9to5 Mac has an article about the next MacBook Air sku, 12in, shuns USB, SD slot, etc

[vi edit]

No full size USB is lame as hell. Apple is developing an eating disorder and getting anorexic with it's devices. The current air is plenty thin. The previous iphone and last years ipad air were plenty thin. The reduction in size has ended up costing them battery life. Not a worthwhile trade off.

 

[amyklai]

That thinness fixation is getting stupid imo.

It would be a much better idea to reduce the bezel size like Dell did with the XPS 13, but keep the SD Card Reader and normal USB ports.

 

[Eug]

I'd prefer having two USB ports with one being regular sized, but I'd be happy enough with two Type C ports too.

I'd be somewhat unhappy with just one port though, unless there was a separate charging port.

 

[JavaMomma]

I wouldn't be surprised if they switched to USB Type C Ports from standard USB
I wouldn't be surprised if MagSafe got dropped in favour of charging through Thunderbolt/USB 3.1
I would be a bit surprised if they dropped Thunderbolt, especially if they wait for Skylake and Thunderbolt 3 - 40GB, 5K support

Don't like the squished keyboard, don't like the clickless trackpad, don't like the lack of ports.
I'd like 1 thunderbolt 3 port, 2 USB 3.1 ports, headphone jack.

 

[Eug]

Will Skylake U get Thunderbolt 3 though?

 

[Rakehellion]

Who do they design these laptops for? Are people that weak and feeble they cannot carry the current MB Airs? Time to ease up on the "slimmer at all costs" philosophy and focus more on features and performance IMO.

You want a MacBook Pro then.

 

[JavaMomma]

Will Skylake U get Thunderbolt 3 though?

Good question, hope so.

 

[redheeler]

No full size USB is lame as hell. Apple is developing an eating disorder and getting anorexic with it's devices. The current air is plenty thin. The previous iphone and last years ipad air were plenty thin. The reduction in size has ended up costing them battery life. Not a worthwhile trade off.

That problem can easily be solved with an adapter. Getting rid of Thunderbolt would be much, much worse.

 

[vi edit]

That problem can easily be solved with an adapter. Getting rid of Thunderbolt would be much, much worse.

I don't know a single person that uses thunderbolt. But I do know dozens that use a USB mouse, or a wireless mouse with an RF nub that plugs into USB. Or an external optical drive. Or their USB cable from a camera which by the way is even more important now that they are killing off an SD card. Or a flash drive. Or whatever other device they may want to use.

I don't want an adapter for adding on additional devices. Especially when it's done for the silly sake of shaving off another MM or two of thickness. I use the two USB ports on my MBA quite frequently, and the SD card for that matter. I don't want or need thinner for something that is already incredibly portable.

 

[Eug]

I would use that port, but mainly for an external screen. I suppose if USB 3.1 allowed this support, then it's moot then.

Also, Thunderbolt does have target disk mode. This is an advantage when troubleshooting. In my case however, I use Firewire to accomplish this.

 

[Zaap]

That thinness fixation is getting stupid imo.

This.

Who exactly has been sitting around going, "Gee, I sure wish this ultra-thin laptop didn't have USB ports or any form of I/O on it! That'll save me about .0001 oz of weight to lug around with my increasingly meager arm muscles... except for the added 2oz of clunky adapters I'll now need to lug around..."

Is the leprechaun demographic that Apple seems to cater to really that big a market force?

 

[Eug]

This.

Who exactly has been sitting around going, "Gee, I sure wish this ultra-thin laptop didn't have USB ports or any form of I/O on it! That'll save me about .0001 oz of weight to lug around with my increasingly meager arm muscles... except for the added 2oz of clunky adapters I'll now need to lug around..."

Is the leprechaun demographic that Apple seems to cater to really that big a market force?

I guess you'd be surprised to find out just how many people want smaller laptops. I myself am one of them.

Actually, I'm more of a MBP guy, but I find the current models too heavy, and my old 2009 an absolute brick.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I guess you'd be surprised to find out just how many people want smaller laptops. I myself am one of them.

Actually, I'm more of a MBP guy, but I find the current models too heavy, and my old 2009 an absolute brick.

Work out more.

 

[Zaap]

I guess you'd be surprised to find out just how many people want smaller laptops.

Smaller at the expense of the incredible "weight" of USB ports? Uh, no.

Like I said, that would be the leprechaun demographic.

 

[Eug]

Smaller at the expense of the incredible "weight" of USB ports? Uh, no.

Like I said, that would be the leprechaun demographic.

Of course, it's not the weight of the USB ports, but the thickness required to support certain ports. A thicker laptop means a heavier device.

Like I said before, while I'd prefer Apple keeping rectangular USB ports, it's definitely not a deal killer for me, esp. when USB 3.1 does offer distinct advantages over USB 3.0.

BTW, the exact same arguments were made when Apple dropped VGA. Now, nobody cares, esp. since you can still output VGA even today. Also, the exact same arguments were made when Apple dropped Ethernet. Now, nobody cares, esp since you can still plug in Ethernet even today.

 

[Essence_of_War]

Actually, I'm more of a MBP guy, but I find the current models too heavy, and my old 2009 an absolute brick.

Too heavy for what?

 

[Eug]

Too heavy for what?

Too heavy for my preference, for carrying around. Thus, my 4.5 lb laptop stays home. However, I even find my 3.x lb laptop heavier than I'd like.

 

[Essence_of_War]

Really? I don't carry a laptop normally, but it seems like almost all of my friends have either 13'' or 15'' rmbp's and whenever I ask they rave about how light and portable they are.

Obviously whether or not something is "too heavy for X" is a matter of personal taste, I'm honestly surprised that your opinion is so different from everyone else that I've asked.

 

[Eug]

I am a girly man. See my avatar.

Seriously though, I only have light needs for a laptop, since I can do my email and calendar stuff on my phone. So it'd better be pretty damn light for me to justify carrying it.

Also, I've noticed a lot of my colleagues drifting toward the MacBook Air, specifically because of their lower weight. These are people who would have no problem spending the money on a Pro, but they want something smaller and lighter. One person who didn't get an Air ended up getting a Lenovo ultrabook.

I won't get a current Air because I don't like the screens and the ppi choices on the Airs, but I want something as light as them, but in a Mac.

This is why I'm very interested in what that rumoured 12" MacBook will be. My biggest worry actually is not the type of the USB ports but:

1) Reduced size keyboard
2) Clickless trackpad

USB 3.1 Type C with no Type A is a mild annoyance, but not a deal killer for me.

 

[vi edit]

My Surface Pro 3(without the keyboard) is not quite half the weight of a MacBook air and still manages to fit in a full size USB port. If they had really wanted, they could have made it a full size SD slot instead of a micro. Plus it's got a display port plug too.

It can be done if they really wanted to.

 

[Essence_of_War]

Also, I've noticed a lot of my colleagues drifting toward the MacBook Air, specifically because of their lower weight. These are people who would have no problem spending the money on a Pro, but they want something smaller and lighter. One person who didn't get an Air ended up getting a Lenovo ultrabook.

Interesting! I'd be curious to see if I see similar trends develop!

I won't get a current Air because I don't like the screens and the ppi choices on the Airs, but I want something as light as them, but in a Mac.

From just occasionally playing with a 13'' air and a 13'' rmbp, you can really tell the difference in pixel density/quality.

 

[Eug]

My Surface Pro 3(without the keyboard) is not quite half the weight of a MacBook air and still manages to fit in a full size USB port. If they had really wanted, they could have made it a full size SD slot instead of a micro. Plus it's got a display port plug too.

It can be done if they really wanted to.

No disagreement from me there. Sometimes I think they do these things just to generate publicity.

I'm not saying I necessarily agree with it. I'm just saying that Apple might actually do it, and then 2 years later people won't complain about it anymore.

 

[Zaap]

Of course, it's not the weight of the USB ports, but the thickness required to support certain ports. A thicker laptop means a heavier device.

Like I said before, while I'd prefer Apple keeping rectangular USB ports, it's definitely not a deal killer for me, esp. when USB 3.1 does offer distinct advantages over USB 3.0.

BTW, the exact same arguments were made when Apple dropped VGA. Now, nobody cares, esp. since you can still output VGA even today. Also, the exact same arguments were made when Apple dropped Ethernet. Now, nobody cares, esp since you can still plug in Ethernet even today.

As gone over, the thickness required to support a USB port adds virtually no weight difference.

VGA is an old standard, but getting rid of HDMI and TB on the pro would be steps back.

Personally I hate that my rMBP lacks Ethernet built in. It just means having to have a clunky TB adapter to use it at work and home. I just leave the adapters at both locations, but still it's annoying. It wastes a TB port- if I had to also adapt some other lesser standard to the other TB port then eventually one has to ask what's the freaking point in having this newer standard if all its going to be is an adapter for another lesser one thats missing?

Having to have USB devices tethered to some dumb adapter would be doubly stupid, and yet again a waste of whatever ports being used to adapt it.

I don't see what's so great about a 'thin' laptop that has to have multiple clunky I/O wasting adapters tethered off it just to have function back that should be there in the first place.

That people eventually don't care about things being dumbed down to the point of lesser function isn't really a great reason for accepting it in my opinion.

 

[suklee]

Too heavy for my preference, for carrying around. Thus, my 4.5 lb laptop stays home. However, I even find my 3.x lb laptop heavier than I'd like.

Ditto, my 13" 2009 MBP is also a brick for me. I have a bad back, carrying it around for a full day is a big drain. A 11" MBA (or a light comparable PC laptop) would suit me much better. Weight is the same reason I picked the iPad mini over the Air, I can't see myself going back to the 9.7" version unless they discontinue the mini.

 

[Eug]

Quanta ramping production of 12-inch MacBook Air, say supply chain sources

Taiwan-based ODM Quanta Computer has begun volume production of the new 12-inch MacBook Air, paving the way for Apple to launch the device in the first quarter of 2015, according to sources at Taiwan-based supply chain.

Quanta has stepped up efforts to recruit more workers in order to ramp up the production, revealed the sources.

Since Quanta has also landed orders for production of Apple Watch, Quanta plans to hire an additional of 30,000 workers in the first quarter of 2015, which is unusual and also difficult due to the approach of the traditional Lunar New Year holidays, said the sources.

The new MacBook Air, which is expected to come with a 12-inch Retina screen, is likely to replace the existing 11-inch MacBook Air, while the 13-inch MacBook Air will continue running, the sources disclosed.

Quanta declined to comment about its clients or orders.

DigiTimes is not a reliable source. Nonetheless I found it interesting they claim Apple will keep the 13" Air around. Plus, 30000 more workers?!?