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Apple Rumor Ping!
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Posted on 09/24/2010 11:30:03 AM PDT by Swordmaker
Apple is destined to revamp its super-slim, but soft-selling MacBook Air as early as this fall, wrapping the new model around an LED-backlit display that's nearly two inches smaller than the model available today, according to sources in Taiwan.
Since introducing the 13.3-inch MacBook Air as the "world's thinnest notebook" nearly three years, Apple has watched sales of the ultra-portable trickle off to levels believed to be immaterial to its bottom line. As such, the product line has received little attention from the company, undergoing just two minor revisions in a 29-month span -- the latter of which took place well over a year ago.
At just 0.76 inches at its thickest point, the MacBook Air is undoubtedly slim enough for its target audience of business travelers and those consistently on the go. However, sales of the device suggest that its 13.3-inch footprint and 3 pound carrying weight may be a bit more than that class of customers would prefer -- especially given the resounding success of Apple's more compact and lighter 9.7-inch iPad.
In an effort to make the design of the Air more appealing and further differentiate the notebook from the company's mainstream 13.3-inch MacBook, Apple in 2008 reportedly began experimenting with a partial carbon fiber enclosure (1, 2) that would shave upwards of a 100 grams off its weight.
With plans for such a design failing to materialize over the last two years, it's believed that Apple returned to the drawing board at some point and began crafting a makeover that would deliver both size and weight reductions, further pushing the envelop of ultra-portable notebook computing.
The first evidence to this end arrived earlier this year when an analyst citing sources in Apple's Taiwanese component supply chain revealed that the company was placing orders for parts to fit a slimmer and lighter MacBook Air based around an 11.6-inch LED-lit display and Intel Core i-series ultra-low voltage processor.
On Friday, a report put out by Taiwanese rumor site DigiTimes appears to further corroborate such claims, alleging that Apple's primary notebook manufacturer Quanta has landed orders to produce the first 400,000-500,000 11.6-inch "MacBooks" for delivery to the Mac maker before the end of the 2010 calendar year.
No further details were available from the report. Apple last updated the 13.3-inch MacBook Air back in June of 2009 when it dropped the entry-level price to $1,499 from $1,799 for a model with a 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. A $1,799 offering based around a 2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 128GB solid state drive was also introduced.
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This “rumor” first surfaced on Macrumors.com a couple months ago. Was rumored to go on sale in Sept.
Running out of Sept. days.
Hope it is a little more powerful, yet smaller. Looking to replace my iBook G4.
For the money I think I will stick with my iPad...
Not really comparable in speed or quality but with a screen that small, they are going to be lumped together.
I haven't turned on my MacBook Pro since I got my iPad... haven't found a need to do so.
“I haven’t turned on my MacBook Pro since I got my iPad... haven’t found a need to do so.”
You just turned Job’s hair a shade grayer.
Lighter? Holy kaka. :’D
a partial carbon fiber enclosure (1, 2) that would shave upwards of a 100 grams off its weight... an 11.6-inch LED-lit display and Intel Core i-series ultra-low voltage processorHmm, 100 grams is less than 4 oz. i-series would be good. The refresh I was kinda expecting involved a jump to iOS and A4 processor(s).
I’ve been saying since the iPad came out that I think I have a bead on Apple’s vision of the future. You have a home/family computer for the tasks that require one, and iDevices for everything else. Kids’ homework, Web surfing, e-mail, facebook are all portable. The Mac is the hub, and the archive for all the media content, which you can then tap into from your lap or pocket or TV.
I don’t think Steve is going to lose a lot of sleep over iPads replacing Mac laptops. The “halo effect” is a mighty mojo; the iPad is going to lead more people to move from Windows to Mac on the desktop than it’s going to cost in laptops.
Do you do word processing on your iPad? If so, what program do you use? The major function of a computer for me is literature searches, writing, and statistics. How would an iPad work for these?
Do you do word processing on your iPad? If so, what program do you use? The major function of a computer for me is literature searches, writing, and statistics. How would an iPad work for these?
I use Apple's iWork's Pages for the iPad ($9.99 at the App Store) which is Microsoft Word compatible. I can't answer for statistics, as I have not recently attempted any statistical work on an iPad, however iWork's Numbers (also $9.99 at the App Store) is a fairly full featured spreadsheet for the iPad with statistical functions. Literature searches and writing, certainly... within the limits of the internet and the virtual keyboard or a bluetooth add on keyboard.
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