Poll - If there is no new Macbook Air announced @ WWDC this June, what then for you?

[gwsat]

I actually think the [MBA] 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.

I certainly hope that you are right about this because it would mean the announcement of a new MBA would be made either two or three weeks from next Tuesday. That's not very long.

I would love for the announcement be another of those where Steve Jobs says, "Oh, and one more thing," and procedes to blow our socks off. Unfortunately, I suspect that your prediction of a pretty modest upgrade is the more likely outcome.

 

[Steven in VA]

I voted "no purchase, currently own Mac." I wanted it to say "no purchase yet; I'll keep waiting . . . " Is that what it's supposed to mean?

 

[iCantwait]

i7 17" 8GB ram and 512gb SSD is the next logical step

 

[zedsdead]

The last thing announced at WWDC is likely to be the iPhone like in past years. If they update the Air, I suspect it will be first like they did last year with the Macbook Pros.

Apple has also done away with the "One More Thing...". I could be wrong, but I believe the last time we heard it was when it was Safari for windows.

 

[colourfastt]

It means I continue to use my MBA.

 

[gwsat]

The last thing announced at WWDC is likely to be the iPhone like in past years. If they update the Air, I suspect it will be first like they did last year with the Macbook Pros.

Apple has also done away with the "One More Thing...". I could be wrong, but I believe the last time we heard it was when it was Safari for windows.

Yeah, my "One More Thing" comment was merely a metaphor for the announcement of a dramatic upgrade. Anyway, as noted in my One More Thing post, I think the next MBA upgrade is most likely to be only incremental, no matter how it is announced.

 

[Deepshade]

No doubt - the MBA is a lovely piece of kit.
But, with Apple being Apple, I have a strong feeling they pushed the envelope to gauge the user response and were ultimately testing the water for the jump from laptop to ipad.

Being honest - I don't see a real need for a separate ultra slim laptop, except for the fact that the ipad doesn't run OSX.

Do users want a giant ipod or a super slim fully fledged computer -
my prediction is the two will merge and we will have a version of the ipad that runs OSX.

 

[Scottsdale]

No doubt - the MBA is a lovely piece of kit.
But, with Apple being Apple, I have a strong feeling they pushed the envelope to gauge the user response and were ultimately testing the water for the jump from laptop to ipad.

Being honest - I don't see a real need for a separate ultra slim laptop, except for the fact that the ipad doesn't run OSX.

Do users want a giant ipod or a super slim fully fledged computer -
my prediction is the two will merge and we will have a version of the ipad that runs OSX.

I disagree completely. I believe the MBA is a test platform for extreme ultraportability in Mac notebooks. The iPad is a consumer electronics "entertainment" focused product. The average MBA target buyer is the traveling business oriented person. Apple uses the MBA to test ultraportability and the future of it. I see Apple using the current form factor in the future MB and MBPs. At that time, I see the MBA even furthering the focus on ultraportability in a MAC. The iPad is a different target being that it's doing the exact opposite for the iPhone and iPhone OS product line.

The iPhone OS products are going bigger and becoming more powerful and user friendly for entertainment. The MBA is going ultraportable yet providing the Mac capabilities the on-the-go professional needs for running real OS X applications.

 

[gwsat]

I disagree completely. I believe the MBA is a test platform for extreme ultraportability in Mac notebooks. The iPad is a consumer electronics "entertainment" focused product. The average MBA target buyer is the traveling business oriented person. Apple uses the MBA to test ultraportability and the future of it. I see Apple using the current form factor in the future MB and MBPs. At that time, I see the MBA even furthering the focus on ultraportability in a MAC. The iPad is a different target being that it's doing the exact opposite for the iPhone and iPhone OS product line.

The iPhone OS products are going bigger and becoming more powerful and user friendly for entertainment. The MBA is going ultraportable yet providing the Mac capabilities the on-the-go professional needs for running real OS X applications.

Scottsdale -- Let me preface what follows with an advance caveat that I don't pretend to know what the bulk of ultralight portable computing devices will look like 5 years hence. I must say, though, it seems to me that Deepshade may have a point. His suggestion that, as the iPad becomes more powerful, even to the point of being capable of running OS X, it may supplant the MBA, makes sense to me. I am certainly not predicting that it will happen but am nevertheless far from ready to dismiss the notion out of hand.

 

[Scottsdale]

Scottsdale -- Let me preface what follows with an advance caveat that I don't pretend to know what the bulk of ultralight portable computing devices will look like 5 years hence. I must say, though, it seems to me that Deepshade may have a point. His suggestion that, as the iPad becomes more powerful, even to the point of being capable of running OS X, it may supplant the MBA, makes sense to me. I am certainly not predicting that it will happen but am nevertheless far from ready to dismiss the notion out of hand.

I do believe that iPhone OS will, at some point in time, run in a shell or otherwise on OS X. However, I believe the purpose of the MBA is Mac OS X ultraportability, while the purpose of the iPad is extreme entertainment portability.

 

[Mhkobe]

I agree with Scottsdale's previous post saying that the MBA will eventually be what the MB, and MBPs will look like. The MBA is a much more practical device for most people (in my opinion, although the cost is a barrier for many), just like how an iMac is much more practical for most people than some huge box on somebody's desk. Of course there are some people out there (like me) who need a Mac Pro, and thats great, however, I do mockup renderings on my MBA, and its a little slower than my 08 mac pro, but I find it so useful, especially for coding. I hope that this transition begins with the release of a 15in MBA this WWDC, the extra screen space is so useful when trying to manage all my IB windows, and all sorts of things.

 

[Deepshade]

I think the ultraportable concept is the direction that the MBP will take anyway. It will get thinner and more powerful, SSD will be standard, processor power requirements will drop and processor technology will carry on improving. Its just not going to happen in the next two years. In that time I'm convinced the ipad as a form factor will be developed to be able to run OSX at a level akin to the MBA and I'd be surprised not to see the MBA be made redundant.

 

[soph]

I love that as of now over 50% of people vote for "no purchase". Of course you can't say for sure that in return more than half of the people here would run out and buy a new MBA were it upgraded, but I think you can say "a fair number".

Would be worth another poll, but Apple's marketing research chaps should do some work, too

 

[Scottsdale]

I hope the new "rumor" on the front page is correct. This is the BEST MBA rumor in a long time. Maybe even the product number.

This leads to real HOPE. And it really makes the SL9x00, Nvidia 320m, 4 GB RAM, and 192/256 GB SSD MBA likely.

 

[soph]

I hope the new "rumor" on the front page is correct. This is the BEST MBA rumor in a long time. Maybe even the product number.

This leads to real HOPE. And it really makes the SL9x00, Nvidia 320m, 4 GB RAM, and 192/256 GB SSD MBA likely.

Yay, there's rumor! When did we last have real MBA rumor?

 

[gwsat]

I hope the new "rumor" on the front page is correct. This is the BEST MBA rumor in a long time. Maybe even the product number.

This leads to real HOPE. And it really makes the SL9x00, Nvidia 320m, 4 GB RAM, and 192/256 GB SSD MBA likely.

Thanks for the heads up. I was unaware of this interesting, and potentially exciting, rumor about an impending MBA update, until I saw your post here.

 

[Scottsdale]

Thanks for the heads up. I was unaware of this interesting, and potentially exciting, rumor about an impending MBA update, until I saw your post here.

Does anyone remember the 27" LED ACD rumor? I think we're getting two/three new LED ACDs - possibly a revised 24" LED, but a new 27" LED ACD and 32"/33" LED ACD.

Included with the new "MBA" product number is a "K." The problem is, I think when there was the first 27" LED ACD rumor it said the new display is known as K-something. Does anyone else remember that? Does anyone else know if Apple uses a "K" as a code for the MBA?

I fear that this rumor is just a new LED ACD. I certainly hope it's a new MBA. I guess we'll see tomorrow if there's anything new. It's only 15 hours or so from now.

EDIT

I just read about this at MacWorld.au and it mentions the exact K59 as the rumored 27" LED ACD. So this could be a 32"/33" LED ACD or maybe it's actually the MBA. In the original article it says it is probably the MBA with so many of the product being shipped to Au.

 

[entatlrg]

In one way I'm very doubtful there will be a MacBook Air update tomorrow.

In another way a minor revision sounds reasonable and the timing would make sense falling in between two spotlight introductions, the iPad in April and iPhone in June.

Either way I feel like a little kid waiting/hoping with anticipation, lol.

 

[soph]

Either way I feel like a little kid waiting/hoping with anticipation, lol.

Christmas for Grownups
Who'll make the noradapple equivalent to noradsanta.org for when the international applestores go down/up ?

 

[AAPLaday]

Im giving it till next month, nothing happens by then i will get a MBP. Been waiting since november….

 

[gwsat]

It appears that those of you who predicted there would no MBA update announcement today were right. As of 8:45 AM CDT, Apple.com showed the MBA with the same old specs.

 

[Scottsdale]

It appears that those of you who predicted there would no MBA update announcement today were right. As of 8:45 AM CDT, Apple.com showed the MBA with the same old specs.

Doesn't mean it will not be updated before or at WWDC. Who was it that predicted two weeks ago that the MBA would be updated Tuesday the 18th? I forget where I read that, but for some strange reason I believed it. I still think any huge changes, or addition of a new tech like 3G/4G/LTE to the MBA, would warrant an update at WWDC with specific focus on the potential partner for that service.

 

[gwsat]

Doesn't mean it will not be updated before or at WWDC. Who was it that predicted two weeks ago that the MBA would be updated Tuesday the 18th? I forget where I read that, but for some strange reason I believed it. I still think any huge changes, or addition of a new tech like 3G/4G/LTE to the MBA, would warrant an update at WWDC with specific focus on the potential partner for that service.

That's obvious, of course. My comment was directed at those who had predicted that Apple would announce an MBA update today. Although it didn't happen today, I agree that it could happen on any subsequent Tuesday or maybe at WWDC. Obviously, nobody really knows -- unless their crystal ball is a hell of a lot less cloudy than mine.

 

[Scottsdale]

That's obvious, of course. My comment was directed at those who had predicted that Apple would announce an MBA update today. Although it didn't happen today, I agree that it could happen on any subsequent Tuesday or maybe at WWDC. Obviously, nobody really knows -- unless their crystal ball is a hell of a lot less cloudy than mine.

And I was trying to convey positive thoughts and energy willing Apple to update the damned MBA sometime between now and WWDC. I suppose being released at WWDC is a different MBA from an MBA being released before WWDC. At WWDC means something truly new, whereas before WWDC means same basic configuration as 13" MBP.

 

[entatlrg]

When do you think they'll update the Mac Pro's .... many people think soon. Maybe then the MBA will be the 'one more thing', or maybe the MBA will be the 'one more thing' at the WWDC?

I'm settling in with my 13" MBP for now ... it's not so bad, just a little thicker and 1.5 lbs heavier, fast and powerful...