Out of all the computers in Apple’s linup, the MacBook Air has been the most neglected, and it’s seriously starting to get outdated. It’s been over four-hundred days since the last update, putting it squarely in the don’t buy category until the product gets updated. Year after year updates seem to be the norm from Apple throughout their product lines, so the MacBook Air is more than ready for an overhaul.
This time though, the device is being rumoured for a major overhaul. Currently the MacBook Air has a 13.3 inch screen, 2GB of memory and a 120GB SATA drive on the entry level model. According to DigiTimes, Apple might be getting ready to unleash an 11.6 inch model, with an i-Core chip, which would feature a slimmer and more light-weight design. Pundits would argue that an 11.6 inch screen would place the MacBook Air directly in the netbook category, despite Apple’s claims that they’re planning on avoiding the niche.
Patently Apple is speculating that the device could be the traditional tablet that everyone’s been talking about since the iPhone and iPad updates. If you remember, there were a lot of rumours swirling that Apple would be releasing both the iPad and a Tablet computer, and the latter would run a full OS X variant. I’m not ready to go all in on this iteration of the MacBook Air, but the concept is pretty enticing none the less.
The first Mac I personally purchased was a 12 inch G4 iBook. I bought it solely for the form factor, so I’m pretty intrigued by the smaller machines that Apple’s put out. If the 13 inch MacBook Pro would have been available during my last update period, I would have walked out of the store with one of those instead of the 15 inch model that I left with. A thin, slim, and powerful machine is something I covet.
What do you think? Is the MacBook Air in need of a major overhaul, and would Apple risk lagging sales if they just gave it a internal update? Do you think there’s a place for a full-fledged OS X Tablet in Apple’s lineup?
We’d love to know.
Article Via Patently Apple
Image Credit: Nik Fletcher
