Touch Panels for Apple Netbook Ordered?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/03/09/touch-panels-for-apple-netbook-ordered/)

Digitimes relays (http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/NewsSearch.asp?DocID=PB000000000000000000000000004162&query=APPLE) a Commercial Times report that Taiwan-based Wintek will supply touch panels for "Apple's new netbook" due in the 3rd quarter of 2009.Wintek revealed that it is currently working with Apple to develop some new products, but it said it does not know what applications the new products are for. While Winktek was unable to confirm the exact products, the Chinese-language newspaper claims that Apple will be releasing a new "netbook" for later this year.

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.

Still, there have been long-running whispers that Apple has been working on a true "sub" notebook which may correspond to these rumors. Commercial Times has had a mixed record in predicting Apple's products based on supply chain reports, but has had some seemingly accurate data (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/05/15/apples-next-macbook-due-in-q3-2008/) in the past.

Article Link: Touch Panels for Apple Netbook Ordered? (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/03/09/touch-panels-for-apple-netbook-ordered/)

[hoppo99]

Touch screen MacBook Mini?

[Tallest Skil]

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.

[talkingfuture]

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.

[gazfocus]

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.

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

[notjustjay]

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...)

[koobcamuk]

This is going to get people REALLY excited.

[bobbleheadbob]

I'll believe it when I see it.

[drlunanerd]

And so The Cycle (http://www.misterbg.org/AppleProductCycle/) 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.

[Chaszmyr]

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

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

[drlunanerd]

We just got the xMac...

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.

[phoenix78]

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...

[Tallest Skil]

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.

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.

[Detektiv-Pinky]

And so The Cycle (http://www.misterbg.org/AppleProductCycle/) begins again... ;) Infinite Loop indeed.

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.

[Redline13]

This thing is sure to be over priced.

[Rocketman]

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

Rocketman

[j5045096]

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.).

[AdeFowler]

Late to the game as usual.
Like with the iPhone? :rolleyes:

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

[haravikk]

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.

[moracity]

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...)

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

[RedTomato]

Like with the iPhone? :rolleyes:

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

I predict many people here will call it the MacTouch.

You saw it here first.

[robinp]

Late to the game as usual.

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

[coolfactor]

Like with the iPhone? :rolleyes:

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

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.

[acidfast7]

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.

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

[MrSmith]

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

[chadm]

It's a market that Apple has officially denied interest in.


Is it really a market they've denied interest in? Steve Jobs said at one point, "But we'll wait and see how that nascent category evolves, and we have got some pretty interesting ideas if it does evolve". That sounds to me like an admission of interest, but not something they're going to rush into.

I think that they will enter the netbook market, but probably for around $500 instead of the $250-$350 range like the current breed of netbooks... The "really big ipod touch" idea sounds pretty likely, though it would have to have some neat features for me to spend the extra money... like running multiple tasks at the same time, and cut and paste... you know, real innovations... heh I keed, I keed...

[Lepton]

The NetPad is coming! As I predicted at the end of last year. About the size of three iPod Touches side by side, same thickness, accepts finger, stylus with Apple Ink, bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Lots of details in my blog article here (http://www.myallo.com/blog/2008/12/apples-next-new-device/).

[Bonte]

A full blown osX would need a fast and expensive tablet, there is no real market for that. I personally hope for a bigger ipod, simple, cheap and more than enough apps in the Appstore to fill my needs.

[kerryn]

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.

Are you smoking something? xMac? Where?

If you refer to the the updated Mac mini then that is a long way away from the xMac....

[jayducharme]

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

No, Apple's never been interested in selling cheap products. And it doesn't matter that other companies got out of the gate first with netbooks. Other companies had MP3 players before the iPod. I'm hoping Apple is taking its time with this so that they can get it right. The cheap netbooks (like Acer's EeePC) are really limited in what they can do. (A 4 gb hard drive!?)

What if Apple finally released its version of the tablet, a complete OS X computer with a multi-touch interface? It would require a shift in how people view computers. Most people perceive computers as keyboards and screens. The iPhone and Touch have begun to break with that tradition. But Apple would have to make some huge strides with the interface to sell people on an entirely touch-screen machine.

[Tallest Skil]

Are you smoking something? xMac? Where?

If you refer to the the updated Mac mini then that is a long way away from the xMac....

The lowest-end Mac Pro.

[bytethese]

I predict many people here will call it the MacTouch.

You saw it here first.

Macbook Touch. You saw it here second. :)

[mambodancer]

Like with the iPhone? :rolleyes:

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

I will second that sentiment.

I love the "Ballmeresque" quotes starting to appear in this thread.

[AtariMac]

As per usual it will be $300 more than it should be. I'm sure it will be cool, but overpriced.

[j5045096]

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

Hey I know it's a popular thing on these boards to get philosophical and/or self-righteous so thank you for doing both, but yes I wanted to be on the trip and no I didn't have the phone out the whole time. I needed my wife to call me with that SS# so we could make sure we didn't get stuck with a fat hospital bill (7 days in NICU) so next time before you decide to share your staunch self-righteousness, make sure you know somebody well enough to justify judging them. But Thank God my post didn't interfere with your self-righteousness.

[TheGraphicMac]

I'm guessing that the "netbook" this company is referring to is nothing more than a new version of the MBAir.

People clammoring for a "netbook" crack me up. What is the Air? Is it not a netbook? It's small, underpowered, light and a laptop. I guess a netbook must have a 12" or smaller screen to be considered a netbook... If that's the case, then Apple still already has one, it's called the iPhone. ;)

[Redline13]

I wonder is this proposed Apple netbook will be available with an AT&T data connection?

[RyanR.]

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.

I agree. I run my own service business. I would like something like this for on the road. Preferably it could run windows as well because of some software that I have for working out and about. It would also need usb's and hold your breath firewire.
I like the tablet idea. Even if your had an iLife Tablet where it's like the iPhone ,but you can use iMovie, itunes, iPhoto and such. I mean if they used the same type of smart keyboard what could you not make on it with that software.

yes, I'm a fanboy and proud of it!:rolleyes:

[darwinian]

I'm afraid that it will be too expensive.

[j5045096]

No, Apple's never been interested in selling cheap products. And it doesn't matter that other companies got out of the gate first with netbooks. Other companies had MP3 players before the iPod. I'm hoping Apple is taking its time with this so that they can get it right. The cheap netbooks (like Acer's EeePC) are really limited in what they can do. (A 4 gb hard drive!?)

The more I'm reading about all of this I'm reminded of when the iPod came out--for $399.00 when you could get other mp3 players for half that. Granted they were junk but if you are on here thinking an Apple netbook is coming for $299.00 at Costco like they sell the Asus I think you're going to be waiting for a long time. Apple has no incentive to build something like that. It's not like that's where computing is heading; it's a supplemental novelty.

If anything I could see Apple reducing the size of the MB Air even more (it's really not that much smaller than the Alu MacBook -- it's thinner yes, but the footprint is not that much smaller. They might as well reduce the size of that thing so as to differentiate itself from the MacBook even more.

Here is the problem though--nobody's going to buy a $1699 netbook, and how far is Apple going to come down??

[zombitronic]

The article says touch "panels." Couldn't these just be components for the trackpad of a notebook? There's no mention of a size, which is the info we'd really need to make an educated guess about what product this might be applied to.

[dernhelm]

The more I'm reading about all of this I'm reminded of when the iPod came out--for $399.00 when you could get other mp3 players for half that. Granted they were junk but if you are on here thinking an Apple netbook is coming for $299.00 at Costco like they sell the Asus I think you're going to be waiting for a long time. Apple has no incentive to build something like that. It's not like that's where computing is heading; it's a supplemental novelty.

If anything I could see Apple reducing the size of the MB Air even more (it's really not that much smaller than the Alu MacBook -- it's thinner yes, but the footprint is not that much smaller. They might as well reduce the size of that thing so as to differentiate itself from the MacBook even more.

Here is the problem though--nobody's going to buy a $1699 netbook, and how far is Apple going to come down??

netbooks are considered netbooks because of their low cost and limited applicability (e.g. you aren't running photoshop on one no matter who made it).

If Apple produces a $1700 appliance with a touch screen, it won't be a netbook by definition.

It'll be something else. And I bet there will be a LOT of people that want one.

[Chupa Chupa]

Apple has said it has "ideas" about how to make a better netbook, so we know it's at least on management's minds. Whether this is it, who knows. But if it is, based on previous Apple exec comments it won't compete with inexpensive netbooks, i.e., it will cost significantly more than the typical $299-399.

I'm guessing somewhere in the $799-999 range, but it will have a true C2D, not a wimpy Atom. It would also probably mean the end of the MBA and lowend MB lines. I don't think Apple can support 4 different laptop lines. It's too confusing for consumers.

I'd be in line for a basic low powered C2D 2.0+ tablet/netbook/subnote MB if Apple can keep it under $1000. As long as it has a real keyboard, BT/802.11n, 5+ hrs *real* battery life/and 60GB+ SATA 2.5" SSD I'm happy.

[j5045096]

I agree. I run my own service business. I would like something like this for on the road. Preferably it could run windows as well because of some software that I have for working out and about. It would also need usb's and hold your breath firewire.
I like the tablet idea. Even if your had an iLife Tablet where it's like the iPhone ,but you can use iMovie, itunes, iPhoto and such. I mean if they used the same type of smart keyboard what could you not make on it with that software.

yes, I'm a fanboy and proud of it!:rolleyes:

Ryan, in your service business what would you need firewire for while on the road? I'm not being rude - just asking because most firewire applications revolve around storage or video so while you said you would need Firewire while working on the road, I just can't see Apple making something like this with firewire when they cut it from the MacBook.

What you're describing is not a consumer level machine but something more Pro level which would cost a fortune.

I just can't see Apple making a Netbook like we know them today.

[RyanR.]

What if Apple finally released its version of the tablet, a complete OS X computer with a multi-touch interface? It would require a shift in how people view computers. Most people perceive computers as keyboards and screens. The iPhone and Touch have begun to break with that tradition. But Apple would have to make some huge strides with the interface to sell people on an entirely touch-screen machine.

Perhaps, I think they have had a tablet in the works for awhile now, but like you said they wouldn't sell like they would now. The iPhone/Touch have changed everything. I can see myself now making home movies on my MacTouch using iMovie '09. *** Via firewire Apple!***

[Chupa Chupa]

As per usual it will be $300 more than it should be. I'm sure it will be cool, but overpriced.

"overpriced" is rather subjective. Clark Howard, the consumer advocate, thinks anyone spending more than $500 on a laptop is crazy. Me, my time is valuable, so I find Macs generally are a bargain when you factor in productivity.

[RyanR.]

Ryan, in your service business what would you need firewire for while on the road? I'm not being rude - just asking because most firewire applications revolve around storage or video so while you said you would need Firewire while working on the road, I just can't see Apple making something like this with firewire when they cut it from the MacBook.

What you're describing is not a consumer level machine but something more Pro level which would cost a fortune.

I just can't see Apple making a Netbook like we know them today.

I see your point. I don't "need" firewire, but I use firewire external hard drives. USB's are a must. I mean my BlackBook works fine on the road, but tablet would be cooler.:D

[zombitronic]

Here's a PDF (http://www.wintek.com.tw/pdf/touchpanel/general_spec.pdf) from Wintek's website.

The specifications are listed for "Film on Glass" and "Film on Film on PC TP."

[Wild-Bill]

This thing is sure to be over priced.

BINGO!

Beat me to the punch.

Take (1) Netbook = ~ 200.00
Add Touchscreen functionality = ~ 150.00

Subtotal = ~ 350.00

Add magical Apple fairy dust at the factory

Total = $699.00 :eek:

[j5045096]

I'm guessing somewhere in the $799-999 range, but it will have a true C2D, not a wimpy Atom. It would also probably mean the end of the MBA and lowend MB lines. I don't think Apple can support 4 different laptop lines. It's too confusing for consumers.

I'd be in line for a basic low powered C2D 2.0+ tablet/netbook/subnote MB if Apple can keep it under $1000. As long as it has a real keyboard, BT/802.11n, 5+ hrs *real* battery life/and 60GB+ SATA 2.5" SSD I'm happy.

Ain't happening, ain't happening, ain't happening.

First of all the specs you describe would DESTROY Apple's margins. They didn't get 10s of billions in the bank by selling stuff with low margins. Even the iPhone--they're making money on that phone. AT&T might not be on the actual sale of the phone but Apple is.

And these little 8-9" screen netbooks with Core 2 Duos? Fat chance...they don't need them--these aren't power machines. They're billed and advertised as e-mail and internet tools. They can run programs -- you could, in theory, install Adobe Premiere on a netbook, but good luck and why would you? These things were built for checking e-mail and browsing on the internet. Why would they need anything more than an Atom and that said, what incentive do any of these companies have to adding more expensive processors when they can't sell them for any real increase in price?

The expectation has now been set: $400 or less -- again, if I were Apple, I'd sit on the fence and laugh. Don't tell me there are people who are defecting from Apple loyalty to a netbook. ...and don't tell me an Asus netbook is making Joe computer buyer's decision to buy an iMac or a MB/MB Pro harder.

[kurosov]

Apple has said it has "ideas" about how to make a better netbook, so we know it's at least on management's minds. Whether this is it, who knows. But if it is, based on previous Apple exec comments it won't compete with inexpensive netbooks, i.e., it will cost significantly more than the typical $299-399.

I'm guessing somewhere in the $799-999 range, but it will have a true C2D, not a wimpy Atom. It would also probably mean the end of the MBA and lowend MB lines. I don't think Apple can support 4 different laptop lines. It's too confusing for consumers.

I'd be in line for a basic low powered C2D 2.0+ tablet/netbook/subnote MB if Apple can keep it under $1000. As long as it has a real keyboard, BT/802.11n, 5+ hrs *real* battery life/and 60GB+ SATA 2.5" SSD I'm happy.

I doubt they'd drop the macbook no matter what they may release in the future. The macbook line is the main apple purchase for students apart from ipods.

[acidfast7]

BINGO!

Beat me to the punch.

Take (1) Netbook = ~ 200.00
Add Touchscreen functionality = ~ 150.00

Subtotal = ~ 350.00

Add magical Apple fairy dust at the factory

Total = $699.00 :eek:

I'd gladly pay $300 extra dollars for the functionality of OSX. It's not just hardware specs, it's the seamless integration of hardware/software that Apple does well.

Also, show me a Netbook that has decent build quality (i.e. solid aluminum unibody).

edit: will someone please integrate a Turbo3G modem into one of these guys as well ... that's alone would be worth a $300 difference.

[babyj]

No, Apple's never been interested in selling cheap products. And it doesn't matter that other companies got out of the gate first with netbooks. Other companies had MP3 players before the iPod. I'm hoping Apple is taking its time with this so that they can get it right.

Where does this "Apple isn't interested in selling cheap products" come from? Everyone seems to forget the iPod Shuffle, which in my book is a cheap product at least partly aimed at the bottom end of the market - Apple producing a similar iPhone or Mac wouldn't be out of place.

Its the same with everyone claiming Apple is an innovator and doesn't follow trends or copy product ideas - none of which is the case. They generally take existing products and produce a better version of it, examples being; the app store, the mp3 player, computers and mobile phones. Apple weren't first to market with any of them, they just did it better.

I can't believe people believe Steve Jobs and Apple when they say they have no interest in a particular market, as it means nothing except that they are most likely working on products for that market but don't have anything ready for release yet.

[j5045096]

I see your point. I don't "need" firewire, but I use firewire external hard drives. USB's are a must. I mean my BlackBook works fine on the road, but tablet would be cooler.:D

Sure and I'm sure that it'd be nice to have something made out of aluminum or something like that assuming you keep it a car/truck -- and the black color probably doesn't help keeping it cool; ...and I understand firewire hard drives; I'm definitely in the camp that thinks Apple should have left Firewire in all their computers like they used to (*cough* MacBook) but there are a lot of posts in here saying "Apple should..." when I'm just looking at reality: they won't.

Tablet would be cooler for your applications - I agree. I've always wondered why Apple has never made an attempt at like UPS/FedEx or the shipping receiving industry to build a tablet device for them but I'm going to assume that Apple can't compete in price and/or those companies are Windows-based and planning on staying that way.

If Apple could crack that niche I think we'd have seen an Apple tablet years ago.

The Dells and the HPs etc. have had so much market share for so long that they've just flooded the market with choices - there are so many different Dell or HP computers you can be whereas Apple has been very efficient in their offerings (Mac Mini, iMac, Pro for desktops; Air, MacBook, MB Pro for portables) and again, that is probably why Apple isn't struggling right now. They aren't going to change a business model that isn't broken. That's the whole issue with this netbook craze.

[lftrghtparadigm]

I wish this was a good thing. This very well could be the first big mistake in jobs absence.

Why? Because, one of the following needs to be true:
1. The product will seriously compromise (cripple) OSX.
2. The product will not compete (price wise) with other netbooks.
3. The product will not do 1 or 2, and will destroy sales of the appropriately priced apple laptops.

No matter what, as an investor and developer, this will be awful for the company.

[Wild-Bill]

The underlying theme among netbooks is both portability and affordability. Netbooks are typically used for e-mail and web browsing, a very light solution for those who want basic functionality in a portable package.
If Apple does indeed enter the game, which feature do you think they will completely blow out of the water? a) portability or b) affordability

My money is on B

On another note, a netbook from Apple just may be the ultimate replacement for the 12" Powerbook G4............

[iMacmatician]

I remember a rumor some time ago about a larger-than-iPod touch device (7"~9") coming in fall 2009. Maybe that device and the "Apple Netbook" are actually the same thing?

The NetPad is coming! As I predicted at the end of last year. About the size of three iPod Touches side by side, same thickness, accepts finger, stylus with Apple Ink, bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Lots of details in my blog article here (http://www.myallo.com/blog/2008/12/apples-next-new-device/).Agreed for the most part, and you basically said what I've been saying here for a while, just more and better. But I doubt there will be user-replaceable anything. Also I hope for two models with differing screen sizes (≈5.5", ≈8").

So you think I’m mad, eh? Pie in the sky? A science fiction writer?All of the above. But that's a good thing. :)

[SpinThis!]

I'd gladly pay $300 extra dollars for the functionality of OSX. It's not just hardware specs, it's the seamless integration of hardware/software that Apple does well.
The keyword there Mac OS X. People forget these netbooks come with Linux (blah) or Windows XP, and maybe if you can find drivers, Vista Home. People who complain Apple's hardware is $300 overpriced haven't factored in OS X, iLife, and rest of OS X—something even the $300+ Vista Ultimate can't match.

I doubt we'll see Apple release a "Netbook" though... it'll be a touchscreen tablet and it'll cost the same price as the bottom of the line MacBook, maybe $100 less.

[smooth]

Apple has said it has "ideas" about how to make a better netbook, so we know it's at least on management's minds. Whether this is it, who knows. But if it is, based on previous Apple exec comments it won't compete with inexpensive netbooks, i.e., it will cost significantly more than the typical $299-399.

I'm guessing somewhere in the $799-999 range, but it will have a true C2D, not a wimpy Atom. It would also probably mean the end of the MBA and lowend MB lines. I don't think Apple can support 4 different laptop lines. It's too confusing for consumers.

Having an inexpensive netbook would go against Apple's marketing of selling the whole package, not just the hardware so I agree that an Apple netbook would be considerably higher priced - but also better configured.

I think Apple's lineup is already confusing to consumers. Why is the lowest priced 15" notebook $2000? Many PC users I know just don't want a 13" notebook and will not switch for that cost.

I've said this before, but offer 4 sizes - 11" in addition to the 3 current sizes. Each size comes as either MB or MBP with the Pros having firewire, larger standard hard drive, faster processor etc. The white MB will probably be gone fairly soon and the Air would be a stand-alone product line, possibly even an 11-inch version. It gives the consumer much more choice and simplifies things in the process.

[acidfast7]

The keyword there Mac OS X. People forget these netbooks come with Linux (blah) or Windows XP, and maybe if you can find drivers, Vista Home. People who complain Apple's hardware is $300 overpriced haven't factored in OS X, iLife, and rest of OS X—something even the $300+ Vista Ultimate can't match.

until I can compile a 50-page research proposal in MSWord on a good Linux distro, there is no alternative for me. I need OSX for the UNIX-based software.

it's either OSX or a dual-boot Windows/Linux machine ... which really sucks for day to day usage.

[j5045096]

Where does this "Apple isn't interested in selling cheap products" come from? Everyone seems to forget the iPod Shuffle, which in my book is a cheap product at least partly aimed at the bottom end of the market - Apple producing a similar iPhone or Mac wouldn't be out of place.


the iPod shuffle first came out the size of a pack of Wrigley's and was $99 for 512 memory when there were several other options out there from other companies for less than half that price. Today the Shuffle is $49 for the 1gb. It costs Apple probably $20-25 to make. WalMart sells a SanDisk Sansa 1GB for $29. the iPod costs 67% more. Yes, it's *only* $50 and you too can own an iPod but had you bought the SanDisk you could have also filled up (or at least partially) a tank of gas. Not to mention that it has no screen and the SanDisk does. And If I had $50 to spend and didn't own an mp3 player I would choose the Shuffle over the SanDisk any day simply because of iTunes and the shuffle design.

I imagine I'm not alone in this: my first iPod was a shuffle. It's like a gateway drug! Get you hooked on iTunes - then you wanna start making playlists, or downloading videos--suddenly the Shuffle doesn't cut it. It's brilliant marketing. How many Shuffles were purchased out there and now laying in drawers somewhere because they were replaced quickly with a Nano or Touch or iPhone? I bet quite a few.

[Stately]

Ahem . . the famed tablet with full OS please. ;)

[Mal]

until I can compile a 50-page research proposal in MSWord on a good Linux distro, there is no alternative for me. I need OSX for the UNIX-based software.

it's either OSX or a dual-boot Windows/Linux machine ... which really sucks for day to day usage.

You can compile your research proposal in OpenOffice.Org, or one of the various Latex editors (I know I didn't capitalize that right, I don't care to take the time to figure it out), or in other specialized software for doing so. Linux is perfectly capable, it's just not as nice to work with. I personally much prefer OS X, but don't pretend that Linux can't get the job done.

jW

[Saladinos]

We don't need another laptop, we need another desktop IMO.

That said, I'd probably buy it. I've been after a netbook and was considering an Aspire One. Since I use OSX, I'd rather an Apple netbook.

[iZac]

I was eyeing up a Vaio P the other day, wondering about the hurdles to get OS X onto it. Then I realised for £100 more I could just buy a Macbook. The trouble with current Netbooks is that their main function is to sit on the sofa as an internet portal. You feel like an idiot carrying them around in the real world because they are cheap little pieces of crap.

The Vaio P seems to break this stigma somewhat, but not because of the elevated price point, more the branding and desirability through competence in design. I’m certain anything that Apple produces would be even better, and would surely be able to undercut the Vaio P price, and add a premium to the regular netbook market price. Although I would hate to see the whole world carrying around functionally crippled mini-notebooks. It would also surely cannibalise apples burgeoning marketshare for its traditionally sized notebooks. It's a difficult market to judge, and how it fits into the whole mobile computing ecosystem.

[flopticalcube]

I would love to see a Mac netbook and would pay a premium (up to a point) for one. I was thinking of replacing my MacBook with a netbook/mini combo so the timing is great. Same spec as the MacBook, smaller CPU, no DVD, smaller battery, 9" screen. 1.8" drive. Perfect. If it disappoints, I'll buy a Dell mini 9 and hackintosh it but I bet for around $700, Apple could pull off something great.

[MysterMac]

Every netbook I've played around with was painful
... it's awkward to use ... beyond awkward ... the thing is just impossible to use.


wow, painful - ok Im with you

awkward, I thought you just said painful ?

beyond, oh beyond awkward is it now..

impossible, cmon - youre getting carried away now :rolleyes:

[iPhoneNYC]

I would wish that it had an IPhone built in or the option to activate...

[acidfast7]

You can compile your research proposal in OpenOffice.Org, or one of the various Latex editors (I know I didn't capitalize that right, I don't care to take the time to figure it out), or in other specialized software for doing so. Linux is perfectly capable, it's just not as nice to work with. I personally much prefer OS X, but don't pretend that Linux can't get the job done.

jW

Actually, I've tried OO several times and, I hate to say this, but it fails almost every single time. OO can't get it done with 20+ embedded images. When you have very precise restrictions (like not having a seventh line of text within one vertical inch and margins measured to the mm) and tons of money on-the-line, I can't trust OO to work when I need it to. It's ages better than it was even 2 years ago, but it's not an MSWord substitute just yet.

Hence, OSX is the best way to get MSWord and Unix-based apps on one single-booting operating system.

[Diaresi]

BINGO!

Beat me to the punch.

Take (1) Netbook = ~ 200.00
Add Touchscreen functionality = ~ 150.00

Subtotal = ~ 350.00

Add magical Apple fairy dust at the factory

Total = $699.00 :eek:

Man that man me laugh :D

IMO the MacBook Air is a pointless product. I just cannot see a reason for an insanely priced, thin, 13" laptop without an optical drive.

And you say netbooks are underpowered? Well, of course they'll never get close to a full-sized laptop, but there are already chips/chipsets in the works that would allow an Eee or whatever to playback Full HD video - which is no mean feat!

Netbooks do and will continue to cater to a LOT of people. It wouldn't surprise me if the netbook marketshare on its own surpassed the ENTIRE Mac market share in a few years.

I'm not saying Apple can't compete in this market, but I can't see how an Apple NetBook would "change the playing field". Perhaps Apple will surprise me. The reason why the iPod succeeded is because (in order): They put Firewire (compared to USB 1.1) on the thing and made it easy to sync with iTunes rather than drag & drop, they brought iTunes out on Windows, they released the iPod Mini (in effect, they created a cheaper product).

[netdog]

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

Bit expensive to call the 4-core Mac Pro an xMac.

[guzhogi]

I'm one of those people who doubts Apple will release a netbook and if it does, I'm sure it'll be way overpriced and underpowered compared to what's out there. Something I'd like to see is the tablet Mac sold at macsales.com or something like a PADD on Star Trek. Just something simple, just a screen, 2-3 USB ports, 9-10" touchscreen, iSight, built-in GPS, & an SSD drive. But that's just me.

[HyperZboy]

The lowest-end Mac Pro.

You must be joking or on crack!

The X-Mac is the mythical $1599-$1999 low-cost Mac mini-tower that will never happen as long as Steve Jobs runs Apple.

I hate to sound old, but back in the day, the low PowerMac tower was $1599 if I remember correctly and quite a powerful machine for the day too. Back then the Performa was the equivalent of today's iMacs.

Now, the low end Mac tower is $900 more and in some countries certainly more than $1000 or more expensive!

Personally, I'd never in a million years buy an iMac no matter how nice they are even though I like them.

Forcing people to end up with a useless expensive sweet widescreen LCD display that they have no use for in 3-5 yrs is nothing more than one of Steve Jobs' classic con jobs.

That's why you WON'T see an X-MAC or a $1599 Mac Pro anytime soon or possibly ever.

Well, unless, Mac sales start tanking and they get desperate, but honestly, even that probably wouldn't change Steve Jobs mind since Apple seems to have more interest in iPhone/iPod, etc than Macs lately.

And at the current pricing of new Mac products, I'm not optimistic for '09 for Macs.

I mean, c'mon, how many years has the Powermac G5/Mac Pro case design been used now?

Apple is just redesigning the term "long in the tooth" when it comes to towers.
Swap out some parts, shove it in the same old case, yeah, that's the ticket.

NOT!

Sad, in my opinion. :(

[Stetrain]

I saw an article recently that said Intel was working to greatly lower the expense of the ULV type processors used in the Macbook Air to bring more power to the high end netbook market.

My money is on a Macbook Air model for $899 or $999, putting it in it's rightful place below the Macbook in price.

[rareflares]

And so The Cycle (http://www.misterbg.org/AppleProductCycle/) 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.





truly wonderful

[salmon]

I disagree with arn's comment "It's a market that Apple has officially denied interest in." They've said that they're watching it, and that they have some "interesting ideas" about it.

Typically when Jobs pooh-poohs an idea, doesn't that mean they're working feverishly on it? Think video on iPod.

Jobs also said the Kindle is flawed because no one reads anymore, which to me means Apple's very interested in eBooks.

Obviously, what they have planned is a larger iPod touch with a book store built into iTMS. iTunes has redefined music distribution, they're trying with AppleTV, publishing is next - how about a store for self-published ebooks, and iLife/iWork specifically with an "authouring application"? Would-be authours, arise and throw off the shackles of the publishing industry!!

I've been drooling for such a device for 5+ years now. The iPod touch is DAMN close, but a bigger screen is all that's missing. I understand not everybody wants one because it won't fit in their pocket, but I (and many others) do. For those that do more reading, day-planning, light internet usage and video watching than music playing, it's a clear winner that would DRAMATICALLY expand the iPod market, IMO.

The other possibility with touch pads is incorporating them into their desktop keyboards. It's only a matter of time, given all of their emphasis and innovation on the track pad on the laptops, and it would be WAY better than their "Mighty" mouse.

BTW j5045096: It's sad that the corporate run health care system would demand that from you. But congrats on the newborn, hope he/she is doing well, and I hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip!

[koobcamuk]

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.

Quoted for hilarity.

[Chupa Chupa]

I doubt they'd drop the macbook no matter what they may release in the future. The macbook line is the main apple purchase for students apart from ipods.

Yeah, I didn't phrase that right. For clarification, I meant Apple would drop the low end $999 white MB, not the entire line.

[kingtj]

IMHO, you only have 2 "winning" strategies with product releases. Either A, you release something new/innovative first and try to establish yourself as THE standard for the product -- or B, you wait and see what you competitors do, and respond with a superior product after they've "shown their cards" already.

The real "losers" are usually the companies in-between, who rushed to release some half-baked products in response to the initial product release.

Apple is going about this the right way, considering they weren't the ones who "invented" the netbook concept. And really, I don't see the "problem" that some others do with the idea of Apple potentially doing a "higher end" netbook? Apple has *never* been about selling low-end budget-priced computers, and that's a winning strategy too. Even if "$350 buys you a netbook with 9 hours of battery life", there's a limit to how much quality can be offered at the $350 price point while still making a profit for the manufacturer. Cheap netbooks are typically going to come with Linux as their OS, for example, because it's the only viable choice that's free to include. Some people will gladly pay a little more to get OS X instead.


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...)

[ZaoPetra]

Does it seem likely that a tablet is being held up for lack of a downsized/streamlined operating system?

[acidfast7]

You must be joking or on crack!

The X-Mac is the mythical $1599-$1999 low-cost Mac mini-tower that will never happen as long as Steve Jobs runs Apple.

I hate to sound old, but back in the day, the low PowerMac tower was $1599 if I remember correctly and quite a powerful machine for the day too. Back then the Performa was the equivalent of today's iMacs.

Now, the low end Mac tower is $900 more and in some countries certainly more than $1000 or more expensive!

Personally, I'd never in a million years buy an iMac no matter how nice they are even though I like them.

Forcing people to end up with a useless expensive sweet widescreen LCD display that they have no use for in 3-5 yrs is nothing more than one of Steve Jobs' classic con jobs.

That's why you WON'T see an X-MAC or a $1599 Mac Pro anytime soon or possibly ever.

Well, unless, Mac sales start tanking and they get desperate, but honestly, even that probably wouldn't change Steve Jobs mind since Apple seems to have more interest in iPhone/iPod, etc than Macs lately.

And at the current pricing of new Mac products, I'm not optimistic for '09 for Macs.

I mean, c'mon, how many years has the Powermac G5/Mac Pro case design been used now?

Apple is just redesigning the term "long in the tooth" when it comes to towers.
Swap out some parts, shove it in the same old case, yeah, that's the ticket.

NOT!

Sad, in my opinion. :(

I like that the iMac frees up my deskspace. That must have some value?

[dernhelm]

Having an inexpensive netbook would go against Apple's marketing of selling the whole package, not just the hardware so I agree that an Apple netbook would be considerably higher priced - but also better configured.

I think Apple's lineup is already confusing to consumers. Why is the lowest priced 15" notebook $2000? Many PC users I know just don't want a 13" notebook and will not switch for that cost.

I've said this before, but offer 4 sizes - 11" in addition to the 3 current sizes. Each size comes as either MB or MBP with the Pros having firewire, larger standard hard drive, faster processor etc. The white MB will probably be gone fairly soon and the Air would be a stand-alone product line, possibly even an 11-inch version. It gives the consumer much more choice and simplifies things in the process.

When Apple first switched to Intel, I thought they'd take the opportunity then to combine the macbook and macbo8ok pro lines. Build the same body, but put high end stuff in the pro line (FW 800+, eSata, high end graphics, 7200 RPM drives, ECC RAM, etc.) and more consumer-stuff in the low end (low-end FW 400, 5400 RPM drives, standard ram, no eSata, lower end graphics, etc).

That never happened (for whatever reason), and the "perfect time" to make that happen has already passed (with the UniBody enclosure). So my guess is that Apple has already decided that this was somehow undesirable, and is not likely to EVER make it happen.

Those hoping for the reappearance of the 12" MBP are likely to be disappointed.

Does it seem likely that a tablet is being held up for lack of a downsized/streamlined operating system?

Good point. Whatever "tablet" style device Apple does eventually build will almost assuredly have a "Flash" drive instead of a hard drive. A super svelt version of the OS would make that more palatable. Of course, 64 bit would be pointless on such a device...

I like that the iMac frees up my deskspace. That must have some value?

Not only that, but in all the years that I've owned computers, I have NEVER upgraded the monitor on a system. Every 4-5 years, I sell (or give away to charity) my old computer with old monitor, and buy brand new kit. It doesn't matter one whit to me if the monitor is "one" with the computer, or entirely separate.

[Canada Chas]

I can't see this being true. People keep talking about Apple needs a netbook, Apple needs a tablet. They don't realize that Apple already has one. It's called the iPhone. It fits into your pocket and does virtually everything a Netbook does.

One day the lines between laptop/netbook will blur as the only reason people like netbooks is because they are portable and cheap. They are really made to do e-mail, surf the web, throw a couple pictures and music on it and maybe some basic word processing. iphone does that all really well, except for maybe the word processing.

If you have a computer at home weather it be a laptop or desktop, and you own an iPhone, what need is there for a "Netbook"

[cswiger1]

Someone might have said this already but I don't have the time to read all the posts...

I would LOVE a macbook with a touch screen. I'm an engineering student (students are huge buyers of the macbook line) and would love to have a tablet to take notes on. I don't want to loose the keyboard because then it really is a highly impractical, oversized iPod touch, but I can't even use my macbook for taking notes now (try typing an equation faster than writing it by hand). Apple had successfully marketed their products to people in my demographic for quite a few years now, and I think they could pull off a touch screen MB. I don't go out buying random gadgets that I don't need just because they are cool either (iPod are sweet and I LOVE music, but I don’t even own one because I’m too cheap). It would seriously help me out. I hate carrying around reams of paper (eText books with a note taking interface would have a huge market too). Of course, it would probably look a little different because the screen would have to somehow lay flat, and not everyone would want or even like it, BUT I WOULD LOVE ONE.

[gkarris]

Apple has said it has "ideas" about how to make a better netbook, so we know it's at least on management's minds. Whether this is it, who knows. But if it is, based on previous Apple exec comments it won't compete with inexpensive netbooks, i.e., it will cost significantly more than the typical $299-399.

I'm guessing somewhere in the $799-999 range, but it will have a true C2D, not a wimpy Atom. It would also probably mean the end of the MBA and lowend MB lines. I don't think Apple can support 4 different laptop lines. It's too confusing for consumers.

I'd be in line for a basic low powered C2D 2.0+ tablet/netbook/subnote MB if Apple can keep it under $1000. As long as it has a real keyboard, BT/802.11n, 5+ hrs *real* battery life/and 60GB+ SATA 2.5" SSD I'm happy.

Won't be able to compete at that pricing...

I say that's what the Apple - Intel Atom rumor is for. A 10" Touch Screen computer with nVidia Ion chipset. Mini Display Port out and hook that puppy up to a large screen and watch 1080p videos... :)

A simple dev tool to translate iPhone apps to it...

$399 16gig and $499 32Gig versions...

[guzhogi]

Some people have said Apple is an innovator and hasn't been "late to the game". Innovator, yes, but Apple has been late to the game in some places. There were MP3 players before the iPod. Apple just made a stylish one. There was a GUI interface before the Mac OS. Apple ripped off Xerox & made a more stylish one (which got ripped off by MS which has way more marketshare Apple). Apple still doesn't have a true gaming console like an xBox or Playstation. While Apple did make the Pippin, look where it is now. For Christmas, my family got a Nintendo Wii, and that seems like something Apple SOOO should have come up with. And we still don't have a netbook or xMac. Sure, Apple brought the first multi-touch device to market, but many things Apple has done, someone has done before. So Apple can be innovative/make things more stylish, but Apple isn't always the earliest to the game.

[guzhogi]

Someone might have said this already but I don't have the time to read all the posts...

I would LOVE a macbook with a touch screen. I'm an engineering student (students are huge buyers of the macbook line) and would love to have a tablet to take notes on. I don't want to loose the keyboard because then it really is a highly impractical, oversized iPod touch, but I can't even use my macbook for taking notes now (try typing an equation faster than writing it by hand). Apple had successfully marketed their products to people in my demographic for quite a few years now, and I think they could pull off a touch screen MB. I don't go out buying random gadgets that I don't need just because they are cool either (iPod are sweet and I LOVE music, but I don’t even own one because I’m too cheap). It would seriously help me out. I hate carrying around reams of paper (eText books with a note taking interface would have a huge market too). Of course, it would probably look a little different because the screen would have to somehow lay flat, and not everyone would want or even like it, BUT I WOULD LOVE ONE.

I would like a touchscreen MacBook, too. Preferably one where I can do the multitouch w/ my fingers as well as use a stylus. I'm one who doesn't mind smudges on my screen too much. But I also have big, clunky fingers, too so a stylus would help.

[ATimson]

I don't want to loose the keyboard because then it really is a highly impractical, oversized iPod touch, but I can't even use my macbook for taking notes now (try typing an equation faster than writing it by hand).
Depends on how you type it. If you just use carats and function names instead of hunting out superscript or the square root or integral symbols, typing's still faster. Especially when you have to either keep switching in-and-out of tablet mode (which is slow), or hand-write all the non-equation stuff (which is slow as well).

[striatedglutes]

If it is indeed an 8-12" touch screen netbook, I believe we will see something that:

- Pushes their bluetooth keyboard (or hell, maybe even has a few usb ports for a wired one) as an option for the input device and maybe comes with a detachable/very basic stand for the unit itself. This way, they can make it super thin/portable (omit the keyboard) and the unit itself will really just be a monitor. It won't have to stand up super tall, just tall enough so that the viewing angle is pleasant and using the touch feature is comfortable from a chair while using the unit on a table with a keyboard in front of it.

- Only has a 3G connection if battery life permits. If so, could you swap in your ATT sim? Make calls with your headphones that have a mic on them?

- Gets spun (at least a little bit) as an eBook reader, and we will see eBooks appear in iTunes. Partnered with Amazon, this could get interesting. I know Apple won't want to share its profits, but I'm sure Amazon wants more eBook adoption and market share. I know very little about this market, but I'm guessing the margins are probably pretty high and maybe there's a price point in there where both Apple and Amazon can be happy.

- Comes in one hardware configuration (memory variants excluded) and runs Snow Leopard natively just fine. Resolution will be 1280x800 at the least.

[Stately]

I can't see this being true. People keep talking about Apple needs a netbook, Apple needs a tablet. They don't realize that Apple already has one. It's called the iPhone. It fits into your pocket and does virtually everything a Netbook does.

One day the lines between laptop/netbook will blur as the only reason people like netbooks is because they are portable and cheap. They are really made to do e-mail, surf the web, throw a couple pictures and music on it and maybe some basic word processing. iphone does that all really well, except for maybe the word processing.

If you have a computer at home weather it be a laptop or desktop, and you own an iPhone, what need is there for a "Netbook"

You are somewhat correct. The iphone is a beautiful tablet. The problem that exists is the lack of full OS so that pro apps can be run, documents can be edited quickly and efficiently and better processors for speed and graphics. And if you are asking where's the room for all of that extra stuff.. well that's my point. We need a tablet. Iphonesque in form, yet larger with much more function. So like you said, Virtually we have both tablet and netbook in the iphone but technically we do not.

[rlmccormick]

Late to the game as usual. By the time they get this product out, everyone else will be on their third generation of netbooks.

I'm sure a lot of people thought the same about Apple coming out with a cell phone too. Apple's 1st generation cell phone was better than most others nth generation. I don't doubt they can pull something off here too.

[kornyboy]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5H11 Safari/525.20)

Touch screen MacBook Mini?

Tablet possibly. Only $1999.

[ivladster]

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...)

Way to be so negative.

[gmcalpin]

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.

I agree, although I'd say $1000 more than people wanted, $300 more than people had any sane reason to hope for...

Add magical Apple fairy dust at the factory

Total = $699.00 :eek:
I think you're about $100 too optimistic there.

[skellener]

The article calls it a netbook but it won't be. It also won't be coming in between $300-$400.

[ivladster]

Some people have said Apple is an innovator and hasn't been "late to the game". Innovator, yes, but Apple has been late to the game in some places. There were MP3 players before the iPod. Apple just made a stylish one. There was a GUI interface before the Mac OS. Apple ripped off Xerox & made a more stylish one (which got ripped off by MS which has way more marketshare Apple). Apple still doesn't have a true gaming console like an xBox or Playstation. While Apple did make the Pippin, look where it is now. For Christmas, my family got a Nintendo Wii, and that seems like something Apple SOOO should have come up with. And we still don't have a netbook or xMac. Sure, Apple brought the first multi-touch device to market, but many things Apple has done, someone has done before. So Apple can be innovative/make things more stylish, but Apple isn't always the earliest to the game.

Uhhh DUUUUUHHH, you just realized that?
Apple waits and sees what product is failing in industry and then goes in and make something cluster-!%$@-mind-blowing. A lot of netbooks are not what they can be, now its time for papa Apple to come into the game.

As for gaming, uhhhh i know apple never really cared about games, but maybe iPhone will change their mind.

Remember apple was a computer company, not entertaining company; now it seems like table is turning.

[iMacmatician]

I saw an article recently that said Intel was working to greatly lower the expense of the ULV type processors used in the Macbook Air to bring more power to the high end netbook market. Yeah that was a good sign for cheaper MacBook Airs (and other devices).

My money is on a Macbook Air model for $899 or $999, putting it in it's rightful place below the Macbook in price.I'm not ignoring this possibility either, although I can also see price cuts in the regular MacBook Air line.

The iphone is a beautiful tablet. The problem that exists is the lack of full OS so that pro apps can be run, documents can be edited quickly and efficiently and better processors for speed and graphics. I agree with you on the pro apps part (but who would run pro apps on a netbook?), but the documents issue depends on software and the processor issue is dependent on hardware, although a netbook would still be faster (full OS/apps have more overhead though).

The article calls it a netbook but it won't be. It also won't be coming in between $300-$400.The iPod touch is that expensive. I don't expect either an Apple netbook or a larger-than-iPod touch device to fall below $499 in its cheapest model.

[Lesser Evets]

Does it seem likely that a tablet is being held up for lack of a downsized/streamlined operating system?

I believe the tablet is held up for several reasons.

The tablet will be an out cropping of super compressed computer tech like in the iPhone, but a lot more capable to function more like a real Mac. Apple needs time to engineer that. The OS isn't such a problem, I believe. The other problem Apple has with tablets is figuring out a palpable market to aim for and succeed in.

With each passing month they are closing in on a better design and capability in a light tablet, but until they figure out enough of a market I doubt they'll release any such device.

The iPhone was probably an outcropping of tablet research and probably perpetuates tablet research and development. The iPhon is probably the perfect fuel for realization of a larger version for wider computer needs. How it fits in between iPhone and Laptop will be a hairy situation. I'm not looking forward to a mere iPhone with larger screen and writing recognition; I want a slightly limited notebook that is far lighter and allows art/writing on screen and can be combined with a keyboard to allow quick text entry.

[Stately]

I could definitely see a larger iphone that could pack in full os and better processors, along with the ability to do video conferencing and document editing. I wouldn't mind the iphone being larger. I actually thought it was going to be when the first one was released. When I actually realized how small it was I was shocked. :cool:

[redwin11]

The iPhone is small because it needs to fit in your pocket - can't people accept that Laptops don't need to be any smaller than they currently are?

Apple should just keep on working on the Macbook line and that would do me fine.

Now, touch-screen iMac, that's a different matter.

[emotion]

Can't see a netbook being the form factor they'll chase. It'll be a large iPhone style device but with MacOSX touch interface (Snow Leopard).

All based on Ion.

As ever with these things all the stuff people write off as unlikely (ie. mp3 players(ipod), tablets etc) have only failed because they've been done by companies that don't have a clue. Then along comes Apple.

However, knowing Apple's ability to disappoint at every turn recently I'm beginning to lose the faith.

[emotion]

Now, touch-screen iMac, that's a different matter.

Reaching up to a touch screen is not a natural movement. Try it for an extended period of time.

[iMacmatician]

The tablet will be an out cropping of super compressed computer tech like in the iPhone, but a lot more capable to function more like a real Mac. Apple needs time to engineer that. The OS isn't such a problem, I believe. If the mini-tablet/netbook goes iPhone OS, then I see two similar iPhone OSes, the regular one for the iPhone / iPod touch, and an "extended" one for the mini-tablet.

I also see additional apps like mobile iLife/iWork in the mini-tablet.

[Lesser Evets]

Netbooks are the happy meal toy of portables. Regular people love them, but for more involved computer centric professionals and enthusiasts they are utter HELL. I'm not sure why anyone aside from a kid or net junkie (a sizable market) would want one.

Tablets are the way to go. They need a letter/legal sized device which is very light and can recognize hand writing while being able to hook up to peripherals and do a wide range of application support.

Reaching up to a touch screen is not a natural movement. Try it for an extended period of time.

Yeah, the use of touch screen would have to be a computer with a different position on a table. That's obvious. But, so what? A Cintiq exists and is highly popular...with those who can afford it. If Apple finds a way to make the screen go up and down allowing for a regular keyboard when needed, it will be a success.
If the mini-tablet/netbook goes iPhone OS, then I see two similar iPhone OSes, the regular one for the iPhone / iPod touch, and an "extended" one for the mini-tablet.

I also see additional apps like mobile iLife/iWork in the mini-tablet.

I would think that would be likely. My hope is to be able to use Photoshop (or a limited version of it) on a legal sized tablet with stylus recognition... might be a big old pipe dream. You are most likely on target with a tablet that can run enough OSX and have enough function to run Apple productivity apps, minus high power video/sound apps.

[Stately]

All I know, is that Apple always has innovative ideas coming out of that camp and I can't wait to pick up my new product, ahem... tablet.;)

[houser]

If Apple finds a way to make the screen go up and down allowing for a regular keyboard when needed, it will be a success.


Is it then not too close to a Powerbook really?
Finding the the right blend of portability, power, features and price is not relly that obvious.
And the degree of portability seems the hardest one to find the right nieche for...
fitting in your pocket is one clear obvious level.
Then it really needs a case or something, however small it will be.
tricky one...which is why there is a n opportunity for innovation too ;)

[emotion]

If the mini-tablet/netbook goes iPhone OS, then I see two similar iPhone OSes, the regular one for the iPhone / iPod touch, and an "extended" one for the mini-tablet.

I see it coming from the other direction. ie. Mac OSX not iPhone OSX.

[mrklaw]

my wife likes her samsung NC-10. The keyboard is the only one I tried that was ok to type on. (didn't try the MSI wind). Only negative I have is that the resolution is too low and the trackpad too small. Other than that its a fine internet browsing/email machine.

I'd like a mac equivalent - something my wife can easily take out and use, and take out and about with her. The Air would have been ok but way too expensive. Something slightly more compact. I'd easily trade power for that - the atom in the NC10 is fine. But I wouldn't want to trade flexibility. I'd like proper OSX not iphone cut down version, and Iu'd like proper keyboard/mouse support.

I'm concerned that 'touch' means too much emphasis on touch. I'd like a real keyboard when typing more than a quick email, and a mouse when I'm using real apps.

[redwin11]

Reaching up to a touch screen is not a natural movement. Try it for an extended period of time.

True, but i would like it as an accompaniment to a keyboard, rather than a replacement, so it would be used as and when.

[Lesser Evets]

Is it then not too close to a Powerbook really?
Finding the the right blend of portability, power, features and price is not relly that obvious.
And the degree of portability seems the hardest one to find the right nieche for...
fitting in your pocket is one clear obvious level.
Then it really needs a case or something, however small it will be.
tricky one...which is why there is a n opportunity for innovation too ;)

Oh, pardon my lack of descriptive.

I was referring to an iMac design, not a portable, in this case. It would be interesting if they made a detachable iMac Mini type device where you port around that 13.5" screen and can link it onto a base stand that conveys info to/from bigger drives/optical drives/etc. The base possibly being a wireless device as well to support the tablet within 200 feet or so. Then you have a computer which is portable or sendantary.

Personally, I always found the notebook design to be too limited and bulky for true portability. The keyboard is never comfortable for me since it is linked to the screen and only so adjustable.

I'm concerned that 'touch' means too much emphasis on touch. I'd like a real keyboard when typing more than a quick email, and a mouse when I'm using real apps.

I hold out hope for a portable large enough to prop up and use a bluetooth/usb keyboard/mouse when desiring to be seated.

They have it already in the Air. Remove the keyboard/track pad and screen casing, drop on the touch screen. Voila! I think 3 lbs. is still a little heavy for a tablet. When they can get it down to 2 lbs. I believe they have it figured out. The biggest hamper to weight on the Air modification idea is probably the glass layer over the screen--fragile and heavy.

[emotion]

True, but i would like it as an accompaniment to a keyboard, rather than a replacement, so it would be used as and when.

Fair enough.

I see apple developing a companion product to an Apple home server or MobileMe based back end.

It's still not likely to be a netbook though.

However, a 10 inch screened tablet with multitouch that was capable of running something like Ableton Live would be a very popular device in some circles.

[drlunanerd]

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.

Nope, doesn't qualify as Apple are still not using desktop-class processors, anyway this is way off topic so I'll button it ;)

[Vulpinemac]

Reaching up to a touch screen is not a natural movement. Try it for an extended period of time.

I expect Apple's product, if real, won't be the stereotypical clamshell type of 'netbook.' In fact, I don't expect it to be a netbook at all!

Think about it. Exactly what difference is there between a standard laptop computer and a netbook? You set it down on a surface. You open it up. You type with both hands on a conventional keyboard. The only difference is size. The netbook is essentially useless! It's smaller, yes, but not one whit more efficient than a standard notebook? Why waste the money?

No, I expect this device to be something much more convenient and much more usable than a plain, old, netbook. I expect that it could easily be used one-handed in much the same way a legal pad on a clipboard is used. This is something no current laptop or netbook can do. This is also why Apple has had no interest in a 'netbook' per sé.

Yes, it likely will be more expensive than a netbook. But it will make up for that price difference in true functionality.

[emotion]

I expect Apple's product, if real, won't be the stereotypical clamshell type of 'netbook.' In fact, I don't expect it to be a netbook at all!

Think about it. Exactly what difference is there between a standard laptop computer and a netbook? You set it down on a surface. You open it up. You type with both hands on a conventional keyboard. The only difference is size. The netbook is essentially useless! It's smaller, yes, but not one whit more efficient than a standard notebook? Why waste the money?

I was answering the touch screen iMac comment.

I fully expect a tablet not a netbook.

[guzhogi]

Uhhh DUUUUUHHH, you just realized that?
Apple waits and sees what product is failing in industry and then goes in and make something cluster-!%$@-mind-blowing. A lot of netbooks are not what they can be, now its time for papa Apple to come into the game.

As for gaming, uhhhh i know apple never really cared about games, but maybe iPhone will change their mind.

Remember apple was a computer company, not entertaining company; now it seems like table is turning.

Actually, I did know that before, I was just pointing out that Apple isn't always the first company to do something. Maybe the first company to do it in a way that catches a lot people's attention, but not the first company, period. Don't get your underwear in a knot!

[mrklaw]

The only difference is size. The netbook is essentially useless! It's smaller, yes, but not one whit more efficient than a standard notebook? Why waste the money?
.

because its less money than a laptop, and more portable. Its recognising that many people don't need the extra power in modern laptops/desktops for simple browsing or other activities. Its a perfect 2nd computer IMO.

a tablet would be a fundamentally different concept. I look forward to seeing what apple do with it

[farmboy]

for bottom lines.

I really don't think Apple is up for a $399-$599 netbook in any form. I really like the idea of a tablet, but it's got to be $700-$800 to make it worthwhile in terms of features and power.

I read this weekend that Dell is in serious--read critical--financial condition, which is what happens when you endlessly pursue the cheapest possible iteration of any product. The rest of the industry plunges to the bottom...but Apple should stay away. The industry is going through a shakeout and many names we take for granted as players will disappear in the next year or two.

[realfx]

I like the idea of the netbook but, the form factor never seems too work. Maybe Apple has done something to get it to work better. I always feel so limited.

[Peace]

Macbook Touch. You saw it here second. :)

you saw it 2 years ago here (http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=3737904&postcount=159) ;)

Think different people. These companies think in a Windows world mentality. This is no "Netbook" as the Windows world sees it. And yes it will more than likely cost $499-$699 and will use the atom processor because that's all it needs.

[derryquinn]

[Emphasis mine]
...My hope is to be able to use Photoshop (or a limited version of it) on a legal sized tablet with stylus recognition...

What? :confused:

[Gasu E.]

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

Rocketman

I'm with you. An oversize iPhone with stylus input, a detachable keyboard and possibly digital ink.

[Jayomat]

Due to the fact that it will be (very) expensive compared to it's power, i won't buy it, IF it is going to become real. however, im excited to read/hear more ;)

[notjustjay]

I'm sure a lot of people thought the same about Apple coming out with a cell phone too. Apple's 1st generation cell phone was better than most others nth generation. I don't doubt they can pull something off here too.

And the iPod, yes. I sure hope so. Look, I want an Apple netbook. I do. I love my MacBook Pro but there are days when it's just not worthwhile to take it with me -- day or weekend trips, for example -- and a netbook would fit the bill perfectly. And I'm not willing to pay the premium for the Air.

In my limited thinking, I picture a similar form factor to Asus and Acer products, priced at a premium but still inexpensive ($599 say). Of course this will never happen. I hope Apple will come up with something that will make everyone say "Why didn't we think of that?" and still be within a price range that people are willing to pay. I imagine it will be more than $400 (the cost of a good Windows netbook) but less than the cost of the Air.

I'm just saying that it's a moving target. The first generation of netbooks were cute but practically unusable -- slow, tiny cramped keyboards and screens and poor battery life. The second generation gave us bigger screens, better processors, decent keyboards, and decent battery life. The third generation is coming out now and they're offering 7, 8, 9 hours of battery life (which to me is HUGE and one of the reasons why, apart from price, I wasn't interested in the Air). The next generation will be even better, smaller, thinner, lighter.

Last week I bought an Asus 1000HE. Cons: it runs XP, it's chunky and heavy for a netbook (3 pounds). Pros: 9 hours of battery life, under $400, keyboard that's actually usable. It's not a Mac, of course, but it's pretty good value in the netbook world. I may just play with installing OS X on this thing.

If the buzz is an Apple "netbook" then there are certain expectations, and I'm interested, particularly in how they're going to turn the industry upside down with something nobody's seen before.

(Actually, if they even just revived the 12" PowerBook, stuck a Core 2 chip in there, and sold it for $899, I'd be all over that...)

Way to be so negative.

I'm just trying to be realistic. I'm sure Apple has a Grand Plan To Take Over The World, but right now I'm just not understanding it. In my eyes, they're going downhill. Glossy-only screens, no more Firewire, proprietary Mini DisplayPort and Magsafe connections, disappointing keynotes, etc. It's not just me, a lot of people are grumbling in these forums.

I bought a mid-2007 MacBook Pro, and I love it, but I would not buy the current model. I'm just saying it's going to take some serious shaking up for me to get excited.

To those that say I sound like posters in Thread 500, well, I will be glad to be proven wrong. My credit card is standing by...

[sushi]

While it won't happen with today's tech, I would love to see a iPhone/touch the same size as we have today, maybe a tiny bit thicker, but of clamshell design. Flip it open, and now have twice the screen area. Better for just about all applications. When closed, there is an automatic screen protector.

In reality, not sure what this means. Touch panel size is the question. Will it be a new line, or as some have speculated a slighter larger version of the touch?

One thing is for sure, if Apple goes the route of a Netbook, it will be an interesting and thoughtful implementation. :)

[Airforcekid]

:apple:It will have to be below 600 USD to sell good and I doubt it will run leopard probley a custom OS like the iPhones offering Safari Mail Pages iTunes and an app store. (Possible jailbreaks?) I will buy if under $400.:apple: What will happen to Air sales I think they will drop but still be good since most netbooks cant get 2 cores and a 13 inch screen!

[j5045096]

If you have a computer at home weather it be a laptop or desktop, and you own an iPhone, what need is there for a "Netbook"

Because this is America and we buy stupid nonsense like that.

No, all kidding aside, I firmly agree with you and it's what I've been saying, and then "Koobcamuk" quoted me for "hilarity"...whatever that means.

[j5045096]

When Apple first switched to Intel, I thought they'd take the opportunity then to combine the macbook and macbo8ok pro lines. Build the same body, but put high end stuff in the pro line (FW 800+, eSata, high end graphics, 7200 RPM drives, ECC RAM, etc.) and more consumer-stuff in the low end (low-end FW 400, 5400 RPM drives, standard ram, no eSata, lower end graphics, etc)

I would say that is exactly what happened. ...except why would you put Firewire 400 in one and 800 in the other. It's like building a computer in 2009 and making a high end version that has USB 2.0 and a lower end version with USB 1.1

[Lesser Evets]

[Emphasis mine]


What? :confused:

Legal is a size of paper. Legal or Letter sized papers. has nothing to do with some restriction from law.
I meant the size to give a general format that is bigger than 4x iPhone, which is too tiny for what I would love to use a tablet for. A 4x iPhone might be good enough for a sizable market, though.

[kdarling]

As for a Mac netbook...

There are tons of Hackintosh articles on putting OSX on a netbook.

[j5045096]

- Only has a 3G connection if battery life permits. If so, could you swap in your ATT sim? Make calls with your headphones that have a mic on them?


Oh it'd be awesome to put your iPhone SIM in and go, but you're dreaming. Though AT&T will gladly sell you an additional line + a USB 3G modem for $59 a month. ...just like they do now.

[bry223]

The biggest problem I see is, Apple will probably price the netbook at $600-$700. I could understand if it was a 12 inch netbook, but Im sure they'll charge that premium for a 8.9 inch or 10 inch netbook.

My advice, do what most netbook users are doing, buy a $300 10 inch netbook, and run OSX on it.

With Windows 7 shaping up to be a very good OS, Apple really should re-think their strategy right now when it comes to pricing, or making OSX universal.

[Lesser Evets]

Because this is America and we buy stupid nonsense like that.

No, all kidding aside, I firmly agree with you and it's what I've been saying, and then "Koobcamuk" quoted me for "hilarity"...whatever that means.

The tablet format would have to overtake the notebook market in some way. Or else it is a fifth wheel. So to speak.

iPhone is a music/video ever portable communication device for constant carry.
iTablet (or like the notebooks now) are for larger and more complex computer needs.
Desktops are then for bringing the iTablet info into a better device for archiving or further work with greater processor needs.

iTablet would have to definitely eat away the notebook market or else it is competing against Apple's current devices. I think the Air is a step toward the iTablet, as is the iPhone. They are coming in from either end of the design spectrum--eliminating optical drives, switching to SSD, and limiting the input/output options to a minimum to allow lighter, more portable, computing machines. Apple is very cautiously approaching the next step in portables because they don't want to kick themselves in the merchandise.

[j5045096]

A lot of netbooks are not what they can be, now its time for papa Apple to come into the game.

As for gaming, uhhhh i know apple never really cared about games, but maybe iPhone will change their mind.

Remember apple was a computer company, not entertaining company; now it seems like table is turning.

Papa Apple? Another believer that Steve Jobs/Apple is their nurturing father who has adopted them as their very own.

Now it seems like the table is turning? What clued you off? Was it 2001 with that little silver soap dish looking thing that held 1,000 songs? Or is it the 10 b'jillion downloads on iTunes? ...or "the funniest iPod ever"? No, must have been Apple TV. In any event, who cares? Darn right they're an entertainment company. Apple was only a computer company because computers hadn't changed entertainment and gaming yet. 9/10 of what we do on computers these days isn't about processing, it's entertainment.

[rockstarjoe]

Macbook Touch. You saw it here second. :)

It's going to be called the Macintouch, of course.

[j5045096]

for bottom lines.

I really don't think Apple is up for a $399-$599 netbook in any form. I really like the idea of a tablet, but it's got to be $700-$800 to make it worthwhile in terms of features and power.

I read this weekend that Dell is in serious--read critical--financial condition, which is what happens when you endlessly pursue the cheapest possible iteration of any product. The rest of the industry plunges to the bottom...but Apple should stay away. The industry is going through a shakeout and many names we take for granted as players will disappear in the next year or two.

I hope this means the Gateway name will finally go away and that HP will finally kill the Compaq name. Such junk.

[Nor*Cal]

finally, an iPhone Mega

[cswiger1]

Depends on how you type it. If you just use carats and function names instead of hunting out superscript or the square root or integral symbols, typing's still faster. Especially when you have to either keep switching in-and-out of tablet mode (which is slow), or hand-write all the non-equation stuff (which is slow as well).

Engineering student.... meaning exponents are the least of my problems when it comes to typing out notes (integrals, diagrams, tables, vectors, and anything else a proff throws up on the board) half of my notes are just to explain that kind of confusing notion that the text book uses in the first place. Not that it's indecipherable in the first place, but I want my notes to be a quick, easy read, reference.

In most of my classes (not all) i actually write very little that i could actually type. Most of the text is in the book; I just derive equations and make diagrams explaining the words. Right now my current system is: type anything I can, then draw anything else on paper and type in things like "ref. fig. 1" on my MB. But that’s pretty tedious.

[GQB]

I'm afraid that it will be too expensive.

Of course it will be.
And it will make butt-loads of money. I don't understand the argument that Apple needs to bottom-feed during a time when they can leverage 'flight to quality'.

[Nor*Cal]

Of course it will be.
And it will make butt-loads of money. I don't understand the argument that Apple needs to bottom-feed during a time when they can leverage 'flight to quality'.
Now I know what to use my employee discount on

[citi]

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

lol!

[GQB]

BINGO!

Beat me to the punch.

Take (1) Netbook = ~ 200.00
Add Touchscreen functionality = ~ 150.00

Subtotal = ~ 350.00

Add magical Apple fairy dust at the factory

Total = $699.00 :eek:

If 'fairy dust' = quality design and usability, then you're absolutely right.

[JoeDMD]

Macbook Touch. You saw it here second. :)

Not the Mac 'n Touch?

[Wild-Bill]

If 'fairy dust' = quality design and usability, then you're absolutely right.

Um, no. I meant actual fairy dust. :eek:

[wizard]

The article says touch "panels." Couldn't these just be components for the trackpad of a notebook? There's no mention of a size, which is the info we'd really need to make an educated guess about what product this might be applied to.

Yep one long thread for so little info. Personally though I'm wondering if this is Apples third quarter or calendar third quarter?

What I'm hoping for myself is for an Apple tablet derived from the Touch devices. I haven't seen anything to indicate that this is coming from Apple.


Dave

[zer0tails]

If Apple really does release a netbook, I'll consider myself screwed for buying the macbook air :o

[trip1ex]

Where does this "Apple isn't interested in selling cheap products" come from? Everyone seems to forget the iPod Shuffle, which in my book is a cheap product at least partly aimed at the bottom end of the market - Apple producing a similar iPhone or Mac wouldn't be out of place.


The Shuffle is aimed at the exercise market not the low-end. Sure it may attract some that can't afford a more expensive iPod, but it's not even close to the same product as a Nano.

Cheap products (afaik) usually means "offers the same functionality on paper." LIke if Apple made a cheap Nano Ipod it would have a fuzzy screen, made out of plastic, slower response times to scroll through menus, cheaper headphones, cheaper sound quality, cheaper battery, bigger form factor, etc. On paper though it would be very close to the Nano.

If Apple produced an Iphone Shuffle it would have no screen and 5 buttons.

I think what Apple doesn't want to do is produce a gimped notebook which is what netbooks are.

I think if they do fill that space they will go with a larger footprint Touch.

[iMacmatician]

What I'm hoping for myself is for an Apple tablet derived from the Touch devices. I haven't seen anything to indicate that this is coming from Apple. There are rumors though.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/09/26/up_next_for_apple_the_return_of_the_newton.html
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/30/large-form-ipod-touch-to-launch-in-fall-09/

And there's likely more over the past few years.

[OmarKhafagy]

If apple makes a mini-notebook, that's great... But the biggest problem I've had with Apple's laptops is that the aluminum ones get really hot. The Pro line is by far the worst, making it almost unbearable to type on. Netbooks are designed to be typed on... If Apple botches that, then what's the point?

I'll say this much: I bought and am currently typing on an EEEPC 1000HE. Not only is the keyboard easy to type on, it may be one of the best keyboards I have ever used... even though it's smaller than most normal keyboards.

Further, the battery life on this thing is godlike. When I'm pushing it, it manages 9.5 hours. That's incredibly good.

Before I bought this gadget, I did my research and discovered a strong Hackintosh community being built around the MSI Wind. I was sorely tempted to buy that laptop and hackintosh my way into an OSX Netbook. The only reason I didn't was differences in battery life. For me, battery life is KEY.

So obviously there's a good market for an Apple netbook.
Apple was intelligent (imho) to wait it out and let others test out the market. The fact is, however, that if it doesn't jump into this market by 3rd quarter, it will be in trouble.

This is for three reasons:

1. The market is still in its early stages and each month brings new competitors and better offers. It's not long before one of them hits on the winning combination

2. Windows 7 is being released in the relatively near future, and alongside that comes strong support for touch screens... so far, initial reviews on Windows 7 has been overwhelmingly positive. There's also evidence that touch screens are moving into netbooks, which means that Apple's coming out with one won't be as "whiz bang boom" incredible as a certain touch-screen phone.

3. The glimmer and shine of Apple's stuff is wearing off. Two years ago, students walking into university were all about grabbing an Apple computer. Now I'm seeing more and more students saying "no way I can afford that". I'm seeing people involved in audio work getting pissed off because the MacBook (which was all they needed at one point) no longer has firewire. I'm seeing graphic designers who hate glossy screens saying "I can't get a 17 incher, it's too expensive and it's not nearly portable enough"...

Apple's growth DEPENDS upon people who once used a Windows or Linux based computer moving to an Apple computer. It did this before by making Windows out to be the bad guy because Vista really sucked. But Windows 7 doesn't suck. Which means that now, OSX and the only machine it operates on (Apple) will have to stand on their own merits.

It's the greatest struggle Apple faces...
It's a luxury brand computer that once catered to a specific crowd that was willing to pay extra for what it got. In the last few years, it tried to expand its market by catering towards the average, every-day user, many of whom cannot today no longer afford their computers.

I know many users who LOVE OSX, HATE Apple's computers, and would immediately jump ship if a better opportunity presented itself. These are the "average users". If Windows 7 lives up to expectations, I won't be surprised to watch Apple take a dive in popularity.

Don't get me wrong, I love OSX. But Apple built its success on yearly innovation and a rockstar presence, while riding on the shitfest that was Vista. It's hard to keep something like that up. It'll be interesting to see how they handle the "netbook" market.

[mrgreen4242]

I wish this was a good thing. This very well could be the first big mistake in jobs absence.

Why? Because, one of the following needs to be true:
1. The product will seriously compromise (cripple) OSX.
2. The product will not compete (price wise) with other netbooks.
3. The product will not do 1 or 2, and will destroy sales of the appropriately priced apple laptops.

No matter what, as an investor and developer, this will be awful for the company.

Your #1 is completely false. I have a Dell mini 9 with a complete 10.5 install on it and it runs wonderfully. Every feature. It's better than my dad's 933mhz G4 iBook, and at least as good as my sisters 12" 1.25ghz G4 PowerBook.

The OS (finder, spotlight, etc) is responsive, applications load fast, expose, dashboard, and spaces work instantly and smoothly. Frontrow is AWESOME on it - lets me wirelessly grab my whole iTunes video library in a keyboard friendly, full screen interface. It has enough power to playback my DVD resolution h264 encoded movie files and scale them to screen resolution.

It launches iWork '09 apps as fast as my iMac does, and the apps run great on it (it's a little slower to create a new file after you launch and pick a template - SSD write speeds being what they are). MS Office '08 runs like a champ as well.

I did a 3 hour video chat with my Mom (she virtually attended my sons first birthday party) on a single charge. That means running the webcam, encoding the video transmitting it via wifi, receiving her video stream wirelessly and decoding it onto the screen. For three hours on a 42kwh battery.

It sleeps and wakes instantly, cold boots in under 40 seconds, shuts down in about 20 seconds. It'll drive a 20" LCD via VGA if screen space is an issue. Works with Apple BT keyboard and mouse, if you need though.

In short, there is honestly no compromising OSX on this computer for the tasks that 90%+ are buying MacBooks for.

Netbooks are the happy meal toy of portables. Regular people love them, but for more involved computer centric professionals and enthusiasts they are utter HELL. I'm not sure why anyone aside from a kid or net junkie (a sizable market) would want one.

Tablets are the way to go. They need a letter/legal sized device which is very light and can recognize hand writing while being able to hook up to peripherals and do a wide range of application support.

Yeah, the use of touch screen would have to be a computer with a different position on a table. That's obvious. But, so what? A Cintiq exists and is highly popular...with those who can afford it. If Apple finds a way to make the screen go up and down allowing for a regular keyboard when needed, it will be a success.

I would think that would be likely. My hope is to be able to use Photoshop (or a limited version of it) on a legal sized tablet with stylus recognition... might be a big old pipe dream. You are most likely on target with a tablet that can run enough OSX and have enough function to run Apple productivity apps, minus high power video/sound apps.

OK, I work for a large IT department (we support 50,000+ users with 70,000+ machines). I work with all techs and tech managers. I'm the 3rd person to buy a netbook in my office, there's 2 more awaiting delivery, and at least 2 or 3 more considering.

Almost all tech people I know love their netbooks. They can have a laptop - not a smartphone or balckberry - with them almost anywhere without lugging around a big, heavy computer. They can put them on a users desk to grab files test some piece of hardware without displacing the users junk.

Tablets on the other hand are about as useless as can be. Designed for one handed use but, when you factor in a usable battery, heavier than a ream of paper so you gain nothing. The tablet form factor has been tried and tried and it never catches on because it's useless, except for very specific, usually very fixed installations (in cars for example). Smartphones are the logical replacement for the tablet design, netbooks are simply notebooks for people who like to travel light and move a lot.

[Bubba Satori]

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

Netbooks are the fastest growing category of computers. Nothing else is even close.

Don't like'm. Don't get one. But Apple can't ignore this market segment.

I sell lots of the new 12" HP tablets. AMD Turion-X2, 4GB ram, 320GB HD, ATI 3200. $899. Students love them. We have a hard time keeping them in stock.

[Peace]

snip



Tablets on the other hand are about as useless as can be. Designed for one handed use but, when you factor in a usable battery, heavier than a ream of paper so you gain nothing. The tablet form factor has been tried and tried and it never catches on because it's useless, except for very specific, usually very fixed installations


That is exactly why we will see an Apple tablet. Because that's what Apple does. They take a concept that seemingly doesn't fit into the norm and produces a device everybody wants.

[askthedust]

called the 12" powerbook

[GQB]

Reaching up to a touch screen is not a natural movement. Try it for an extended period of time.

Thank you.
Touch interface will take the form of variations on the glass trackpad, possibly in the 9-key numeric spot, or as a mouse replacement.
People who think we'll interact with a vertical screen via touch (other than at standing kiosks) have been watching too many Tom Cruise movies.

[gkarris]

3. The glimmer and shine of Apple's stuff is wearing off. Two years ago, students walking into university were all about grabbing an Apple computer. Now I'm seeing more and more students saying "no way I can afford that". I'm seeing people involved in audio work getting pissed off because the MacBook (which was all they needed at one point) no longer has firewire. I'm seeing graphic designers who hate glossy screens saying "I can't get a 17 incher, it's too expensive and it's not nearly portable enough"...

.... It'll be interesting to see how they handle the "netbook" market.

Apple's development, I don't think, included the massive downturn in the world economy, and because of that, $249 Netbooks are a more attractive solution.

Heck, $599 and $799 for a Mini, though a good value for a Mac OS X machine, pales in this economy to a Windows machine, especially when Windows 7 (a solution to the Vista debacle, and using Windows 7, is very good) is about to be released.

Apple, as Steve Jobs stated, doesn't know how to make "cheap" computers.

A "NetPad" larger than an iPhone/iPod Touch, slightly more costly than a nicer NetBook, IMHO, will be Apple's answer.

[Master Chief]

Something is definitely going on at Apple Inc. - look at Snow Leopard (the size) but keep in mind that new iPhone version numbers have been spotted.

A touch tablet with Snow Leopard would be cool, and I would like to have one, but Apple is also working on improving our video experience - QTX might actually be part of a next Apple product... so will iTunes :D

[gkarris]

Something is definitely going on at Apple Inc. - look at Snow Leopard (the size) but keep in mind that new iPhone version numbers have been spotted.

A touch tablet with Snow Leopard would be cool, and I would like to have one, but Apple is also working on improving our video experience - QTX might actually be part of a next Apple product... so will iTunes :D

I don't think it'll have SL - but instead, OS X iPhone. Apple will be using flash instead. A true "Pad".

Who knows, they may surprise us and have two version, one with flash and iPhone OS X, and another with a hard drive and Snow Leopard.

[trip1ex]

Netbooks do and will continue to cater to a LOT of people. It wouldn't surprise me if the netbook marketshare on its own surpassed the ENTIRE Mac market share in a few years.

I'm not saying Apple can't compete in this market, but I can't see how an Apple NetBook would "change the playing field". Perhaps Apple will surprise me. The reason why the iPod succeeded is because (in order): They put Firewire (compared to USB 1.1) on the thing and made it easy to sync with iTunes rather than drag & drop, they brought iTunes out on Windows, they released the iPod Mini (in effect, they created a cheaper product).

They also dumped Firewire for USB 2.0 because the customer base (Windows users) mostly had USB 2.0.

I would also say that the netbook market right now is probably as big as the Mac market in terms of unit sales. But in terms of profits Apple is way ahead.

[j5045096]

Netbooks are the fastest growing category of computers. Nothing else is even close.

Don't like'm. Don't get one. But Apple can't ignore this market segment.


Yes, they can.

First of all your little stat about netbooks being the fastest growing category is a) made up based on your opinion and b) irrelevant anyway. Fads slow eventually and what you are left with is the business you wanna be in.

The thing is this: netbooks are designed to be ultraportable. But so are Blackberrys and iPhones. I can't grab my keys, my wallet and my netbook though - if it's going to be something I can really use I have to be able to take it everywhere and even in their small sizes, netbooks are not that. Take a look around in airports, Starbucks, out and about--people use smartphones and smartphones are getting better and better and better. ...oh yeah AND you can talk on them. And then there's brand image/quality/preservation...

(Now, I drive a Toyota a Nissan but...) Do you see Mercedes making little Korean-esque clown cars just because they'll sell? No. They're protecting their brand image and that's exactly what Apple is going to do. That's why I think any offering that is close to a netbook is going to be a next-gen MacBook Air that will be slightly smaller yet still on par (or better than) with the current power and Apple will find some kind of innovative feature (i.e. the non-replaceable battery setup like on the 17" MBPro or some kind of wireless capabilities via 3g) or some new feature that will hook people on the next Air and get them to spend the $1500+ it will cost.

And I cannot fault Apple for that - they do a brilliant job of marketing and selling the things they release.

[joemama]

I think many of you are looking at this the wrong way.

Apple has ALREADY created a netbook. It's called the iPhone. So what if Apple simple made a larger version of it - say a 7-9" screen that also had a better processor and the new OS? Isn't the point of Snow Leopard to be a "lighter" OSX?

If so, then there's your so-called "netbook." An iPhone with Flash and copy/paste. It will not be a powerhouse like many of you want, but it's not intended to be. Most people DO NOT need anything more than email and web.

I think the bigger questions are:

1.) If it is a larger iPhone/Touch - what do you do with the phone part? People won't buy an iPhone AND a Netbook. So does Apple keep the phone part in the netbook and require a headset and speakerphone as a backup? The problem is, if its too big, it can't be a "regular" phone. To me, this is the most difficult design part.

2.) It's all about subsidized data plans. The device is useless without an internet connection, so why not sell it for cheaper if you partner with a cellular provider (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, etc). You could still sell a more expensive version for those who don't want a contract and only use a wifi connection. This could get your cost down to $400-$500.

3.) Think education. School budgets are shrinking. A portable lab full of inexpensive netbooks would be fantastic, and imagine if textbooks and interactive workbooks could be installed right onto them at a fraction of a cost of the real thing. Heck, Kindle already has an iApp for this.

While many people are thinking about how practical a netbook would be for THEM, I ask you think about institutions as a whole - education, local governments, medical, corporate.

This could be the next wave of computing.

[yorkshire]

And so The Cycle (http://www.misterbg.org/AppleProductCycle/) 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.

So true.

[striatedglutes]

Apple has ALREADY created a netbook. It's called the iPhone.

I stopped reading after this line, because 10 other people have already said it. $#@%

It's almost as bad as when the entire internet embraced "you sir, are an idiot." :(

[hypermark]

Unless and until the iPhone/iPod touch UI gets materially better as a serious text input device, I still think the logical applications for this type of device are around entertainment and communication hybrids (where text input is tail, not dog).

To me, this makes it the perfect living room companion device, and also larger screen top opens up to more immersive entertainment apps (where device can overlay/compliment what's on TV, be a Wii-like controller, be a communications dashboard, connect back to home office Mac, be the wedge to Apple TV viewing form factor, support Second Life/VR types of apps, etc.).

Blogged on this one at:

Apple, TV and the Smart Connected Living Room
http://bit.ly/FBEk

There is also a link at bottom of that post to analysis of Boxee/media center space.

Check it out if interested.

Mark

[8CoreWhore]

It will be what we have come to know as a "netbook" not a tablet. It will have the same processor as the next iPhone. It will run all the same apps the iPhone runs. It will be a "true" netbook in that it will have 3G connectivity. It will have the same scaled down OS X as the iPhone. It will be able to use the GPU for processing just as the rest of the Mac line with Snow Leopard guts. Essentially it will have a lot in common with the next iPhone, but no phone calls and it won't fit in your pocket. If you have a iPhone plan, 3G connectivity will be discounted. It will be low profit or no profit, but will generate revenue through 3G kickbacks and iTunes/App Store sales. :apple:

[JGowan]

This thing is sure to be over priced.Apple HAS to be higher priced. Their gear is simply better. Folks that complain about price never seem to take into account the Quality of the Materials and the Perfection of the Build. Why? Because then they wouldn't have something to b!tch about. There are also quite a few PC Trolls here that want to create negative on Apple at every chance they get.

Apple has the best OS, in the best-looking and excellently crafted machines around. I happily pay more because it's simply WORTH IT.

I seriously hope Apple doesn't release a netbook...EVER.Easy answer ... don't buy one.

Just because other companies haven't solved all the problems you mentioned, doesn't mean that Apple can't. Cell phones used to be hard to use and way too complicated and now the iPhone has shown the world how great a cell phone can be. This could be true too for netbooks if Apple actually puts it out. I'll certainly consider it.

Crawl. Walk. Run. Let 'em at least try.

[8CoreWhore]

delete

[joemama]

It's almost as bad as when the entire internet embraced "you sir, are an idiot." :(

Are you kidding me, "Mr. I joined this website in 2009"??? Go back to where ever you came from. No one needs your negative opinions.

So you expect people to never have the same idea and post about them?

Go back to class and we'll see you at high school graduation. We'll be watching you from the stands (finally) receive your diploma.

[j5045096]

3. The glimmer and shine of Apple's stuff is wearing off. Two years ago, students walking into university were all about grabbing an Apple computer. Now I'm seeing more and more students saying "no way I can afford that". I'm seeing people involved in audio work getting pissed off because the MacBook (which was all they needed at one point) no longer has firewire. I'm seeing graphic designers who hate glossy screens saying "I can't get a 17 incher, it's too expensive and it's not nearly portable enough"...


and yet Apples market share keeps growing--they found somebody else to sell to other than the college film student student. Oh and this raises an interesting point: you described a fad from 2 years ago-now it's cooled off. Last July whatever I stood in like starting at 4am at an AT&T store to get an iPhone. Now you can walk right in without any wait. It doesn't mean there's no demand, it just means demand is being met. Are all of those kids who bought an Apple 2 years ago in the market for a new computer? Hopefully not! They made a good quality purchase 2 years ago that should still have plenty of life in it!

[j5045096]

It will be what we have come to know as a "netbook" not a tablet. It will have the same processor as the next iPhone. It will run all the same apps the iPhone runs. It will be a "true" netbook in that it will have 3G connectivity. It will have the same scaled down OS X as the iPhone. It will be able to use the GPU for processing just as the rest of the Mac line with Snow Leopard guts. Essentially it will have a lot in common with the next iPhone, but no phone calls and it won't fit in your pocket. If you have a iPhone plan, 3G connectivity will be discounted. It will be low profit or no profit, but will generate revenue through 3G kickbacks and iTunes/App Store sales. :apple:

It will be...in your dreams. I'm not even trying to be rude but it's a pipe dream. It isn't what Apple does and nothing has given us any reason to believe it's what they're going to do. We knew the phone was coming - there is no reason to believe this is on it's way.

[nemacman]

Apple HAS to be higher priced. Their gear is simply better. Folks that complain about price never seem to take into account the Quality of the Materials and the Perfection of the Build. Why? Because then they wouldn't have something to b!tch about. There are also quite a few PC Trolls here that want to create negative on Apple at every chance they get.

Apple has the best OS, in the best-looking and excellently crafted machines around. I happily pay more because it's simply WORTH IT.

Don't buy one.



Quality of the Materials and the Perfection of the Build? How many people have had problems with macbooks or iphones cracking again?

[j5045096]

Don't buy one.

That's irrelevant. There won't ever be one.

[TheSlush]

Mac Tablet?!?!?!?!?!

[Tallest Skil]

You must be joking or on crack!

The X-Mac is the mythical $1599-$1999 low-cost Mac mini-tower that will never happen as long as Steve Jobs runs Apple.

And you must be joking or on crack to think that Apple will ever give you that. The quad-core Mac Pro is as close as you will get.

Nope, doesn't qualify as Apple are still not using desktop-class processors, anyway this is way off topic so I'll button it ;)

The quad-core Mac Pro uses the 3500 Xeon. The 3500 Xeon IS Bloomfield, just with ECC turned on.

[Ping Guo]

Now, I drive a Toyota a Nissan but...) Do you see Mercedes making little Korean-esque clown cars just because they'll sell? No. They're protecting their brand image and that's exactly what Apple is going to do.

Smart (Swatch Mercedes ART) made by Mercedes. I'm just sayin...

http://www.mercedessmartcarblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/wikimedia-smart-fortwo.jpg

[Bubba Satori]

Yes, they can.

First of all your little stat about netbooks being the fastest growing category is a) made up based on your opinion and b) irrelevant anyway. Fads slow eventually and what you are left with is the business you wanna be in.


No it's not, therefore I ignored the rest of your dubious post. You need to try harder as an Apple apologist. You're failing massively.

"Research firm IDC has confirmed that ultra small, ultra cheap laptops are outpacing the rest of the PC industry in the EMEA market and the momentum is unlikely to decline in 2009.

In Q4 2008, 3.6 million units were sold which represents 20 percent of total laptop sales and 30 percent of consumer laptops sold during that period. In other words, the netbook market is worth nearly two third of the business laptop market in terms of units sold.

Netbooks (or as IDC calls them mini notebooks) have been one of the most sought-after items in Christmas season last year and represented more than four fifths of the sales volumes in Western Europe."

http://www.itproportal.com/portal/news/article/2009/2/18/idc-figures-reveal-massive-netbook-growth-q4-2008/

[Peace]

No it's not, therefore I ignored the rest of your dubious post. You need to try harder as an Apple apologist. You're failing massively.

"Research firm IDC has confirmed that ultra small, ultra cheap laptops are outpacing the rest of the PC industry in the EMEA market and the momentum is unlikely to decline in 2009.

In Q4 2008, 3.6 million units were sold which represents 20 percent of total laptop sales and 30 percent of consumer laptops sold during that period. In other words, the netbook market is worth nearly two third of the business laptop market in terms of units sold.

Netbooks (or as IDC calls them mini notebooks) have been one of the most sought-after items in Christmas season last year and represented more than four fifths of the sales volumes in Western Europe."



I will back up your post by pointing out Amazon's best sellers :

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/pc/ref=sv_pc_1

[VoR]

Do you see Mercedes making little Korean-esque clown cars just because they'll sell? No. They're protecting their brand image and that's exactly what Apple is going to do

Yay, car analogies!
Mercedes also make the A (and B...) class, an costly car, built cheaply and sold to people that want to buy their idea of a status symbol. They've had loads of bad press recently for poor quality cars. It wasn't long ago the E class was built for less money than the mondeo.
I don't live in the US, there's a lot less of the "omg it's a german car, they're all amazing and expensive and the best" over here.
You do not (often) get what you pay for.

ps. The 'korean clown car companies' are probably struggling for business more than mercedes - and do you drive a toyota or a nissan? You don't seem to know yourself :)

[Jelite]

And so The Cycle (http://www.misterbg.org/AppleProductCycle/) 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.

LoL:apple:

[j5045096]

Yay, car analogies!
Mercedes also make the A (and B...) class, an costly car, built cheaply and sold to people that want to buy their idea of a status symbol. They've had loads of bad press recently for poor quality cars. It wasn't long ago the E class was built for less money than the mondeo.
I don't live in the US, there's a lot less of the "omg it's a german car, they're all amazing and expensive and the best" over here.
You do not (often) get what you pay for.

ps. The 'korean clown car companies' are probably struggling for business more than mercedes - and do you drive a toyota or a nissan? You don't seem to know yourself :)

What I said was that Mercedes hasn't made a low cost ($10,000) Mercedes car to sell to the masses. There are Mercedes cars that are cheaper than others, not 10 grand. Now whoever brought up the Smart car example...that's a good example and I'll concede it, though I hardly consider 70 hp and 3 cylinders a Mercedes. But nonetheless, Mercedes as a brand who owns Smart, did stoop to broad appeal and I stand corrected.

[macshill]

netbooks = lowcost smaller laptop computers

Apple + netbooks (lowcost smaller laptop computers) = does not compute! :rolleyes:

I think Apple will just see this as a rare hybrid (Apple netbook) to gouge their buyers.

[Slurpy2k8]

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.).

That's nice. But for many of us, there's definitely a place for something between an iPhone and a macbook. Your experiences dont translate to everyone. Dont try to pretend that web browsing on an iPhone is something enjoyable for anything beyond a couple minutes. Same thing with the virtual keyboard. For me, an apple netbook would be perfect. It should have a much smaller footprint than a macbook, and would have a keyboard that would make it useable. It would run OSX of course.

I'm travelling overseas soon- and I'm debating what to bring. The iPhone doesnt cut is for me (Id like to download photos off the camera, send decent sized emails, IM, voice-chat, and work on some files) while I dont really need the full heft and features of the macbook. A nicely built machine with an SSD, no optical drive, 7-10' screen running OSX would be perfect. And no, I dont want the macbook air.

I always find it odd how people like you hope that companies 'never' release a product that would fit so well in the lifestyle of others and make them happy and more productive- as if the release would somehow harm you.

[j5045096]

That's nice. But for many of us, there's definitely a place for something between an iPhone and a macbook. Your experiences dont translate to everyone. Dont try to pretend that web browsing on an iPhone is something enjoyable for anything beyond a couple minutes. Same thing with the virtual keyboard. For me, an apple netbook would be perfect. It should have a much smaller footprint than a macbook, and would have a keyboard that would make it useable. It would run OSX of course.

I always find it odd how people like you hope that companies 'never' release a product that would fit so well in the lifestyle of others and make them happy and more productive- as if the release would somehow harm you.

I hear your points...

1) I didn't say Safari on the iPhone was enjoyable. What I did say is that I have pretty much been able to (maybe not enjoyably) do everything on my iPhone's browser than my full Safari does...minus Flash and don't get me started about how much I could care less about Flash.

You used the word "enjoyable experience" - I think where we differ is that I see a netbook as a novelty that is made for the Starbucks regular. "I have a few minutes so I'll check my e-mails or look up something online." If you want to "enjoy" the internet, don't you surf when you're at home, on a bigger screen? It's like the iPhone. It plays movies, but do you think I sit at home on my couch watching movies on it? Heck no - I barely watch movies on it as it is, but if I do I'm waiting for my wife to finish shopping; or I'm in the airport or on a plane etc. A netbook is not a small MacBook - the current offering of netbooks are no frills little e-mail checkers! And there's nothing wrong with that but if that's true tell me why Apple needs to make one OR why a netbook is more practical than just owning a laptop that has full size computing power + an iPhone or an iPod touch that can go with you via a pocket.

The people like me comment...yeah I just think we're overdrawn and overspent and a netbook is a novelty to me. Again, it's my opinion and ours differ and that's okay

[j5045096]

I'm travelling overseas soon- and I'm debating what to bring. The iPhone doesnt cut is for me (Id like to download photos off the camera, send decent sized emails, IM, voice-chat, and work on some files) while I dont really need the full heft and features of the macbook. A nicely built machine with an SSD, no optical drive, 7-10' screen running OSX would be perfect. And no, I dont want the macbook air.


how bout a bigger memory card for your camera though? that is one thing that has amazed me - how cheap those have gotten...

[trip1ex]

ON a sidenote: What if Apple gave us longer battery life in their current laptops?

What if the cpus and gpus could run at much slower speeds. (I know some of this is done now, but not as much as it should be.) What if software was also designed for on the go use as well as well as full desktop use?

What if Apple's laptops had the option to run more robust "iPhone" versions of the programs in OS/X? Why not have 8gb-16gb of flash on a laptop in addition to a harddrive? The flash would house an iPhone like version of OS/X. What if I could instantly boot to this flash drive like with an Iphone or Touch?

[StephenReding]

I think Apple should compete with all the eBooks, like Amazon’s Kindle. Introduce their new e-book that has 32 shades of gray and show how its touch screen is just as easy as the iPhone and iPod touch. And add eBooks to iTunes. Then say, “There is one more thing.” The reason it looks so great, its running Snow Leopard. Audience Cheers!!! It’s also a full touch screen Mac with a high-resolution color screen. I think that would be a great. You know everyone would be upset if it was just another eBook at first. Then they would go crazy after the, “One more thing” line. When they are done talking about their new device they could then finish by talking all about snow leopard.

[trooman]

So what? Apple was late to the cell phone game too.

[ddTaylor]

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

I am FAR from an Apple apologist as can be seen from my previous posts on MacRumors and 9to5mac but this IS Apple so you can expect it to come in around $700-900. I am not opposed to that price IF they bring something substantially new to the table, not just shrink the size and add some so-so features. Is it to much to ask for a MATTE DISPLAY? Since this will be used in a more mobile/portable environment I would hope it is a OPTION.

I have been looking for an Apple branded netbook in order to give my Acer One OSX netbook the bott down the line to my parents or non-Apple user friends to test the OS out.

Here is for a sub $700 netbook - but you and I know that is not going to happen unless Apple and those in charge have been hitting the medical Marry Jane.

D

[Eric S.]

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.

That's not the xMac. I know it's not the xMac because if it were, I would be buying one. ;)

As to the tablet rumors - what, again?

[adamvk]

C'mon people, its not a netbook, but a larger screen iPod Touch....Thats all....

[GQB]

2. Windows 7 is being released in the relatively near future, and alongside that comes strong support for touch screens... so far, initial reviews on Windows 7 has been overwhelmingly positive.

Amazing.... almost 30 years of MS's patented FUD, and people still fall for it.
Don't buy <really good existing product> because windows is releasing (fill in the blank) REAL SOON and everyone (i.e. MS flaks) says it will just blow <really good existing product> away!

[pmoeser]

It'll be for the next gen iPhone, not a netbook

[ULFoaf]

Ug! Me Want Netbook. Ug!

[Marx55]

What size are those touch screens?

See the first picture of this:
Next Apple moves will be Books and Games…
http://spidouz.wordpress.com/2008/09...ooks-and-games

[MattInOz]

It's a market that Apple has officially denied interest in.


They said they had explored options.
They said they didn't know how to make a computer in netbook price point that wasn't junk.
They said they hadn't found a way to hit that market in a way they could sustain or be happy with.

They have never said they weren't interested.

[GQB]

There's a very male element to this thread (no surprise), in that the there's some underlying assumption that a tablet won't sell because it won't fit into a pocket.
But I've taken to carrying a really cool, small shoulder bag (re Seinfeld... IT'S NOT A PURSE!!!!!) first for my (ugh, for work) X61 lenovo, next for a trip to europe as my day pack, and now, just because its way more efficient that a wallet (which, incidentally, is bad for your back.)

In short, I can carry up to a 10" just fine, but still think 6-8" is going to be the sweet spot.

And finally, those who say that Apple's 'netbooks' will essentially be larger touch/iPhones running the slimmer OS, while saving the higher performance OS X for full-bore laptops have it on the nose.
Although we'll eventually see the 2 OS's merge.

[joemama]

It'll be for the next gen iPhone, not a netbook

Shhhhh (quiet).....Haven't you heard? Don't post comments or ideas other people already posted.

"striatedglutes" will notice, get upset and call you names. :)

[notjustjay]

ON a sidenote: What if Apple gave us longer battery life in their current laptops?

I think that would be great!

They might be heading in that direction with the 17" unibody. No other 17" laptop battery life even comes close as far as I've read.

If their MacBooks and MacBook Pro's could be tweaked to get, say, 8-9 hours of battery life on a charge, that would be pretty significant innovation and would partially negate my own desire for a netbook (to have a small device I can count on "anytime" without worry about battery life). Students would find this particularly appealing.

The next step is to get long-life batteries and inductive charging pads -- a laptop you never have to plug in.

[GQB]

That's irrelevant. There won't ever be one.
Seems you have a lot of emotional investment in there not ever being one.
You know, maybe there will be pads for people who want that, and fliptop 'netbook' for those with other needs.
Funny how that works.

[JoeDMD]

Apple HAS to be higher priced. Their gear is simply better. Folks that complain about price never seem to take into account the Quality of the Materials and the Perfection of the Build. Why? Because then they wouldn't have something to b!tch about. There are also quite a few PC Trolls here that want to create negative on Apple at every chance they get.

Apple has the best OS, in the best-looking and excellently crafted machines around. I happily pay more because it's simply WORTH IT.


While I enjoy working on my Mac, I don't know it is worth the price premium.
My mac is 7 years old, and still running strong, but no name off brand PC I retired 3 years ago was 6 years old when I replaced it, and it still ran well, it was just outdated. My 3 year old Dimension 9100 is also fine, I was just too dumb to go for the Pentium D so I am stuck with a HT chip. I have never had a PC die on me. I have never had a drive fail or RAM fry. The biggest thing I ever replaced was a PSU. The Mac may have smarter cases (recently, but my 8500 was impossible to work in), but quality has been the same - good.

There are still some essential features of windows that osx does not have.
These shortfalls cost me tons of time and extra keystrokes and mouse movents.
1) jump to a file name (when saving) by hitting the first letter of the file.
2) remember the last save to directory when saving rather than where the original was from

[iMacmatician]

3.) Think education. School budgets are shrinking. A portable lab full of inexpensive netbooks would be fantastic, and imagine if textbooks and interactive workbooks could be installed right onto them at a fraction of a cost of the real thing. Heck, Kindle already has an iApp for this.I too think this will be one of the focus areas of the Apple mini-tablet/netbook.

[twoodcc]

well now. i would love to see an apple netbook. especially a touch screen one

[dicklacara]

I predict many people here will call it the MacTouch.

You saw it here first.

Macbook Touch. You saw it here second. :)

Mac 'n Touch

Third!

[kdarling]

Hmm.

The touch panels could also be for a regular laptop size.

As for a form factor, how about something like Always Innovating's new Touchbook (http://www.alwaysinnovating.com/touchbook/)with removable panel?

It even has magnets on the back so you can stick the screen/cpu on your refrigerator, and become a family calendar or picture frame.

If it had solar panels to recharge, that would work out. Otherwise, I can't see taking it off the fridge every 8 hours to recharge! Perhaps appliances now need device docks?

[iParis]

Hmm.. this is indeed interesting.
I'd be very interested to find out the price and specs.

And so The Cycle (http://www.misterbg.org/AppleProductCycle/) 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.

DAMN! I'm a fanboy and even I say that's hilarious and accurate1

[rotorblade69]

I just dont see apple doing a little Bitty Notebook AKA Netbook. The 12" power book was really nice and I know alot of people who used them BUT. IT wasn't even CLOSE to a netbook. The air is a science experiment nitch product just testing the waters for the eventual future. The netbook will be a true small tablet. Stop thinking Macbook netbook, start thinking MAC Touch PAD netbook.
If apple would build a good Touchpad And done this:

I know of people who wished apple would have went all AIR on the 17" pro. I'm not talking about just the No removeable battery, Im talking NO CD DVD Drive, really thin and shaped like a air, BUT still have FULL power and speed of what the current 17" is now. Basically an air on crack. Full processor speed and memory, SSD, ethernet, firewire 800, 1 usb, 34 express, same battery as the Current 17" for runtime, and finally NO CD DVD. They want the blueray but dont want a CD DVD drive at all if they cant get it, and most still would be happy with a Stand along Bluray like the air if it got them a really light powerhouse.


I would be really happy.

[michael.lauden]

man i hope apple doesn't come out with a netbook.

if they came out with a maxed out iPhone with netbook specs - that'd be different.

netbooks are laym

[Cormac]

Why couldn't it be June? I'd buy one then. I "need" one then, not really afterwards.:(

[Master Chief]

Why couldn't it be June? I'd buy one then. I "need" one then, not really afterwards.:(
Because the panels are not yet available, as in WinTek is still working on the new products (See website: almost ready).

[Slurpy2k8]

While I enjoy working on my Mac, I don't know it is worth the price premium.
My mac is 7 years old, and still running strong, but no name off brand PC I retired 3 years ago was 6 years old when I replaced it, and it still ran well, it was just outdated. My 3 year old Dimension 9100 is also fine, I was just too dumb to go for the Pentium D so I am stuck with a HT chip. I have never had a PC die on me. I have never had a drive fail or RAM fry. The biggest thing I ever replaced was a PSU. The Mac may have smarter cases (recently, but my 8500 was impossible to work in), but quality has been the same - good.

There are still some essential features of windows that osx does not have.
These shortfalls cost me tons of time and extra keystrokes and mouse movents.
1) jump to a file name (when saving) by hitting the first letter of the file.
2) remember the last save to directory when saving rather than where the original was from

Yup- sorry to say, the finder is pretty much garbage, and compares negatively to windows file management and exploring. They really need to overhaul the finder in SL, as it is in desperate need of it. There's so many frustrating limitations and quirks that makes searching, browsing, and opening files frustrating.

[Vulpinemac]

I will back up your post by pointing out Amazon's best sellers :

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/pc/ref=sv_pc_1

Did you happen to notice that if you counted just the computers, an Apple laptop came in at #10? Maybe the netbooks are top sellers, but not the only game in town.

[Scottsdale]

The lowest-end Mac Pro.

It's truly sad you had to reply to that. The new low-end Mac Pro is definitely the xMac. 8 GB RAM Max... same as an iMac.

The low-end Mac Pro should be called the xMac, but then Mac Pro seems to fetch more money. If Apple really thinks the low end is a Mac Pro, the Mac Pro had taken a huge step backwards last week. We all know that Apple thinks it just introduced the xMac, and in this economy we should all be so happy, too bad they didn't throw in a 24" ACD... at that price.

[hutchitl]

I do not see a netbook with a physical keyboard from apple, but instead a large Ipod touch. Imagine having a device with a 7-10 inch screen that is as thin as an ipod, and will be light enough to hold easily and confortably. Due to its size and weight, it will be ideal for:
ebooks
watching movies
TV
digital photo frame
Web browsing
Music
Web Chat
Multiplayer gaming (Chess, Monopoly, Risk, etc.)
and other media.
I would not include an optical drive because apple needs to separate this device from the traditional computer, and will boost revenue at Itunes because users will have to go through Itunes to purchase apps and music. Couple this larger Ipod Touch with a bluetooth keyboard will benefit those who want a physical keyboard. I'd also only include 1 or 2 USB ports a la the macbook air and I would not include Leopard or SL, but something closer to the browser on the Iphone. Releasing a netbook will cannibalize the macbook line, and keeping it larger than an Ipod touch should not dip into revenue from the ipod touch because I see this as a different divice. There is great potential for such a device.

[ddTaylor]

That's nice. But for many of us, there's definitely a place for something between an iPhone and a macbook. Your experiences dont translate to everyone. Dont try to pretend that web browsing on an iPhone is something enjoyable for anything beyond a couple minutes. Same thing with the virtual keyboard. For me, an apple netbook would be perfect. It should have a much smaller footprint than a macbook, and would have a keyboard that would make it useable. It would run OSX of course.

I'm travelling overseas soon- and I'm debating what to bring. The iPhone doesnt cut is for me (Id like to download photos off the camera, send decent sized emails, IM, voice-chat, and work on some files) while I dont really need the full heft and features of the macbook. A nicely built machine with an SSD, no optical drive, 7-10' screen running OSX would be perfect. And no, I dont want the macbook air.

I always find it odd how people like you hope that companies 'never' release a product that would fit so well in the lifestyle of others and make them happy and more productive- as if the release would somehow harm you.

Well said - I made a similar point earlier. I am not sure why others voice their decent against a product when it would do them no harm if it came to market? I would like to own an Apple NetBook versus my Acer One OS X netbook I currently use.

D

[MattInOz]

So what? Apple was late to the cell phone game too.

Hopefully they won't be that late if they are going to enter.

[MikeELL]

And so The Cycle (http://www.misterbg.org/AppleProductCycle/) 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.

That made my day. Thanks :)

[OmarKhafagy]

Amazing.... almost 30 years of MS's patented FUD, and people still fall for it.
Don't buy <really good existing product> because windows is releasing (fill in the blank) REAL SOON and everyone (i.e. MS flaks) says it will just blow <really good existing product> away!

Know what's even more amazing? People who are looking for Microsoft-Sheep seem to always FIND Microsoft-Sheep.

I'm not saying I think (or anyone else thinks) that Microsoft will blow everyone else out of the water. What I'm saying is that it will be "good enough". And in this market, with these types of buyers, "good enough" is what people want.

Windows Vista was WORSE than Windows XP. So people opted to either stay with Windows XP, or go with something brand new. But Windows 7 (having used it myself) is a drastic improvement in several areas... over both XP and Vista... Which means that, while it's no OSX... it IS an improvement over previous iterations, it opens a web-browser, runs office and the other bare necessities. And it's less expensive because it can run on any machine... no Apple tax. Again, for the average user... a "better-than-windows-xp/vista" system that won't break the bank.... that's all they want.

Whether Windows 7 isn't the BEST or not doesn't even matter. What matters is if it will do what most people want it to do. Windows Vista was ****, XP is almost a decade old. People just want something better than what they've been using... And if they can get that with something they're relatively familiar with... they'll do it.

People are lazy. People only move to what's new when the pros outweigh the cons.

[kdarling]

I do not see a netbook with a physical keyboard from apple, but instead a large Ipod touch. Imagine having a device with a 7-10 inch screen that is as thin as an ipod, and will be light enough to hold easily and confortably. Due to its size and weight, it will be ideal for:
ebooks , watching movies , TV, digital photo frame, Web browsing, Music, Web Chat, Multiplayer gaming (Chess, Monopoly, Risk, etc.) and other media.

Sounds a lot like current Internet Tablets, like the Nokia N800.

Only a bigger screen and thinner :)

[Lesser Evets]

There is nothing quoted about the size of the screens unfortunately. I wonder if they are high res, like the compressed quality on iPhone, and I wonder about the dimensions of the screen.

NETBOOK, being the word used, means small but probably between 6" and 13". Resolution is generally max of about 1024x800 something on netbooks. It would be nice to have something mildly better in resolution and big enough to hold like a book, but as a tablet with writing recognition.

Break out the Gregg shorthand manual and start taking notes and writing on an iTablet. They should use a bubble mode for writing on a small screen: the part of the page being written on bulges out as the stylus goes and then folds backwards as writing progresses along. IF they have a very small screen.

I do not see a netbook with a physical keyboard from apple, but instead a large Ipod touch. Imagine having a device with a 7-10 inch screen that is as thin as an ipod, and will be light enough to hold easily and comfortably. ...

Couple this larger Ipod Touch with a bluetooth keyboard will benefit those who want a physical keyboard.

This is one of the two possibilities I have been thinking/saying.

You couple it with a Bluetooth keyboard and prop it on a little stand (dock) and you have a home browser for the kids or people who don't need larger computer functions. it also means Apple has ready made peripherals all set to make this thing function. No development costs on peripherals. It could also be possibly coupled with a Mini or other computer to become a monitor when docked.... but that's a little fantastic.

I still believe it will probably have a fairly complete or functional midget version of Leopard. Why? -- SOFTWARE SALES. If this thing can run iLife and iWork, more cash in pocket. Nothing too demanding--photos, music, websites, presentations, word documents, spreadsheets, simple games.

If it has the same input/outputs as an Air it succeeds. They can present the tablet on a TV via video out and hook up a drive/USB device. People can buy a USB splitter if needed.

64 or 128GB SSD.

That would be MY next "laptop" computer. I can't stand the design of laptops. The trimmed Mac computer as a tablet would be perfect.

[Drag'nGT]

I'm holding my breath as I need a netbook by that time anyway. Here's to... well, hopeful speculation.

9-10" screen
1gb ram
64gb ssd from the old air perhaps?
1-2 usb
$600

[Master Chief]

There is nothing quoted about the size of the screens unfortunately. I wonder if they are high res, like the compressed quality on iPhone, and I wonder about the dimensions of the screen...
The size would eliminate most of the speculations here, but I guess that we have to wait a little longer for this kind of info to become public - they don't seem to have larger panels, and are working on new touch panel technology.

[BTW]

No doubt they'll make one. Apple is bent on having every product be mobile. If they could they'd drop the iMac, Mac Mini, and Mac Pro - they can't because of developers, designers, and the educational market.

I'd buy one in a heart beat if it were cheaper than the low-end Macbook at $699. :cool:

[iMaggot]

No way, i think this is BS :eek:

[yegon]

Whether it's worth Apple entering the netbook arena is debatable but the people disregarding netbooks on the basis of "I'm not interested in them, therefore they are rubbish and there's no market for them" show a pathetic grasp of reason.

[bossxii]

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=161638&stc=1&d=1236668475'

I'd buy one :)

[mamaun]

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=161638&stc=1&d=1236668475'

I'd buy one :)


No please, I want a real keyboard. I would prefer one like this:
http://www.blogcdn.com/es.engadget.com/media/2009/03/2192321716_258554b83d.jpg


PD: Sorry about my cumbersome english.

[kdarling]

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=161638&stc=1&d=1236668475

As a longtime touchscreen developer, I cringe when I see pics like that one, with full OSX onboard and no real keyboard. :)

There's good reasons why touch tablets have failed in personal scenarios, and have only been used in specialized field or sales applications. An onscreen keyboard prevents the use of most of the display. You can't touch type. And people put something that big down on a table top.... imagine trying to lean over and read the page above the keyboard while tapping away.

OTOH, a large portable touch tablet for mostly entertainment purposes, could work out. Portable web, TV, picture frame, etc. Lots of uses, mostly not requiring a keyboard.

My own idea of such a device would be based on the iPod touch, but combined with the application "cards" used in the Touchsmarts and Palm Pre. In other words, imagine multiple iPhone apps running at the same time in regular iPhone screen resolution, with about four apps visible at a time, and you just flick between them and others that are off the screen. This leverages both the larger screen and the App Store.

That said, it's more likely that Apple is simply going to come out with a touchscreen laptop option. Perhaps the screen will be the computer and can detach like the Always Innovating device mentioned previously.

[pwn247]

A netbook? Maybe. But probably not. Steve himself denied that they were going to make a little netbook for "that market" (he means us low-brow folk).

A touchscreen netbook? Maybe. From a hardware standpoint, it wouldn't take much to just stretch out the Mac Mini's mainboard to fit a 7"-8" frame, slap a keyboard and a screen on there and call it the MacBook Nano Touch. :p

Bottom line, I doubt any of it will happen.

[hutchitl]

I think this rumored device is going to be sold to consumers as a new way to access and view multi-media and games and not to be necessarily used for productivity purposes, that's what macbooks and macbook airs are for.
Instead this is an evolution of the Ipod and Ipod Touch. This will be Kindle-like but incorporate more than just an e-book reader. I think Apple is more interested in being the ultimate consumer company; Iphones, apple TV, Ipod. I see this doing to movies and video communications what the Ipod did for Music, create a player ideal for watching movies/tv shows, playing games, accessing the internet and video communications via Isight. However, with apps it could be used for productivity purposes as well. It will sell because it will be a beautiful product; no borders, just a screen with a power button like the Iphone and an isight camera.

[sellitman]

Like with the iPhone? :rolleyes:

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

I think you are right. This will be interesting.

[fleshman03]

Is the great day upon us???

Dow Jones Newswire picked it up. That, and 10" screens.

Read (http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200903100213DOWJONESDJONLINE000077_FORTUNE5.htm).

And my money is on this (http://infinitech.wordpress.com/2008/08/10/macbook-touch-rumors/):
http://www.iphonebuzz.com/wp-content/gallery/iphone-buzz-gallery/0512_imac_tablet_inset_450.jpg

[rawlus]

(Now, I drive a Toyota a Nissan but...) Do you see Mercedes making little Korean-esque clown cars just because they'll sell? No. They're protecting their brand image and that's exactly what Apple is going to do.

Actually. Mercedes makes the Smart car which is configured by the buyer and made to order via a website just like configuring and buying a new computer. Not surprisingly, the Smart still has a 9-12 month waiting list in some markets more than a year after it's debut in the US last year.

[BillyMacBoy]

After reading these posts, I firmly believe this may be a great idea. Im in a marketing class in High School designing a new product, and decided to try and invent a "MacTouch" as people are starting to call it. I believe this would be a great system especially in work forces, such as Best Buy. Alot of Sales Associates use tablets now to check stock of items, and help them sell, etc. Plus, this is a firm tool to use in Education systems, IF it is, in fact, going to be affordable. Who knows?
And whoever said "smaller isnt necessarily better", have you not seen the Macbook Air? I own one, and indeed, smaller IS better. Try things out before you open your big mouth.

No one will until its EVENTUAL release. Right now, just kick back and see what happens.

[Stately]

A tablet it will be. :D

[rockstarjoe]

Mac 'n Touch

Third!

I think I beat you to that one earlier in the thread ;)

[ULFoaf]

[QUOTE=j5045096;7238170]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.

Well, people are buying them and saying they love them. I've not really had my hands on one, but the "hackintosh" models are quite popular.

If you don't want one, don't buy one ... simple as that. If Apple thinks they can make money on such a device, more power to them. I agree that the iPhone is essentially a pretty powerful netbook in its own right!

[XIHIX]

It would be cool to have a 10" MacBook
and at the same time have a 20" tablet.

If this is what Apple plans to release,
we can wave goodbye to MS Surface...

EDIT
Yes, that means two 10" touchscreens,
no, I wouldn't mind a touchscreen keyboard.
/EDIT