An 11.88” Retina MacBook Air(fpblog.net)
fpblog.net
An 11.88” Retina MacBook Air
http://www.fpblog.net/
63 comments
Good catch. I'll update the post.
To clarify, what I meant by three-tier:
11.9" Retina Air - slightly thicker than the current Air
13.3" Retina Pro
15.4" Retina Pro
And the older Air would stick around for a while.
I really doubt Apple would throw away the Air branding or thinner design.
To clarify, what I meant by three-tier:
11.9" Retina Air - slightly thicker than the current Air
13.3" Retina Pro
15.4" Retina Pro
And the older Air would stick around for a while.
I really doubt Apple would throw away the Air branding or thinner design.
Thanks for fixing that. :)
Time to upgrade from my 2009 MBP? It's so hard to "throw away" a perfectly functional laptop that does everything I need - just not as well (I realize) as a faster, lighter, machine would.
If you want the new shiny, just sell your old MPB on. Stays out of landfill, makes someone happy &c. Else, just 'Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, or Do Without'.
Is there anything your laptop can't do that is important to you?
Is there anything your laptop can't do that is important to you?
I would wait a bit for reports of how well the retina displays are doing. I have a MBP 15" that I need to take back in to get the display replaced since it ghosts the old images for minutes. Also, I am curious if the chipset drives the display decently.
If the article linked here is correct, there's nothing to worry about because it's the same panel as the iPad's screens, just slightly bigger.
There will probably be multiple suppliers of these displays, like there were for the Macbook Pros. If the new panel is IPS and from LG, it will probably have the same ghosting problem. (If you have a LG IPS display, you can see this issue clearly by watching a Youtube video in a window for 15-30 minutes and then immediately loading Metafilter in the same window.)
Actually, I would buy right away. Apple generally sources higher-binned (higher quality) components early on. i.e., only Samsung panels when the Retina MBP first launched in 2012.
Broadwell will be perfectly capable of driving the display.
Broadwell will be perfectly capable of driving the display.
I know what you mean my Vostro from a few years ago is still a decent spec (i5-2430/16Gb DDR) however I found out today you can now get the X1 Carbon with the 2560x1440...my Vostro is looking more and more like it needs replacing.
If you're a developer - take a look at the keyboard first. They replaced the F keys with capacitive buttons (ie. touch sensitive buttons as opposed to physical buttons) and the capslock key was split into a home/end key instead. Sure it's still a nice laptop, but that sort of thing would drive me crazy.
http://www.lenovo.com/images/gallery/1060x596/lenovo-laptop-...
Oh god, you're right, they did! That's horrible!
Oh god, you're right, they did! That's horrible!
I'm not so pleased with the capacitive F keys, but changing the capslock key to a home/end key sounds absolutely great.
I would check out the X1 Carbon in person before making that decision. The display is terrible. It's the only device over ever used that's given me significant headaches after even moderate use.
I second this. I returned mine after few weeks due to worst display I have ever seen. I can't believe that passed any sort of QA.
Sorry for throwaway.. long time lurker, just posts seldom.
Sorry for throwaway.. long time lurker, just posts seldom.
Sell it. They hold their value very well.
This links to the front page of the blog; here's a permalink: http://www.fpblog.net/blog/2014/1/20/an-1188-retina-macbook-...
This is exactly what I've been waiting for to replace my current 11" MacBook Air. I hope the rumor is true!
Except I think the author has this wrong: it won't be "Air" but "Pro", and will be thicker than the Air and more expensive.
More expensive is OK, significantly thicker and heavier is a deal breaker.
I guess, but would you consider the existing 13" MBP to be "significantly" thicker and heavier? There's already very little differentiation between the models.
I bought a 13" MBP to replace my 11" MBA because I was tired of waiting for retina and the size/weight difference seemed negligible. Regretted it within a couple of days of just using it around the house.
On a purely numbers basis, the difference doesn't seem significant (hence how I talked myself into the purchase), but there's a massive "human scale" threshold that's crossed in that difference. IMO, an 11" MBA feels more "like an iPad" in those respects vs. a 13" MBP very much feeling "like a computer".
On a purely numbers basis, the difference doesn't seem significant (hence how I talked myself into the purchase), but there's a massive "human scale" threshold that's crossed in that difference. IMO, an 11" MBA feels more "like an iPad" in those respects vs. a 13" MBP very much feeling "like a computer".
You're comparing apples and oranges:
the 13" Retina Mabook Pro should be compared with the 13" Macbook Air & not the 11" Air.
It would be a better comparison in some ways, you're right. Still, when I've picked up a 13" MBA, it's felt more similar to an 11" MBA than a 13" MBP to me, in large part I think because of the difference in thickness: both MBAs are "0.3-1.7 cm" while the 13" MBP is 1.8 cm all the way through. The weight also puts the 13" Air halfway between the 11" MBA and 13" MBP.
Not knowing more about the specs of this hypothetical 12" machine, I'm theorizing it'd be approximately halfway between the 11" and 13" Air in size/weight. That of course may not be right, but it seems unlikely to be way off. So, while my comparison is hypothetical and imperfect, I don't feel it's quite apples and oranges, either.
Not knowing more about the specs of this hypothetical 12" machine, I'm theorizing it'd be approximately halfway between the 11" and 13" Air in size/weight. That of course may not be right, but it seems unlikely to be way off. So, while my comparison is hypothetical and imperfect, I don't feel it's quite apples and oranges, either.
Which is exactly why an 11 inch retina would sell well. There is no small pro.
Yes I would. I know the difference looks small on paper, but I find the difference huge in day to day use. For example I can curl up on the sofa and comfortable use my 11" MBA cradle in one arm, I can't do that with the 13" MBP.
This new model would certainly represent one step towards John Siracusa’s goal for Apple to “introduce more, better Retina Macs” in 2014.
This makes sense to me: I'm actually replacing a 2008-era MacBook with a Retina MBP primarily because of the screen and the machine's smaller physical size.
A couple people in my firm are also using older but still functional iMacs, and we'll replace those when the Retina versions hit. Better displays are actually compelling reasons to update (despite what I wrote here: http://jseliger.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/mac-os-10-7-is-out-... a couple years ago).
This makes sense to me: I'm actually replacing a 2008-era MacBook with a Retina MBP primarily because of the screen and the machine's smaller physical size.
A couple people in my firm are also using older but still functional iMacs, and we'll replace those when the Retina versions hit. Better displays are actually compelling reasons to update (despite what I wrote here: http://jseliger.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/mac-os-10-7-is-out-... a couple years ago).
An 11/12" MacBook Air with a touchscreen that could also run iOS apps with cellular connectivity would be the ideal iPad Pro for my needs. Using a touchscreen on a small laptop is no worse than using an iPad in a stand or flat on a desk.
Hmm, isn't the MBA mainly about mobility and battery life? Wouldn't a retina display drain too much power?
Supposedly the new panel is IGZO, which should take less power than previously. I use a retina macbook pro as my daily driver, but I don't even care about the retina myself. I guess I do care about battery life and lightness, though.
I suppose retina is a good bullet point for them over other laptops, though, so maybe it is worth it for them for improving sales.
I suppose retina is a good bullet point for them over other laptops, though, so maybe it is worth it for them for improving sales.
Correct, that's one of the screen technologies that is supposedly already in place for the new iPad Airs.
That's true and Apple probably knows that. They wouldn't add retina screen to MBA and compromise on battery life. Battery life would probably stay the same.
To create the MacBook Air, Apple took out the spinning HD, the optical drive, and soldered in the battery.
To create the new Retina MacBook Pro, Apple took out the spinning HD, optical drive, and soldered in the battery. But they also put in a Retina display--as well as the more powerful GPU and larger battery it requires
The current MacBook Pro IS the Retina Air in everything but name only. It's the thinnest and lightest laptop that Apple can make with a retina display.
In summary: the hard part of a Retina Air is not the pixel density, the hard part is the power. Any blog post that does not address that question is not adding much to the conversation.
To create the new Retina MacBook Pro, Apple took out the spinning HD, optical drive, and soldered in the battery. But they also put in a Retina display--as well as the more powerful GPU and larger battery it requires
The current MacBook Pro IS the Retina Air in everything but name only. It's the thinnest and lightest laptop that Apple can make with a retina display.
In summary: the hard part of a Retina Air is not the pixel density, the hard part is the power. Any blog post that does not address that question is not adding much to the conversation.
The Macbook Air runs on a CPU with a nominal TDP of 15W vs 28W for the Macbook Pro Retina. I'm pretty sure a Retina display could run with the current Macbook air CPU given that they share the same integrated GPU. That will make a difference.
> I'm pretty sure a Retina display could run with the current Macbook air CPU given that they share the same integrated GPU
They don't share the same integrated GPU; the MBA is a HD5000; the 13" Retina is a HD5100, the 15" Retina is a HD5200.
The major practical difference between the HD5000 and HD5100 is clock speed; while they have a similar theoretical cap, at full speed the HD5000 uses 22W (more than the TDP of the chip it lives in!), so in practice generally operates at far lower speeds.
They could probably get away with a HD5000 powered Retina thing, but screen power consumption would still be a factor. IGZO should deal with this sooner or later, though.
They don't share the same integrated GPU; the MBA is a HD5000; the 13" Retina is a HD5100, the 15" Retina is a HD5200.
The major practical difference between the HD5000 and HD5100 is clock speed; while they have a similar theoretical cap, at full speed the HD5000 uses 22W (more than the TDP of the chip it lives in!), so in practice generally operates at far lower speeds.
They could probably get away with a HD5000 powered Retina thing, but screen power consumption would still be a factor. IGZO should deal with this sooner or later, though.
I don't understand your point. Technology improves over time, and it's reasonable to expect that Apple will create an even smaller laptop with a Retina display which it might call a "Macbook Air."
> Technology improves over time
Not so much in battery tech. It's really holding back a lot of hardware innovation on computers and also holding back the viability of EVs for many consumers.
Not so much in battery tech. It's really holding back a lot of hardware innovation on computers and also holding back the viability of EVs for many consumers.
That is true but CPUs and panels do decrease in power usage over time to the point that you can adopt Retina in MBA without harming the battery life. Not to mention if they find a way to cut down on the weight, they can also increase the battery's capacity.
The Retina display in iPad Air is much more power efficient compared to the retina display in 3rd gen iPad due to reduction of backlight LEDs and move to IGZO type of panel.
The Retina display in iPad Air is much more power efficient compared to the retina display in 3rd gen iPad due to reduction of backlight LEDs and move to IGZO type of panel.
Yes but as CPUs and Retina panels get more efficient, they will be placed into the MacBook Pro as well.
I really wish more people recognized this relationship between the number of pixels and power necessary to drive those pixels. Journalists seem to constantly call for higher pixel densities on everything, ignoring the practical reasons and tradeoffs that must be considered.
The current Macbook Pro/Air situation is fairly elegant- it's a simple tradeoff between portability and resolution when you choose between the two 13" Macbooks. And it's not as if you get shafted by that choice, given how similar the machines are aside from their displays.
The current Macbook Pro/Air situation is fairly elegant- it's a simple tradeoff between portability and resolution when you choose between the two 13" Macbooks. And it's not as if you get shafted by that choice, given how similar the machines are aside from their displays.
A Retina Air would be more like a thicker Air than a thinner Retina MacBook Pro.
As for power, I deliberately didn't go into detail, but the short answer is Broadwell.
As for power, I deliberately didn't go into detail, but the short answer is Broadwell.
The Air is 0.68" at the back. The Pro is 0.71". There's not much room there for a distinction between "thicker Air" and "thinner Pro," even if we think they'd be willing to make the Air less wedgey.
And when Broadwell chips roll out they will be placed in the Pro just as easily as the Air. They're both on Haswell right now.
Product differentiation matters to Apple. I just don't think a slightly slower processor and a 0.01" thickness cuts it.
And when Broadwell chips roll out they will be placed in the Pro just as easily as the Air. They're both on Haswell right now.
Product differentiation matters to Apple. I just don't think a slightly slower processor and a 0.01" thickness cuts it.
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Next, give us dual cpu socket mac pros!
What a poor headline. It only goes to 2 decimal places, not nearly enough accuracy for us to know whether it is suitable for our needs!! I really need an 11.88483" laptop...
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> Recall that Apple made the discrete GPU-less 13.3” Retina MacBook Pro thinner last year, but not the 15.4” model. These facts would match up nicely with a three-tier laptop segmentation strategy. Eventually, Apple would sell only three Retina MacBooks ranging from thinnest to thickest, stratified by price and screen size: 11.9”, 13.3”, and 15.4”.
The latest 13" rMBP was made thinner than the 13" rMBP before it, but it only _caught up_ to the thinness of the original 15" rMBP. The first 13" rMBP was actually thicker than 15" rMBP (something I found quite odd when it first happened).
(Mid 2012, Early 2013, Late 2013) 15" rMBP - 0.71 in high
(Late 2012, Early 2013) 13" rMBP - 0.75 in high
(Late 2013) 13" rMBP - 0.71 in high
So that entire paragraph is making an argument based on an incorrect statement.