OS X Yosemite to Launch in Late October, 12-inch Retina MacBook and 4K Desktop in the Works

[Mtmspa]

I had someone (not an Apple guy) suggest to me that with the new Mac Pro, I could finally buy a Mac that would be decent for gaming. I pointed out that buying a Mac Pro for primarily gaming purposes would be like buying an M1 Abrams and an Apache helicopter and then training a whole team of Navy Seals to hold up a gas station in rural Kansas.

Overkill. It would be overkill, is what I’m saying.

Not sure why your post reminded me of that. I guess every time somone makes an equivalency statement between Mac Pros and gaming machines that conversation comes to mind.

Overkill? So the Seals kill the gas station attendants in your analogy? #

 

[smithrh]

Read this.

Delays, delays, delays.

Last time delays like that happened to Apple, we got a new chipset vendor...

 

[Reds622]

Before this would make any sense, the usability issues would have to be resolved.

Convertibles have been around for a long time on other OSs but have not yet taken off.

I guess the problem is, when in laptop mode you want software and designed for keyboard and pointer. When in tablet mode you want software designed for a touch interface.

For a seamless experience, you'd want the software you're running to seamlessly switch from one UX to the other... I guess when you plug in or unplug the keyboard (?) I guess Apple is just now putting the foundation for this in place with the iOS/OS X integration features they are adding in iOS 8 and Yosemite. But they would need to go much further. And, of course, all the app developers would as well.

I support there are also hardware tradeoffs, too, to make a single device that can switch from one mode to the other.

So a good convertible seems like a long way off. (And if they did anything less, I'd hardly call that innovative.)

Also, it's not clear to me that a single convertible device is really preferable to simply having two optimized devices, where iCould (or a different cloud technology) keeps all your stuff in synch. What's wrong with that? Why would a convertible be any better?

I agree the biggest obstacle is the software side. If Apple really wants to be a player in the enterprise space, I think creating a product that is an Ipad with notebook capabilities would be extremely appealing. The ability to use the Ipad form factor when necessary, but also be a world class high performance traditional laptop for performance computing that is required in the workplace. No one is going to carry around 2 separate devices in that area. Just not going to happen, so a detachable device lends itself to convenience.

Also, I think it allows Apple to be able to shrink the form factor of the device, while still keeping screen size. It is obvious that Apple wants to make all of their products thinner, which is admirable in my view. At some point in the future it is my hope that an entire device, screen included, is as thin as a piece of paper. Who knows when that will happen, but it will only happen if tech companies continue to innovate to try and make their devices thinner.. Can they make the macbook air thinner without building the guts of the machine into the display? I don't think so, but I am not positive on that.

 

[OzyOly]

Just because the Surface was the first to release such a device doesn't mean Apple won't also release such a device. We have seen this already.. Apple didn't make the first tablet either, that didn't stop them before.

The new Surface looks like a pretty high quality product, even though I would never buy one myself. This is for a multitude of reasons. First, I haven't held one (are they even out yet?) so I do not know about the build quality. Second, I have moved away from using Windows machines, malware and viruses aren't my thing. Third, the reason that product won't find much success is because it is astronomically overpriced. I think it cost, what, over 2 thousand dollars? No one is going to buy that for that type of money. You could buy 2 Macbook Airs, 4 Ipads, etc..

So, I think Apple is going to make such a device, create innovation in the keyboard so it acts and operates like a Macbook keyboard we are all accustomed too, but the device will also be able to operate like a tablet. I think Apple realizes that in order for the tablet market to have sustained success moving forward, they need to be able to incorporate actual productive uses of the device, and not just have it be used for streaming movies and the internet.. Thus, I have a feeling Apple has found a way to make a device in that form-factor, detachable, at a substantially lower price point than the Surface. Make the screen extremely attractive, detachable, and can run Yosemite and you have a winner IMO.

And just because another company has made a product, doesn't mean apple will. Remember netbooks?
They already stated a touch screen laptop doesn't work.
OSX doesn't have support for touch screen so an ipad running OSX would not be a great experience as it would only be mouse emulation.
Without a physical keyboard, productivity will of course not be as great on a tablet. But I already have a tablet sized device with a keyboard, it's called a MacBook Air.
I would also point out that OSX does not run on ARM, even if it did current application would not work, they would have to recompiled to work with this mobile OSX.

I think you're full of wild speculation and talking out your arse. But bookmark this comment, because if you turn out to be right, not only will I apologise to you, but I will also eat my hat in a live youtube stream. Apple will not release a 2in1 device this fall.

 

[AdonisSMU]

And just because another company has made a product, doesn't mean apple will. Remember netbooks?
They already stated a touch screen laptop doesn't work.
OSX doesn't have support for touch screen so an ipad running OSX would not be a great experience as it would only be mouse emulation.
Without a physical keyboard, productivity will of course not be as great on a tablet. But I already have a tablet sized device with a keyboard, it's called a MacBook Air.
I would also point out that OSX does not run on ARM, even if it did current application would not work, they would have to recompiled to work with this mobile OSX.

I think you're full of wild speculation and talking out your arse. But bookmark this comment, because if you turn out to be right, not only will I apologise to you, but I will also eat my hat in a live youtube stream. Apple will not release a 2in1 device this fall.

I've got my camera ready for this.

 

[Benjamins]

Apple will not release a traditional macbook air. It is going to be a device that is both a macbook air and an ipad. That will enable them to shrink the device and make it even thinner. The screen will come off the keyboard. Whether it switches to IOS or not I am not sure, but it will run Yosemite. Serious innovation in this category now requires a device that can turn into 2 separate devices. The only problem that I see with this is that now instead of 1 person buying 2 separate devices, an Ipad and a Macbook, they will only be buying 1 device. How will the make up this gap in profit I am not sure. Hopefully they will not astronomically raise the price to make up this difference, and I doubt they would.

That is called slapping 2 devices in one, not innovation.

 

[Serban]

i think the 21.5" imac will go with 1440p and the 27" with 4k

 

[OzyOly]

I've got my camera ready for this.

It would only be a small hat. I'm not talking a balaclava.
And to be more specific. Apple will not release a 2-in-1 device that runs OSX (and maybe iOS) that has a touch screen this fall, like red has claimed. OSX does not have touch screen APIs, it's a matter if fact. It's much more likely there will be a 12" MacBook.

 

[Reds622]

And just because another company has made a product, doesn't mean apple will. Remember netbooks?
They already stated a touch screen laptop doesn't work.
OSX doesn't have support for touch screen so an ipad running OSX would not be a great experience as it would only be mouse emulation.
Without a physical keyboard, productivity will of course not be as great on a tablet. But I already have a tablet sized device with a keyboard, it's called a MacBook Air.
I would also point out that OSX does not run on ARM, even if it did current application would not work, they would have to recompiled to work with this mobile OSX.

I think you're full of wild speculation and talking out your arse. But bookmark this comment, because if you turn out to be right, not only will I apologise to you, but I will also eat my hat in a live youtube stream. Apple will not release a 2in1 device this fall.

I think you're misinterpreting my post. I did not say Apple will make products that other manufacturers make first. All I was saying was that just because a manufacturer is the first to market such a product does not seem to hold Apple back from also producing such a device. I don't think Apple would ever be caught dead making such a terrible product like a netbook, so not sure why you chose that example.

Second, my post said nothing about a touch screen laptop. Instead, I specifically said it would have to include a substantial step forward when it comes to shrinking the keyboard down while still giving a notebook like performance. That is a key sticking point, IMO, with the surface right now. The keyboard is terrible. It is neither traditional nor performs like a traditional keyboard.

Also, while I seem to be in the minority on this, I think, I am of the opinion that regular OS on a tablet would work just fine. To be frank, is there really a difference between pointing a mouse at the dock on regular OS than using your finger to chose an icon in IOS 7? After you click Safari, or Chrome for example, you are still using the same browser you would use on your Macbook Air, but instead of a mouse you use your finger. So I don't think having a full OS would be that detrimental for a tablet. In fact, I think it would be more beneficial..

Finally, while the Macbook Air is thin, and compact (I use one), how much thinner can it possibly go here? Don't you think Apple is going to want to continue to make their notebook computers thinner in profile? Isn't the only way to do this is by putting more of the hardware into display of the machine, make the keyboard/trackpad thinner, and POSSIBLY eliminate some essential ports by coming up with a breakthrough wireless alternative? That is really the only way forward it looks like IMO., unless you have another view on that?

 

[Gudi]

Can't wait....our first child, this, and a new iPhone will make my September/October!

Ask your wife if she could push back your first child to early 2015? I kid, I kid.

 

[SockRolid]

Rumors have also long focused on a possible Retina iMac and/or a 4K display, and back in June, hints of a Retina iMac were found in the OS X Yosemite beta.

And some of them are not very subtle hints. For example, the new system font (Helvetica Neue) looks pretty bad on a basic 1920x1080 21" iMac screen. Sure, Yosemite is still in beta, and there could be improvements to font smoothing etc. But font smoothing isn't necessary if the display has high enough resolution.

Smoothing (anti-aliasing through subpixel rendering) increases the apparent resolution of a screen. But it isn't needed when the screen's resolution is high enough to begin with. I'd guess that Yosemite's fonts look just fine on a Retina MacBook Pro, but I haven't taken that step yet. Still need at least one machine on Mavericks. So it's possible that Yosemite's 1.0 release will coincide with some kind of 4K Thunderbolt display and/or high-end 2X resolution iMac. (I'm not going to call it Retina just yet.)

 

[bananas]

a new desktop computer, which may be an iMac or a standalone monitor with a 4K resolution screen.

I wish it was exactly that: an iMac that doubles as a 4K display - allowing the use of the iMac's GPU over Thunderbolt and thus making every Mac 4K ready.

 

[nepalisherpa]

Ask your wife if she could push back your first child to early 2015? I kid, I kid.

Yeah...she'd kill me!

 

[BenTrovato]

I hope the 12" is the old 13" with less bezel. The 13 is the most perfect laptop in this day in age, I hope we don't lose it just yet.

 

[GeneralChang]

Overkill? So the Seals kill the gas station attendants in your analogy? #

Shortly before the Apache rips up the pavement and the Abrams dozes the building, yes.

 

[OzyOly]

I think you're misinterpreting my post. I did not say Apple will make products that other manufacturers make first. All I was saying was that just because a manufacturer is the first to market such a product does not seem to hold Apple back from also producing such a device. I don't think Apple would ever be caught dead making such a terrible product like a netbook, so not sure why you chose that example.

Second, my post said nothing about a touch screen laptop. Instead, I specifically said it would have to include a substantial step forward when it comes to shrinking the keyboard down while still giving a notebook like performance. That is a key sticking point, IMO, with the surface right now. The keyboard is terrible. It is neither traditional nor performs like a traditional keyboard.

Also, while I seem to be in the minority on this, I think, I am of the opinion that regular OS on a tablet would work just fine. To be frank, is there really a difference between pointing a mouse at the dock on regular OS than using your finger to chose an icon in IOS 7? After you click Safari, or Chrome for example, you are still using the same browser you would use on your Macbook Air, but instead of a mouse you use your finger. So I don't think having a full OS would be that detrimental for a tablet. In fact, I think it would be more beneficial..

Finally, while the Macbook Air is thin, and compact (I use one), how much thinner can it possibly go here? Don't you think Apple is going to want to continue to make their notebook computers thinner in profile? Isn't the only way to do this is by putting more of the hardware into display of the machine, make the keyboard/trackpad thinner, and POSSIBLY eliminate some essential ports by coming up with a breakthrough wireless alternative? That is really the only way forward it looks like IMO., unless you have another view on that?

Thank you for a detailed reply, perhaps I have misinterpreted some of what you posted.

I chose the Netbook example as it lasted about as long as the current generation of 2-in-1 devices has. Microsoft has canceled it's normal surface tablets have they not?

I'm an embedded systems research engineer, the tech just isn't there to run OSX fully, with the same performance of a MacBook Air in a tablet, with a decent battery life for a consumer price.
The processor would have be to X86_64 for it to work with OSX and there is nothing from Intel/AMD in the mobile sector that is that great yet. Using ARM is not an option if you want applications to work as stated in my previous post.

Having a full OSX UI on a tablet would be very detrimental to the experience. Try it for yourself by screen sharing your Air with your ipad (there are Apps out there that allow you to do this). Try do something that an average user would do like use Microsoft Word, without zooming in. Trying to touch the correct button to get the feature you want will make you feel the need to throw your ipad out the window like a frizzbe.

Now either the user would have zoom in everytime they want to do something or Microsoft would have to release a third type of word application. Who would pay for that extra development cost? The consumer most likely.

I really can't see a 2-in-1 coming any time soon. I think if apple go near anything like having a desktop OS on a tablet it would be using the tart as a thin client and running the OS on a server.

 

[Reds622]

Thank you for a detailed reply, perhaps I have misinterpreted some of what you posted.

I chose the Netbook example as it lasted about as long as the current generation of 2-in-1 devices has. Microsoft has canceled it's normal surface tablets have they not?

I'm an embedded systems research engineer, the tech just isn't there to run OSX fully, with the same performance of a MacBook Air in a tablet, with a decent battery life for a consumer price.
The processor would have be to X86_64 for it to work with OSX and there is nothing from Intel/AMD in the mobile sector that is that great yet. Using ARM is not an option if you want applications to work as stated in my previous post.

Having a full OSX UI on a tablet would be very detrimental to the experience. Try it for yourself by screen sharing your Air with your ipad (there are Apps out there that allow you to do this). Try do something that an average user would do like use Microsoft Word, without zooming in. Trying to touch the correct button to get the feature you want will make you feel the need to throw your ipad out the window like a frizzbe.

Now either the user would have zoom in everytime they want to do something or Microsoft would have to release a third type of word application. Who would pay for that extra development cost? The consumer most likely.

I really can't see a 2-in-1 coming any time soon. I think if apple go near anything like having a desktop OS on a tablet it would be using the tart as a thin client and running the OS on a server.

That is informative, thanks for that. I am not an engineer, so I am unable to answer this question myself, but isn't the only forward for Apple to make the Air a thinner machine is by attempting to put more hardware into the display? It seems a substantial impediment going forward will also be eliminating ports like USB, even thunderbolt, and creating a wireless solution, would you agree with that? I guess my general question to you is, if Apple is going to try and make their laptops thinner, and I am assuming that they will, what really are the options available for them in order to accomplish this?

 

[Larry-K]

Rumor: The Mac Mini will be discontinued.

It'll be displaced by the Mac Pro for when you need a headless Mac, and by a refreshed Apple TV with an app store when all you need is a simple home media server.

There, are you satisfied?

Always a good idea to have your base desktop a $3K Model.

 

[69Mustang]

I had someone (not an Apple guy) suggest to me that with the new Mac Pro, I could finally buy a Mac that would be decent for gaming. I pointed out that buying a Mac Pro for primarily gaming purposes would be like buying an M1 Abrams and an Apache helicopter and then training a whole team of Navy Seals to hold up a gas station in rural Kansas.

Overkill. It would be overkill, is what I’m saying.

Not sure why your post reminded me of that. I guess every time somone makes an equivalency statement between Mac Pros and gaming machines that conversation comes to mind.

That's funny as all get out. My Mac Pro/FNW Fragbox comparison was simply about right tool for the right job, especially within the context of my repy to ArtofWarfare. Mac Pro's for gaming don't make sense to me. Not because they're too powerful or anything, but because their purpose is different. Can one be used for gaming? Sure. Would a dedicated gaming rig make more sense? Definitely. Besides, even though it's getting better, gaming support for macs is... well it is what it is.

If I was to compare the Mac Pro to a work PC I would have compared something like a Z820 workstation; another computer that wouldn't be used to hold up a gas station

 

[OzyOly]

That is informative, thanks for that. I am not an engineer, so I am unable to answer this question myself, but isn't the only forward for Apple to make the Air a thinner machine is by attempting to put more hardware into the display? It seems a substantial impediment going forward will also be eliminating ports like USB, even thunderbolt, and creating a wireless solution, would you agree with that? I guess my general question to you is, if Apple is going to try and make their laptops thinner, and I am assuming that they will, what really are the options available for them in order to accomplish this?

You see, you're a visionary, and I'm a pessimistic researcher who can't see past current near-future problems.
I have no idea what apples actual plans are. Technology shrinks and I don't think think shrinking the air for a few more years yet is out of the question. After then, I do not know.
20 years ago, I could never imagine watching HDTV on a computer.
10 years ago, I'd have laughed at the thought of owning a tablet and finding a use for it.
I'm sure Apple/Microsoft/Facebook (now the big three) will surprise us in the future.

 

[69Mustang]

Rumor I heard is there is a new Mac mini in the works to be released sometime with unknown specs.

Uh. Thanks?
I was sort of hoping for "...plenty of creative people in this forum. Can one of you whip up a nice mac mini rumor..."

I do however appreciate your efforts.

/kicks dog

 

[zosia]

mac mini

What about macs mini ?

 

[ohbrilliance]

I called this from the moment I began using the OS X Yosemite developer preview.

Don't you need to wait for confirmation from Apple before claiming you called this? After all it is still just a rumour.

 

[Crosscreek]

Does that mean if I was to hook my 2014 MBA 13'' up to a 4k display, I wouldnt get the full 4k resolution?

Because thats my dream, don't crush my dream.

here is what I can tell you:http://www.cpu-world.com/news_2014/2014050101_Intel_Broadwell_graphics_enhancements.html

----------

iMacs have dedicated graphics.

Some do but still the H chip for desktop will not be available until mid 2015.

 

[v654321]

I'm having a severe "meh" feeling about Apple's latest OS X releases.

"Every bit as powerful as it looks." ? Sounds more like trying to act as if you're tough when everybody knows you're quite the opposite.

Boring releases I honestly find. Lots of things are moving on the Windows front.