MacBook

Apple airs new ‘Stickers’ MacBook Air ad

Apple tonight aired a new commercial for its MacBook Air line called "Stickers." Interestingly enough, it doesn't talk about features or specs, or even show the laptop in use. Instead, it shows an Air being customized with various decals.

Apple says the ad, which features music from Hudson Mohawke, is a "celebration of all the many ways people love the MacBook Air." And it ends with a side view of the thin computer and a powerful tagline: "The notebook people love."

Launch of 12-inch Retina MacBook may be pushed back to 2015

Taiwan's Economic Daily News is reporting tonight that the launch of the 12-inch MacBook with Retina display may be pushed back due to Intel processor delays. The long-rumored hybrid laptop was expected to finally launch later this year.

The problem is, the new MacBook, said to strike a better balance of performance and portability, is believed to be tied to Intel's 14-nanometer Broadwell chips. These chips have been delayed several times, and now may not land until 2015...

Retina MacBook Air hits roadblocks as Intel’s Broadwell chips face new delays

It's hardly a secret that Apple is looking to phase out non-Retina models from its MacBook Pro lineup.

Furthermore, the expected switch to all-Retina notebooks should over time affect Apple's ultra-portable MacBook Air model, too.

I mean, even Apple's Taiwan-based suppliers have been adamant that a long-expected version of the MacBook Air with Apple's Retina display is due in the second half of 2014.

Unfortunately, it's now almost certain that a Retina MacBook Air won't see the light of day this year because the crucial components - Intel's next-generation, extremely low-power Broadwell chips - reportedly won't be available in volume until mid-2015...

Poll: which one’s a better buy – $1,099 iMac or MacBook Air?

Apple is taking some heat over its $200 cheaper baseline iMac, which released this morning. See, in order to bring the price down to an attractive $1.099, the iPhone maker has sadly skimped on the specs.

This $200 saving translates into half the hard drive storage and a slower Intel CPU/integrated graphics.

Specifically, the entry-level 21.5-incher packs basically the same dual-core 1.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor and integrated Intel HD Graphics 5000 as the MacBook Air family. And with recent MacBook Air price drops, choosing between the all-in-one and one of ultra-portable Airs is anything but trivial.

That's why I've created a quick poll, so we could learn from your opinion. Tell us which one, in your opinion, is a better buy: a $1,099 iMac or a $1,099 MacBook Air...

Apple could use new Intel chip to create a silent MacBook Air

Apple just refreshed its MacBook Air lineup a few months ago with faster Haswell dual-core processors, so it is safe to assume that the notebook series will not be updated for at least another several months. But when the Cupertino-based company does eventually release the next generation of MacBook Airs, it is more than possible that the new models could be completely silent… 

Apple launches updated MacBook Airs with faster processors for $100 less

As expected, Apple launched refreshed MacBook Air models this morning. There aren't any major changes, but the new laptops feature faster versions of Intel's Haswell processors and are priced at $100 less than their predecessors.

The updated models are currently available worldwide. Unsurprisingly, there's no sign of the rumored 12-inch MacBook Air with Retina display...

Refreshed MacBook Airs said to launch as early as next week

Apple last refreshed its ultra-thin MacBook Air family at the annual developers conference last June, adding Intel’s power efficient Haswell processors for all-day battery life, the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi networking, faster graphics and SSD, lower prices and more.

Now, we recently heard rumblings that Apple is going to refresh Airs soon with a small speed bump and now a French blog is citing reliable sources as claiming that updated ultra-portables are just around the corner, allegedly launching as early as next week...

A timeline of all the products Apple is rumored to launch this year

Apple is preparing to release a bevy of new products this year, according to a new research note from KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo. The highly regarded analyst has laid out a timeline of all the products Apple is rumored to launch in 2014, beginning in Q2 and going all the way through December.

Kuo sees Apple starting with an iMac refresh in late Q2, followed by upgrades to the iPad Air and iPad mini. He then sees the company introducing a new 4.7-inch iPhone and the oft-rumored iWatch in Q3, and closing out the year with a refreshed Apple TV, 5.5-inch iPhone and a 12" MacBook...

Apple rumored to launch 12-inch MacBook alongside MacBook Air refresh

According to a forum post made by a reputable user on the Chinese website WeiPhone, Apple could release a new 12-inch MacBook in the near future. The slim notebook is expected to be released without a fan, and will feature a redesigned trackpad and Retina display. The all-new trackpad will lack a mechanical button for tactile clicking, leaving multi-touch gestures as the sole method of input.

This is the same user that leaked the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display in the past, making this rumor slightly more credible. It also helps that well-connected KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo already predicted last October that Apple will be launching a 12-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display at some point this year. The notebook will combine portability and productivity into one… 

Twelve South unveils Rutledge BookBook case that gives your MacBook unique look

It's all too easy to get lost in a dizzying array of accessories for Apple devices, especially with too many companies rehashing same old ideas and doing the exact same thing. That's why my initial experience with Twelve South instantly made me a believer.

They've been crafting gorgeous, functional accessories exclusively for Apple products since 2009, prompting big media like Forbes to suggest that Apple should just buy them outright.

And not because of the profits, but due to Twelve South's thoughtful design which is often reminiscent of the utmost care that can be observed in every aspect of Apple's industrial design.

On Thursday, the Charleston, South Carolina firm launched the Rutledge BookBook, a new edition of its popular BookBook case for MacBooks, hand-distressed to give each one a slightly different appearance, so no two look exactly alike...

Apple said to phase out non-Retina model from MacBook Pro lineup

After reportedly making the decision to axe the iPad 2 "in the near future", now comes word that Apple's non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro model is next on the chopping block. If true, this would streamline the company's notebook offering after the non-Retina production winds down in the second half of 2014, in time for a refresh around Intel's forthcoming Broadwell processors.

The move would reduce the Mac notebook lineup to non-Retina MacBook Airs (which may or may not get a Retina treatment later this year) and all-Retina MacBook Pros, potentially leaving future MacBook Pro buyers without a built-in CD/DVD optical drive...

Poll: will Apple launch Retina MacBook Air in 2014?

After transitioning its MacBook Pros to high-resolution Retina screens, the ultra-portable MacBook Air - my favorite Apple notebook of all time - has remained hopelessly stuck in the past with that normal-resolution display. I don't want to trade portability for power, but non-Retina computing just doesn't cut it for me anymore, simple as that.

I guess you could say I'm ready to upgrade to a Retina MacBook Pro, unless - unless Apple brings out a Retina Air at some point this year. Of course, it's always easy to argue that a Retina-fied MacBook Air is going to remain wishful thinking until all the technological pieces have fallen in place. After all, aren't Retina screens known as power and GPU hogs?

Yes, but fourth-generation Intel Core processors have made some great strides in power efficiency and graphics performances, as evidenced by the mid-2013 MacBook Air refresh: these systems now rock up to twelve-hour battery on the 13.3-inch model, or nine hours for the 11.6-inch version.

The bigger problem: Retina needs a powerful backlighting to push more light between those densely-packed pixels, in turn requiring a larger battery inside the Air's already ultra-thin enclosure.

Me, I'm willing to sacrifice battery performance and be back at six hours of runtime in exchange for that ultra-sharp Retina screen. Which brings me to my question of the day: is Apple going to give the MacBook Air a Retina treatment this year, do you think?