Macbook air bigger update coming?

[Mhkobe]

A much more realistic scenario would be Apple coming out with some device, under a new line, that will use Intel's Atom with Nvidia's ION platform.

The intel atom processor is never going to be used in an apple product, apple always has to be ahead of the curve. If apple does decide to implement the atom into a device, they will have a version modified by either themselves or intel to push them away from the competition. By this point, I don't think it is fair to say that this processor is still the atom.

One and a half years ago, Imacs began shipping with core 2 duo processors designed and built by Intel, we are just now beginning to see these processors showing up in Dell computers now as they make the move from pentium dual cores.

 

[Ruahrc]

One and a half years ago, Imacs began shipping with core 2 duo processors designed and built by Intel, we are just now beginning to see these processors showing up in Dell computers now as they make the move from pentium dual cores.

???

I'm pretty sure Core 2 Duos (and Core2 Quads, which are distinctively lacking from the iMacs) have been in PC computers just as long as they have been in iMacs.

 

[Mhkobe]

Sorry, that was my bad, I had said that core 2 duos weren't windows boxes at all, however, what I meant was that they were very very uncommon, core 2 quads have been in them a lot fro quite a while, however most windows computers with dual core processors were pentium, and it is just now that most dual core ones are becoming the core 2 duo model.

 

[lixuelai]

Are you serious? Core 2s has been in PCs ever since they first came out. You do realize that Pentium Dual Core came about AFTER Core 2 right? Also if Apple wanted to stay ahead of the curve we wouldn't be lagging behind PC makers in hardware...

 

[Mhkobe]

They have been in them yes, but they were NOT COMMON until about 4 months ago.

 

[lixuelai]

So you are telling me that PC makers are just starting now to use a processor series that was released 3 years ago.

 

[Macintox]

If that happened it will not be called the MacBook Air anymore. The MacBook moniker is associated with Intel processors. In fact it will just be what I said, a supersized Iphone/Touch. You will not be able to run most software that is written for Intel processors on such a device unless you can convince me that Intel is going to grant Apple a X86 license. It takes a lot of engineering and investment into a product to bring it to the marketplace. The actual manufacturing is a small portion of that total. Apple is not going to make some "niche" product. The MacBook Air certainly isn't. It is a part of a much larger, well established portion of the ultraportable market. There is no reason to get out of that market. A much more realistic scenario would be Apple coming out with some device, under a new line, that will use Intel's Atom with Nvidia's ION platform.

If you read my post well that is exactly what I was saying . Apple comes out with a new 10" tablet THEN update profoundly the MB air to differentiate. I never said it will replace the MBAir nor talked about any processor ..

 

[lixuelai]

Ok so lets take your post very literally.

"let's play sherlock.... years ago the newton far ahead of its time ... then the recent iphone / ipod touch craze shows the enormous demand for email and web apps on the go."

OK so you are saying that the MBA will be more tailored to these needs in the future. Or else you are talking about something totally different. Ill assume the former just for sanity's sake.

"Now, cloud computing , snow leopard, iphone OSX lite... and you get a super slim +- 1 lbs 10" wifi tablet from Apple before the end of the year 09."

So all these will have some kind of effect on the direction in which an update to the MBA will be. Or else what is the point of saying all that when the topic is about what the MBA of the future might be besides saying that the MBA update if it happens will be a bit down the road.

"It will "then" be time for a real profound upgrade for the MacBook Air."

Ok so the MBA will have a big upgrade after all that happens.

"Don't forget that since Apple went to the Unibody construction there is a huge amount of flexibility and production runs do not need to be as large as before.
We could in fact see many more niche products because of that..."

So we will see more niche products?

Now that I've read you post carefully I can say that you should read my reply to the OP more carefully (the one you quoted first) which I assumed was a followup (now it seems rather out of the blue). Now if you are too lazy to read Ill summarize it for you. The OP is saying that since the MBA is Apple Fanboy territory Apple should pull a drastic change and make the Fanboys pay top dollar for some experimental product. He proposes that Apple will be using their in house processor of a future design to power such a machine. Now what I am saying is that Apple is incapable nor feasible to design a processor from scratch that will outperform what is even currently in the Air. Now suppose that is possible, it will not run the majority of applications that the wider Mac lineup will run due the the architectural differences. PA Semi does not have a x86 license. They design more efficient Power processors. So the computing platform will be totally changed, in other words such a device will have no relationship to what the MBA is now and the topic should not be about the possible MBA update but a totally new device (like a supersized Iphone) and most certainly not an update which has the definition (according to Webster) of "to bring up to date". Maybe "revamp"?

 

[Macintox]

To make things a bit more clear, sorry if it was not..
Yes I think that whence the very probable tablet is out ( no idea which CPU it will have and do not care about it ) It will have a direct incidence on the MBAir. Why ? because MBair will no longer be the only on the road email warrior in Apple range and will logically have to go upscale, with faster processor, more ram, better screen res, larger SSD, and some more ports.. Something that Apple engineers could do right now if they wanted but are not doing for pure marketing reasons.
A for the unibody construction making it easy to create more niche or special series ..yes, by all means and it has been largely documented. Which products ? that is the question ...