Apple Said to Be Considering 14-inch MacBook Air

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A new MacBook Air for a market that's crazy for 14-inch notebooks.

The Apple rumor mill has mostly focused on the iPad as of late. If it hasn't been churning out report after report on the iPad 3, it's been chugging along on news of the Apple TV. However, today brings an Apple rumor of a different breed. According to Digitimes sources, Cupertino could be considering a 14-inch version of its super-skinny MacBook Air laptop.

Digitimes cites sources from the upstream supply chain that say Apple is considering launching a 14-inch MacBook Air and may start mass production on the device in the near future. Apple already has a 13-inch MacBook Air, so you wouldn't be alone in thinking a 14-inch model sounds a bit redundant and therefore unlikely.

According to Digitimes sources, 14-inch panels are currently the mainstream specification for the Asian notebook market. While 15-inch notebooks are the norm in Western countries, 14-inch models have as much as 40 percent of the market share in Asia (this is compared to 20-25 percent in Western countries). Sources say Apple focuses heavily on the American and European markets but is currently shifting to move some of that attention to China.

We're not entirely convinced Apple would consider the above enough of a reason to launch a new breed of MacBook Air (the company has always done things its own way, after all), but anything is possible. The most recent rumors say that the MacBook Air line (along with the MacBook Pro) will be updated next month, so we don't have long to wait to find out if there's any truth to this rumor.

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Jane McEntegart
23 Comments Comment from the forums
  • whyso
    get rid of the bezel
    Reply
  • joytech22
    I don't know why they are considering to do that but anyway..

    Honestly I plan on getting a Mac sometime.

    No, I'm not a fanboy or anything I just want to try something new for once. I have like 10 freaking PC's (Some built out of spare parts and soon to have my Raspberry Pi delivered in like 2 weeks) and I just want some variety.
    I mean sure, I love Windows because it's universal and it just does everything, but I want to see what other platforms are like and that's just me.

    As someone who truly loves technology, I want to experience it all first hand. I own three Android devices, a bunch of PC's and Laptops, old windows mobile devices etc.. I don't care if it's Apple branded or whatever. I just want to try it out.

    And no, I'm not building a Hackintosh because I don't have any components in this house that are compatible with the builds.
    Reply
  • rocknrollz

    If there is money in it for Apple, of course they would. The 40% share in the Asian market sounds like the 14 inch would be a good hit in the country. And honestly, I think it would be a good hit in the U.S. too.
    Reply
  • rocknrollz
    @joytech22

    You say you have no parts to build a hackintosh, yet you are willing to buy a Mac? I honestly think you could get 10 times your moneys worth by building your own comp that you would spend on the Mac and just make it a hackintosh.
    Reply
  • Anomalyx
    RockNRollzIf there is money in it for Apple, of course they would. The 40% share in the Asian market sounds like the 14 inch would be a good hit in the country. And honestly, I think it would be a good hit in the U.S. too.You forgot that everyone with a 13" Air will run out to buy the 14" Air, just because it's a new product by Apple that they "can't" live without.
    Reply
  • rocknrollz
    AnomalyxYou forgot that everyone with a 13" Air will run out to buy the 14" Air, just because it's a new product by Apple that they "can't" live without.
    As much as I would hate to admit to the truth (haha) I know. When I saw the article, I too was to blame and dusted off my 13 inch to see about an exchange.lol All joking aside, I can definetly see where the temptation would kick in to upgrade an inch. As I love my Air, but 13 inches is just too small for me, and it wasn't until a few months ago I found this out. The other sizes are just too big and expensive for my lifestyle. Reason why I think the 14-inch Air would be a nice idea for Apple to consider.
    Reply
  • Ragnar-Kon
    Might sound strange, but I would never buy a Apple desktop, but at the same time would never buy a non-Apple laptop. All of my desktops are self-built Linux/Windows machines, and all of my laptops are Macs.

    As a Mac laptop user, I think a 14" Macbook Air would be a hit. I personally wouldn't buy it because I pretty much need a CD/DVD drive, but I can see it selling well.
    Reply
  • del35
    I am sure my dog will love a 14 inch Mac book Air. A great idea indeed.
    Reply
  • burnley14
    whysoget rid of the bezelThis is the best idea. Keep the tried-and-true 13" chassis, just get rid of most of the bezel surrounding the screen and voila, 14".
    Reply
  • frostyfireball
    joytech22I don't know why they are considering to do that but anyway...

    Honestly I plan on getting a Mac sometime.

    No, I'm not a fanboy or anything I just want to try something new for once. I have like 10 freaking PC's (Some built out of spare parts and soon to have my Raspberry Pi delivered in like 2 weeks) and I just want some variety.
    I mean sure, I love Windows because it's universal and it just does everything, but I want to see what other platforms are like and that's just me.

    As someone who truly loves technology, I want to experience it all first hand. I own three Android devices, a bunch of PC's and Laptops, old windows mobile devices etc.. I don't care if it's Apple branded or whatever. I just want to try it out.

    And no, I'm not building a Hackintosh because I don't have any components in this house that are compatible with the builds.
    It's kinda sad that that you have to say upfront that you aren't a fanboy for wanting an Apple so you don't get downvoted by the haters...

    And you won't regret it, especially if you buy it for more casual use so it isn't important for x y and z windows only program to exist.

    I bought my first Mac (11" Air) in september, it's a great machine overall for sure; refreshingly different than Windows in many ways and has been rather stable. For the most part it behaves nicely with my otherwise Windows 7 household too which is nice.

    Personally I wouldn't even consider a hackintosh if you seriously want to experience OSX and the Apple ecosystem, it isn't at all the same. Half of the experience is in the hardware itself, from the amazingly solid design to the outstanding touchpad and everything in between. Not to mention Windows is simply better on a desktop for all sorts of reasons, so your better off with a Windows desktop anyway. Of course I kinda sound like a fanboy saying that... but it's true.

    If you have any interest in the Air, go for the 13" over the 11"; the battery life is nearly an hour better on average and it is more predictable. The battery life I get ranges from 1.5-7 hours depending on the workload, the 13 gets roughly 2.5-8.
    Reply