I doubt they will have 3 different laptop lines in 5 years. Wouldn't be surprised if their 5 year plan only includes 1 or 2 laptops at most. But in 2012 I would have said the same thing!
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Will Apple merge the MacBook Air & MacBook Pro lines into one in the next 5 years?
- Thread starter Carl Sagan
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Apple could easily change what MBA and MBP mean within the year -
See the iPads - With Pro being a pro line, Air just being the non mini middle size.
They've already got a MBAesque 12" MacBook - more old school MBA than the current ones as the line moved from cutting edge thin and expensive into the cheapest entry line.
If they made a 14" MacBook, they could effectively be the expensive MBA line.
As for merging MBA & MBP - they're serving different needs with different priorities currently
E.g. Currently the marketing on Apple is:
MBA: All day battery life, thin, light, powerful, capable, durable.
MBP: Powerful, Retina display, fast, thin, light, performance, advanced I/O
So some overlap, in terms of pushing power, thin, light.
See the iPads - With Pro being a pro line, Air just being the non mini middle size.
They've already got a MBAesque 12" MacBook - more old school MBA than the current ones as the line moved from cutting edge thin and expensive into the cheapest entry line.
If they made a 14" MacBook, they could effectively be the expensive MBA line.
As for merging MBA & MBP - they're serving different needs with different priorities currently
E.g. Currently the marketing on Apple is:
MBA: All day battery life, thin, light, powerful, capable, durable.
MBP: Powerful, Retina display, fast, thin, light, performance, advanced I/O
So some overlap, in terms of pushing power, thin, light.
NO, the AIR will live on in one more iteration, with RETINA SCREENS, then GOOD-BYE! ( Cue Apple laughing all the way to the bank). After they sell BAJILLIONS, it will be dust and the 12" & 14 " rMB appear, maybe even a 16", leaving just the 15" MBP
Amazing that this thread is still going. I still think there's a high chance the lines will merge, the existence of the iPad Pro basically points to that along with the newer MacBook (I'd bet the Air will be killed off this year). The iOS and OS X operation systems are closer than ever and even share update cycles now. As consumer computing becomes even more mobile orientated than it has over the last five years the two lines will naturally align and blur to the point that keeping them separate will make no sense in the consumer space.
Expect something like iOSX and iOSX Pro (for Mac Pro users basically)...
Expect something like iOSX and iOSX Pro (for Mac Pro users basically)...
The lines in the sand are pretty discrete. Any Apple product using ARM is iOS based while any Intel based chip is running OS X. Perhaps start to worry when the first ARM based Macs start to appear.
Agreed, I don't expect those lines to hold too much longer tbh, give it another 3/4 years and we'll see ARM based MacBooks I reckon.
Apple will already have OS X running on an ARM computer for sure. It's just a matter of time before confirmation leaks out.
Rephrase, and re-ask,and ask that about the MB/MBP, the MBA is DEAD! Especially with the upcoming 13 & 15 " rMB's
will definitely merge. the new MacBook replaces what the MacBook Air was going for. The fact that they didn't bother putting a Retina on the Air should tell you its going away.
I see the Pro getting redesigned and slimmed down to something closer to what the Air is today.
There will just be a MacBook and MacBook Pro.
The MacBook Air might remain for a while but without updates like the iPa
I see the Pro getting redesigned and slimmed down to something closer to what the Air is today.
There will just be a MacBook and MacBook Pro.
The MacBook Air might remain for a while but without updates like the iPa
No because there is a quadrant system apple uses. This is a bit dated but you can see how it still applies today.
Well – in 2016 we have:
rMB
Air
Macbook Pro Retina
Macbook Pro 2013
iMac non-Retina
iMac Retina
Mac Pro
I don't see how that applies today to be honest... I do hope they go back to to the old system though. Clean up.
rMB
Air
Macbook Pro Retina
Macbook Pro 2013
iMac non-Retina
iMac Retina
Mac Pro
I don't see how that applies today to be honest... I do hope they go back to to the old system though. Clean up.
No because there is a quadrant system apple uses. This is a bit dated but you can see how it still applies today.
That's no longer relevant.
I doubt they will release an ARM powered Mac soon - the power is not there yet plus they would lose Windows capability and application providers would have a whole new dmension to deal with.
I am thinking/hoping that the long time they are taking will result in some radical changes. Bezel-less iMac? Macbook Pro in new form? (I'd quite love a Macbook Pro to look like Air does now, with better screen and smaller bezels.) I don't expect anything to happen to Mac Pro really – a pessimist is never disappointed.
The idea of ARM powered Macs is also one I've been entertaining – hopefully they don't give a choice between 2 and 4GB RAM
The idea of ARM powered Macs is also one I've been entertaining – hopefully they don't give a choice between 2 and 4GB RAM
Umm, it's still very relevant
You have MacBooks and MacBook Pros
You have iMacs and Mac Pros
You have iPhone 6 and the respective plus model
You have 9.7" iPad and 12.9" iPad
It's still very relevant, portability was just extended.
Designing a single tool for a wide array of requirements is conceptually flawed whether your mission is to fly aircraft or chop wood - as evidenced by the $400 Billion dollar Joint Strike Fighter failure
https://warisboring.com/everything-wrong-with-the-f-35-3b62e8b3b432#.d4y4rsikm
Cook has already said they won't merge iOS and OS X as they are each designed for different environments. Even if the Macbooks go off Intel, chopping wood still might require 2 ARMS.
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It's probably more along the lines of price:
Entry: Mac Mini, MacBook Air, iPad Mini, iPhone SE, Sports Watch
Intermediate: iMac, MacBook, iPad Air 2, iPhone, Stainless Steel
Expensive: Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, iPhone Plus, Gold
I'm not sure if merging is the correct term. I think the MacBook Air will be discontinued. Pro wil get thinner but from a design perspective more in the MacBook direction.
I don't think it's a size issue, but more of a price issue. The Air being discontinued would price a lot of people out.