I have another thread on here comparing my old macbook to the current 13" air but as I read somewhere else, intel have stopped making the current chips so the air must be getting an upgrade sometime. There must be some technical people out there who have a good idea of how many chips could be left before apple HAS to replace them with sandybridge ones. Or is this simply impossible to know?
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When will the C2D chips run out of supply?
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No they still make them. See here for the 1.4 Ghz chip from the 11" for example, it's still Launched, not discontinued.
http://www.cpu-world.com/news_2010/2010120703_Intel_discontinues_Core_2_mobile_CPUs.html
MacBook Airs have SU9400 and SU9600 processors.
MacBook Airs have SU9400 and SU9600 processors.
So Apple will not wait with an update of the MBA untill Oct 2011 when the last C2D have been shiped. They can not afford that there will be a gap in delivery of the MBA's. The competition is without scrupules !!! I expect an update in the geginning of august (schools start here in september !!)
So, you want sandy bridge with Intel HD 3000?
Enjoy then.
MBA is still the last piece of machine that needs to be update for apple.
Apple priority list
1. iPhone
2. iMac
3. iPod lines
4. MBA
Last MBA was update after 16 months, so good luck with waiting.
Enjoy then.
MBA is still the last piece of machine that needs to be update for apple.
Apple priority list
1. iPhone
2. iMac
3. iPod lines
4. MBA
Last MBA was update after 16 months, so good luck with waiting.
I thought I read somewhere we had the SLs? Can someone please confirm? I have the 11inch 1.4 if that matters?
I'm not saying it won't be the last of the machines you listed, but I'd be surprised if the next refresh cycle went past Oct 2011. I think the last refresh was an anomaly rather than the norm. Rev A to B was only 10 months and B to C was only 8 months.
Apple has just about said it themselves, they are a mobile device company. iPhone. iPod. iPad. Now Lion.
Sure, it's been 16 months. But I mean. What else are they going to do? An (extremely) modest speed bump? With the same C2D's? Where are they going to shave weight and size off of?
The MBA is reasonably fast and people still complain.
seriously what more do you want from a lightweight travel computer? what do you want it to do that it can't? or do you just want the update so that there's "been an update" and "apple cares about the MBA"?
Personally, I prefer SB+HD3000 over a CPU that's slower than the MBP from 2007. But I'm not a Windows gamer, I can totally understand that they prefer the 320M.
Wat are you talking about... I was responding to OP. I already have a macbook air. I don't want sandy bridge MBA with intel graphic card. I already made a jump long time ago. Please read before you post. Do I sound like I am complaining? No.
O god... intel HD 3000. Intel graphic card will never get into my house. Ever. Ever Ever Ever EVer Ever again.
I would take a SB with Intel graphics over the current setup in a heartbeat. For my usage I'll notice zero degradation in graphics performance and a huge improvement in what I actually use the laptop for. Since gaming on a Mac is a extremely niche market, I suspect most users fall into this category so unless you plan on never buying a new product again, you may not have the option but to have an Intel IGP in your home at some point in the future.
I enjoy the enthusiasm against Intel's IGP. I cannot stand it, and the track record in the MBA should show people they need to do their homework before begging for an Intel IGP in their next MBA.
Someone else asked about CPUs. The 11" use SU series while 13" use SL9x00 CPUs.
Apple could use C2D in the MBA through 2012 if it wanted to. The C2D will be made for many more months and Apple could stockpile chips for its MBAs. Heck it has been using the same SL9400 for years.
Lastly, check the real updates to the MBA. The June update wasn't really an update. Intel added the SL9600 at same price as SL9400 was before so Apple shifted the CPU for thar reason. In addition, it bumped the battery ever so slightly to meet some energy rating and threw in an Ethernet adapter and called it an update. It wasn't a real update as the other three models offered new chipsets and etc.
I think people are going to be terribly disappointed if they're expecting a Summer update to the MBA. In addition, the Intel IGP performs at a much lower clock speed in low voltage SB variants. I don't know that Apple can stick MBA users with the Intel IGP in its current form at that low of clock speed as it could represent worse than half the current capabilities of the 320m. People are treating the Intel IGP like it's the same in low and ultra low voltage chips, but it's actually far less capable and possibly not even as capable as the 2008 9400m.
The MBA represents much more speed and capabilities than a STD C2D CPU notebook. Apple attacked what is really wrong with computers today, drive and drive controllers and software. I will gladly use my MBA and hope for a much better overall update than Intel's SB can offer. I really think an Ivy Bridge MBA makes more sense than SB. What makes even more sense is AMD's CPUs with IGPs on die down the roadmap. The newest info shows higher voltage variants but when the low voltage variants come they will possibly offer 5x the graphics capabilities from the same TDP. I really hope Apple introduces that line of AMD LV chips in the MBA. It is less likely than Ivy Bridge but I believe more likely than SB.
People aren't treating the ULV IGP the same as the desktop variant at all. But people do know what they use their MBA's for an thus, know it won't make a bit of difference.
Besides gaming which doing on an MBA is a rarity to begin with, what applications that people actually use do you think is going to suffer so much by going with Intel IGP?
Besides gaming which doing on an MBA is a rarity to begin with, what applications that people actually use do you think is going to suffer so much by going with Intel IGP?
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