What I want in a MacBook AIr

2013-05-05 • SEND FEEDBACK |
Related: laptop, MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro

I’ll be traveling soon, which I normally do by car, but this time it’s a plane and I’m not really looking forward to lugging my 15-inch MacBook Pro Retina along, in spite of how nice it is in actual use. Not for a short trip where I doubt I’ll be doing significant computer work.

At the same time, my past experience with the MacBook Air was acceptable but hardly inspiring, and I know I’ll really miss the quality of the Retina display. And I don’t like investing in expensive computers that can be used for very limited purposes.

So here’s why I’d hope to see Apple do in an updated MacBook Air:

• A 16GB memory option so I can use it for real work if need be. 12GB would be acceptable, but 8GB just doesn’t cut it.
• A CPU that performs within 25% of the speed of the MBP Retina.
• A Retina-grade screen which I can set to a somewhat higher resolution for more screen real estate.

The present 'Air model falls short in these areas. Given the cost, I want it over the performance hump for better value, particularly the screen as I don’t intend to ever buy a laptop again that lacks a Retina screen.

MacBook Pro Retina

Not as practical for airplane travel, but appealing for general use would be a 17-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display: 3840 pixels wide or 1920 pixel double, versus the current 2880/1440 screen in the 15-inch model. Add in a 32GB memory option and this would be an exciting prospect. Will it happen? Probably not—the 17" model of the MacBook Pro was never a big seller.