[sartor]

I've been waiting for the Macbook to get an overall redesign or facelift of it's form factor. But lately, I thought the Macbook Air could in fact BE the new redesign for the Macbook! In otherwords.. there will NOT be another MacBook redesign from what we know it now. It might get a faster CPU/Dvd drive/ more memory etc, but the form factor will stay the same!

Eventually, prices will fall on the Air, and the Macbook high end will drop way down in price - to the point where it's the low end MacBook.. with the Air models being the 2 upper tier Macbooks...

Discuss!

Try not to flame this newbie too much! Thanks! ;-)

[Simon]

The MBA is not and won't be a replacement for the MB.

The MB form factor will stay around for quite another while (the aluminum design of the pros is now in its fifth year).

[Andhee]

Originally Posted by Simon 

The MBA is not and won't be a replacement for the MB.

The MB form factor will stay around for quite another while (the aluminum design of the pros is now in its fifth year).

I agree completely.

[k squared]

Originally Posted by Simon 

The MBA is not and won't be a replacement for the MB.

The MB form factor will stay around for quite another while (the aluminum design of the pros is now in its fifth year).

The form factor may stay around, but Apple's going to transition away from plastic cases. It will be interesting to see how they separate the MB and MBP design wise.

[mduell]

I don't see the MB or MBA (or MBP) prices falling in the next couple years.

[hedmisten]

I'm not sure that I see them going away from the plastic cases. I think that Apple knows that Macbooks and MBP are a good thing, and they will not change them up very much for now. The Air will also stay high in price until the demand goes down. I personally went with the macbook because of its plastic case, especially since i'm not crazy about the aluminum cases.

.02

[turtle777]

Apple can't just kill the MBP line.

The power users need the features and ports, neither which are available for the MBA.
And you still need an entry line for students and home users.

I don't see Apple reducing it to two lines but keeping it at three.

-t

[doolally]

I think the MBP design is almost perfect and would hate to see them try and make it lighter or mess with how sturdy it feels.

The MacBook just don't feel very well built, plus there's the issue of warm polycarbonate plastic off-gassing into my groin (okay, I guess, if you don't want to have kids ). My 2001 iBook feels more sturdy than the MacBooks.

[k squared]

Originally Posted by hedmisten 

I'm not sure that I see them going away from the plastic cases. I think that Apple knows that Macbooks and MBP are a good thing, and they will not change them up very much for now. The Air will also stay high in price until the demand goes down. I personally went with the macbook because of its plastic case, especially since i'm not crazy about the aluminum cases.

.02

The plastic will be going away because of the company's green push: plastic is petroleum based. Just look at where they are trending: iPods, nanos, shuffles, and iMacs are metal based now.

Look for Apple to lead the way with this. It might not be metal...but it won't be plastic. Composites, maybe.

[Big Mac]

Plus the MacBooks just look cheap at this point, IMO. Cheaper than my Inspiron. Cheaper than my clamshell even. But the MBA? It will remain a niche product.

[k squared]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

Plus the MacBooks just look cheap at this point, IMO. Cheaper than my Inspiron. Cheaper than my clamshell even. But the MBA? It will remain a niche product.

I think the white ones look cheap, but the black MB still looks good. There's cheap plastic, and then there's cheap plastic -- Apple always uses quality plastic, imo.

[Pierre B.]

Originally Posted by Simon 

(the aluminum design of the pros is now in its fifth year).

To be more precise, it is five years and two months old, so this is the beginning of its sixth year, something without precedent.

[doolally]

Originally Posted by k squared 

I think the white ones look cheap, but the black MB still looks good. There's cheap plastic, and then there's cheap plastic -- Apple always uses quality plastic, imo.

Yeah, but it's just not sustainable. Even S0NY uses bioplastic (derived from corn and a plant called kenaf) to make the Walkman out of. Petroluem-based plastic is deadly on so many levels - economic, health, disposal - that we need to get off it.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by Pierre B. 

To be more precise, it is five years and two months old, so this is the beginning of its sixth year, something without precedent.

You're absolutely right! The design was actually launched with the 12" and 17" PB which appeared a generation before the 15" went aluminum; IOW it's from January 2003 rather than September 2003. That's over five years. Amazing!

[analogika]

Edit: I read bad.

[Eriamjh]

I expect new, thinner, MB and MBP designs in aluminum in the next 6 months. However, I don't think they will resemble the MBA in curves as it is wasteful of space.

[tridentinecanon]

Originally Posted by k squared 

Look for Apple to lead the way with this. It might not be metal...but it won't be plastic. Composites, maybe.

The trash cans at my local post office say they are made with recycled newspaper (although they are as hard as polymer). I'm not a save the planet guru, but I thought that was pretty neat. Perhaps it would be cheaper than recycled metals.

[k squared]

Originally Posted by tridentinecanon 

The trash cans at my local post office say they are made with recycled newspaper (although they are as hard as polymer). I'm not a save the planet guru, but I thought that was pretty neat. Perhaps it would be cheaper than recycled metals.

It's not so much "save the planet." I can't say for certain, but with the rise of petroleum prices, there has to be a tipping pointing for plastic produced products. Not only does it makes products more expensive to produce, it will raise prices for consumers too.