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Apple Finishing Up Work on an Ultra-Thin 15" Mac Notebook [Updated]
Apple is working on a 15" ultra-thin Mac notebook, MacRumors has learned. We aren't certain if it will be called a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, but we do know that it is already in late testing stages at Apple.
Apple's notebook lineup has received a significant revamp over the past two years, and the introduction of the MacBook Air seems to have finally edged out the low-end MacBook design. While originally priced as a premium product, the Air seems to have found a more mainstream market as its starting price dropped to only $999.
MacBook Air
Many now expect that Apple's design choices in the Air will eventually make their way to the MacBook Pro product, with the use of integrated SSD and lack of optical drive being the most notable changes allowing for such a thin design. While we don't know for a fact, we expect that any future "ultra thin" laptop from Apple will also dispense with a built-in optical drive. As evidenced by its recent release of the optical drive-less Mac mini, Apple has no problem leaving physical media behind.
The ultra-thin market is also about to get much more competitive this fall as Intel's partners begin launching their Ultrabook notebooks.
The timing of an ultra-thin 15" Apple notebook remains a mystery to us as Apple just revamped the MacBook Air with new 11" and 13" models. Meanwhile the MacBook Pro line was refreshed in February, likely pushing the next release out to at least very late in the year.
Update: TUAW corroborates our claim and also adds that they believe that this new notebook will fall under the "MacBook Pro" branding alongside a thin 17" model. Also, they believe it might be available in time for Christmas.
Apple's notebook lineup has received a significant revamp over the past two years, and the introduction of the MacBook Air seems to have finally edged out the low-end MacBook design. While originally priced as a premium product, the Air seems to have found a more mainstream market as its starting price dropped to only $999.
MacBook Air
Many now expect that Apple's design choices in the Air will eventually make their way to the MacBook Pro product, with the use of integrated SSD and lack of optical drive being the most notable changes allowing for such a thin design. While we don't know for a fact, we expect that any future "ultra thin" laptop from Apple will also dispense with a built-in optical drive. As evidenced by its recent release of the optical drive-less Mac mini, Apple has no problem leaving physical media behind.
The ultra-thin market is also about to get much more competitive this fall as Intel's partners begin launching their Ultrabook notebooks.
The timing of an ultra-thin 15" Apple notebook remains a mystery to us as Apple just revamped the MacBook Air with new 11" and 13" models. Meanwhile the MacBook Pro line was refreshed in February, likely pushing the next release out to at least very late in the year.
Update: TUAW corroborates our claim and also adds that they believe that this new notebook will fall under the "MacBook Pro" branding alongside a thin 17" model. Also, they believe it might be available in time for Christmas.
Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Air (Don't Buy)
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89 months ago
The key thing is processing power. If they cut the power to be lower heat then it won't be as compelling as the current MBP 15. But if they are merely getting rid of the optical drive and keeping the processor fully powered... that would be awesome.
89 months ago
I hope they offer a good enough dedicated graphic card
Getting rid of the optical drive will certainly allows this, IMHO
89 months ago
In the end all MBP will have the MBA form factor. Meaning no optical drive and tear-drop shape. They will all have integrated SSD.
89 months ago
a macbook pro isn't a computer that ought to miss an optical drive. Apple is on an artificial crusade to get rid of optical drives because it will push more people to buy programs and software via itunes and the app store.
this isn't gentle nudging and giving consumers decisions, it is literally telling consumers what to do.
makes me think about windows 8 and what the more consumer friendly windows market and hardware looks like.
You are so right...
If only there were external accessories you could plugin that would give you full and complete access to a CD drive for the few times you needed it...And it would have made Apple far less dictatorial if they offered one of these as an add-on while you were buying a product.
And you know what would be really sweet? If Apple spent money and time developing a technology that allowed your laptop to piggyback off the Drive in another computer in your vicinity...
If only all these things were true, then Apple wouldn't be the dictatorship they are.
89 months ago
These new laptops look great, but they just don't have enough room on them for me. 256GB is just not enough space.
89 months ago
a macbook pro isn't a computer that ought to miss an optical drive. Apple is on an artificial crusade to get rid of optical drives because it will push more people to buy programs and software via itunes and the app store.
this isn't gentle nudging and giving consumers decisions, it is literally telling consumers what to do.
makes me think about windows 8 and what the more consumer friendly windows market and hardware looks like.
Yes, I understand your frustration, but I have several macs and I use the optical drive very very sparingly. I have the external drive for my MBA and it works great. When I need to burn or read optical media i pull it out of the drawer, dust it off, and it works great.
I think the truth of the matter is the average consumer doesn't really need an optical drive very often at all, and when we're talking about saving space, the optical drive takes up more space than all other components.
Ideally, IMO Apple should recreate the middle space between the MBP and the MBA and have Macbooks, which would be more powerful than a MBA but without all the necessary peripherals that the pros use such as ODD, Express slot, FW800 etc... There may be a middle space that would fit between those. I'm not sure how the pricing would work, but I think it's a viable solution.
I would nix the 13" MBP which isn't really pro anything with integrated graphics. Have a 13" & 15" macbook, and a 15" and 17" pro with all the dilly dally ports and options.
89 months ago
Again guys : you want storage, move it out of your laptop. The laptop's internal drive is not meant to store and archive years of data. It's meant to be your "current work" stuff.
Airdisk, Thunderbolt, AFP/SMB NAS, USB, that's where the bulk of your storage should come. Build up a nice mutli-TiB RAID-6 array (double parity) at home and put your stuff there.
Its extremely arrogant and ignorant to tell someone how they should manage their files.
I want all my files on one single computer spread across two drives, with an external that I use for backing everything up. I nor anyone else needs to be told how to manage their data.
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