Sources: Apple to unveil revamped 11.6-inch MacBook Air next week

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  • Reply 61 of 176
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paxman View Post


    As long as you can back up to any old HD using TM its not a big deal is it? I guess it depends a little on upgradability and replacability but not many people complain about lack of standards based storage in iPhones and iPads.



    You're right on here. The problem that many people have is they expect to use a mobile computer as their desktop. We do get spoiled when laptops are as powerful as our desktops were, but they really never were meant to replace a desktop. This, IMO, is why people are OK with storage limitations in iOS devices, but others complain about it. There will always be those who want the entire catalog of their life in their pocket. Maybe someday, but not today.
  • Reply 62 of 176
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by camroidv27 View Post


    11.6 Form Factor?



    I thought Apple said they weren't going to do netbooks.



    What would be the difference in size if the overall form factor reduced but only by removing bevel from around keyboard & screen? What if we find out the screen size hasn't changed, that the laptop has just shed that extra inch around the keyboard & screen. That would be very cool.
  • Reply 63 of 176
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hlfnlsn View Post


    The iPad is not a computer. Even though many other devices do computing functions they are not exactly considered computers in the general sense. Take a calculator for example, it can compute, but it is not considered a computer, same goes for my iPhone. Technically these devices are computers but in the general sense they are not.



    And just how many angels do you think can dance on the head of a pin?
  • Reply 64 of 176
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 0yvind View Post


    NOT a netbook - rather a full-blown notebook with a small form factor.



    WTF?! That's exactly what a netbook is. If this report is true, Apple is now making a netbook.
  • Reply 65 of 176
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    That would be nice ... Hopefully when they are lighter though. Liquidmetal soon I hope.



    I think it was a joke. The iPad is 11.75 inches.
  • Reply 66 of 176
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 8CoreWhore View Post


    Guys, don't get hung up on the word proprietary. It's not the same as a removable Sony stick Sony customers are stuck with. ....



    I would agree not to get hung up on the word because AppleInsider is famous for using the wrong words in their articles and getting everyone hot under the collar because they don't describe things properly.



    However, "proprietary" actually means exactly what you say it doesn't mean. A "proprietary SSD stick" from Apple is pretty much exactly the same thing as Sony's memory sticks. We can hope it's not true, or that if it is true they licence the technology, but you can't just redefine the word proprietary.
  • Reply 67 of 176
    g-newsg-news Posts: 1,107member
    how many of you guys have actually exchanged the stock drive from their MBA? I bet less than 10%. If the proprietary integration of storage allows for significant price and space savings, that's all good. It's a logical step forward from proprietary batteries to optimize charge/space ratio while sacrificing user replaceability.
  • Reply 68 of 176
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Works fine for Sony...



    To be fair, the proprietary memory stick arguably cost Sony a lot of customers as well as their leadership position in some markets. I know I stopped using Clie's for this reason and I know I'm not alone.



    That being said, Apple's customers are already playing in the walled garden of Apple products by virtue of the fact that Apple makes all OS-X compatible products themselves and there isn't really an issue of taking that hard drive stick out and putting it in another product that isn't an Apple product. I would bet also that they will release something like a drive caddy for it with a USB 3 or FireWire interface so you can transfer data off of it.
  • Reply 69 of 176
    How about a new dual core A4 based system. They have OS X's guts running real nice on the iOS devices, might be OK with more power and a graphics bump.
  • Reply 70 of 176
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by G-News View Post


    how many of you guys have actually exchanged the stock drive from their MBA? I bet less than 10%. If the proprietary integration of storage allows for significant price and space savings, that's all good. It's a logical step forward from proprietary batteries to optimize charge/space ratio while sacrificing user replaceability.



    I agree. macBook Airs break a lot and being able to pull out the drive/stick/whatever and slide it into a new one would be invaluable. I'm sure Apple lost a mint on repair costs for the original MacBook Air and making the computer essentially disposable in this way while making sure that the data storage is far more reliable is an obvious move. In that it also would reduce heat and perhaps remove the fans, it could singlehandedly solve all the primary problems the first model experienced.
  • Reply 71 of 176
    wijgwijg Posts: 99member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Either Jobs was wrong or the iPad is not a computer. Or the iPad is a piece of junk.



    Or there was deflation.
  • Reply 72 of 176
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post


    Most likely it will be a PCI Express card or a controller interfaced via PCI Express. It could be a controller of their own design or one of the new PCI Express supporting chips to recently hit the market. There is the issue of this "drive" being a card at all as they could simply integrate it directly on the motherboard.



    I?d bet money it?s electronically identical to mini-PCI, though mechanically proprietary. That is what Apple did with the AirPort Extreme Card, if I remember correctly.



    Quote:

    In a way being directly integrated on the motherboard would suck for upgrades but it would be reliable. If they go the route of direct integration hopefully they will provide a slot for expansion. The one certainty here is that there won't be enough storage space.



    Despite the cons, this has many benefits. This should be very fast and can be made to fit whatever form they wish. It could even be a large array of NAND atop or below the MoBo, something you don?t see with HDDs or SSDs because of the thickness. That could lower the footprint. Or they could go the other way and spread it out over a greater area so the casing can be thinner or fit some odd shape. It opens up a lot options.



    BTW, how often are people replacing their solid-state storage anyway? I bet it?s even lower than those who use replaceable batteries.



    Quote:

    In any event the performance possible by going this route should be shocking. 500 to 800 MB / sec read should be no problem at all. Depending upon how aggressive they are performance could exceed that significantly. If they use an A4 type processor as the controller they might be able to do some interesting things with RAiD like tech to enhance flash reliability and fault tolerance.



    it should be impressive. Apple can tweak this even further to make it work better for their OS. But what OS will they use? If they call it a Mac I would expect Mac OS X, but I don?t expect Mac OS X to be made to run ARM processors. I expect a SFF CULV Core-i7. I do think making it a convertible notebook that doubles as a tablet, so I can see an iOS app simulator-type app, but I don?t expect it to run iOS (or iOS to run x86).



    Quote:

    All in all I'm vary curious about this new machine as it sounds like a major innovation effort upon Apples part. Hopefully they will manage the price better than the old AIR.



    I?m curious about the usability. I loved my 12.1? 4:3 PowerBook, but my 13.3? 16:10 MBP has less screen height which means less readable content, though it?s certainly workable. An 11.6? 16:10 display is noticeably shorter, and even though a full-sized keyboard will fit will there be enough room for a full-sized trackpad? Finally, what about ports.
  • Reply 73 of 176
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by FuturePastNow View Post


    Proprietary storage is not cool, Apple.



    Proprietary storgage is cool if it's not user-accessible. That way it doesn't matter. Proprietary storage isn't cool if users can get at it but it only fits one brand's devices (e.g. Memory Stick).
  • Reply 74 of 176
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    How does Apple do it? They continually bring out new products with the minimum amount of overlap so that I am compelled to buy all of them.



    Me too! the new MBA, my iPhone 4 and an iPad 3Gs! Thats all I need!



    Best
  • Reply 75 of 176
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by McDavies View Post


    What sucks is that i have no money. Hell, i'm using the library computers right now.



    Hang in there! Keep working!
  • Reply 76 of 176
    rhbrhb Posts: 10member
    Not sure how to feel about this one.



    I wonder if this is pushing the size boundary just a little bit. I have the SSD Air, and it's JUST large enough to give me adequate screen real estate... but it's already treading a fine line in terms of size. True, the iPad is a lot smaller, but I don't use it for the same things; for traditional "computer" stuff, especially with multiple windows involved, I still need a full-size keyboard and a screen that my old eyes can actually see. And 13" seems to be the lower limit. Or 12", for some people.



    But smaller than that? Hey, I own a lot of Apple gear, but this is one where I'm not feeling the love. I think the 2.7lb weight is awesome, but at the cost of squinting every time I want to do some work?



    Ech - maybe I'm just being a curmudgeon. But I do think you can push the miniaturization thing too far.
  • Reply 77 of 176
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    The 9.7" iPad is both too big a too heavy, anyone here who wants bigger needs to be checked. That's not the saying the iPad isn't great. But I see the number 1 complaint being it's a little bit too big and heavy. Especially too heavy.



    Whatever about this Air, and it seems like it's going to be 11.6", and probably 16:9, I think iPad 2 should be 9" - even. Smaller, not bigger.
  • Reply 78 of 176
    cmf2cmf2 Posts: 1,427member
    AppleInsider put it in red text, it's probably true. For those wondering, the Macbook Air falls into the ultraportable category, not the netbook category. Netbooks are defined by their size, price and performance. The Air would only be similar in one of those three categories.
  • Reply 79 of 176
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by FuturePastNow View Post


    Proprietary storage is not cool, Apple.



    Oh FFS, here comes the brainless bitchin' again...



    1) The current Air is barely upgradable: would you say Apple uses "proprietary memory" because its RAM is built-in the motherboard? This is a non-issue.



    2) Even if you wanted more memory, you would have bought the wrong Mac because guess what: it's a MacBook Air. It's not supposed to have more than 256Gb of stuff in it at the same time. That means files which you can't just throw around easily, and to fill a 256GB SSD, that would have to mean Pro apps, which are not this computer's strength at all.



    3) In the event you fill up your Air with other, easier to manage files like documents, photos and videos, you wouldn't buy a SSD for storing it because it would be a retarded waste of money. Instead, buy a Time Capsule (or other external HD) and be happy.



    Quote:

    WTF?! That's exactly what a netbook is. If this report is true, Apple is now making a netbook.



    No, it is not. They are called netbooks because the heaviest kind of work you can do with is surf the 'net. Not even the first Air could fit in that category.
  • Reply 80 of 176
    shrikeshrike Posts: 494member
    As long as the storage is a PCIe solution, it'll be cool. If it's just a SATA solution, it's Apple saving volume for smaller form factor and bigger battery. The PCIe SSD solution would be cool. And a 2 GHz low voltage C2D would be fine.



    Still, any MBA will be a niche device. Maybe if they raise the floor of the MBP 13 to $1299, they can slot this in at $1099 or something.
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