The machine that really needs to go is the MacBook. Gimped with only one port, overpriced and gutless. And to cap it off, because of the first three problems, it is a very poor seller. You hardly ever see them outside a shop. I have only seen one, about a year ago. If the only changes to the MBA was to pop a retina screen in and put an up to date CPU inside they would struggle to keep up with demand.
Apple need to kill the MBA. Update the 13” non-touch bar MBP, lower the price and call it a day.
Well said. Like to see 3-4 USB-C ports similar to touchbar MBP.
I'm in at about $800.
Sure just cut $500 from the MBP while adding more ports. iMac 1080p for $599 and 12” MacBook for $799 while they’re at it. Might as well drop the 8GB/128GB mini from $899 to $399 too.
I really doubt Apple's commitment to "making great products that change people lives." They dropped the entire AirPort biz, and the external display biz, products that could work great with their existing computer lineups. But I expect those decisions were made almost wholly on "these things don't make us enough money." I agree this is their call, but it is inconsistent with "we focus on making things people love." True, but only when it makes us a fucktonne of cash.
Well, first of all they've already announced new first-party monitors.
Second, there has been a lot of coverage about their wireless router line and how it's not unsimilar from their getting out of laser printers (which they also pioneered) when it was clear the rest of the industry had caught up and the value added was minimal.
Third, the statement about making great products that change peoples lives can still be true even as they get out of an accessory category. Nothing about that decision makes it untrue. So your comment is rather odd.
I did not know they had announced they are getting back into selling Apple Displays. That's cool. 4k and 5k I presume?
Printers are for...well...printing. AirPorts/wifi are for a whole host of other things, including network security and interfaces with Home Kit, backup and cloud drives, servers and other things I would value.
Didn't say it was untrue. But they picked and chose only those great products that made money. And that's their call. So your comment is kind of odd.
OMG, IDK why people keep spewing out rumors about a machine that is E.O.L.
MBA is on the way out, the last refresh is the last one we will see, ever.
MacBook was always meant to be the replacement, here is what is much more likely to happen:
1) Refresh MacBook 2) Keep last MacBook, reduce price. (yes, it will really happen this time, no, probably not down to $999). 3) Stop making MBA within a few months.
There is no reason for Apple to refresh the MBA, if anything, they need to drop a form factor.
(I could be wrong about how long MBA is around, they did keep selling the 2012 MBP base w/optical drive for much longer than people anticipated, but, I seriously think non-retina screens are on the way out, and, no MBA will not get a retina screen, and no updates.)
entropys said: The machine that really needs to go is the MacBook. Gimped with only one port, overpriced and gutless. And to cap it off, because of the first three problems, it is a very poor seller. You hardly ever see them outside a shop. I have only seen one, about a year ago. If the only changes to the MBA was to pop a retina screen in and put an up to date CPU inside they would struggle to keep up with demand.
edit:sp
If that was Apple’s plan they never would have released the MacBook in your first place.
The machine that really needs to go is the MacBook. Gimped with only one port, overpriced and gutless. And to cap it off, because of the first three problems, it is a very poor seller. You hardly ever see them outside a shop. I have only seen one, about a year ago. If the only changes to the MBA was to pop a retina screen in and put an up to date CPU inside they would struggle to keep up with demand.
I see them everywhere. Very popular with executives, salesfolk, students, journalists. Kind of waiting on my lady's 2013 Retina MBP to kick off so I can replace it with one, the Pro weighs so much in her purse.
Seems to me like he time is ripe for them to introduce a 14” MacBook, and then just drop the price of the 12”. This would make the line up much like it was in the early aughts, with 12 and 14” budget MacBooks, and 13 and 15” Pro machines. Seemed a sensible line up then, why not an encore?
agree. i have posted similar thoughts before...it would streamline the line-up and Apple now has been making the 12” rMB for sometime which would allow them to accelerate production and keep costs down...
a 14” rMB that sells at a price comparable to the low end of the 13” MBP with TB would be compelling for some people...
a 12” rMB is great but is a bit small for some people.
All the reviews miss the reasons why we love the MBA.
Why Did I Buy an MBA: Battery life, pure and simple. All the other laptops talk about long battery life but seldom deliver. My 2015 MBA easily lasts all day especially when I don't stream movies and try to work which is what I get paid for. The display is I grant you several generations out of date but I'm not editing movies as I sit in a coffee shop or in an airplane, I do that at home with my desktop PC/Mac. While a Retina display would be nice, not with reduced battery life. The MBA is the one machine that you can take to work, on an airplane, or wherever without worrying about bringing a charger. Do you drive a Dodge Hellcat to work or a Honda, end of the argument? Stop thinking about all these lofty things you could accomplish with a "perfect" laptop and think about what you actually do with your laptop.
Keyboard: Get real, is typing on a sheet of glass exactly what you were hoping for. The current keyboard is one of the easiest to type on and trading that for one with no travel is not what I want. Plus it doesn't take a bagel crumb to bring everything to a halt. If we could pour an IBM Selectric keyboard into an MBA that would be perfect, so I'll settle for the current keyboard. I find I make fewer typo's on the MBA than I do on my full-size keyboard.
Touchpad: Read my keyboard comments. no reason to duplicate. And don't get me started on the stupid TouchBar. If you want to know pain, try using a Windows touchpad with ghost touches to help you with your work.
What I'd Like in my next MBA: Slightly faster CPU. The i5 works fine but a little more speed would be nice. One of the newer generation processors with better efficiency would be nice for the increased battery life. 16 gb of memory instead of the current 8 gb. 8 gig works okay but when you have several Word documents and a browser open, memory gets a little tight. Keep the keyboard and the MagSafe adapter.
My suggestions: Take an existing MBA, add a current generation CPU, 16 gb memory, and possibly a Retina display if it doesn't kill battery life. Shoot for 18-20 hours of claimed battery life which will give the typical user 10-12 hours of real-world use. Then use the savings from having built millions of MBA's over the last 10 years to hold the cost down or reduce it. Just look at current sales of "obsolete" MBA's to confirm my thoughts. We don't need a Maserati for our workhorse laptop.
Apple need to kill the MBA. Update the 13” non-touch bar MBP, lower the price and call it a day.
Well said. Like to see 3-4 USB-C ports similar to touchbar MBP.
I'm in at about $800.
Sure just cut $500 from the MBP while adding more ports. iMac 1080p for $599 and 12” MacBook for $799 while they’re at it. Might as well drop the 8GB/128GB mini from $899 to $399 too.
Sounds about right, yes.
Sounds about right for a going out of business sale. Because that’s what happens to companies that sell products below cost.
Comments
If the only changes to the MBA was to pop a retina screen in and put an up to date CPU inside they would struggle to keep up with demand.
edit:sp
Printers are for...well...printing. AirPorts/wifi are for a whole host of other things, including network security and interfaces with Home Kit, backup and cloud drives, servers and other things I would value.
Didn't say it was untrue. But they picked and chose only those great products that made money. And that's their call. So your comment is kind of odd.
MBA is on the way out, the last refresh is the last one we will see, ever.
MacBook was always meant to be the replacement, here is what is much more likely to happen:
1) Refresh MacBook
2) Keep last MacBook, reduce price. (yes, it will really happen this time, no, probably not down to $999).
3) Stop making MBA within a few months.
There is no reason for Apple to refresh the MBA, if anything, they need to drop a form factor.
(I could be wrong about how long MBA is around, they did keep selling the 2012 MBP base w/optical drive for much longer than people anticipated, but, I seriously think non-retina screens are on the way out, and, no MBA will not get a retina screen, and no updates.)
a 14” rMB that sells at a price comparable to the low end of the 13” MBP with TB would be compelling for some people...
a 12” rMB is great but is a bit small for some people.
Why Did I Buy an MBA: Battery life, pure and simple. All the other laptops talk about long battery life but seldom deliver. My 2015 MBA easily lasts all day especially when I don't stream movies and try to work which is what I get paid for. The display is I grant you several generations out of date but I'm not editing movies as I sit in a coffee shop or in an airplane, I do that at home with my desktop PC/Mac. While a Retina display would be nice, not with reduced battery life. The MBA is the one machine that you can take to work, on an airplane, or wherever without worrying about bringing a charger. Do you drive a Dodge Hellcat to work or a Honda, end of the argument? Stop thinking about all these lofty things you could accomplish with a "perfect" laptop and think about what you actually do with your laptop.
Keyboard: Get real, is typing on a sheet of glass exactly what you were hoping for. The current keyboard is one of the easiest to type on and trading that for one with no travel is not what I want. Plus it doesn't take a bagel crumb to bring everything to a halt. If we could pour an IBM Selectric keyboard into an MBA that would be perfect, so I'll settle for the current keyboard. I find I make fewer typo's on the MBA than I do on my full-size keyboard.
Touchpad: Read my keyboard comments. no reason to duplicate. And don't get me started on the stupid TouchBar. If you want to know pain, try using a Windows touchpad with ghost touches to help you with your work.
What I'd Like in my next MBA: Slightly faster CPU. The i5 works fine but a little more speed would be nice. One of the newer generation processors with better efficiency would be nice for the increased battery life. 16 gb of memory instead of the current 8 gb. 8 gig works okay but when you have several Word documents and a browser open, memory gets a little tight. Keep the keyboard and the MagSafe adapter.
My suggestions: Take an existing MBA, add a current generation CPU, 16 gb memory, and possibly a Retina display if it doesn't kill battery life. Shoot for 18-20 hours of claimed battery life which will give the typical user 10-12 hours of real-world use. Then use the savings from having built millions of MBA's over the last 10 years to hold the cost down or reduce it. Just look at current sales of "obsolete" MBA's to confirm my thoughts. We don't need a Maserati for our workhorse laptop.