14 DAY TRIAL // A rumor out of Taiwan says Quanta Computer is having difficulties making the latest MacBook Airs for Apple because the chassis is too thin and production is running at a slow pace.
Sources within Taiwan's supply chain are telling DigiTimes that “Taiwan-based ODM Quanta Computer started production of 12-inch MacBook Air in small volumes in October and will gradually increase output beginning November.”
Notebook too slim
Manufacturing has yet to reach a satisfactory yield rate, and “component makers and Quanta are making efforts to hike yield rates for the time being,” the sources add.
The 12-inch computer is reportedly slimmer than the current-selling models, even slimmer than the small 11.6-inch MacBook Air (Apple’s cheapest laptop).
Since production is so limited, the sources indicate that the 12-inch MacBook Air stands a good chance to be delayed until 2015. Initially, Apple had hoped to release it before Christmas 2014.
In addition to its thinness, another feature that will set it apart from the rest of the models will be its Retina display, according to the sources. However, we have every reason to believe that, whilst this 12-inch model will indeed be the first to sport a Retina display, eventually all Apple laptops will get this boost.
Retina iMac on the way
A good indication that Apple is dedicated to go all-Retina with its products is a recent rumor about the 27-inch iMac getting such a display. The creative industry is crying for such a system, as are some enterprise environments. It makes sense for the company to give the big 27-inch iMac a Retina display, as it made sense with the MacBook Pro range.
The large iMac is supposedly launching next week at a special event hosted in Town Hall, Cupertino. There’s a good chance Apple had initially hoped to seal the event with three distinct hardware announcements: the Retina iMac, the iPad Air 2, and the 12-inch MacBook Air.
If DigiTimes’ sources prove accurate, we may only see the first two announced next week. However, Apple has been known to announce all-new products months before it could actually ship them. Like the recently-introduced Apple Watch, which has barely even made it into production. The 12-inch Air could go down the same route.
We’ll keep you posted with any new developments as they emerge. In the meantime, let us know what you think of the company’s plans to bridge the gap between 11 inches and 13 inches of screen space.