How to mod a MacBook Nano (Black&White), pics-a-plenty!

[iSamurai]

While browsing through Engadget Chinese, I came across this. At first I thought it was another photoshopped ordeal, but it turns out this guy actually turned his MSI Wind into a MacBook netbook! The process of modding this is way more interesting than loading OSX onto the system, IMO.











The best part is the Apple logo at the back does actually glow! It's not a pasted-on sticker, although he said that the logo is skewed to the right by 5 millimetres. He even made the black model's cover looking like brushed aluminium!

What's also worth mentioning is that he loaded this thing with Final Cut Pro and Adobe Lightroom... and he hooked it up to a FullHD screen. yeah. Well, according to the specs, it's not that bad (same processor as my eeeBox ), 1.6GHz Intel Atom, 2GB RAM, 320GB HD. I'm surprised at how it handles OSX smoothly, meanwhile if you run Vista on that spec it will probably lag like... er... Vista. So OSX is like XP. light and nice, except OSX is better



I would really, really, REALLY want Apple to bring out a netbook in this "nascent market"... Well yeah, you've got nothing to lose :P I don't need any fancy touchscreen or multi touch blablabla, I'd just like a standard laptop shrinked to about 10" that is light enough to carry it anywhere.

IMO I don't mind my MacBook's size, it's just that it's too heavy! (Yeah, A MacBook Air fits into my category... except the price and the fact that you can't touch the RAM and the battery)


===================
More photos in the links below:

MacBook Nano Black
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mickpro...57608760097262

MacBook Nano White (and black)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mickpro...7608560230667/

The Engadget Chinese's "unboxing"
http://bbs.cool3c.com/article/1032

[MasterNile]

Looks pretty cool. With this, hackintoshs, and the guy that's working on putting a matte MBA screen into a new Alu MB, Apple really needs to wake up and realize what their customers want is options and if they aren't willing to give them to us someone else will

[iSamurai]

Originally Posted by MasterNile

Looks pretty cool. With this, hackintoshs, and the guy that's working on putting a matte MBA screen into a new Alu MB, Apple really needs to wake up and realize what their customers want is options and if they aren't willing to give them to us someone else will

I'm sure they won't realise and will be ignorant like ever before since Apple makes "premium" products that are more "superior" than other computer manufacturers (but this is true)... and by the way, who is "someone else"? I'd love to see someone producing Apple hardware though -- I think that's the whole point to own an Apple computer. The other is its operating system.



Yeah, like the Psystar court case... they should just (at least) sell a copy of OSX to PC machines... but the reason why Apple's not doing that is because there will be cheaper computers out there -- less people will purchase their hardware -- this is where Apple makes its cash from.

Well if they are adamant about loading OSX onto non-Apple machines, they could've at least bring out a few extra models like the netbooks and the nettops. Steve Jobs is playing the game too safely by calling it a "nascent" market and they have no plans to produce them in the near future.

Think about the iPhone. The iPod. They all revolutionised the world. No one thought Apple would bring out a phone, or an MP3 player before they did. Now they're selling them like hotcakes. So maybe Apple should send market research people to come read Mac Rumours and Hackintosh a little... maybe all of us Apple lovers are hinting them with all those ideas.


ha- I just need to get that out.

[benthewraith]

Originally Posted by iSamurai

<snipped

The color profile on that 17" MBP, which I'm assuming is a Core Duo because of the bevel, is absolutely terrible.

[thejadedmonkey]

Originally Posted by benthewraith

The color profile on that 17" MBP, which I'm assuming is a Core Duo because of the bevel, is absolutely terrible.

Or the camera needs to be white balanced?

[funkyc]

i would love it if apple would bring out a netbook
have been waiting for one for a while now and i would happily pay a premium over similar products in the market for something with OSX on it natively without having to resort to building a hackintosh myself

hopefully if and when apple finally bring out their own version of this product it'll look a little bit better than a msi wind

[bdkennedy1]

And how many times has Steve Jobs said Apple wasn't interested in something...

Phones, tiny computers, servers, streaming media devices...

[ltldrummerboy]

Wow, that looks great. I could get one of those and an iMac for the same price as a new MacBook.

[jeffmc]

Originally Posted by bdkennedy1

And how many times has Steve Jobs said Apple wasn't interested in something...

Phones, tiny computers, servers, streaming media devices...

right, cause that looks like something apple would make.. with the awkward keyboard thats different than all their other laptops and the hideous led lights on the front of the bottom case... definitely meets mr. jobs' standards....

[ltldrummerboy]

Originally Posted by jeffmc

right, cause that looks like something apple would make.. with the awkward keyboard thats different than all their other laptops and the hideous led lights on the front of the bottom case... definitely meets mr. jobs' standards....

Well, Jobs' version would look like an Apple product. Beautiful. Their take on a netbook doesn't have to look like that.

[Beric]

A netbook would be great.

Of course, it won't happen, because Steve prefers to get $1000 out of someone for an Apple notebook computer, when all they need is a $300 netbook.

[nicksoper]

Cheap and nasty - nuff said.

[Jpoon]

This has been done several times now... This is just the only guy to go so far as to actually make the label / logo look authentic....

As far as the actual OS X hack, this is old news. Just high-rez pics. The MSI Wind is a nice little machine though, especially with OS X almost working at full capacity with its hardware. I'm pretty sure they just got the headphone / speaker sound to work, according to Wired. I don't have the link.

I might just shell out for one of these though, and put Leapord / upgrades on it myself. I've been really wanting to try one of these babies out. It'd sure as hell make all those people running around with the Inspiron Mini's shut up.

[Jpoon]

Originally Posted by nicksoper

Cheap and nasty - nuff said.

"A netbook is a small to medium sized, light-weight, low-cost, energy-efficient laptop, generally optimized for internet based services such as web browsing and e-mailing." -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netbook

Note: Low Cost

You're probably one of those people that thinks functionality / usability ='s how much money was wasted on the production materials. lewl

[ventro]

Obviously the details aren't there but the form factor is AWESOME.

Thickness of MBA + Form factor of this computer + aluminum chicklet backlit keys = Perfect Satellite

[neil51]

I was looking at these 'netbooks' today. Almost bought one but thought I'll hold off until Macworld, just in case. I only use my Macbook for mail, net and iTunes, the mini does the rest. I would like something smaller that has the full OS, just like a 'netbook'. An iPod Touch or iPhone just isn't quite there for me, the screen's too small. And as we all know Steve will say one thing then pull something out of his pants later. He did say he would never use flash in a music player.

[jbernie]

Originally Posted by nicksoper

Cheap and nasty - nuff said.

Just call it something close to a proof of concept. The black one really doesn work coor wise, maybe leave it similar to the white with that glossy look. The white looks respectable, if it is capable of running some more processor/memory intensive apps then even better.

Overall at this price/performance level it gives you a super portable almost full functional laptop which would pass at suitable for most people, unfortunately for us the consumer, Apple doesn't consider the market suitable (profitable enough?) for them and will continue to avoid it.

Between mid towers and netbooks Apple might end up seeing a good number of machines built/sold that are capable of running OSX of which none of them are sold by them.

[Michael CM1]

1) Whoever posted this can't use the term "sub-notebook" for whatever pipe dream this is. That term was floated around a bazillion times last year when speculation was around the MacBook Air. Why someone thinks Apple is going to make an itty bitty POS computer is beyond me. The iPhone would cost $600 without the contract to soften the blow. How do you propose competing with $300 machines?

2) What is up with the niche product fascination? Apple's top sellers are the MacBooks. I don't know if MBP or iMac comes next, but that's where their bread is buttered. Apple has been wasting a lot of time going the niche route when they should be looking into a mid-tower Mac in the price range of the iMac. Go look at every computer store and that's about as un-niche as you can get. No more MBA's, netbooks, or tablet PCs. The iPhone is a hit because it's a variation on something most people already had (iPods and cell phones). Most Windows users have a mid-tower box.

[jmann]

Originally Posted by neil51

I was looking at these 'netbooks' today. Almost bought one but thought I'll hold off until Macworld, just in case. I only use my Macbook for mail, net and iTunes, the mini does the rest. I would like something smaller that has the full OS, just like a 'netbook'. An iPod Touch or iPhone just isn't quite there for me, the screen's too small. And as we all know Steve will say one thing then pull something out of his pants later. He did say he would never use flash in a music player.

I think that is a wise decision. You never know what surprising goodies they might reveal at the Conference! I am excited to see what they debut.

[macthetiger85]

I'm pretty sure it has less to do (I said less, not nothing - leaves room for exceptions ) with the screen size as it does not being 999 and above (or 1799 in the air's case)

People want 299 or 399 and they could do it.

1GB Ram (do you really need more for safari?)
120GB (iPod HD)
in fact - you know what - same thing that's in the iPhone except the accelerometer and the 120GB HD instead of flash - or better yet - 16GB or 32GB Flash (with USB for extra storage if needed)

no phone, yes camera, run special OSX Touch (no not touch screen, just same interface as iPhone) and a 7-9" screen. Same size keys as MacbookAir - just fill in the gaps in between. Available in green (eco friendly - not the color) aluminum.

299 for 16GB and 399 for 32GB

runs apps from iPhone/iPodTouch App Store.
(Maybe it would need the accelerometer so all of the apps could be run)

[macthetiger85]

Only Apple could take a netbook that sells for 299, make it sexy and sell it for 799 instead and still make a fortune off of it!

I want to blame the company - but we have only ourselves to blame - they wouldn't do it if it weren't selling.

[kajitox]

Am I the only one that thinks these are REALLY impressive specs?

[IroquoisPliskin]

A single core 1.6Ghz Atom running OSX would make the 1.5Ghz CoreSolo Mini feel like a MacPro in performance, the TV would be more powerful! There is no way in hell would I buy a pile of junk like that "MacbookNano".

People already have a "netbook" and tablet PC, they are called the MacBook Air and iPhone.

[kajitox]

Originally Posted by IroquoisPliskin

A single core 1.6Ghz Atom running OSX would make the 1.5Ghz CoreSolo Mini feel like a MacPro in performance. There is no way in hell would I buy a pile of junk like that "MacbookNano".

People already have a "netbook" and tablet PC, they are called the MacBook Air and iPhone.

I disagree - the MacBook Air is far from a netbook, if you haven't used one I would definitely give it a shot to realize the differences. The iPhone is closer to a netbook, IMO, but still very far from it as well.

[Carniphage]

I made myself one of these.

It's a great little machine. Same size as a hardback book.

But I don't think Apple will make one. It's similar in specification to the Air, and costs about 1/4 of the price.

C.