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Apple's 15" Ultra-Thin Notebook Due in March 2012

Monday November 14, 2011 5:30 pm PST by Jordan Golson

MacBook Air

Digitimes is reporting that small numbers of components for a 15" ultra-thin notebook from Apple will start shipping this month with mass shipments of the notebook beginning in March.
Upstream suppliers of Apple have recently started shipping a small volume of components for a 15-inch ultra-thin notebook model from Apple in November and the device could be either MacBook Air or just a thinner MacBook Pro. The new MacBook is expected to appear as early as the second quarter of 2012, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.
Digitimes is unclear if the parts are intended for a 15" MacBook Air or a thinner 15" MacBook Pro. In July, we reported that Apple was finishing up work on a new ultrathin 15" notebook, and at the end of October, it was rumored that new machine was nearing production.

It seems likely that a thin 15" MacBook would use a SSD rather than HDD, similar to current MacBook Air models, and would forego an optical drive. The MacBook Pro line was refreshed earlier this fall with minor processor, graphics and storage upgrades.
[ 282 comments ]


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GLS
87 months ago

Umm..no thanks. Id take windows 8 reasonably priced laptop over this garbage. Tim Cook, you are the beginning of the end! Watch out for Wild Bill. I cant wait to see windows 8 own this, completely. This will be I bet 2 grand! Rip apple, 2k7-2k11


Meth does a body good.
Rating: 43 Votes
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komodrone
87 months ago
Liquid metal baby
Rating: 22 Votes
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jca24
87 months ago

Umm..no thanks. Id take windows 8 reasonably priced laptop over this garbage. Tim Cook, you are the beginning of the end! Watch out for Wild Bill. I cant wait to see windows 8 own this, completely. This will be I bet 2 grand! Rip apple, 2k7-2k11


Ok, you use a winblows pc that doesn't work and we will use Macs that do!

:apple:
Rating: 12 Votes
Avatar
PCClone
87 months ago

Umm..no thanks. Id take windows 8 reasonably priced laptop over this garbage. Tim Cook, you are the beginning of the end! Watch out for Wild Bill. I cant wait to see windows 8 own this, completely. This will be I bet 2 grand! Rip apple, 2k7-2k11


I see Momma let the troll out of the basement...
Rating: 12 Votes
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B Gallagher
87 months ago
Since SSD prices are still very high, and Apple is aware that pros want high storage capacity (500-750 GB), why not use a HDD/(blade) SSD combo, as they do in the iMac and Mac mini? Seems like the best of both worlds to me.
Rating: 11 Votes
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Dreamer2go
87 months ago

MacBook Pro and MacBook Air will be merging. We'll have 11", 13", 15" ... 17" is questionable. I could be wrong, but would be surprised if I was. If the MacBook Pro loses the optical drive and becomes thinner, I don't see enough differentiation between it and the Air. I see Apple calling the new product simply MacBook or another name all-together with a new design taking cues from the Air.


I don't think Air and Pro will be merging.
That's coz both categories targets 2 different types of market.
Rating: 11 Votes
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myrtlebee
87 months ago

:confused:

Think you might be on the wrong site. Also, who is Wild Bill?



http://www.mendotamuseums.org/WBH.htm

Diggin' the 'stashe.
Rating: 9 Votes
Avatar
Westacular
87 months ago

Since SSD prices are still very high, and Apple is aware that pros want high storage capacity (500-750 GB), why not use a HDD/(blade) SSD combo, as they do in the iMac and Mac mini? Seems like the best of both worlds to me.


That seems like a major possibility, although it's worth noting that due to the flooding in Thailand, HDD supplies are limited and prices have shown a substantial increase in recent weeks. The situation is expected to last until mid-2012. Meanwhile, SSD makers are taking advantage of the situation -- and the expected acceleration in the shift in demand from HDDs to SSDs -- by increasing their own manufacturing capacity (possibly leading to lower SSD prices)

The net result: expect the price gap between the two to become much narrower for many market segments over the next six months.
Rating: 8 Votes
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WakeRider
87 months ago

Apple often has access to Intel's chips before they're even officially announced.


This is going to be a huge deciding factor for my purchase. If the MBA/P has an Ivy Bridge then I'm jumping on it. If not, then in March I'm getting a new laptop anyway... I've waited too long. My Core2Duo with overheating graphics on my dell is pissing me off.

With Ivy Bridge everything changes, graphics will be strong enough for my preference and the form factor is going to be wonderful. oh fu** it. I'm waiting till Ivy Bridge. :)
Rating: 8 Votes
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damir00
87 months ago
As long as they find room for a physical Ethernet port (wireless-only is a deal breaker) and a decent discrete GPU I'd be liking this a lot.
Rating: 7 Votes

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