More Apple Netbook Rumors Pinpoint Foxconn as Manufacturer

[gnasher729]

Nonsense. They know exactly how to make a $500 piece of junk, the difference is that they also know how to stick a $1000 pricetag on it.

I'd really like to know where this blind hatred towards Apple comes from. It seems pathological to me.

 

[gmcalpin]

Okay, if they wanna make $600-$700 on the iPhone, do you really think they are gonna make 10" netbook for that price?

This thing most likely won't have wireless calling built-in. (Its form factor sort of rules that out.)

I agree that $600–700 is still too low, but you should be comparing it to the iPod Touch's price, not the iPhone's.

 

[abriwin]

Apple don't know how to make a piece of junk?

Well not exactly but comparing the White iBook 13" with my daughter's new Acer Aspire one running Ubuntu 8.10 the Acer is built better than the Apple.
The only problem for me is that it doesn't run OSX.
Apparently you can get the MSI Wind to run MacOSX but it's not strictly legal unless of course you have bought a legal copy of MacOSX which makes it slightly less illegal (any legal eagles who can tell us if PearC are legal in Europe?)
Anyhow, if Apple do eventually get around to making some kind of netbook I'll be first in line. However if PearC beat em to it I will be sorely tempted. [I'd still love to get MacOSX running on the Acer Aspire one ]

ps surely if MacOSX will run on an old iBook with only a circa 850 Mhz processor, then MacOSX should run even better on an Intel Atom processor running at 1.6 Ghz?

 

[Goona]

*Of course* nobody outside Apple has access to their internal numbers, and they would never admit to it being a flop anyway. Anyone who ever discussed whether the MBA is a flop or not knows this. Which is why I said "it must have sold below expectations". It's called speculation. Speculation is what makes the wheels of forums like this one turn. You showed your true apologist colors by taking offense and screaming for hard facts from inside Apple. If they discontinue it after this revision reaches EOL, you'll know it was a flop -- until then, make do with speculation and guessing like everyone else.

Thanks for the speculations.

 

[hashholly]

Well not exactly but comparing the White iBook 13" with my daughter's new Acer Aspire one running Ubuntu 8.10 the Acer is built better than the Apple.
The only problem for me is that it doesn't run OSX.
Apparently you can get the MSI Wind to run MacOSX but it's not strictly legal unless of course you have bought a legal copy of MacOSX which makes it slightly less illegal (any legal eagles who can tell us if PearC are legal in Europe?)
Anyhow, if Apple do eventually get around to making some kind of netbook I'll be first in line. However if PearC beat em to it I will be sorely tempted. [I'd still love to get MacOSX running on the Acer Aspire one ]

ps surely if MacOSX will run on an old iBook with only a circa 850 Mhz processor, then MacOSX should run even better on an Intel Atom processor running at 1.6 Ghz?

Im not buying this build quality argument, ive owned an Aspire One and its probably the worst quality laptop i've ever come across, Im talking 3 keys broke off within the first few weeks of ownership.

That being said, you can install osx on it, i did and the only caveat i had was the lack of sound (had to use a usb soundcard, they may have fixed sound since, i have no idea). Coming from owning both an MSI wind and Acer Aspire one running OSX, i can tell you the atom is capable if simple tasks (surfing the net, ichat, typing, etc.), however the deal breaker was the lack of being able to play hulu.com videos smoothly/720p videos, and to my knowledge thats because of the processor.

 

[DaBrain]

Why the hell are people so asphyxiated on this touch screen ****? Touch works great on devices like the iphone and MAYBE a tablet. But so far the market for tables is very small and targeted at Design and Health providers. Touch Screens are good for fastfood restaurants. The Netbook market is booming and has more potential for profit making.

I agree! Can you imagine on a tiny 2 lb net book with a touch screen and every time you touch the screen it tips over? ---))) The obession with TOUCH Screens is insane and would rather take the enjoyment away when using a tiny net book.

Now if this touch screen was in a tablet that served as a media player, internet browser, email etc.... along with being a book reader then a Touch screen makes a hell of a lot more sense!

 

[Geneva Shen]

There's another (not netbook) market

There are some people "out there" -- they make a (good) living flying around the country giving presentations. My son is one of them, and, much as he would like to use a Mac, he uses a Toshiba with the turn-around touch screen because he "HAS" to work on his presentations on the plane. When he gets there, he wants to hook up with a projector & use a remote to show slides.

These people want, a 10" (9" OK) touch screen, big iPhoto, PhotoShop, Keynote, access to home computer or online files. Not interested in surfing, email (use phone 4 that). He feels that the MBA went in the wrong direction, i.e., he doesn't want it thinner, he wants it smaller, with DVD burner and SS HD (16GB is fine).

He thinks $1400 is about "the least u can pay 4 a 'useful' computer," and $2k is no problem, if it is better than others. He is not unique. It's not a large niche, but well-heeled (& computer = tax-deduction.) And they influence what the stay-at-office suits buy "for prestige." But it would probably kill the MBA, because those r the guys that bought it "just to see what it's like."

 

[DaBrain]

I don't think it's going to be a netbook. People are just throwing that term around for something smaller than a notebook. I'd say it's much more likely to be a scaled up iPod Touch/E-Reader/Web Browser/Email device with wifi/bluetooth and the app store.

BINGO you go to the head of the class!

 

[Data]

I just hope it's a device wich i still wanna buy when already owning a laptop and an iphone ;-).

I would not see myself bying a tablet, nor do i know anybody who ownes one or is looking for it, only here on MR a lot of people want a tablet, but it seems to me that a tablet would be for a very small group of workers and not for a large group of people who would then just buy it for netbook kind of things.

Basicly i feel my iphone comes very close to what i would want from a netbook, thats why i would never buy a netbook after owning an iphone.

I so hope that it will be something none of us have tought about, then first say what a crappy idea will never work, and then after a couple of weeks say , damn this is so much better then i tought it would be , i want one too ;-).

 

[trip1ex]

How about .....

2 screens. The top screen a monitor and the bottom a touch screen.

 

[iPhoneNYC]

Small and cheap is what is exciting about a netbook. Is it as exciting if it's just small?

 

[clevin]

Small and cheap is what is exciting about a netbook. Is it as exciting if it's just small?

no.

Anything above $500 won't sell much. I think $499 is magic number, no to mention now all the netbook is racing towards the bottom, you can get decent netbook for $280.

 

[JonHimself]

no.

Anything above $500 won't sell much. I think $499 is magic number, no to mention now all the netbook is racing towards the bottom, you can get decent netbook for $280.

I just don't see how Apple could sell this product for $500.00 without it being subsidized... maybe I shouldn't say why they 'could' sell it, but how they 'would' sell it.

 

[winterspan]

I don't think they need to go as low as others on the price. I don't want a POS with a weak-ass Atom processor.

Basically, I want a ~10" ultraportable with at least a low-voltage Core 2 solo or duo, 2GB of Ram, an SSD, and an LED-backlit screen. And It should be around $1200...

 

[Marx55]

What can you do with target disk mode that you couldn't do when booted from a USB drive?

In both cases you are running a full OS from another drive, with full access to the target drive.

You do not get it. You can press the T key and then booting to make the Mac a disk and repair it from other Mac. That is Target Disk Mode. You cannot do it with USB. Got it? That is the HUGE difference!

 

[Marx55]

It's probably more likely that the person that REQUIRES firewire (ie there is absolutely no way around not having it) also is in the market for a pro-level laptop.

Not necessarily: the MacBook Pro is too heavy.

 

[diabolic]

Small and cheap is what is exciting about a netbook. Is it as exciting if it's just small?

Personally, I don't necessarily want small and cheap. I'd probably be happy with a $999 price on what I described earlier, a 10" touchscreen scaled up iPod Touch/E-Reader/Web Browser/E-Mail/Movie/Music/Wifi/Bluetooth/App Store device. Actually, I'd be really happy with that. Just a netbook, not so much.

 

[Goona]

I just don't see a need for this product, you have your main computer at home, an iphone for the road, unless this thing is cheap, see it failing.

 

[Eidorian]

I just don't see a need for this product, you have your main computer at home, an iphone for the road, unless this thing is cheap, see it failing.

Not all of us can afford an iPhone brosef.

 

[MikeTheC]

One has to wonder if Apple isn't trying to very subtly enter the lower-end consumer electronics world here. They already have their iPod, AppleTV and iPhone products; one can only wonder if they even want a more-budget-priced-than-the-Mac-mini budget-priced computer product.

I have to admit a bit of confliction that I'm feeling right now. I have played around with some netbooks and they do have a certain appeal, I'll admit. That being said, my next Mac purchase also has to fill the shoes as a full replacement to my Mac mini, and frankly I don't see a netbook really fitting that bill.

 

[andrewdale]

Not all of us can afford an iPhone brosef.

+1, brosef.

I'm all for an Apple "netbook" as it's being called -- but those specs and price are going to have to line up quite nicely.

Not that I'm planning on getting one, but the wife might need some type of mobile machine for photography. Just don't feel like funneling the bank account JUST yet. We just bought her a Mini 9 and that thing is fun.

 

[Apple //e]

i havent read the whole thread but here is what i think apple will release:

10" touchscreen (no stylus)
atom 1.8 or 2.0 dual core
no physical keyboard
non-replacable battery
no lan
no ieee1394
1 usb 3.0
bt 3.0
wireless n
wwan
non upgradable ram and ssd
no sd slot
no video out
headphone jack
3.2 mp webcam
syncable thru bloatunes
and heres the genius: appz thru bloatunes stores
price: 800usd in usa, 1000usd everywhere else

apple isnt going to make a netbook. they will make a small net appliance that they can make a fortune off thru application sales. most, if not all native osx appz will port over easily or have lite versions software will be controlled by apple inc. my guess is that the appz will be osx ports and not iphone based even though it looks more like a big itouch.

and it will be sexxxy.

just my opinion

 

[Sofabutt]

It will definately cost hundreds more than any other netbook out there and be priced slightlly less than a MacBook. It will leave consiumers wondering why they don't just get a MacBook.

I love my Macs, but Apple's pricing scheme is the pits.

 

[Anuba]

One has to wonder if Apple isn't trying to very subtly enter the lower-end consumer electronics world here. They already have their iPod, AppleTV and iPhone products; one can only wonder if they even want a more-budget-priced-than-the-Mac-mini budget-priced computer product.

Yes, they raised a warning flag for lower margins this year. This is from July 2008:

http://seekingalpha.com/article/86204-apple-margin-worries-a-core-issue-for-analysts

The company said its gross margin in the September quarter will fall to 31.5% from 34.8% in the June quarter. And more startling, the company said it expects gross margins in fiscal 2009 to be about 30%. That is sharply below the level most analysts had been modeling for next year, and it has triggered sharp EPS estimate cuts, as well as widespread reductions in stock price targets, which tend to be calculated from projected forward earnings.

The big mystery that emerged from the call was the company’s comment that a key reason for the lower margins related to a future product transition about which it gave no details. That has created a variety of theories on what Apple might have in store: Updated iPods? A refreshed line of notebooks? A tablet PC drawing on the touch capabilities of the iPhone? Something no one is expecting?

Perhaps they've finally realized that if they ever want their market share to grow substantially, they're gonna have to let go of some of those otherworldly margins they've been sustaining for so long in a landscape of cut-throat business. And that this year, we might just see the first aggressively priced Mac (tablet netbook or other) that also has competitive specs. Traditionally, they never did both -- it's either good specs at a hefty price, or stone-age specs at a moderate price.

 

[andrewdale]

1 usb 3.0
bt 3.0
wwan

HA. Yeah, you still think this could be THIS June.

Nope.