Intel releases new 17-watt 2.13GHz SL9600

[darrellishere]

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[Veinticinco]

I really wish you were right, but I seriously think it will be September before a new MBA is released. I would LOVE to see the rev C soon... it should be great.

I think that Apple is still dumping original MBAs. I think their inventory of rev Bs that were returned due to poor displays has to be growing. I cannot see Apple making the rev C until it can deplete the inventory. The original absolutely had to be replaced as it was too problematic. The rev B MBA is one solid Mac. It really holds its own.

I really wish Apple would further reduce the price of the originals and dump them all and move on with the MBA. The original had to cost Apple a fortune.

I definitely will upgrade to the rev C right away, and I hope Apple has the sales of the rev B to warrant an upgrade...

There's some very sound and rational reasoning here, but I'm inclined to give a different interpretation.

I'm not convinced the beancounters rule when it comes to the inventory/new refresh lifecycle paradigm. Like you say, the A was pretty much an unmitigated commercial disaster for Apple, but I guess that's a lesson they had to learn the hard way, and so (lesson learned) it proved with the rev.B. Having said that, I can't see any reason why they wouldn't want to simply write off the A loss (globally, the refurb store has probably sold lots of As at that price point) and move forward, rather than dog the whole model series thereafter with that particular legacy.

Not sure about the refurb store theory - as here in Europe, refurb rev.Bs HDDs have been available for a good 6 weeks or so, and SSDs for at least a month. These can't all be screen line returns, so then you have to assume they're clearly being shifted across to clear inventory ahead of the forthcoming rev.C. Traditionally that's what used to happen if I recall, rather than the more recent 'new product announced, old product to refurb store' process.

However, I agree that the drip-drip effect of rev.B returns with screen lines must have been noted internally (which is why, on principle, I sent my 2 MBA's back and urged others to do the same), and I'd imagine Apple must realise that there is a hankering out there for an 'early' refresh. I'd say, as a result of the rev.A problems, if there was ever a laptop that needed to maintain momentum, it was the MBA. With the new processors now officially available, there's very little else to bottleneck the rev.C, particularly if they keep some of the hardware/form factor upgrades back for a 2010 rev.D

All of which is why I can see a June release for the C if not sooner. Admit there's a touch of self-interest/bias/on my knees and praying in there but still....

p.s. incidentally, regarding store display/POS preferences, I've noticed a big difference between Apple Stores (where as has been mentioned, the Unibody rules, whilst the poor MBA is like that kid in class that used to, you know, smell....) and independent Apple Authorised Resellers, where (in the 3 local to me) the MBA is still given pride of place, almost flagship status in terms of display....one of the guys in a particular AAR I know well, and he told me it pulls the punters in, before the sales guys switch them to the more practical for their needs/affordable MBs. A slightly worrying trend, as it almost then becomes a loss-leader for them....and we all know what happened with BA and Concorde

 

[Scottsdale]

There's some very sound and rational reasoning here, but I'm inclined to give a different interpretation.

I'm not convinced the beancounters rule when it comes to the inventory/new refresh lifecycle paradigm. Like you say, the A was pretty much an unmitigated commercial disaster for Apple, but I guess that's a lesson they had to learn the hard way, and so (lesson learned) it proved with the rev.B. Having said that, I can't see any reason why they wouldn't want to simply write off the A loss (globally, the refurb store has probably sold lots of As at that price point) and move forward, rather than dog the whole model series thereafter with that particular legacy.

Not sure about the refurb store theory - as here in Europe, refurb rev.Bs HDDs have been available for a good 6 weeks or so, and SSDs for at least a month. These can't all be screen line returns, so then you have to assume they're clearly being shifted across to clear inventory ahead of the forthcoming rev.C. Traditionally that's what used to happen if I recall, rather than the more recent 'new product announced, old product to refurb store' process.

However, I agree that the drip-drip effect of rev.B returns with screen lines must have been noted internally (which is why, on principle, I sent my 2 MBA's back and urged others to do the same), and I'd imagine Apple must realise that there is a hankering out there for an 'early' refresh. I'd say, as a result of the rev.A problems, if there was ever a laptop that needed to maintain momentum, it was the MBA. With the new processors now officially available, there's very little else to bottleneck the rev.C, particularly if they keep some of the hardware/form factor upgrades back for a 2010 rev.D

All of which is why I can see a June release for the C if not sooner. Admit there's a touch of self-interest/bias/on my knees and praying in there but still....

p.s. incidentally, regarding store display/POS preferences, I've noticed a big difference between Apple Stores (where as has been mentioned, the Unibody rules, whilst the poor MBA is like that kid in class that used to, you know, smell....) and independent Apple Authorised Resellers, where (in the 3 local to me) the MBA is still given pride of place, almost flagship status in terms of display....one of the guys in a particular AAR I know well, and he told me it pulls the punters in, before the sales guys switch them to the more practical for their needs/affordable MBs. A slightly worrying trend, as it almost then becomes a loss-leader for them....and we all know what happened with BA and Concorde

I personally know 20 people who bought the original MBA. Seven of those moved to the rev B MBA. Twelve of the others moved on to different products, mostly the MBP. Only one person still has his original MBA. That is sad to know, understanding it was only released thirteen months ago. And that means in my group, that the rev B is only selling 35% as many as the original MBA. It also really shows how bad Apple ruined its brand with the MBA.

So, it makes me wonder how many people completely gave up on the MBA (not differentiating between original and rev B)??? For me, it took an unusual amount of convincing that Apple had truly corrected all of the problems. My experience with the original MBA was just about as bad as could be and it gave me a horrible view of Jobs and Apple. They promised us a Mac and the original MBA did not meet the current requirements of a working Mac. It could not perform like any other Mac. Apple had to know that the components were not capable of performing to the current standard of Mac computing. No other Mac overheated, experienced severe core shutdown and completely locked up.

I fear this is the sentiment of MANY would be rev B MBA buyers. I really wish Apple would dump the remaining original MBA inventory completely... even if they had to lower the price to $500 per MBA. The point is I do want them to move on. I think it will be hard for Apple to want to make a rev C MBA if the racks are full of original and revised MBAs.

I hope that the racks are nearly empty with all. I am sick of reading threads of people wanting to buy a refurbished MBA for cheap. It is sick because I know how poor the original MBA was, and it devaluates the rev B MBA. People think that the MBA is not capable and not worthy of the Apple logo.

I think the revised MBA is a premium luxury product which should be updated often as to keep the components current and a positive. For example, most of us here at MR forums (and the people I know with the rev B MBA) want 4 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD for $2499. I think that is a fair want at this point. SSD prices and RAM prices have dropped tremendously in the last five months since the rev B MBA started shipping. And Apple had to learn with the desktop lines that when it doesn't update, people stop buying because they're waiting for an update. People will read that the SL9600 has been released and they will stop buying the rev B MBA, and they will wait for the updated rev C MBA. That is why Apple should update often, especially with premium or luxury products. Customer expectations warrants a rev C MBA very soon!

I agree Apple learned its lesson with the original MBA. Just spending ten minutes with the revised MBA will teach most of us how different the revised MBA is. Every single major component was changed in a big and great way.

I hope you are right that Apple is going to release the rev C soon. I really want that to happen. The thing is, the rev B MBA is so very good, we really don't need a rev C yet, but the 4 GB RAM as BTO option and 256 GB SSD BTO option would be nice even if it is in a rev B MBA…

I think for the rev C MBA, we should get the following:
SL9600 Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.13 GHz
13.3” Beautiful Display (without lines)
4 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 RAM
256 GB SSD (with standard connector – not LIF) - This is the only component that may not be readily available.
Glass Trackpad
Nvidia 9400m (works great)

I think September is realistic and by then we should get Snow Leopard. All of those components should be available (I wonder if the 256 GB SSD is available in 1.8” form right now). It will be back to school time, too. Seems like the perfect time to announce the rev C MBA. But I would be happy to buy it TODAY or in June like you project!

Hooray for the SL9600

Go rev C MBA!

 

[navanod]

I recently just sold my original MBA and was planning on buying Rev. B, but after reading the OP, I'm waiting it out... I just hope I'm not waiting too long though!

 

[Veinticinco]

I personally know 20 people who bought the original MBA. Seven of those moved to the rev B MBA. Twelve of the others moved on to different products, mostly the MBP. Only one person still has his original MBA. That is sad to know, understanding it was only released thirteen months ago. And that means in my group, that the rev B is only selling 35% as many as the original MBA. It also really shows how bad Apple ruined its brand with the MBA.

So, it makes me wonder how many people completely gave up on the MBA (not differentiating between original and rev B)??? For me, it took an unusual amount of convincing that Apple had truly corrected all of the problems. My experience with the original MBA was just about as bad as could be and it gave me a horrible view of Jobs and Apple. They promised us a Mac and the original MBA did not meet the current requirements of a working Mac. It could not perform like any other Mac. Apple had to know that the components were not capable of performing to the current standard of Mac computing. No other Mac overheated, experienced severe core shutdown and completely locked up.

I fear this is the sentiment of MANY would be rev B MBA buyers. I really wish Apple would dump the remaining original MBA inventory completely... even if they had to lower the price to $500 per MBA. The point is I do want them to move on. I think it will be hard for Apple to want to make a rev C MBA if the racks are full of original and revised MBAs.

I hope that the racks are nearly empty with all. I am sick of reading threads of people wanting to buy a refurbished MBA for cheap. It is sick because I know how poor the original MBA was, and it devaluates the rev B MBA. People think that the MBA is not capable and not worthy of the Apple logo.

I think the revised MBA is a premium luxury product which should be updated often as to keep the components current and a positive. For example, most of us here at MR forums (and the people I know with the rev B MBA) want 4 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD for $2499. I think that is a fair want at this point. SSD prices and RAM prices have dropped tremendously in the last five months since the rev B MBA started shipping. And Apple had to learn with the desktop lines that when it doesn't update, people stop buying because they're waiting for an update. People will read that the SL9600 has been released and they will stop buying the rev B MBA, and they will wait for the updated rev C MBA. That is why Apple should update often, especially with premium or luxury products. Customer expectations warrants a rev C MBA very soon!

I agree Apple learned its lesson with the original MBA. Just spending ten minutes with the revised MBA will teach most of us how different the revised MBA is. Every single major component was changed in a big and great way.

I hope you are right that Apple is going to release the rev C soon. I really want that to happen. The thing is, the rev B MBA is so very good, we really don't need a rev C yet, but the 4 GB RAM as BTO option and 256 GB SSD BTO option would be nice even if it is in a rev B MBA…

I think for the rev C MBA, we should get the following:
SL9600 Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.13 GHz
13.3” Beautiful Display (without lines)
4 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 RAM
256 GB SSD (with standard connector – not LIF) - This is the only component that may not be readily available.
Glass Trackpad
Nvidia 9400m (works great)

I think September is realistic and by then we should get Snow Leopard. All of those components should be available (I wonder if the 256 GB SSD is available in 1.8” form right now). It will be back to school time, too. Seems like the perfect time to announce the rev C MBA. But I would be happy to buy it TODAY or in June like you project!

Hooray for the SL9600

Go rev C MBA!

So like me, it's your head saying September, and your heart saying June (or maybe tomorrow )?

Interesting focus group amongst your circle there, and ties in with my thoughts that Apple really need to ramp up the launch of a rev.C pretty bloody quickly if only to keep mindshare high and further distance the product from the embarrassment that was its original incarnation. Failing to do so would be stupid as people would simply 'move on' as those in your group have done. Fine as most will stay within the Mac community but there will be switchers who may defect back to the dark side again after 'trying' the 'Apple/Mac thing' and being left bruised by their rev.A experience.

I'm not so sure if Snow Leopard will be announced along with with a new MBA in Sept - traditionally they've kept hardware and OS releases separate (unless my memory fails me here?) so I'm still opting for a June release (along with iPhone 2.0) for the rev.C with SL to be rolled out in September. But yes, I admit it could equally be the other way around even if the back-to-schoolies aren't what I would call a traditional target for MBAs or a new OS.

Along with the new 9600 chip, I couldn't agree more that 256GB SSD is an absolute must (even as an off-the-peg spec not just a BTO), and you'd hope they opt for either 4GB (makes sense with a hungrier SL on the way) or *pigs might fly* a price 'adjustment' ("recession? what recession?!"). That's all I want. They can keep their gimmicky glass trackpads and black glass bezels thank you very much

 

[Carl Abudephane]

..

 

[EnderTW]

I really wish you were right, but I seriously think it will be September before a new MBA is released. I would LOVE to see the rev C soon... it should be great.

I think that Apple is still dumping original MBAs. I think their inventory of rev Bs that were returned due to poor displays has to be growing. I cannot see Apple making the rev C until it can deplete the inventory. The original absolutely had to be replaced as it was too problematic. The rev B MBA is one solid Mac. It really holds its own.

I think a price drop for SSD would be warranted for sure. But that probably will not happen either. Like I said before, hope I am really wrong, but I doubt seriously a rev C MBA will be released anytime soon. I think another problem has to be the dumping of original MBAs for so much less than original cost has to be taking away from a few rev B MBA sales. I know they are filling two different markets right now, but it has to affect some sales of the rev B.

I really wish Apple would further reduce the price of the originals and dump them all and move on with the MBA. The original had to cost Apple a fortune.

I would say that you did the right thing by selling your original. Hope you have another Mac to get you through the hard times of waiting for a new MBA.

I definitely will upgrade to the rev C right away, and I hope Apple has the sales of the rev B to warrant an upgrade...

Agreed.

I am hoping for a 1440x900 screen on the 13 inch factor. Also, possible 4 gig ram as a BTO option and 256 ssd.

Dream MBA:

2.2xGhz 6mb Cache processor (17w max)
4gig ddr3 1066 ram
fast 128 ssd drive
Geforce 9400m [full version instead of downclocked]
high end 1440x900 screen at least as an option.

I'd pay ... 2100 [if released within 1 year from this date]

Right now I am on 1.6 mba rev b, and certain 1080p mkv's don't play well. Plus when Sabnzbd is doing unrar/unpar, the computer beachballs.

 

[iMacmatician]

I see "sooner rather than later" not because I'm optimistic but because of Intel's CPU release. Given that the regular Penryn speed bump looks to be for May, we might see the MacBook Air updated first.

The 2.13 GHz CPU and a larger hard drive (if possible) are givens. 4 GB of RAM as a BTO is likely. Carbon fiber (rumored by AppleInsider) and a price drop are maybes. Larger SSD should happen if the technology exists, and a 15" model is pretty much unlikely.

About the resolution thing…I kinda see a resolution bump to the whole notebook line (except for the 17") the next update, which would be welcome if true. I'm not holding my breath though.

It would actually be nice to see THREE levels of chips:

2.167 ghz SL9600
1.867 ghz SL9400
1.600 ghz SU9600

The last could be a BTO option for those who're willing to sacrifice performance for battery life. The 10W TDP should be a pretty significant improvement over the 17W TDP of the SL9X00.

I'd like to see that, although I know it won't happen.

 

[Scottsdale]

About the resolution thing…I kinda see a resolution bump to the whole notebook line (except for the 17") the next update, which would be welcome if true. I'm not holding my breath though.

I'd like to see that, although I know it won't happen.

I absolutely agree with the resolution issue. I haven't understood why there is no 1440 x 900 resolution setting in the MBA. We could add much more screen real estate with this simple solution. We all know the Nvidia card can drive much higher resolution on an external 30" ACD. I think Apple is always concerned with one setting for all or one solution that everyone can use. But come on, it can ship with the lower resolution and just have the setting for us to change it to 1440 x 900. I agree resolution should be higher on all Mac notebooks.

Also forgot to add the new battery technology to my list. I want a true four hour battery. The new 17" MBP has a high-end feature of the extended life battery, and I really think Apple should add it to the rev C MBA.

What do you all think, will Apple give us the new battery technology in the rev C MBA?

 

[tubbymac]

What do you all think, will Apple give us the new battery technology in the rev C MBA?

They better if they want to keep their customers. I still don't fully understand why Apple stuck their best battery life in their least portable 17 inch machine. That's retarded if you ask me. Yes, let's give the best battery life to the machine you're least likely to carry around. Because that makes perfect sense.

The Air needs to have the best battery life. The one you carry around the most should have that as it's most important feature.

 

[dudup]

Uh, I think you have this backwards. The reason it's taking so long for rev B to go up on all the refurbished stores is there aren't enough of them available yet to do so.

Of them all the MBA rev B is selling the worst, probably due to the bad rap it got from rev A.

No, I really meant that. IMHO you're supposed to have more refurbs if you have more people returning it. Quite the scenario with the Rev. A: people buying it and returning it disappointed.

Besides the screen lines issue (which I think is only noticeable by the ones who had a Rev. A before), I'm about to see someone complain about the Rev. B.

 

[dudup]

BTW, I'm holding off the upgrade from Rev. A to Rev. C.

I have a feeling we're far from the half of Rev. B product cycle.

Although I can't remember the last time I've had slowdowns. Today I've watched a 17 min. Youtube video without a glitch.

Ok, I know this shouldn't be something to celebrate, but y'know what I mean...

Like someone said before, smart Mac users always wait for the Rev. Cs of any product.

I'm so ashamed because currently I've own 3 Rev. As

 

[dudup]

They better if they want to keep their customers. I still don't fully understand why Apple stuck their best battery life in their least portable 17 inch machine. That's retarded if you ask me. Yes, let's give the best battery life to the machine you're least likely to carry around. Because that makes perfect sense.

The Air needs to have the best battery life. The one you carry around the most should have that as it's most important feature.

I understand your point, but c'mon, you can't compare the sizes of the respective batteries.

Probably we'll see the achievements made on the 17" MBP extend to the other MacBooks. I think user removable batteries are a thing of the past, since batteries are so much better nowadays and usually last longer than upgrade cycles of most people -- there are exceptions, of course, but one's more likely to replace HDD and RAM before battery. At least me.

 

[tubbymac]

I understand your point, but c'mon, you can't compare the sizes of the respective batteries.

Probably we'll see the achievements made on the 17" MBP extend to the other MacBooks. I think user removable batteries are a thing of the past, since batteries are so much better nowadays and usually last longer than upgrade cycles of most people -- there are exceptions, of course, but one's more likely to replace HDD and RAM before battery. At least me.

Yeah I agree. I'm not talking about the number of cells in the battery or the size of the actual battery, just the feature focus. There's a reason why every other 17 inch machine you can find (other than Apple's unibody) has pretty terrible battery life. It's because most people in that market segment don't really care how long their battery lasts when they are looking for a desktop replacement that is gonna sit on their desk all day. It's great to have, no doubt, but not that important to most 17 inch users. Again there are exceptions to the rule, and some people really do carry around 17 inch notebooks every day, but most people would rather carry a 15 or 13 inch around instead.

Give me 8 hours with the new battery technology, 4 gigs of ram, and 128 or 256 gigs of SSD in the next Macbook Air and I'll be extremely happy. Give me 12 hours of battery life on the next 17 inch machine and I won't care at all.

 

[drjsway]

Yeah I agree. I'm not talking about the number of cells in the battery or the size of the actual battery, just the feature focus. There's a reason why every other 17 inch machine you can find (other than Apple's unibody) has pretty terrible battery life. It's because most people in that market segment don't really care how long their battery lasts when they are looking for a desktop replacement that is gonna sit on their desk all day. It's great to have, no doubt, but not that important to most 17 inch users. Again there are exceptions to the rule, and some people really do carry around 17 inch notebooks every day, but most people would rather carry a 15 or 13 inch around instead.

Give me 8 hours with the new battery technology, 4 gigs of ram, and 128 or 256 gigs of SSD in the next Macbook Air and I'll be extremely happy. Give me 12 hours of battery life on the next 17 inch machine and I won't care at all.

I'm 100% positive Rev C and all other Apple notebooks will get the new battery. The only reason the 17" unibody got it first was because the 17" was delayed for a couple months for other reasons. At the same time, Apple was finishing development of the battery technology. So Apple thought if they delayed the 17" just a little longer, it could use the new battery.

 

[Ping Guo]

Very interesting posts guys. Especially on Apple's treatment of the MBA as a red-haired stepchild after the unibodies came out. I'm not so worried that the Air will be discontinued, rather I think we'll see it continually developed and improved, and it will keep it's place as one of Apple's premier and iconic offerings.

Why? Well in many ways I think the Air is the future of laptops. Yes the rev. A was a bit ahead of it's time. It didn't deliver 100% on it's promises, partly because they crammed the 65nm Merom processor into an ultra portable, when the design was screaming for something smaller and more efficient. Now the processors are catching up with the design of the Air: the SL9600 is no slouch, and Arrandale is not far off in the future. The Air was never intended to be a low-power ULV ultraportable, but rather a full-powered, slim and light laptop that could reasonably be expected to serve as a primary computer if you're not a power user.

The slim-and-light-yet-full-powered laptop market is still somewhat of an oddity. We see many designs and form factors, seemingly tailored to different uses. But in this class, the MBA is head and shoulders above the competition in most cases in terms of power, portability, and price.

Consider the Dell Adamo. Base price $2K. Less power, heavier, bigger footprint, more expensive. It does offer more connectivity and (so I've heard) a better display.

The Thinkpad X301 is much more a straight business machine, as opposed to "luxe" laptop, but again, the MBA offers a much lower price and more power.

The Voodoo Envy is a nice design but absurdly overpriced and under-spec'd.

Sony Vaio offers some appealing form factors, powerful processor options, gorgeous screens, but none of it comes cheap.

The point is we can find all sorts of laptops in this category, and the MBA is very competitive, both price and performance-wise. However, this is a rapidly developing market. Once prices come down I think we'll see thin-and-light become widely adopted, and more buyers will opt to buy a single portable and powerful notebook as opposed to a netbook+desktop, or netbook+bigger laptop.

 

[drjsway]

I'm not so worried that the Air will be discontinued, rather I think we'll see it continually developed and improved, and it will keep it's place as one of Apple's premier and iconic offerings.

I'm not so confident.

G4 Cube, anyone?

The cube was released in 2000, discontinued July 2001. Some similarities to MBA:

- Innovative design ahead of its time (the Cube has even been displayed in many museums, including The Museum of Modern Art)
- Incredibly small form factor
- Some critics complained it was overpriced.
- Early cubes suffered from problems that marred sales.
- Had one revision that fixed all issues but Apple couldn't change its already damaged reputation so it was discontinued.

 

[svndmvn]

I'm not so confident.

G4 Cube, anyone?

The cube was released in 2000, discontinued July 2001. Some similarities to MBA:

- Innovative design ahead of its time (the Cube has even been displayed in many museums, including The Museum of Modern Art)
- Incredibly small form factor
- Some critics complained it was overpriced.
- Early cubes suffered from problems that marred sales.
- Had one revision that fixed all issues but Apple couldn't change its already damaged reputation so it was discontinued.

and the newton, the iPod mini, not saying they were failures, but we do have the Mac Mini now, the iPod nano and iPhone/iPod touch.

 

[Veinticinco]

I'm not so confident.

G4 Cube, anyone?

The cube was released in 2000, discontinued July 2001. Some similarities to MBA:

- Innovative design ahead of its time (the Cube has even been displayed in many museums, including The Museum of Modern Art)
- Incredibly small form factor
- Some critics complained it was overpriced.
- Early cubes suffered from problems that marred sales.
- Had one revision that fixed all issues but Apple couldn't change its already damaged reputation so it was discontinued.

Ah, the elephant in the room. My own thoughts exactly, considering I have that incredibly gorgeous lump of lucite in my inventory. What with talk of the new netbook/tablet/iPhone Maxo/Nano whatever, it's something I'd be concerned about. There's a lot of similarities with the Cube's ''indefinite suspension of production" (not technically a discontinuation as MacMini users will note) and the road the MBA is on.

My own theory about the Cube is that back in 2001, it was never meant to be a production model, rather a concept that was prematurely kicked into production as a statement of intent (rather than a long-term product-based revenue stream), to showcase Apple at the forefront of design. Which it did successfully. Not long after, they pulled the rug out from under it. How? Well Pro users wanted something less like, well, a tower, which they got with the Cube, a true desktop (instead of a doorstop/footrest). But what really killed the Cube off in my opinion (aside from the price point, lack of expandability at the time, niche market etc.) was the introduction of the G4 Powerbook. Power AND portability. My other half bought one of the first to land in London about 3 months after we bought a Cube, and the old girl is still going strong. As, incidentally, are the TiBook and the now-reconciled Cube

So back to the point, whilst I continue to expect and hope for the rev.C soon, part of me thinks that regardless, there is a uncomfortably large likelihood that the rev.D will never see the light of day. Like Ping so amusingly put, the "red-haired stepchild" treatment by its parent does not bode well, not well at all. With the portable market being served by the traditional MB/MBP (selling like hot cakes) and the nascent touchscreen technology about to make further evolutionary inroads into the iPhone/tablet/netbook market, then the future for a neither-here-nor-there MBA looks bleak. Not that I will care I suppose once the initial anger has worn off, just another ahead-of-its-time icon to put on my shelf, alongside the Cube, TiBook and iLamp. C'est la vie d'Apple.

 

[Veinticinco]

I'm really enjoying this thread! Some excellent posts; thought-provoking if one cares about the Air.

So, after babbling too much, I feel the same about the Air as Scottsdale and Veinticinco, that I really feel Apple need to bring out a Rev C sooner rather than later(not just for me!), as I strongly suspect that it's struggling big-time. I know I have nothing concrete to base that on, but I am taking a lot from it's treatment in Apple's retail stores. It's very obvious that they simply don't give a damn about the Air, and I think that is worrying as it's only been out five months, yet it's effectively ignored in Apple's own stores, the best place possible for Apple to show it off to it's best.

It needs to go to Rev C and it needs, as you have both eloquently stated, more RAM and more storage, or a lower price if both of those are not delivered, and I believe it also needs something else to set it apart other than it's looks and weight. I know that those two qualities are(to us)it's golden points but it needs something else that grabs the attention of 'the consumer' who would otherwise simply opt for the 'sensible' option, the MacBook.

Maybe they make the Air available in black and silver, like the plastic MacBook being black/white? And up the price for the black anodised version. 'Cause I tell ya, that for example would have a huge invigorating effect on the Air. I still mostly see black MacBooks, it's still the fastest disappearing Mac on the UK refurb store by far, even though it's £100 more than a brand new, current, white MacBook!!

Or something else. But something. As Scottsdale says, the Air is the premium Mac in some ways, but it needs to be the niche market within Apple's selection to some extent. Otherwise I have a feeling it may not be around for long. Perhaps in the near future the MacBook gets a little slimmer and effectively finds itself 'replacing' the Air. Obviously to us Air-lovers(!)it would not be filling that gap, but .....

I understand that Apple are gonna give space and attention to the things it sells more of, but either show the Air some love and keep it beyond-doubt-special, to anybody's eyes, or, well, I don't really know.
Just don't leave it dumped in the corner, forgotten.

Thanks for the compliment, and you make some equally interesting points. Not least of which - as it hasn't already been covered - is the introduction of another finish, something to visually distinguish the MBA from it's similarly-looking copycat unibody cousins.

If Apple were to consider it a 'premium' product, then you'd think we'd see this anodized 'black' aluminium MBA. It's something that's strongly rumoured (recall seeing a pic here on MR a month or two back) for the next-gen iPhone this summer, so I don't see why they wouldn't do it for the MBA. Course it might not be practical, a scratch here and there and you'd have white metal gleaming from underneath, but so what?

There, if you're listening Apple, that's what you should do....solder that SL9600 chip already, drop a 256GB SSD in there, 4GB of RAM, enable the higher resolution on a line-free screen, optimise the battery as best you can, and slap that 'black' finish on it. Hell, you can even release it as a 'limited' edition of 10,000 if you like. And when you're done, mothball the sucker by the end of the year, and put us all out of our misery.

 

[drjsway]

Ah, the elephant in the room. My own thoughts exactly, considering I have that incredibly gorgeous lump of lucite in my inventory. What with talk of the new netbook/tablet/iPhone Maxo/Nano whatever, it's something I'd be concerned about. There's a lot of similarities with the Cube's ''indefinite suspension of production" (not technically a discontinuation as MacMini users will note) and the road the MBA is on.

My own theory about the Cube is that back in 2001, it was never meant to be a production model, rather a concept that was prematurely kicked into production as a statement of intent (rather than a long-term product-based revenue stream), to showcase Apple at the forefront of design. Which it did successfully. Not long after, they pulled the rug out from under it. How? Well Pro users wanted something less like, well, a tower, which they got with the Cube, a true desktop (instead of a doorstop/footrest). But what really killed the Cube off in my opinion (aside from the price point, lack of expandability at the time, niche market etc.) was the introduction of the G4 Powerbook. Power AND portability. My other half bought one of the first to land in London about 3 months after we bought a Cube, and the old girl is still going strong. As, incidentally, are the TiBook and the now-reconciled Cube

So back to the point, whilst I continue to expect and hope for the rev.C soon, part of me thinks that regardless, there is a uncomfortably large likelihood that the rev.D will never see the light of day. Like Ping so amusingly put, the "red-haired stepchild" treatment by its parent does not bode well, not well at all. With the portable market being served by the traditional MB/MBP (selling like hot cakes) and the nascent touchscreen technology about to make further evolutionary inroads into the iPhone/tablet/netbook market, then the future for a neither-here-nor-there MBA looks bleak. Not that I will care I suppose once the initial anger has worn off, just another ahead-of-its-time icon to put on my shelf, alongside the Cube, TiBook and iLamp. C'est la vie d'Apple.

I don't think the Cube serves the same market as MacMini. The Cube was powerful $2000 computer and the MacMini is a $600 entry level computer. I will be saddened if the MBA evolves (devolves) into a glorified $600 net book.

If it is discontinued, I fear I may abandon macs and go to a VAIO. I used a MBP for years despite its huge size but after using the MBA, I don't think I can do it anymore. I need something that approaches the power of a MB, with a better screen, without any of the things I don't use: optical drive, all the USB ports (I never plug more than one thing at a time), ethernet.

The MBA is the perfect computer. Everything I need, nothing I don't. And I won't ever consider a MB unless it gets a much better screen. Is there sales data on the MBA we can find online.

 

[iMacmatician]

Also forgot to add the new battery technology to my list.

So did I! How did I forget that?!

Well in many ways I think the Air is the future of laptops.

I completely agree. I see the MacBook Air as where laptops will be headed, not in the near future, but in time.

Now the processors are catching up with the design of the Air: the SL9600 is no slouch, and Arrandale is not far off in the future.

The regular Penryns are also getting better though. I haven't heard of any LV Arrandales except that they are supposed to happen.

 

[Veinticinco]

I don't think the Cube serves the same market as MacMini. The Cube was powerful $2000 computer and the MacMini is a $600 entry level computer. I will be saddened if the MBA evolves (devolves) into a glorified $600 net book.

If it is discontinued, I fear I may abandon macs and go to a VAIO. I used a MBP for years despite its huge size but after using the MBA, I don't think I can do it anymore. I need something that approaches the power of a MB, with a better screen, without any of the things I don't use: optical drive, all the USB ports (I never plug more than one thing at a time), ethernet.

The MBA is the perfect computer. Everything I need, nothing I don't. And I won't ever consider a MB unless it gets a much better screen. Is there sales data on the MBA we can find online.

I didn't say the 2001 Cube and 2006 Mini served the same markets, just that the form factor (headless, 'box'-shaped) of the former clearly influenced the latter.

I agree about it being a sad day if Apple went in a different direction than the MBA but who knows, maybe in a few years, a powerful 10" tablet will be exactly what I need then just as an MBA is what I need now.

Face it, the MBA as we know it may well be mothballed in the forseeable future. Don't dismiss the future before you know what it is. As for saying you might defect to Sony PC kit, take a long hard look in the mirror, then slap yourself in the face....hard.....repeatedly....until you come to your senses.

 

[Carl Abudephane]

.

 

[darngooddesign]

I still don't fully understand why Apple stuck their best battery life in their least portable 17 inch machine. That's retarded if you ask me. Yes, let's give the best battery life to the machine you're least likely to carry around. Because that makes perfect sense

A bigger battery give you longer battery life than a smaller battery, and the biggest laptop gets the biggest battery.

How is this hard to understand?