Rumor: Apple to launch 15-inch MacBook Air in April, 'effectively killing the Pro'

Rumor: Apple to launch 15-inch MacBook Air in April, 'effectively killing the Pro'

Rumors of a larger 15-inch MacBook Air continue to surface, with the latest claim suggesting Apple is gearing up to launch a larger ultraportable notebook in April.

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Exactly what I was dreading the most...

Apple...what did you do...

MacDude121 said:

Exactly what I was dreading the most...

Apple...what did you do...

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Yea my thoughts too.. I'm new to Apple and glad i got the late 2011 Macbook Pro when i did but i was wanting to convert my wife later. Not to mention in 3 to 4 years when i want to upgrade. Sigh. Maybe it's just that , a rumor

*insert "you...what did you do?" rage comic face here*

wildweed said:

Yea my thoughts too.. I'm new to Apple and glad i got the late 2011 Macbook Pro when i did but i was wanting to convert my wife later. Not to mention in 3 to 4 years when i want to upgrade. Sigh. Maybe it's just that , a rumor

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I kinda doubt that it's "just a rumor" at this point. We've been hearing about it for months now, and with every little info leak it only seems more and more confirmed...

I'm not in the market for a new MacBook Pro anyway, but to see apple totally butcher their portable laptop line with this Air-Pro hybrid is not good news at all...

An Air with Soldered in RAM and a SSD that is not really replaceable except by some expensive special SSD from OWC is not a good thing. If Apple totally zaps the pro and makes them all Airs, they are killing off their pro market. Not enough ram, not even the slightest bit future proof, not enough ports.

To me the Air is a computer version of an iPad.

If Apple makes the Air as a separate computer and still keeps the 15" MBP, I will have no issues with it, but a replacement, no way!

dtravis7 said:

To me the Air is a computer version of an iPad.

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Funny you should say that, I actually said to a friend of mine just the other day "The MBA might as well be an iPad with a keyboard stuck to it"

Now the MacBook Pro is dead...I'm wonder if Tim Cook has something to do with this...

Well, if they totally Axe the MBP, Apple will cease to exist with anyone that wants more than an Internet tablet. Everyone says, but the cloud, you don't need power, just upload all your work to the cloud and work on it there! REally? Are you (Apple) going to pay the per month cost for enough Bandwidth to make that possible for me to do and not have to wait HOURS and hours for things to happen? I think you know the answer to that.

More evidence (rumor, whatever) that would lend credence to the theory that Apple is charting a course towards appliances and gadgets. I dislike it very much personally. Still, they are a company with shareholders and will ultimately do whatever increases margin, and therefore profit. Apple was nowhere relative to today until they got into gadgets. They are not in this to "do good", be a champion for the spurned geek or to further some altruistic leaning. Many things go this way eventually be it rock bands, politicians or quirky computer companies. Reminds me of how grunge music went from underground, to pop sensation money machine, to eventual footnote.

dtravis7 said:

Well, if they totally Axe the MBP, Apple will cease to exist with anyone that wants more than an Internet tablet. Everyone says, but the cloud, you don't need power, just upload all your work to the cloud and work on it there! REally? Are you (Apple) going to pay the per month cost for enough Bandwidth to make that possible for me to do and not have to wait HOURS and hours for things to happen? I think you know the answer to that.

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Well said and I agree

Apple is not going to kill the 15" MacBook Pro any time soon. Not. Gonna. Happen. That vendor is purely speculating as it is. If anything, I see the 13" MacBook Pro getting the axe since it's fairly anemic compared to the 15" and 17" models. In any event, Apple hasn't yet axed the 13" MacBook Pro despite having a 13" MacBook Air for how long now? And how long did it take them to axe the 13" white MacBook? Which was really replaced by the MacBook Air once they got the price down? If 13" models can coexist, surely 15" models can too.

lifeisabeach said:

Apple is not going to kill the 15" MacBook Pro any time soon. Not. Gonna. Happen. That vendor is purely speculating as it is. If anything, I see the 13" MacBook Pro getting the axe since it's fairly anemic compared to the 15" and 17" models. In any event, Apple hasn't yet axed the 13" MacBook Pro despite having a 13" MacBook Air for how long now? And how long did it take them to axe the 13" white MacBook? Which was really replaced by the MacBook Air once they got the price down? If 13" models can coexist, surely 15" models can too.

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I hope you're right.

Hopefully we'll find out soon. I'm itching for something new...

No body actually knows what is being released, let alone what the new specs are going to be. I''l wait before pulling my hair out. And lets not get too carried away by this, it's just all speculation based off someone's opinions.

Well Apple like to keep their product line small so I wouldn't be surprised.

I'm anticipating the next 15" MBP release to update my 4 yr old one. If Apple make it just like the Air, forget it. I'll just get an Oct 2011 model instead. Although, I seriously doubt Apple would do that.

I guess it just come down to the fact that more people would prefer to sacrifice an optical drive and a few ports and have a super thin, sexy and powerful machine.

I've got a 15" unibody and can't remember the last time I used the optical drive and have never used the Ethernet or FireWire.

If the 15" MBA does transpire provided it has an option for 8GB of ram I'll be first in the queue.

While there are a lot of people who really do not use their optical drives, there are also a lot of people who DO use them for various purposes. I am constantly burning something to an optical disk, from archiving household documents to sharing family movies. IF Apple drops the Pro line, I will go Hackintosh rather than get an Air. The Air line just does not cover my needs.

There are a whole lotta Mac users with needs similar to mine, and as such, I highly doubt Apple will get rid of their MacBook Pro line in response to the MacBook Air line. It does not makes sense. They already eliminated the MacBook - which used to be the low-end portable line. Now we have the Air and the Pro lines, where we used to have the MacBook and Pro line. Those whose need for ultra-portability overrides expandability and added function will buy the Air. Those who need the added abilities of the Pro line will buy a Pro. Everyone wins - including Apple and Apple's stock holders.

For that matter, I don't see a 15" Air. You get into that size, portability aspects diminish enough, one may as well get the Pro.