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.
What to Expect in the Third Generation MacBook
- Thread starter Hellhammer
- WikiPost WikiPost
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
- Status
I don't think there is anything new at the moment, Apple will probably do what they did last year and release the new MacBooks as a small press release rather than at an event. They did that last year in April so I'm guessing they will do the same again this year.
Ah ok I didnt realize it was a quiet release, wasn't really following the macbook line too closely then. Thanks for the info, that makes me feel alot better.
They will likely be holding a March event later this month, new iPads are expected but if there are significant updates to the MacBook they could announce them at the event. But more likely is a silent update around April time with new processors and a rumoured 16GB Ram option.
Is there any reason why we think they wouldn't add the Touch Bar to it? That would give them a way to drop the price on the existing MB, and keep the price artificially high on a premium MB.
No they didn't, the 12" MacBook got a silent update last year.
[doublepost=1489173344][/doublepost]
I don't see them adding the Touch bar to the MacBook, it's a premium feature for the MacBook Pro.
Edit: link showing that Apple silently updated the MacBook last year on April 19th http://www.apple.com/uk/pr/library/...Longer-Battery-Life-New-Rose-Gold-Finish.html
It's also new technology that needs as much support by developers as possible to really take off as essential technology the Mac offers over other PC options. Think about the the 9.7" iPad Pro getting 4K, Wide color display, True-Tone, and more, only a few months after the 12.9" one came out. It allowed them to keep the 9.7" iPad priced higher than the previous model, despite incorporating features the significantly more expensive 12.9" didn't have.
They won't do it, it's the same reason they have the none Touch Bar version, it would also increase the cost of the MacBook. I could be wrong but I don't think the Touch Bar will be brought over to the 12" MacBook, not only that but it's simply too small.
I'm not saying you don't have a valid point, but they haven't lowered the price of the MB in two years with very little to justify the price. If they don't add something major to it, then they'll have to lower the price. There's a reason the TouchBar isn't on the cheapest MBP, as well as only having two ports, and that's to offer an affordable alternative. Right now, there's no affordable alternative to the MB, unless you count the MBA, which is not in the same class. If Apple adds the Touch Bar, they can charge more for the MB, while simultaneously lowering the price for a non-touchbar model, following the exact same offerings as with the MBP. If they plan to discontinue the MBA, as they did with the 2012 MBP, then this would be a logical plan, an entry MB and MBP without the Touchbar, and a premium MB & MBP with a Touchbar. At the same time, they drop the last of the non-Retina displays, while forcing new customers solely into USB-C. All of which is good for developers, if not the customers.
For what its worth I don't think they will be bringing the touch bar to the MB either, but I dont think its because its too small. I think the keyboard is the same size and all they do is replace the top row function keys.
Your right, I thought they had mentioned it during the keynote, but I guess not.
Unsure if this was posted earlier, but with Dell's release of their XPS 13 2-in-1, we have an example of an fanless ultrabook that has at least one Thunderbolt 3 port with four PCIe Gen3 lanes. There are key differences in size and weight (comparatively the Dell is quite a bit heavier starting at 2.7lbs vs 2.03lbs for the Apple; though the absolutely weight different might not be that much for some people). I cannot tell how much of that weight and size difference would be something like an Alpine Ridge controller vs the screen and battery which likely account for more.
Worth noting also is that the new chips, including the i7 7Y75 that's supposed to be the top performer of the new Kaby Lake lineup, are benchmarked and tested in those computers (the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1) to be just about on par or even worse than the last generation in some cases (heavy multi-threading workloads).
That's the whole basis for the "minor spec bump" comment that some of us have been preaching for a while now, but people like to dream and speculate.
Honestly, at this point, I would fully expect this year's upgrade to be a very small spec bump and incremental change, if Apple even wants to change anything at all, that is.
The signs are all there already.
That's the whole basis for the "minor spec bump" comment that some of us have been preaching for a while now, but people like to dream and speculate.
Honestly, at this point, I would fully expect this year's upgrade to be a very small spec bump and incremental change, if Apple even wants to change anything at all, that is.
The signs are all there already.
You might have a point about having enough space. However, looking at the iFixit teardowns, I'm not really seeing a major problem carving out space. Battery life is constantly being optimized, so that in of itself may not be an issue, but agreed it's definitely a consideration -- Apple won't reduce battery life. Price is the least of the issues here. The 9.7" iPP shows that -- they simply raise the price, or rather keep the price the same, and offer a non-touch bar model with a price cut. That's standard Apple MO.
New chips and lower price point + better battery to replace the MacBook Air.
Man, as much as I don't want it to be true, I think I am migrating to the silent-spec-update-for-the-2nd-year-in-a-row camp. Maybe a 16GB or 1TB option, perhaps a slightly lower price, but I don't think too much else is going to change, given the lack of leaks thus far.
I've wanted one of these bad boys since Gen 1 was announced and have just been biding my time as my 2008 AluminumBook is still running and perma-hooked to an external monitor.
All I want is something that will run a big 4K display probably 32-40" at 60Hz with no problem (heard about issues on the 2nd Gen machines from some here) and perhaps run some Rocket League in Bootcamp when not home (heard this would be the best way to make it run).
At this point it is starting to look like my best bet for the near future is gonna be a 13" Pro. And once that decision is made, I can't NOT go for the TB version... Would miss the portability, but seems like that fits the needs best.
Here's to hoping for some good news come April!
I've wanted one of these bad boys since Gen 1 was announced and have just been biding my time as my 2008 AluminumBook is still running and perma-hooked to an external monitor.
All I want is something that will run a big 4K display probably 32-40" at 60Hz with no problem (heard about issues on the 2nd Gen machines from some here) and perhaps run some Rocket League in Bootcamp when not home (heard this would be the best way to make it run).
At this point it is starting to look like my best bet for the near future is gonna be a 13" Pro. And once that decision is made, I can't NOT go for the TB version... Would miss the portability, but seems like that fits the needs best.
Here's to hoping for some good news come April!
I recently attempted migrating to a 16gb, 1 TB 13" tb mbp and was not happy with it. I was coming from a 11" MBA and was using it as a portable and connected to a cinema display a lot.
I missed the portability a lot, the 13" MB pro is heavy. I also didn't get good battery life out of it. Ultimately, I returned it.
I want a solid portable that also hooks up well to an external. I had hoped dual 4k's but maybe we're not there yet on ultra portables.
I'm currently waiting to see on this upcoming Macbook. Will then decide whether to do that and hook up to a 4k or go back to the 2015 11" MBA for this. Then wait another year for the entire series to evolve further. This feels like a funky time for the mac computer line.
Last edited: