Touch Panels for Apple Netbook Ordered?

Touch screen MacBook Mini?

Well, it's finally happening.

The Last Great Rumors are coming true.

We just got the xMac, and now the MacTablet will soon be upon us.

Seems like a similar description and time frame to the touchscreen tablet that AI and 9to5 have mentioned in the past. I for one wouldn't mind something like this.

MacRumors said:

The "netbook" term is one that has been traditionally applied to low-cost miniaturized notebooks. It's a market that Apple has officially denied interest in.

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However, I wouldn't call Sony's netbook 'low-cost' at £850+

Late to the game as usual. By the time they get this product out, everyone else will be on their third generation of netbooks. These days $350 will buy you a netbook with 9 hours of battery life.

And how much will this thing cost??

I'll believe it when I see it.

(I *want* to believe, truly, but have learned to become highly skeptical, in light of a number of recent design and pricing decisions by Apple...)

This is going to get people REALLY excited.

I'll believe it when I see it.

And so The Cycle begins again... Infinite Loop indeed.

An obscure component manufacturer somewhere in the Pacific Rim announces a major order for some bleeding-edge piece of technology that could conceivably become part of an expensive, digital-lifestyle-enhancing nerd toy.

gazfocus said:

However, I wouldn't call Sony's netbook 'low-cost' at £850+

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I wouldn't necessarily expect Apple's to be "low-cost" either.

Tallest Skil said:

We just got the xMac...

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Are you referring to the crippled low-end Mac Pro? I wouldn't class that as the xMac, just normal Apple upsell marketing. We've been here before.

Touch screens @ netbook size?

It would have to be pretty darn special in features.

Netbooks are popular for their price and portability. Apple has no concept of cheap pricing.

I hope they dont think of making an iphone-type interface for a netbook. Kinda like the linux MID interface. Those suck badly.

Meh...

drlunanerd said:

Are you referring to the crippled low-end Mac Pro? I wouldn't class that as the xMac, just normal Apple upsell marketing. We've been here before.

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I call it the xMac. It IS the xMac (it uses "Bloomfield", for crying out loud), it's just $1,000 more than people expected.

People are generally too optimistic.

drlunanerd said:

And so The Cycle begins again... Infinite Loop indeed.

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Just my thoughts. I am still mystified how predictable this whole game has become...

PS: ...and it is not only the Apple UK prices that stink.

This thing is sure to be over priced.

Since the iPhone is itself a netbook of sorts, nano version, I hope we see one the next size up. Not nano.

Rocketman

I seriously hope Apple doesn't release a netbook...EVER. Smaller doesn't necessarily equate to better. Every netbook I've played around with was painful in terms of the keyboard size--the Asus ones are even worse because they decided to put the L and R mouse click buttons on the sides and it's awkward to use ...beyond awkward. The keys are clumsy and small - the thing is just impossible to use.

The tablet idea to me is DEAD. Toshiba, Asus and others tried the table computer years ago - do they even sell them anymore? They were overpriced and just a novelty -- not something that did anything for productivity. Plus you look like a geek carrying one around...kinda like people who walk around with Bluetooth in their ear ALL DAY LONG, waiting for a call.

The iPhone/iTouch is the platform Apple needs to keep pushing...this past weekend I was away on a camping/canoeing weekend and had my iPhone with me (left the MacBook Pro at home). I was able to text several people, send all the e-mails I needed to send; my wife calls me and tells me the Social Security card for our newborn arrived and gave me the number...while sitting on a canoe (taking a break) I logged on to my bank/insurance company, added our baby and opened up a joint savings account for her...all from my iPhone.

Did I make typing mistakes on the iPhone keyboard? Absolutely, but if I had to choose between a crummy netbook to carry around and an iPhone/Touch the choice is easy. Just like handheld computing (Windows/Palm based Pocket PC's/Palm Pilots) this netbook fad will die fast and I think it's because they don't do enough (they're good for email and web and that's about it whereas an iPhone can do that and talk, text, run apps, download music etc.).

notjustjay said:

Late to the game as usual.

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Like with the iPhone?

Apple will likely reinvent the netbook and within six months other manufacturers will be producing copies described as MacBook Touch killers

If they produce a reasonably-priced tablet style portable then I'll be happy. Call it a netbook if you want, the definition gets fuzzier and fuzzier every day as it seems to describe everything ranging from smart-phones to pretty powerful laptops these-days!

A good-sized touch-screen portable, with modest (1.0 to 1.4 ghz?) processor, 512mb RAM and decent storage (hard-drive? Small SSD's are pointless and big ones are expensive!) is all that's needed to make a great little device.

notjustjay said:

Late to the game as usual. By the time they get this product out, everyone else will be on their third generation of netbooks. These days $350 will buy you a netbook with 9 hours of battery life.

And how much will this thing cost??

I'll believe it when I see it.

(I *want* to believe, truly, but have learned to become highly skeptical, in light of a number of recent design and pricing decisions by Apple...)

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That's exactly what people said about some silly mp3 player call the iPod.

Southernboy said:

Like with the iPhone?

Apple will likely reinvent the netbook and within six months other manufacturers will be producing copies described as MacBook Touch killers

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I predict many people here will call it the MacTouch.

You saw it here first.

notjustjay said:

Late to the game as usual.

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are you joking? Possibly the most innovative company around when it comes to making new markets.

Southernboy said:

Like with the iPhone?

Apple will likely reinvent the netbook and within six months other manufacturers will be producing copies described as MacBook Touch killers

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I agree. Apple does not follow trends, they set them. It doesn't matter how "late" they are to the game of netbooks. It's a market that screams of desperation, and Apple is not desperate in any way. They will take their time, and then come out with a trend-setting product that they feel people will want and need.

I saw some netbooks yesterday, and have to admit that the idea is intriguing. But I think they're still a novelty.

j5045096 said:

I seriously hope Apple doesn't release a netbook...EVER. Smaller doesn't necessarily equate to better. Every netbook I've played around with was painful in terms of the keyboard size--the Asus ones are even worse because they decided to put the L and R mouse click buttons on the sides and it's awkward to use ...beyond awkward. The keys are clumsy and small - the thing is just impossible to use.

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I absolutely agree. I wish that the MacBook did come in 12" with the same processing power as the current 13.3" version.

j5045096 said:

...this past weekend I was away on a camping/canoeing weekend and had my iPhone with me (left the MacBook Pro at home). I was able to text several people, send all the e-mails I needed to send; my wife calls me and tells me the Social Security card for our newborn arrived and gave me the number...while sitting on a canoe (taking a break) I logged on to my bank/insurance company, added our baby and opened up a joint savings account for her...all from my iPhone.

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This was quite sad reading. Did you even want to go on this trip? Thank God nature didn't interfere with your phone signal.