Another annoying MacBook Pro thread
I can always tell from Appleinsider forums when Apple is about to refresh its MBP line-up. Not from insider information released via Chinese manufacturers, but simply from themarkedly increased number of people asking two questions on AI forums: when will apple refresh its MBP line-up and what can we expect? It is almost a microcosm of the market telling Apple what it needs.
I noticed this in 2008 just before the new one-piece enclosures first broke cover and then again last year when the line-up was last refreshed. Here we are in 2011 and once again the number of MBP threads tells me that new models are imminent.
A number of factors seem to support my theory:
1. Sandy Bridge processors are out in the wild. Paul Otellini of Intel says he thinks that they are a significant step forward versus other recent processor upgrades, (of course, he would say that, but the data makes a solid case). Other manufacturers are releasing machines that incorporate SB processors. Apple has to follow suit or risk falling behind. This is especially important considering that Apple's machines are more expensive than many competitors, and also because it wants to grab a slice of the corporate market.
2. The current Core 2 Duo architecture is starting to show its age. It wasn't replaced last time around, when Nehalem processors first appeared because the arithmetic of Intel processor plus third-party graphics chip times competitive pricing didn't add up below 15" machines. Arguably, with Sandy Bridge, Apple has several new options to deliver new value machines that provide superior processor and graphics performance at reasonable prices.
3. Since 2008, the advent of movies on iTunes has chewed up a lot of disk space. Suddenly, all our hard drives are full. Our batteries are worn out too. instead of just replacing the HDD and battery with new larger-capacity ones, quite a few people are thinking: why not replace the whole machine? I know I am. As Airplay is used to stream content from one source computer to other devices, large capacity disks will be increasingly essential.
4. Apple's clever incorporation of SSD chips in the latest MacBook Air models shows that solid state memory's time has come. Instant on and greater reliability versus traditional spinning platter HDDs is likely to drive demand. But I guess it is going to be some time before the price of a 1 TB SSD approaches a competitive level! (Understatement of 2011 to date.) Given Apple's monopoly of the SSD market, it could do much to make this technology more mainstream and more accessible.
5. The writing is on the wall for the ODD. Ditching the DVD drive frees-up space for other goodies. The App Store now makes it easy to download software. We're also seeing USB memory sticks being used to store data very effectively. So who still needs an on-board DVD player? I can count the number of times I've used my DVD drive since I bought my MBP on the fingers of one hand.
Perhaps none of these factors by themselves is enough to suggest a change, but taken together, I think it is only a matter of time. I am pretty sure new machines will arrive within 8 weeks.
Now just hang on a second while a put on my flame-retardant suit...
I noticed this in 2008 just before the new one-piece enclosures first broke cover and then again last year when the line-up was last refreshed. Here we are in 2011 and once again the number of MBP threads tells me that new models are imminent.
A number of factors seem to support my theory:
1. Sandy Bridge processors are out in the wild. Paul Otellini of Intel says he thinks that they are a significant step forward versus other recent processor upgrades, (of course, he would say that, but the data makes a solid case). Other manufacturers are releasing machines that incorporate SB processors. Apple has to follow suit or risk falling behind. This is especially important considering that Apple's machines are more expensive than many competitors, and also because it wants to grab a slice of the corporate market.
2. The current Core 2 Duo architecture is starting to show its age. It wasn't replaced last time around, when Nehalem processors first appeared because the arithmetic of Intel processor plus third-party graphics chip times competitive pricing didn't add up below 15" machines. Arguably, with Sandy Bridge, Apple has several new options to deliver new value machines that provide superior processor and graphics performance at reasonable prices.
3. Since 2008, the advent of movies on iTunes has chewed up a lot of disk space. Suddenly, all our hard drives are full. Our batteries are worn out too. instead of just replacing the HDD and battery with new larger-capacity ones, quite a few people are thinking: why not replace the whole machine? I know I am. As Airplay is used to stream content from one source computer to other devices, large capacity disks will be increasingly essential.
4. Apple's clever incorporation of SSD chips in the latest MacBook Air models shows that solid state memory's time has come. Instant on and greater reliability versus traditional spinning platter HDDs is likely to drive demand. But I guess it is going to be some time before the price of a 1 TB SSD approaches a competitive level! (Understatement of 2011 to date.) Given Apple's monopoly of the SSD market, it could do much to make this technology more mainstream and more accessible.
5. The writing is on the wall for the ODD. Ditching the DVD drive frees-up space for other goodies. The App Store now makes it easy to download software. We're also seeing USB memory sticks being used to store data very effectively. So who still needs an on-board DVD player? I can count the number of times I've used my DVD drive since I bought my MBP on the fingers of one hand.
Perhaps none of these factors by themselves is enough to suggest a change, but taken together, I think it is only a matter of time. I am pretty sure new machines will arrive within 8 weeks.
Now just hang on a second while a put on my flame-retardant suit...
Comments
I can always tell from Appleinsider forums when Apple is about to refresh its MBP line-up. Not from insider information released via Chinese manufacturers, but simply from themarkedly increased number of people asking two questions on AI forums: when will apple refresh its MBP line-up and what can we expect? It is almost a microcosm of the market telling Apple what it needs.
<snip>
Perhaps none of these factors by themselves is enough to suggest a change, but taken together, I think it is only a matter of time. I am pretty sure new machines will arrive within 8 weeks.
Now just hang on a second while a put on my flame-retardant suit...
No flames from me but I would like to ask a question:
How do you tell when Apple is about to refresh its desktop lineup?
The current Core 2 Duo architecture is starting to show its age. It wasn't replaced last time around
In the 13" model it wasn't but they've kept the 15" with the i-series chips. Apple could update the 15" models alone and bump up the clock speeds of the 13" ones.
I guess it is going to be some time before the price of a 1 TB SSD approaches a competitive level! (Understatement of 2011 to date.) Given Apple's monopoly of the SSD market, it could do much to make this technology more mainstream and more accessible.
Some companies have switched to 25nm so capacities are doubling and it ought to be for the same price. Whether or not the price will drop by half remains to be seen. Crucial have announced their C400 drives that go up to 512GB. Apple uses Toshiba NAND, which won't go 25nm until later this year so there may not be a huge jump but the MBA already has 256MB.
The largest 7200 rpm 2.5" you can get is 750GB now so 512GB is ok. I'm not sure when the next doubling will happen but I'd estimate within 1-2 years. Again that should be double for the same price but the manufacturers might milk it.
Perhaps none of these factors by themselves is enough to suggest a change, but taken together, I think it is only a matter of time. I am pretty sure new machines will arrive within 8 weeks.
The Verizon iPhone might throw a spanner in the works but 8 weeks is as long as Apple should take to get the update out. If they put a dedicated GPU in the 13" model, that would be just swell.
If the 13" MBP does get a design overhaul, I have to question what's going to happen to the 13" MBA. It's going to be almost the same form factor and weight as the MBP but slower and more expensive. I'd expect maybe 1lb difference between the two tops.
I can always tell from Appleinsider forums when Apple is about to refresh its MBP line-up. Not from insider information released via Chinese manufacturers, but simply from themarkedly increased number of people asking two questions on AI forums: when will apple refresh its MBP line-up and what can we expect? It is almost a microcosm of the market telling Apple what it needs.
Well if you look simply at the Intel SB release the update could come anytime. If you think things like LightPeak or AMD chips are possible then it could be ages before we see an update. Further Apple could attack the iMac line first. The assumption is that the MBP will be first to update but the desktops could actually use a major overhaul.
I noticed this in 2008 just before the new one-piece enclosures first broke cover and then again last year when the line-up was last refreshed. Here we are in 2011 and once again the number of MBP threads tells me that new models are imminent.
Well that noise wasn't loud enough to keep me form buying an early 2008 MBP. It has been a great machine though.
A number of factors seem to support my theory:
1. Sandy Bridge processors are out in the wild. Paul Otellini of Intel says he thinks that they are a significant step forward versus other recent processor upgrades, (of course, he would say that, but the data makes a solid case). Other manufacturers are releasing machines that incorporate SB processors. Apple has to follow suit or risk falling behind. This is especially important considering that Apple's machines are more expensive than many competitors, and also because it wants to grab a slice of the corporate market.
Apple has demonstrated in the pas that they really don't give a damn about intels release cycles. New hardware will arrive when it is ready.
2. The current Core 2 Duo architecture is starting to show its age. It wasn't replaced last time around, when Nehalem processors first appeared because the arithmetic of Intel processor plus third-party graphics chip times competitive pricing didn't add up below 15" machines. Arguably, with Sandy Bridge, Apple has several new options to deliver new value machines that provide superior processor and graphics performance at reasonable prices.
It isn't just Sandy Bridge, Apple has many options these day especially for the low end. I could even see them turning the Mac book into a 5 or $600 machine with one of AMD's fusion chips. Imagine a $500 machine with 12 hours of battery lifetime and fast SSD to boot from.
3. Since 2008, the advent of movies on iTunes has chewed up a lot of disk space. Suddenly, all our hard drives are full. Our batteries are worn out too. instead of just replacing the HDD and battery with new larger-capacity ones, quite a few people are thinking: why not replace the whole machine? I know I am. As Airplay is used to stream content from one source computer to other devices, large capacity disks will be increasingly essential.
The problem with that motivation is that Apples storage options are usually pretty pathetic.
4. Apple's clever incorporation of SSD chips in the latest MacBook Air models shows that solid state memory's time has come. Instant on and greater reliability versus traditional spinning platter HDDs is likely to drive demand. But I guess it is going to be some time before the price of a 1 TB SSD approaches a competitive level! (Understatement of 2011 to date.) Given Apple's monopoly of the SSD market, it could do much to make this technology more mainstream and more accessible.
This is one of the reasons I recommend to people to hold off any purchases of Mac Books, or even the Mini and the iMac. Even a small SSD set up for booting would have a significant impact on the usability of the Mini or the iMac.
5. The writing is on the wall for the ODD. Ditching the DVD drive frees-up space for other goodies. The App Store now makes it easy to download software. We're also seeing USB memory sticks being used to store data very effectively. So who still needs an on-board DVD player? I can count the number of times I've used my DVD drive since I bought my MBP on the fingers of one hand.
Yep a dead technology as far as extremely portable Macs go. I can see the optical staying a lot longer in the 17" MBP.
Perhaps none of these factors by themselves is enough to suggest a change, but taken together, I think it is only a matter of time. I am pretty sure new machines will arrive within 8 weeks.
Now just hang on a second while a put on my flame-retardant suit...
The new machines could come anytime between now and May. SB may be a no brainer but integrating all the other new tech might take some time. It really depends upon the new rev being more than a stop gap bump. I'm leaning strongly to a major revision and not a simple bump or processor migration.
I can always tell from Appleinsider forums when Apple is about to refresh its MBP line-up. Not from insider information released via Chinese manufacturers, but simply from themarkedly increased number of people asking two questions on AI forums: when will apple refresh its MBP line-up and what can we expect? It is almost a microcosm of the market telling Apple what it needs.
I noticed this in 2008 just before the new one-piece enclosures first broke cover and then again last year when the line-up was last refreshed. Here we are in 2011 and once again the number of MBP threads tells me that new models are imminent.
A number of factors seem to support my theory:
1. Sandy Bridge processors are out in the wild. Paul Otellini of Intel says he thinks that they are a significant step forward versus other recent processor upgrades, (of course, he would say that, but the data makes a solid case). Other manufacturers are releasing machines that incorporate SB processors. Apple has to follow suit or risk falling behind. This is especially important considering that Apple's machines are more expensive than many competitors, and also because it wants to grab a slice of the corporate market.
2. The current Core 2 Duo architecture is starting to show its age. It wasn't replaced last time around, when Nehalem processors first appeared because the arithmetic of Intel processor plus third-party graphics chip times competitive pricing didn't add up below 15" machines. Arguably, with Sandy Bridge, Apple has several new options to deliver new value machines that provide superior processor and graphics performance at reasonable prices.
3. Since 2008, the advent of movies on iTunes has chewed up a lot of disk space. Suddenly, all our hard drives are full. Our batteries are worn out too. instead of just replacing the HDD and battery with new larger-capacity ones, quite a few people are thinking: why not replace the whole machine? I know I am. As Airplay is used to stream content from one source computer to other devices, large capacity disks will be increasingly essential.
4. Apple's clever incorporation of SSD chips in the latest MacBook Air models shows that solid state memory's time has come. Instant on and greater reliability versus traditional spinning platter HDDs is likely to drive demand. But I guess it is going to be some time before the price of a 1 TB SSD approaches a competitive level! (Understatement of 2011 to date.) Given Apple's monopoly of the SSD market, it could do much to make this technology more mainstream and more accessible.
5. The writing is on the wall for the ODD. Ditching the DVD drive frees-up space for other goodies. The App Store now makes it easy to download software. We're also seeing USB memory sticks being used to store data very effectively. So who still needs an on-board DVD player? I can count the number of times I've used my DVD drive since I bought my MBP on the fingers of one hand.
Perhaps none of these factors by themselves is enough to suggest a change, but taken together, I think it is only a matter of time. I am pretty sure new machines will arrive within 8 weeks.
Now just hang on a second while a put on my flame-retardant suit...
April is the call date of new MBP being introduced.It is a shame when someone buys a brand new MBA now and this is discontinued in April.Apple should have a trade up program where you can get the newest and greatest model for a small amount of money.
The new machines could come anytime between now and May.
April is the call date of new MBP being introduced.
No way. Soon would be my guess...
April is the call date of new MBP being introduced.It is a shame when someone buys a brand new MBA now and this is discontinued in April.Apple should have a trade up program where you can get the newest and greatest model for a small amount of money.
April is iPad month. Likely notebooks will be before that. Again, the MacBook Air WILL NOT be updated unless Intel is making a special Sandy Bridge chip designed for that low power use. NO chips currently exist.
No way. Soon would be ?
True it's been awhile but it could be much longer. The thing is one is far better off waiting unless you really need that MBP now. I say that based on the speculation of a major update. At the very least I'm expecting Sandy Bridge and the new Blade SSDs. I would not put it past Apple to intro even more tech in the new MBPs. In the end the performance differences could be stunning.
Another way to look at this is this: imagine the AIRs with a really fast processor and a dedicated GPU.
I don't think it will be too long. Apple doesn't usually wait a year between MacBook Pro updates. The average is 9 months. And we're there right now. I think we'll see new models of the MacBook Pro no later than mid-February.
Apple need to stay below 2x price tags compare to same specs in the pc world. Core2duo macs are above 2x with some models being 4 times more expensive than pc's with same specs. Thats insane.
With the price tags on mac's, anything still having core2duo cpu need to be refresh asap.
Apple need to stay below 2x price tags compare to same specs in the pc world. Core2duo macs are above 2x with some models being 4 times more expensive than pc's with same specs. Thats insane.
I wish I could click a "Like" button on your post. I guess this will have to do.
With the price tags on mac's, anything still having core2duo cpu need to be refresh asap.
Apple need to stay below 2x price tags compare to same specs in the pc world. Core2duo macs are above 2x with some models being 4 times more expensive than pc's with same specs. Thats insane.
Yet people still buy them. Interesting, isn't it?
Yet people still buy them. Interesting, isn't it?
I would venture to say it's because of their durability and customer service. Plus apple is a well trusted brand in many facets.
With the price tags on mac's, anything still having core2duo cpu need to be refresh asap.
Apple need to stay below 2x price tags compare to same specs in the pc world. Core2duo macs are above 2x with some models being 4 times more expensive than pc's with same specs. Thats insane.
The cheapest C2D laptop on Newegg is $515:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834146912
Most of them up to Apple's $999 Macbook price have the GMA 4500 graphics not the 320M.
The cheapest C2D desktop is $475:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883108385
The Mini is $699.
They are not good value for money right now but it still seems to be below twice the price. For comparable specs on Newegg, it's under 50%.
The 13" MBP doesn't look too good right now though. If they take out the optical and add a Radeon 6-series GPU with an i5 CPU, that would change instantly.
It seems clear that the instant-on and performance with SSD is a good thing to go after. Intel will supply 25nm chips in February that can push prices down to $1.60 per GB. Apple currently uses Toshiba for their NAND.
Apple could price these new machines aggressively and change the lineup so that the white Macbook is replaced by the 11" Air with 128GB SSD, 2GB RAM and either the 1.86GHz C2D with 320M or i5-2537M for $999. This would have a 256GB SSD upgrade. The i5 chip arrives on 20th February:
http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=54619
The 13" MBA could be dropped and a new 13" MBP would arrive designed just like it except it would have a standard i5 chip and a Radeon 6-series GPU with 256GB SSD. This would have close to the same dimensions as the Air but be $100 cheaper and slightly thicker to accommodate a larger battery. It may be 0.5lb heavier.
The 15" MBP could come with a similar design again and starting at 256GB SSD up to 512GB SSD for $400 more. Putting a 2.5" bay in the 15" one would be an option though to allow people to get 1TB drives in there.
With a high-speed external interface like USB 3 or Light Peak though, it won't matter. The savings from removing the optical should allow the above lineup to happen.
Dave,
I don't think it will be too long. Apple doesn't usually wait a year between MacBook Pro updates. The average is 9 months. And we're there right now. I think we'll see new models of the MacBook Pro no later than mid-February.
I just want to give people an alternative view. Plus When they do come I think we will see a major update that will be well worth waiting for. This is really key, normally I'd suggest getting when you need but I think the new machines will be impressive enough that hurting a bit while you hold off is worth it.
Of course this is speculation on my part but Steveo wasn't shy about saying that the new AIRs are indicative of new laptops to come. For my part February or March or even April don't matter as I'm not in the market this year. Well at least not till I see what the new iPad looks like.
The cheapest C2D laptop on Newegg is $515:
Most of them up to Apple's $999 Macbook price have the GMA 4500 graphics not the 320M.
The cheapest C2D desktop is $475:
Yes and you usually have to replace the power supply 91 days down the road. I acknowledge that Apples prices are somewhat higher when comparing similar quality but it is no where near 4X.
The Mini is $699.
They are not good value for money right now but it still seems to be below twice the price. For comparable specs on Newegg, it's under 50%.
For an ultra small form factor machine the Mini isn't bad at all. Certainly it could be better and usually is right after a refresh. With the new higher integration devices coming the Mini has the potential to vastly improve its capability. Plus the Mini is huge with people looking for an always on computer that wastes little power.
The 13" MBP doesn't look too good right now though. If they take out the optical and add a Radeon 6-series GPU with an i5 CPU, that would change instantly.
It looked really good when it was released and I would expect the same when the new model is released. This is the way of most Apple hardware, they are really good values at the time of release.
It seems clear that the instant-on and performance with SSD is a good thing to go after. Intel will supply 25nm chips in February that can push prices down to $1.60 per GB. Apple currently uses Toshiba for their NAND.
The potential is there for number of new technologies to be in the MBP and even the Mac Book, this is why I recommend that people hold off even if it hurts a bit. I could be wrong but the writing is on the wall as they say. I expect SSDs, higher resolution screens, better GPU's and a host of other new features.
Apple could price these new machines aggressively and change the lineup so that the white Macbook is replaced by the 11" Air with 128GB SSD, 2GB RAM and either the 1.86GHz C2D with 320M or i5-2537M for $999. This would have a 256GB SSD upgrade. The i5 chip arrives on 20th February:
They could not doubt do that with the Mac Book, but I'm hoping for an alternative path. This path would have Apple building a Mac Book in the $500 dollar range for the educational market. In other words a laptop suitable for high school and some college students. They would do this by implementing AMDs Zacate Bobcat based Fusion chip in a laptop with a truncated feature set. Zacate would allow them to offer the performance required at a very low cost. It wouldn't be a powerhouse platform but would come very close to the performance of the AIRs. Plus they should be able to get extremely long battery lifetimes on the device.
The 13" MBA could be dropped and a new 13" MBP would arrive designed just like it except it would have a standard i5 chip and a Radeon 6-series GPU with 256GB SSD. This would have close to the same dimensions as the Air but be $100 cheaper and slightly thicker to accommodate a larger battery. It may be 0.5lb heavier.
The MBP 13" is a fine idea and can distinguish itself fine from the AIRs by simply offer outstanding performance in the package. The thing is you won't be stuffing all of the above in the current 13" AIRs foot print at all, you simply need more space. Plus a suitably clocked i5 will run a lot hotter than the AIR, in fact it has to to justify the platform.
The 15" MBP could come with a similar design again and starting at 256GB SSD up to 512GB SSD for $400 more. Putting a 2.5" bay in the 15" one would be an option though to allow people to get 1TB drives in there.
When it comes time for me to upgrade this is the most likely platform I'd purchase. Getting old and can't see myself going to a smaller screen.
To that end I'm looking for a platform that can really handle a lot of internal storage. So in this case I'm really hoping for a minimum of 4 blade slots for SSD expansion. I wouldn't mind a 2.5" bay either. People respond with shock when I mention 4 slots for blades but I see that as a reasonable minimal configuration. The blade devices are extremely small and the power profile sin't that bad. With in a year it would be easy to go beyond 1 TB of SSD with this sort of capacity.
With a high-speed external interface like USB 3 or Light Peak though, it won't matter. The savings from removing the optical should allow the above lineup to happen.
It is unfortunate that Intel is dropping the USB ball and it looks like they dropped the LightPeak optical ball too. Steveo must be seething over this by now. It just isn't rational to throw a lot of chips onto a mother board for something that should have been integrated into the chip sets long ago.
The Opticals removal however does not depend upon any of this. Transfer rates on optical drives is so slow that todays USB isn't that bad. The big issue is finding a low power optical drive that can be powered by the USB port. USB 3 actually helps a bit here by providing more power.
In the end I'd rather carry around a spare optical when I think I might need it rather than my external drive which I need all the time. This is one of my arguments for the removal of the optical, it is simply less of a pain to cary that around when needed than to have to constantly carry a external drive around.
The cheapest C2D laptop on Newegg is $515:
They are not good value for money right now but it still seems to be below twice the price. For comparable specs on Newegg, it's under 50%.
The 13" MBP doesn't look too good right now though. If they take out the optical and add a Radeon 6-series GPU with an i5 CPU, that would change instantly.
Just want to add that i don't count the MBAir for PC'S specs comparison since its so different than a normal PC its worth its price even with its ghetto core2duo at low mhz
But imo they need to upgrade the mini, the 22" imacs, MB and MBP that are still using core2duo with SandyBridge CPU and lets hope they used the 2xxx K models on macs with no discrete GPU so at least those machine have the HD3000 gpu.
My wife PC broke but I am not buying a Mac until I have decent specs for the price. I am hoping for an i3 MBAir or an i5 mac mini. Also they need to add an option for gaming GPU on iMacs. When you pay 3K for a pc you expect to at least have an option for gaming level GPU.
I personally own an iMac with a 4850 radeon, which is still "fair" has a gaming GPU, but its struggling with the huge 2560x1440 resolution.
In the meantime, some MAC vs PC:
http://store.apple.com/ca/configure/...co=MTc0Njg1NzE
VS
http://www.shopping.hp.com/series/ca...owse1/home_SDP
http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529668728.php
http://www.dell.com/ca/p/inspiron-15r/pd?~ck=
http://alturl.com/qbydg
VS
http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-zi...n&s=dhs&~ck=mn
http://www.emachines.com/products/pr...rod=EL1352-07e
http://store.apple.com/us/configure/...co=MTg1ODA4MDE
VS
http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529668798.php
If you add manufacturers like Acer or Asus to the mix and dig a bit you will end up with almost 4 times the prices compare to a mac. I know quality is not there on some PC's but still...
Apple need to refresh more often to avoid getting rip off prices at the end of a cycle. Or they could lower there prices like the rest of the world does.
The HD on old MacMini dual 1.66 with 2 GB RAM was giving in and I replaced it with a SSD, expecting it to be faster. I was blow away by how much faster it is
First, Intel has done this cross-licensing deal with Nvidia. That means we could see Nvidia GPUs on Sandy Bridge motherboards very soon. The question is how soon? This would eliminate concerns about Intel's own and somewhat lame GPUS as well as the cost and packaging issues associated with adding a third-party GPU to Sandy Bridge processors.
Second, Apple has announced this $3.9 billion deal with a key supplier to ensure the reliable supply of new tech. I bet this is SSD. I'm pretty sure that next generation macBook pros will get SSD hard drives as standard. I wonder what capacities they'll be? Personally, I'd like my next MBP to have at least 512 GB and preferably 1TB SSDs.
Third, Steve himself has said that the latest MacBook Air is a blueprint for future Apple notebooks. As already noted, this probably means that on-board DVD drives will be deleted on next gen MBPs. My guess is that next gen MBPs will look exactly the same as the current crop but will be much, much thinner.
Fourthly, there's talk of a 15" MacBook Air. This sounds insanely cool. If it runs a powerful SB processor and GPU and has up to 1 TB hard drive memory, it will sell like hot cakes. in reality, it may just be a next generation 15" MacBook Pro. Whatever it is, I want one.
In summary, the longer Apple puts off the refresh, the more likely we are to see a new chassis design. Bring it on.
The last few weeks have ben interesting and it looks like Apple may be cooking-up something new.
First, Intel has done this cross-licensing deal with Nvidia. That means we could see Nvidia GPUs on Sandy Bridge motherboards very soon. The question is how soon? This would eliminate concerns about Intel's own and somewhat lame GPUS as well as the cost and packaging issues associated with adding a third-party GPU to Sandy Bridge processors.
Second, Apple has announced this $3.9 billion deal with a key supplier to ensure the reliable supply of new tech. I bet this is SSD. I'm pretty sure that next generation macBook pros will get SSD hard drives as standard. I wonder what capacities they'll be? Personally, I'd like my next MBP to have at least 512 GB and preferably 1TB SSDs.
Third, Steve himself has said that the latest MacBook Air is a blueprint for future Apple notebooks. As already noted, this probably means that on-board DVD drives will be deleted on next gen MBPs. My guess is that next gen MBPs will look exactly the same as the current crop but will be much, much thinner.
Fourthly, there's talk of a 15" MacBook Air. This sounds insanely cool. If it runs a powerful SB processor and GPU and has up to 1 TB hard drive memory, it will sell like hot cakes. in reality, it may just be a next generation 15" MacBook Pro. Whatever it is, I want one.
In summary, the longer Apple puts off the refresh, the more likely we are to see a new chassis design. Bring it on.
Intel/nvidia's deal is not about that.
The $3.9B deal is with three vendors, not one, that can mean anything in terms of parts, flash chips could be one part of the deal, then there's hirez displays, batteries, whatever...
Surely some of the MBA features will found their way to other notebooks: the lack of DVD, solid-state storage, hirez displays, tapered design, multi-part batteries,... but that doesn't mean those new notebooks will be much, much thinner (you still need big batteries to power regular voltage cpus and dedicated graphics). The MBA solid-state blades look to be less expensive than the SSDs used in other Macs, so I expect some notebooks to get 128/256GB blades in the future, probably up to 512GB this year. 1TB SSD/blades from Apple? Probably not before 2012 at a reasonable price.
Rumors about a 15" MBA have existed for a long time (since the launch of the original MBA), if released (as a MBA in 2011) it will certainly not have a "powerful" SB cpu, dedicated gpu and 1TB of solid-state storage. LV cpu, very efficient gpu (probably integrated), 128/256GB blade, $1799?
As far as the "delay" perceived of the new MBPs, let's not forget that mainstream mobile SB cpus (dual-core i5 and i7) are not avaialable yet. February 20. So a march release is probably the best we can expect.
If there's one Mac that needs a redesign ASAP, it's the 13" MBP. Even if people seem to like it very much. In fact, Apple should keep it as the new alu MacBook for 2011 at $999/1199 (white MB EOL'd) and create a brand new 13" MBP using some features from the MBA as described above.
$999 13" alu MacBook, 1280*800, 2.40 C2D, 320M, 2GB RAM, HDD/ODD
$1199 13" alu MacBook, 1280*800, 2.66 C2D, 320M, 2GB RAM, HDD/ODD
$1499 13" MacBook Pro, 1440*900, SB Core i5, dGPU, 4GB RAM, 128GB blade, 2.5" HDD/SSD bay, no ODD