I don't personally think there will be solid-state memory in this laptop. It's too new and it's too expensive. But I could always be wrong.
SSDs have been used in subnotebooks/"ultra-portables" for 5+ years. Many subnotebooks from Panasonic, Sony, and other Japanese companies have SSDs, but they have been expensive.
The other major user of SSDs are military/industrial/Aerospace applications including laptops and embedded computers.
I agree with previous posters that Apple won't release a < 32 gb machine. They really need to have AT LEAST 80 gb.
How reliable is flash memory long term for heavy usage? Right now flash drives are generally used in devices that act more like "storage." I literally have computers with harddrives that have been going strong for 10+ years ... I think they might be more reliable than flash drives.
Flash SSDs are still at $10-15/GB.. 32GB is likely... maybe an upgrade to 64GB. But that will throw the price into the $2500+ range. About reliability, flash SSDs are VERY RELIABLE! Much more so than HDDs, especially the smaller/cheaper ones. No moving parts. The reliability/toughness is precisely why the military/aerospace industry has been using them for years...
I agree... *if* they do SSD, I definitely think that they would go with 64GB as a bare minimum... but I wouldn't be surprised if it was 128GB, upgradeable to something more...
See above
SSD is a gimmick - no measurable advantage in speed, power consumption, or weight, only in shock resistance (great if you need a Toughbook)
Flash SSDs *can* be much faster than a 2.5" 5400rmp drive .. and they can blow the 1.8" 4200rpm drives out of the water! And actually, SSDs do have a considerable advantage in power consumption. Ive seen
some testing benchmarks around the net. Looks to be >25% reduction in power usage.
I think it would have the exact opposite appeal. I travel with my stupid Acer laptop on the plane all the time. I find it too big and cumbersome as well as awkward to use with the flip up screen. (Not to mention all the Windows problems I've had with it, but that's another story) If they came out with a design like a tablet that had a cover that folded underneath and you could just work on the surface of it...I'm sold.
And while I do agree with you in that typing would at first be awkward, we adapt, man. I'm sure we would get used to it.
Finally, alot of folks said that the Iphone was gimmicky, too. 'Nuff said.
Onscreen keyboard good for iPhone thumb-typing... as a replacement for a full size "regular" typing keyboard? Not so much. Seems like it would be very difficult to type on. (coming from an Iphone user)
Excellent news! I'll be in the market for a laptop this spring so I cannot wait for an ultra portable to tote around on the college campus. I need 64GB minimum though (35.6GB iTunes Library) or it won't work... I'll likely be disappointed in the capacity range and have to opt for a Hard Drive based notebook but you never know 🙂
Why on earth would you need to put all your music on a subnotebook?? Get a small 2.5" external drive to keep in your dorm or whatever. if you want a 64GB+ subnotebook, you better be a rich college kid.
Whenever this thread comes up, I always feel like a certain segment is looking at a 'Think' car and asking where they're going to put their 427 Hemi.
People have to get over this idea that they're going to get (or need) desktop/developer/graphicsdesigner performance out of an ultraportable or tablet. That's just not where the new users and market are going. Japanese users are showing the canary-in-the-coalmine for big honkin' desktop systems (and even for overpowered laptops).
A lot of users will still need that power, but way more don't.
I think the market is shaking out into the 'trucks' and the 'high milage 2-seaters'.
Megaprocessingpower is really only needed by a small % of users. The power needed for 95% of everyday use doesn't justify it or its associated costs. The market will ultimately reflect that.
Exactly...
i nead lots of space all the time...i think that 512gb drives will be perfect...but juts 32gb is to small...
with the OS...the apps...you will have like 25gb available...and i had that in a pc like 10years ago as the HD...i don't want to keep moving files to an HD from time to time...and sometimes when you need something that you made some time ago..and already moved it...it's like 😡 ...so more space and an optical and that's it... i'm studying biology, and i have software that come only in cds and i don't want to keep copying it to a pen to install nor having to carry an external optical...
512GB?? Hahahah. thats funny. Do you really need more than 32-64GB on a small laptop? What would you need to be on there that an external 2.5" 250GB drive couldn't hold? If USB is too slow, I'm sure Apple will put a Firewire 400 or 800 on there. Maybe an eSata?
What we need is for these devices to be wirelessly connected to our home networks and syncronized when not in use so that they are accessible.
That wouldn't be too difficult to do at all. Have a sync daemon on your laptop that waits until the home network becomes available then runs a synchronization program in the background.
🙂
