Macbook air Rev. C?

[queshy]

I find it hilarious that some people here are digging the black bezel and glass screen. The black bezel is a way of making a *fat* bezel look interesting, because a fat bezel is something bad in a laptop, which should have maximal real-estate/size ratio. The bezel on Apple laptops are getting fatter and fatter since the Ti-Powerbook, and many consumers don't even notice.

The glass screen is a simple way to make a laptop cheaper, while adding lots of unnecessary weight (bad for the Air!). It has no advantage, except for movie watching in low-light conditions, something people who use their laptops for work don't view as a most important criterion.

People are talking about necessity of bringing the Air in line with the other products. The screen part of the MB and the MBP were a huge step back from the last versions (the unibody of course being a step forward), which is why they had to re-introduce the mate screen and silver bezel in the 17 inch MBP. In the future, the black bezel will with certainty disappear, because bezels will disappear on laptops. The glass screen will disappear because it only adds weight and reflections.

The only thing that's really timely on the Air (as on the MB and MBP) is to have a less gigantic bezel and a higher resolution screen. They could fit a 1440x900 screen with close to 14 inches in the same footprint. And please don't tell me "oh, I don't want higher resolution because the font gets too small", because that's BS because the minimum font size can be adjusted in OS X and higher res fonts at a fixed size are crisper and more easily legible.

PS: Now that I mentioned the MB and MBP, I should also say that optical drives will disappear. They're the modern floppy drives. Like the glass screen, mostly folks who use their laptops for entertainment want optical drives. The current line of MB and MBP, while I own one of the latter, are dinosaurs, except they'll only last 2 years.

Hey, I'm not saying I dig the black bezel, I'm just looking into my crystal ball. I just think the Air will converge with their other products on the design-front. It makes sense to me that Apple would do that.

 

[applecultvictim]

Hey, I'm not saying I dig the black bezel, I'm just looking into my crystal ball. I just think the Air will converge with their other products on the design-front. It makes sense to me that Apple would do that.

Also (although I don't think they will converge myself) we have to factor in the netbook/tablet and I am sure apple will factor that in to place the air and change it accordingly, which could mean anything from not changing it at all to going to the 14 inch screen we would so like a lot of us here. I sure hope not the dreaded 16:9 though.

 

[cyberwolf777]

Great post there cyberwolf777.

Does it meet the thickness requirement?

thx.

Well, I don't know if it does. Hard to find any specs. But I'm guessing that thickness for SSDs is not that much of an issue than with traditional hard drives.

Apple seems very committed to the 16:10 aspect ratio. If they go up in resolution it would likely be to 1440:900. The extra horizontal space afforded by 1366x768 would be nice for multiple windows, but the loss of the vertical would kind of suck for web browsing

If Apple is that committed to the 16:10 ratio, then the OLED rumor has to be treated as fake since the display that LG intends to use features a 16:9 ratio. I tend to believe that more and more anyway.

 

[stoconnell]

If Apple is that committed to the 16:10 ratio, then the OLED rumor has to be treated as fake since the display that LG intends to use features a 16:9 ratio. I tend to believe that more and more anyway.

Anything is possible. Apple seemed fairly committed to firewire

My point only was that all of their current offerings are 16:10 (1280x800 macbook and macbook air, 1440x900 macbook pro 15", or 1920x1200 macbook pro 17")

 

[applecultvictim]

thx.

Well, I don't know if it does. Hard to find any specs. But I'm guessing that thickness for SSDs is not that much of an issue than with traditional hard drives.

It is though, there were other 1.8 ssds before that just didn't fit in the air, do you have the specs page at samsung was it?

 

[cyberwolf777]

It is though, there were other 1.8 ssds before that just didn't fit in the air, do you have the specs page at samsung was it?

That's the thing, there is only some mysterious model-numbers flowing through the net. One of these is apparently used in the Sony Z series:

MMDPE56G8DXP-0VB00
and
MMDPE56GFDXP-MVB00

Also, an old Appleinsider news post from May 2008 said that Samsung planned the introduction of a 256 GB SSD in 1.8" format by Q4 of 2008.

 

[qubex]

Today Apple's courier collected my refurb-MacBookAir Rev B (or more correctly, rev 1, step B, for the ordinal-centric amongst you). It had to go anyway because it suffered from a serious case of grey lines, and I wouldn't accept it in that condition even if it had been perfectly new. Seriously, Apple should pay more attention to quality of their premium products.

Frankly, I found the machine to be essentially perfect: the form factor is exactly what I need and, though not a great performer, it remained responsive while under strain. What it really need is a dose of 3G networking and... well, yes, it definitely needs to loose the vestigial button on the trackpad. An inbuilt GPS receiver? Heh. One can dream, but that shan't occur. If the SSD is doubled in capacity, it could even entirely replace my main machine.

This general lack of rumours is really disturbing me.

I need to know, and I need to know now!

 

[Scottsdale]

This general lack of rumours is really disturbing me.

I need to know, and I need to know now!

I agree here. We have had almost NO MBA rev C "rumors." We have a lot of guesses about what it should be based upon what we see in the MB and MBP, and what we think are natural progressions. At the same time, as far as hard evidence, it has been non-existent for several months. We recently got the rumors for an updated MB and MBP before the June WWDC. But nothing to do with the rev C MBA.

Here are the big problems I see...

The Dell Adamo. I don't think it's a real contender. It is thinner than the MBA at the MBA's thickest part. Does Apple feel the need to make the MBA thinner? I really hope not. I feel the MBA is just right. But I fear some at Apple really want to OWN the thin title outright.

Intel released the SL9600 17W Penryn SSF 45 NM Process 2.13 GHz CPU several weeks ago. The rev B MBA's SL9x00 17W CPU eliminated all of the terrible heat problems of the original MBA's 20W Merom CPU paired with Intel 3100 graphics. One would imagine that with the success of the rev B MBA, due largely to its CPU, that Apple would stick with the same line of CPU which is the SL9600 running at 2.13 GHz. However, we have heard NOTHING from Apple or any rumors related to when this CPU could be used. Surely Apple wouldn't stray for a different ULV CPU in its next MBA???

The rev B MBA is far superior in EVERY way to the original MBA, but do the sales numbers support a rev C MBA? I know a lot more people who bought the original MBA than bought the rev B MBA. Now, almost all who I know, who bought the original MBA in its infancy, have moved on to something else.

A lot of original MBA buyers have resented Apple and the MBA. It took a lot for me to really switch to the rev B MBA from the MB after the original MBA was so problematic for me. I really loved everything the original MBA represented, but with its heat problems, it was unusable for me even as a secondary computer. At the same time, the rev B MBA was my primary computer for several months (recently stolen). Many I know feel that way about the MBA not differentiating between the rev A and rev B MBAs. I fear that the original MBA's reputation has damaged the brand of the MBA.

The original MBA as a refurbished unit, with Cool Book, could be stealing a lot of rev B MBA sales. At the same time, I am inclined to believe that the refurbished rev A MBA and the rev B MBA are not really competing. The rev A refurbished is taking sales from the MB.

The rev B MBA is truly what the A was meant to be, a business professional or otherwise premium computer. It could take away sales from the MBP, but Apple would surely have intended that. The quality is high to compete with the MBP, yet is super portable and with a smaller display. The original MBA refurbished is a low-end computer meeting the requirements from very light users or as secondary computers.

The refurbished rev A MBA buyers expect a little from their MBA but still get the beautiful display, tiny form factor, and EXCLUSIVE Air ownership while running OS X. The rev B MBA is selling to the MBA's original intended market - business professionals, Mac enthusiasts, consultants, college professors, grad students, and those wanting similar performance to the MB yet with an elite "Air" form factor that is super portable, light, and fits inside a business briefcase along with papers and a book.

In the long run, I believe the future of the MacBook line depends on the current form of the MacBook Air. I sure hope Apple sees a real reason to have faith in the MacBook Air and makes the rev C MBA everything we all want it to be.

But the logical progression does not match up with any rumors... please Apple, give us the rev C MBA!

 

[iMacmatician]

I'm taking the wait until late May before jumping to conclusions route. But I agree, the lack of MacBook Air rumors so far is not a good sign…

Also, the 2.13 GHz LV C2D is released (and so is a new ULV) while the speed bumped Penryns are a late May (or so) release. So it would make sense that the MacBook Air will be updated earlier than (or at the same time as) the MacBook and MacBook Pro.

And while some sort of design change may push the release date back, it also increases the number of rumors.

 

[applecultvictim]

I think one of the points we might need to consider is that they are not rushing to update the cpus if they cant accompany these with an increase in ssd capacity and (the most probable) phasing out of the hd completely. So I would think we might see a small bump in cpus in the coming months but unless we hear or verify some real ssd product for the air with increased capacity a rev. c (with the speed bumps I mentioned considered as rev. b update) wont be out. Let's not forget that was the very reason they delayed the rev b., not due to the cpu, but due to the fact that they had been waiting for an appropriate hd to come out. So, minor speed bumps for me and a rev b. update and arrandale and a new more roomy ssd in late 2009 or early 2010 accompanied possibly by some design changes, fingers crossed a larger screen.

Also like I have said before it will be interesting to see where the air will fit in with the mactablet which to me is a given, sooner or later, and this will determine the identity of the new air. A larger screen par example would go nicely with the smaller screened mactablet. So you get your 10" tablet to browse the web and do very minor typing and your air with a 14" so the two products get well differentiated. Of course the likely iphone os will differentiate the tablet too.

 

[iMacmatician]

I think one of the points we might need to consider is that they are not rushing to update the cpus if they cant accompany these with an increase in ssd capacity and (the most probable) phasing out of the hd completely. So I would think we might see a small bump in cpus in the coming months but unless we hear or verify some real ssd product for the air with increased capacity a rev. c (with the speed bumps I mentioned considered as rev. b update) wont be out. Let's not forget that was the very reason they delayed the rev b., not due to the cpu, but due to the fact that they had been waiting for an appropriate hd to come out. So, minor speed bumps for me and a rev b. update and arrandale and a new more roomy ssd in late 2009 or early 2010 accompanied possibly by some design changes, fingers crossed a larger screen.

That makes much sense. Plus a minor speed bump would not be rumored until right before the update.

 

[qubex]

At t=199 since the last refresh, I'll take my time to vent some of my neurosis.

Firstly, it goes almost without saying that the glass trackpad is a must: the vestigial single-click button on the current generation of Airs is entirely laughable. It takes up space that could otherwise be devoted to trackpad real-estate and, as far as I can observe, runs against the screen. It also provides a mechanical point of failure for an otherwise almost solid-state machine (notable exceptions being keyboard, fans and hinge). Why they haven't removed it already is anybody's guess, especially since the current Airs were released slightly after the Unibody MacBooks and MacBookPros. My feeling is that the decision was inventory-related.

Secondly, why do I laughably covet a black bezel? Simply because I favour not being constanly reminded of where the edge of my screen ends. I'm in the habit of working in the dark, and setting my desktop to have a black background. With a black bezel, the sense of diminished desktop clutter will be further enhanced. As remarked, Apple's bezels have been getting wider for almost a decade, and this is bad. The first two MacBookAir releases have been particularly bad, with a high linear incidence of bezel versus screen diagonal. Eyeballing it, I'd estimate that probably 12% of the lid's area is devoted to unproductive aluminium. Since it's unlikely Apple will reduce the overall footprint of the machine (internals being already crammed enough), and since evidently Apple is not undertaking a policy of adopting broader, more expensive LCD panels, I favour the uniformly shiny, black-framed bezel look. Of course I wish the screen might stretch to the outermost edge of the lid, but this shan't occur - any more than inbuilt "3G" and/or GPS capability. Apple has found they can sell the Air at a premium price without incurring the costs of premium paraphrenalia - why should they chang their ways if we collectively buy their stuff at the prices they set?

My recent experience with my tranisent refurbished Air was educating: it's a great little machine, a snappy performer thanks to the SSD in a wonderful form factor designed *ahem* for portability-obsessed people such as *ahem* myself who seemply need to process data while on the go. Now, having tried one, I'm ever more eager for the next line of machines to be released - hopefully a line that entails fewer compromises. A 256GB SSD will allow me to carry all my digital life around without needing to choose or edit before leaving. 4GB of RAM would give Mathematica some space to breathe and actually spawn another kernel. A 3G chipset would allow me to check mail while on the go without needing to flip open the ports hatch and plug in a perilous little dongle and networks' notoriously crappy drivers.

In short, the next one needs to focus on perfecting the whole experience of mobility. Forget netbooks or greasy, iPhone-esque funcionally crippled iPads with their Apple-imposed limitations, App Store-only downloads and network-centric behaviour. Haven't you folks ever been stuck without connectivity on a plane, perhaps needing to crunch through some kind of custom database for which no standard analysis tools exist? This is the kind of flexibility that portable computers must continue to offer. This is why I'm still looking forward to the next revsion of the MacBookAir.

 

[Barbie]

Concerning the thoughts on a black rim around the display: my opinion is that the MacBook Air didn't use glass because Apple decided to give the option for a mutant 'matte' MacBook - due to the fact that the new MacBook and the new 15-inch MacBook Pro don't have matte options.

Therefore... anybody who wants a less glossy display can pay extra for MacBook Air !!! (this personally rings true to me, as my decision between Air and MacBook was primarily display.)

Barbie.

 

[qubex]

It is entirely likely that I'm the latest in the lineage of people who don't Get It, but: I've opted for glossy screens on every BTO MacBookPro I have purchased since late 2006 or thereabouts. I find matte screens to be aesthetically inferior to glossy screens in every way. I'm in the habit of adjusting my workspace to suit my computing needs rather than opting for matte displays on the one-off chance that I'll be afflicted by reflections upon the screen.

It might be that reflections can be distracting, but insofar as the current Air *does* feature a glossy screen, isn't it auspicable that they surround it with a black bezel to reduce clutter (and detract from the overly prominent iSight camera "up there")?

Anyway, we're 38 days from WWDC09. I'm anxious to see what happens. Really, really anxious. I need a machine of this size, but I also want it to be as current as possible.

 

[pesc]

Therefore... anybody who wants a less glossy display can pay extra for MacBook Air !!!)

Hmmmm... The Air still has a glossy screen. I won't consider one until there is a matte option.

 

[qubex]

It's apparent that everybody here has their likes and dislikes regarding, in particular, screens. That's fair and square.

What worries me is that there's no indication Apple is actively developing the small form-factor/high-end machine package anymore: even if we assume rumours of iPads and MacBookMinis are true these devices will inevitably cater to the lower end of the market in terms of price and performance. I can't help but shudder when I think that Apple let more than a year pass between the latest refreshes for the Mac Pro and the Mac Mini - how can that attitude be taken seriously now they compete with commodity Intel hardware?

Speculation regarding probable specifications, as we have indulged in so far, are all right and well but perhaps they're assuming as true something that might not be necessarily so: namely, that a refresh will occur sooner or later, and that what is to be divined ex ante is the date and technical details of the revision.

It strikes me as possible that they might've abandoned this "niche" product already, like they've abandoned the AppleTV. If they did, it would be a terrible shame. There's a genuine demand for this kind of product, it serves an important function in the line-up (and serves an important role in many professionals' lives).

Hopefully somebody can barge in here and tell me I'm dead wrong for N reasons. Indeed, I keep my eyes on every RSS feed that might carry news of this topic.

 

[enfanteribl]

It's apparent that everybody here has their likes and dislikes regarding, in particular, screens. That's fair and square.

What worries me is that there's no indication Apple is actively developing the small form-factor/high-end machine package anymore: even if we assume rumours of iPads and MacBookMinis are true these devices will inevitably cater to the lower end of the market in terms of price and performance. I can't help but shudder when I think that Apple let more than a year pass between the latest refreshes for the Mac Pro and the Mac Mini - how can that attitude be taken seriously now they compete with commodity Intel hardware?

Speculation regarding probable specifications, as we have indulged in so far, are all right and well but perhaps they're assuming as true something that might not be necessarily so: namely, that a refresh will occur sooner or later, and that what is to be divined ex ante is the date and technical details of the revision.

It strikes me as possible that they might've abandoned this "niche" product already, like they've abandoned the AppleTV. If they did, it would be a terrible shame. There's a genuine demand for this kind of product, it serves an important function in the line-up (and serves an important role in many professionals' lives).

Hopefully somebody can barge in here and tell me I'm dead wrong for N reasons. Indeed, I keep my eyes on every RSS feed that might carry news of this topic.

I would be surprised if they abandoned this design - Apple must have invested a fair amount in designing quite a cutting edge casing etc. I suppose the Cube didn't last that long, and people generally were big fans of that design. Still the Air is still pretty new given how long Apple sticks with its designs.

 

[HLdan]

I would be surprised if they abandoned this design - Apple must have invested a fair amount in designing quite a cutting edge casing etc. I suppose the Cube didn't last that long, and people generally were big fans of that design. Still the Air is still pretty new given how long Apple sticks with its designs.

Apple most likely won't discontinue the MBA. There's a huge market for it which is why Dell has entered into this with the Adamo. The business user on the go needs this type of computer. It's not the same as the Cube or the AppleTV or iPod HiFi although I don't see the AppleTV going anywhere either but it needs to be more than it is.
Anytime a company comes out with something new it looks like a failure to the public but the MBA Rev B has been selling very well.

 

[PaperMacWriter]

The MBA will only be dead when the MB & MBP are as slim and light as it, which won't be anytime soon, especially if the MBA gets the carbon-fiber treatment.
SG

 

[pesc]

...but the MBA Rev B has been selling very well.

How do you know that?

I see these kind of statements from time to time. I thought Apple didn't disclose the sales numbers for various models. So how do you know that MBA Rev B is selling well?

 

[iMacmatician]

How do you know that?

I see these kind of statements from time to time. I thought Apple didn't disclose the sales numbers for various models. So how do you know that MBA Rev B is selling well?

I also see various statements saying that the MacBook Air is not selling well.

 

[mojibake]

I'd imagine there is a fair amount of politicking going on inside Apple about controversial products like the Air. What eventually happens to the Air product line probably has as much to do with internal political support as with technical aspects. Apple has never been any good at engineering small/light laptops anyway; just look at the 13 screws used to hold the Air keyboard in place as an example.

The carbon fiber bottom ain't going to happen. That was just some silly speculation based on some guy's DIY mod. The Titanium G4 had a carbon fiber chassis and as you see that is a totally different kind of mechanical engineering than milled aluminum which is Apple's current fad.

As i posted earlier, the Rev C MBA is going to have the current shell and a faster CPU and maybe a few small surprises, that's about it.

 

[qubex]

the Rev C MBA is going to have the current shell and a faster CPU and maybe a few small surprises, that's about it.

When?!

 

[manhattanboy]

personally i hate the new trackpad
the whole button thing feels really cheap to me

now tap to click is brilliant though

 

[manhattanboy]

When?!

the day they release it