I agree with all you say. I just wonder where this sits in the matrix. Is it a macbook / MBA ? I never thought really a high end MBP would come out first, but also not a 12”. A 13 / 14” macbook would definitely be a hit and I will be first in line for this, as it is exactly what I need and dont intend on using any Rosetta2 apps [if possible].
13” is about as small as most consumers want. Consider the old 11.6 vs 13 MBA. Even with the cheaper price point of the 11.6 a large majority bought the 13. I’d venture that if Apple released a 15” with Air internals and sold it for $150 more it would be their best selling MacBook. The vast majority of PC laptop sales are 15” because they have cheap internals and people want the bigger screen.
Probably leaves money on the table, the weird overlapping product segments seem to be designed to maximise customer spend as the next step up is always 'just a little bit more'.
+1 I've always thought Apple's aversion to a 15" class consumer MacBook odd. They seem to have accepted that people like larger screens with the iPad and iPhone, but are stuck insisting if you want a MacBook with an >13" display you must also want a $2.5k compact workstation. Particularly now a 15" machine can have almost the same footprint as the old 13" MacBook Air this seems increasingly last decade thinking.
Apple won’t sell a cheap 15-16” because they would be leaving a lot of money on the table. There’s probably a good percentage of people that buy the entry level 15-16” merely for the screen size.
Not unpopular at all, every reliable rumor has suggested this and it makes perfect sense, the nice thing is even recycled if history repeats the MacBook Pro/Air should get a tad thinner like the MBP with Core Duo did.
Yep, it's likely going to be the same situation with the iPhones where there will likely not be a regular 'Max' phone but it's quite possible there could be a 'Pro mini' later on. I really would have loved if they killed the 2-port 13" and put its internals in a 15" Air, but alas.
I probably will be in the minority, but I think I've always be much more excited about new Mac laptops vs. iPhones. But I suppose profits will always influence Apple regarding where they put their best efforts in design and development.
It makes more sense for Apple to use the existing chassis for the initial transition than to replace both the internal and external components at once. By using the existing MBA/MBP bodies, you eliminate one variable in the rollout of an entirely new architecture for your products, and you can work on a new design to roll out once the internals are locked in and any quirks have been identified and ironed out. If you don't think that Apple has planned out this transition in detail well in advance of WWDC (including chassis redesigns), you'd be sorely mistaken.
Nah.
exactly.
It's certainly a possibility, especially given the fact there have been no leaks of physical design changes (although leaks are far less like for a Mac than a new iPhone).
I’d say really more because it tips the balance between portability and screen size too far towards portability for most people. The 13” MacBook Air or Pro is perfectly portable for most, why give up an extra 1.3” screen diagonal and 20% resolution unless you’re really going to be using it on a cramped flight regularly? Maybe if they could squeeze in a 12.5-13.0” display without increasing the size it’d be a more tempting mainstream option.
