleep on a nightstand, be that at home or in a hotel, and frequently when traveling to family or friends.

Main point: The laptop takes power from the wall, but it can feed a few minions while on vacation.

Wait...you've confused me. You just described plugging your laptop into the wall and connecting your iPhone and iPad to your laptop (which is fully possible right now). What about Type-C will change that?

 

[AlecZ]

an Air and a Pro are two different product designs that serve different markets. for the person buying an Air, weight is the primary consideration. for a person buying a Pro performance (speed, accessories) is. theyre designed for two different use cases.

The current Air has enough ports and is much faster than I need it to be (I had a dying '06 MacBook for years). I just like how the Pro is designed. Also, I like the retina display of course.

 

[pln4esc]

The air has been a great asset for work. Small, lightweight and just the right amount of storage on the go. However, having ports to connect a drive and external monitor are a requirement.

Now it will just be a clam shell iPad.

 

[zephonic]

How is it not possible? You put a USB 3 chip in the cable, connected to the PCIe.

Also all PCIe is "over a wire," LOL.

You should consider a career in engineering.

 

[Xiroteus]

You just described the definition of innovation. For the consumer it can be a blessing and a curse, depending on timing.

Sometimes it is. I know if we waited for everyone to be ready things would never move forward. However one cannot also move beyond something that is still extremely useful and widely used.

Apple can also be odd when it comes to the feature. Remove useful features yet still have tiny storage, slow hard drive, no camera flash (tablets) etc.... so the future is there if it helps their iTunes sales.

I am often on the fence with Apple. They often push something forward then get way behind everyone else. They helped greatly with the current smartphone, tablet, higher resolution displays in laptops which was getting worse and not too many were adding amazing screens.

 

[TMRJIJ]

Hmm. . . I think I see the benefits. I could be wrong but . . . I think iPhone and iPads have already paved the path for 1 port. With continuity being perfected (it’s not yet)

Notes from one person:
"As people will be using USB Type C to replace power supplies – this transition might be faster than we think. USB Type C could be the global standard for DC power. That could be awesome. It would route power smartly in both directions where its needed – when it’s needed.
Let’s say your MacBook has two Type C ports and is plugged in to a display and a printer. The display is the only device plugged into the wall (of course via Type C as well). The display charges the MacBook while it is plugged in. Then you go to print – charging suspends, the printer is powered up to print, then charging resumes after printing.Then you unplug the display from the wall. Amazingly, the display continues to work – now powered by the MacBook. The MacBook is no longer being charged but the power flow changes direction over the cable seamlessly.
Type C sorts out this for you. You could do all this with one Type C port – but it might be more convenient with two.
Plugging into a External Display will Charge the laptop via Type C – it provides up to 100W in either direction. It is the standard global IEC connector for power – and will replace all other DC connections. They expect Type C to be globally mandated.
They can maintain Thunderbolt over the Type C connector."

Just add another Type C port and I will be happy.

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Well obviously not. A laptop is not going to come with one connection. Thunderbolt is capable of a lot, but they don't give you just one of those do they? Your comment is illogical.

----------



Wait...you've confused me. You just described plugging your laptop into the wall and connecting your iPhone and iPad to your laptop (which is fully possible right now). What about Type-C will change that?

Let’s say your MacBook has two Type C ports and is plugged in to a display and a printer. The display is the only device plugged into the wall (of course via Type C as well).

I think he meant that Type-C may route power in both directions depending on the device. Kinda like keeping your External Display on just by plugging it up to the Macbook or using a printer (already plugged to the wall) to charge it.

 

[HenryDJP]

Sometimes it is. I know if we waited for everyone to be ready things would never move forward. However one cannot also move beyond something that is still extremely useful and widely used.

Apple can also be odd when it comes to the feature. Remove useful features yet still have tiny storage, slow hard drive, no camera flash (tablets) etc.... so the future is there if it helps their iTunes sales.

I am often on the fence with Apple. They often push something forward then get way behind everyone else. They helped greatly with the current smartphone, tablet, higher resolution displays in laptops which was getting worse and not too many were adding amazing screens.

I hope you actually read everything you wrote because part of it you contradicted yourself and the other part was just sounding a tad bit ignorant.

Sometimes it is. I know if we waited for everyone to be ready things would never move forward. However one cannot also move beyond something that is still extremely useful and widely used.

This is a contradiction. On one hand you say one thing then you say something else. Something that is "extremely useful" is subjective and you have no idea who shares the same sentiment. And something that is "widely used" doesn't mean it's extremely useful or couldn't be replaced.

Yeah, the 5-1/4" Floppy was "extremely useful" until someone said we needed to dump it for a 3-1/2" floppy because it was smaller and in a more protective case.

Yeah, the 3-1/2" floppy was "extremely useful" until somebody said we needed to dump it in favor of the Zip Drive because it held more information and stored information faster.

Yeah, the Zip Drive was "extremely useful" until Apple said we needed to dump it in favor of a CD drive because it held more information, wrote information permanently and was virtually indestructible.

The world has survived very well with the changes in tech.

About Apple pushing things forward and their competitors end up leaving them behind? Think about that. Their competitors are generally deaf dumb and blind until Apple does something innovative. Then their competitors say, "Oh, that's how to do it", then they use Apple's ideas and then top them at times. Yeah, that's pretty easy to top Apple after Apple shows them what to do.

 

[OneMike]

Design looks ugly. Cut down on keyboard bezel. Keep screen bezel. Yuck. Glad it's fake

 

[Xiroteus]

I hope you actually read everything you wrote because part of it you contradicted yourself and the other part was just sounding a tad bit ignorant.



This is a contradiction. On one hand you say one thing then you say something else. Something that is "extremely useful" is subjective and you have no idea who shares the same sentiment. And something that is "widely used" doesn't mean it's extremely useful or couldn't be replaced.

Most things can be replaced. However they are often replaced by something much more expensive. I had no love for 3-1/2 floppies yet they were cheap compared to flash drives. I find it best when there is the mix until the price becomes more reasonable.

Yeah, the 5-1/4" Floppy was "extremely useful" until someone said we needed to dump it for a 3-1/2" floppy because it was smaller and in a more protective case.

Yeah, the 3-1/2" floppy was "extremely useful" until somebody said we needed to dump it in favor of the Zip Drive because it held more information and stored information faster.

Yeah, the Zip Drive was "extremely useful" until Apple said we needed to dump it in favor of a CD drive because it held more information, wrote information permanently and was virtually indestructible.

Not everyone can keep up with the cost. I bypassed zip drives and went to flash drives because of cost. Moving forward is not the issue it is doing it when it is still widely used along with being useful. Dropping 3.5" floppies in 1998? I did not even start using them until 1999. (Only because of cost)

The world has survived very well with the changes in tech.

They just need to be careful of leaving what people need now behind. The future does little good in getting tasks done today. To note, I am hardly speaking for what I currently require. Micro SD cards, USB drives, Dropbox, Online storage etc... No DVD drive required. I needed a lot more until a couple years ago yet appear to be on par with how a lot of tasks are done these days.

About Apple pushing things forward and their competitors end up leaving them behind? Think about that. Their competitors are generally deaf dumb and blind until Apple does something innovative. Then their competitors say, "Oh, that's how to do it", then they use Apple's ideas and then top them at times. Yeah, that's pretty easy to top Apple after Apple shows them what to do.

Even when I give Apple flack, they have pushed others to finally get on board with a few concepts. There were tablet PCs for years yet they were REALLY expensive and mostly for business. I wonder why no one else thought to do some of these things first. I imagine there may have been some company out there that made a really costly high resolution laptop yet Apple did push others to finally do that. Now Apple needs to continue that with the Air.

Even if they get behind they did push many forward a bit.

 

[576316]

Let’s say your MacBook has two Type C ports and is plugged in to a display and a printer. The display is the only device plugged into the wall (of course via Type C as well).

I think he meant that Type-C may route power in both directions depending on the device. Kinda like keeping your External Display on just by plugging it up to the Macbook or using a printer (already plugged to the wall) to charge it.

Okay but he spoke about having his iPhone and iPad attached to his MacBook. Neither of those are gonna provide enough power to charge the MacBook. Well, without draining them both very quickly.

 

[Serban]

everything is wireless now

 

[szw-mapple fan]

So how the hell are you supposed to charge it?

Lightning Port?
not realistic, I know, but a possibility.

 

[BCWorld]

I'll be very upset if the MBA goes the "no ports" route. I'm a web designer / developer so I'm either working in code or with low res Photoshop files (I don't do any print or video work). So for me, an 11" MacBook Air + Dual 27" TB monitors + Keyboard / Mouse is a kick ass setup. I have more than enough computing power for my needs in a package that's not much bigger or heavier to carry around than an iPad!!! Such a joy.

I'd hate to have to lug around a MacBook Pro. That machine is WAY more machine than I need... not to mention more expensive and a lot heavier. I hope this rumour turns out to be false or maybe Apple has some magical wireless tech to connect everything (keyboard, mouse, time machine, dual TB monitors, power supply). Of course that would mean having to buy all new peripherals or some crazy powered hub of some kind.

I feel like Apple is starting to lose it. A watch? A gigantic iPad? A phone that you can't use (or even hold comfortably) in one hand. And software that's going downhill too. I've been an Apple fanatic since 1994 (the Michael Spindler days)... my first Mac had a screen res of 640 x 480 and a whopping 8MB of RAM (that's MB... not GB)... but I'm starting to feel a little concerned.

+1


You are totally right my friend, and I agree. I've been saying the same thing for a while.....
I haven't been using macs as long as you but Apple is starting to lose their touch. But the sad thing no one is hearing what we are trying to say.. #

 

[X Cruz 187]

????

Very VERY appealing.

I hope Apple introduces these colors. Not that I'm buying a Macbook Air... But this will open a door for a Space Grey Macbook Pro. And that's what I always ever wanted.

Space grey S***s it scratches all the time.

 

[Serban]

with the macbook pro so close in thickness and lightness and dimensions to current macbook air..its fair to say we need an even wireless and more portable laptop, the definition of macbook air must be reinvented. so 1 port to rule them all and mics other side

 

[Donoban]

Design looks ugly. Cut down on keyboard bezel. Keep screen bezel. Yuck. Glad it's fake

How do these make the site? Like the guy with the stick tape wrapped around his wrist to demonstrate how the Apple watch could look. How wrong he was, just like these renders will be too.

OK, rant over now.

 

[andyb488]

Is the lack of ports an issue this day in age? Im sat here using my computer with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, connected to wifi that has access to wireless storage, ITunes syncs to my ipad and iphone wirelessly these days so the only thing that im actually using a port for is the charger to my laptop. Granted im using a windows laptop but my network setup would be the same for a MBA with one port.

I think it would just be a learning curve and adapting to new ways of using/working with a device.

Apple in my opinion are pushing the use of their cloud services to negate the use of usb memory sticks and music/video content and forcing more streaming from icloud.

If you looking for ports then the bigger MBP's are the devices they will push. For myself using the a MBA then one port of charging makes some sense. The only port I do see as being missing would be a display port but with intels WIDI you can see why this would be. But then I would need to purchase a new external monitor that features WIDI and that is something I wouldn't want to do.

So I see the pros and cons of such a device and see both its advantages and disadvantages but with the way technology is moving and seeing the direction apple are going with a focus on the cloud then hey this IMO makes sense.

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

What's with all those voices calling for a hybrid iOS/OS X device, or a tablet running OS X? OS X has never been a tablet OS. It has never been touch friendly and I don't see any way it could possibly become touch friendly. You can't just take a desktop keyboard/mouse GUI and make everything bigger or merge another more-touch-friendly layer inside your current OS. That's what they tried with Win8 and it's an epic fail. And I don't see Apple stuffing both iOS and OS X into one device, how is that even Apple-like? One hardware running both iOS designed for their mobile Ax chips and full-blown OS X with all of its bells and whistles, designed for Intel chips and much more powerful Iris Graphics? With different software on both sides, different programs, different storage structure, different controls, different everything? Sounds like a POS to me.

I'm not sure what you mean about OS X not being touch friendly. My trackpad and iMac disagree.

If you mean touchscreen unfriendly, that, with the hardware (touchscreen) can be implemented quite readily, and then you have an OS X touch-friendly setup. Personally, I hate touchscreens. My hand tends to get in the way of what I was looking at, whereas the touchpad lets me, see what I want while off to the side.

 

[rudychidiac]

Space grey S***s it scratches all the time.

Oh haha, oh well... Have you tried black and slate models?

My slate iPhone 5 scratched a month after I bought it. My space grey iPad air is still unscratched.

I don't use any cases / covers