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What's your opinion on the MBA releasing in 2016.
- Thread starter thnzus
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The CMBP has stuck around for an inexplicably long time. I think there's more to it than it was just a good 'un.
My guess is that Apple has one or more important customers that won't touch the rMBP for some reason, possibly the SSD or lack of internal ethernet. My employer had an embargo on SSD-based computers for a while (I think they were working out how to comply with secure disposal regs) - that is long gone, but other businesses have worse bureaucracies and/or have more cumbersome security requirements.
I think they will keep it around in some form or another for a few years as it represents the entry level. I think it will disappear only if they can bring the price of the MacBook down.
Don't count on the Retina screens either. It's very likely that the Air will never get a Retina display, Force Touch trackpad, smaller footprint, or Haptic keyboard.
Instead, the Retina MacBook, which has all these features, will eventually replace it for those who want a thin/light Mac laptop.
Apple are currently on a roll with the Mac, its performing very well sales wise, better than it ever has. To kill the Air would be a very bad move in my opinion. Whilst i don't really have much evidence i strongly believe the Macbook Air makes up the bulk of Apples Macs sales. I'm basing this on
1) Apples refurb store online always gets restocked with Airs quickly.
2) When i bought my Macbook Pro in 2013 i asked the sale guy if they sell many of these, he said no where near as many as the Airs.
3) I have a friend who works on a support desk for internet for students at a university in the student accommodation (over 4000 students living on campus) They survey the students about their equipment every year, last September they noticed something odd. It use to be 90% Windows based PCs, 10% Macs. He said this time it was closer to 50/50 split and it was majority Macbook Airs.
4) When ever i see Macs in public its seems to be mainly the Airs.
I think the Airs pricing point now has made it just about affordable to most people to consider. Its £250 less than when i got my first Air in 2011. I really hope the Air stays around for a while yet,i prefer it to my Macbook Pro, i don't care about the Retina display. In fact on some things i do the Retina display is a pain, causes lag with the scaling it has to do.
Would be sweet if the Air had slight price drop again to make it more affordable like its had over the last few years.
1) Apples refurb store online always gets restocked with Airs quickly.
2) When i bought my Macbook Pro in 2013 i asked the sale guy if they sell many of these, he said no where near as many as the Airs.
3) I have a friend who works on a support desk for internet for students at a university in the student accommodation (over 4000 students living on campus) They survey the students about their equipment every year, last September they noticed something odd. It use to be 90% Windows based PCs, 10% Macs. He said this time it was closer to 50/50 split and it was majority Macbook Airs.
4) When ever i see Macs in public its seems to be mainly the Airs.
I think the Airs pricing point now has made it just about affordable to most people to consider. Its £250 less than when i got my first Air in 2011. I really hope the Air stays around for a while yet,i prefer it to my Macbook Pro, i don't care about the Retina display. In fact on some things i do the Retina display is a pain, causes lag with the scaling it has to do.
Would be sweet if the Air had slight price drop again to make it more affordable like its had over the last few years.
I had an exchange in a thread earlier this year with someone whose school system was buying hundreds of cMBPs. It's possible that Ed sales are significant for the cMBP. (?)
The fact that Apple didn't update the trackpad tells us something. Apple clearly wants the new trackpad in all of its notebooks because it wants to force developers into taking advantage of the new hardware. The fact that they didn't bother to put that trackpad into the 2015 MBA models is a hint that their sun has set.
I'm in the crowd of people who love the all-around stats of the Air. No Retina is fine with me, and the performance and the battery life are amazing for the low-to-middle workload segment (video editors standing almost entirely alone at the summit).
The new MacBook I'm sure is a fine little machine; but to me, it's ugly. If I wanted bling I'd buy a case studded with cheap rhinestones and put it on my Air. I think Apple would be sorely mistaken to slaughter the Air, of either size, on the dumbed-down alter of rMB.
The new MacBook I'm sure is a fine little machine; but to me, it's ugly. If I wanted bling I'd buy a case studded with cheap rhinestones and put it on my Air. I think Apple would be sorely mistaken to slaughter the Air, of either size, on the dumbed-down alter of rMB.
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