Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Poll - If there is no new Macbook Air announced @ WWDC this June, what then for you?
- Thread starter Jobsian
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Get a rev c and install runcore ssd on it. I also will do the same if a Mac Pro does not come out. *ucking mother *uckers taking too long. iPad, iPhone, iPod *hit everywhere.
WWDC will come out with an SDK that can be used on an iPad. No need to buy macs anymore.
WWDC will come out with an SDK that can be used on an iPad. No need to buy macs anymore.
13" mbp, and to the other poster: do net bet on the iPad replacing computing as it is now....nothing beats the precision AND control of a trackpad/mouse
I hope to get several more years of life out of my Rev C, SSD. Apple Care just replaced a worrisome screen. If at the end of that time, there is no three pound machine with OSX, I will buy the 3 pound machine with the best keyboard, irregardless of operating system. I am a writer and can't yet imagine life without a keyboard.
Exactly, although the ipads keyboard is very suprising it limits what I can do and where
The iPad is nothing like a fully-fledged computer and still needs to be synced up with one to actually be decent. The MacBook Air should barely see any cannibalization seeing as they're from different categories of computers. If Apple doesn't update the MacBook Air by August, they'd have completely missed the high-end education market which would be a big problem.
I bought an iPad shortly after Apple released it. I like it a lot but it is limited by a lot of factors that I won't go into here. Suffice it to say, you have to have a real computer to get real work done, and the iPad is not a real computer, in its present iteration, at least.
Still Deciding
I'm in the market for a MBA, but will wait to see if there is a refresh and how the new Toshiba ultra portable looks when it comes out. Personally I'd rather get a new and improved MBA because I love OSX, but those teaser shots and the rumored specs of the toshiba kind of have me excited.
I'm in the market for a MBA, but will wait to see if there is a refresh and how the new Toshiba ultra portable looks when it comes out. Personally I'd rather get a new and improved MBA because I love OSX, but those teaser shots and the rumored specs of the toshiba kind of have me excited.
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
I want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for not including, "Buy an iPad" on this poll. Thank you for realizing that the iPad is NOT a replacement for the MBA for those who truly need an MBA to get the job done.
Thank you for yet another interesting, relevant thread, that isn't a copy of the same idea as are in three other current threads. Your posts and threads are sure joy.
Nice poll with some great options trying to sum up the real potential MBA customers possibilities. I certainly hope we get a new MBA at WWDC or one of the next couple of tuesdays.
I want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for not including, "Buy an iPad" on this poll. Thank you for realizing that the iPad is NOT a replacement for the MBA for those who truly need an MBA to get the job done.
Thank you for yet another interesting, relevant thread, that isn't a copy of the same idea as are in three other current threads. Your posts and threads are sure joy.
Nice poll with some great options trying to sum up the real potential MBA customers possibilities. I certainly hope we get a new MBA at WWDC or one of the next couple of tuesdays.
Ohw yes I applaude alongside you!!!
Only flaw is that this poll is not targeted at MBA owners, or people wanting to buy an MBA. Anyone can vote. Therefor the poll will not give any insight in the conceqences for the MBA if there is no update at WWDC.
When I posted earlier i neglected to say that I really want an MBA. The only questions I have now are (1) whether Apple will upgrade the MBA's RAM to 4Gb (the possibility of Apple adding more that 4Gb very soon seems remote, indeed); and (2) satisfying myself that I can run Windows 7 and VMware Fusion satisfactorily on an MBA with 4Gb of RAM. I'll probably take a chance and buy an MBA with 4Gb of RAM unless I see something pretty definitive to the effect that 4Gb simply wouldn't be enough to fulfill my needs.
I think you should add buy Mac Mini as one of the poll choices. MBA + MM perfect complements especially if you use MobileMe or some other type of network drive to sync the two.
I fall into the category of wanting a very light and portable internet browsing device (main thing I do on any computer). I was going to buy a MB Air, but in the light of zero upgrades, then was forced to consider a 13" MBP...
but have settled on getting an iPad. Remember my main use is browsing, and I also have an iMac for heavy grunt stuff.
So ... iPad's are cannibalizing sales of laptops (Im the proof), but I might change my mind if a new Air was released.
For a pure internet surfing device at a fraction of the cost of a MBP or AIR, then the iPad is a bargain. I accept it's not a true laptop replacement, but if your needs are similar to mine, then its a viable option.
I was therefore unable to vote in your poll without an iPad option....
but have settled on getting an iPad. Remember my main use is browsing, and I also have an iMac for heavy grunt stuff.
So ... iPad's are cannibalizing sales of laptops (Im the proof), but I might change my mind if a new Air was released.
For a pure internet surfing device at a fraction of the cost of a MBP or AIR, then the iPad is a bargain. I accept it's not a true laptop replacement, but if your needs are similar to mine, then its a viable option.
I was therefore unable to vote in your poll without an iPad option....
wait, are you saying that you either:
-sold your laptop to buy the air?
-decided to forego a purchase of a laptop for the ipad?
As noted in earlier posts, I bought an iPad early on and love it. Nevertheless, I still really want a full featured, ultra lightweight, computer. That's why I will probably buy an upgraded MBA if its RAM is increased to at least 4Gb. Scottsdale, I think, said somewhere that comparing the iPad to the MBA is like comparing apples and oranges. I agree. Their features do converge in some areas but in many others they are quite different.
I'm in the market for a macbook air and I'm hoping Apple does upgrade it next month, but my gut is telling me that they aren't going to upgrade it until early next year.
The reason I don't think Apple is going to upgrade the macbook air is because there is no faster core 2 duo to upgrade to.
Right now Apple is using the SL9400 (1.86 GHz) and SL9600 (2.13 GHz) chips which have a TDP rating of 17W and use the BGA956 socket.
http://ark.intel.com/ProductCollection.aspx?familyId=26548
Based on what Intel offers, there is no drop in replacement upgrade.
Of course there is always the i5 ulv chips that are going on sale in June, but Apple isn't going to make such a big change because then people will be wondering why the new 13" macbook pro got the core 2 duo and the new macbook air got the new i5 chip.
My guess is that Apple will skip a 2010 upgrade of the macbook air, just as they did with the mac mini in 2008, then do a early 2011 upgrade for the macbook air and a regular mid 2011 upgrade for the macbook pro, at which point, both the macbook air and macbook pro 13" will have the new i5 processors.
In terms of the poll, I still haven't decided if i'll get the macbook air anyway and just stick a fast SSD inside.
Right now I have a 2007 black polycarbonate macbook 2.16Ghz with 2GB of ram, so in terms of upgraded performance with, there isn't going to be any against a 2.13Ghz, 2GB macbook air. But hopefully the SSD will help a little. Nevertheless, for what I use the laptop (Text editing, SSHing, web browsing), the current processor and ram are good enough now.
For me the biggest reason to get the macbook air is the weight factor. 5.1lbs versus 3lbs.
The reason I don't think Apple is going to upgrade the macbook air is because there is no faster core 2 duo to upgrade to.
Right now Apple is using the SL9400 (1.86 GHz) and SL9600 (2.13 GHz) chips which have a TDP rating of 17W and use the BGA956 socket.
http://ark.intel.com/ProductCollection.aspx?familyId=26548
Based on what Intel offers, there is no drop in replacement upgrade.
Of course there is always the i5 ulv chips that are going on sale in June, but Apple isn't going to make such a big change because then people will be wondering why the new 13" macbook pro got the core 2 duo and the new macbook air got the new i5 chip.
My guess is that Apple will skip a 2010 upgrade of the macbook air, just as they did with the mac mini in 2008, then do a early 2011 upgrade for the macbook air and a regular mid 2011 upgrade for the macbook pro, at which point, both the macbook air and macbook pro 13" will have the new i5 processors.
In terms of the poll, I still haven't decided if i'll get the macbook air anyway and just stick a fast SSD inside.
Right now I have a 2007 black polycarbonate macbook 2.16Ghz with 2GB of ram, so in terms of upgraded performance with, there isn't going to be any against a 2.13Ghz, 2GB macbook air. But hopefully the SSD will help a little. Nevertheless, for what I use the laptop (Text editing, SSHing, web browsing), the current processor and ram are good enough now.
For me the biggest reason to get the macbook air is the weight factor. 5.1lbs versus 3lbs.
It's very plausible that you're correct about no MBA now because there's no upgrade to the 9600. However, I don't think it's an accurate assumption for several possible reasons. The current SL9600 is throttled.
Apple could sell a new MBA with the same SL9600 running at 30% faster. Apple could further the benefits by offering the 320m Nvidia GPU/chipset, 4 GB RAM, and larger SSD. From the majority of the people I have communicated with, CPU and GPU are not the problems with the current MBA. The majority of people WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE IN THE MARKET for an MBA list the RAM as the number one reason and drive space as the number two reason for not buying an MBA now. With the lower TDP of the 320m, Apple can speed up the graphics and de-throttle the CPU to give us a much better MBA with upgraded RAM and drive space.
It's also possible that Apple will get an SL9700 CPU for the MBA. I wouldn't count Apple out on this one. I could easily see a marginal bump to a 2.26 GHz SL9700 with no real change in the CPU itself. Intel has brought special chips to the table for Apple before. Relieve the throttling and boost performance greatly over the former CPU. It could be an even faster CPU, but this is a possibility.
A third possibility is Apple using the MBA to launch into the Core i7-6x0LM/UM CPUs. With this alternative, it's likely we would get ATI or just Intel HD graphics. The recent MBP update tells us this is NOT likely, but it's still possible.
A fourth possibility is Apple using AMD and ATI for CPU and GPU. I seriously doubt this one unless no update until Early 2011.
A fifth possibility is Apple not upgrading the MBA before or at WWDC and that would probably lead beyond C2D as Intel is supposedly done making at end of 2010.
I suspect we get an MBA with same form factor, an SL9600 de-throttled, Nvidia 320m, 4 GB RAM soldered to board, 256 GB SSD (or possibly some NAND Flash soldered to board for OS and apps in a hybrid drive), glass trackpad, and IPS HD display at WWDC for $1999. The display is a little bit of info thinking it will come within two updates and hope that it's this one. I thought Apple would introduce this new display tech in the MBA FIRST so this could still happen since Apple didn't give the option to the MBPs.
I actually think the update will come one of the two Tuesdays before WWDC. I believe Apple has enough to introduce at the WWDC, so it should update MBA before WWDC, unless the MBA gets introduced as the "one more thing" at WWDC as a completely new MBA then I guess I would be completely wrong about the CPU/GPU used in the new MBA.
If I could run a decent SDK for mac and iPhone on an iPad, I would be a very happy man!!
Also, is there anyone else out there who would like a 15" MBA? It's really unlikely that this would happen due to the small amount of buyers for the MBA, however, I was using a 15" MBP the other day and loved the extra screen space. The MBP is too heavy for me, and I think that an MBA with that screen size might hit the sweet spot of around 4-4.5 pounds. I find that 4.5 pounds is too much for a 13", but would make sense for a 15"; I can use more screen space and lighter weight a lot more than I can use a lower cost (15" MBA > 13" polycarbonate macbook, at same weight).