Category: 🖥️ Tech

Here is a partial wish list of features for a redesigned MacBook Air or Mini in late 2025 or later. While not currently rumored, I feel it might even make sense to redesign it before the MacBook Pro redesign for various reasons.

• Smaller - Redesign with smaller ~12.7" "mini" screen
• Matte - Nano-texture display upgrade option available
• Storage - 16 GB memory and 512 GB storage standard
• Wireless - Wi-fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 custom wireless chip
• Screen - New oxide TFT screen with 120Hz refresh rate
• Notchless - iPad style rounded bezel design without notch
• Touch - Touchscreen as all mobile devices should have
• Apps - Force all iPad/iOS apps to allow being installed

MacBook Air Smaller Sizes Guess

I think that Apple or any company making operating systems should display an even amount of 16 apps in home screen tabs, app folders, and app menus on iOS, tvOS, and other operating systems, instead of the hard to organize and odd amount of 9 apps.

What

• Display 16 apps in folders, or alternatively 24
• Grid of 4x4 apps in folders, or alternatively 4x6
• Always show an even amount of app columns
• Always show an even amount of app rows

Why

• Grouping apps in groups of 2, 4, or 6 makes sense logically
• With groups of 4 people can easier create a mental model
• Rotating from portrait and landscape shows the same apps
• People may be buying or using less apps with folders of 9

I wonder if the names of executive positions should be simplified with chief as C-Level, general as G-Level, senior as S-Level, and vice as V-Level. Each department could have simpler titles, with marketing having "Marketing Officers" instead of long vice president titles.

What

• Level - Title - Abbreviation - Codename
• C-Level - Chief Marketing Officer - CMO - Chief/Leader
• G-Level - General Marketing Officer - GMO - General/Admiral
• S-Level - Senior Marketing Officer - SMO - Major/Colonel
• V-Level - Vice Marketing Officer - VMO - Captain/Commander

Past

• Level - Title - Abbreviation
• Chief - Chief Marketing Officer - CMO
• Executive - Executive Vice President of Marketing - EVP
• Senior - Senior Vice President of Marketing - SVP
• Vice - Vice President of Marketing - VP

I wonder if all MacBooks which are fanless should use separately designed chips, possibly named B-Series and B1, which are more appropriately targeted at the MacBook Air and future powerful fanless devices without throttling significantly or needing a fan.

Why

• MacBooks and MacBookOS can be designed and targeted at powerful fanless MacBooks
• The entire fanless MacBook line could use the same B-Series chips, creating consistency
• Macs and macOS can be designed and targeted at more powerful Mac devices with fans
• The entire Mac line with fans could use the same M-series chips, creating consistency

More

• The MacBook B-Series chips can be targeted at fanless MacBooks and fanless devices
• The fanless B-Series chips can be targeted exclusively to more powerful fanless devices
• Powerful fanless chips targeted at larger devices will be needed in future fanless devices
• Device Ideas - MacBook Air, Apple Vision, iPed Portable Console, MacPad Detachable

Links

• Split macOS In Two

I wonder if Apple Silicon chips and devices should be simplified with high end A-Series chips for iPads and iPadOS, and new fanless MacBook chips and MacBookOS targeted more appropriately at fanless laptops and other powerful fanless devices of the future.

Chips

• A-Series Reg/Pro (Fanless) - iPhones including Pro (Mobiles/Clamshells/iOS)
• A-Series Pro/Max (Fanless) - iPads including Pro (Tablets/Notebooks/iPadOS)
• B-Series Reg/Pro/Max (Fanless) - MacBooks and Pro (Laptops/Laplets/MacBookOS)
• M-Series Reg/Pro/Max (With Fans) - Macs and Pro (Desktops/Laptops/MacOS)

Devices

• A-Series Reg/Pro - iPhone Mini/Air, iPhone Pro/Ultra, iPod, HomePad (Smart Display)
• A-Series Pro/Max - iPad Mini/Air, iPad Pro/Ultra, iBook, Apple Display (Smart Monitor)
• B-Series Reg/Pro/Max - MacBook Mini/Air, Apple Vision Air, MacPad, iPed (Console)
• M-Series Reg/Pro/Max - MacBook Pro/Ultra, Mac Mini/Studio, iMac, Apple TV (Smart TV)

New

• iPod - Foldable iPhone with two separate screens like a clamshell phone (iPhone Pod?)
• iBook - Foldable iPad with two separate screens like a reading book (iPad Book?)
• MacBook Mini/Air - New design with no fans, touchscreen, thin, and new MacBookOS
• MacBook Pro/Ultra - New design with fan, touchscreen, thick, and new MacBookOS
• MacPad? - Portable touch Mac that folds back over detachable keyboard, B-Series chip
• iPed? - Portable media and game console with detachable controller, B-Series chip

Links

• Make Separate Fanless MacBook Chips
• Split macOS In Two

I wonder if Apple might release a redesigned MacBook Air in two new 12" and 14" sizes that are even thinner, lighter, and smaller, and which may not have a tandem OLED screen like the iPad Pro.

What

• M4? - Redesigned - 12" and 14" - $1199/$1399?
• M2? - Discounted - 13" and 15" - $799/$999?
• M3? - Discontinued

Why

• Make next MacBook Air thin, light, and small
• Offer cheaper old MacBook Air for education
• Keep MacBook Air somewhat lower priced
• Leave tandem OLED for MacBook Pro first

I wonder if Apple should split macOS into two separate operating systems, instead of simply making macOS touch capable. Make one OS for touch operated MacBook laptops with touchscreens, and one for mouse operated Mac desktops with monitors.

What

• Split macOS in two, maybe renamed MacOS and MacBookOS
• Like current iOS and iPadOS, MacOS and MacBookOS have similar apps
• Make MacBookOS a touch first UI for laptop MacBooks, and later iPads too
• Keep MacOS a mouse first UI for desktop Macs, and also iMacs and servers
• Force allow all iPadOS and iOS apps to work only on MacBookOS, but not MacOS
• Make any iPads that are 11" or larger and all MacBooks both use MacBookOS

Why

• iPads become more powerful by having the full power of MacBookOS
• MacBooks become more useful with touch iPad and iOS apps on MacBookOS
• iPads and MacBooks come with powerful MacBookOS, giving people option
• People have option of the all-in-one MacBook laptop or modular iPad tablet
• The most popular segment of "portable computers" are merged into one OS
• Apple Vision replaces the iPad as an entertainment device that can do work too

Here are some reasons why I might choose to leave Mac computers, which are also some major improvements that I think may be able to be changed on future Mac devices.

1. 8 GB and 256 GB base instead of 16 GB and 512 GB
2. Memory and storage upgrades are way too overpriced
3. Promised all iPad and iOS apps would work on Mac
4. Most iPad and iOS apps still not available on Mac
5. The MacBook screen has an intruding notch cutout
6. No USB-C port on both sides of all MacBook devices

Quandaries

• Base M-Series is not optimized for fanless devices
• High throttling misappropriates actual performance
• No OLED/Mini-LED displays or 120Hz refresh for Air?
• No touch MacBooks that support touchscreen apps?

I wonder if Apple could have CPU redesign, newer N3P process, and add cores for their A18 and M4 chips. If so, 2024 iPhone and 2025 M4 Macs could be great upgrade for tock cycle, especially compared to year old A15 in iPhone 14, and M2 Macs.

Ideas

• A18 and M4 get more cores with 3+6 - A11 started 2+4
• A18 and M4 use newer N3P process - Skip N3E of others
• M4 focuses on CPU improvements - CPU redesign
• M3 focused on GPU improvements - GPU redesign
• If so, A18 will be worthwhile tock upgrade
• If so, M4 will be solid tock upgrade too
• If so, A18 iPhone could be great choice
• If so, M4 Macs could be good choice too

Cores

• A18 Reg - 3 PC - 6 EC - 6 GC
• M4 Reg - 6 PC - 6 EC - 12 GC
• M4 Pro - 9/12 PC - 6 EC - 24 GC
• M4 Max - 12/18 PC - 6 EC - 48 GC

Dates

• A18 Reg - Fall 2024
• M4 Reg - Spring 2025
• M4 Pro & Max - Summer 2025
• M4 Ultra - Summer 2025

Devices

• Fall 2024 - A18 iPhone 16 Reg - Update - A18 goes in iPhone
• Fall 2024 - A18 iPhone 16 Pro - Redesign
• Spring 2025 - M4 15 inch and/or 13 inch MacBook Air - Update
• Spring 2025 - M4 12 inch MacBook mini - Redesign or M3 12 inch Update
• Summer 2025 - M4 Pro Mac Pro nee Studio and MacBook Pro - Update
• Summer 2025 - M4 Ultra Mac Ultra nee Pro - Redesign or M3 Ultra Update

Hi Matt. Could any of these ideas be favorable for WordPress.com's new 100 year hosting plan?

Give

• Free 101 year hosting
• Free WordPress.com setup and backup at /domain
• Free 1 year domain or domain name transfer
• $19 for 1 year domain or domain transfer - Gets card
• $99/year additional domain years up to 101 total
• Note - 1st year could be one of $19, $49, $99, $29

Money

• Ads and sponsors - 95% Cut - Large Profit
• Single site one-click subscriptions - 50% Cut - Medium Profit
• Domain name additional years - 100% Cut - Small Profit
• Single site one-click follow button - Feature - Network Effect

Names

• "Hosting 101" - wordpress.com/hosting-101
• "WordPress.com 101" - wordpress.com/101
• "Website 101" - wordpress.com/website-101
• "Domain 101" - wordpress.com/domain-101
• "Automattic WordPress 101" - wordpress.com/101
• Future Dream - "Wordpress 101" - wordpress.com/101

Sales of the 100-year plan so far - 0.

Guesses

• Mac Ultra, nee Pro, with M3 Ultra
• 30" or 32" iMac Pro with M3 Pro
• 14" and 16" MacBook Pro updates
• M3 Pro and M2 options for iMac

Notes

• N3B on 3nm was ready long ago - A17/M3 Pro
• M3 Pro vs M2 may encourage iMac Pro sales
• No M3 or A17, straight to M4 and A18