[MacRumors] Apple Rumored to Update Non-Retina Macbook Air Lineup with Broadwell

[oobydoobydoo]

http://www.macrumors.com/2015/02/09/macbook-air-update-february/

Was reading MacRumors and came across this, really odd if you ask me. We have already had parts leaks on chiphell, but according to this I guess Apple is sticking with it's tried and true last-decade display tech. It is pretty sad, but I actually find this leak credible given how long the Macbook Air has been around, and how well it still sells.


Really puzzling...

The much-anticipated 12-inch Retina MacBook Air is believed to launch sometime in the middle of 2015, but a new rumor out of foreign news website Letem svetem Applem [Google Translate] points to a smaller refresh of the existing MacBook Air line hitting as early as February 24.

The website, citing sources from the Czech reseller network, states the update will come with no fanfare or keynote presentation, unsurprising considering a lack of major changes for the lineup. The company also won't discuss the long-rumored ultra-slim MacBook Air around the launch of the new refresh, hoping the "quiet" update tides users over until later in the year.

If true, the focus on the fact that the update would be "minor" points to only slight bumps in areas like storage and processing power, with Apple choosing from 2.2GHz Core i5-5250U, 1.8GHz Core i5 chip, and 2GHz Core i7 processors, while keeping the well-known 11- and 13-inch form factors of current MacBook Airs. Intel launched the new Broadwell processors appropriate for the current MacBook Air lineup last month.

Reports of the 12-inch MacBook Air have been swirling for over a year now, but the product missed the originally rumored timeframe of a 2014 launch. Rumored to be in mass production since last month and with claimed part leaks beginning to surface, the Retina MacBook Air is reported to launch sometime in the second quarter of 2015.

 

[Rakehellion]

http://www.macrumors.com/2015/02/09/macbook-air-update-february/

Was reading MacRumors and came across this, really odd if you ask me. We have already had parts leaks on chiphell, but according to this I guess Apple is sticking with it's tried and true last-decade display tech. It is pretty sad, but I actually find this leak credible given how long the Macbook Air has been around, and how well it still sells.


Really puzzling...

I'm sure there will be retina and non-retina Airs, just like there are still non-retina Pros. The retina will predictably be more expensive.

 

[oobydoobydoo]

I'm sure there will be retina and non-retina Airs, just like there are still non-retina Pros. The retina will predictably be more expensive.

I wonder how much better Broadwell will perform in the standard Air vs Retina Air, given the larger form factor and bigger battery/better heat dissipation?

 

[manly]

I'm sure there will be retina and non-retina Airs, just like there are still non-retina Pros. The retina will predictably be more expensive.

The classic MBP hasn't been updated in 3 years? It's a dead-end product. Hardly a good example.

People need to remember the MBA sells very well because a lot of consumers are attracted by the base price. Such parents and their college-bound kids really couldn't care less about the lack of a Retina display or the TN panel.

One thing they should do is move away from 4GB RAM, but at the $999 price point, I have a bad feeling they won't just yet.

 

[mmntech]

Be interesting to see what happens if Apple releases their own version of the Surface Pro. Tim Cook did say it was stupid in concept awhile back, but they have been selling quite well. Plus there's still talk about the 12'' iPad. Not to mention that Microsoft has been attacking the MBA in their Surface Pro 3 ads.

I personally wouldn't mind a hybrid device like that. Something that still works as a tablet but allows me to run full OS X apps like Final Cut or Adobe CS. I'd prefer that over a Windows based one, since all my creative software is Mac based and my laptop is getting too old.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I have been using a 13" MBP since mid-2009 and, with an SSD and maxed out on RAM, it still runs very well. It is probably the best computer product I have ever purchased, in terms of delivering a great user experience over an amazingly extended timeframe, despite daily use and no shortage of abuse.

I would be interested in an upgrade/update at some point, but I don't really understand the notion of making the MBA thinner/smaller. It is already incredibly thin and light, and I wouldn't want to see it made thinner if that requires (as the mockups seem to show) that you would need a dongle to use USB.

 

[Eug]

I have been using a 13" MBP since mid-2009 and, with an SSD and maxed out on RAM, it still runs very well. It is probably the best computer product I have ever purchased, in terms of delivering a great user experience over an amazingly extended timeframe, despite daily use and no shortage of abuse.

I would be interested in an upgrade/update at some point, but I don't really understand the notion of making the MBA thinner/smaller. It is already incredibly thin and light, and I wouldn't want to see it made thinner if that requires (as the mockups seem to show) that you would need a dongle to use USB.

Same here, 13" MBP mid-2009 with SSD. I haven't maxed out the RAM though and am on 4 GB, because I want to upgrade sooner rather than later, mainly for lighter weight and Retina and don't want to spent more on upgrades of this one, esp. since I already have a 12 GB Core i7 iMac which I use as my primary machine.

 

[Koing]

Hopefully the 12" will have a bezel as thin as the Dell XPS 13 which looks amazing in real life. A colleague got one delivered to work and it looks awesome with such a thin bezel.

Koing

 

[mmntech]

Hopefully the 12" will have a bezel as thin as the Dell XPS 13 which looks amazing in real life. A colleague got one delivered to work and it looks awesome with such a thin bezel.

Koing

It's better than the 13'' MBA in several ways. It's a little bit faster, and has a higher resolution display as well. 1080p out of the box with optional 3200x1800 QHD+ touchscreen. It's also fairly easy to repair according to iFixit, complete with user replaceable battery, and more importantly, no adhesive.

It is about $100 more expensive than the MBA though, ironically. Plus the same soldered RAM that can't be upgraded. I can live with that (as long as I can swap out the battery and SSD), but it's not ideal.

 

[lopri]

Maybe they want the spotlight to be on the rumored 12" iPad?

 

[Koing]

It's better than the 13'' MBA in several ways. It's a little bit faster, and has a higher resolution display as well. 1080p out of the box with optional 3200x1800 QHD+ touchscreen. It's also fairly easy to repair according to iFixit, complete with user replaceable battery, and more importantly, no adhesive.

It is about $100 more expensive than the MBA though, ironically. Plus the same soldered RAM that can't be upgraded. I can live with that (as long as I can swap out the battery and SSD), but it's not ideal.

I'm worried about the battery as I've swapped the battery in my 2008 Macbook twice in 6yrs. My rMBP was purchased new about 7/8months ago. It'll be interesting to see how this fairs.

I'm kicking myself for only getting 8GB of ram but the 512GB was more important to me. If the 12" you can get 16GB I may make the switch.

The footprint of the XPS13 was so small with the thin bezel. Great job Dell!

The battery life is around 7.5hrs so gets destroyed by the MBA but it has a much weaker screen.

Koing

 

[mmntech]

The problem with Apple is they hot snot the batteries to the chassis with this really strong adhesive. They're notoriously difficult to remove without damaging it.

It's really poor design IMO, since the Macbooks are basically designed to be disposable now. That's unacceptable for a high end laptop. Plus Dell just proved you can build a flagship ultrabook without using gobs of glue.

I look at my late 2008 unibody MacBook which has a simple door on the bottom for swapping out the battery and hard drive. The battery did go kaput a year after I bought it. Fortunately still under warranty. Just did a quick swap. No need to replace the whole computer. Apple designed some really great stuff back then.