It's been almost a year and a half since the last revision. I think if Apple is planning a mild spec bump, they would've done it already. If they wanted to discontinue it, they would've done that too.
I think their silence means they have something big planned. Maybe a hybrid system that can run both iOS and OS X.
Agreed. It will be big... and it might be the exact same day the MB and 13" MBP get updates... I suspect all three will get the same base configuration for the opportunity of designing, developing, and manufacturing that lowers overall costs of components, costs of developing, costs of updating software, and etc.
Apple COULD update the MBA first, then follow up with MBP updates... however, it's time to introduce beyond C2D in 13" Mac notebooks. As of January first, Intel is no longer making C2D CPUs. So it's either AMD CPUs with AMD, formerly ATI, GPU/chipsets. Or it's Core i7 (in the MBA, Core i3 in MB, Core i5 in 13" MBP), and I don't want to hear, "NO WAY DUDE they will put a Core i3 in it"... the MBA isn't a frying plate, and there are no LV replacements in either Core i3/i5 series CPUs. In addition, Apple has always used a premium CPU in the MBA, and the SL9x00 replacement is an i7 LV CPU.
If Apple uses Intel Core i7 CPUs, will they be Sandy Bridge? I say maybe. If they use Sandy Bridge, will they use Intel's IGP as the MBA's sole graphics solution... I say no! I predict EITHER AMD CPU/GPU/Chipset OR Intel with an ATI 5430 GPU in the MBA. I predict a 5450 in the MB and a 5470 in the 13" MBP... but those could be upgrade options too. I don't believe they will use both the discrete and integrated GPU if they do go Intel/AMD discrete. I believe they will disable the Intel IGP, and focus solely on the 7W ATI 54x0 in the 13" Mac notebooks.
That's what I think... OH WHEN... I say October or Early November at earliest, and January as most likely date. Apple has a ton of product it can sell for the holidays without updating Macs at all. iPhone 4 is still very hot. iPad still a hot seller, at 3m per month, and smaller iPad with FaceTime is probably the additional product yet to be introduced at a live event yet this year. I say iLife '11 and iWork '11 get updated at the exact same time as the new iPad with smaller display and FaceTime. Apple probably has 10m ready for the holidays. Apple can also sell the hell out of AppleTV, iPod Touch with FaceTime, and 27" iMacs... and people will buy MBPs whether they're updated before the holidays or not. So realistically, unless Apple is introducing a $999 MBA, there is no reason to update before all of the components are ready.
Let's come back in a few months and see how close we all are with our guesses... hell, I am willing to throw in a dollar if someone wants to make up an "office pool." We pick ten possibilities, and each come up with our answer for each of the ten. That would be fun wouldn't it? We really all need to get lives. But I am here waiting for a new MBA daily... I always have to tell myself "maybe Apple would update on another day besides Tuesdays."
