Who will buy another MBA quickly when Apple announces the end of the line....

[maerz001]

You really don`t get the attraction of what is the MBA, do you?
And no, there`s no new 11" laptop out there.

Just trolling this thread is not gonna get you anywhere though.

Showmaster

I did 2010 when I bought the first 11" Air and 2012 an 13" Air.

But what are u expecting from Apple when u ask for a small powerful laptop? U think they will reintroduce the Air? Or anything smaller than a 12"? Not in a million years. Maybe after

 

[Pugly]

I have my 2015 i7 8GB 11 inch and this will last me a while. If this MacBook Air comes into an untimely demise I'll be looking for a used version of the exact same thing. Nothing in the current lineup is really any better than this for me, at least for the money. A 13inch Pro is close, but the non touch bar is missing essential ports... and the touch bar version is too expensive for what it is.

With my use, dongle life would be too annoying... especially with the 12" Macbook.

I debated getting this back in early 2016, but I'm so glad I picked one of these up when I did. The 11 inch may not be for everybody, but it's definitely for me.

 

[RedTomato]

I love my 2013 Air 13", & if they stopped making them, I'd probably almost certainly be seeking to replace my 2013 MBA with whatever the last model MBA was. I keep on thinking about upgrading to a MBP but I can't stand the keyboard on the MB and new MBPs & consider the Touch Bar a waste of time & money.

I'd probably go for the last model of whatever MBP it is without the new keyboard design. They're getting cheaper and cheaper second hand. Can't decide between the 13" and the 15" though.

To ShowMaster, there is more or less zero difference to the user between any MBA from 2013 onwards to the 2017 model. They all have the same screen, more or less the same graphics, and same processors, same USB3 ports, same high speed SSD, similar Thunderbolt ports. The biggest differences will be in 4GB or 8GB ram and SSD sizes.

 

[Showmaster]

I have my 2015 i7 8GB 11 inch and this will last me a while. If this MacBook Air comes into an untimely demise I'll be looking for a used version of the exact same thing. Nothing in the current lineup is really any better than this for me, at least for the money. A 13inch Pro is close, but the non touch bar is missing essential ports... and the touch bar version is too expensive for what it is.

With my use, dongle life would be too annoying... especially with the 12" Macbook.

Exactly! That is just how I feel too!
Here`s hoping that the keyboard will be improved on the new machines, and that the connectivity will be a bit more versatile.
Don`t feel like carrying a lot of dongles around! Apparently many people don`t see it that way, but I find it annoying.

I love my 2013 Air 13", & if they stopped making them, I'd probably almost certainly be seeking to replace my 2013 MBA with whatever the last model MBA was. .

I rest my case.

To ShowMaster, there is more or less zero difference to the user between any MBA from 2013 onwards to the 2017 model. They all have the same screen, more or less the same graphics, and same processors, same USB3 ports, same high speed SSD, similar Thunderbolt ports. The biggest differences will be in 4GB or 8GB ram and SSD sizes.

Thanks.
I already had the 512GB, 8 RAM and the i7, so very little difference to me; I guess.
Just renewing something good!

Showmaster.

 

[Mainsail]

I love my early 2014 MBA. It's the best computer I have every owned. I figure it has a couple more good years left.

When it comes time to replace it, I will see what Apple has to offer. The base MBP and rMB are $1299, which seems too high for the entry level laptop market. So, Apple needs something at the magical $999 consumer price point for students and more casual users. They might drop the base MBP or rMB to $999, but I will not consider these as viable options until they fix their keyboard failure problems. The other possibility is that Apple creates a new reliable entry level laptop with an improved IPS screen, legacy ports, maybe one TB3 port, and a familiar keyboard with a form factor similar to the current MBA (including the iconic Apple illuminated logo).....sort of like the iPad 2017 or iPhone SE.....but in the laptop space. If Apple does this, I am all in.

 

[Showmaster]

The other possibility is that Apple creates a new reliable entry level laptop with an improved IPS screen, legacy ports, maybe one TB3 port, and a familiar keyboard with a form factor similar to the current MBA (inducing the iconic Apple illuminated logo).....sort of like the iPad 2017 or iPhone SE.....but in the laptop space. If Apple does this, I am all in.

That is what I´ll be waiting for too, whilst "sitting on" my new MBA of course!!!

Showmaster

 

[coolX]

In Germany we have the saying "what the farmer doesn't know, he doesn't eat".

It describes the effect that some people stick to things they know which can be good but on the other side hinders them of new experiences.

In case of computers we have the brand loyalty and some have even model loyalty combined with prejudices. We should be more open for everything with common sense so we can gain the best of two worlds.

then have you considered making the dell xps your next machine?

 

[sracer]

Listen up, they did already. Even smaller and lighter but double SSD and GPU, 50% CPU Speed. It's called MacBook

LOL... umm, no. You conveniently avoided mentioning the lack of ports and support for removable media. Things with the Macbook does not have but which many MBA owners rely on. (except for SD card removable media on the 11")

I did 2010 when I bought the first 11" Air and 2012 an 13" Air.

But what are u expecting from Apple when u ask for a small powerful laptop? U think they will reintroduce the Air? Or anything smaller than a 12"? Not in a million years. Maybe after

I am open to the possibility that I missed reading some comments but I haven't seen anyone "expecting" Apple to resurrect the 11" MBA. Even the most diehard fans of the 11" MBA know that it is part of Apple computer history. Yes, we may lament that fact, but we recognize it as a fact.

It seems like your comments bounce between referring to the 11" MBA which is no longer sold, and the 13" MBA which is. That makes it a bit more challenging in trying to understand what you are talking about.

 

[maerz001]

LOL... umm, no. You conveniently avoided mentioning the lack of ports and support for removable media. Things with the Macbook does not have but which many MBA owners rely on. (except for SD card removable media on the 11")



I am open to the possibility that I missed reading some comments but I haven't seen anyone "expecting" Apple to resurrect the 11" MBA. Even the most diehard fans of the 11" MBA know that it is part of Apple computer history. Yes, we may lament that fact, but we recognize it as a fact.

It seems like your comments bounce between referring to the 11" MBA which is no longer sold, and the 13" MBA which is. That makes it a bit more challenging in trying to understand what you are talking about.

Yep u missed something. The master of this show here was hoping that Apple would give us something small and powerful as the 11" Air in the future.

That's why I said this won't happen as there is already the MB with more power.

He said but not as small as the 11.6" which I don't get cos the 12" has a smaller package in all dimensions and is even lighter with same battery life.

We all know about the missing ports. I'm with u that more ports would be better. But hoping for resurrection of USBA or MagSafe is like waiting for a new parallel port.

So it's either using a dongle or buying used Airs and wait till they die.

 

[Pugly]

Yep u missed something. The master of this show here was hoping that Apple would give us something small and powerful as the 11" Air in the future.

That's why I said this won't happen as there is already the MB with more power.

He said but not as small as the 11.6" which I don't get cos the 12" has a smaller package in all dimensions and is even lighter with same battery life.

We all know about the missing ports. I'm with u that more ports would be better. But hoping for resurrection of USBA or MagSafe is like waiting for a new parallel port.

So it's either using a dongle or buying used Airs and wait till they die.

The power in the 12 seems fine now, but it still may have an issue with throttling, especially in gaming. The air could throttle too, but the fanless design will definitely throttle during heavy use.

My problem with the ports is purely the amount. With the air I can hook up power, external monitor and 2 USB peripherals. Which I do all the time. I hook up USB midi controllers, microphones, audio interfaces, external hard drives, thumb drives and my iPhone for wireless hotspot (I find the Bluetooth connection slow sometimes). To even do one of these things and charge at the same time I would need a hub. And good hubs aren't cheap.

And I need to plug in a charger most of the time. I use the computer heavily, and I get 3 hours battery life at most. This is another reason why the iPad sucks as a Pro device, and making a MacBook more iPad like is a downgrade. Any heavy use tanks the battery fast. And then you combine that with not being able to hook up anything and charge at the same time. That's when the computer is actively working against you to solve problems. Not a problem with the Air.

The trade off in the air is the screen, but the screen still works! It does everything I need it to do, the only downside is a matter of perception not basic utility.

The 12" needs 3 USB-C ports for it to be worthwhile to me. The type of connection doesn't really matter, since that's just a change in cable, but the reduced quantity is the biggest problem to me. Especially now that one is needed to charge.

If Apple gives 12" 2 ports, 13" nontouch 4 ports, and 13" and 15" 6 ports, all the dongle issues would be solved. And I would consider getting one if the price was ever under $1200.

 

[maerz001]

The power in the 12 seems fine now, but it still may have an issue with throttling, especially in gaming. The air could throttle too, but the fanless design will definitely throttle during heavy use.

My problem with the ports is purely the amount. With the air I can hook up power, external monitor and 2 USB peripherals. Which I do all the time. I hook up USB midi controllers, microphones, audio interfaces, external hard drives, thumb drives and my iPhone for wireless hotspot (I find the Bluetooth connection slow sometimes). To even do one of these things and charge at the same time I would need a hub. And good hubs aren't cheap.

And I need to plug in a charger most of the time. I use the computer heavily, and I get 3 hours battery life at most. This is another reason why the iPad sucks as a Pro device, and making a MacBook more iPad like is a downgrade. Any heavy use tanks the battery fast. And then you combine that with not being able to hook up anything and charge at the same time. That's when the computer is actively working against you to solve problems. Not a problem with the Air.

The trade off in the air is the screen, but the screen still works! It does everything I need it to do, the only downside is a matter of perception not basic utility.

The 12" needs 3 USB-C ports for it to be worthwhile to me. The type of connection doesn't really matter, since that's just a change in cable, but the reduced quantity is the biggest problem to me. Especially now that one is needed to charge.

If Apple gives 12" 2 ports, 13" nontouch 4 ports, and 13" and 15" 6 ports, all the dongle issues would be solved. And I would consider getting one if the price was ever under $1200.

Yes a hub is than your only solution. But the good thing about is that you only have to plug in one cable from that in the MB.

Gaming on anything without a dGPU is not ideal and MACs in general. But the throttle on the MB isn't a big issue anymore:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...tained-cpu-load-10-runs-of-cinebench.2073415/

 

[Pugly]

Yes a hub is than your only solution. But the good thing about is that you only have to plug in one cable from that in the MB.

The hub isn't a good thing. It's just another thing I have to bring along, set up and break down every time I want to use the MacBook. At home it's convenient sure. But that's not really where I need the it to be seamless.

Charging and hooking up an external drive at the same time without a hub is a much bigger loss than floppy drives and optical media.

I agree that the throttling and power isn't really an issue anymore with the MacBooks.... except maybe for gaming. I did just fire up Diablo III at a coffee shop to join in with my friend the other day, so I still would like to get as much gaming performance as possible too.

Which is all to say just how great the MacBook Air is. There's nothing really wrong with the new MacBook or MacBook Pros, they are just slightly more inconvenient... and considerably more expensive. While the Air just keeps on being awesome in the bargain bin side of Apple Computers.

 

[Showmaster]

I am open to the possibility that I missed reading some comments but I haven't seen anyone "expecting" Apple to resurrect the 11" MBA. Even the most diehard fans of the 11" MBA know that it is part of Apple computer history. Yes, we may lament that fact, but we recognize it as a fact.

No, you didn`t miss a thing.
Just somebody willingly "misunderstanding" the point of this thread and the (valid) points being made about the 11".
I wouldn`t feed her, if I were you.

Showmaster

 

[Falhófnir]

Its interesting to see that John Lewis still list it as the best selling MacBook model online, maybe that's not reflective of the wider sales picture, but they are a big retailer...

 

[Showmaster]

Its interesting to see that John Lewis still list it as the best selling MacBook model online, maybe that's not reflective of the wider sales picture, but they are a big retailer...

I think a lot of that is to do with JUST the prize.
While not cheap, it is the most affordable way to get your hands on OSX.
By definition, the "cheapest" Mac will be popular by the likes of students etc.

Showmaster

 

[Falhófnir]

I think a lot of that is to do with the prize.
While not cheap, it is the most affordable way to get your hands on OSX.
By definition, the "cheapest" Mac will be popular by the likes of students etc.

Showmaster

Yep I think that’s about the size of it - and in fairness it’s still a good computer for most people (arguably the best in the MacBook lineup as things stand with the usb c/ keyboard craziness going on further up the line) especially when you can get one at the frequently offered £1-200 off!

 

[LauraJean]

Good question.
For me personally, a question that is easy enough to answer though!

I haven`t seen a newer model that I would like.
I am referring to features like:

-The classic Keyboard.
-The USB-3 and SD-card connections, as well as the old-fashioned Thunderbolt. (ideal for my TB hard drive).
-Magnetic MagSafe......why go back to cables that would pull your laptop off the table?
-The Battery life.
-The robustness.
-The tiny bit smaller Mac Book does not do it for me, the difference in weight and size with MBA is not worth it.

Besides, the Retina-hype does not stick on me, I see it on display in the Apple Store and I don`t find it that impressive nor important.

Cheers,

Showmaster

I'm with you: retina is not that important to me either, couldn't tell the difference in an Apple store with the AIR sitting next to the MacBook.

The only time retina made a difference to me was in 2012 when I bought an iPod Touch with a retina screen, a clear improvement over my 2010 iPod Touch.

 

[Mainsail]

The other day my son was home from college, and I was looking at the screen on his MacBook Pro with retina display 2015. He hadn't cleaned it in months....smudges, dirt, grime.....you name it. Same story with my HS kids MBA screen.

I looked at these screens and just laughed thinking about how much of a big deal people make over display resolution. It's no excuse for my kids not taking better care of their computers, but honestly, when I see most laptops in the wild, the screens are usually a mess. It's like spending big bucks on a giant 4K television and watching it through swim goggles.

 

[Showmaster]

The other day my son was home from college, and I was looking at the screen on his MacBook Pro with retina display 2015. He hadn't cleaned it in months....smudges, dirt, grime.....you name it. Same story with my HS kids MBA screen.

I looked at these screens and just laughed thinking about how much of a big deal people make over display resolution. It's no excuse for my kids not taking better care of their computers, but honestly, when I see most laptops in the wild, the screens are usually a mess. It's like spending big bucks on a giant 4K television and watching it through swim goggles.

Haha, indeed!!
To each their own, but Retina is not an argument for me.

Showmaster

 

[Showmaster]

Does anybody know WHEN or HOW we would find out about a possible end of the production line?
I know they`re expecting an Apple event in March......would that be part of the announcements?

Showmaster

 

[sracer]

Does anybody know WHEN or HOW we would find out about a possible end of the production line?
I know they`re expecting an Apple event in March......would that be part of the announcements?

Showmaster

Not unless one personally knows someone on the inside who is responsible for those decisions.

If I recall correctly, when Apple discontinued the 11" MBA, they didn't make mention of it when they announced the new Macbook Pros in Oct 2016, but simply a press release afterwards. At that moment, it was not possible to order an 11" MBA from their site and only units in the retail channel remained.

That was better (relatively speaking) than when they discontinued the iPod Classic. The night before they announced the end, they ordered all retail stores to pull them from the shelves. By the time the Classic was officially discontinued, there were no units on store shelves.

If Apple were to discontinue the 13" MBA in March, by the time we hear about it, we won't be able to BTO one on their site and would have to scramble to snag one that most closely matches our requirements from the retail channel.

This is the way Apple works. It would be nice if they would announce a future date of discontinuing a device to allow people to one last chance to order. But I understand how supply channels work and the last thing they want is a last-minute flurry of orders that will increase the need to manufacture something they're looking to discontinue.

 

[Showmaster]

If Apple were to discontinue the 13" MBA in March, by the time we hear about it, we won't be able to BTO one on their site and would have to scramble to snag one that most closely matches our requirements from the retail channel.

This is the way Apple works. It would be nice if they would announce a future date of discontinuing a device to allow people to one last chance to order. But I understand how supply channels work and the last thing they want is a last-minute flurry of orders that will increase the need to manufacture something they're looking to discontinue.

Thanks for your feedback.
Apple rumours are normally kind of on the mark though, you know; before such an event.
So it`s just a question of keeping my ear close to the ground in February.

I could go ahead and custom order mine now I guess, but if they were to continue the line until October I´d be shooting myself in the foot. After all, my machine works fine for the time being.

Showmaster.

 

[gertruded]

Yes I replaced my 2012 with a new one for a great sale price.. Unless Apple drastically improves the MBP, especially the keyboard I will try to keep it for 5 more years.

 

[sracer]

Thanks for your feedback.
Apple rumours are normally kind of on the mark though, you know; before such an event.
So it`s just a question of keeping my ear close to the ground in February.

I could go ahead and custom order mine now I guess, but if they were to continue the line until October I´d be shooting myself in the foot. After all, my machine works fine for the time being.

Showmaster.

Apple rumors with regard to discontinuing products are pretty poor. I recommend buying one now only if you're looking for a maxed out model... they're usually not in stores (like Best Buy). If you're looking for a bas model, they'll be available after a sudden announcement.

 

[niteflyr]

My 1st computer was a Radio Shack TRS80. (Yeah I'm an Old Fart) I gave up on PC's 8 or 9 years ago and have never looked back. I've owned MBP's, Mac Mini, iMac's, (now own a 2017 27" iMac) and Mac Book Air's. I looked at MacBooks when they came out, (keyboard sucks, no ports) and bought another (this one maxed out) 11" MBA instead, after they discontinued the 11" (found one in refurb). Without a doubt, this is the best computer I have ever owned. Perfect combination of power, portability, battery life, screen resolution (ok not Retina, but better than 13" or many others). This will be my travel machine for many years still. PLEASE BRING THIS BACK!