'MacBook Air' Design Considerations

[jhande]

extended battery life.

This is the crux of the matter, as far as I'm concerned. If I can have a mini/micro/nano laptop, with speed compromises, that lasts a working day, I'll get it in a flash (no pun intended).

What I would fear is a gorgeous little power hog -- that would kill it for me.

 

[OrangeCuse44]

Everytime rumors build up and speculation is thrown around, Jobs always goes beyond our expectations. This will be an exciting keynote.

 

[fiftydollarshoe]

My final prediction is-

12 or 13" LCD
80gb and 160gb drives (dependant on model)
All the usual stuff. 2xUSB, Firewire.
No optical drive (we can be sure of)

Basically I'm thinking a 12" PowerBook without the lower half.


Why is it called Air? I don't think it will be. It'll be Mac-something. Whether it be Book, Pad or Brochure is another matter.

Those hard-drives will suck power... they will be flash.... and flash only...... what Jobs realises after iPhone is that as long as people have a base station PC/iMac they can take a portable with small hard-drives and don't need a CD/DVD drive if they can wirelessly connect back to the main PC...... why take the entire iTunes collection or all your documents when you can just drop into Starbucks and sync back over the net ? That’s where Air is coming from…. The ability as shown in the new version of Leopard to sync back to your MAIN PC…….. it will be a scaled down OSX and not the full version… why have everything if its just a portable ? you don’t need the entire thing… you really don’t…… if someone could be me an example of when they really need there entire PC and its contents on the go then I’ll stand down…….. I’ve seen entire departments work over CITRIX with zero apps on their PC’s….. you don’t need PC power or storage on a portable…..

 

[MacinJosh]

Goodbye reasonable pricetag.

Yeah. But maybe Apple can pull off a good deal from a manufacturer. And it doesn't have to be 300GB... 20-60GB is fine.

Joshua.

 

[Andrmgic]

(which it has since updated - not sure what happened to early adopters).

They got screwed, of course.

I didn't need gigabit ethernet anyway, the only devices close enough to the router to enjoy it are my video game consoles.

 

[derrickearl]

A bit on the chunky side, this one is.

About 5/8" thick

 

[mixotic]

What I've been thinking for weeks...

MacBook Air Tablet with Dock
A 12.1" tablet computer with touch interface (iPod Touch on steroids). Dock creates a more traditional setup, with the docked machine sitting upright, screen exposed, directly in front of the user (very similar to a docked iPod/iPhone, but larger and horizontal?). Dock allows for peripheral device connection (USB, Firewire, Ethernet Ports, Monitor/HDTV) as well as wireless connectivity to devices connected to the dock when the tablet is being used undocked.

Apple TV 2
Now includes an (ultra?) Blu-ray/DVD/CD drive, can be used as an optical drive for other Macs in the house via the network. Also features iTunes rental service (duh).

 

[dubhe]

Those 160 GB drives are thicker than the 80 GB ones so it will have to be one of the other, but 80 GB would be enough for a portable. I also see there only being a couple of USB2 ports and some sort of hub for Ethernet and the like. How thick are those new Magsafe power ports? I'm still using a G4, are they as big as FW400?

 

[Schnebar]

I like the on button in the circle thing but I also do not think it will have those ports on the side like the picture. Maybe it will have one USB and audio port under a flap on the other side. Like in the circle.

I think Apple will go for a clean look and have no exposed ports hence the name Air.

 

[impierced]

Everytime rumors build up and speculation is thrown around, Jobs always goes beyond our expectations. This will be an exciting keynote.

Yes, because "Flower Power" and "Blue Dalmatian" went above everyone's expectations.

Often times it's just the opposite - rumors, speculation, and hype go way beyond current usable technology and our expectations can't possibly be met.

 

[NYCMacFan]

A rose by any other name is stlll a rose. Names can help a bit, but the product defines the what we think of the name too.

Ipod meant nothing to me, but with a revolutionary device, the names is great.

Look at car models and you will see a name doesn't save a flawed model and no one holds a name against a great car...

 

[jwphllips2]

Life Cycle - Battery

When I got my little 12", I could run it all day long on one charge. I'm wondering about these issues. Is it now possible to recharge it from my cell phone? Is the keyless touchpad also a solar panel?

 

[OrangeCuse44]

Yes, because "Flower Power" and "Blue Dalmatian" went above everyone's expectations.

Often times it's just the opposite - rumors, speculation, and hype go way beyond current usable technology and our expectations can't possibly be met.

Haha, well at least recently...

 

[samarks]

MacBook Air Design Considerations

Apple WILL use flash memory. It is the next big thing in laptops and since they can't get there first, they will at least want to get there early. The idea of the Air is also to be an ancilliary portable to the desktop, not a desktop replacement.

They could use 1.8" drives, but it isn't sexy or forward looking.

Communication with the desktop is the big thing. The Air needs to be an extension of your desktop computer and communicate easily and seamlessly for the concept to work.

Ethernet dongles would be a disappointment. People always forget them.

A single dongle with muliple connectors for Ethernet, USB, Firewire, Audio might be a good compromise. Put all the connectors in one place.

Better be a 13" screen. 12" just doesn't cut it.

 

[gotohamish]

As to the name MacBookAir - I would suggest that although "Air" might be a great name for light shoes, that for computer products, using the homophone "Error" may prove to be just a little too tempting for pundits and critics...

I think "MacBook air" is as likely as "MacBook Air" - just as "nano" was force-lowercased. It works in tandem with the poster slogan too. I hope it's neither though!

 

[sushi]

Communication with the desktop is the big thing. The Air needs to be an extension of your desktop computer and communicate easily and seamlessly for the concept to work.

All Macs easily go into Target mode via FW.

I wonder if Apple will introduce a wireless version of Target mode?

Just thinking out loud. No data to support this idea.

 

[fiftydollarshoe]

Agree on all of that........ this isn't going to be another MacBook... its a new device......

Apple WILL use flash memory. It is the next big thing in laptops and since they can't get there first, they will at least want to get there early. The idea of the Air is also to be an ancilliary portable to the desktop, not a desktop replacement.

They could use 1.8" drives, but it isn't sexy or forward looking.

Communication with the desktop is the big thing. The Air needs to be an extension of your desktop computer and communicate easily and seamlessly for the concept to work.

Ethernet dongles would be a disappointment. People always forget them.

A single dongle with muliple connectors for Ethernet, USB, Firewire, Audio might be a good compromise. Put all the connectors in one place.

Better be a 13" screen. 12" just doesn't cut it.

 

[gkarris]

What's the deal with "collapsable" Ethernet ports?

At the office, most people with laptops don't even bother with the Ethernet port (even with a docking station). One less wire in the office.

It's wireless on the road, at their home, and in the office...

The Ethernet port is already obsolete, even on laptops that have them.

Nintendo with the Wii has started this trend...

 

[Kennymacdaddy]

Air reference

Here: http://www.9to5mac.com/macbook-air-2453564654
Here: http://www.macpredictions.com/2008/01/macbook-air-sub-notebook-with-no-cables.html

What would you suggest the Air refers to. Most are insinuating it'll be induction charging. I'm saying 'no way.'

Does anyone think that "air" is reffering to Wi-max?

 

[impierced]

MacBook Air is a silly name, but I'm fairly confident that's what Apple will be going with.

Simply looking over the current product line and Apple's direction - or that of Ives really, it would seem that the current design theme is ... "thin". Remember the iMac commercial "You can't be too thin"? While MacBook Thin would be more descriptive, I'm sure the reasons for not selecting it are obvious.

Can't really call it he MacBook Mini either, as it apparently will be using a 13.3" screen and all this talk of it being a sub-notebook or an ultra-portable are a little misleading. While I'm sure others might disagree, a laptop with a 13+" screen just doesn't say small laptop to me.

So this leads me to wonder. What exactly is the market for this laptop? The 12" PowerBook market has been ignored for so long I do not believe Apple will ever be focusing on that demographic again.

 

[meagain]

My husband has the Toshiba Portage R500. Weighs 1.7 pounds. It's so lightweight - it's almost 'weird'. ZERO heat. Crap display (really bad!), cheezy mouse buttons. I want an Apple version of this. 13" screen. Doesn't have to be 1.7 pounds, I'd take up to 3. Would love multi-touch at least on a pad, but I'm trying not to be greedy.

In my perfect world, I'd love the display section to be like a giant iPhone (multi-touch) that detaches from the keyboard section at whim. Tablet AND traditional laptop.... like a winter coat that is reversable.

The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking multi-touch on a trackpad/keyboard area wouldn't be too hard to accomplish at this point. (I'm getting greedy again).

This last day before the keynote is going to be excruciating. I hope I don't make myself sick.

 

[arkitect]

MacBook Air is a silly name

MacBook
MacBook Pro
MacBook Air

I have no idea why people are going on and on saying it is a silly name…

 

[impierced]

MacBook
MacBook Pro
MacBook Air

I have no idea why people are going on and on saying it is a silly name…

I think MacBook is stupid too.

However, as mentioned by many others - I've simply gotten used to it.

PowerBook --- now there was a name I could love.

 

[jouster]

good point. For that reason alone, I would assume they wouldn't do that. Apple was Gig-E across the board for over a year before it bizarrely released the new Airport Extreme without it (which it has since updated - not sure what happened to early adopters).

What always happens to them: bohica......

 

[jouster]

A full handheld Mac OS X 10.5.1 computer is what is needed. And I mean full. But only about 5-inches or so.

As long as it doesn't use the desktop/laptop UI paradigm. The interface would need to be rewritten for such a device. The iPhone contrasted to the train wreck that is Windows CE proves this.