Computerworld's Predictions [Archive]

Mykbibby

Sep 18, 2008, 11:14 PM

Drumjim85

Sep 18, 2008, 11:20 PM

This was already posted earlier today, but still intresting.

EDIT:
Although i guess it was kinda hidden (http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=6262628&postcount=9)

MVApple

Sep 18, 2008, 11:59 PM

I missed the earlier posting so thanks for the links :D

I'm surprised there haven't been any leaks if lower level Apple employees have seen it!

Detektiv-Pinky

Sep 19, 2008, 07:36 AM

That is something I really hate about the new wave of notebooks. The screen gets wider and wider. 16:10 is bad enough, 16:9 :mad:

When will we be back with a single line display like on the early electrical typewriters?

christiemp

Sep 19, 2008, 09:22 AM

The aluminum AND black on the top cover grosses me out. It should just be one or the other, not both.

appelmac

Sep 19, 2008, 09:32 AM

fewture

Sep 19, 2008, 09:39 AM

^^^ agreed - I hope they stay mono coloured

iCries

Sep 19, 2008, 09:40 AM

chaiyya chaiyya :3

aleksandra.

Sep 19, 2008, 10:27 AM

Here are Seth's predictions, the guy from 9to5 Mac (i.e. the fatty nano leaks), about the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Seth has an amazing track record, so look at the stuff he says sources told him practically as fact.

MacBooks (http://blogs.computerworld.com/apples_macbook_redesign_noise_reaching_a_fever_pitch)

MacBook Pros (http://blogs.computerworld.com/macbook_pros_what_to_expect_when)

I find it hard to believe there'll black plastic + aluminium casing, as well as 16:9 screens. I think it'd be more probable if it was a switch to LED and to a new size together, however, 13.3" LED backlit screen in Air makes me doubt it. Any change of that kind would've to be planned for a long time, and if they planned to do so, would they really have designed a completely new product with "old" size? Not to mention all that advertising of full-size screen and eco-friendly aluminium casing? Or maybe I just hope it's not true (really, 16:10 is about as flat as I can accept).

I agree this guy had good sources judging by the amount of the correct information about the nano, however, his sources might have been misinformed now - if only to check where the leak is. He didn't say precisely whether he talked to people who had seen the new computers, or whether he talked to those who didn't, but believed other employees did. And if that is the case, it would also make "the brick" rumor less reliable. Of course, it's also perfectly possible all of this is true - but then, I really want it to be false, so I refuse to believe it for now ;).

polaris20

Sep 19, 2008, 10:53 AM

I find it hard to believe there'll black plastic + aluminium casing, as well as 16:9 screens. I think it'd be more probable if it was a switch to LED and to a new size together, however, 13.3" LED backlit screen in Air makes me doubt it. Any change of that kind would've to be planned for a long time, and if they planned to do so, would they really have designed a completely new product with "old" size? Not to mention all that advertising of full-size screen and eco-friendly aluminium casing? Or maybe I just hope it's not true (really, 16:10 is about as flat as I can accept).

I agree this guy had good sources judging by the amount of the correct information about the nano, however, his sources might have been misinformed now - if only to check where the leak is. He didn't say precisely whether he talked to people who had seen the new computers, or whether he talked to those who didn't, but believed other employees did. And if that is the case, it would also make "the brick" rumor less reliable. Of course, it's also perfectly possible all of this is true - but then, I really want it to be false, so I refuse to believe it for now ;).

I'm probably one of the few that not only doesn't care for 16:9 on a laptop, I really don't care for widescreen laptops in general. My T61p is the last of the Thinkpads that came 4:3!

But obviously I'm in the minority. :D

Watching a movie widescreen is cool, but getting work done, I prefer a more square workspace.

andiwm2003

Sep 19, 2008, 11:37 AM

...................................Watching a movie widescreen is cool, but getting work done, I prefer a more square workspace.

since when are computers used for work:confused:

anyway, i'm not a fan of 16:9 either. i liked 16:10.

well, if they release a 14.1 inch 16:9 then that would be as high as a 13.3 16:10 and about as wide as a 15 inch 16:10. that put's it into a wierd spot. not small enough for portability and not large enough for work.

i hope they release either as MBP or as MB a 13.3 inch notebook that is fully featured (incl. optical, FW400 or 800, ethernet, 2xUSB, good speakers, bright screen, matte please), has at least 2.4GHz, easy to change HD and is around 4 lb. Good wifi reception please as well. i don't care if it's plastic, aluminium, carbon or titanium as long as it's 4 lb and has 6hrs battery life. i also don't care about a glass trackpad or backlit keyboard or fancy GPU.

i'm open for two versions of this:
a MB that is cheap ($1200) or a MBP that is expensive ($1800) but is lighter and faster and has an excellent screen and sound.

jmillar

Sep 19, 2008, 11:49 AM

:eek:

this is so unbelievably depressing, what hes says about the macbooks.........for ages weve been hearing aluminum etc etc, and now hes saying its just the macbooks pros. this black plastic and aluminum split up idea sounds horrific, i really hope this isn't true, he's the ONLY one to have said this

I certainly hope they go the brushed metal look. That black 'clamshell' is a cosmic horror worthy of Lovecraft.

I certainly hope they follow the Montevina route also. Tried and tested. Nvidia is going through a difficult period in the chipset market. There have been red herrings in the past, such as the AMD rumors not long before Intel adoption was announced, just when Intel started throughly trouncing AMD on performance.

Are they trying to scare us into buying the last remaining macbooks before horror strikes? :D

Detektiv-Pinky

Sep 19, 2008, 03:02 PM

I'm probably one of the few that not only doesn't care for 16:9 on a laptop, I really don't care for widescreen laptops in general. My T61p is the last of the Thinkpads that came 4:3!

But obviously I'm in the minority. :D

Watching a movie widescreen is cool, but getting work done, I prefer a more square workspace.

No, it is not you. The trouble is that almost all the vendors have silently agreed that this is the way to go forward with displays - you have no choice, but to simply accept what is offered on the market and 4:3 is no longer an option. I would love to buy a netbook with 4:3 - nothing to be found...

In the last computer prospects that I found in my local newspaper all the new laptops had 16:9 screens. Maybe it is a strange way of cost cutting. Selling you 'large' diagonal screen sizes, while actually delivering less screen area :(

polaris20

Sep 19, 2008, 03:22 PM

since when are computers used for work:confused:

anyway, i'm not a fan of 16:9 either. i liked 16:10.

well, if they release a 14.1 inch 16:9 then that would be as high as a 13.3 16:10 and about as wide as a 15 inch 16:10. that put's it into a wierd spot. not small enough for portability and not large enough for work.

i hope they release either as MBP or as MB a 13.3 inch notebook that is fully featured (incl. optical, FW400 or 800, ethernet, 2xUSB, good speakers, bright screen, matte please), has at least 2.4GHz, easy to change HD and is around 4 lb. Good wifi reception please as well. i don't care if it's plastic, aluminium, carbon or titanium as long as it's 4 lb and has 6hrs battery life. i also don't care about a glass trackpad or backlit keyboard or fancy GPU.

i'm open for two versions of this:
a MB that is cheap ($1200) or a MBP that is expensive ($1800) but is lighter and faster and has an excellent screen and sound.

Yeah, I'm onboard with that. I pretty much would like an updated 12" PowerBook. Those were fantastic little machines.

iMacmatician

Sep 19, 2008, 04:09 PM

The consensus of what I've heard on the consumer MacBook line is that it is a thicker version of the MacBook Air with slightly curved black plastic much like the G3 Powerbooks. It is mostly black on the outside with aluminum around the edges. I KNEW IT! I always thought the MacBook would have large swaths of black just like the iMac, but the lack of rumors on this made me have doubts. I had these color schemes in mind in July, all with black display bezels:
Black bottom, silver inside, silver top
Black bottom, silver inside, black topI also noticed that those color schemes would make the MacBook "white" when open and "black" when closed.

And according to the rumor, the black parts are plastic, contrary to the supposedly leaked case pictures. Oh well. I was hoping aluminum, but then again the black back of the iMac is plastic too.

Trackpad. I've heard multi-touch glass[/url]. I notice that this point is not in the lists for either the MacBook or the MacBook Air. :(

With 16:9 displays, I hope to see 1366*768 (NOT 1280*720) for the MacBooks (unless there's a really cheap model) and the MacBook Air, 1600*900 for the 16" MacBook Pro, and 1920*1080 for the 18.4" MacBook Pro (too bad the resolution goes down from the 1920*1200 BTO).

Abstract

Sep 19, 2008, 04:17 PM

anyway, i'm not a fan of 16:9 either. i liked 16:10.

I like the idea of a 14", 16", and 18" MBP line-up.

I'm not excited about the 16:9 resolution, and I don't understand the purpose of it. You lose vertical pixels. That's it. It's a big deal if you type documents, and who doesn't type documents on their laptop? I don't care about watching movies. I care about doing things on my computer. A 16:9 aspect ration doesn't make it easier for me to work. I have always liked widescreen, but I do enjoy the 16:10 aspect ratio, and don't want to see a change.

I would love to buy a netbook with 4:3 - nothing to be found...

Me too. I think the company that offers this will get a lot of business. When you only have 600 vertical pixels in most systems, it's hard to type any email or document, or view webpages without scrolling down.

Eric S.

Sep 19, 2008, 06:09 PM

Loge

Sep 19, 2008, 06:31 PM

With 16:9 displays, I hope to see 1366*768 (NOT 1280*720) for the MacBooks (unless there's a really cheap model) and the MacBook Air, 1600*900 for the 16" MacBook Pro, and 1920*1080 for the 18.4" MacBook Pro (too bad the resolution goes down from the 1920*1200 BTO).

I'll trade the 10% loss of pixels for 8GB RAM support, but otherwise I prefer the current 1920*1200 model.

CaptainCaveMann

Sep 19, 2008, 06:59 PM

Black plastic for the Macbook - I hope he's right. I've been dreading the aluminum look. He's certainly correct that the G3 Pismo was one of the best (and visually pleasing) laptops Apple ever produced. Nine years old now and still a capable machine, running 10.3.

Actually, the best laptop Apple ever made was the TiBook. And what about Black aluminum? You've seen all these cracking issues with the plastic, why would you want to stay with the plastic?

polaris20

Sep 19, 2008, 07:03 PM

Actually, the best laptop Apple ever made was the TiBook. And what about Black aluminum? You've seen all these cracking issues with the plastic, why would you want to stay with the plastic?

I've got a cracked TiBook right here :D

Well okay, it wasn't the TiBook's fault. Previous owner had dropped it several times. lol

hogfaninga

Sep 19, 2008, 07:21 PM

Actually, the best laptop Apple ever made was the TiBook. And what about Black aluminum? You've seen all these cracking issues with the plastic, why would you want to stay with the plastic?

There has been numerous issues with the aluminum. Many like the plastic. Maybe you don't. Everyone is entitled to like or dislike what they like.

viccles

Sep 19, 2008, 08:23 PM

There has been numerous issues with the aluminum. Many like the plastic. Maybe you don't. Everyone is entitled to like or dislike what they like.

I'm sure hoping they redesign in aluminum! Otherwise I'm buying a MBP

hogfaninga

Sep 19, 2008, 08:48 PM

I'm sure hoping they redesign in aluminum! Otherwise I'm buying a MBP

Good for you!!!!!!

Eric S.

Sep 19, 2008, 09:25 PM

Actually, the best laptop Apple ever made was the TiBook. And what about Black aluminum? You've seen all these cracking issues with the plastic, why would you want to stay with the plastic?

I have owned six Mac laptops in my life, all plastic and nary a crack.

*Sandy*

Sep 19, 2008, 09:29 PM

I have owned six Mac laptops in my life, all plastic and nary a crack.
Same with me no crack or issues at all, But hope they are not black:( yuck

isauce

Sep 19, 2008, 09:48 PM

I really want them to come out with the new design so I can make my decision to keep my laptop or buy the new one!? The waiting is killing me!?

JLEW700

Sep 19, 2008, 09:56 PM

If "lower-level Apple employees" have already seen the new MB, then how come this guy hasnt seen it?

MVApple

Sep 19, 2008, 11:39 PM

If "lower-level Apple employees" have already seen the new MB, then how come this guy hasnt seen it?

Cause only "some" apparently have seen it, and he is not an Apple employee. Of those that have seen it, none of them has had a chance to take a picture to post on a blog.

MacsBestFriend

Sep 20, 2008, 01:25 AM

I'm just happy the graphics will be separate. We may see graphic card options??? Will the new processors help battery life?

aleksandra.

Sep 20, 2008, 04:08 AM

I'm just happy the graphics will be separate. We may see graphic card options??? Will the new processors help battery life?

I don't think they'll put separate graphic card in MacBooks. Unless integrated graphics gone really bad.

I agree that current MacBooks (especially black!) are quite pretty, but I can't see Apple continuing with plastic - not after reading this:

MacBook Air embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress with its aluminum enclosure, a material highly-desired by recyclers; Apple’s first mercury-free LCD display with arsenic-free glass; and brominated flame retardant-free material for the majority of circuit boards as well as PVC-free internal cables. In addition, MacBook Air consumes the least amount of power of any Mac, and its retail box, made primarily from 100% post-consumer recycled material, is 56% smaller by volume than previous MacBook packaging.

They're showing off their new "greener Apple" side. I think it's very likely that plastic'll be the next to go, after lead, mercury, arsenic etc. Casing is one of the things that are very visible and obvious, so I don't think they'll continue with plastic... unless they managed to convince public that it's eco-friendly plastic :rolleyes:.

Edit:

Alright, so maybe they are actually trying to convince us their plastic is eco-friendly...

Apple uses highly recyclable materials such as aluminum for iMac, MacBook Pro, Mac Pro, MacBook Air and Cinema Display enclosures, polycarbonate for MacBook enclosures, and glass for iMac display covers. The use of these high-value materials encourages recycling, which helps to minimize waste at the end of the product’s life.

m1stake

Sep 20, 2008, 04:14 AM

This applies to any Apple release, but it's kind of surprising that pictures taken by some Chinese guy who works at the factory don't flood the web. Taking a shot or two with your cell phone camera isn't exactly conspicuous.

polar-blair

Sep 20, 2008, 04:29 AM

Cause only "some" apparently have seen it, and he is not an Apple employee. Of those that have seen it, none of them has had a chance to take a picture to post on a blog.

Could they not describe what they saw then. Photos would be good, but a solid description with out the words, well it might have... or it could have... I would like to see... I want to know what it will have.

Abstract

Sep 20, 2008, 09:06 AM

Cause only "some" apparently have seen it, and he is not an Apple employee. Of those that have seen it, none of them has had a chance to take a picture to post on a blog.

If people have seen it, there would be full reports everywhere, and photos of the new MacBooks and MBPs using a 0.3 MP camera phone in dim lighting on an elevator.

MVApple

Sep 20, 2008, 04:41 PM

If people have seen it, there would be full reports everywhere, and photos of the new MacBooks and MBPs using a 0.3 MP camera phone in dim lighting on an elevator.

That's simply not true. This thread has links to someone who claims to have seen it and has described what the outside looks like. Apple tries to keep a seal on things, obviously. Just a few weeks ago we got a pic of the new nano, but as far as I can remember we got only one pic, and several mockups. If leaks come as easy as you suggest then we should have had several pics floating the internet but we didn't.