“Apple next week is expected to unveil an entirely new MacBook model positioned between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, available in sizes of 13 and 15 inches with no disc drive,” Neil Hughes reports for AppleInsider.
“The details come from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo with KGI, who has been a reliable source of information on unannounced Apple products,” Hughes reports. “Kuo said he believes the new MacBook will be priced starting at $1,199 for the basic 13-inch model. The purported notebook will not have an optical disc drive, and it will be available with either a solid-state drive or a traditional hard-disk drive.”
Hughes reports, “This new MacBook will reportedly be lighter and slimmer than the MacBook Pro, with equal computing power. He also said it will feature a Retina display with a tapered-edge design, as well as a larger battery capacity… Apple is expected to unveil its new 15-inch MacBook, priced at $1,799 with a hard-disk drive, next week, and the device will go on sale soon after… Kuo also predicted on Friday that Apple could discontinue the MacBook Pro lineup entirely if the new MacBook series proves popular enough. He sees the Pro being gradually phased out, but remaining on shelves until 2013.”
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Just when we thought this weekend couldn’t get any longer.
I sure hope the Pro stays on. There are a lot of us who need the fastest, most capable Mac laptop for high-end applications (i.e. CAD, video, graphics, etc).
It will. The article says the new MacBook will be positioned between the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro. For it to be positioned between the Air and the Pro, the Pro has to still exist. 😉
Yeah, but the article also said… “….Kuo also predicted on Friday that Apple could discontinue the MacBook Pro lineup entirely if the new MacBook series proves popular enough. He sees the Pro being gradually phased out, but remaining on shelves until 2013.”
Oh, I missed that part of it.
I agree then – I do hope they continue with the MBP line – I think the new MacBook could be what a lot of people on here are demanding – a MacBook Pro-lite that does not have an optical drive or an HDD option, and then leave the MBP with both the optical drive and the HDD for now.
Here’s what I think would be a wise course of action – release the MacBook as described above – no optical drive, but keep the HDD. If more people choose the SSD, then in the next iteration, sell it without the option of HDD, but drop the prices for the SSDs, but still leave the MBP with both optical drives and HDD options. That would probably be a better way to gauge how relevant the MBP line still is if more people go with the MacBook without its optical drive and hard drives, plus it can help drive down the cost of SSD computers in general to make the transition over to full SSD without a need to cut storage space from one computer to the next. 🙂
That’s my opinion on strategy. 🙂
It also said that even with the slimmer design I will pack equal computing power. I can’t see Apple ever expecting its customers to EVER take a step backwards in performance.
Are you really concerned because some random analyst says that something could happen?!?!
Countless things could happen, but that doesn’t mean they will happen.
@TheConfuzed1: Well, it HAD happened hahaha
“This new MacBook will reportedly be lighter and slimmer than the MacBook Pro, with equal computing power.”
Basically it sounds like you would only be losing an internal optical drive (and a little weight), but have equal processing power. I call that a huge win, as I recently realized that I haven’t used a superdrive in almost two years now. I would get an external should the need suddenly arise (which I doubt would).
This sounds like it would be an awesome machine should it prove to be true.
Agreed. Good comment.
What would be amazing is if Apple removed the Optical drive, but did NOT slim down the pro, and instead packed in the beefiest hardware it could find, while expanding the battery and switching to a blade stile 512 GB SSD.
The power and performance of the pro’s would be unmatched.
Agree!
Looks like we pretty much got our wish 🙂
There you go! For those of you who wanted a MacBook Pro-Lite without an optical drive, this is your computer!
Quite frankly, when I first read the headline about them going back to three categories of laptops, I thought they were going to make this category SSD-only, since so many people were clamoring for them to drop the HDD option in laptops altogether. Which if they are going to go back to three categories, I honestly don’t have a problem with them making the MacBook an SSD-only, since I would still want the Pro anyway. 😉
I started seeing samsung ads today for a tear drop shaped computer. I wonder if that’s so they can blame Apple for slavishly copying.
but Apple’s computer will be unicorn teardrop shaped. 😉
I call b*llsh*t! I don’t think the ming-chi knows the difference between a “new product line” and an “upgraded” or “repositioned” product…I sincerely doubt Apple will be introducing a THIRD laptop line.
Yeah, because they never had three laptop lines in the past. Hey, wait a minute…
Well that explains why b*llsh*t’s line was busy when I called….
No one knows what’s coming until it gets here. I hope they make a model that appeals to people who like sensible shoes.
Agreed: Who wants their data flip-flopping around?
I think the NEW line of MacBooks being introduced will continue indefinitely; the UPGRADED line of old-syle MBPs will disappear within a year, tops.
Upgrading the old-syle MBPs is a way to smooth the transition of a very important money maker to the “Mac Book” (“Air Pro” if you will), and it allows one more upgrade for anyone who still wants or needs a SuperDrive.