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Photos of a Prototype MacBook Pro with Integrated 3G Cellular Data
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Wow, that looks cool, and explains why the models from around that time had the grey rubbery coverup bits in exactly that spot - I thought that my '08 one did as well but I guess they abandoned any idea of it by then ... hmmm, '07, iPhone launch as well, perhaps they were going to be going with AT&T for laptop 3G but decided to give you all a break 
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Definitely really well worked into the design though, a shame that design itself now looks so dated what with unibodiness.
?Definitely really well worked into the design though, a shame that design itself now looks so dated what with unibodiness.
Nope. That design stems all the way from the PowerBook G4 - they've always served as the AirPort and Bluetooth antennas, because metal typically blocks reception.
You have that right. This is an old prototype. I think the project name was "Marksman." My guess is someone moved out of Cupertino and this ended up at a garage sale. Red is typical of pre-production boards for Apple and many other outfits. Sometimes the traffic light scheme is used here for board colors. Red -- stop, does not go outside company Yellow / Blue -- limited distribution, Green -- ships as product.
man how has technology evolved since 2007, i still remember having those antennas on phones and now its all internal
I read the whole article, and it's still ugly as sin even for 2007. That thing isn't worth having integrated 3G, sorry.
That's got less to do with antenna technology and more with the abundance of mobile network base stations these days, so an internal antenna will suffice. In the early days of mobile phones there were a lot less base stations so it was necessary to be able to connect to one further away.
Of course antenna technology has improved a bit but an antenna that sticks out so it has a full unobstructed 360 degree view of the world will always work better.
$5,600 with 4 days left? It's a cool prototype but it's not that cool. It's not like it's a historic model or sometthing.
As far as we know it's unique. Some Apple collectors will pay a lot of money for it. This is assuming Apple don't kick off as happened a few years back with an MacBook Air prototype that somehow escaped from Cupertino.
Imagine if Apple did release this back then. AT&T could barely handle the millions of iPhones back then. Imagine adding a million Macbook Pros to that list.
Guess America's 3G cellular data network just wasn't mature enough yet.
Guess America's 3G cellular data network just wasn't mature enough yet.
Aha it was the late model PBG4s that had the extra rubber around that exact spot, which was dropped for the MacBook Pros, that was where I was remembering it from - in fact there were reports associated with those extra rubber areas of extra, and seemingly unnecessary, screws coming out ... perhaps because there was no antenna there to screw in
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Very strange technology. ANT seems to be a low-range, low power wireless network that is/was used in things like heart beat sensors and watches for Sport, or other close communication devices that require little data. This wouldn't require a SIM and wouldn't be able to connect to GSM networks (it uses the ISM band - Industrial, Scientific & Medical).
Perhaps the ISM band has similar qualities to GSM, and Apple were still in very early testing stages, trying to get the technology to work in close range first. I don't know, the whole setup is bizarre. It's not like Apple (even 4 years ago) to design something like this - they go for aesthetics.
Very strange technology. ANT seems to be a low-range, low power wireless network that is/was used in things like heart beat sensors and watches for Sport, or other close communication devices that require little data. This wouldn't require a SIM and wouldn't be able to connect to GSM networks (it uses the ISM band - Industrial, Scientific & Medical).
Perhaps the ISM band has similar qualities to GSM, and Apple were still in very early testing stages, trying to get the technology to work in close range first. I don't know, the whole setup is bizarre. It's not like Apple (even 4 years ago) to design something like this - they go for aesthetics.
You had a phone with an external antenna in 2007?
Was it a satellite / World phone or were you simply too emotionally attached to your 90s phone?
Imagine the iPad 3G with that antenna.
Sans the antenna, I sort of miss that older Powerbook/Macbook Pro design. The unibodies are cool looking too, but the older way looks more professional I think.
Sans the antenna, I sort of miss that older Powerbook/Macbook Pro design. The unibodies are cool looking too, but the older way looks more professional I think.
Imagine the iPad 3G with that antenna.
Sans the antenna, I sort of miss that older Powerbook/Macbook Pro design. The unibodies are cool looking too, but the older way looks more professional I think.
The old way is still used in a lot of advertising with 'generic computers', unbranded and all, at least here. There is something about the look, but when you get down to it and see all the angles, the holes for the mechanical latch, the ugly plastic rim around the whole body ... unibody wins IMO. Side view is nice as well though, with fullsize DVI port
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You mean AT&T's network wasn't mature enough in early 2007. Don't imply that America was as hopelessly immature as AT&T.
I bought a Dell with a Verizon EVDO internal card in June 2006, and it worked fine.
In fact, it often worked better than the WiFi at conferences - the WiFi would be hammered to death, but 3G was fine and fast. (Of course, Moscone, LVCC and other major conference centers are full of Verizon micro-cells....)
Bottom line is: It's 2011 now and we still don't have a MacBook with a built-in HSPA or LTE modem.
It sucks having to plug in external USB dongles while users of other laptops (e.g. Lenovo) just slide in the SIM card and can work.
It sucks having to plug in external USB dongles while users of other laptops (e.g. Lenovo) just slide in the SIM card and can work.
Apple Computer Inc used to pride itself on staying current or even being on the leading edge of technology.
Apple Inc just doesn't care.
Especially amusing considering the number of posts on the 3G proto thread that simply say "it's ugly".
And on my XT2 with EVDO-A I don't even have to futz with a SIM card. Just open the display and go! ...and go fast!
Sadly agree, watching older keynotes in contrast with today are the clear identifiers of this. Apple seemed to enjoy being the first to be on a tech wagon, be it Wi-Fi, DVD, DVD writing USB, Firewire, optical mouse technology, integrated webcams, widescreen on notebooks, etc.. now Apple seems to be sitting on their laurels (besides maybe Thunderbolt). Hell, they've even completely ignored technology like Blu Ray and USB3.0.
Maybe it has to do with the Intel transition, when a processor was swapped over to a new generation Apple felt pressured to release new hardware (ie G3 to G4, to G5).. now that the processor really isn't in the model name they might feel less pressured.