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Gallery: 3D mockups based on our 12-inch MacBook Air reporting

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Earlier this week, we published an extensive report detailing the upcoming 12-inch MacBook Air with a thinner design, tweaked keyboard, enhanced trackpad, and an improved speaker system. Now, based on our report, designer Martin Hajek has put together some 3D image models of the upcoming computer. Check out the full gallery (click images for larger) below, and don’t miss our initial report with Michael Steeber‘s original mockup work.

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Comments

  1. I think idea with macbook air from the beginning was portability without compromise. This is anything but that. Not crazy about edge to edge keyboard, either. Saying that, I didn’t like iPhone 6 leaks either, until I’ve seen one in person…

    Love the gold colour macbook :)

    • rogifan - 9 years ago

      The 12″ PowerBook had edge to edge keyboard.

    • jrox16 - 9 years ago

      The Retain MacBook Pro’s are too portable now without compromise to justify the current Air’s existence. That’s why it only makes sense to make the Air crazy thin and light with the compromises needed to achieve the ultimate in lightweight portability. For anything else, there’s the new MacBook Pros, which are already extremely good at portability, without said compromise.

      • jrox16 - 9 years ago

        Retina, not retain, lol.

      • charismatron - 9 years ago

        Seriously? Poking fun at a simple letter ordering issue probably stemming from auto-correct? Really?

      • Clint (@Claustin26) - 9 years ago

        um, he was just correcting himself…

      • Nick Donnelly - 9 years ago

        Quite the reverse – the Airs are powerful enough that no one. That is zero people – need to compromise on weight or portability for a stupidly overpowered over-heavy slab.

        Airs outsell the Pro not only because they are cheaper – but because they have WAY more power than ANYONE on the planet needs – and are WAY lighter and more portable.

        I run Windows on MacOS – in Parallels – and do dev on both at the same time – and do HD video editing – all in 4GB RAM. Zero issues – and that is way more strain than 99% of people will ever put on their computer.

        Zero clue bra – no one needs a pro. When the retina Air comes out they may as well discontinue the line – except for clueless people like you that buy them because ‘you need a powerful machine’. News flash – the Air IS a powerful machine.

        Carry wise carrying around the 11″ Air is a completely different experience to a Pro. I suggest you try it.

    • thinkman12345 - 9 years ago

      If you have a Mac keyboard, it is virtually edge to edge, so how would this be a detriment to your typing? Also, what you are calling compromise is likely due to the fact that this is supposed to be barebones and low priced.

  2. Marco Brandão - 9 years ago

    Is it possible Apple will use the Kiss chip from Keyssa in this new Macbook Air? It could justify the lack of ports.

  3. Gonzalous Larious - 9 years ago

    Nice – you can use the edge to dice some veggies….LOL

  4. Peter Durben (@djpd) - 9 years ago

    The black one tho… <3

  5. Marco Brandão - 9 years ago

    One thing I don’t think is going to happen is the four grille area. Two maybe, four is simply to much of a bad tasty.

  6. rogifan - 9 years ago

    Sorry Martin, Apple isn’t releasing a gold colored Mac with white keyboard. If we get a new color it will be space gray.

    • akibbe02 - 9 years ago

      I suspect they will introduce the white-on-gold version as well, mainly to address the Chinese market, where it will outsell the space gray version considerably. There are also plenty of consumers who find gray laptops “gloomy”.

      As for me, I’m down with the space gray, which is the next best thing to reintroducing the black MacBook.

  7. papacuppa - 9 years ago

    Same mockups with edge-to-edge screen design please. :)

  8. chrisl84 - 9 years ago

    That sure looks classy

  9. Oflife - 9 years ago

    Sorry to say, but go type on the 2011 or so generation MacBook Pro keyboard and then try on an Air or newer Pro, and the difference is like night and day. Almost double the key travel on the old Pro, and a lot quicker and better for your joints. I have 2013 MacBook Pro and have had to purchase an external keyboard for lengthy desktop typing sessions. Typing this on my solar powered Logitech K750. Minimum keystrokes to be comfy.

    This new Air will be technically amazing, but without a decent keyboard and a touch screen, it is way better to buy a Lenovo Yoga (superb keyboards) or an iPad and choose your own Bluetooth keyboard. With more and more work being done in the cloud, is there any point in a lightweight OS X machine any more unless it has a touch screen?

    • Oflife - 9 years ago

      Omitted to say, those renderings are totally amazing, very very realistic!

  10. andy (@AndresTB) - 9 years ago

    THE BEZEL WILL BE MINIMAL / NO BEZEL – hence the end to end keyboard –

    • Jerry Glonek - 9 years ago

      Yeah, for Apple to bring out an Air redesign with a large bezel after we just saw Windows PCs at CES with barely any would be a mistake I think.

    • devanealex - 9 years ago

      What is wrong with a bezel around the display? All Apple products have them for a reason: no bezel means the content on the display will blend with the background, which is distracting and results in a less than immersive experience.

      • Clint (@Claustin26) - 9 years ago

        that’s just like, your opinion, man

        I hate bezels. I want my screen to look like it’s levitating.

      • chrisl84 - 9 years ago

        No bezel also makes having an HD Facetime Camera a lot harder

      • dbelhr - 9 years ago

        Not if the FaceTime camera is placed behind the screen. Apple has a patent for that.

      • akibbe02 - 9 years ago

        Less is more. There just needs to be enough bezel to seat a camera. Other than that, there’s no functional reason to have it, unlike with the iPad. I’d rather have more screen.

  11. jrox16 - 9 years ago

    Get ready for another idiotic bendgate…

  12. Steve M. Cess - 9 years ago

    VERY sexy and I’m waiting for this bad boy…….

  13. Sherwin Zadeh - 9 years ago

    There is no way I can recommend a one-USB port laptop. I had the original Air and it sucked big time not being able to plug in an iPhone and an iPad or USB drive or external DVD drive.

    • fr33z33 - 9 years ago

      That was 7 years ago, though. On my ’13 MBA, I have connected the iPad and iPhone only a handful of times (manual backup before updating/restoring), never a DVD drive and only a occasionally some thumb drive or external HDD (for TimeMachine). If the leak is true, this computer will be geared for ultraportable computing, possibly with a battery life long enough that you don’t feel the need to use it and charge it at the same time – much like the iPad. That being said, prefer 2 USB-C ports as well and would rather they ditch the headset port and offer earphones with USB connector.

    • Jerry Glonek - 9 years ago

      Even on my desktop I have my keyboard, mouse and USB hard drive plugged in. I rarely ever plug anything else in anymore, and I can’t even remember the last time I used my DVD drive. For an ultraportable laptop like this I don’t see an issue. And i’m sure there will be a dongle for additional connectors.

      • Sebastian Rasch - 9 years ago

        Maybe you should update to current gadgets and not stick in the 90s. I have a Apple Wireless Keyboard and a Magic Trackpad here, no plugs needed. But I agree, one more USB port would definitely be much needed. And a microSD card slot ;)

  14. Matt Nadler - 9 years ago

    I’m trying to wrap my head around a single USB port. I use my 2013 Macbook air a lot – one USB often needed for networking (there are times when Wifi is flaky or unavailable in business offices) and I like to have my iPhone attached for charging. Sometimes less IS less.

  15. Superman (@Codiwin) - 9 years ago

    Why 12-inch not 13??

    • akibbe02 - 9 years ago

      The screen is better than the 11″ but maintains the same footprint. In fact, it’s supposed to be 1/4″ narrower.

      • akibbe02 - 9 years ago

        *bigger

  16. Taste_of_Apple - 9 years ago

    Looking good.

  17. thinkman12345 - 9 years ago

    Beautiful mockups – kudos to Martin Hajek. But, where is the USB-C port. And if this MBAir & USB-C port are a reality, why would they limit it to just one USB-C port, as I’ve read in the rumor mill? Also love the colors! I’d likely go with the black (or “space grey”) version, but since I already have 2 MacBook Pros (17″ perfectly wonderful dinosaur and 15″ MBP Retina), iPad Air and an iPhone 6 Plus, I’d need a second brain and another pair of arms. Add to that 2 5K iMacs and a 2013 iMac – all fully loaded, and you have one guy with what some might consider way too much equipment. But as a commercial artist and professional composer, I really do use all of this stuff! Oh, I forgot my MacMini and previous gen MacPro. These are spread among 2 homes and 3 studios in 2 states. I am a fan of Apple, but hardly a fanboi. I’ve been using Apple equipment since 1993. All these devices have very specific uses within the greater scheme of things. Hmm…… maybe I actually am a fanboi in denial ; )

  18. weakguy - 9 years ago

    I really don’t like the edge to edge keyboard. It looks really ugly IMO. It just feels out of place and not as elegant as the current MacBooks.

  19. Yacob (@eggsandjakey) - 9 years ago

    I would buy that black macbook in a second, it looks amazing

  20. PMZanetti - 9 years ago

    Its gonna be a hell of a thing. I’m ready.

  21. Ratz (@ratz0) - 9 years ago

    Why would there be visible grills, the 11″ Air doesn’t have visible grills, and why is the keyboard edge to edge and have the keys rearranged and different sizes than the larger and smaller MacBooks, if this person wants to make a believable rendering of a 12″ MacBook they’re doing it wrong.

  22. Rowan Laurence - 9 years ago

    Surely the speakers would be hidden in the hinge like the MacBook Pro with Retina display?

  23. Sebastian Rasch - 9 years ago

    Black *drool*

    • dbelhr - 9 years ago

      Gray. I wish it was black.

      • Sebastian Rasch - 9 years ago

        It looks black to me..

  24. Jasper Yeung - 9 years ago

    i think they should focus on making the screen’s bezel instead of shrinking the space on either side of the key board , i mean the 2nd one is good , but too choose from , i prefer the 1st one

  25. I dont think it is nice, just look like stupid asus zen book