Yea, shuffle in its current iteration is pretty bad. No screen, no player controls requiring a special headset.
Instead of making nano smaller how about just adding a clip to it. It's mall enough for just about anyone to clip it to their shorts while working out.
Nano is one of the most popular iPod. I think they sell more of those then classics, so I don't think apple should mess too much with it.
Yea, shuffle in its current iteration is pretty bad. No screen, no player controls requiring a special headset.
Instead of making nano smaller how about just adding a clip to it. It's mall enough for just about anyone to clip it to their shorts while working out.
Nano is one of the most popular iPod. I think they sell more of those then classics, so I don't think apple should mess too much with it.
Mess with it they will because sales are lagging. In any event you seem to be in the wrong thread. This thread is about messing with AIR.
1-2 USB ports, Ethernet port built in, displayport out and 4gb of ram and I would buy one....
Given the above i'm seriously thinking about ditching my laptop for the next round of upgrades. The thought is that an iMac and an iPad might work out better. Especially by the time I upgrade again as I'm expecting iPad to mature a bit.
I?d like to see a MacBook/Pro without the optical drive soon.
I would like this very much. I have a current 2.66MHz 15" MacBook Pro with the 1680x1050 option. I would buy a new one in a heartbeat if the same were available without an optical drive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism
The MacBook Air is nice for what it is, but it?s a niche that will remain expensive and HW limited so long as it uses CULV processors and 1.8? drives.
That's true, but I don't expect the new MacBook Air will have a 1.8" drive. I think it will be SSD only and directly on the motherboard, making it thinner, lighter, less expensive (compared to current SSD versions), and more reliable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism
I want the full-size without the ODD taking up pointless space.
I could not agree more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism
Hopefully, that is what will be coming with this cheaper MBA.
This seems most unlikely. I believe the machine you describe will be the replacement of the MacBook and MacBook Pro, not the MacBook Air. The MacBook Air seems very unlikely to become thicker or heavier.
OSX uses a lot less RAM than you might be used to. 2 Gigs is plenty for most people. That is why Apple gives you 2 gigs instead of 4.
No. The reason the MacBook Air has 2 GBs is because it made sense in 2008. Now 2GBs is an anachronism. 4GB is the sweet spot in price/performance for most users.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SendMe
The vast majority of people get a better user experience, and if you think that you are one of the very, very few who simply cannot survive without 4 gigs of RAM, then the solution is simple: Buy a MBP.
I did exactly that. I sold my MacBook Air because I need 4GBs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gxcad
I personally think the current air is too similar to the 13 inch Macbook Pro but with less power, less features, less battery life, old design trackpad, higher price tag, less less less less. the one and ONLY benefit is weight, which I understand people may like, but I think they should try to differentiate it by making it ~11.6 inches like a previous rumor suggested, and make it ONLY SSD. This would reduce the footprint, still barely accomodate a full size keyboard if engineered that way, and definitely reduce weight and thickness (with an all SSD approach certainly, since the design would not have to be built to accomodate a 1.8 inch drive, and the SSD could even be embedded into the mobo along with everything else).
My thoughts exactly. It's difficult to predict the weight of such a hypothetical MacBook Air because it depends so much on battery capacity, but it could weigh 1kg if 10 hour battery life is not a requirement. Keep the current 1280x800 resolution but at 130dpi and it fits nicely at the rumored 11.6 inches.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DOSbox-gamer
And what about the future? 10.6 required Intel processors; what will be required for 10.7? 10.8?
This is off-topic, but I expect 10.7 will require a 64-bit CPU (dropping support for the Core Solo and Core Duo while continuing support for the Core 2 Duo and later) and 10.8 will require 64-bit EFI.
Apple should kill the Air and focus on the iPad. Air will fail in the market and they should kill it now.
What are you talking about??? Apple makes piles of money selling the MacBook Air. Some of their other products make bigger piles of money, but having some great performers is no reason to kill a very good performer.
Excluding accessories, the only Apple product which has not been doing well is Apple TV, but it has great potential for the future.
I would like this very much. I have a current 2.66MHz 15" MacBook Pro with the 1680x1050 option. I would buy a new one in a heartbeat if the same were available without an optical drive.
I'm also of the mind that the optical drive is a waste of space. However on a full size platform like the MBPs I'd rather see the space freed up for more internal storage and possibly more ports. You see a better Mac Book AIR doesn't imply that the MBP isn't needed. The Pro really should live up to its name and offer the advanced capabilities pro users want.
Quote:
That's true, but I don't expect the new MacBook Air will have a 1.8" drive. I think it will be SSD only and directly on the motherboard, making it thinner, lighter, less expensive (compared to current SSD versions), and more reliable.
Lets compromize here and take our SSD on plug in PCI-Expresss cards. There are two reasons. One is that SSDs do wear out, that can happen quickly under the right usage pattern. The second issue is upgradeability,it is a given that denser and cheaper storage technologies will come. Further most people have growing data storage needs.
PS
No the cloud isn't the answer here. At least in many cases it isn't.
Quote:
I could not agree more.
This seems most unlikely. I believe the machine you describe will be the replacement of the MacBook and MacBook Pro, not the MacBook Air. The MacBook Air seems very unlikely to become thicker or heavier.
There won't be extreme changes but with a little thought it could handle I/O ports much better. The trap door access to your ports is a bit of a joke and is far to limited.
As to performance in this type of packaging i think there are only upside potential. 32nm processors that are aggressively optimized for power usage will make a huge difference. Plus the results seen at 22nm are very encouraging. Thus the possibility of continued performance gains are a possibility with AIR.
The performance will never match the current MBPs simply due to cooling considerations. We could however see a future AIR with the performance of todays lowend MBP. The thing is this future isn't far off. Maybe not this rev but certainly by 2012 the performance of AIR will be far more acceptable than it is now.
AIR is flawed significantly in two ways. One it was just a bit early technology wise though the NVidia chip did wonders there. The second it is a triumph of form over function.
A revised AIR can attack these issues in two ways. The first and most obvious is to use the most current hardware possible. This means the most advanced SoC that either Intel or AMD can offer. The second issue requires Apple to pull its gead out of its a$$ and configure I/O to cover the needs of a wider array of customers. We aren't asking for a lot here either. Just do away with the trap door and support enough I/O to do the job.
I would say there is a remote possiblility considering that Intels new chip architecture makes it impossible to use nVidia graphics on board so they end up having to use Intels crappy IGP. Also seems they may be in discussions with AMD for the future if this link has any merit.
The Intel HD GPU performs about as well as the 9400m in some areas; you aren't going to be running games on the MBA, but you could potentially use Intel's wireless display technology. That in itself could be big. Not sure what the TDP of the Intel vs the Nvidia is either, that could be another consideration.
The Intel HD is good enough for HD video, Flash acceleration (at least under Windows). It's OpenGL performance is poor, but so is OSX's.
I can't see AMD doing much on Mac's, other than graphics, they get worst battery life across the board, compared to Intel, but they're usually quite a bit cheaper, so it's a tradeoff.
The Intel HD GPU performs about as well as the 9400m in some areas; you aren't going to be running games on the MBA, but you could potentially use Intel's wireless display technology. That in itself could be big. Not sure what the TDP of the Intel vs the Nvidia is either, that could be another consideration.
The problem is you need Intels most recent GPU to reach 9400m performance. The 9400m has already been phased out of Apples hardware. Even then the intel GPU isn't a balanced performer like the NVidia chip. In the end you really aren't comparing Apple to Apples here.
Quote:
The Intel HD is good enough for HD video, Flash acceleration (at least under Windows). It's OpenGL performance is poor, but so is OSX's.
Intel isn't that great at flash. As to openGL that is all the more reason to have a faster GPU. Not to mention is Intels issues with OpenCL.
Windows isn't the issue here. The fact is you are worst off with Intel GPUs on Apple hardware.
Quote:
I can't see AMD doing much on Mac's, other than graphics, they get worst battery life across the board, compared to Intel, but they're usually quite a bit cheaper, so it's a tradeoff.
Any portable Mac with AMD hardware would have to use future AMD hardware. AMD is agressively going after the market so I'm hopeful they can challenge Intel. The competition is needed.
OSX uses a lot less RAM than you might be used to. 2 Gigs is plenty for most people. That is why Apple gives you 2 gigs instead of 4.
The vast majority of people get a better user experience, and if you think that you are one of the very, very few who simply cannot survive without 4 gigs of RAM, then the solution is simple: Buy a MBP.
I am writing this on a MBA with 2GBs that has worked very well and never needed more RAM. Many people want to turn the MBA in to a MBP; it is a different machine that does its tasks well.
Updates have been repeatedly rumored over the last year but never panned out. The hardware was last updated in June 2009, giving it a Core 2 Duo processor and Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics at a lower starting price of $1,499.
"We believe that the Nano will be much smaller than past versions, and will not have a physical track wheel," he said, adding that it's possible that the iPod shuffle could be eliminated if the iPod nano is reduced in size..
I know this will never happen, but I'd like to see Apple finally produce a MBair with a 10" screen, running either iOS or some hybrid OS with a touch screen. The iPad is nice, but for me, I want more attention to the couch potato blogger and the iPad doesn't yet fit that bill.
I'd like to see the shuffle go away. I have the gen1 shuffle and i thought the Gen2 was perfect, save for a screen. combining the Nano and Shuffle seems like an Apple thing to do, but if it's a Touch nano, the will miss the mark, IMO.
You people should research your products and get more clued up, an iOS notebook already exists.
It's an iPad with a bluetooth keyboard or the keyboard dock.
that said, the BT keyboard or keyboard dock don't really work well in your lap, and would suck to lug around from place to place. Apple needs to update the keyboard dock to more of a lap-top style all-in-one.
I think everyone's looking for too much here, which will cause the inevitable gloomy response after Apple actually holds the event. This a product refresh - nothing more.
You guys are "creating" new products that we have no evidence of. All of a sudden - without warning - you think Apple has cooked up a new iOS AirTouch that will appear in September. Don't you think we would have seen a leak or two about some related components? Geesh. Apple isn't exactly the air-tight vault it once was.
Anyway, I've actually been thinking about buying an Air as a replacement for my older MacBook. I'll hold out until the fall now to see if these price drop rumors are accurate.
we don't need evidence to hold an opinion. Yes wishful thinking and opinionated conversation is what these forums are for.
I personally think the current air is too similar to the 13 inch Macbook Pro but with less power, less features, less battery life, old design trackpad, higher price tag, less less less less. the one and ONLY benefit is weight, which I understand people may like...
I agree, the MBair needs to be vastly different to be more marketable. Too Niche of a device, that said, Apple products are all Niche devices but this is too niche for even the staunchest supporters, which has bit it's bane since it debuted.
still hold that i'd love to see a 10" alternative to the iPad, call it the iBook.
Now for me, it would be enough if they updated the 13" MacBook Air with better battery life and the same screen as the current MacBooks. I think that 11.6" is too small. I am hoping that if they do release a smaller version, that they will keep the 13", or else I'll have to get over my infatuation and get a regular MacBook/Pro.
I agree, the MBair needs to be vastly different to be more marketable. Too Niche of a device, that said, Apple products are all Niche devices but this is too niche for even the staunchest supporters, which has bit it's bane since it debuted.
I'm not convinced that it needs to be vastly different, just that it needs to address user needs a little better to draw a wider user base. The single USB port is a real killer as is the lack of a Ethernet port, though two or three USB ports can make up for the lack of an Ethernet port to some extent. Free access to those ports is needed too.
Beyond those limitations AIR isn't that bad for ultra mobile computing.
Quote:
still hold that i'd love to see a 10" alternative to the iPad, call it the iBook.
The trouble here is that the market would see it as Apples netbook which if it follows in the foot print of AIR it obviously isn't. So unless Apple can get a 10" AIR priced well below $800 it won't be seen in to positive of a light.
It will be interesting to see what Apple has up its sleeves here. One just has to remember that the AIR serves a different market than the MB & MBP. Apple could however refocus where they focus the marketing of the AIRs. With the right rebuild and refocused marketing they could be very successful.
Comments
Instead of making nano smaller how about just adding a clip to it. It's mall enough for just about anyone to clip it to their shorts while working out.
Nano is one of the most popular iPod. I think they sell more of those then classics, so I don't think apple should mess too much with it.
Yea, shuffle in its current iteration is pretty bad. No screen, no player controls requiring a special headset.
Instead of making nano smaller how about just adding a clip to it. It's mall enough for just about anyone to clip it to their shorts while working out.
Nano is one of the most popular iPod. I think they sell more of those then classics, so I don't think apple should mess too much with it.
Mess with it they will because sales are lagging. In any event you seem to be in the wrong thread. This thread is about messing with AIR.
Dave
1-2 USB ports, Ethernet port built in, displayport out and 4gb of ram and I would buy one....
Given the above i'm seriously thinking about ditching my laptop for the next round of upgrades. The thought is that an iMac and an iPad might work out better. Especially by the time I upgrade again as I'm expecting iPad to mature a bit.
Dave
I?d like to see a MacBook/Pro without the optical drive soon.
I would like this very much. I have a current 2.66MHz 15" MacBook Pro with the 1680x1050 option. I would buy a new one in a heartbeat if the same were available without an optical drive.
The MacBook Air is nice for what it is, but it?s a niche that will remain expensive and HW limited so long as it uses CULV processors and 1.8? drives.
That's true, but I don't expect the new MacBook Air will have a 1.8" drive. I think it will be SSD only and directly on the motherboard, making it thinner, lighter, less expensive (compared to current SSD versions), and more reliable.
I want the full-size without the ODD taking up pointless space.
I could not agree more.
Hopefully, that is what will be coming with this cheaper MBA.
This seems most unlikely. I believe the machine you describe will be the replacement of the MacBook and MacBook Pro, not the MacBook Air. The MacBook Air seems very unlikely to become thicker or heavier.
OSX uses a lot less RAM than you might be used to. 2 Gigs is plenty for most people. That is why Apple gives you 2 gigs instead of 4.
No. The reason the MacBook Air has 2 GBs is because it made sense in 2008. Now 2GBs is an anachronism. 4GB is the sweet spot in price/performance for most users.
The vast majority of people get a better user experience, and if you think that you are one of the very, very few who simply cannot survive without 4 gigs of RAM, then the solution is simple: Buy a MBP.
I did exactly that. I sold my MacBook Air because I need 4GBs.
I personally think the current air is too similar to the 13 inch Macbook Pro but with less power, less features, less battery life, old design trackpad, higher price tag, less less less less. the one and ONLY benefit is weight, which I understand people may like, but I think they should try to differentiate it by making it ~11.6 inches like a previous rumor suggested, and make it ONLY SSD. This would reduce the footprint, still barely accomodate a full size keyboard if engineered that way, and definitely reduce weight and thickness (with an all SSD approach certainly, since the design would not have to be built to accomodate a 1.8 inch drive, and the SSD could even be embedded into the mobo along with everything else).
My thoughts exactly. It's difficult to predict the weight of such a hypothetical MacBook Air because it depends so much on battery capacity, but it could weigh 1kg if 10 hour battery life is not a requirement. Keep the current 1280x800 resolution but at 130dpi and it fits nicely at the rumored 11.6 inches.
And what about the future? 10.6 required Intel processors; what will be required for 10.7? 10.8?
This is off-topic, but I expect 10.7 will require a 64-bit CPU (dropping support for the Core Solo and Core Duo while continuing support for the Core 2 Duo and later) and 10.8 will require 64-bit EFI.
eventually there will be an iPad with keyboard.
http://www.patentlyapple.com/.a/6a01...5974513970c-pi
Bu it won't be a MacBook.
But why??? Apple should kill the Air and focus on the iPad. Air will fail in the market and they should kill it now.
Apple should kill the Air and focus on the iPad. Air will fail in the market and they should kill it now.
What are you talking about??? Apple makes piles of money selling the MacBook Air. Some of their other products make bigger piles of money, but having some great performers is no reason to kill a very good performer.
Excluding accessories, the only Apple product which has not been doing well is Apple TV, but it has great potential for the future.
Two Words: Air Touch.
Two Words: Not Happening
So here's a funny:
There actually was a cellular communications company called AirTouch. You know what it's part of today? Verizon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirTouch
Congratulations for breaking my brain.
I would like this very much. I have a current 2.66MHz 15" MacBook Pro with the 1680x1050 option. I would buy a new one in a heartbeat if the same were available without an optical drive.
I'm also of the mind that the optical drive is a waste of space. However on a full size platform like the MBPs I'd rather see the space freed up for more internal storage and possibly more ports. You see a better Mac Book AIR doesn't imply that the MBP isn't needed. The Pro really should live up to its name and offer the advanced capabilities pro users want.
That's true, but I don't expect the new MacBook Air will have a 1.8" drive. I think it will be SSD only and directly on the motherboard, making it thinner, lighter, less expensive (compared to current SSD versions), and more reliable.
Lets compromize here and take our SSD on plug in PCI-Expresss cards. There are two reasons. One is that SSDs do wear out, that can happen quickly under the right usage pattern. The second issue is upgradeability,it is a given that denser and cheaper storage technologies will come. Further most people have growing data storage needs.
PS
No the cloud isn't the answer here. At least in many cases it isn't.
I could not agree more.
This seems most unlikely. I believe the machine you describe will be the replacement of the MacBook and MacBook Pro, not the MacBook Air. The MacBook Air seems very unlikely to become thicker or heavier.
There won't be extreme changes but with a little thought it could handle I/O ports much better. The trap door access to your ports is a bit of a joke and is far to limited.
As to performance in this type of packaging i think there are only upside potential. 32nm processors that are aggressively optimized for power usage will make a huge difference. Plus the results seen at 22nm are very encouraging. Thus the possibility of continued performance gains are a possibility with AIR.
The performance will never match the current MBPs simply due to cooling considerations. We could however see a future AIR with the performance of todays lowend MBP. The thing is this future isn't far off. Maybe not this rev but certainly by 2012 the performance of AIR will be far more acceptable than it is now.
AIR is flawed significantly in two ways. One it was just a bit early technology wise though the NVidia chip did wonders there. The second it is a triumph of form over function.
A revised AIR can attack these issues in two ways. The first and most obvious is to use the most current hardware possible. This means the most advanced SoC that either Intel or AMD can offer. The second issue requires Apple to pull its gead out of its a$$ and configure I/O to cover the needs of a wider array of customers. We aren't asking for a lot here either. Just do away with the trap door and support enough I/O to do the job.
Dave
I would say there is a remote possiblility considering that Intels new chip architecture makes it impossible to use nVidia graphics on board so they end up having to use Intels crappy IGP. Also seems they may be in discussions with AMD for the future if this link has any merit.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...amd_chips.html
The Intel HD GPU performs about as well as the 9400m in some areas; you aren't going to be running games on the MBA, but you could potentially use Intel's wireless display technology. That in itself could be big. Not sure what the TDP of the Intel vs the Nvidia is either, that could be another consideration.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-G...D.23065.0.html
The Intel HD is good enough for HD video, Flash acceleration (at least under Windows). It's OpenGL performance is poor, but so is OSX's.
I can't see AMD doing much on Mac's, other than graphics, they get worst battery life across the board, compared to Intel, but they're usually quite a bit cheaper, so it's a tradeoff.
The Intel HD GPU performs about as well as the 9400m in some areas; you aren't going to be running games on the MBA, but you could potentially use Intel's wireless display technology. That in itself could be big. Not sure what the TDP of the Intel vs the Nvidia is either, that could be another consideration.
The problem is you need Intels most recent GPU to reach 9400m performance. The 9400m has already been phased out of Apples hardware. Even then the intel GPU isn't a balanced performer like the NVidia chip. In the end you really aren't comparing Apple to Apples here.
The Intel HD is good enough for HD video, Flash acceleration (at least under Windows). It's OpenGL performance is poor, but so is OSX's.
Intel isn't that great at flash. As to openGL that is all the more reason to have a faster GPU. Not to mention is Intels issues with OpenCL.
Windows isn't the issue here. The fact is you are worst off with Intel GPUs on Apple hardware.
I can't see AMD doing much on Mac's, other than graphics, they get worst battery life across the board, compared to Intel, but they're usually quite a bit cheaper, so it's a tradeoff.
Any portable Mac with AMD hardware would have to use future AMD hardware. AMD is agressively going after the market so I'm hopeful they can challenge Intel. The competition is needed.
Dave
Update: Back UP, MAC PROs available for order.
Nothing on MacBook Air.
OSX uses a lot less RAM than you might be used to. 2 Gigs is plenty for most people. That is why Apple gives you 2 gigs instead of 4.
The vast majority of people get a better user experience, and if you think that you are one of the very, very few who simply cannot survive without 4 gigs of RAM, then the solution is simple: Buy a MBP.
I am writing this on a MBA with 2GBs that has worked very well and never needed more RAM. Many people want to turn the MBA in to a MBP; it is a different machine that does its tasks well.
The base model of the new MacPro ships with 3GB.
Updates have been repeatedly rumored over the last year but never panned out. The hardware was last updated in June 2009, giving it a Core 2 Duo processor and Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics at a lower starting price of $1,499.
"We believe that the Nano will be much smaller than past versions, and will not have a physical track wheel," he said, adding that it's possible that the iPod shuffle could be eliminated if the iPod nano is reduced in size..
I know this will never happen, but I'd like to see Apple finally produce a MBair with a 10" screen, running either iOS or some hybrid OS with a touch screen. The iPad is nice, but for me, I want more attention to the couch potato blogger and the iPad doesn't yet fit that bill.
I'd like to see the shuffle go away. I have the gen1 shuffle and i thought the Gen2 was perfect, save for a screen. combining the Nano and Shuffle seems like an Apple thing to do, but if it's a Touch nano, the will miss the mark, IMO.
You people should research your products and get more clued up, an iOS notebook already exists.
It's an iPad with a bluetooth keyboard or the keyboard dock.
that said, the BT keyboard or keyboard dock don't really work well in your lap, and would suck to lug around from place to place. Apple needs to update the keyboard dock to more of a lap-top style all-in-one.
I think everyone's looking for too much here, which will cause the inevitable gloomy response after Apple actually holds the event. This a product refresh - nothing more.
You guys are "creating" new products that we have no evidence of. All of a sudden - without warning - you think Apple has cooked up a new iOS AirTouch that will appear in September. Don't you think we would have seen a leak or two about some related components? Geesh. Apple isn't exactly the air-tight vault it once was.
Anyway, I've actually been thinking about buying an Air as a replacement for my older MacBook. I'll hold out until the fall now to see if these price drop rumors are accurate.
we don't need evidence to hold an opinion. Yes wishful thinking and opinionated conversation is what these forums are for.
I personally think the current air is too similar to the 13 inch Macbook Pro but with less power, less features, less battery life, old design trackpad, higher price tag, less less less less. the one and ONLY benefit is weight, which I understand people may like...
I agree, the MBair needs to be vastly different to be more marketable. Too Niche of a device, that said, Apple products are all Niche devices but this is too niche for even the staunchest supporters, which has bit it's bane since it debuted.
still hold that i'd love to see a 10" alternative to the iPad, call it the iBook.
Now for me, it would be enough if they updated the 13" MacBook Air with better battery life and the same screen as the current MacBooks. I think that 11.6" is too small. I am hoping that if they do release a smaller version, that they will keep the 13", or else I'll have to get over my infatuation and get a regular MacBook/Pro.
And yeah, I am waiting for the white iPhone too.
I agree, the MBair needs to be vastly different to be more marketable. Too Niche of a device, that said, Apple products are all Niche devices but this is too niche for even the staunchest supporters, which has bit it's bane since it debuted.
I'm not convinced that it needs to be vastly different, just that it needs to address user needs a little better to draw a wider user base. The single USB port is a real killer as is the lack of a Ethernet port, though two or three USB ports can make up for the lack of an Ethernet port to some extent. Free access to those ports is needed too.
Beyond those limitations AIR isn't that bad for ultra mobile computing.
still hold that i'd love to see a 10" alternative to the iPad, call it the iBook.
The trouble here is that the market would see it as Apples netbook which if it follows in the foot print of AIR it obviously isn't. So unless Apple can get a 10" AIR priced well below $800 it won't be seen in to positive of a light.
It will be interesting to see what Apple has up its sleeves here. One just has to remember that the AIR serves a different market than the MB & MBP. Apple could however refocus where they focus the marketing of the AIRs. With the right rebuild and refocused marketing they could be very successful.
Dave
First iOS notebook??
Actually what I'm hoping for (some day) is a 13" iPad, with front & rear facing cameras.
Actually the cameras get my money anyway as we have family overseas and need iChat.