All 13" MB will be called MBP? Is MBA gonna be the next MB?

[hohohong]

http://9to5mac.com/daring-fireball-iphone-predictions

I read some thread here that MBA will becomes the next MB,.... existing MB will be known as MBP,.....

Is that possible?

 

[Tallest Skil]

Gonna give it a 0.000004% chance. This isn't happening.

 

[MacDawg]

Doesn't really matter to me what they are called
It is all about the specs

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[acurafan]

exactly, they can call it the aluminum turd, if it's got existing MBP specs at 13" then i may trade up.

 

[mmulin]

Wouldn't mind. Take a MB, add FW back, discrete GPU, and "Pro" to the label. Problem remains for Apple marketing having only one machine, the MBA, with consumer specs but a price up north of a MBP. So, unless the MBA comes down to the current MB price range, I think, NO WAY!

 

[yetanotherdave]

Wouldn't mind. Take a MB, add FW back, discrete GPU, and "Pro" to the label. Problem remains for Apple marketing having only one machine, the MBA, with consumer specs but a price up north of a MBP. So, unless the MBA comes down to the current MB price range, I think, NO WAY!

They still have the whitebook.

 

[mikes70mustang]

if they did change the name everyone would be wacked off in this thread. Mostly b/c they wouldnt have the newest, biggest, and best.

 

[macgrl]

That isn't going to happen

 

[n0de]

I don't know. I could see Apple dropping the price of the Whitebook by $100, removing the lower end Unibody, upping the higher end Unibody MB to 4GB RAM + Discreet graphics and calling it a Pro. The base RAM and discreet graphics are the primary specs separating them from Pros now. A higher resolution screen would be nice too.

 

[BlizzardBomb]

Don't see it happening. The MBA is expensive as it uses lower voltage processors, not just because it's super slim.

 

[britboyj]

I would want the black plastic MacBook back (at 2.0 Core2, 2GB 1066, 160 GB) at that $1299 price point if the above happened.

Seriously, the black one was cool.

 

[Insulin Junkie]

I would want the black plastic MacBook back (at 2.0 Core2, 2GB 1066, 160 GB) at that $1299 price point if the above happened.

Seriously, the black one was cool.

Don't agree on the plastic part, but I agree on the color. A premium all-black version of the aluminium macbook would be a nifty move, in my opinion.

@OP: I agree with what other posters said - seriously can't see that happening. The macbook is their most-sold portable, I doubt they'd reduce the selection to the MBA, which is a machine aimed at a relatively small part of the market due to its (yet) limited power and capacity when compared to the regular macbooks, and its high price.
I do believe however that we'll see a drastic decrease in thickness of the regular macbook lineup when they next get a case revision.

 

[macboy4]

I don't know. I could see Apple dropping the price of the Whitebook by $100, removing the lower end Unibody, upping the higher end Unibody MB to 4GB RAM + Discreet graphics and calling it a Pro. The base RAM and discreet graphics are the primary specs separating them from Pros now. A higher resolution screen would be nice too.

I understand your logic, but I don't see this happening either. If they lower the price of the white MacBook by $100, and get rid of the lower end unibody there would be a $700 gap in their laptop lineup... not gonna happen.

 

[Insulin Junkie]

I don't know. I could see Apple dropping the price of the Whitebook by $100, removing the lower end Unibody, upping the higher end Unibody MB to 4GB RAM + Discreet graphics and calling it a Pro. The base RAM and discreet graphics are the primary specs separating them from Pros now. A higher resolution screen would be nice too.

But what about the screen real estate ? If they gave the macbook higher specs and slapped a 'pro' label on it, they'd be neglecting the fact that many people buy a pro because of the 15" or 17" screens. I think pro users all over the world would be damning apple for that move into all eternity if they did that.

 

[nick9191]

The Macbook Air costs $1799 because it costs about $1300-$1400 to manufacture based on Apple's usual 30-35% margin. If you want the cheapest laptop in the line up to be $1799, or think that Apple can magically sell it for $899 and still make a profit, then I wish I was smoking what you are.

 

[chrismacguy]

@Insulin Junkie, Most people wouldn't mind, as many people bought 12" PowerBook G4s. A 13.3" MacBook Pro would be perfect, I would consider one. I want Pro power in something that isn't huge. My White MacBook is close, but discreet graphics and FW400/800 would seal it for me. I think Apple might do this, but they would probably make the 15 and 17"ers more expensive, not lowering the price.

 

[Insulin Junkie]

@Insulin Junkie, Most people wouldn't mind, as many people bought 12" PowerBook G4s.

Post about it in the MBP section, and see how many people would mind there not being bigger screens than 13" for the pro lineup. My guess is quite a lot, since the argument of screen real estate in justifying buying the pro laptop comes up quite a lot.

 

[Eric S.]

This is exactly the same prediction that was made before the release of the unibodies last fall. It didn't make sense then and it doesn't make sense now.

 

[iMacmatician]

http://9to5mac.com/daring-fireball-iphone-predictions

I read some thread here that MBA will becomes the next MB,.... existing MB will be known as MBP,.....

Is that possible?

It's possible but I don't think it'll happen. Main reason is price.

 

[JCastro]

- Minor laptop refresh with branding change calling all aluminum-based notebooks "MacBook Pros" and leaving "MacBook" for the plastic units

While much of what Gruber reports has been circulating for the past few weeks, he is known to have had accurate sources in the past.


Article Link: 32GB 600Mhz Video-Capable Next Gen iPhone? MacBook Pro Rebranding?

http://9to5mac.com/daring-fireball-iphone-predictions

I read some thread here that MBA will becomes the next MB,.... existing MB will be known as MBP,.....

Is that possible?

Who knows...they might be on to something. In the past there was a major difference in how the MB's and MBP's looked. That is gone now, except for the plastic one. I think it would be great if they kept the plastic, brought back the BlackBook and that was the MB lineup. All of the unibody's would be a Pro regardless of size. Of course they would need to bring the specs up to the Pro level but that should be easy enough.

I like the idea. It gives more options at the Pro level. So many people like the MB size but need the Pro specs. I bought my last MBP for a combination of size and specs but if I had the chance I would rather have it small for mobility and run with an 22"-24" monitor at home and/or office.