Sad day for the MacBook Air, regardless of its future ...

[entatlrg]

No update today sure shows where Apple's attention has NOT been.

Apple has basically excused itself, temporarily at least, from the ultra portable notebook market.

This is the same amazing device S Job's pulled from an envelope two short years ago. Now look at it.

What the Air is and what it could be. If S. Jobs, the 136th richest man in the world, CEO of Apple with over 40 BILLION in CASH laying around, would put some attention to making a premium ultra portable by 'today's' spec's just imagine what it could be.

Why? Is it iPad fever? I sure as hell hope not. Apple is first a profit machine and maybe they simply understand their billions in profit will come from iPad and consumer products over business products.

It's still no excuse ... all that cash, hire some people, put some attention on everything, even if it's not a priority keep it up to today's standards.

There is part of the business world and people willing to spend extra money who love Apple products.

Why not make a REAL nice 13" MacBook Air and Pro or give us CTO options to make it what we want ... it's so damn frustrating
....

Ah... this is a discussion that could turn into a book and we'd still never understand the means behind their madness ... suffice it to say Apple is NOT putting much attention on giving us, the low percentage of fan boy's, the computers that we know they're capable of producing.

I wonder if sales of Sony Z's and Lenovo x201/301's will increase today? LOL I ordered a Z to try out ... I'd don't even like Sony products but I wanted a powerful ultraportable, not a lot of options out there at the moment

Here's to hoping for a June or Fall update I guess ... a LOT of people aren't going to wait, I wonder what they'll buy instead?

 

[godslabrat]

No update today sure shows where Apple's attention has NOT been.

Apple has basically excused itself, temporarily at least, from the ultra portable notebook market.

This is the same amazing device S Job's pulled from an envelope two short years ago. Now look at it.

Agreed on all counts. I like Apple's products and I want them to make money, but why slight the customers looking to buy their most expensive products?

I need a new laptop (probably by August). I'd really like it to be a MBA with 4GB RAM. I don't want to settle on the current model because it's obviously long in the tooth, and I sure as heck don't want a computer that doesn't run OSX.

If for some dumb reason, Apple drops the Air, I'll have to suck it up and get a MBP... which is a damn fine computer, but seems like such a step back in terms of what I need a computer for.

 

[Rapidian13]

Disbelief

Agreed on all counts. I like Apple's products and I want them to make money, but why slight the customers looking to buy their most expensive products?

I need a new laptop (probably by August). I'd really like it to be a MBA with 4GB RAM. I don't want to settle on the current model because it's obviously long in the tooth, and I sure as heck don't want a computer that doesn't run OSX.

If for some dumb reason, Apple drops the Air, I'll have to suck it up and get a MBP... which is a damn fine computer, but seems like such a step back in terms of what I need a computer for.

I agree, I cannot believe they didn't update the Air. I'm a PC guy looking to switch to Mac because my girlfriend has the Air - I think it's probably the best laptop I've ever used in terms of size, weight, and style. If only it was a little more powerful and had just a tad bigger SSD it could replace everything I do on my PC other than run games (which is fine, because who really wants to run games on a 13" laptop??). I'd pay $2.5k without blinking for an i3 4GB Ram 256GB SSD Air. I hope like hell they don't think the iPad is really that great - it's not even a computer, it's a toy with ridiculously silly apps.

Any hope we'll see an update in the near future, or does it stand to reason if they didn't do it today it's not happening? I don't know Apple well enough to guess these kinds of things.

 

[Mactagonist]

"apple didn't do what I wanted wahhhhhhhh"

Apple has a finite amount of time, resources and focus. The Macbook Air is a niche product, the Macbook Pro is apple's bread and butter.

Computers themselves are a 'solved problem' in many ways. As you may have noticed Apple is no longer a computer company. Even when they were they cared much more for the user experience then bullet points an a spec sheet.

Going forward Apple is going to keep their mac lineup competitive and useful, but it is no longer a company focus because there is much less opportunity there.

Sorry.

 

[Huubster]

It is sad in many ways. The upgrade the 13" MBP gets is very disappointing. It even would have been disappointing if it were the upgrade of rev D MBA!!

 

[drjsway]

I'd pay $2.5k without blinking for an i3 4GB Ram 256GB SSD.

If the MBA did get an i processor, it will be an i7. The i3 is not low voltage.

It's obvious where Apple's focus lies. In a few short years, the user base of iPhone OS has more than tripled the user base of OSX. OSX has around 25m users last I checked. I think Jobs mentioned 80m or more iPhone OS devices on the market.

The MBA is Apple's worst selling mac and macs in general are getting the shaft. Apple is spending all its resources making sure Google doesn't take control of the mobile market like Microsoft did the desktop market. If that happens again, Jobs will be pissed.

 

[Rapidian13]

If the MBA did get an i processor, it will be an i7. The i3 is not low voltage.

It's obvious where Apple's focus lies. In a few short years, the user base of iPhone OS has more than tripled the user base of OSX. OSX has around 25m users last I checked. I think Jobs mentioned 80m or more iPhone OS devices on the market.

The MBA is Apple's worst selling mac and macs in general are getting the shaft. Apple is spending all its resources making sure Google doesn't take control of the mobile market like Microsoft did the desktop market. If that happens again, Jobs will be pissed.

Well, now doesn't that just suck. They finally convince me to buy a Mac and then kill the only reason I can see to do it. Gotta love it. Thanks for all the advice guys and gals.

 

[MartiNZ]

Rather disappointed here also, the MBA update details were what I was most looking forward to seeing out of the rumoured updates, and as has been said in many places, the 13" MBP update was not terribly exciting.

I've been thinking for a while it would be nice to have an MBA instead of having to lug around my 15" '08 MBP with the old plastic rim ><, and then maybe go for a desktop as well. This mindset was strengthened after a short time playing with an iPad and realising it was not for me. Oh well, I guess the wait is now on for new iPhone hardware.... Farewell MBA really didn't know you at all.

 

[jlblodgett]

It is very sad. The MBA doesn't need much to remain a very competitive product.

Increased RAM capacity.
Glass trackpad.

It needs nothing more, and it could still be a good product for some time.

 

[Satori]

Did I miss something?

Were the MBP updates today accompanied by any statement from Apple that they would not be updating the MBA ever again?

Let's wait at least a few weeks before we start bitching about lack of updates for the MBA!

 

[xparaparafreakx]

the Macbook Pro is apple's bread and butter.

You mean the iPhone, iPod and iPad are Apple's bread and butter.

 

[Huubster]

Did I miss something?

Were the MBP updates today accompanied by any statement from Apple that they would not be updating the MBA ever again?

Let's wait at least a few weeks before we start bitching about lack of updates for the MBA!

The "next level" MBP update would even be disappointing if it were an MBA update. Why wait?

 

[sjinsjca]

...the 13" MBP update was not terribly exciting...

Folks keep saying that. But: it gains beaucoup battery life, double the base RAM and a kickin' graphics processor. What's not to like?

C2D is no slug. I absolutely hammer my once-high-end 15" unibody MBP which just happens to have the same 2.66 C2D that you can now get on the 13". It never lets me down, even when running several virtual machines simultaneously. It's a 100% solid performer, and now you can get it in the 13". What's not to like?

 

[lily69]

I am waiting a new MBA too.

Current size is ok, hope it's go thinner, lighter(2-2.5lb, one can dream), better CPU and 4G ram. I will buy it in a blink.

Sony at 13 inch with optical drive is 3lb, so Apple should be able to catch up, right?

 

[Huubster]

What's not to like?

Compare it to what the competition has on offer in 13" packages and it looks hopelessly outdated.

 

[martynmc7]

Compare it to what the competition has on offer in 13" packages and it looks hopelessly outdated.

Why, did all the competition suddenly get unibody enclosures, multitouch glass trackpads and OS X?

I'll agree that the 13" upgrade was a little disappointing when you only look at the processor, but blame Intel and their spat with Nvidia for that. Think how much more bitching there would be if Apple had included an i3 with only the Intel HD option.

The 13" isn't really outdated at all, in fact I'm sure the i3 performance is fairly comparable to the high-end C2D chips. At the end of the day it doesn't matter as long as it gets the job done and for 90% of users looking for a 13" laptop a C2D is more than enough,

However, I do wish they would incorporate more aggressive prices across the board. I remember not too long ago you could get a MacBook for about £700...good luck with that now.

 

[lily69]

Compare it to what the competition has on offer in 13" packages and it looks hopelessly outdated.

+1

 

[Huubster]

Why, did all the competition suddenly get unibody enclosures, multitouch glass trackpads and OS X?

What use is a beautiful slick dashboard on an old shabby car?

 

[applesupergeek]

Patience guys and gals, the air is a high end machine and apple are putting a lot of thought in there on what's next for it, hence the wait. It is a sad day indeed, I agree, but I suggest some patience for prospective buyers. It always pays off in the end.

 

[applesupergeek]

Compare it to what the competition has on offer in 13" packages and it looks hopelessly outdated.

You just registered to post this? And whey don't you bother showing us what the competition is offering instead of taking your word for it?

 

[martynmc7]

What use is a beautiful slick dashboard on an old shabby car?

Except it's not a shabby old car is it? Everything else got a boost other than the processor family, and even then the clock speed was upped. It'd be like maintaing a marginally older engine in a beautiful body, tuning it up and improving the gearbox, brakes, tires etc. But maybe thats labouring the metaphor.

 

[Mactagonist]

Compare it to what the competition has on offer in 13" packages and it looks hopelessly outdated.

Apple dominates the >$1000 market and IIRC the 13" MBP is their best seller. Do you think it is possible that the reasons you think it is outdated just don't matter in the slightest to the majority of the market?

 

[darngooddesign]

Or they are spacing out their launches and updates.

 

[gimmi80]

What about if they discontinue the MBA?
We would become part of a lucky elite.

 

[Scylax]

I'm disappointed that the MBA wasn't updated today, mostly because I want to know that Apple still intends to develop it. But I don't understand why so many people are saying that the current model is so hopelessly outdated. I have the last model with the better processor and the SSD, and this thing is almost perfect. My usage is, I imagine, fairly standard for a MBA user: internet research, lots of writing and 'productivity' and some music and youtube videos. And this machine is ideal. The SSD makes it feel much, much faster in use than my imac and the 13" MBP I have. The SSD is small, but I still believe it is enough to last for a long time as long as you delete or archive old files. I've had this machine for well over a year now, and love it as much as I did on day one. I know the RAM is limited, but how many people really use 4GB on an ultraportable machine? Graphics I'm less sure about, as I don't do much to stress them, but is it really so bad? I love my MBA and I use it every day. I often choose to use it over the iMac because it feels so good to use, and there's no way I would swap it for a more powerful Windows UP.