It looks like Apple’s MacBook Air line of thin-and-light laptops will finally be refreshed this year, but this time around it’ll sport an 11.6-inch screen and a carbon fiber chassis. According to Apple Insider, the new MacBook air model will hit before the end of 2010. Here are the details:
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 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.
With the rapid advancement of the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the scorching sales of the 9.7-inch iPad, I’ve been wondering about the future of the MacBook Air. I’d love a (relatively) full-featured notebook that weighed less than three pounds. While I’m not thrilled with the screen size, I’m hoping Apple uses some of its fancy display technology to make the new MacBook Air more appealing.
What do you think of the new MacBook Air rumors? Does the device fill a gap between the iPad and the 13-inch Macbook? Are any of you interested in a device like this? Think I could get away with video editing on an Intel CULV (don’t answer that question)?
I think the Air will go the way of the dodo. The iPad really took that devices market. Before any counters to this begin let me remind anyone that ANY bluetooth keyboard can be used for the iPad and that there are cases sold that incorporate this. I just don't see why you would choose this device over an iPad and bluetooth keyboard.
The cost more than anything hurts the Air now I think.
I still think it needs a disc drive.
I agree with n8r. it irks me that they ask so much for this but don't include a disc drive.
I use my laptop's disc drive when companies give me press kits on CD. Aside from that…..
@rpad
press kits are on cd??? you'd figure they'd use usb's? i know my company does that for our press kits and catalogs at meetings and tradeshows.
@tokz_21 Some are on USB, some are on CD/DVD.
@rpad
oh ok. i was going to say.
@ Ray
What about burning those videos you want to edit to disc?
I'm always making and ripping discs.
@N8R I don't recall the last time I burned a work video to disc. If it's to show off a quick demo reel, I have it on my phone or on a USB stick. Otherwise, FTP is the easiest way to go.