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What do you think of a 17" MacBook Air?

Scottsdale

Scottsdale

Suspended
Sep 19, 2008
4,473
283
U.S.A.
I think if a new 17" Mac notebook were on the way, it would be shaped like a current Air but be called a MacBook.

I still think Apple intends to sell a real MacBook. I think it will look like an Air and be available in 13" and 15" models but a 17" could make sense too.

A 17" MB shaped like an Air would probably weigh in at around 4 lbs, so would be an advantage for a model from a business pro type market who want to travel. But still only a 13" and 15" model make sense to me.

Finally, I definitely think the future of Mac notebooks are withOUT optical drives. Or come with an external optical drive initially like is sold for $99 with MBA. But I do think would be included with a MacBook for the first year like iPhone originally had a dock. Would make sense to include when first making the change.

I really really see Apple selling a MacBook soon. The brand is too valuable, there absolutely MUST be one on the way???
 
Tallest Skil

Tallest Skil

macrumors P6
Aug 13, 2006
16,044
4
1 Geostationary Tower Plaza
appleguy123 said:
i was speaking to the apple chat and was asking a question about the 17" mac and she said we have two models a macbook pro and a macbook air and she wouldnt back down about it either. i think she was making a mistake but i thought i would put this here just incase. we will se tomorrow :) or soon.
Click to expand...

Guess you were both wrong. Tech support rarely knows what they're talking about.
 
C

cwfrederick

macrumors member
Oct 7, 2008
50
0
i should be doing something productive right now

@ the goldenmackid: it was a joke, there is no such thing as the MBA Monthly

@Scottsdale

i think ive mentioned this in a thread before with you but im virtually positive that the all-powerful macbook branding is going to be used for the new tablet. i think the MBAirs that will be coming out as alternatives to the MBPs will eventually replace them in a few years. 2-5 years from now i believe the lineup will look like this, each with its own optimized OS:
iphone/ipodtouch > macbook (tablet) > macbook pros (w/o optical drives, ie the Airs of today)
 
Airforcekid

Airforcekid

macrumors 68000
Sep 29, 2008
1,708
680
United States of America
A: They know as soon as we know there just regular people they would leak secrets all the time!

B: 17 inch isnt portable they just updated the line and they would need a 15 inch too.

0.0000000000000000000000000000000000000012 chance of happening.
 
gan6660

gan6660

macrumors 65816
Aug 18, 2008
1,417
0
asphyxiafeeling said:
a 17 inch MBA sounds like the DUMBEST notebook idea i've heard in a while.

I wouldn't take anything you hear from Apple's live chat to be real. the day unibody macbooks came out i asked them about the base model having a backlit keyboard and the rep straight up lied and said it did, as did the hipster kid at the apple store i bought it from did.

It's weird, a lot of MacRumors know the specs of every mac inside and out, yet the people being paid by apple can't be bothered.
Click to expand...

Actually on release day everyone thought it did since the product page on Apple's website listed it as having one.
 
R

rotorblade69

macrumors regular
Jul 1, 2006
158
14
North West Georgia
I've said it before and I'll say it again only this time using a cuter slogan. Some people I know friends and professional types wanted the MBP 17" to be "Airish". Were not talking full up all out slower low voltage chips.
But angled up in rear bottom end, without a optical drive, loose a usb port or some ports would have to be moved to the right hand side, no little trap door like the air but you get the idea.

My Local SOT Dealer bought his wife an Air and likes the way it is angled up in the rear, says its easier to type on and wishes his pro 17" and sons 15" was like that. YEAH wife has air, son has 15 Pro, and he has 17 Pro. Dude do you want to adopt a 34 year old perverted gun slinger. If they can't have a BluRay Drive then ditch the optical drive all together. They don't care about the non-user replaceable battery some seemed to like it in their 17" Pro.
 
R

rotorblade69

macrumors regular
Jul 1, 2006
158
14
North West Georgia
cwfrederick said:
@Scottsdale

i think ive mentioned this in a thread before with you but im virtually positive that the all-powerful macbook branding is going to be used for the new tablet. i think the MBAirs that will be coming out as alternatives to the MBPs will eventually replace them in a few years. 2-5 years from now i believe the lineup will look like this, each with its own optimized OS:
iphone/ipodtouch > macbook (tablet) > macbook pros (w/o optical drives, ie the Airs of today)
Click to expand...

There will still be a 17" pro with a optical drive because some need the capability of a desktop thats portable. BUT your thinking the way I am. With optical drives taking up space no matter how think you make them some times its just going to work out better leaving them out. Even for someone who does need the desktop thats portable, BUT does not burn a lot of data.
 
M

macbook123

macrumors 68000
Feb 11, 2006
1,869
85
A 17 inch Air would be a 17 inch Pro without the optical drive. So anybody who buys Pro's but doesn't need the optical drive (such as myself) would prefer it over the 17 inch Pro. It's that simple guys.
 
thegoldenmackid

thegoldenmackid

macrumors 604
Dec 29, 2006
7,770
6
dallas, texas
macbook123 said:
A 17 inch Air would be a 17 inch Pro without the optical drive. So anybody who buys Pro's but doesn't need the optical drive (such as myself) would prefer it over the 17 inch Pro. It's that simple guys.
Click to expand...

No, it would also not have the same processing capabilities, the hard drive would likely be ssd and only ssd and there would be less video cards all at a sacrifice to the battery, Even with the removal of the optical bay the form of the MacBook Air is inefficient. The 13" versions prove that it is not the same even w/o the optical drive and the ports would be a nightmarish problem.
 
C

cube

Suspended
May 10, 2004
17,011
4,973
Maybe it's Apple's way of competing in the netbook market. Going in the opposite direction.
 
queshy

queshy

macrumors 68040
Apr 2, 2005
3,690
4
If the price is right, I'm sure a lot of people would like a 15 and 17" MBA but there are no other rumors pointing to this and most of the time MR is spot on.
 
M

macbook123

macrumors 68000
Feb 11, 2006
1,869
85
thegoldenmackid said:
No, it would also not have the same processing capabilities, the hard drive would likely be ssd and only ssd and there would be less video cards all at a sacrifice to the battery, Even with the removal of the optical bay the form of the MacBook Air is inefficient. The 13" versions prove that it is not the same even w/o the optical drive and the ports would be a nightmarish problem.
Click to expand...

I'm sure one could improve the specs somewhat given the larger foot print. And even if not, I'd gladly buy a 17" Air (don't like the optical drive and non-tapered edge of the Pro's).
 
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