Where in Manchester are you?
Yes, for a tablet, fair enough. I just disagree that they have 'abandoned it'. In an ultraportable, maybe it's not required? It would be a shame - I have a lovely Firewire 400 HDD.
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UltraPortable Connecting System?
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Where in Manchester are you?
Yes, for a tablet, fair enough. I just disagree that they have 'abandoned it'. In an ultraportable, maybe it's not required? It would be a shame - I have a lovely Firewire 400 HDD.
Where in Manchester are you?
I work at the University.
To be fair I missed what sparked the comment.
Apple won't ditch firewire in everything it's not necessary for a lot of devices.
Howver, think of it this way the powerbook 12" was bught by a lot of photographers. Dont some cameras (and videa cameras) favour firewire as a connector? It seems to me they'd want to appeal to that market. If that's the case firewire is safe.
duh.
So suddenly we are all authorities on a design that isn't even known to exist yet? Give Apple some credit. I don't think they would add functionality like that without at least ensuring that it is robust and somewhat idiot proof.
I'm still using my powerbook 12'' G4 and I have been long waiting for my replacement but I'll keep it until Macworld San Francisco. If there will be no ultra portable device I'm going to buy a Macbook Pro, don't like glossy screen and I want to have a better GPU than onboard.
Ultra-portable devices are normally more expansive than comparable 15'' notebooks, so I estimate a price of more than 2000$
Ultra-portable devices are normally more expansive than comparable 15'' notebooks, so I estimate a price of more than 2000$
I WANT an ultra-port MAC!
Man - I want an ultra-portable mac so bad I can taste it!!!
My 12" PB is getting LONG in the tooth but I don't want the increased form factor of the 15" MBP or 13" Macbook.
Come on Apple we need the ultra-port!
Man - I want an ultra-portable mac so bad I can taste it!!!
My 12" PB is getting LONG in the tooth but I don't want the increased form factor of the 15" MBP or 13" Macbook.
Come on Apple we need the ultra-port!
That's not going to happen.
Sorry, but I found your post to be a bit unrealistic. You argue with the first guy (who I quoted above); but by asking for this to be "priced around the 15" MB(P)" you're basically saying the same thing as him.
Ultraportables are expensive - just look around at the decent ones currently available. I'd guess this could find a price point maybe even $1000 over the MacBook Pros.
Personally I am quite happy with the size of Apple's current laptops. I'll be curious to see if there's enough of a market for an ultraportable - at least in the sense of the word as we currently understand it - to make it worth Apple's while.
The
-Engineers are propably smart enough to automatically eject the connectors when closing the laptop.
Just create a thin ends (example: SATA connector) to your USB/Firewire/etc... and then sell and adapter to put on the end of mouses, etc.... Better than having "movable parts", IMO.
I can't imagine anything more portable than a Macbook and still be usable.
I can't imagine anything more portable than a Macbook and still be usable.
Maybe I didn't explain that well enough. I didn't say I wanted it to be cheap, I said "reasonably priced" as in "good value for money". It could be a Pro computer and as long as it's "reasonably priced", I'll buy it.
Not UK prices. The MacBook Pro 15" costs about $3,200 if you go for the mid range. And I said 'around that' meaning between that and the $3600 needed for the 17". It's nearly $1000 more in the UK than the US for the 17" so I base my prices on UK prices.
So do I!
I think they'll keep it.
If you look at the new ultra-slim keyboard, it is a good indicator that Apple's new ultra-slim powerbook or other product will utilize this form factor.
It has the angles similar to a wedge, however not quite. It is quite possible that the new keyboard is the precursor to the future ultra-portable.
It has the angles similar to a wedge, however not quite. It is quite possible that the new keyboard is the precursor to the future ultra-portable.
Wouldn't these collapsible ports make it so that you couldn't have anything larger than the MagSafe plugged in when shut? If you wanted to close it, you'd have to disconnect an ethernet connection as well. I know that "ultra-portables" aren't meant to be used in desktop replacement modes, but you'd want to be able to close it while still connected to the internet.
I don't like this folding port idea, but I can't wait to get my ultra-thin MacBook. It would replace my Sony TZN27.
Maybe I'd get a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin watch to go with it.
Maybe I'd get a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra-Thin watch to go with it.
Apple hasn't abandoned firewire, otherwise they wouldn't have bothered putting FW800 in the new imacs.
As for the expanding connector port idea, even if they could make it robust it would suffer too much FUD to be a successful product, IMHO.
A better solution is a slim connector attached to a slim, simple little breakout box containing USB, Firewire 800 and ethernet. One connection. And the reason why FW800 was put in the imacs.
The only flaw in this scenario is that the ultraportable would have to have a USB plug for memory sticks, or when you are out and about without your breakout box. I could see it with USB only as an alternative to a breakout box as most of the networking would be taken care of wirelessly.
As for the expanding connector port idea, even if they could make it robust it would suffer too much FUD to be a successful product, IMHO.
A better solution is a slim connector attached to a slim, simple little breakout box containing USB, Firewire 800 and ethernet. One connection. And the reason why FW800 was put in the imacs.
The only flaw in this scenario is that the ultraportable would have to have a USB plug for memory sticks, or when you are out and about without your breakout box. I could see it with USB only as an alternative to a breakout box as most of the networking would be taken care of wirelessly.
nice idea . if its at the right price, i would certainly be looking on the market for an ultraportable.
. if its at the right price, i would certainly be looking on the market for an ultraportable.obsession with ports
What is the obsession with having lots of ports. I owned a MacBook, and the only port that I use is a audio out, one USB port and the power port. 95% of people who use the MacBook/Pro too will only use these three things. What is the point of having an ethernet, firewire, extra USB and audio out ports again?
We all see the back end of HP or Dell laptops in cafes, and we all know how ugly they are. What is that big round thing that bulge out from these laptop? Oh Oh Oh can I guess? Well it must be the big ass fan that cools the monster processor that is running Internet Explorer! Good times
Cinch
What is the obsession with having lots of ports. I owned a MacBook, and the only port that I use is a audio out, one USB port and the power port. 95% of people who use the MacBook/Pro too will only use these three things. What is the point of having an ethernet, firewire, extra USB and audio out ports again?
We all see the back end of HP or Dell laptops in cafes, and we all know how ugly they are. What is that big round thing that bulge out from these laptop? Oh Oh Oh can I guess? Well it must be the big ass fan that cools the monster processor that is running Internet Explorer! Good times
Cinch
Folding ports?? I wonder how in earth they'll pull that one off. Seriously, how do you get something that teeny to fold smaller? It seems like it would take a great deal of engineering, and probably end up breaking easily. Call me a critic, but that just doesn't seem very feasible.
Does anything in the patent look like a mini-DVI or HDMI out port?
I really need that to make an ultraportable useful for presentations and for extended screen at home.
I really need that to make an ultraportable useful for presentations and for extended screen at home.
I'd add a DVI link to that....
Apple is really neglecting the folks who want their "life" on their laptop, but want to connect it to a big monitor/keyboard/mouse at work, and at home - yet still have the portable form factor for traveling or working outside the office.
In my company, the standard laptop order includes two "port replicators" - one for the home, one for the office. While they may be called "docks" they are really just single, simple connectors between the laptop and the 24" screen, keyboard, mouse, printer, external drive and other peripherals. And, of course, the "dock" has an "undock" button that the software uses to cleanly disconnect all the attached gizmos.
And I'm really amazed that it all remembers that at home the attached monitor is a 1920x1200 on the left of the system, and at work it's a 1200x1600 in portrait mode on the right....
Apple takes a cheap shot at Dell for the cable tangle behind a desktop, yet an Apple portable has a mess of individual cables to (dis)connect every time it's moved, and most Dell's have a simple docking station quick (dis)connect.