MacBook Air feeling the wind of change?
By Vlad Savov 
posted May 10th 2010 5:43AM
posted May 10th 2010 5:43AM
posted May 10th 2010 5:43AM
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the burgers are better at hungry jacks
@Zylam Second that!
@Zylam Apple sucks and so does Obama. Hype and chains.
@Zylam Can't say this is not correct, although I would sleep over it before buying a core i5 - i7 macbook, because of that hefty price tag. http://j.mp/macbook-core-series-view
About time.
But what do you guys think this refresh will bring? What's the smallest possible step Apple can make to keep their fans happy?
Intel Core 2 Duo -> Intel Core i3
120 GB HD -> 160 GB HD
2 GB HD -> 4GB HD
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M will stay the same.
That's what I predict. Not a step further. Maybe already too far. What do you think?
@SeeKo I would agree with that, maybe just a bigger HardDrive.
@SeeKo
Add glass trackpad & a few more hours on the battery life to the list.
@SeeKo
Can't use MCP79 (9400M) or MCP89 with Core iX processors. If the Air is upgraded to Arrandale chips it will come at the cost of a GPU downgrade.
@Atkins
More than doubling the HD capacity? You think?
Maybe if they create yet another price category.
@SeeKo How is going from 120Gb to 160GB doubling? :)
@Atkins
Ah ok, I misunderstood you. I thought you suggested that they will put in a even bigger one. My mistake. ;-) And pardon my RAM typo in my prior comment.
@SeeKo They can't use Core i chips with a non-Intel integrated GPU so if they use Core i3 or i5 ULV then it will have Intel HD graphics (no more Modern Warfare on the go).
If they use 320M, it will be Core 2 Duo again but then they wouldn't need to wait. My guess is:
Core i5 ULV with Intel graphics inside
4GB RAM
SSD as standard
Just one model.
@TinWard
don't let details such as those get in the way of some good old Apple-basher trolling by SeeKo
okay well that's nice i think ill stick to my macbook pro :D
@Jorn Jelmer I would never buy a MacBook Pro. I really don't like them, and I keep giving them a chance. I would, however, happily own a MacBook Air, if they were a bit quicker, one would look quite nice at the coffee shop. In a heart-beat I will have myself an iPad, however, as is.
about time!
Next update will be Mac Pro and the finally Xserve. I promise.
@MySchizoBuddy AMD based Xserve
@MySchizoBuddy
The unicorn. Will never happen.
Apple uses Intel and Nvidia, the arch nemesis of AMD and ATI so it may be awhile before you see an AMD based xserve.
I love macbook air,one of the thinnest laptop in the world. :-)
It certainly took long enough.
Sony Vaio Z specs or GTFO.
Please Steve?
Make it so.
@SolidSnake
agreed, but then it will be more than 2k bucks, maybe even 3k considering this is Apple.
@SolidSnake As an owner of the Vaio X, I love the design, but hate the slow performance. Another problem with the X is that the chasis is a fingerprint magnet.
Lastly, Sony has done a bad job of not making a line of accessories or cases that integrate with it's look. I have the external Vaio DVD drive and it is bulky. The wires in the power adapter are also thick and bulky. Sony just lacks the attention to detail that Apple has.
To be clear, I have 4 vaio computers - 2 laptops and 2 desktops ( one all in one and one HTPC). For me they have styling, features and build quality that exceeds Apple, but unlike Apple, the attention to detail does not go beyond the main hardware.
Apple products I own are Apple TV, ipad, iPod touch and iPhone....
Also own a Sony Alpha D300 DSLR and 2 Sony ebook Readers :)
So not bashing Sony just comparison based on my experience.
Long over due. This is the one laptop I'd buy were not for its lackluster performance.
It would be nice if they did update the monitors. I would buy a 27" hi-res like that on the iMac like a shot. I already have a MacBook Air but it would be a toss-up eventually between a new version of that and an improved iPad with camera and my guess is that the iPad would win. The Air is over-priced.
@peterjohndean
Haha i really hope your being sarcastic. A 27-inch "laptop"? ermmm no way, the MacBook Air might be light but hauling a huge screen around aint my idea of portable. 17-inch MBP is already plently big enough, if you need more screen estate then hook it upto an external display.
@snailfur
Whoops lol totally read this wrong, its too early :/
Yea updated 27inch external displays would be a beaut.
@snailfur You had me worried for a moment. My Air is the original version and while it is slow I can do all the iPhoto, Pages and iMovie stuff with only an occasional beachball when I am careless. YouTube works fine, even in HD. So does Skype video. I want the 27" monitor for my Mac Mini.
what about the graphics though? would apple not do the same thing they did with the Macbook Pro 13" (not change it)? or would they just toss in an integrated 9400M even though it would be redundant?
@maveric101
Macbook Pro 13 is the budget line for Apple. They can't do much with that price, plus their motherboard (logic board) is smaller than 15, or 17 so, it's hard to add another chip (graphic) on top of CPU+South, where as 15 and 17 has more space to add additional chip and its price range can certainly afford it.
Whereas Macbook Air compare to Pro 13, Macbook Air is a bit premium enthusiast Apple and Ultra-portable Fanboy model, so even though logic board is small, apple can possibly invest a bit more to have discrete GPU as long as they believe they can charge enough, which is the case. So I think question comes down to whether Apple can shrink number of chips and components enough to add Nvidia or possibly AMD discrete GPU.
MACS SUCK
@Mike Vick
Your mom sucks harder :)
@RDM
i was downranked fairly quickly :p LOL... they dont really suck i just like to troll on occassion. sorry if it appears im being an asshole
What advantage does mac have over microsoft? Just curious, these macs seem very expensive
@Mike Vick
Why don't you ask what advantage does MS have over Macs?
@Mike Vick
First you post this "Macs suck" and then you want us to bother answering your question??
@AaronX
i guess cos ms is cheaper and damn how homies in the hood gonna afford a mac? u best be sellin sumfin lol... i saw a lil homie wit a mac on 42nd street.. he prolly stole it :p
@Mike Vick Macs are made by Apple, so your question is flawed. The real question would be what advantage does Apple have over Microsoft. Microsoft only makes the operating system and licenses to computer makers like Dell, HP, Sony, Acer, etc. Apple makes their own operating system and their own hardware so they can do stuff no other computer maker can do. Since they only have a small range of computers they can optimize their operating system towards the hardware inside them. Also Apple's OS is based of Unix. Thats the difference.
@jeff181995
Thank you for the intelligent reply! I was just joking around but people on this forum take things so seriously.
@Mike Vick Oh, "Macs suck" was a joke? Sorry that I didn't get it!
Apple does not make the hardware for their computer. They get it from Intel. They only Mac the OS and software just like Microsoft. I never got why they claim to make the hardware. Also Macs always have worst hardware compared to a PC when you compare similar priced computers. You pay an extra 500 dollars for their OS.
I'm glad they didn't kill it in favour of the iPad.
@AaronX
Thats what I was kind of expecting to happen. The thing didn't exactly explode in sales at release, I don't know how well it did after the price drop. But my understanding was that this thing was pretty much supposed to be used for checking email and web surfing (it lacked the power to do much else for any extended period of time, but who knows after the upgrade) all the things the Ipad can now do.
what's a macbook air?
/s
@Jules0
The attitude of MacBook owners.
"He's got that macbook air about him."
@Jules0 It's an airline company run by Apple. "Thank you for flying MacBook Air" =P.
@N900
iFly Airlines? I should patent that! Probably beat me too it though. Crap there goes my money train. Eh plane?
While I love the idea of the MacBook air, it's currently too slow for my taste. Thinness doesn't really matter in my book if it doesn't have the speed to back it up.
Hopefully for the redesign (if it is a complete redesign), they will add another USB port (or two), a matte screen option, a glass buttonless trackpad, and better graphics. While the trackpad and graphics are likely, the matte screen is slightly less likely and the extra USB port probably jusf wishful thinking.
What I want is a 27" MacBook Pro. Ever think of that market gap, Apple? Between laptops and desktops, the hypoportable sector, is where there's money to be made.