What about Apple's plans for future MacBook Airs? One thing is certain: the MacBook Air isn't going anywhere. The uptick was most likely prompted by Apple's summer update to the Air line. Apple did not respond to questions about its chip choices. With Apple likely forgoing optical drives across all or most of its MacBooks, and Ultrabooks doing the same, it's no surprise that the venerable whirring drive will spin away, albeit gradually, into obscurity.
Next to go driveless at Apple is the 15-inch MacBook Air. Apple now has plans to make this happen next year when Intel's graphics-centric Ivy Bridge processor ships. Apple is different. The Apple of Steve Jobs held focus groups in contempt. Apple's MacBook Air may have come close to shipping with AMD's "Llano" integrated CPU and GPU processors this past summer. According to unnamed sources speaking to SemiAccurate, Apple had Llano-based MacBook Air prototypes "on the verge of production" but ultimately decided on Intel's ultra-low voltage Sandy Bridge processors instead. First, it should be no surprise that Apple experiments with processors from other sources besides Intel. Apple even reportedly has MacBook Air prototypes with ARM-based processors somewhere inside its Cupertino headquarters, so the fact that an alternate x86 prototype exists is really no revelation.
What may be surprising is that a MacBook Air based on Llano was apparently Apple's "plan A," according to SemiAccurate's sources. Early benchmarks revealed that Llano was a champ at keeping power use down—certainly a quality that Apple wanted for the Air. Llano also offers GPU performance that easily spanks Intel's integrated HD3000. Assuming AMD could have delivered on the quantities that Apple expected, Apple would have been stuck with so-so CPU performance and decent GPU performance. That is, in fact, the same basic compromise Apple made for the 2010 MacBook Air, pairing older Core 2 Duo CPUs with NVIDIA's GeForce 320M controller with integrated GPU.
Sticking with AMD would have left Apple in the exact same position: great graphics, so-so overall performance. Gamers may have been happy, but then again, how many gamers are buying MacBook Airs?--Instead, Apple opted for Intel's Sandy Bridge processors. Sticking with Intel also means Apple is ready to benefit from the chipmaker's next-generation Ivy Bridge processors slated for next year. The MacBook Air now accounts for nearly one-third of Apple's notebook sales, and Intel has spurred Windows PC vendors to create their own MacBook Air clones (with limited success, so far). AMD may be able to improve on Llano's performance with some design tweaks, and its GPU performance will handily beat Intel's, but for the time being it will remain a step or two behind Intel in terms of CPU performance.
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