Apple Sub Notebook Hints: External Optical Drive, MultiTouch Trackpad?

[MacRumors]

MacRumors has heard reliable confirmation about some features in upcoming Apple notebook releases due at Macworld San Francisco 2008.

A Mac sub-notebook is indeed expected to be coming at the Macworld and, as rumored, will not come with an internal optical drive. This omission is presumably due to Apple's ongoing efforts to reduce the size of their laptops. Instead, Apple is said to be offering an external optical drive with the sub-notebook. This detachable external drive would allow customers to read/write from CDs or DVDs as usual, but would allow users to leave this extra bulk at home when on the road.

Apple is also said to be introducing more than one notebook revision at Macworld. What combination of Sub-Notebook, MacBook or MacBook Pro remains unknown, but we've heard that at least one of these new notebooks will incorporate a multi-touch trackpad. The possibility of a multi-touch trackpad has been suggested by both rumors and published patent applications but has not previously been explicitly confirmed.

Macworld Expo kicks off on January 15th, 2008 with Steve Jobs' keynote address.

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[PruneTracy]

hm. sounds like an interesting set up that will have a lot of people whining.

[devilot]

Originally Posted by PruneTracy

hm. sounds like an interesting set up that will have a lot of people whining.

And others rejoicing.

As much as I don't need an ultra-portable, it'd be horrifically tempting.

[kevindosi]

Originally Posted by PruneTracy

hm. sounds like an interesting set up that will have a lot of people whining.

i'll be the first whiner. sounds impractical to me. buuuut i won't be buying one, anyway.

[MarlboroLite]

what about the processor of this thing? is it gonna be underpowered?

[mrkramer]

hm. Maybe it will be time to replace my 12" powerbook. No word on what the price will be yet though?

[Adokimus]

Um, made a pit stop while the gf is changing to go out, and the dork (me) checks macrumors... Happy New Year! Hope 2008 is the year of the Apple Subnotebook, but Happy New Year is more important! Back to the celebrations...

[flopticalcube]

That's the way to do it. External optical drive.

[notjustjay]

As always I take this with a "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude, but if true, my 12" PB is about ready to be retired.

New laptop, or plasma TV? Decisions, decisions.

[rockthecasbah]

If it is powerful, has sufficient storage capacity, good battery life (PLEASE), and is physically something I would be able to use size wise for college I will be picking one up. My disc drive on my current computer is only used when I rip CDs these days, so I welcome the external optical drive. Sounds great to me, as long as you don't have to pay a boat load of money extra for it (which I unfortunately could see Apple doing... ) MacWorld Expo '08 cannot come soon enough!

[tkidBOSTON]

I would love to replace my 12" pb. If this thing isnt super expensive sounds like something I'd be interested in.

[KindredMAC]

An external Optical Drive makes more sense in today's world of "multi-computered" lifestyles.

In my house, I have the last gen PM G5 as my "headquarters" and then a MacBook and an old G3 900mhz iBook. Do you know how many times I have used the slot drive in that MacBook in the last year? Twice. Once to check out what some unmarked DVDs/CDs were and then just 2 days ago to upgrade it to Leopard.

If ditching the Optical Drive could make my laptop smaller and lighter and possibly make more room for heat sinks then I am all for it.

Oh, and on a completely different tangent.... I would like to see the next update to Leopard incorporate my iPhone's text correction feature while typing. I miss it after I have been typing on my iPhone all day and come home and try to type a simple email on my PMG5.

[xparaparafreakx]

Guess that means I will be ordering three Macs instead of two now.

Come on sub notebook. I need a new laptop for personal use, no more using company MBP.

[Wayfarer]

I just bought a brand new 2.2ghz SR Macbook last week. Just waiting for it to deliver right now.

Is it likely Apple would refresh the regular Macbook line so soon?

Otherwise I'd be feeling severe buyers remorse, having last year's Macbook model.

[airjuggernaut]

Damn it, I just got a Macbook 4 days ago -_-

I thought it would be a MBP only update

[luminosity]

Could someone explain for us lesser folk just what a multi-touch trackpad would likely involve?

[Novaoblivion]

Originally Posted by devilot

And others rejoicing.

As much as I don't need an ultra-portable, it'd be horrifically tempting.

Same here I have a MBP and love it but a small light laptop would be really tempting!

[plumbingandtech]

Apple is said to be including an external optical drive

This is GREAT news! Thin is in.

[KurtangleTN]

Originally Posted by KindredMAC

An external Optical Drive makes more sense in today's world of "multi-computered" lifestyles.

In my house, I have the last gen PM G5 as my "headquarters" and then a MacBook and an old G3 900mhz iBook. Do you know how many times I have used the slot drive in that MacBook in the last year? Twice. Once to check out what some unmarked DVDs/CDs were and then just 2 days ago to upgrade it to Leopard.

If ditching the Optical Drive could make my laptop smaller and lighter and possibly make more room for heat sinks then I am all for it.

Oh, and on a completely different tangent.... I would like to see the next update to Leopard incorporate my iPhone's text correction feature while typing. I miss it after I have been typing on my iPhone all day and come home and try to type a simple email on my PMG5.

Agreed on all counts. Can't really remember the last time I used my laptops optical drive, probably under 5-10 times a year. Mostly to transfer files because transferring on the network is slow.

I'd love a nice, small notebook. Not sure I'd buy it right off the bat, little low on cash but I'd be interested in it if the price is less then the current MBs.

[nslyax]

My question is on the processor it will have as well. I use the optical drive in my iBook about once a month to burn a backup, and whenever I need to install software (once a year, maybe?) so having an external drive wouldn't be a big deal. If it is limited to a 1.8 or 2.0 GHz processor would be the real deal breaker.

Multitouch trackpad could be cool. Resizing images in Preview by pinching, and scrolling through pages in Safari or pics in iPhoto by just "throwing" them could be cool. Like two finger scrolling on steroids.

If I don't like what's new, I can just get a MacBook instead. Either way, I am ordering something on the 15th.

[BWhaler]

Originally Posted by devilot

And others rejoicing.

As much as I don't need an ultra-portable, it'd be horrifically tempting.

I am in the same boat.

I travel the world with my 17". Having that screen for work or presentations is great.

But ow and then, portability is nice.

Time will tell...

[Iroganai]

I want to know how Apple will connect the external drive to the main machine.
You need to plug a firewire or USB2 cable ?
It's too un- and too 1990-ish. They must have a nicer way.

[Stella]

I hope Apple update the Macbook PRo with the new processor and track pad. Apple also better ship better quality displays too ( re: yellow screens ).

I'd be horrified if Mac Pro's went untouched.

It would be great if the MBP screen could be detached and thus turn itself into a mobile device.... however, you'd need ( lots of ) solid state ram or a hard disc somewhere for storage.

How many people would miss an integrated DVD drive inside a laptop these days? What percentage of people use their DVD drive on a regular basis ( measured in days )? Personally, I don't see an external CD player as a big issue.

[arn]

Originally Posted by airjuggernaut

Damn it, I just got a Macbook 4 days ago -_-

I thought it would be a MBP only update

Chances of a MB update are still very slim. MBP and Subnotebook seems likely.

arn

[wakka092]

A Bluetooth optical drive with a on/off switch and a Li-ion poly battery would be amazing.