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Apple 'considering' 14-inch MacBook Air for Asia

updated 09:15 am EST, Wed February 29, 2012

Would be based on regional size demands


Apple is "considering" building a 14-inch MacBook Air, according to Digitimes. The site quotes "upstream supply chain" sources, who also suggest that Apple could start mass production of the new model in the near future. Apple's motivation is said to be breaking further into to the Asian notebook market.

The sources note that Apple has recently been turning its attention to the Asian market, and China in particular, where there's a lot of potential for sales growth. The issue is that 14-inch notebook models are believed to be unusually popular in Asia, having a 35 to 40 percent marketshare there versus just 20 to 25 percent worldwide. In the Western world, 15-inch systems are said to be more popular.

Outside of Asia though it's not clear what advantage a 14-inch Air would have. Apple already produces 11- and 13-inch models, and a 14-inch Air would straddle an unusual middle ground. It wouldn't be as cheap as its siblings, and it would be large enough that some buyers might consider going with a 15-inch MacBook Pro instead.


By Electronista Staff

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computers, MacBook Air, Apple

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  1. Jeronimo2000

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    +11
    02/29, 10:08am | report spam | reply

    Well, I doubt that

    For two reasons: Apple surely won't make a completely new model just for one geographic region. These times are over since the Performa days, it just doesn't make sense.

    Then: what's the difference between 13.3" (current MBA) and 14.0"? Right. Next to nothing. I very well see Apple doing a 15" MBA (or MacBook Pro minus the drive, plus more storage space and graphics power), but I declare this 14" MBA wholeheartedly as bogus.


  1. climacs

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Sep 2001

    +6
    02/29, 10:18am | report spam | reply

    i agree

    this makes no sense whatsoever.


  1. RoboBobo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 2011

    -1
    02/29, 11:06am | report spam | (2 replies) | reply

    reread the article, think about it again

    It made no sense to you that an iPad would be released because its just a large 'iPod Touch'.

    Turns out though, it makes a lot of sense.

    Now we have the same thing - it can't be happening because it hasn't happened in the past, or so far.

    The article already states exactly why Apple is considering the move.

    Look when you shop on the Apple store and look at a 15" model and a 17" model - you, like me, like everyone considers those to be 2 different models.

    You don't go, you know what - 15" is close to 17", I"m going to look at the 15" models and just declare them to be effectively the same size. Whah??? Do you???

    C'mon, if Apple doesn't have a 14" model, then when people shop for a 14" notebook - Apple doesn't have an entry. Like it or hate it - just don't go into fantasy mode where you try to explain it away.

    I personally don't need a 14" model, especially if Apple is going to redo the Macbook Pro line of 15" models to be closer in design to the Air.

    But, nothing wrong with another model.


  1. malax

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2006

    +3
    02/29, 11:10am | report spam | reply

    Think Different

    There's a new boss at Apple. The Asian market is bigger than it's ever been. Apple had a MacBook model just for education and China is bigger than "education." The PowerBook 2400c was essentially a PowerBook for Japan (not that it was a big success).

    For those reasons I'm willing to give this rumor the benefit of the doubt--that Apple is "considering" this. If it's true that--for reasons that escape me--14" is a sweet spot for the Asian market and just a "tweener" here in the West, then Apple be foolish NOT to consider it.


  1. Jeronimo2000

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    +3
    02/29, 11:29am | report spam | reply

    @RoboBobo

    Please don't put words in my mouth:

    "It made no sense to you that an iPad would be released because its just a large 'iPod Touch'."

    I never said that.

    "you, like me, like everyone considers those to be 2 different models."

    No. I think it's the same product, available in two different sizes.

    "You don't go, you know what - 15" is close to 17", I"m going to look at the 15" models and just declare them to be effectively the same size. Whah??? Do you???"

    No Sir, and please stop pretending to "know" what I think or not think.

    15" and 17" is a visible difference. 13.3" and 14" is not. Period.


  1. Jeronimo2000

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    +5
    02/29, 11:36am | report spam | (1 reply) | reply

    @Timex

    "There's a new boss at Apple" - no there isn't. Tim Cook has effectively been running Apple longer than most people think.


  1. Grendelmon

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Dec 2007

    -2
    02/29, 11:41am | report spam | reply

    And so it begins...

    ...the rebirth of the Performa series in the 21st century. The simplified product matrix is sooooooo 20th century.


  1. anthology123

    Dedicated MacNNer

    Joined: Nov 2000

    -4
    02/29, 01:02pm | report spam | reply

    Apple back to their old ways?

    So now that Steve Jobs is gone, Apple heads back to the old model of the days when they were LOSING money? That would be too bad if that were the case, maybe the ship has sailed for Apple.


  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -1
    02/29, 01:30pm | report spam | reply

    OMG people

    You all need to stick your heads between your knees and take a couple of deep breaths. A rumor of Apple just considering a 14" MacBook air and you've got apple making 600 different computers! Chill out, geesh. The way you all act, if Apple does anything that varies at all from anything that steve jobs instituted, they'll be going under in 2 years.

    And there's nothing that says they couldn't just dump the 13" for the 14". Gee, problem solved, your precious matrix saved.

    BTW, the days of 50 different Mac models hasn't changed. All they were is different variations of just a few models of Mac. No different than the 50 different variations of MacBook Pro you can get now ("do I want the one with the 8 GB of RAM or 4 GB, solid state or hard drive, matte or glossy screen...."). The only difference is you configure it rather than seeing the configurations Apple chose. And even then, you're still limited to what Apple decides you can do (for example, you can't say 'no' to the cd drive and replace it with another hard drive).


  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -4
    02/29, 01:39pm | report spam | reply

    Re: And so it begins...

    ...the rebirth of the Performa series in the 21st century. The simplified product matrix is sooooooo 20th century.

    There was no simplified product matrix. You had the '4 boxes', which were just main categories. In each box was 3-6 sub categories (mostly based on processor speed and screen size, because we know that if you need a faster processor, you need a larger screen - it's only logical). And that was when the laptops had a 'consumer' and 'pro' version.

    Now you've got 2 main categories, I guess (desktop or laptop), broken out into separate sub categories (or 5 main categories, if you don't like the top line) of MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, mini, MacPro. The desktop side is 'simple, because you just have the choice of "cheap computer with no frills", "all-in-one computer" or "big, heavy, expensive, 2-year-old technology monster". Going in you can at least start with the sub-category, and then spend your time trying to figure out what model you want.

    There's nothing simplified about the laptop side. You still have to figure out whether you want the air or pro (for most people, they won't even know what the difference is), wonder why the air isn't a pro machine (oh, wait, it is?), figure out screen size, then go "Wait, it costs $2k just for 17" screen? Seriously?" and decide to go smaller not because they want to, but because Apple has decided that big screens make no sense for lower-end computers.

    So it might be easier than, say, Dell, but that doesn't mean its easy.


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