It’s long been assumed that Apple is getting ready to refresh the MacBook Air lineup again, with reports ranging from faster machines to the introduction of a new 15-inch version of the MacBook Air. You can now add a 14-inch version of the Air to the rumor mix. Digitimes, citing their usual sources, has reported that Apple is considering a 14-inch MacBook Air for the Chinese PC market.
Digitimes on the 14-inch MacBook Air:
Currently, 14-inch panels are the mainstream specification of the Asia notebook market, while consumers in Western countries prefer 15-inch models. In the global market, 14-inch models have an about 20-25% market share, but in Asia, the market share is about 35-40%, an indication of Asia consumers’ fondness for 14-inch models, the sources noted.
What’s not certain from the report is whether a 14-inch MacBook Air would be released in both China and globally at the same time, or whether the 14-inch Air would just be available in the Asian PC market. 14-inches seems like a weird number, given that Apple has worked with 11, 13, 15, and 17-inch versions of its laptop computers in the past. Does one inch really matter all that much? I mean, if you were heading out to buy a laptop, would the difference between a 13-inch computer or a 14-inch computer really sway your decision all that much? I don’t think it would.
My gut tells me this is a load, but then again, I’ve never been to China.
