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Posts tagged with "macbook air"

Intel To Embrace Mobile Space with Silvermont, Airmont Atom Chip Architectures

Given the fierce competition in the mobile space and the increasing availability of smartphones and lightweight, low-power mobile devices, Intel currently doesn’t offer the mobile chips needed to compete with AMD. With the desktop being ousted for laptops, eventual chromebooks, and tablets, Intel wants to embrace a new strategy to take on the mobile space. CEO Paul Otellini said today,

“We’re shifting from 35-watt to 15-watt…the center is increasingly about ultramobility,” said Otellini. “Every device has to be always on and always connected,” he said. Today, a device with a 15-watt processor is typically an ultrathin laptop like the MacBook Air.

Intel specifically wants to shift company focus onto always-on and always-connected devices by revamping their product line with a series of new Atom chip architectures fit for low-power, constant draw devices. Silvermont, a 22-nanometer Atom chip, and Airmont, a 14-nanometer Atom chip, are currently under development and are to be included in future Android and MeeGo devices. As Intel “scales down” their current offerings to fit the tablet space, Otellini notes,

“No big announcement from Intel on smartphones today. Phones in first part of next year…an area of intense focus for us.”

It’s going to be a while before we start seeing a score of Intel powered smartphones on the market, but does this mean anything for Apple? With Intel somewhat inexperienced and still young in comparison to competitors, I don’t know if we’d see an Intel powered iPhone or iPad in the near future, or even in later revisions of the MacBook Air. I think Intel has a long lifespan when it comes to laptops and desktops, but Apple is intent on centralizing their products on their own technologies: if Apple is going so far as to include a proprietary SSD format in the MacBook Air, I’ll bet you’ll see the MacBook Air to be the first Mac in Apple’s lineup to include a future iteration of Apple’s A5 chip. Unless of course, Intel is successful and quick to iterate on their upcoming low-power offerings, there may not be much of a reason to make that jump.

According to Otellini, Intel is currently “on track” for 35 designs in the tablet space, but whether this includes Apple remains to be seen.

[via CNET]

Lion May Sell on Combination of Reinstall Drives and Optical Media

With the MacBook Air refresh, Apple introduced the concept of installing the OS via a packaged thumb drive, leading us to speculate that Apple would make the transition from DVD to a new digital format with the distribution of Lion. John Brownlee from Cult of Mac reporting on AppleBitch notes that Apple may hold on to optical media a little bit longer, possibly offering consumers the choice of both disc and digital formats when they purchase a new copy of Lion to update their Macs. It’s possible Apple will continue to sell optical discs in stores (while bundling all new Macs with a copy of Lion on a thumb drive) as they transition away from optical media, and Brownlee notes that the speculation comes as a result of the disc version of Lion having shown up in Amazon of Germany’s listings.

You could ship Lion exclusively on thumb drives, but the biggest problem I see is in ditching the disc completely is cost. While thumb drives are inexpensive to produce, I’m making the assumption that the costs for producing optical media are cheaper, and as long as the current MacBook and Mac line of Apple computers still have an optical reader, there’s no reason not to utilize it. However, MacBook Air owners wanting to upgrade will either have to purchase the SuperDrive or install Lion from another Mac remotely if Apple doesn’t provide the option of selling the thumb drives on their own. Who knows? Maybe they’ll sell both as a part of this crazy transitional phase.

[AppleBitch via Cult of Mac]
Image via: http://www.maciverse.com/

Production Of New MacBook Airs Starting Next Month? Thunderbolt and Sandy Bridge CPUs?

According to a report by AppleInsider based on research from Concord Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is getting ready to start mass production of new MacBook Air models featuring updated Intel graphics, Core i5 and Core i7 Intel “Sandy Bridge” processors and Thunderbolt technology. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, production could start as early as next month in “late May”, with the new machines set to be released in June. The report seems to corroborate a previous rumor that suggested Apple was considering an “early refresh” of the MacBook Air line (which was unveiled by Steve Jobs in October 2010 at the “Back to the Mac” event) to implement the Sandy Bridge architecture. The current generation of MacBook Airs feature Intel’s Core 2 Duo processors – an outdated technology that can still be found in the original MacBooks, and was replaced in the early-2011 MacBook Pros by Sandy Bridge-based Corei3, Corei5 and Corei7 CPUs. Since the Cnet’s report that pointed to new MacBook Airs with Sandy Bridge coming out in June, however, speculation has arisen suggesting Apple also wants to integrate Thunderbolt in the machines’ thin design.

Kuo tells AppleInsider that his latest round of checks with suppliers and system builders in the region reveals that MacBook Air shipments are set to rebound during the current calendar quarter, fueled by an upgrade to Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge microprocessors, integrated Intel graphics, and the expected adoption of the new Thunderbolt high-speed I/O technology that made its debut on MacBook Pros earlier this year.

Should Apple follow its current trend of using ultra-low-variants for the 11.6-inch MacBook Air and low-voltage ones for the 13.3-inch models, consumers can expect to see new 11.6-inch MacBook Airs sporting 1.4GHz to 1.6GHz Core i5 and Core i7 chips and 13.3-inch MacBook Airs with 2.10 and 2.30GHz Core i7 processors.

With several Thunderbolt-enabled products coming out in the next months and the WWDC scheduled for June, it would make sense for Apple to refresh the popular MacBook Air family to include more powerful CPUs and a Thunderbolt port. The iMac line is also expected to go under a refresh soon – again, allegedly sporting Sandy Bridge processors and Thunderbolt. The WWDC ‘11 kicks off in San Francisco on June 6, but it’s been rumored to be a software-focused event, rather than the stage for major hardware announcements. A speed-bump update for the MacBook Air, though, could fit well in Apple’s WWDC timeframe.

New MacBook Airs Shipping with Faster Samsung SSDs?

As reported by Anandtech, Apple has apparently switched to Samsung as the supplier for the solid state drives that ship with the new MacBook Airs (late 2010 models). When the revamped MacBook Air line was unveiled and released last October, Apple relied on Toshiba to power the new machines built around flash storage – more specifically, they ditched classic hard drive enclosures using “blade SSDs”, which basically include only the chips needed by flash storage as detailed by iFixit. Those SSDs (available in 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB configurations) were manufactured by Toshiba and carried model number TS128C. It’s not clear when Apple exactly made the switch to Samsung – Anandtech goes on to say they’re not even 100% sure these drives are from Samsung, yet all signs point to that – but several users are reporting recently purchased MacBook Air units come with drives carrying model name SM128C.

The best part? According to initial benchmarks, the Samsung drives are noticeably faster, as you can see in the chart below.

The interesting aspect is that the SM128C models provide quite a nice performance bump in at least one performance metric. Benchmarks posted by users show that the SM128C manages up to 260MB/s read and 210MB/s write speeds. In our tests (and corroborating what users have reported), the TS128C only offers speeds of up to 210MB/s read and 185MB/s write. The SM128C also supports Native Command Queuing (NCQ) while the TS128C does not.

Again, there’s no confirmation Apple has switched to Samsung as the only supplier for MacBook Air SSDs, and this change might as well be a temporary solution adopted by Apple to face shortages from Toshiba. But, then again, there’s the high chance a MacBook Air purchased today features a faster SSD from Samsung. [via 9to5mac]

MacBook Airs To Generate $2.2 Billion In Annual Revenue

Since the official unveiling at Apple’s “Back to the Mac” event in October 2010, the new MacBook Air family has seen a terrific success among consumers: the incredibly thin design, combined with the durability of aluminum and faster performances have turned the new MacBook Airs into affordable, yet powerful machines that retain the small form factor of the previous line. Moreover, the new 11-inch model has set a new trend with several users considering the machine as a tablet-sized device with the capabilities of a classic desktop computer – such as a physical keyboard, trackpad support and USB connectivity. We knew the Air was selling very well, but J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz believes the MacBook Air family could become a $2.2 billion revenue business for Apple if the current pricing model and design is maintained.

Digital Daily reports today that, according to Moskowitz, the “quasi-tablet” MacBook Air is just the beginning of a trend, and if Apple manages to keep “pricing stable” and a 420,000 sales per quarter rate (as seen in Q4 2010) the possibilities for the company to turn this line into the most successful one among Mac computers are huge.

C4Q10 was the first quarter in which the MacBook Air accounted for greater than 10 percent of total Apple PC units. More importantly, the MacBook Air accounted for 15% of total notebook unit sales during the quarter, versus 5 percent in the prior year. Even with the MacBook Air’s strong performance in C4Q10, it represented only roughly 5% of total Apple Mac units and revenues for C2010. We see ample opportunity for this percentage to increase over time, given the improved tech specs and more attractive pricing of the second-generation MacBook Air.

A report by Cnet in February hinted at an upcoming refresh for the MacBook Airs in June to include new Intel Sandy Bridge processors, which should dramatically boost performances of the MBA. Since the release of the new MacBook Pros five weeks ago, many are also speculating Apple will implement the Thunderbolt technology in the next-generation MacBook Airs. A refresh in June would play nice with Apple’s WWDC announcements, although a number of reports in the past week suggested Apple won’t announce new hardware at its developer event, focusing on Lion and an iOS 5 preview. On April 20th, Apple will release its Q2 2011 financial results.

Apple Releases 10.6.7 Supplemental Update For the 13” MacBook Air

MacBooks have been getting their fair share of updates recently, and today Apple is providing a supplemental 10.6.7 update for the 13” MacBook Air (Late 2010) to resolve unresponsiveness when using iTunes. The previous 10.6.7 v1.0 (build 10J869) update must be installed in order to apply the supplemental update. If you have a 13” MacBook Air, check Software Update or download the 461 KB file from the posted support page below.

Supplemental 13” MacBook Air Update: DL1370

Will Apple Finally Drop The White MacBook? 16GB SSDs In MacBook Pros?

I’ve hedged bets with Federico that Apple would drop the white MacBook this time around, and I might be up $100 in the betting pool thanks to MacGeneration, who speculates Apple will replace the plastic model with the 13” MacBook Air. It only makes sense - I can’t help think of a more sensible pricing tier from little MacBook to big MacBook.

MacGeneration via AppleInsider reports that the 13” MacBook would see an upgrade to Intel’s core i3 processor, as well seeing a display bump to a new 1440x900 pixel resolution and the addition of a third USB port.

The fifteen inch MacBook Pro would see the option to replace superdrive replaced for an SSD, and the 17” model may come standard with 8 GB of RAM.

Each of the MacBooks are expected to debut Intel’s new LightPeak technology, and are also reported to be introducing a new formfactor that should result in lighter, more powerful models with Intel’s Sandy Bridge inside. A 16 GB SSD could supplement a hard disk drive for faster booting and system performance.

[MacGeneration via AppleInsider]

New MacBook Airs In June with Sandy Bridge CPU?

According to CNET, who cites “a source familiar with Apple’s plans”, the MacBook Air might receive an update in June with the new Intel Sandy Bridge processor:

Apple is targeting a MacBook Air update for this summer that will include a move to Intel’s Sandy Bridge processors, CNET has learned.

The MacBook Air refresh is expected in June, according to a source familiar with Apple’s plans.

Intel’s Sandy Bridge chips were initially delayed due to a hardware bug, but the company confirmed earlier this week that shipments will start on February 20th. As CNET notes, the MacBook Air family is still carrying Intel’s Core 2 Duo processors which are two generations behind Sandy Bridge; the MacBook Airs were last updated in October, announced by Steve Jobs at the “Back to the Mac” event.

Recent rumors suggested the MacBook Pros, due a refresh, will soon receive an update, possibly featuring Sandy Bridge. A MacBook Air announcement in June would play well with the WWDC 2011 timeframe, where Apple is expected to unveil the next-generation iPhone.

New Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs To Start Shipping February 20th

The most probable next generation processor for MacBooks will start shipping on February 20th. The new Intel core i5 and i7 processors, based on the Sandy Bridge architecture shown off at CES, comes in flavors ranging from 1.4 GHz to 2.7 GHz, drawing 17 watts to 35 watts respectively under load. The new processors could be used to update Apple’s MacBook, 13” MacBook Pro, and 15” MacBook Pro line, while quad-core Sandy Bridge CPUs would populate Apple’s higher end MacBooks and desktops. Apple’s MacBook and 13” MacBook Pro continue to utilize Core 2 Duo processors, and may receive a Sandy Bridge update later this year.

Why is Sandy Bridge so impressive? Our friends over at The Next Web explain.

[via Macworld]