Modbook Pro Gains Pen, SSD, and RAM Upgrades Ahead of Launch

[MacRumors]

Back in June, one of the founders of the "Modbook" project to develop an OS X tablet based on the internals of a MacBook, announced that he was bringing back the concept with a new Modbook Pro product scheduled for launch in late 2012.

Pre-orders for the Modbook Pro, which starts at $3499, went live in early October with a launch target of mid-November. With the release timeframe now approaching and Modbook seeing strong customer response, the company has announced upgraded specs for the Modbook Pro, with all pre-order customers receiving a free upgrade to the new base specs. The launch of the Modbook Pro is also now targeted for late this month.

Beginning immediately, we're doubling the pen pressure levels on the Modbook Pro from 512 to 1,024. At 1,024 levels, the Modbook Pro -- which sports a state-of-the-art Wacom Penabled pen tablet digitizer -- will now have four times the industry standard of 256 for pen-based tablets!

This dramatic enhancement in pen capability will give Modbook Pro users extraordinarily precise and subtle control of renderings and underscores the Modbook Pro's usefulness as a portable content-creation platform.

In addition to the improved pen capabilities, the base Modbook Pro will also see a RAM boost from 4 GB to 8 GB and a solid-state drive boost from 64 GB to 120 GB using a faster asynchronous drive.

The Modbook Pro starts at $3499 and can be configured with additional processor, RAM, and storage options.

Article Link: Modbook Pro Gains Pen, SSD, and RAM Upgrades Ahead of Launch

[ZacNicholson]

so expensive! i could buy an ipad and mpbr for that price

[Lesser Evets]

$3500? Really? I was wondering when Apple was going to do this "mod" themselves.

[charlituna]

Originally Posted by Lesser Evets

$3500? Really? I was wondering when Apple was going to do this "mod" themselves.

Likely never. If they saw a major value in it they would have done it and not the iPad. But for the number of units they would sell versus the more common users who a reserved just fine by an iPad, not really worth it

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Originally Posted by adildacoolset

Which artist uses a phone for drawing?

Many actually. There have been exhibits with the likes of Hockney. And even more using iPads.

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Originally Posted by appleguy123

No. There is a genuine MacBook Pro that they modded into a tablet. Nothing illegal here, otherwise it could be cheaper.

Not illegal, but easy guess its a potential warranty void. At the least a warranty mess cause Apple won't touch any issue with the display etc

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Originally Posted by nba1341

It's not a touchscreen device. It's stylus only.

If that is true then I'd have no say fail on it. For that price they should be able to have it work as both.

It's almost amusing because those 'requires a stylus' phones where what Steve's anti stylus hype was about. He was fine with folks having the choice which is why they didn't block stylus use from the iPhone etc. and yet here's a company apparently going back to those days after all this time. Seems a poor choice of game play

[Dorje Sylas]

Originally Posted by ZacNicholson

so expensive! i could buy an ipad and mpbr for that price

But you can't buy an iPad with the power of MacBook Pro for any price... well not from Apple.

[GorgonPhone]

Originally Posted by ZacNicholson

so expensive! i could buy an ipad and mpbr for that price

and it is lame as hell why on earth does this exist?

[cppguy]

Originally Posted by ZacNicholson

so expensive! i could buy an ipad and mpbr for that price

And neither offers a usable pen. However, there are numerous Windows 8 devices that come with Wacom, including the Samsung ATIV for $1200. This technology has been affordable for several years now in the form of a PC. Don't even mention the iPad, it cannot be used for writing, drawing, sketching, etc. Without a Wacom it's useless for creative work.

[MacRumorUser]

Originally Posted by ZacNicholson

so expensive! i could buy an ipad and mpbr for that price

Shockingly you could buy a retina MBP and a Microsoft Surface Pro with 128gb SSD, 8gb ram and support for wacom pen/digitiser for the same price.

This one is just too much $kerching

Somehow I don't think they'll be making too many of them.

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Originally Posted by adildacoolset

Which artist uses a phone for drawing?

You need to see some of the amazing work of Sam Spratt.

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Originally Posted by brdeveloper

I suppose you are not an artist, achitect, industrial designer and so on.

They would be better off buying a 24" Cintiq

[Cavepainter]

Originally Posted by MacRumorUser

They would be better off buying a 24" Cintiq

Well, after about an hour of sketching out on location with a magnificent 64-pound Cintiq and a Honda generator, my arms started getting tired.

This is portable. Thats the point.

[tekboi]

Hmm.... Yea.... I'll just take 2 macbook pro's for the sam price instead.

[fishmoose]

That's the dumbest idea ever.

[nick_elt]

Originally Posted by fishmoose

That's the dumbest idea ever.

why? i like my ipad but its not a macbook replacement for me. This is both.

[fishmoose]

Originally Posted by nick_elt

why? i like my ipad but its not a macbook replacement for me. This is both.

"You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but it won't please anyone" - Tim Cook

[nick_elt]

Originally Posted by fishmoose

"You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but it won't please anyone" - Tim Cook

it wont please EVERYONE would be more accurate

[AppleInTheMud]

Originally Posted by fishmoose

"You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but it won't please anyone" - Tim Cook

You quote Tim to say express your oppinion. Fanboy gone wild. Apple is not god and as fake as the bible and the coran

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by nick_elt

why? i like my ipad but its not a macbook replacement for me. This is both.

Except that it's really neither. Too big to be a great tablet, too small to be a great laptop.

This is for the very narrow segment of the market that needs a digitizer built into a powerful OSx tablet.

[nick_elt]

Originally Posted by zhenya

Except that it's really neither. Too big to be a great tablet, too small to be a great laptop.

This is for the very narrow segment of the market that needs a digitizer built into a powerful OSx tablet.

An Apple made version ipad style of this would be perfect for me, id rather osx on my ipad than ios. I realise this isnt perfect for everyone tho and at that price they will struggle.

[nick_elt]

If u had the money its pretty cool tho, might be a tad heavy for a tablet thats what id be more worried about.

[mrsir2009]

Looks interesting... Albit expensive

[nfl46]

I stopped reading after $3,500. Da f! And people complain about a $329 price...! 3,500 is ridiculous!

[deannnnn]

I would love one of these if it was a bit more affordable.

[EmpireITtech]

I think if the Microsoft Surface Pro does well, Apple will go down this path as well...some people like the full OS for what they want

[iRCL]

Originally Posted by EmpireITtech

I think if the Microsoft Surface Pro does well, Apple will go down this path as well...some people like the full OS for what they want

Will never happen. That design is only for the kind of people that put a huge case and attached keyboard on an iPad and think it's a new form of laptop and really do not understand what a tablet is all about

You know, like the tablets made for ~2 decades before the iPad

[Psychj0e]

Originally Posted by iRCL

Will never happen. That design is only for the kind of people that put a huge case and attached keyboard on an iPad and think it's a new form of laptop and really do not understand what a tablet is all about

You know, like the tablets made for ~2 decades before the iPad

You are a clown, and clearly in the "I like to play Angry Birds on my 27" iMac" camp of MacRumors users. Well sonny, next time, consider some people actually use their Apple equipment for real work.

The iPad with a keyboard is actually pretty useful and is more viable than a laptop in some instances.

[brdeveloper]

Originally Posted by deannnnn

I would love one of these if it was a bit more affordable.

It is! A 13" MBP Retina costs around $3500 in Brazil. Consider yourself lucky for being able to buy a Macface Pro with a top-notch Wacom pen for just $3499.