“The MacBook Air has been available since Macworld 2008,” E. Werner Reschke writes for TGAAP.
“But six years later in 2014 we have run into a conundrum. Over time the MacBook Air shifted to standardized Core i5 or i7 processors from Intel — just like the MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air can also ramp up to 512GB of SSD — just like the MacBook Pro. The only differences between the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro are the options for: A traditional hard drive (500GB); Intel Iris Graphics GPU; CD/DVD Drive; Retina Display; Additional Interface Ports,” Reschke writes. “In today’s world, there is only one item between the two models that is the key differentiator, the Retina display.”
“If Apple is to stay true to it’s simple instead of complex approach, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro product lines will merge into one single lineup called the MacBook Air,” Reschke writes. “The new product line would consolidate into four models. There would be no hard drives used going forward. The only difference in price would be between an 11″ or 13″ display, SSD storage, RAM and whether the model contains a retina display or not.”
Read more in the full article here.
No 15″ display option? Get real.
Also, battery life will suffer significantly from going to Retina. Obviously, it is inevitable move, but professional notebooks are not going away.
So true. I’m sure Apple will consider it. Thanks for the suggestion.
Yehhh. Additional ports are SO unimportant. And a 15″ screen… pffft. /s
Well. There are many of use who really need high-performance graphics acceleration on the MacBook Pro. In fact, the current and past MBPs have had only so-so graphics cards suitable for CAD and design apps.
So a really good high end graphic card option would and should be provided regardless.
who’s this idiot
Yah, funny how these people think they know how Apple should run their business. There’s a marketing edge to having different product choices. Pro for professionals, Air for professionals, consumers, students. Some non-professionals will choose the Pro for the larger screens and added features and processing power.
I disagree. I think they need a laptop line with their Pro designation. The Pro has Thunderbolt 2 and 2 ports of it. The 15″ also gets you a quad core, something that’s just not necessary unless you’re doing location media work. I also thing that they can differentiate them with design in the next update. Perhaps Pro will have some of this liquid metal.
Seriously, get real.
I have a MBP w/ retina and I would never give up my 750gb SSD for anything. ESPECIALLY if the Air doesn’t go up to 16gb memory (not sure if it does or not)
Only 11″ and 13″ models? The MBP is for PROFESSIONALS. The MacBook Air is consumer level. Apple does this with their desktop class machines and there isn’t any confusion there.
Have two portables to choose between is hardly overwhelming the consumer in my opinion. Especially when one of those literally has ‘Pro’ in it’s name.
Yet another “Apple Must” article.
This one intrigues me with its suggestion that a BLACK cover would differentiate the proposed new laptops, for the giant market of people like me “who must have the latest version and for those who want to be seen by others as having the newest and the best.”
Without that snazzy outer appearance, the boys wouldn’t notice, or admire, my design choices.
Too bad that BLACK shows every mark and is so high maintenance. At Apple’s next focus group, to which these writers are sadly never invited, I shall propose Teal, or Tangerine. Maybe both!
/s
I love how light the Air is (it’s no surprise to me how successful it is) but there should be a pro version with a 15 inch screen, a 1TB Fusion drive, and ports. I want Thunderbolt, USB3, HDMI, and Ethernet, not a single all-in-one slot which makes me carry all the adaptors and then only use one at a time.
You know, a PRO version.
The Air is the consumer line
The Pro is the…. wait for it…. pro line.
This guys an idiot.
We’ll take that under advisement, Mr. Reschke. Just leave your name and number in the ashtray as you leave.
While I don’t agree with much of this article, I do see Apple consolidating their MacBook lineup. Specifically, dropping the 13″ MBP non-Retina at the very least. I’d expect that to happen this year.
At some point, the 13″ MBP Retina goes away too when the MBA 13″ Retina comes out, or if Apple can make a 12″ Retina MBA by removing much of the bezel on the 11″ MBA.
At that point, Apple would have just the 12″ MBA Retina and a 15″ MBP Retina.
I do wonder if at some point Apple brings back a 17″ MBP (and makes it Retina).
I’m not sure that the two lines need to be consolidated, but the MacBook Pro line needs a bit of attention.
It seems that the MacBook (sans Pro) is back in the form of the 13″ MBP. Compare the 13″ to the 15″ MBP. Dual core i5s vs quad core i7s. There’s a bigger performance gap between the 13″ and 15″ MBPs than there is between the MacBook Airs and the 13″ MacBook Pros.
The Pro line needs to have 13″ models with the same levels of performance as the 15″ models.
I can see what he’s talking about, but you can’t get rid of the 15″ until the 13″ has quad core processing and a stand alone graphics cards.
With that said there isn’t a significant difference between the 13″ Air and Pro. There isn’t a reason I would recommend the 13″ Pro over the MBA.
If you are going to do some creative or design work, you should get a 15″, especially if time is money. If you’re not doing that kind of stuff, then the air is great. The 13″ Pro falls in a very odd place in the product lineup in my opinion.
If these morons who wrote articles like this were the experts that they try to make the readers think that they are, they would be billionaires. These “Apple must” stories are always wrong and very shortsighted. Apple doesn’t have to do anything with their portable lines except keep building the best in the business. I personally don’t see the point in continuing to make the 13 inch MacBook Pro without the retina display, but Apple will eliminate that product when they’re ready to not when some link bait writing pundits say they should.
– I hate Tim Cook.
– Apple “MUST” do what I surmise, or else …
These mantras are so old, tiring and predictable, that they’re downright arcane … all the while Apple remains one of the best run, most profitable corporations on planet Earth. Yes, critiquing is a good thing, but not from these sources. It’s complete hog-wash and history has proven that, without fail, to-date.