Apple, you’ve made so much progress! Please don’t release another Mac with only 8GB of RAM in 2025 or 2026.
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Will the Rumored Lower-Cost MacBook Use an A18 Pro or A19 Pro Chip?
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Yes, they could. But I would anticipate them using an older chip to save on costs and use up a supply they already have. They did this with the Vision Pro, using an M2 processor when the M3 was out, and have not updated it since even though in theory it would be a relatively simple change.
We have also seen them use lower end hardware to not canabolize sales of other items.
A19 pro with 12GB ram most likely.
This will be a banger on the level of the 499 mac mini. It's amazing how cheap macs have gotten compared to the dark ages of 2014-2020 where everything started at 1199 and 128GB SSD
This will be a banger on the level of the 499 mac mini. It's amazing how cheap macs have gotten compared to the dark ages of 2014-2020 where everything started at 1199 and 128GB SSD
I suspect you may be making the mistake of assuming that way you think is the way everybody thinks. Clearly, the processor won’t matter for a good chunk of those who buy a laptop like this - particularly the Chromebook crowd and educators. But I have an M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 24GB of RAM. And yet I would still buy this new machine for most of my traveling. Cost is most definitely NOT the only consideration. Processor and RAM does matter to me. But I have realistic expectations. I would still take an A18 Pro but am am hoping for an A19 Pro. 12GB of RAM would make me very happy. Only 8GB would disappoint me a bit.
Just because the A18 Pro and A19 Pro came with 8GB and 12GB, respectively, when used in an iPhone does not mean that is the maximum amount of RAM they can address. Therefore they should be able to address 16GB (minimum) in this Mac if Apple desires it.
I wonder if by popular demand they are bringing back a kind of update to he Macbook 12. I guess they didn't sell that well, But I never understood why. Beats me.
The Intel CPUs were too slow. The MacBook was also the first laptop with the dreaded butterfly keyboard and it only having one USB-C port to handle both charging and external connectivity was a pain point.
Everything is pointing to a 13" display, but I would be quite interested in this if it was the same form factor as the 12" MacBook with either two USB-C ports or one plus MagSafe.
Wasn't too slow for me at the time. Of course in comparison to today's stuff it's awful (like older tech usually is). Keyboard was bad, but mine was working as I recall (my screen went funny)
I believe they are talking in generalities, not everyone. No one believes everyone thinks exactly the same.
My M1 Mac is still going strong, but I would absolutely jump at the chance for an A19, 12GB of RAM device with a SMALLER display. I would honestly prefer 12 inches, but just 13 (and not 13.6 or whatever) with minimal bezels, no notch and an ultra lightweight frame would be amazing.
Oh yeah I found that peculiar too, that they mentioned the iPhone Air is as faster than a Mac, so it must be better than the M1, which is very impressive. As long is its not like the "old" 2015 MacBook or the MacBook Pros.
I skipped the entire butterfly generation, going from a 2012 non-retina MBP to an M1, but man I loved looking and checking those out when I was at the Apple Store. I would absolutely like a dockable model like this...my M4 Pro stays clamshell docked 99% of the time when home, but I take it with me every day, too.
Realistically I wouldn't (currently) buy this for myself, as I'm in the market for a new computer, nor do I won more than one...but if I was upgrading, and a 12" MacBook, with an A19 became available..AND it was dockable by at least USB-c 3.2, I would buy it as my only machine. I don't need much processing power.
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If the weight is below 2.2 lbs, most definitely. I find the iPad limiting as an on-the-go email and laptop replacement, or even when chilling on the couch and wanting to do some light emailing. A few years ago I bought a used 12" rMB 2017 for this role and loved it until it died. If this came in at $599, I'd probably change my devices from:
13" MBA
13" iPad Air (going to the wife, since I only use this when traveling and it underwhelms as a laptop replacement. the rMB 12" was great at the work aspect, but bad at the content consumption part. )
iPad mini cellular
iPhone 15
to
new low-cost laptop for on the go
Mac mini with screen or iMac for desk use (I hate my MBA resolution options on my widescreen Samsung monitor)
iPad mini cellular
iPhone air
Well, sure, let's just say for 80% of potential buyers it's cost.
Let me ask you, if your use case is mostly for traveling I suppose weight and size is a factor. Do you think this new model will be smaller and weigh less than the 13 MBA? Me personally, I doubt it. So if you're in the US, Amazon just had $200 off the entry MBA, $799, if performance is such a concern, why wouldn't you get that? We don't yet know how much this new one might be though...
But would it save on costs? Using the A19 Pro would increase economies of scale for that chip. Keeping a line running for the A18 might well cost more. TSMC would set their price on what else they could do with the A18 production line.
The same for me (as a second Mac) but this product seems like it could cannibalize MacBook Air sales. Maybe the next MacBook Air is the only model that gets the M5 with the Pros limited to the M5 Pro and M5 Max. The MacBook Air then becomes the prosumer option with a higher starting price, not the budget option.
I've got a feeling this thing won't be available for general purpose and will be restricted to bulk purchases by schools and companies that are using Chromebooks which offer terrible user experience.
I believe that a $599-799 laptop would cannibalize sales too much for the Macbook line and I do believe they'd eat into their own margins by making this a mainstream product.
Could be wrong, though.
I believe that a $599-799 laptop would cannibalize sales too much for the Macbook line and I do believe they'd eat into their own margins by making this a mainstream product.
Could be wrong, though.
In my case, since I have the 14-inch MBP, I can afford to wait until the new machine comes out and I can check its specs and price. I posted earlier that if one will only have one MacBook, the 13-inch MBA is the best value - especially at $799. If I decide the new MacBook isn’t for me, the base MBA is always an option. And if it’s going for $799 now, it will again before too long.
Maybe same size as the 12" retina but with 13"?
I remember that the 12" had big bezels. So maybe they can fit a 13" display in the same size with the same keyboard.
It was a beautiful mini laptop. Love it but yeah, the performance was not good
I anticipate that it will be the A18 Pro, but will ship its 12GB of DRAM and USB4 (40Gbps), which really shouldn’t be much of a stretch for Apple to engineer or have an “enhanced” version of the SoC that goes into this “MacBook”. for me, it’s probably a day one purchase. I want a knock around portable that I can use at work. I’m really ready for Apple to get this one out the door. hopefully, it will be a Christmas purchase.
