MBA D: June'10 and none the wiser-Disgruntled? How much longer are you going to wait?

[Jobsian]

...and what is your plan?


To be honest I've been a little dejected at the lack of an MBA update. I've been waiting for almost a year now (literally), ready to buy one as soon as Apple release it.

Every milestone that we'd pass without an update, eg:

Media Event Sept 09
Arrandale release Jan 2010
MBP Update
D8

...there was still hope that the next one would be the time they do it. I had convinced myself that there was a strong possibility of seeing an all-new MBA at WWDC. But now that even that even that has passed, I'm less optimistic.

This makes me think that we're going to have to wait some time before we ever hear of the MBA again, if we ever do, - some here are guessing Q4 2010 or early 2011. Of course we may see a minor Core 2 Duo updated MBA quietely in the upcoming weeks. However we are getting quite close to Intel's Core 2 chip production cessation (which I think was late 2010?). Apple have just released a new C2D machine (Mac Mini) so this is still a possibility.


I'm craving a new MBA more than I think I can communicate here, I'm on this forum, engadget and google news ("macbook air" search) several times a day hoping for good news, heck any news. Even if it was news of Steve Jobs replying to an MBA-related email confirming either our wishes or fears (EOL). But so far...nothing. Just an empty, unsatisfying chasm.

Do I buy something else or do I not.

I'm almost certain I'm not going to get any Windows machine that I had considered very strongly in the past (mainly the Vaio Z and Vaio X). I have tried these and to be frank there was no romance with the Z, small trackpad, blows hot, design meh. With the X there was a bit more I have to say, however the Atom+2GB wasn't lifting what I wanted it to.

Earlier last week I found myself moving close to the 13" MBP. I like that machine. Solid build, clean design. I love how it has that insane battery. The 2.6GHz C2D + 320M + Intel X25 G2 would be really great for a 13" notebook and quite a bit faster than the MBA. So I went to the pristine-as-ever Apple store and did stuff on it. But then I kept trying to lift it with one hand, trying to nonchalantly move it in various directions. I put it in a bag and lifted it. It's just too heavy for what I functionally want. I didn't like the Hollywood glossy screen either (I didn't hate it, just strongly preferred the matte screen). However overall it's the closest non-MBA notebook I've got to buying. But it's no MBA.

So with even the 13" MBP ruled out, I realised I had little options. I played with the iPad too and actually came close to buying one: my rationale was that it's not too expensive and it may well tie me up for light computing until MBA D is upon us, however I brute-forced some logical points and realised I wouldn't be as satisfied as I lead myself to believe in the marketing den I was in. Plus with the iphone 4, I was getting the same CPU and x2 the RAM. That would tie me up somewhat.


The conclusion for me is that I'm actually thinking of going back to a Rev C MBA if there's no update in the next few weeks.

Apple please don't make me go back to the Rev C! It's not that I don't like it (I LOVE it, in fact I think it's the best notebook any manufacturer has ever created), it's just that I feel that it's quite outrageous at the price at which it still stands today.

But I'm almost certain I will still buy it. When? To be honest I do not have any particular target - I don't know. Maybe sometime after the rumored possible Apple event at the Moscone Centre on June 27? (it's a long shot).

I want to hold off as long as possible, but I'm running out of patience. If only Jobs would confirm either way

 

[ouimetnick]

Cool story Bro. The high end 13" MBP is a rip off. If your putting an SSD in it, the only difference is a 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo instead of a 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo. The extra $300 for a 266 MHz speed increase WILL not be noticed and is a waste of money.

 

[nwtek]

I just gave up waiting.

I have enjoyed reading the forum posts over the last 7-8 months. My first post.
I finally gave up waiting to buy my first Mac air. I have had many mbp's for my business and they have worked great, but a little heavy to lug around on frequent trips to the east coast. I was looking for increased battery life. I don't like being a slave to airport recharging.
Yesterday I ordered the 13 mbp 2.4 with 128gb ssd and 8-10 hour battery.

IMO, a substantial update is not possible until the new chips come out late this year or early next. The chips, Intel or AMD will have better low voltage capabilities with Ontario/Llano and Sandy and Ivy Bridge. Also, the ATI GPU's will also undergo another shrink from 40nm to 32nm, which should increase GFLOP performance.
I hope for a new form factor similar to the new iPhone4 with a real battery life of 7-8 hours. If it included built-in 3g, I could stop carrying my 3g-usb device.

 

[gwsat]

The elephant in the room whenever the long delayed MBA update comes up is that there might not be an MBA update. I hope it doesn't turn out that way but it's becoming a more realistic prospect with each passing Tuesday and no update.

 

[voicegy]

Too many posts

Sorry, but how many new posts do we really need started about basically the same thing? I mean, I could start one tomorrow the 22nd in the afternoon with the title "June 22nd has come and gone - no MBA yet, are you going to wait, if so how long, I don't think I can anymore..." and then start another one on June 29th with the title "Moscone center rented by Apple but still no MBA perhaps in September for the Start of the School Year?" and then start ANOTHER one....


Geeesh....

 

[Spacekatgal]

Honestly? I'm not going to stress it. Grad school doesn't start back up for me for another 2 months. I'll easily live with my ipad until then. I'll get a 13 inch MBP, and sell it if or when a new MBA comes out.

 

[Caem]

Here in Sweden iPhone 4 is released at the end of july (hopefully...)

I would ofcourse prefer a new MBA, either that or current MBP 13" 2.4 with an Intel x25 160GB SSD.

So until then Im patiently waiting before buying a laptop from Apple.

 

[WildGuess]

How much longer?

Until the twelfth of never. And that's a long, long time...

 

[theLimit]

I stopped waiting in March and got a used 2.13 Rev C. Now I'm spoiled by the Air.

I'll be waiting to see what is available this time next year, 11 is my lucky number.

 

[entatlrg]

I have enjoyed reading the forum posts over the last 7-8 months. My first post.
I finally gave up waiting to buy my first Mac air. I have had many mbp's for my business and they have worked great, but a little heavy to lug around on frequent trips to the east coast. I was looking for increased battery life. I don't like being a slave to airport recharging.
Yesterday I ordered the 13 mbp 2.4 with 128gb ssd and 8-10 hour battery.

IMO, a substantial update is not possible until the new chips come out late this year or early next. The chips, Intel or AMD will have better low voltage capabilities with Ontario/Llano and Sandy and Ivy Bridge. Also, the ATI GPU's will also undergo another shrink from 40nm to 32nm, which should increase GFLOP performance.
I hope for a new form factor similar to the new iPhone4 with a real battery life of 7-8 hours. If it included built-in 3g, I could stop carrying my 3g-usb device.

You make very good points and that wouldn't surprise me at all. Apple should drop the price on the current MBA then until a real refresh happens.

 

[Duncanreally]

I was ready to buy in December. I've been waiting since then. I gave up and last Tuesday I ordered 13" 2.66Ghz MBP with everything maxed (8GB, 512 SSD). Should be here soon. Although it's not as portable as I want (I don't care about the super battery - I travel a lot, but I travel to places with mains electricity!), it'll be an improvement in both portability and power over the 3 year old MBP I'm struggling with at the moment.

D

 

[macgrl]

I am planning on doing a research degree later this year and want one for that. I don't need one now but want one now ! lol I will wait until I need to get one and see what the situation is then. The sooner the better though!

 

[soph]

I'm trying to convince myself that I switch over to Vaio Z, but it's got too many downsides for me.

If they dropped the price tag significantly I'd go out and buy my MBA rev. C on the spot. But with the current price and the current configuration it just feels like a massively overpriced toy that will be of no use in a year or two. Sure, the Vaio Z in the configuration I want is much more expensive than the MBA, but I won't have to replace it in many years.

I'll give up waiting end of July, because then I seriously *need* an ultraportable.

 

[Veinticinco]

I've long since given up waiting.

Think the current combined hardware/architectural challenges are to blame for lack of any update, yet tech and the market moves on.

I expect now the MBA in its current guise is EOL'd, and maybe in late 2011 we'll see a skinnier MBP with an 'Air' option of no optical drive.

Sad thing for me is there is no current Apple portable suitable for my needs out there - the closest would be if they released a 13" MBP with the hi-res anti-glare screen.

 

[Veinticinco]

I was ready to buy in December. I've been waiting since then. I gave up and last Tuesday I ordered 13" 2.66Ghz MBP with everything maxed (8GB, 512 SSD). Should be here soon. Although it's not as portable as I want (I don't care about the super battery - I travel a lot, but I travel to places with mains electricity!), it'll be an improvement in both portability and power over the 3 year old MBP I'm struggling with at the moment.

D

You seriously paid $3300 / £2689 for BTO 13" MBP?

I really don't know what to say, utterly speechless.

 

[robeddie]

I am planning on doing a research degree later this year and want one for that. I don't need one now but want one now ! lol I will wait until I need to get one and see what the situation is then. The sooner the better though!

I think that's the key word 'want'. I want one now two, but it's not like I 'need' it.

Whatever comes, whenever it comes, I'm sure it'll be cool.

Either way, I'm pretty sure I'll spring the cash for the next macbook Air. Right now I'm fine with my 15MBP and my iMac.

A redesign would be especially sweet though.

 

[gwsat]

I think that's the key word 'want'. I want one now two, but it's not like I 'need' it.

Whatever comes, whenever it comes, I'm sure it'll be cool.

Either way, I'm pretty sure I'll spring the cash for the next macbook Air. Right now I'm fine with my 15MBP and my iMac.

A redesign would be especially sweet though.

That's where I am, too. The current MBA would be inadequate for my needs. In addition, Applecare on my 17 inch MBP doesn't run out until next spring and my iPad, which also has Applecare coverage, has been just fine for doing quick and dirty tasks on the run. I'll wait.

 

[Tomato910]

I don't understand what you guys are doing that require a much higher spec than the MBA is currently available in?

I've had a MBA since launch and it suits my needs perfectly. I'm a student so it runs Office, iWork, iLife (including iMovie) and even Photoshop, it's not even the SSD version. It's not going to run Photoshop, iMovie or Final Cut Pro particularly well, but the 13" screen seriously limits that anyway.

I've given up anticipating a new MBA, I looked at the MBPs but I simply cannot see myself being happy with the added size and weight, especially as I don't really need the added specification. I could buy the latest MBA, but I'd rather save my money. Put it this way, I don't mind waiting if they're going to release something revolutionary rather than just an updated spec of the current design.

 

[Duncanreally]

You seriously paid $3300 / £2689 for BTO 13" MBP?

I really don't know what to say, utterly speechless.

€2525.65, delivered. It's for work - I guess we get a good discount. I considered going for the smaller 256GB SSD, but I suspect I will fill this and it will annoy me and I'll need to replace it with a larger one. The 512GB should last the useful life of the computer (3+ years, if my current one is anything to go by). Yes, I know I could have saved a bit of money buying the 8GB RAM separately, and I would do this if it was my money/time.

It does grate, spending that much on a computer that isn't really what I want. But I'd have been delighted to spend another grand on top of that to get an Air with the same spec...

 

[gwsat]

I don't understand what you guys are doing that require a much higher spec than the MBA is currently available in?

I've had an MBA since launch and it suits my needs perfectly. I'm a student so it runs Office, iWork, iLife (including iMovie) and even Photoshop, it's not even the SSD version. It's not going to run Photoshop, iMovie or Final Cut Pro particularly well, but the 13" screen seriously limits that anyway.

I've given up anticipating a new MBA, I looked at the MBPs but I simply cannot see myself being happy with the added size and weight, especially as I don't really need the added specification. I could buy the latest MBA, but I'd rather save my money. Put it this way, I don't mind waiting if they're going to release something revolutionary rather than just an updated spec of the current design.

Unfortunately, I am one of those users who simply can't use the current version of the MBA. I need to run Windows 7 and several Windows apps in a VMware Fusion virtual machine in Unity mode. I learned the hard way that 2Gb of RAM was woefully inadequate for that purpose. Once I upgraded to 6Gb of RAM (my Santa Rosa MBP can't handle 8Gb of RAM reliably) Windows apps run almost as fast and with as much stability as OS X apps do. I suspect that the next MBA upgrade, if there is one, will offer only 4Gb of RAM, in which case I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed and hope that 4Gb of RAM will be enough for my purposes.

 

[Spacekatgal]

I don't understand what you guys are doing that require a much higher spec than the MBA is currently available in?

I've had a MBA since launch and it suits my needs perfectly. I'm a student so it runs Office, iWork, iLife (including iMovie) and even Photoshop, it's not even the SSD version. It's not going to run Photoshop, iMovie or Final Cut Pro particularly well, but the 13" screen seriously limits that anyway.

I've given up anticipating a new MBA, I looked at the MBPs but I simply cannot see myself being happy with the added size and weight, especially as I don't really need the added specification. I could buy the latest MBA, but I'd rather save my money. Put it this way, I don't mind waiting if they're going to release something revolutionary rather than just an updated spec of the current design.

As someone who makes their living with PS and the other programs like it, I am always perplexed when someone tells me they can run PS on an MBA. To do what? Maybe to do simple tasks like cropping a photo, but certainly not for real work.

 

[peterb69]

Spacekatgal, hopefully my new (used) MacBook Air will be waiting for me via UPS tonight when I get home from work.

I am using Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom on my 15" MacBook Pro as my main computer. The Air will be for on the road photo (raw) downloading, deleting bad photos, and maybe some crop and convert to jpegs.

That said, and your experience with Photoshop on the Air, should I load CS5, or but photoshop elements to use on the Air.

I'm just looking for the best performance.

Thanks

 

[skate71290]

You seriously paid $3300 / £2689 for BTO 13" MBP?

I really don't know what to say, utterly speechless.

Please tell me this guy is joking... £3000 on a C2D Laptop... you really should have sprung for the base i5 as this would last you a considerable amount longer

 

[gwsat]

You seriously paid $3300 / £2689 for BTO 13" MBP?

I really don't know what to say, utterly speechless.

Please tell me this guy is joking... £3000 on a C2D Laptop... you really should have sprung for the base i5 as this would last you a considerable amount longer

The OP has said that he maxed out the 2.66Ghz 13 inch MBP he bought with 8Gb of RAM and a 512Gb SSD. Apple's price for such a configuration is $3,299 before taxes. If you want to bitch about what the OP paid for his rig, why not wine to Apple, instead of the buyer? I might add that Apple's price for the base 15 inch MBP you suggested the OP buy instead of the 13 inch but with 8Gb of RAM and a 512Gb SSD is $3,599.

 

[Duncanreally]

Please tell me this guy is joking... £3000 on a C2D Laptop... you really should have sprung for the base i5 as this would last you a considerable amount longer

Really? In the benchmarks I've seen that favour the i5 or i7, I see only about a 30% improvement over the C2D, at the same clock speed. And many benchmarks they look the same, clock for clock. Even 30% isn't enough to warrant carrying around the heavier 15" over the 13", for me. Of course, I plug it into a display on my desk, so the built in screen size is of minimal importance. The high cost is of course mostly for the 512GB SSD, and Apple's pricing for this seems competitive. Time will tell if it was the right decision.

To get back on topic, my point was that I'm willing to spend a lot of money on the right laptop, and I'm frustrated that the right laptop wasn't available. An Air with close specs to the 13" MBP should be possible, and I'd have bitten their hand off for it. Instead, every time I have to lug the MBP around, I'm going to be cursing its weight...

Duncan