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

[gwsat]

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...

That's a good point. If a Apple uses the WWDC to announce a significantly more powerful version of the MBA, the extra wait will have been worth it.

I don't know what to think about the Mac Pro. It has remained essentially the same machine, albeit a powerful one, since its release in 2006. Yikes! Honestly, though, I don't much care. I have hardly touched my desktop in the 2 years since I got an MBP and loaded Windows on it in a virtual machine. Thus, I don't need no steenkin' desktop.

 

[Scottsdale]

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...

I believe the Mac Pro will get a completely new form factor/case with this update at WWDC. It is terribly outdated, and it seems to me Apple must really want to show this new Mac Pro off. I believe Apple will update the ACDs along with the Mac Pro. I expect not just a 27" LED ACD as reported but also a 32/33" LED ACD in addition. It just makes sense to show these new displays off with the new Mac Pros. I would love to need a Mac Pro as they're incredible computers, but sadly (not really) an MBA does everything I could ever expect from a Mac.

The thing I wonder, is how many products Apple could update at WWDC? I mean it's time to update the MB with a faster C2D and the Nvidia 320m. It's time to update the 21.5" iMacs to either the C2D with Nvidia 320m or the same route as the MBPs with Core i5 (mobile Arrandale). It's way past due for the MBA as we have mentioned. The Mac Pro is nearly 18-months old. The 30" ACD is like a dinosaur, and it overpriced and seriously outdated. I expect a 6" iPad. I also expect a new AppleTV and a new actual Apple television w/display itself altering how we all buy/view TV (remember rumors about Apple providing on-demand network tv). And it's also time for a new iPhone.

I am guessing we could see something like this over the next six plus months.

• MBA updated a Tuesday before WWDC or if a major update at WWDC.
• Mac Pro, new Cinema Displays, AppleTV, iPhone HD all at WWDC.
• iPod Touch w/camera, iPod Classic, iPod Nano, and a 6" iPad at iPod event in September.
• MB, iMac, and a new Apple branded Television updates in October.
• Completely overhauled MBA and MBP in January 2011.

Anyone else want to take a guess?

PS - I imagine this will bring a few laughs when looking back.

 

[jk1002]

When it comes to product launches, Apple always always way under-delivers compared to what one wants.

I do believe they have the Iphone and thats it.

 

[Mintin8]

I believe the Mac Pro will get a completely new form factor/case with this update at WWDC. It is terribly outdated, and it seems to me Apple must really want to show this new Mac Pro off. I believe Apple will update the ACDs along with the Mac Pro. I expect not just a 27" LED ACD as reported but also a 32/33" LED ACD in addition. It just makes sense to show these new displays off with the new Mac Pros. I would love to need a Mac Pro as they're incredible computers, but sadly (not really) an MBA does everything I could ever expect from a Mac.

The thing I wonder, is how many products Apple could update at WWDC? I mean it's time to update the MB with a faster C2D and the Nvidia 320m. It's time to update the 21.5" iMacs to either the C2D with Nvidia 320m or the same route as the MBPs with Core i5 (mobile Arrandale). It's way past due for the MBA as we have mentioned. The Mac Pro is nearly 18-months old. The 30" ACD is like a dinosaur, and it overpriced and seriously outdated. I expect a 6" iPad. I also expect a new AppleTV and a new actual Apple television w/display itself altering how we all buy/view TV (remember rumors about Apple providing on-demand network tv). And it's also time for a new iPhone.

I am guessing we could see something like this over the next six plus months.

• MBA updated a Tuesday before WWDC or if a major update at WWDC.
• Mac Pro, new Cinema Displays, AppleTV, iPhone HD all at WWDC.
• iPod Touch w/camera, iPod Classic, iPod Nano, and a 6" iPad at iPod event in September.
• MB, iMac, and a new Apple branded Television updates in October.
• Completely overhauled MBA and MBP in January 2011.

Anyone else want to take a guess?

PS - I imagine this will bring a few laughs when looking back.

Thats all fair and well, but seriously, apple have dissapointed me several times in the last few updates. WWDC 09 was quite good. New iphone/Macbook Pro's/Airs (I think).

I seriously just hope apple will pull great updates out of the bag this year.

 

[calsci]

If I don't get an air I'll just get the 13" pro.

 

[Scottsdale]

If I don't get an air I'll just get the 13" pro.

And that is a problem for us MBA fans. If people will be just as willing to buy an MBP rather than an ultraportable competitor, Apple has no reason to hurry with an update. If there's no new MBA now, it will only be because MBA fans are wiling to wait or replace with MBPs if they cannot buy an updated MBA. If ultraportable buyers were willing to leave Apple to get the ultraportable they wanted, Apple would be forced to update the MBA sooner.

The good news is we have a lot of rumors for the MBA. Heck, we even have a part number. This is the best rumor info for the MBA ever. I expect an MBA next Tuesday the 18th. If not then, then surely at WWDC. The information is just too positive in favor of an update. Usually part numbers happen within two weeks of a release for sure.

The place where Apple has truly failed us is the quality of the updates. Last June 2009 would have been an amazing updated with the $700 price drop if it just included 4 GB of RAM. Even right now, RAM is the biggest necessary upgraded part along with the drive. I wonder if a 256 GB SSD might be too costly for a $1999 MBA? I mean the 1.8" SSD in 256 GB SSD flavor would have to cost Apple around $400. Then there's another $300 for the CPU, and another $225 in other parts (that doesn't even count the possibility of an IPS display). That doesn't leave a lot of room? I definitely think it might just be a bump to a 192 GB SSD in the high-end MBA along with a $200 price bump.

At the end of the day, I don't give a damn what Apple charges me, I just want an upgraded MBA and I want BTO options allowing me to add to it whatever I want. It's time to bring BTO back to the MBA, as people can buy the iPad if they need a secondary entertainment device. Us wanting a truly capable ultraportable MBA aren't as worried about money as we are getting the most capable MBA possible.

It just makes a lot of sense to have a 160 GB HDD in the low-end, 160 GB SSD in the high-end, and allow people to BTO 192/256 GB SSDs in either. Same thing with the display option to upgrade to an HD IPS display. I just don't see RAM being an option, other than making 4 GB standard soldered to the board, unless the MBA design was changed; there's no space for two RAM slots.

 

[thinkdesign]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 7.11) Sprint PPC6850SP)

I will have to choose between a refurbished 2008 Air (at a high price from the Apple.store, since that's the only way to buy the $99./yr. extra "1:1" help), or --- hold my nose and as a 2-year stopgap strategy, get Sprint's netbook. Or some crummy $300. netbook (plus big monitor which I need either way). What I can NOT afford, is to buy the current 2.13 SSD 'Air', and then buy another one when/if they upgrade it. I need it to write, lecture, keep tons of research notes and screen-grabs filed, and keep tons of photos indexed. I know I need to have Word and thus Office For Mac; apparently not the whole Windows o/s. (Thank God, for the latter. I just can't devote my life to finding & memorizing the endless parade of new tricks of the trade, needed to keep the Windows o/s and all of its tentacles, working.) In my financial situation, I need to keep my first 'Air' for as long as the first battery, plus the 1st replacement -- last a while. My arthritis makes weight a very sensitive (i.e. painful) issue. The demographics in many countries of increasing lifespan, increasing % of the population that's older (and so often has arthritis), and the increasing % of women in the workplace (more impacted by the anti-ergonomics of the MB Pro's heavy weight) --- are things Apple might intelligently plan for. Obviously the MB Pros should and will slowly shrink and/or lighten, AND (cue protests) the 'Air' could creep upwards a tiny bit over time, in thickness and weight in order to grow more durable and have a bit more functionality. /// As for these inane discussions of iPad vs. Air (and the Air getting squeezed out ... that's like saying that the invention of the unicycle means that the world only needs those plus tricycles - and thus, bicycles will disappear. ;o) /// Trying to guess the inside-baseball of Apple's marketing thinking, is the thing we can do well, the least. Especially while Apple's dominated by one personality who doesn't care for market research or focus group testing. What we CAN do well on these blogs, is just state what we need, and point out any design flaws/omissions which significantly affect us or people we know.

 

[gwsat]

If I don't get an air I'll just get the 13" pro.

I almost bought a 13 inch MBP two or three weeks ago. Had I done it, I would have upgraded it to 8Gb of RAM and added a 200 or 256Gb SSD. At the last minute, though, I decided that I could not turn my back on the MBA's incredibly slim form factor and ultra light weight. Thus, I am still waiting to see what the next iteration of the MBA looks like. Like Scottsdale, I am hoping that it has at least 4Gb of RAM and an SSD larger than the 128Gb SSD Apple is using now.

 

[Scottsdale]

I almost bought a 13 inch MBP two or three weeks ago. Had I done it, I would have upgraded it to 8Gb of RAM and added a 200 or 256Gb SSD. At the last minute, though, I decided that I could not turn my back on the MBA's incredibly slim form factor and ultra light weight. Thus, I am still waiting to see what the next iteration of the MBA looks like. Like Scottsdale, I am hoping that it has at least 4Gb of RAM and an SSD larger than the 128Gb SSD Apple is using now.

I know a 256 GB third-party SSD is going to be available within three months that will fit the v 2,1 MBAs. I don't know if Apple will use the same LIF connector in the next MBA, but it seems probable unless they change the form factor. I think that would be the hope. I wonder if Runcore is now working on a 256 GB SSD for the v 2,1 MBAs? I don't really care if Apple includes a 256 GB SSD for the next MBA as long as they have the same LIF connector.

I actually take that back - if Apple used an Intel 160 GB 1.8" SSD, I would be incredibly happy to give up a 256 GB SSD and would keep the Intel drive in the MBA. Wouldn't that be amazing if Apple could make that happen with a SATA-II standard 1.8" Intel SSD? It would be nice if Apple gave us MBA buyers the choice to upgrade via BTO to an Intel drive.

 

[gwsat]

Scottsdale -- I have been thinking a lot today about the MBA update as well as the tremendous power potential of the 13 inch MBP. The MBP with 8Gb of RAM and a 256Gb SSD is tempting but there is no way I would buy one before seeing how Apple upgrades the MBA.

Today, my mind was turned to the issue of whether I should get an MBA or a tricked out 13 inch MBP because I got an object lesson. I learned that a Windows 7 virtual machine running in Fusion really struggles if it has only 1 Gb of RAM devoted to it, so much so that OS X apps slow down, too. Although iStat showed that I had plenty of RAM left, I suspect but do not know that the reason OS X slowed down was attributable to the demands being placed on the CPU on the Windows side. I was backing up Windows to a portable USB drive and it just about brought everything I was running to its knees. Both fans on my MBP maxed out at 6,000 RPM. No such problems ever occurred when I devoted 3Gb of RAM to the Windows virtual machine. Anyway, the bottom line is that I am still suspicious that 4Gb of RAM would not be enough for my purposes.

 

[Wild-Bill]

Well, seems the "No Purchase - (have a Mac)" has it.

I hope Apple is paying attention.

I should start another poll about another abandoned Apple product...... the Mac Pro.
I'm so sick of all this iPad crap already.

 

[gwsat]

I'm so sick of all this iPad crap already.

I agree that some of the love for the iPad is overblown. It is by no means the equivalent of a real computer, even the now significantly underpowered MBA. Nevertheless, I have an iPad and have learned that it is an outstanding adjunct to a real computer. It is thin, small, and weighs only 1.5 pounds. It also has a 10 hour battery. The iPad is an improvement over a laptop for casual Web surfing or watching streaming videos. That said, we still need an ultra-lightweight that is also a real computer. That's why I am still waiting and hoping for a new MBA that will do most of what the iPad does, just as the iPad now does most of what a real computer does.

 

[Scottsdale]

Scottsdale -- I have been thinking a lot today about the MBA update as well as the tremendous power potential of the 13 inch MBP. The MBP with 8Gb of RAM and a 256Gb SSD is tempting but there is no way I would buy one before seeing how Apple upgrades the MBA.

Today, my mind was turned to the issue of whether I should get an MBA or a tricked out 13 inch MBP because I got an object lesson. I learned that a Windows 7 virtual machine running in Fusion really struggles if it has only 1 Gb of RAM devoted to it, so much so that OS X apps slow down, too. Although iStat showed that I had plenty of RAM left, I suspect but do not know that the reason OS X slowed down was attributable to the demands being placed on the CPU on the Windows side. I was backing up Windows to a portable USB drive and it just about brought everything I was running to its knees. Both fans on my MBP maxed out at 6,000 RPM. No such problems ever occurred when I devoted 3Gb of RAM to the Windows virtual machine. Anyway, the bottom line is that I am still suspicious that 4Gb of RAM would not be enough for my purposes.

I have a much more positive outlook for running both OSes with 4 GB RAM. I can run either OS X or Windows 7 via BootCamp on my MBA without any problems... and that's sharing 256 MB of the 2 GB to the 9400m. One thing when "testing" just giving 1 GB to either OS is it's going to leave some RAM available so everything will slow down as it's really less than 1 GB that's always going to be used, and also remember that 256 MB of the 1 GB is going to graphics with the current setup.

I remember a year ago before WWDC, when we were waiting for MBA updates, we all thought 4 GB of RAM was an obvious guarantee for the upgrade. Since we got a $700 price break, I didn't mind the lack of the RAM upgrade, but I thought we were going to get the "real" MBA update in late 2009. Has anyone considered the possibility of Apple not upgrading the MBA to 4 GB of RAM? I don't want to think about it, but it's an actual possibility isn't it?

Apple has disappointed us all MANY times in the past. I would think Apple has to upgrade to 4 GB of RAM but Apple has done what it has wanted in the past rather than what its customers want. We all know Apple is extremely stingy with RAM.

I suppose this is a tricky topic that many of us will wish to avoid, but how many of you have considered the possibility that Apple will not upgrade the RAM in the MBA? Would anyone realistically see Apple not upgrading to 4 GB of RAM?

This would be a good idea for a poll. Ask people how much RAM they want in the next MBA and ask people how much RAM they think Apple will put in the next MBA? Also ask if they think it will be soldered or changed to RAM slots so Apple can sell us the 8 GB of RAM upgrade? I would be interested to see those results.

 

[gwsat]

Has anyone considered the possibility of Apple not upgrading the MBA to 4 GB of RAM? I don't want to think about it, but it's an actual possibility isn't it?

Let me say what my daughter used to tell me when a prospect too awful to be contemplated came up, "Don't speak it!"

 

[cleric]

I'd like more ram for VMs but I need to get a laptop by wwdc so if nothing is announced probably just get the current air 1.86 w/ ssd and sell my mini.

 

[pharmx]

...
Has anyone considered the possibility of Apple not upgrading the MBA to 4 GB of RAM?...

I don't think Apple would do something like this without radically changing the MBA's function or purpose. An update to the MBA that didn't increase the base RAM (or at least give the option in a BTO model) would have to provide some truly innovative tech to compensate and stimulate any sort of sales.

I still have faith that we will see a RAM, HD, and GPU bump at the very least by WWDC, and/or a redesign with killer features in early 2011.

 

[tkingart]

The iPad is a big kids gadget. There needs to be a really good update for the MBA. There is still a market for the MBA, I think.

 

[gwsat]

The iPad is a big kids gadget. There needs to be a really good update for the MBA. There is still a market for the MBA, I think.

The first generation iPad is, indeed, limited. Don't sell it short, though. It's already far more than a "kid[']s gadget" and promises to get much, much better over time. Even with the iPad's current weaknesses, Apple sold more than a million of them in the first three weeks. A million customers can't be wrong, right?

 

[voicegy]

I won't buy a MBA in its current config. I won't buy an iPad 'cause I have no need for it. Apple, you want some more of my money? Revise that MBA and I'll be first in line.

 

[gwsat]

I won't buy a MBA in its current config. I won't buy an iPad 'cause I have no need for it. Apple, you want some more of my money? Revise that MBA and I'll be first in line.

Although I have an iPad and like it within its limited sphere of operations, if Apple gives us a significant MBA upgrade, the only way you'll be first in line to buy one will be if you beat me to the Apple Store.