I just wondered what people hoped for and/or thought likely in the first MacBook Air Revision? No moving parts? Flash drives at 64GB and 80GB? Security port? Optical drive?
Apple sometimes will go a long time between rev A and rev B on a brand new product. I wouldn't expect anything until September at the earliest, and possibly not until next January.
Apple sometimes will go a long time between rev A and rev B on a brand new product. I wouldn't expect anything until September at the earliest, and possibly not until next January.
You think? I got the impression that Intel are pushing vendors to Penryn cpus aggressively.
Personally, I don't think there is a need for a new chip in the MBA, but Intel is rapidly migrating vendors to Penryn/ Montevina. According to various other posts hereabouts, I understand that the Air should get a Centrino chip in June. As I'm sure you already know, the benefits will be a slightly faster processor, less heat and reduced poswer consumption.
If I'm correct the Air has a 65 Nm chip on a 45 Nm die, therefore, it would make sense to use a 45 Nm chip instead? Anyone care to shed some light on this?
Whether the Air needs a new processor or not, what it definitely needs, however, is a larger hard drive. I would love it to get a 128 Gb SSD and as soon as it does then it truly becomes viable as a main computer, IMHO.
In Europe we all travel with 3G data cards that plug into a USB 2.0 port, so I don't need anything else in that area. The only other thing I would like is a second USB port, but then again, the latest USB hubs easily solve this problem. It's just another thing to buy.
The best thing that can possibly happen to the MBA is a price-reduction. But for me the glass is definitely half-full with the MBA. I love its many advantages and don't really care about its disadvantages.
I am trying to find the source but I remember reading somewhere that Intel expect 70% of their chip shipments to be penryn by the middle of the year. They are encouraging vendors to make computers with their new chips. This shouldn't be a big surprise as the margins on those chips are greater than those fabbed at 65 nm.
The MBA is the model that would seem to potential benefit most from a switch to 45 nm chips. Like others, I can't make the switch until the HDD capacity is at least 120 gbs. But that day will come and then I'll be anxious to switch. The form factor is really appealing to me.
If I'm correct the Air has a 65 Nm chip on a 45 Nm die, therefore, it would make sense to use a 45 Nm chip instead? Anyone care to shed some light on this?
Whether the Air needs a new processor or not, what it definitely needs, however, is a larger hard drive. I would love it to get a 128 Gb SSD and as soon as it does then it truly becomes viable as a main computer, IMHO.
NO, the Air has a 65nm chip on a smaller package than the regular one: the die is the same as a LV Merom.
The same for the chipset as far as I know, smaller chips makes smaller motherboards and smaller/thinner enclosure possible.
Montevina is not just about a faster cpu (while it's not really the case for LV or ULV ones), but also faster everything else: FSB, RAM, GMA. In the case of the MBA the top speed will just be 1.86GHz vs. 1.8 today, but on a 1066FSB,6MB of cache vs. 4MB, with eventually DDR3 RAM (800 expected), and GMA X4500 vs. X3100 (should be twice as fast), the TDP is also lowered to 17W vs. 20W (which is good).
Core 2 Duo SL9400 - 6MB of L2, 1.86GHz, FSB 1066MHz, TDP 17W $316
Core 2 Duo SL9300 - 6MB of L2, 1.60GHz, FSB 1066MHz, TDP 17W $284
The S series will be available in Q3 (not june)
What can happen in terms of pricing is lower prices for SSD (especially if the MBA is selling that well according to various articles), buying more SSD at a time would lower the prices as well as the trend (-40% per year or so). It is possible that this summer the Apple price of a 64GB SSD goes down to $700 (-30%) and makes it possible for a 128GB SSD at $1400. Another thing that can hepl in terms of pricing is to use only the 1.86GHz part instead of offering both 1.60/1.86, the price difference being only $32 (in 1,000 units trays).
I don't think there are any new/bigger 1.8" 5mm HDDs expected this summer. So the 80GB stays.
What I think would be a good 1st step (rev B.) for the MBA would be:
Brilliant post. Thanks very much for packing in so much interesting and useful info.
Wel,l I'm up for Rev A, MacBook Air with 1.86GHz, 2GB DDR3-800, X4500 and 128GB SSD, I just wish it didn't have to cost $3199.
I tend to think it is a mistake to buy new products on the first release, although Apple proved me wrong with the iPhone. That said, I am sure the revised MBA will be another step in the right direction.
The thickness is 8mm, that's inline with what's in the MBA now. However, they are of the faster 5400rpm variety. Apple may still not want to put these in the MBA as standard for power consumption reasons. We'll have to see how it pans out. maybe in conjunction with a more efficient processor, it will balance out.
The thickness is 8mm, that's inline with what's in the MBA now. However, they are of the faster 5400rpm variety. Apple may still not want to put these in the MBA as standard for power consumption reasons. We'll have to see how it pans out. maybe in conjunction with a more efficient processor, it will balance out.
This is not inline with what's in the MBA, it uses 5mm tall drives (like the 80GB iPod Classic). It sure would be great to have a 120GB 5400rpm drive in the MBA, but nobody is manufacturing a version that fit in the MBA (yet). But if the MBA sells well enough, maybe Toshiba will be interested.
I really don't mind the Air, my only stipulation being the price. Being that it's a poor choice for a primary desktop, I'd like to see it priced so that most can afford to buy it and an i/mac/mini.
I'm hoping for a 128 SSD, and a 128, and 160 HDD. and the HDD has to be faster.
Get rid of the flap thing, and definitely, more USB ports!! and squeeze in a Firewire.
and the new processors with a minimum of 2.0 GHZ and it comes with a free super drive.
maybe a thinner border on this display, that might make it 14", and make the edges on the display like the MacBook Pro or the MacBook. the edges are a little too round.
I'm hoping for a 128 SSD, and a 128, and 160 HDD. and the HDD has to be faster.
Get rid of the flap thing, and definitely, more USB ports!! and squeeze in a Firewire.
and the new processors with a minimum of 2.0 GHZ and it comes with a free super drive.
maybe a thinner border on this display, that might make it 14", and make the edges on the display like the MacBook Pro or the MacBook. the edges are a little too round.
I might look into buying one if they did this.
I heard that Apple got a patent for space-time compression to fit a motherboard the size of a Mac Pro into a case the size of an Air. Once they work out the bugs (like creating a mini black hole for a nanosecond that sucks the user in, never to be seen again), you should have your laptop as described.
Comments
Apple sometimes will go a long time between rev A and rev B on a brand new product. I wouldn't expect anything until September at the earliest, and possibly not until next January.
You think? I got the impression that Intel are pushing vendors to Penryn cpus aggressively.
You think? I got the impression that Intel are pushing vendors to Penryn cpus aggressively.
I want a bigger hard drive, 3G and a jack that works with my iPhone headphones so that I can use skype and iChat with my headphones.
On the software side, I want a way to sync it with iTunes on my main computer like an iPod so that I can carry a subset of my iTunes library easily.
I want one now, but it just does not quite have enough features. The lack of ports does not bother me since I hardly ever use them anyway.
Personally, I don't think there is a need for a new chip in the MBA, but Intel is rapidly migrating vendors to Penryn/ Montevina. According to various other posts hereabouts, I understand that the Air should get a Centrino chip in June. As I'm sure you already know, the benefits will be a slightly faster processor, less heat and reduced poswer consumption.
If I'm correct the Air has a 65 Nm chip on a 45 Nm die, therefore, it would make sense to use a 45 Nm chip instead? Anyone care to shed some light on this?
Whether the Air needs a new processor or not, what it definitely needs, however, is a larger hard drive. I would love it to get a 128 Gb SSD and as soon as it does then it truly becomes viable as a main computer, IMHO.
In Europe we all travel with 3G data cards that plug into a USB 2.0 port, so I don't need anything else in that area. The only other thing I would like is a second USB port, but then again, the latest USB hubs easily solve this problem. It's just another thing to buy.
The best thing that can possibly happen to the MBA is a price-reduction. But for me the glass is definitely half-full with the MBA. I love its many advantages and don't really care about its disadvantages.
The MBA is the model that would seem to potential benefit most from a switch to 45 nm chips. Like others, I can't make the switch until the HDD capacity is at least 120 gbs. But that day will come and then I'll be anxious to switch. The form factor is really appealing to me.
If I'm correct the Air has a 65 Nm chip on a 45 Nm die, therefore, it would make sense to use a 45 Nm chip instead? Anyone care to shed some light on this?
Whether the Air needs a new processor or not, what it definitely needs, however, is a larger hard drive. I would love it to get a 128 Gb SSD and as soon as it does then it truly becomes viable as a main computer, IMHO.
NO, the Air has a 65nm chip on a smaller package than the regular one: the die is the same as a LV Merom.
The same for the chipset as far as I know, smaller chips makes smaller motherboards and smaller/thinner enclosure possible.
Montevina is not just about a faster cpu (while it's not really the case for LV or ULV ones), but also faster everything else: FSB, RAM, GMA. In the case of the MBA the top speed will just be 1.86GHz vs. 1.8 today, but on a 1066FSB,6MB of cache vs. 4MB, with eventually DDR3 RAM (800 expected), and GMA X4500 vs. X3100 (should be twice as fast), the TDP is also lowered to 17W vs. 20W (which is good).
Core 2 Duo SL9400 - 6MB of L2, 1.86GHz, FSB 1066MHz, TDP 17W $316
Core 2 Duo SL9300 - 6MB of L2, 1.60GHz, FSB 1066MHz, TDP 17W $284
The S series will be available in Q3 (not june)
What can happen in terms of pricing is lower prices for SSD (especially if the MBA is selling that well according to various articles), buying more SSD at a time would lower the prices as well as the trend (-40% per year or so). It is possible that this summer the Apple price of a 64GB SSD goes down to $700 (-30%) and makes it possible for a 128GB SSD at $1400. Another thing that can hepl in terms of pricing is to use only the 1.86GHz part instead of offering both 1.60/1.86, the price difference being only $32 (in 1,000 units trays).
I don't think there are any new/bigger 1.8" 5mm HDDs expected this summer. So the 80GB stays.
What I think would be a good 1st step (rev B.) for the MBA would be:
$1799 1.86GHz, 2GB DDR3-800, X4500, 80GB HDD (speedbump)
$2499 1.86GHz, 2GB DDR3-800, X4500, 64GB SSD (lower price)
$3199 1.86GHz, 2GB DDR3-800, X4500, 128GB SSD (storage bump)
And for thos who didn't see these test results via 9to5:
IMO, that shows that Apple made the right choice in choosing LV cpus vs. ULV cpus. That allows for a better overall Mac experience.
Nice post. Good info.
Brilliant post. Thanks very much for packing in so much interesting and useful info.
Wel,l I'm up for Rev A, MacBook Air with 1.86GHz, 2GB DDR3-800, X4500 and 128GB SSD, I just wish it didn't have to cost $3199.
I tend to think it is a mistake to buy new products on the first release, although Apple proved me wrong with the iPhone. That said, I am sure the revised MBA will be another step in the right direction.
I don't think there are any new/bigger 1.8" 5mm HDDs expected this summer. So the 80GB stays.
At least one company, Toshiba, is set to start selling 120GB single-platter 1.8" drives sometime this year.
The thickness is 8mm, that's inline with what's in the MBA now. However, they are of the faster 5400rpm variety. Apple may still not want to put these in the MBA as standard for power consumption reasons. We'll have to see how it pans out. maybe in conjunction with a more efficient processor, it will balance out.
Righto: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/st...4762218&EDATE=
The thickness is 8mm, that's inline with what's in the MBA now. However, they are of the faster 5400rpm variety. Apple may still not want to put these in the MBA as standard for power consumption reasons. We'll have to see how it pans out. maybe in conjunction with a more efficient processor, it will balance out.
This is not inline with what's in the MBA, it uses 5mm tall drives (like the 80GB iPod Classic). It sure would be great to have a 120GB 5400rpm drive in the MBA, but nobody is manufacturing a version that fit in the MBA (yet). But if the MBA sells well enough, maybe Toshiba will be interested.
The MK**16GSG Series
1.8" SATA HDD 120/80GB
are dual platters by the way.
Get rid of the flap thing, and definitely, more USB ports!! and squeeze in a Firewire.
and the new processors with a minimum of 2.0 GHZ and it comes with a free super drive.
maybe a thinner border on this display, that might make it 14", and make the edges on the display like the MacBook Pro or the MacBook. the edges are a little too round.
I might look into buying one if they did this.
On the software side, I want a way to sync it with iTunes on my main computer like an iPod so that I can carry a subset of my iTunes library easily.
I like this idea. Only make it for all notebooks and even other desktop computers.
I'm hoping for a 128 SSD, and a 128, and 160 HDD. and the HDD has to be faster.
Get rid of the flap thing, and definitely, more USB ports!! and squeeze in a Firewire.
and the new processors with a minimum of 2.0 GHZ and it comes with a free super drive.
maybe a thinner border on this display, that might make it 14", and make the edges on the display like the MacBook Pro or the MacBook. the edges are a little too round.
I might look into buying one if they did this.
I heard that Apple got a patent for space-time compression to fit a motherboard the size of a Mac Pro into a case the size of an Air. Once they work out the bugs (like creating a mini black hole for a nanosecond that sucks the user in, never to be seen again), you should have your laptop as described.
Also, if faster rotational speeds make it harder to fit a thin disk drive in the Air, future upgrades may all focus on SSD...
Not a chance, at least not on the next year. Even assuming SSD prices drop significantly, that would push the base price into the $2500+ range.