Will you be purchasing the Macbook Air 2012?

In excitement for the upcoming Macbook Air 2012, (Whenever it will be released) I decided to create this thread to know your opinion as to whether or not you will be purchasing the Macbook Air 2012 and what you plan to do when you first get it in your hands.

Feel free to predict the specifications as well and the pricing.

 

I've already got enough machines, and my wife would probably dot one of my eyes if I brought home another

 

If it comes early enough in the year, yes.

My computer is on its last legs and I need a new one soon. It would be nice to have slightly better graphics but if it doesn't come before my computer dies Ill get this years version.

 

Any idea when Apple is releasing the 2012 upgrades? I might not get the Air, but I'll like to get the updated MBP 13... if it is made available by the middle of February.

 

Apple just refreshed the 13-inch MBP. I would be shocked to see another update before Ivy Bridge.

 

only if it can run windows perfectly with no problems..

 

probably not.

 

I assume in approximately 3-4 months when Ivy Bridge is released.
Releasing another refresh before the new Ivy Bridge processor seems foolish to put it in a nice way.

 

Any chance MacBook Air-style laptops will have dedicated graphics within two-three years? Probably not, but, here's hoping...

 

I suppose it's gonna be April, at the earliest... too bad, can't wait that long

 

Ivy Bridge integrated graphics will be much improved over what's in the current crop of Sandy Bridge models. Speculation seems to be that Ivy Bridge will offer a 30% (at worst) to 60% (at best) increase in performance.

This site benchmarked the 2010 MBP with the NVIDIA GeForce 320M versus the current 2011 model. Take the results from the 2011 model, and you can do the math to see how much better, potentially, an Ivy Bridge Mac might perform.

 

If you want dedicated graphics, get the macbook pro.

 

As time goes on, the general likelihood actually shifts the opposite direction.

In the long run, all graphics will be integrated.

 

Debatable, although, I think I'll disagree for the time being.

 

You can... if you are talking Alienwares, or other almost non-portable, dedicated gaming rigs...

 

He said ALL didn't he?

 

He did... and most likely he meant ALL portable notebooks. I am sure he didn't imply desktops, or that graphics cards will cease to exist. But it makes sense to assume that with time portables will focus more on energy-efficiency, and balancing that with performance, instead of gunning for just raw firepower....

 

I mean all. I don't mean the near future for all graphics chips.

As speeds increase over time, bandwidth will become more and more of an issue. At some point, it will make more sense to integrate all functionality into a single die rather than have them separate for performance reasons. It's a somewhat distant inevitability in the future of high end chips, but has already occurred for lower end chips (for cost reasons).

For form factors which have gone integrated at this point (ultrabook and smaller), there's certainly no going back.

 

So back on topic, what do you expect in the macbook air 2012

 

Siri like application that can handle more complex actions on the MBP (intelligently dictating word documents, transcribing documents, act as a remote to stop, play, rewind a movie, open a browser, navigate etc...)

yeah, I'd get one for something like this

 

I mean hardware wise and pricing wise.

 

Pricing will most likely be the same. The most obvious hardware change would be processor in which it'll either be Intel's Ivy Bridge ULV or Apple's A-series ARM. If Apple does change their MBP design, maybe the MBA will change alongside it. Other than that, I don't really see any other changes except maybe increasing the RAM for the lowest model and/or changing the SSD sizes. Also, USB 3.0 to replace the two USB 2.0 ports.

 

2012 macbook air is not ready for arm. There's no way. I'm 100% in the camp that ARM has a decent chance of taking over eventually, but not right now.

 

Ivy Bridge doesn't look that exciting to be honest...

10-15% faster CPU performance - a lot of people won't notice the difference.

Intel is taking the GMA HD 3000, adding a couple more cores, overclocking it, and calling it quits.

22nm is nice and should improve efficiency - but to be honest, it's not making that much of a difference as everyone is saying it is.

 

Although Im urging to buy one next year I think I will pass. The plan was to pass this mbp 13 to my mother, since she is rocking a 5 year old toshiba. However she gave herself as a xmas present a g470 from lenovo. So Im going to wait for rockwell probably.

Well its a mixture of chipset and cpu changes that make it more interesting

 

Why wait for Rockwell? There is also going to be something new around the corner so rather buy when you need than wait for the "next best thing."

 

I bought this mbp 13 this year. I was going to give it away, so that I could have a lighter and a higher resolution screen pc, simple as that. Im not waiting for anything

 

This is standard for intel: Intel Tick-Tock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Their new architecture at 22nm is slated for 2013. You won't see a huge benefit from the drop to 22 nm until then. This buys them some time to get 22nm mature and stable, while they rely in the meantime on a mature architecture for the initial jump to 22nm, and still get some performance and power benefits.

The same will be true for future builds on 14 and 10 nm slated for the next several years

 

i've always skip at least a generation or two if i find the product is good. if nothing else, to keep the "wow" factor alive. i am satisfied with my current mid 2011 mba. only gripe i have is apple makes some compromise with their current generation of mbp and mpa by using intel hd graphic. here's hoping they switch to something else, like offerings from amd or nvidia for their next iteration of laptops.

 

Although I like the MBA form factor more than what the MBP offers, I won't buy a MBA until at least 2-3 years from now. My 2011 13" MBP will be just fine until 2013-2014 and I don't really see a point in buying a new computer once every year or even once every 2 years. I could understand doing that for iPods, iPhones, smartphones, and maybe even iPads but not $1000+ computers especially when they are designed to last longer.

On a side note, I don't see Apple switching from Intel graphics in the MBA line. It doesn't consume a lot of power, it is built into the die of the CPU, and the current HD 3000 performs on par with lower power offerings from Nvidia (such as the 320m). Given that, I see no need for Apple to switch to anything else unless that option provides a graphically more powerful solution while consuming less energy.

 

I definitely will be buying a nice 11". I need it for business and Windows won't see the light of day on it. I don't want to downgrade it. . I do hope that Apple adds an SD card slot. That was the only thing that kept me from wanting the current 11" model.
On a side note, I see that the OP was banned. Well he's no longer part of this discussion.

 

I would also like to see Apple add at least one more USB port to their MBA line as this whole one port business is BS. I understand what they are trying to do but I would be SOL at home where I have one 2TB USB 2.0 hard drive used as my backup of my computer (along with housing movies), another 2TB firewire 800 hard drive used as a backup for my iTunes library, and a portable 1TB firewire 800 drive (daisy chained to the 2TB one) that stores my iTunes library and various other media files. All of those all support USB 2.0 connections but I would be screwed at home where I would only be able to hook up two at a time. How about syncing my iTunes library (located on an external drive) to my iPod? That won't happen unless I won't want access to my movies during the sync process.

I know there are powered USB 2.0 hubs but I would much rater see Apple add at leas one more USB 2.0 port bringing the total up to three since the MBA's lack a Firewire 800 port. The addition of the second port was greatly needed, now Apple needs to add one more and I think things will be better off (either that or come out with a Thunderbolt accessory that adds 3-4 USB 2.0 ports, Firewire 800, and maybe even USB 3.0 all on a single dongle).

 

Looking to scale down my laptop size so the MBA is an option for 2012. My Unibody MB 13.3" from '08 is starting to show lots of wear and tear and it is time to be replaced.

 

Meh- Ivy Bridge will be a minimal step upgrade over Sandy Bridge. Definitely not something to wait for, imo. I don't even think they're changing clockspeeds, are they?

Benchmark differences are really not that noticeable:

 

Ivy Bridge (just like any other Intel update) may provide only a marginally increased amount of performance but it will also be more energy efficient. That is where the real goal comes into place as Intel is essentially able to do the same thing as their current generation of chips while using less energy (allowing for an increase in battery life). A decreased energy rate of 15-20% may not sound like a lot but that is an additional 45-60 minutes that a company could squeeze out of their notebook's battery. There is a rather substantial difference between lasting 5 hours and 6 hours on a single charge.

 

^This. On top of lowering fan usage since the fan won't come on if the chip is more energy efficient. (Not like the fan kicks in a lot on the current generation either but...)

 

Again, a 15% increase in energy efficiency is not a reason (to me at least) to hold off for months on a purchase. That does not reflect a significant performance improvement, and will almost certainly not result in any additional model line changes (ports, features, etc).

If you're keen on waiting, might as well wait for next year's iteration which will almost surely promise a new chipset, new ports, and a significant performance boost.

But why keep waiting when you can get it now?

 

I would love to see in the new 2012 Air 13 inch (it's a pipe dream, but I'm just putting it out there):
Shuriken Display (like the Dell 14z...there's too much bezel on the current macbooks)
Ivy Bridge Processors (more energy efficient, so hopefully better battery life!)
A little bit more RAM - 6 GB RAM
3.0 USB ports (3 of them...2 usb ports is a bummer)
Something comparable to my JBL speakers on the Dell L502x (they are heavenly)
A little more graphics intensive so I can play my emulators

 

As much as I'd like to have an 11" MacBook Air, I think my 17" MBP and iPad are enough. Besides, I already have a Power Mac G5, two Power Mac G4s, and my custom Windows system in my bedroom, I don't think I really need anymore computers.

 

I don't think you are going to see slim bezels on slim laptops, especially the MBA. There just isn't enough space in the curved design to allow for it.

 

I agree on the extra RAM for MBA- I was really hoping for a 6GB or 8GB option for the current iteration (the one I purchased).

 

Wouldn't the ultrabooks give real competition to MBAs now?

 

Maybe if they had backlit KB, high resolution display output (HDMI is capped, effectively, at 1920x1200@60Hz reguardless of HDMI revision), and a better screen (of which only the ASUS UX31 gets close).

 

Some actually do have backlight keyboards though. I believe Lenovo has an ultrabook coming out with Thunderbolt in it as well though I don't know about the built-in display quality.

Either way, even if an ultrabook didn't have every single one of those features, they would still be giving the MBA a run for its money based on cost. The high end 13" MBA costs $1600 yet an ultrabook with similar specs comes in at a much lower price. Given the large price differences, people would be willing to sacrifice on a few things.

Of course, the MBA is still a Mac so it has that going for it and the machine is pretty solid but Windows competitors are finally starting to get the picture. I think one of the real issues they have to overcome is the trackpad. Many of them (ultrabooks or not) are trying to accomplish what Apple has already done with the various MacBook lines but they just can't figure things out. They are huge improvements over the previous generic two spongy button approach of old but still nowhere near what Apple is doing. Find a company that has fully fixed that and then progress from there.

Its the smaller things that many of these other companies are glossing over. Apple focuses on the smaller aspects so that when you add them up, they makeup the big picture. Samsung has a nice 15" notebook that is out. It looks admirable but the trackpad isn't all that great, the housing isn't unibody and has plastic hooked together with metal, and there were some other design issues. A nice notebook but, once you start looking at the little things like that, they tend to not compare.

 

Actually, I did a very thorough bit of research on Ultrabooks about 1 month ago, and the MBA actually came out on top overall, including price. Literally every Ultrabook had some fatal flaw (see my post history for the dirty details). My closest comparison was to the Toshiba Portege Ultrabook, which had everything I was looking for, but was capped at 128GB SSD. That was a dealbreaker for me. But the final price on the Portege equaled or exceeded the MBA when custom configured.

Overall, the PC Ultrabook market still has a generation to go to catch up to the MBA.