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can apple make a sub notebook fly?

jefhatfield

jefhatfield

Retired
Original poster
is the market there?

here is what i would like to see in the ultimate sub notebook

titanium or chrome (ala alphatech) shell on 10.4" inch or 12" inch screen/800 mhz g4/one usb/one firewire/combo drive/16 mb video/256 mb ram/10 gb hard drive/headphone port/external display-projector port/modem/ethernet/super thin body and 3.5 pounds at the very most

price 2599-3499

the same specs but a little more modest, plus g3 instead of g4, in an ibook format at 3.9 pounds

price 1799

does this sound like it will fly? too light? too expensive? not enough market for it? what do you think?
 
Increase the video to a 64MB ATI Radeon 7800 chipset, give people the option of dvd or combo drive (for those that don't care if they can burn cd's on the computer). Max the drive size at 40GB (the drives are 9mm up to 40GB and get thicker after that, at least IBM drives do) but give people choices on drive sizes.

I would also suggest making it as fast as the TiBook, so that people really do have a choice. It would come down to if they want a desktop replacement or a über portable Mac with the balls to compete with the peecheese laptops out there.

If anyone could do a good job of it, Apple can.
 
I just don't think that the market is there. I don't know if enough people need a portable that is smaller than the iBook or the Ti.

PDA's are good for quick note-taking and the like - laptops make good travel versions of your desktop (especially here in NoCal where just about every coffeeshop is 802.11b networked). I'm not so sure that many people need their laptops to be any more "portable," (in regards to size) especially when a smaller design would signifigantly drive up the price of such a device.
 
I think....

It will loose its value quickly, and there is no market for it. What r you going to do on it? Cant work any graphics, cant do photoshop, or movies (screen size), cant really do much! Not even play games!~
 
tfaz1, since I got burned by being one of the nay-sayers about Apple coming out with a rack mount server I have learned to be more flexible. I didn't see the need, or market, for a rack mount server, but Apple did. Hence they produced one that had even me drooling. I will be asking to get one for work, and hope that it happens one day.

As for the Sub-notebook from Apple... wait and see. They might come out with one, then again they might not. Only time and Steve Jobs will tell, and Steve made time sign a NDA. 😀
 
Re: I think....

Originally posted by MacAztec
It will loose its value quickly, and there is no market for it. What r you going to do on it? Cant work any graphics, cant do photoshop, or movies (screen size), cant really do much! Not even play games!~
Click to expand...

If they use the same GPU as in the TiBooks or the Mobile Radeon 7800 (64MB DDR RAM) then it will do just about anything. It would not be a desktop replacement, but rather a companion. I can see someone wanting a smaller version of a TiBook and not needing it to replace their desktop.

I would also say, no PC Card slots, but one that will accept an airport card so that you can use the wireless networks if you go someplace that has one. Combine that with Apple's 10/100/1000 ethernet and I think it would sell enough to survive (better then the cube did). How many people didn't see a need for the cube, but it did last for a while. At least until the sales numbers were not there. And old Steve decided to can it.
 
Re: I think....

Originally posted by MacAztec
It will loose its value quickly, and there is no market for it. What r you going to do on it? Cant work any graphics, cant do photoshop, or movies (screen size), cant really do much! Not even play games!~
Click to expand...

sure you can with 64 mb radeon!

and uh...super vision like a hawk😉

i like to lay around and compute and something lighter than my old ibook would be cool and when i hit the bookstore/cafe

actually, 4.9 lb ibook is probably there for me now...i would just like to see 3.9 lb since i am a geek-weakling😛
 
What?

You guys are saying you will play games on a 10" screen?

Maybe if it used the foldable LCDs...

now were talkin'
 
Re: What?

Originally posted by MacAztec
You guys are saying you will play games on a 10" screen?

Maybe if it used the foldable LCDs...

now were talkin'
Click to expand...

You could easily with a 12" lcd... I think a 10" would be a little rougher, but still doable. If the resolution was there, you could do quite a bit with it.

I think an Apple only LAN party would be very cool if everyone had either TiBooks or sub-notebooks (what would they be called???). Besides having virtually silent computers, people could be all over the place (especially if you set it up via airport).

I would like to host a LAN party in my apartment, since I have both an airport base station and 10/100 switch. Laptops would be easier, since I have a limited amount of table space and chairs for that. I have more room for people with laptops though. 😀
 
Re: Hmmm....

Originally posted by MacAztec
Still not sure if I would rather play Wolfenstein on a 17in display, or a 10/12 inch LCD....
Click to expand...

I've done it on a 17.4" (LCD) display and it works very well. The TiBook screen would work just as well... even a 12" would be acceptable in a pinch. If you have some time to kill and are needing some stress relief, you make do. Of course, you would probably plug the sub-notebook into a larger screen when you got home, as well as a keyboard and mouse, but many people do that now with TiBooks. Personally, I like the ability to take the laptop anywhere I want and not have to unplug anything other then the mouse and power cord. It makes for fast portability. 😀
 
Re: Re: What?

Originally posted by AlphaTech
You could easily with a 12" lcd... I think a 10" would be a little rougher, but still doable. If the resolution was there, you could do quite a bit with it.
Click to expand...

True, but how much? Even resolution can only take us so far... there's a point where things become SO dang small that it becomes uncomfortable/impossible to read.
 
Hemingray

I wouldn't go for a 10" display, but I know of some people that would take a smaller screen for portable computing only and do something else for when they need a larger display. Of course, they could keep the DVI output for an external display on the sub notebook to allow people to have more screen area. They would have the über portable laptop and then plug in an external display and have a desktop alternative.

I'm not saying it will happen, but it could.
 
Originally posted by AlphaTech
Hemingray

I wouldn't go for a 10" display, but I know of some people that would take a smaller screen for portable computing only and do something else for when they need a larger display. Of course, they could keep the DVI output for an external display on the sub notebook to allow people to have more screen area. They would have the über portable laptop and then plug in an external display and have a desktop alternative.

I'm not saying it will happen, but it could.
Click to expand...

Now that I could handle. 🙂 As long as it has the external display / DVI out then I'm just fine with that.

I would actually love to have a sub notebook that size, but I would be pretty surprised if it cost the amount jefhatfield's considering, since you could get a G4 Ti with all the "extras" for the same amount of $. But if they sold it for less, somewhere in between the iBook and the G4 Ti, it might become the next cube... so who knows...
 
I personally don't think that it would fly. I think that the market that would actually use a sub-notebook is flooded already, and if not, why not a PDA? I would much rather see the later than the first. Now owning an iBook, I cannot personally imagine using a computer smaller than this. My hands are already to large for this thing.

So, I think it is an interesting idea, but would go the way of the cube, just as fast as it did in fact.
🙁
 
Originally posted by Hemingray


Now that I could handle. 🙂 As long as it has the external display / DVI out then I'm just fine with that.

I would actually love to have a sub notebook that size, but I would be pretty surprised if it cost the amount jefhatfield's considering, since you could get a G4 Ti with all the "extras" for the same amount of $. But if they sold it for less, somewhere in between the iBook and the G4 Ti, it might become the next cube... so who knows...
Click to expand...

hey i am all for a inexpensive sub notebook, but for some reason, perhaps miniaturization or deep pockets of traveling businesspeople, the subs are so expensive

i like sony's c1 mini notebook but that thing is pricey at two grand plus
 
Originally posted by jefhatfield


hey i am all for a inexpensive sub notebook, but for some reason, perhaps miniaturization or deep pockets of traveling businesspeople, the subs are so expensive

i like sony's c1 mini notebook but that thing is pricey at two grand plus
Click to expand...

u mean like a G3 based....$700 subnotebook?! 😉
 
Originally posted by eyelikeart


u mean like a G3 based....$700 subnotebook?! 😉
Click to expand...

that would sell like hotcakes but i doubt a subnotebook under a grand if it's super light...super light almost always means super expensive...rich toys for rich traveling businessmen/ceo's
 
Originally posted by jefhatfield


that would sell like hotcakes but i doubt a subnotebook under a grand if it's super light...super light almost always means super expensive...rich toys for rich traveling businessmen/ceo's
Click to expand...

Well, now I have a different opinion on a sub 700$ G3 based travelbook. Hey call it the tBook. I would think that that would be a very good seller, in fact I would probably buy one. Like a 10.4 inch screen G3 500, 100mhz bus, 256 ram, 20 gig, but no CD. That would rock, or use an external CD if needed. Yea, that would sell. Ok, who do we call to recommend this to?
 
Originally posted by Backtothemac


Well, now I have a different opinion on a sub 700$ G3 based travelbook. Hey call it the tBook. I would think that that would be a very good seller, in fact I would probably buy one. Like a 10.4 inch screen G3 500, 100mhz bus, 256 ram, 20 gig, but no CD. That would rock, or use an external CD if needed. Yea, that would sell. Ok, who do we call to recommend this to?
Click to expand...

I have this guy's #....just let me find it... 😉

i wish it were that simple...I have this notion that Jobs is so into himself & his visions that ideas people present such as this would mean absolutely nothing to him...

but great idea man...u & jef should market such a creature...he he he...
 
Originally posted by eyelikeart


I have this guy's #....just let me find it... 😉

i wish it were that simple...I have this notion that Jobs is so into himself & his visions that ideas people present such as this would mean absolutely nothing to him...

but great idea man...u & jef should market such a creature...he he he...
Click to expand...

i think the overall vision of apple is the same as it was when started...computing for the small guy

other people come up with stuff and jobs is just one voice in making something come to fruition...a big voice but i doubt jobs invents anything anymore

he did come up with the plastic enclosure for the apple II way back in the day
 
Originally posted by eyelikeart


I have this guy's #....just let me find it... 😉

i wish it were that simple...I have this notion that Jobs is so into himself & his visions that ideas people present such as this would mean absolutely nothing to him...

but great idea man...u & jef should market such a creature...he he he...
Click to expand...

You know that would be kind of cool, but the only bad thing about it is that if you do it yourself, then you are stuck running Windows. Now, if Apple would let us build one and have it run X. Then that would rock. Actually, it would just be fun to take all the parts from an iBook, and build it into another case with smaller screen. I wonder if this could be done? It would be a miniBook.

😀
 
Originally posted by Backtothemac


You know that would be kind of cool, but the only bad thing about it is that if you do it yourself, then you are stuck running Windows. Now, if Apple would let us build one and have it run X. Then that would rock. Actually, it would just be fun to take all the parts from an iBook, and build it into another case with smaller screen. I wonder if this could be done? It would be a miniBook.

😀
Click to expand...

that would be...of course...unless u just took an older mobo from an iBook or something....and fabricated an enclosure for it...

but then that just wouldn't be much fun now would it?! 😀
 
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