Will Apple ever bring back the MacBook? And something that doesn't make sense!

[Kebabselector]

The MACBOOK IS GONE FOREVER!

Actually it's still available for educational purchases, so once again you have a visit from Mr Fail.

As leekohler eluded to, things do come back.

Backlit keyboards
Firewire disappeared from the Alu Macbook - it came back in the 13" MBP
Matte screens went and come back
Retail sales of Lion weren't going to happen - oh wait - they are releasing a flash based version.

In it's current form the MacBook has gone from the retail channel, but there is a gap no matter how much you want to say otherwise.

 

[ryannel2003]

The MACBOOK IS GONE FOREVER!

Get over it you fool, go smash it with a hammer and LIKE IT! Post it on youtube, and you will get thousands of views!

Just get over it and delete this forum

Wow it's not that serious. You're seriously lame.

 

[Dark Void]

Air fans can argue whatever they want, but a unit with a low clock speed processor, 2 GB RAM, and 64 GB of storage is a terrible choice for the lowest priced laptop model, and in my opinion, doesn't encourage any notebook user to try out Apple's portable computing products with Mac OS X.

A refreshed MacBook would get the job done much better, even more so at a lower price.

 

[Toke]

The MACBOOK IS GONE FOREVER!

Get over it you fool, go smash it with a hammer and LIKE IT! Post it on youtube, and you will get thousands of views!

Just get over it and delete this forum

You're so foolish. An Air can hardly be compared to a plain Macbook. If I had to choose, I would rather have an old Macbook over a brand new Air. Aside from it being easily drop-able, it has doesn't have any of the ports or a disc drive like a Macbook does.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

Air fans can argue whatever they want, but a unit with a low clock speed processor, 2 GB RAM, and 64 GB of storage is a terrible choice for the lowest priced laptop model

No one seems to remember that the MacBook just discontinued had a slower processor than the new Air and and the same amount of RAM. "Slower processor and only 2 GB RAM" are the most common arguments, and they're both invalid.

I agree that the storage amount is low.

Aside from it being easily drop-able, it has doesn't have any of the ports or a disc drive like a Macbook does.

How is the Air easily droppable? I've played around with some Airs before and never felt like they were any easier to drop than other laptops. It does have some of the ports a MacBook has, namely the MiniDisplayPort, USB, headphone, and MagSafe. I realize your point is probably that the MBA has fewer ports than the MacBook, but you can't say it doesn't have any.

How often do you actually use your optical drive, especially when out and about?

 

[Toke]

How is the Air easily droppable? I've played around with some Airs before and never felt like they were any easier to drop than other laptops. It does have some of the ports a MacBook has, namely the MiniDisplayPort, USB, headphone, and MagSafe. I realize your point is probably that the MBA has fewer ports than the MacBook, but you can't say it doesn't have any.

How often do you actually use your optical drive, especially when out and about?

I feel that it being as thin as it is that if it was bumped it would be less likely to survive a fall than a macbook. I personally would just rather have a 13in macbook than something thin/netbook like. And I use my drive fairly often. Whether it's importing music to iTunes or watching movies or burning discs.

 

[Dark Void]

No one seems to remember that the MacBook just discontinued had a slower processor than the new Air and and the same amount of RAM. "Slower processor and only 2 GB RAM" are the most common arguments, and they're both invalid.

I agree that the storage amount is low.

Did I not say a refreshed MacBook? You are comparing a model that was refreshed a week ago to the old white MacBook. You're invalid.

I didn't say slow, I said low clock speed, it's not the same thing. I mention low clock speed as they can easily put an i5 into a MacBook chassis with a clock speed above 2 GHz, most likely around 2.3 GHz like the current 13'' MacBook Pro. It would most likely see a 4 GB bump as well, as it was already a 2 GB standard machine, and it's doubtful that they would do that again.

If anything, there is no room for the white MacBook right now because of the 13'' MacBook Pro, especially with the Microcenter deal. I am confident that once the MacBook Pro sees a major redesign (no optical drive, etc) then they will bring the MacBook back with upgraded specs when it will have a niche in the line-up. The MacBook Air isn't anything I would consider an entry level laptop. It has an 11'' display, a 1.6 GHz processor (I realize clock speed isn't everything, but compare it to other models), 2 GB RAM, 64 GB of storage, basically no ports, no optical drive, and it's not expandable ... all because it's "thin!"

Perhaps they are common arguments, whether you are overlooking them or not or even believe that they're invalid - you're missing the big picture.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

Did I not say a refreshed MacBook? You are comparing a model that was refreshed a week ago to the old white MacBook. You're invalid.

Hold on. Lay off the personal insults. Simply because I missed a word in your statement doesn't mean that I'm invalid. No need to be insulting.

I didn't say slow, I said low clock speed, it's not the same thing.

When comparing completely different architectures (PPC vs Intel, C2D vs i5, etc) you're right. However, taking into account your stipulation of a refreshed MacBook, however, we would be comparing identical architectures. In that case, low clock speed = slow. A 1.5 GHz i5 will always be slower than a 2.4 GH i5 (motherboard and other external factors not included). So, yes, you did say slow, just not in so many words.

Perhaps they are common arguments, whether you are overlooking them or not or even believe that they're invalid - you're missing the big picture.

There is no big picture in someone comparing the Air to the most recent MacBook and complaining about the RAM in the Air when it's the same as the RAM in the MacBook. I've seen lots of posts that say "The new Air sucks because it only has 2 GB RAM, and that's less than the MacBook had."

I understand completely that a refreshed MacBook would almost certainly have been significantly faster than the current Air. I also understand that, to many users, this move is highly frustrating.

However, if you really want to talk about the big picture, I understand that this was a smart financial move for Apple, which is what it all comes down to in the end for a company. Apple doesn't exist to appease the masses, it exists to make money. Cutting the MacBook line was almost certainly purely a financial decision. Ever since the introduction of the 11" Air, along with the 13" MBP, the MacBook line has been steadily declining in profit. Now that the Air is truly fast enough to be used as a primary computer, it makes very good financial sense. That's the big picture.

 

[Dark Void]

I was not comparing similar architectures, you just took it as such, and you're basically trying to tell me what I said. I did mention an i5, and I did mention the 13'' MacBook Pro. That doesn't mean that I am talking about implementing a Sandy Bridge processor into the MacBook, it would be irrelevant at this point. It was merely an example of the clock speed that is commonly utilized by Apple in such a chassis size. All I was saying is that they can easily provide a better processor in terms of clock speed in something that provides the size that is the MacBook chassis, in other words. If anything, you may see an Ivy Bridge processor in there if and when it is refreshed.

There is a big picture here - the MacBook Air is the new $999 price point laptop. My point is that this is no substitute for the MacBook, because it is an 11'' computer with a 1.6 GHz processor (keep the refresh in mind), 2 GB RAM, 64 GB of storage, basically no ports, and no expandability. A notebook user looking for the cheapest way to experience Mac OS X in a laptop model is going to be very disappointed to see that, and basically go for either the high-end 11'', any 13'' (if they don't want to be able to upgrade), or a MacBook Pro.

Why are you even bringing up financial standpoints when I already said that there is no place for the MacBook given the MacBook Pro? That is my point, and what I am saying is the Air at the same price point does not make up for it. I agree with what they did with the MacBook, it has no niche in the Mac laptop line right now.

The statement that I am making is that the 11'' MacBook Air is a terrible entry level laptop. While the most recent MacBook wasn't great in terms of specs, it still offered ports (i.e. versatility) and expandability, most importantly. I know it's not Apple's ambition right now, but a refreshed MacBook would make a much better choice at that entry price point. Again, I am confident it will come back once it differs from the MacBook Pro, i.e. when the MacBook Pro sees a major redesign.

 

[InuNacho]

By the looks of people's posts on here I must be a complete weirdo.

When at home my Macbook is hooked up to a firewire daisychain with 2 drives and occasionally a camcorder, theres usually something in the optical drive, and it's hooked up to an external monitor.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

I was not comparing similar architectures

Then what were you comparing? You were comparing the Air to a theoretically refreshed MacBook, which would almost certainly have a Sandy Bridge chipset in it.

it is an 11'' computer

With more pixels than the 13" MacBook.

Why are you even bringing up financial standpoints when I already said that there is no place for the MacBook given the MacBook Pro? That is my point, and what I am saying is the Air at the same price point does not make up for it. I agree with what they did with the MacBook, it has no niche in the Mac laptop line right now.

I brought it up because you accused me of not being able to see the big picture. That's the biggest picture of all.

Again, I am confident it will come back once it differs from the MacBook Pro, i.e. when the MacBook Pro sees a major redesign.

Part of me hopes so as well. However, this would go against Apple's history. That I can recall, Apple has never discontinued a product and then brought it back again. I could be wrong, but I don't remember Apple ever doing this.

You're making a lot of assumptions about what I do and don't know, while I haven't made them about you. Stick with what you know, it'd be much appreciated.

 

[Dark Void]

Then what were you comparing? You were comparing the Air to a theoretically refreshed MacBook, which would almost certainly have a Sandy Bridge chipset in it.

I am comparing likely clock speeds in each chassis size. I thought it was quite clear.

With more pixels than the 13" MacBook.

Yeah, but it's still an 11'' screen. I guess that's fine if it's what you want ...

I brought it up because you accused me of not being able to see the big picture. That's the biggest picture of all.

I didn't accuse you, I pretty much flat out told you that you aren't seeing the big picture. You're pretty much ignoring what I am saying.

You're making a lot of assumptions about what I do and don't know, while I haven't made them about you. Stick with what you know, it'd be much appreciated.

So, you quote my post, try to challenge what I am saying, and then bring up this defense when I reply? Perhaps this isn't for you.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

I am comparing likely clock speeds in each chassis size. I thought it was quite clear.

You were clear that you were comparing clock speeds. You were also clear that a difference in clock speed doesn't necessarily mean a difference in usage speed. So what's the point of the comparison?

Yeah, but it's still an 11'' screen. I guess that's fine if it's what you want ...

I realize that this isn't the case for everyone, but it doesn't at all affect me. In fact, I rather like the pixel density. To me, it's more about the number of pixels (and thus the amount of objects that can fit on the screen) than the physical screen size. I'd say that full 1080p in an 11" screen would be too much, but the 11" Air is pretty much perfect for me.

I didn't accuse you, I pretty much flat out told you that you aren't seeing the big picture. You're pretty much ignoring what I am saying.

Stating something about a person doesn't make it true, it makes it an accusation. And I suppose all my replies to your statements constitute ignoring you? I'd love to see what paying attention is.

So, you quote my post, try to challenge what I am saying, and then bring up this defense when I reply? Perhaps this isn't for you.

Lighten up. This isn't a competition, at least it's not to me. I'm not trying to "win" (as if an argument of opinions can be won), but you seem to be trying hard. I'm attempting to have a rational discourse, and you've sent insults and accusations my way. Perhaps this isn't for you.

If you have something reasonable to say (and you've had plenty of reasonable things to say) regarding the subject of this thread, I'll be happy to continue this discussion. But I won't respond to any posts similar to the past couple you've made. I'll let you "win" in that department.

 

[skier777]

For like 100 bucks more you can get a 13inch MBP, made out of metal. Why would anybody be buying a white macbook anymore?

 

[skier777]

I don't do any heavy use tasks other than writing papers and doing research, so I consider myself a fairly average user. I'm also a college student, so I figure I'm in Apple's target market.

I go to a liberal arts college in the southeast US. We have wifi in the coffee shop and in the library, but the IT guys will not allow wifi in the dorms; to the point of taking away your credentials to get on the network. Yet there are two Ethernet ports in every room. So I use Ethernet all the time.

What college? Thats almost absurd, I've never heard of a school without campus-wide wifi, its something that all 11 of the tour guides that showed me around various college campuses mentioned.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

What college? Thats almost absurd, I've never heard of a school without campus-wide wifi, its something that all 11 of the tour guides that showed me around various college campuses mentioned.

I've heard of plenty. No big ones, of course, but colleges with a student body of a few hundred tend to be behind the times with technology, having not the money to keep up.

 

[Dark Void]

You were clear that you were comparing clock speeds. You were also clear that a difference in clock speed doesn't necessarily mean a difference in usage speed. So what's the point of the comparison?

I thought it was a pretty simple concept. Low clock speed processors tend to go in the smaller chassis, higher clock speed processors tend to go in the large chassis.

I realize that this isn't the case for everyone, but it doesn't at all affect me. In fact, I rather like the pixel density. To me, it's more about the number of pixels (and thus the amount of objects that can fit on the screen) than the physical screen size. I'd say that full 1080p in an 11" screen would be too much, but the 11" Air is pretty much perfect for me.

So, would you rather have a 7'' screen with more pixels than an 11'' screen? You can fit a larger amount of objects on that. My point is, if that's what you want and are comfortable with, that's fine, but it's a small screen for a lot of people. I can personally deal with it, but I wouldn't mind a larger screen. I work on a 13'' 1280x800 screen, and it's more than do-able. I also have a 12'' netbook, but all I am saying is that it's disappointing to see an 11'' model as an entry laptop, no matter the resolution, when they can easily work 1440x900 into a 13'' refreshed MacBook if they wanted to.

Stating something about a person doesn't make it true, it makes it an accusation. And I suppose all my replies to your statements constitute ignoring you? I'd love to see what paying attention is.

I didn't say it was true, I told you that I flat out said it, and didn't accuse. You are missing the big picture. The only thing you've added to this discussion is a financial standpoint that has no relevance to what I am proposing as I am bringing up that the MacBook Air is the new $999 model over the MacBook and the MacBook has no place primarily because of the MacBook Pro, and the MacBook Air refresh was just the push that it needed. You may be thinking up your own big picture, which is great to add to the discussion, but when you are quoting my posts, you may want to add something with relevance, importance, or substance. That's what paying attention is.

Lighten up. This isn't a competition, at least it's not to me. I'm not trying to "win" (as if an argument of opinions can be won), but you seem to be trying hard. I'm attempting to have a rational discourse, and you've sent insults and accusations my way. Perhaps this isn't for you.

I'm not trying to win an argument on the "Will Apple ever bring back the MacBook? And something that doesn't make sense!" thread on MacRumors with some user named "iThinkergoiMac," please don't flatter yourself. Your first point about the old MacBook processor being slower was obvious and negligible and had no business being in this thread in the first place as you were comparing a refreshed MacBook Air to an old MacBook.

If you have something reasonable to say (and you've had plenty of reasonable things to say) regarding the subject of this thread, I'll be happy to continue this discussion. But I won't respond to any posts similar to the past couple you've made. I'll let you "win" in that department.

Please don't respond, you will save me the time.

 

[handel30]

Macbook Beats Air

No one seems to remember that the MacBook just discontinued had a slower processor than the new Air and and the same amount of RAM. "Slower processor and only 2 GB RAM" are the most common arguments, and they're both invalid.

I agree that the storage amount is low.


How often do you actually use your optical drive, especially when out and about?

First, I have heard that a 1.6 GHz Intel i5 is about as fast as the white Macbook's 2.4 GHz Intel Core2Duo. If true, then you can't say the new Air has a faster processor. Gamers claim that the Nvidia GeForce 320 is preferable to the Intel HD Graphics 3000. Sandy Bridge does not work with Open CL. The Nvidia supposedly has richer colors. Some people maintain that the new Sandy Bridge integrated graphics architecture (integrated graphics silicon on the chip) is faulty because it places all cores plus graphics on a single chip. Only time will tell if this becomes a problem that affects the lifetime of the computer. As for the RAM, the last white Macbook can be upgraded to 8 GB, while the Air tops out at 4 GB. Then there's the Air's 11" screen vs. the white Macbook's 13". And finally, the optical disc drive, which some of us use often. The white polycarbonate unibody is supposedly pretty rugged and sturdy, too. Finally, you yourself agreed that the storage amount of the Air is low. I would take the white Macbook over the Air any day.

 

[ratzzo]

At least the MB had upgradeable RAM. The fact that Apple solders RAM into the Air's motherboard and thus forces you to upgrade RAM through them (at their stupidly overpriced tags) is far from normal in 2011.

For a $1000 11" machine you'd expect you'd get more than 2GB. Ever since I put 8GB in my MBP I don't think I could go back to 2GB (FOUR times less!). Apple need to step it up a notch on this department or, at the very least, decrease their RAM upgrade prices. Only then will the Air will be complete, IMO.

 

[winston1236]

HELLO PEOPLE!!!!!!

THE REASON APPLE GOT RID OF THE MACBOOK IS BECAUSE THE BASE 11" MBA IS $999, THE SAME PRICE AS A MACBOOK.

THEY FIGURED, PROBABLY CORRECTLY, THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BUY A $999 NOTEBOOK WOULD RATHER HAVE A NICE, LIGHT, THIN, AND PERFECTLY USABLE LAPTOP, INSTEAD OF A PIECE OF THICK, WHITE PLASTIC!!

And if you dare try to argue about crap such as "but the macbook had more ports " ....you don't even know what the macbook was for in the first place. It is for the average consumer, and guess what, the average consumer does not want ethernet or firewire! All the average consumer wants is the MBA with the 2 USB ports, a thunderbolt port, and an SD card reader (for 13" version)

So, get over yourselves. It was a smart decision by apple, and now all apple products will have a more nice looking metallic form.

That is all I have to say, Thank you

average consumer or college kids who couldnt afford to spend more?? anyway the mba is too weak to do any serious work on

 

[laptoplover2]

The point is

Well basically, if you want a cheap, super awesome quality, full laptop, the MacBook Air 11 inch won't cut it. It's the netbook part of apple.

If they were to bring the MacBook back, then it would have great potential. Think about it. Give it a Face Time camera and Thunderbolt port, and perfect.
For $899 they could have the baseline version, with 4 GB of ram, and a 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo. 250 GB hard drive, Intel HD Graphics 3000.
For $999 it could have the same specs as the MacBook Pro. Like how when I got mien it had almost the exact same specs as the MacBook Pro.