Will next MBA have Broadwell Core M to differentiate from rMBP?

[johngwheeler]

Hi,

Do any of you think that the next MBA (whether released tomorrow or later) could use the ultra-low power Broadwell Core M processor which was released last month?

A number of other ultrabook manufacturers will be releasing 10-13 inch laptops & 2-in-1s using this processor, which apparently compares favourably to the lower-end Haswell Core i3 & i5.

Although the Broadwell Core M (5Y70) would almost certainly be slightly less powerful that the current Haswell U-Series i5, it would allow a very thin, possibly fanless, MBA that would allow it to differentiate itself from the rMBP.

It seems that the MBA and rMBP 13 are already quite close in performance, and weight, and would be even closer if the MBA got a retina screen. Apple may want to remove this confusion by making the MBA the "super-light general purpose laptop" with "adequate" performance, and keep the rMBP as the higher performance machine.

What do you think?

John

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Oops! Just seen that someone else has posted almost the same question earlier today...

 

[fedecape]

Hi,

Do any of you think that the next MBA (whether released tomorrow or later) could use the ultra-low power Broadwell Core M processor which was released last month?

A number of other ultrabook manufacturers will be releasing 10-13 inch laptops & 2-in-1s using this processor, which apparently compares favourably to the lower-end Haswell Core i3 & i5.

Although the Broadwell Core M (5Y70) would almost certainly be slightly less powerful that the current Haswell U-Series i5, it would allow a very thin, possibly fanless, MBA that would allow it to differentiate itself from the rMBP.

It seems that the MBA and rMBP 13 are already quite close in performance, and weight, and would be even closer if the MBA got a retina screen. Apple may want to remove this confusion by making the MBA the "super-light general purpose laptop" with "adequate" performance, and keep the rMBP as the higher performance machine.

What do you think?

John

----------

Oops! Just seen that someone else has posted almost the same question earlier today...

Your point makes sense, but hopefully they won't do that.

I like having the affordable, yet powerful macbook air. I wouldn't like being forced to go Pro to get decent power.
My current maxed out 2013 MBA handles everything I throw at it, including light mod gaming and video editing.

 

[johngwheeler]

Your point makes sense, but hopefully they won't do that.

I like having the affordable, yet powerful macbook air. I wouldn't like being forced to go Pro to get decent power.
My current maxed out 2013 MBA handles everything I throw at it, including light mod gaming and video editing.

Yes, I'd agree with that. I have an i7 MBA 13 and it's a great little computer. The only downsides are the inability to have 16GB RAM, which would be useful for some large VMs I run, and the somewhat lacklustre screen. Other than that, it's the best Mac I've owned and my "go to" machine for most tasks (I also have a quad-core Mini and a 2007 MBP).

If Apple do decide to "dumb-down" the MBA in future versions, I'd have to either make a larger compromise in power or portability, or simply get two machines for different tasks, e.g. MBA for mobility & light-weight tasks and a 15" rMBP for the more serious stuff. I'm sure Apple would be delighted that I've been forced into buying 2 machines!

 

[motrek]

The only reason for any manufacturer to go with the Core M is 1) fanless, 2) thinner, 3) differentiator.

As for fanless, hopefully Apple doesn't have a problem including a small, essentially inaudible fan as it does with current Airs. I appreciate the "extra" cooling ability when I'm stressing my computer.

As for thinner, Apple does like to make thin products but they've never been in the "thinnest" game. There has always been a thinner laptop or cell phone than what Apple releases.

As for differentiating the MBA from the MBP, I don't think Apple has a problem selling a MBA that's better than a MBP in a lot of ways. Remember when the 13" MBA first came out, it had a higher resolution screen than the MBP and much faster storage (SSD) than the MBP.

They might differentiate the MBP by making it better. Quad core, more upgrade options than the Air, etc.