An Improved MacBook Air Could Debut as Early As Next Week 15
An anonymous reader shares a report: Apple hasn't really touched the current MacBook Air design since its 2018 debut unless you count the addition of True Tone, but it might be close to a substantial update. A MacRumors source with a largely positive track record has claimed that a refreshed MacBook Air will launch sometime the week of March 16th. It's not certain what that tweak would entail, but it's safe to presume Apple would use the more reliable, better-feeling scissor switch keyboard it introduced with the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Seems unlikely (Score:2)
Given the disrupted supply chains from and within China, I'd be surprised if Apple would release a new computer now. Other companies may release new products just because they need the money, but Apple doesn't.
Although: if we have a short-term laptop buying spree due to work/school/socializing from home, and if Apple stopped taking shipments of the old models and retooled to the new models, they may need to release the new one or else they soon won't have anything to sell...
Re:Seems unlikely (Score:4, Insightful)
Given the disrupted supply chains from and within China, I'd be surprised if Apple would release a new computer now.
If they are releasing now, the laptops are already made. Components were ordered months ago, before anyone heard of COVID. The final assembly is done in Shenzhen where many factories are open. There are staffing shortages from workers unable to return from Hubei, but that is manageable.
Re: (Score:3)
Work or see a total loss of social credit "manageable"?
The government is preventing people from traveling between Hubei and Guangdong. So I don't think they are going to lower anyone's score for following orders.
If you mean people being "forced" to work extra hours, you should stop trying to project your perspective onto people you know nothing about. The workers in the factories of Shenzhen are mostly migrant workers from inland provinces separated from the families. Many are women who left children behind to be raised by their grandparents. Their goal is no
Disrupted does not mean stopped (Score:2)
Even before production was just reduced, not stopped - they could well have stock they have been building up.
With no WWDC this year and cancelling other announcement events, it could be that some products are just released as soon as Apple thinks they have sufficient stock on hand, instead of in a more controlled manner.
You are probably right that there will be a short term run on laptops, but Apple will probably have a steady if reduced flow of them coming in...
Re: (Score:2)
11" or smaller (Score:3)
With any luck they will put a small (11 or less) device and I'll replace my really old 11" Air.
It's the perfect size for modern traveling I can open it and work even in economy class flying, and economy sux big time.
Re: 11" or smaller (Score:2)
You could use a 13" device in the same situation if Apple only had the courage to reduce the stupid bezels down, like Dell did years ago on the XPS.
Comes with.. (Score:1)
I wish they'd re-introduce the 11" model. (Score:2)
I'd buy it if it has a Retina display and at least 8 hours of battery life. The only reason why I didn't buy the previous 11" model is because it didn't have Retina. My "beefy" compute is all either in the cloud or in my garage nowadays, anyway.
If I were in the market right this summer (Score:3)
I'd almost certainly buy an Air with the new keyboard rather than a MacBook Pro with the new keyboard. I don't care as much about the CPU (they're all overpowered for what I need anyway), and the old advantages of the Pro - lots of different, useable ports, plus the only retina display option - no longer exist. Might as well get the weight (and money) savings.
Re: (Score:2)
I have two 2011 model Airs which run High Sierra and will probably stop receiving security updates this year. I've tried the available workarounds to run the newer MacOS versions on them and prefer something which just works out of the box with no hackery. One of them, I keep at work, and only occasionally use, so I replaced it with the latest model inexpensive Chromebook I could find. The Chromebook gets the job done but feels extremely flimsy. I'll probably get a new 13" Air for use at home, since that on
Escape Key (Score:2)
I hope they fixed the missing Escape Key bug.
There is no chance that I would buy a laptop without an escape key.
I suppose the easy solution is relocate the Tilda key functionality ( backquote move to Option quote, and Tilda move to open hyphen).
Then put the Escape key where the Tilda key was.