Rumor: Apple to hold event this month to unveil Retina MacBook Air & finalize Apple Watch specs

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  • Reply 21 of 69
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Adrayven View Post

     

    Honestly, if 12" MBA exists, I seriously hope they wait for Skylake and fully integrate all of Skylake's reported wireless abilities. Wireless 4k Display, Wireless Device connectivity and Wireless charging.. combined with the new single port 'rumor' that would actually make an awesome system.. Only connect cables when you 'must'.. dream within a dream.. lol

     


     

    Why would they? Apple isn't going to wait when they can get your money now.

    They simply add features to entice you to upgrade in a year or two. :)

  • Reply 22 of 69
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    brlawyer wrote: »
    New Mac Pros as well, please.

    I really doubt that you will see new Mac Pros anytime soon. This year a bunch of new technology should debut that could make for a very interesting Mac Pro update in the fall or even 2016. They challenge is to get all of this technology integrated together in a reliable system. Examples:
    1. New AMD GPUs supporting HBM (High Bandwidth Memory)
    2. DDR 4 RAM
    3. TB3
    4. Possibly a new generation of XEONs bypassing a new generation Apple has yet to use.

    If the HBM based GOUs live up to billing they would be compelling in a Mac Pro. Frankly DDR 4 is possibly the most important change that needs to be supportted in the XEON families due to the bandwidth problem many apps experience with the many core chips. Just waiting for these two items to be well supportted would have a dramatic impact on Mac Pro performance. As it is right at the moment there isn't a good reason to upgrade otherwise.
  • Reply 23 of 69
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Conrail View Post

     

    Probably just a silent speed bump for those.  Are there even new processors out there yet?




    At the very least new GPUs are already available - otherwise, what are gonna announce? That the battery life of the fabled AWatch is now 12 hours?

  • Reply 24 of 69
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by pazuzu View Post





    That is one ugly watch.



    Indeed - the AWatch is FUUUUGLY.

  • Reply 25 of 69
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    conrail wrote: »
    Probably just a silent speed bump for those.  Are there even new processors out there yet?

    There are new XEONs out there but nothing to write home about. If Apple waits until the later half of the year there should be a whole host of new stuff to stuff in the box.

    Let's face it Apple could just update the XEON and get a yawn from everybody much like happened with the laptops in 2014. If they wait just a bit they could roll enough new features into a Mac Pro to make a significant step forward.
  • Reply 26 of 69
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post





    There are new XEONs out there but nothing to write home about. If Apple waits until the later half of the year there should be a whole host of new stuff to stuff in the box.



    Let's face it Apple could just update the XEON and get a yawn from everybody much like happened with the laptops in 2014. If they wait just a bit they could roll enough new features into a Mac Pro to make a significant step forward.



    Sorry wizard; but you sound like the customer who is always waiting for the next best thing, only to realize that he will forever wait instead of buying anything.

     

    Likewise for Apple: if they are relying on Intel to release all its promised stupidly-codenamed products in due course, it will probably NEVER update the Mac Pro again...

  • Reply 27 of 69
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    brlawyer wrote: »

    At the very least new GPUs are already available - otherwise, what are gonna announce? That the battery life of the fabled AWatch is now 12 hours?

    The new GPUs currently on the market don't represent the generational change need to justify the engineering time to design them in. Especially when AMD is expecting to have HBM supporting GPUs out by mid year. The bandwidth increases these chips will see could be very compelling for Apple. Probably even more compelling for users as the potential is there for vastly faster performance.

    I can see Apple waiting until the end of the year, maybe even early 2016 to deliver a new Mac Pro.
  • Reply 28 of 69
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    9to5Mac says "nope" on this rumor.
  • Reply 29 of 69
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    brlawyer wrote: »

    Sorry wizard; but you sound like the customer who is always waiting for the next best thing, only to realize that he will forever wait instead of buying anything.
    Not at all. I'm looking at this from Apples perspective. The Mac Pro doesn't see the volumes to justify rapid design cycles so that is one strike against the Mac Pro getting a rev early this year. Then you have the reality that a whole bunch of technology is about to come online this year, technology that directly impacts high end machines like the Mac Pro so there is a lot of incentive for Apple to hold off until some of that tech can be rolled into the machine. What does exist right now to upgrade the Mac Pro just doesn't insorie a lot of excitement either so why bother.
    Likewise for Apple: if they are relying on Intel to release all its promised stupidly-codenamed products in due course, it will probably NEVER update the Mac Pro again...

    Well the waiting game is getting a bit old I will give you that! However some of that stuff Apple really needs in the Mac Pro. TB 3 for example is very important for large screen support. DDR 4 (all ready supported in some XEONs) would make a huge difference for some apps. Apple has little choice but to wait.

    Given that I really don't believe they need to wait for everything I've mentioned but I'm pretty sure TB 3 and DDR 4 is very high on their lists. Especially when the currently available XEON chips are not really impressive updates by themselves.

    In any event we have seen this sort of behavior before from Apple! They will sit on a design for what seems like forever until they can get everything they want into a design. Considering the current Mac Pro is still an impressive machine I really don't see Apple being in a rush here.
  • Reply 30 of 69
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    rogifan wrote: »
    9to5Mac says "nope" on this rumor.

    Which means squat!

    Beyond that the rumor could be off by a week or two, we won't know until something comes out of Apple. All I know is that Apple can't wait too long after Intel actually starts shipping chips. This means that something will need to be said by early March.
  • Reply 31 of 69
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,732member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post

     
     

    Which means squat!



    Beyond that the rumor could be off by a week or two, we won't know until something comes out of Apple. All I know is that Apple can't wait too long after Intel actually starts shipping chips. This means that something will need to be said by early March.

    That "no" just means there won't be an event in February.  Doesn't mean there won't be any event.  Don't be surprised to see an event scheduled mid-March.

  • Reply 32 of 69
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post





    Not at all. I'm looking at this from Apples perspective. The Mac Pro doesn't see the volumes to justify rapid design cycles so that is one strike against the Mac Pro getting a rev early this year. Then you have the reality that a whole bunch of technology is about to come online this year, technology that directly impacts high end machines like the Mac Pro so there is a lot of incentive for Apple to hold off until some of that tech can be rolled into the machine. What does exist right now to upgrade the Mac Pro just doesn't insorie a lot of excitement either so why bother.

    Well the waiting game is getting a bit old I will give you that! However some of that stuff Apple really needs in the Mac Pro. TB 3 for example is very important for large screen support. DDR 4 (all ready supported in some XEONs) would make a huge difference for some apps. Apple has little choice but to wait.



    Given that I really don't believe they need to wait for everything I've mentioned but I'm pretty sure TB 3 and DDR 4 is very high on their lists. Especially when the currently available XEON chips are not really impressive updates by themselves.



    In any event we have seen this sort of behavior before from Apple! They will sit on a design for what seems like forever until they can get everything they want into a design. Considering the current Mac Pro is still an impressive machine I really don't see Apple being in a rush here.

     

    I disagree with you for ONE simple reason: the new design is ready - Apple doesn't need to sit on its collective arse to come up with Jony's latest dreamchild; at the very least, update a few bits here and there so that people don't feel like they are buying an old VW.

  • Reply 33 of 69
    And still no Apple TV? :\
  • Reply 34 of 69
    Why do we need a 12" macbook air? We already have an 11" and a 13"
  • Reply 35 of 69
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,898moderator
    I don't see why they wouldn't just do an event the usual 1-2 weeks out before launch day. If the watch is coming April I would say mid March is more likely.

    You've hit upon, from a sideways direction, the reason Apple WOULD have an event in late Feb. if this rumor has any merit to it, it's likely a MacBook Air and possibly larger iPad event and won't include the Watch. That gets those product intros out of the way, as it would be unlikely that Apple would want them cluttering up a late March Watch debut event. They'll want that event to be focused solely on tne Watch and therefore any other spring releases need to be gotten out of the way soon.
  • Reply 36 of 69
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,155member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by pazuzu View Post



    That is one ugly watch.



    Even with an analog watch face, it's still ugly. It's rectangular.

     

    Yuck.

  • Reply 37 of 69
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    canukstorm wrote: »
    That "no" just means there won't be an event in February.  Doesn't mean there won't be any event.  Don't be surprised to see an event scheduled mid-March.
    I agree. I fully expect an event in March. I thought it was strange that Apple would hold an event before MWC so not surprised if this turns out to be false. What would be awesome is if an invite goes out the week of MWC. Maybe announce it (or at least get some rumors floating out there) on March 1, the day of Samsung's event,
  • Reply 38 of 69
    pfisherpfisher Posts: 758member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post



    New MacBook? I'm going to need all new stickers!

     

    Retina iPad Air. Looks like an MS Surface.

     

    Shipping immediately.

  • Reply 39 of 69
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    mpantone wrote: »

    Even with an analog watch face, it's still ugly. It's rectangular.

    Yuck.

    Speak for yourself. :rolleyes:
  • Reply 40 of 69
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    You've hit upon, from a sideways direction, the reason Apple WOULD have an event in late Feb. if this rumor has any merit to it, it's likely a MacBook Air and possibly larger iPad event and won't include the Watch. That gets those product intros out of the way, as it would be unlikely that Apple would want them cluttering up a late March Watch debut event. They'll want that event to be focused solely on tne Watch and therefore any other spring releases need to be gotten out of the way soon.

    I think it's highly unlikely Apple would hold two spring events a few weeks apart. They've already announced the watch so they don't need a full event to fill us in on the details. I think they could easily announce ?Watch, a new MBA and maybe new iPad in one event. And maybe at the same time they'll update their online store to remove the 1st gen iPad, and reduce the price on the second gen.
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