air update?

[iMacmatician]

Honestly, I'm not sure where this belief that only a CPU upgrade is worthy of being termed an update,

Since the Intel transition, there have been no updates that have not involved some sort of CPU bump (if I've missed any let me know). Furthermore, there have only been a few updates that involve only bumps in the existing CPU range (not, say, Merom to Penryn or Q1 2009 Penryn to Q2 2009 Penryn). The MacBook Air is using both Penryn LV CPUs right now, so such a bump is unlikely.

and that Apple's marketing is immovably welded to Intel's roadmap, came from.

There aren't many updates that don't follow Intel's schedule. Besides the Mac mini (which is far behind anyway), the Mid 2007 MacBooks and 2008 iMacs (and 2007/2009 Mac Pros in a way) are the ones I can think of.

It's a bit ridiculous to be honest. There's plenty of stuff they could improve on the MBA without much perspiration.

It's true that the CPU isn't the only component that can be updated, and isn't the main component that can be updated either (I was saying something like this before the MacBook Pro updates). But most of the time, update dates revolve around CPU update dates, and that is why I'm saying H1 2010 for the next update.

 

[Tallest Skil]

Honestly, I'm not sure where this belief that only a CPU upgrade is worthy of being termed an update, and that Apple's marketing is immovably welded to Intel's roadmap, came from.

Maybe because Apple hasn't done computer updates without changing the CPU since 2003.

Other than that.

 

[Veinticinco]

Maybe because Apple hasn't done computer updates without changing the CPU since 2003.

Other than that.

Crossed wires and semantics here perhaps, in that I don't consider a speed bump to be an entirely new chip, as you seemed to be suggesting earlier. We were discussing generational architectural changes here, along with the litany of codenames we are forced to suffer.

My point remains there's an awful lot of components that can be upgraded in the MBA, ostensibly in the next 3 months, that would help reposition it as the forefront of what Apple laptops are capable of. Right now it's lagging behind. And in view of that, I think that for Apple to hold back any MBA update until Arrandale chips are with us sometime next year, would be a very big mistake. One I don't think they'll make.

 

[GeekGirl*]

I really think the Air will never see a D update. I think it has had its life span and with all the lines the problems will never be corrected.