Ive read CNET reviews and imo they sound like my anti-apple pc friends....
...but alas its just a review. Anyone contemplating buying one shoudl definetly check both out.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
3G iPhone and $1500 'Super Laptop' in 2008
- Thread starter IlliniDude
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Ive read CNET reviews and imo they sound like my anti-apple pc friends....
...but alas its just a review. Anyone contemplating buying one shoudl definetly check both out.
Get Real....
I couldn't stand to go through the 11 pages of replies, however a bit of opinion...
New iPhone Must Haves -
- 3G a MUST in Japan. My 3G phone works great in Japan and the US. It also works as a modem for my Apple laptop, syncs with my laptop too.
- 64GB Disk/SDRAM, minimum basically as much as they can pack in.
- Bluetooth sync/transfer to my Mac.
- Bluetooth modem for my laptop.
- Act as a disk drive or removable media.
- Ability to change the battery and have
- True shell capability, I want ssh or equivalent. I don't want to do work on my iPhone, but I want to be able to connect to work or home via ssh/terminal session.
- Let me write applications for it, open the API and Dev toolkit.
I might think of a few other things, but that's all for now.
I couldn't stand to go through the 11 pages of replies, however a bit of opinion...
New iPhone Must Haves -
- 3G a MUST in Japan. My 3G phone works great in Japan and the US. It also works as a modem for my Apple laptop, syncs with my laptop too.
- 64GB Disk/SDRAM, minimum basically as much as they can pack in.
- Bluetooth sync/transfer to my Mac.
- Bluetooth modem for my laptop.
- Act as a disk drive or removable media.
- Ability to change the battery and have
- True shell capability, I want ssh or equivalent. I don't want to do work on my iPhone, but I want to be able to connect to work or home via ssh/terminal session.
- Let me write applications for it, open the API and Dev toolkit.
I might think of a few other things, but that's all for now.
You can't compare the listed consumer price for a single Flash Drive against what Apple would be paying the manufacturer for a few thousand units.
No.. 32GB SSDs start at around $275 on Newegg. Apple buying OEM could probably get that for around $200. That's a good base for an ultraportable.
They could probably get the 64GB for around $500-$600 OEM, so it would be like $450 to upgrade to 64GB BTO.
Let me get this right - EDGE operates at a maximum of 200kbps and 3G is around 384kbps??? But 3G allows voice+data simultaneously whereas EDGE doesn't allow for voice when transmitting/receiving data? Also does 3G really consume more battery life than EDGE? Constructive comments please
Early versions of UMTS over W-CDMA are limited to 384kbps, but AT&T has been rolling out HSDPA, and that's several times faster. If the iPhone supports HSDPA, and it should, then the throughput should be a lot better.
I suppose all of this will be good news for me, even though I have no interest in yet another cell phone nor in a thinner or smaller laptop. I have to assume this means, if I can hold on long enough, there will be something truly worthy and useful to me as a replacement for my iMac G4/800.
Yay!
Yay!
My educated guess about the Macbook Nano
I can see SJ speaking at Macworld now, saying "The thing is, you can ask the "average user" if they'd like to own a thin, light and tiny notebook and they almost always say "Yeah! That'd be great!" But once they sit down and use such a thing for a while, the complaints start pouring in." Then he would go on to list some of the reasons you said, and then say "We knew this, and our engineers took this into account when producing the Macbook Nano."
Do you really think Apple will produce some crappy laptop? Either they won't make it, or they will do it right. That's why it took so long for the iPhone to come along. They wanted to do it right, despite it's small problems so far. I expect the same from this.
Companies like STEC based in Santa Ana are working on somthing called "MLC" NAND SSDs with 90MB/s read / 60MB/s write speeds which is faster then laptop hard drives. These drives will range from 32gb to 512gb. Yes, you heard right, 512gb ssd! They are also saying that this new "MLC" (which apparently stands for Multi Level Cell based) will also cause the prices of such devices to drop. The largest 1.8" drive they produce is 128gb, which is the minimum I would expect to see in a Macbook Nano. Storage problem solved.
With the Intel Penryn mobile processors being released on January 6th, expect high speed, low power processors for the Macbook Nano. Speed problem solved.
Now we come to physical size. It is small, there's no changing that. But Apple's genius comes from their ability to create amazing UI's and software. Perhaps we will see a large touch pad area beneath the keyboard for multi-touch input. Perhaps a magnifying glass sort of popup such as the iPhone's for text, but this could be a tricky implementation to pull off. It would be difficult to strike an aesthetic and functional balance with that approach, but it's just a starting point as far as I'm concerned for what they could do.
As for me and many people I know who have small laptops, they bring them to class to take notes, which is great, and then when they're at home doing graphics design or editing photographs, they plug it into a larger LCD and a full size keyboard. Even my grandpa does this with his laptop. I would expect the Macbook Nano to come with a dock that would include a display out, headphone/speaker port, and perhaps a few usb ports for keyboard, superdrive etc. The dock would of course charge the system, and perhaps the superdrive could be implemented into the dock itself. I think that could be a simple, functional design when implemented properly by Apple engineers.
So here are my Macbook Nano specs:
Base Configuration
Intel Penryn Core 2 Duo T9300 2.5GHz 800MHz 6MB
1440x900 12" screen
2gb (not sure, but probably 800mhz, DDR3? can't remember)
64gb SSD
Geforce 9 mobile (although this isn't slated until February)
Dock with Superdrive (doubt Blu-Ray or HD-DVD, no clear winner yet, Apple will leave these options up to 3rd parties)
Not for certain on the 2.5ghz T9300. They may use the 2.1 or 2.4ghz T8100 and T8300. I just doubted that as those two have a lower 3mb of cache, which is lower then current Macbook models. However, these models may be more power efficient, so perhaps they could be used in this system.
Macworld will be really fun this year! I hope they demo some iPhone apps created from the SDK. I'm sure Google and Facebook are already working on them. Google has had the SDK from day one. Expect an updated Maps with the new cell-tower gps system at the least. With the latest MMS app for iPhone, we should also see MMS added, at least by February. 3g iPhone? Meh...don't have 3g coverage at my university anyway.
Sorry if this was long and covered some things already discussed, I just thought someone might appreciate having several of the issues around this new sub-notebook addressed, with the information around the internets compiled into something that could become a product. Either way I am buying an Apple laptop in January!
I can see SJ speaking at Macworld now, saying "The thing is, you can ask the "average user" if they'd like to own a thin, light and tiny notebook and they almost always say "Yeah! That'd be great!" But once they sit down and use such a thing for a while, the complaints start pouring in." Then he would go on to list some of the reasons you said, and then say "We knew this, and our engineers took this into account when producing the Macbook Nano."
Do you really think Apple will produce some crappy laptop? Either they won't make it, or they will do it right. That's why it took so long for the iPhone to come along. They wanted to do it right, despite it's small problems so far. I expect the same from this.
Companies like STEC based in Santa Ana are working on somthing called "MLC" NAND SSDs with 90MB/s read / 60MB/s write speeds which is faster then laptop hard drives. These drives will range from 32gb to 512gb. Yes, you heard right, 512gb ssd! They are also saying that this new "MLC" (which apparently stands for Multi Level Cell based) will also cause the prices of such devices to drop. The largest 1.8" drive they produce is 128gb, which is the minimum I would expect to see in a Macbook Nano. Storage problem solved.
With the Intel Penryn mobile processors being released on January 6th, expect high speed, low power processors for the Macbook Nano. Speed problem solved.
Now we come to physical size. It is small, there's no changing that. But Apple's genius comes from their ability to create amazing UI's and software. Perhaps we will see a large touch pad area beneath the keyboard for multi-touch input. Perhaps a magnifying glass sort of popup such as the iPhone's for text, but this could be a tricky implementation to pull off. It would be difficult to strike an aesthetic and functional balance with that approach, but it's just a starting point as far as I'm concerned for what they could do.
As for me and many people I know who have small laptops, they bring them to class to take notes, which is great, and then when they're at home doing graphics design or editing photographs, they plug it into a larger LCD and a full size keyboard. Even my grandpa does this with his laptop. I would expect the Macbook Nano to come with a dock that would include a display out, headphone/speaker port, and perhaps a few usb ports for keyboard, superdrive etc. The dock would of course charge the system, and perhaps the superdrive could be implemented into the dock itself. I think that could be a simple, functional design when implemented properly by Apple engineers.
So here are my Macbook Nano specs:
Base Configuration
Intel Penryn Core 2 Duo T9300 2.5GHz 800MHz 6MB
1440x900 12" screen
2gb (not sure, but probably 800mhz, DDR3? can't remember)
64gb SSD
Geforce 9 mobile (although this isn't slated until February)
Dock with Superdrive (doubt Blu-Ray or HD-DVD, no clear winner yet, Apple will leave these options up to 3rd parties)
Not for certain on the 2.5ghz T9300. They may use the 2.1 or 2.4ghz T8100 and T8300. I just doubted that as those two have a lower 3mb of cache, which is lower then current Macbook models. However, these models may be more power efficient, so perhaps they could be used in this system.
Macworld will be really fun this year! I hope they demo some iPhone apps created from the SDK. I'm sure Google and Facebook are already working on them. Google has had the SDK from day one. Expect an updated Maps with the new cell-tower gps system at the least. With the latest MMS app for iPhone, we should also see MMS added, at least by February. 3g iPhone? Meh...don't have 3g coverage at my university anyway.
Sorry if this was long and covered some things already discussed, I just thought someone might appreciate having several of the issues around this new sub-notebook addressed, with the information around the internets compiled into something that could become a product. Either way I am buying an Apple laptop in January!
That may be fine for you, but I still see many people needing an optical drive to burn things on the road. Not everyone has a flash drive!
I would love an ultraportable to replace my 12" G4 (which seems to be getting heavier everyday), but an external optical drive will just add more weight, wire tangles, and clutter to a (supposedly) portable setup. I bring my plans/products to show clients often. I also have several PowerPoint presentations made for different clients who I cater my presentation to. Not only that, I have various files that can cater to each client's needs, some of which I would NOT want two different clients to see. They want this and that file, and then I just include it on the CD. This necessitates burning CDs after each presentation which is actually pretty quick. I cannot burn a bunch of CDs before my day since I have multiple presentations sometimes in a day.
Again, not everyone has a flash drive!
But, (so far) every office that I have been to has CDs. (Hell, a few don't even have USB!) CDs are still the cheapest, most widespread, physical exchanging media out there. I still carry CDs, but if I ran out, the client will gladly give me some CDs (less than 1 cent a piece!) I cannot afford to give away flash drives even at $10 a piece. I've given out 10-20 CDs sometimes, so these anti-optical drive people expect me to give away $100-$200 at every presentation?! HA! My boss would fire me if I gave away $200 worth of equipment (flash drives) to a POTENTIAL client (or even a client I don't expect a sale/agreement to. It's good publicity to spread my presentation).Don't start about networking my laptop to transfer the information to the client's system either. Every office has different networking software, protocols, etc. It would take forever to set up (and I've tried). Again, giving them a CD is cheap, easy and quick.
I also take my 12" G4 on vacation too. My friends and I bring digital cameras to record photos and movies. Well, not all have flash drives with them too. I gladly transfer their photos to CDs before we split up. One time, some people in a tour group saw me take a movie of the free concert. I only recorded the finale, but the tour group asked if they could have a copy of it. They were in the hotel next to me, so I met up with them the next day with several CDs of the concert. None had flash drives, and I was NOT going to give mine to them. The CDs made them happy.
It's obvious people who argue to do away with the optical drive are filthy rich and can afford to give away hundreds of flash drives to everyone. They may be cheap for one, but add up over time. Working class people like me (and other pro-optical drive people too I guess?) simply can't afford the anti-optical drive people's ideology that everyone has a flash drive. I hope
takes note of this.
Couldn't you just email it to them? Powerpoint files aren't that huge. That is how all the professionals I work with share multimedia files with clients (and I work directly under the marketing director for a large bank doing graphics design). We either use our network or $5 flash drives to transfer files around the office. Especially burning cd after cd on the spot for clients is--no offense--unprofessional. Just copy them all in an email. Unless you've got presentations filled with HD video, there isn't a need for optical storage. You say you don't have time to burn all those discs in the morning, but do you think your clients enjoy the wait? Time is money, and fast solid state and wireless distribution is the future. Movie companies are starting to figure this out with DVD sales that are falling for the first time this year. The HD-DVD and Blu-Ray fight is also hurting consumers requiring them to use two different formats to watch their favorite movies on very expensive hardware. I can't even remember the last time I used my optical drive. Does it still work? I don't know, I don't care. Technology is moving away from moving parts, resulting in faster, lower power devices. I welcome these changes. Plus this system is rumored to be what--a half an inch thick? I'm sure you could fit a slim profile burner in the same case with room to spare over your previous system. Just a thought. This also makes me wonder when we will see a Mac with the new WUSB and USB 3.0 standards...hmmm.
Assuming your price points below, forget upgrading, just put another SSD connector on the motherboard (plenty of room w/o an optical drive)
Then you can just add another 32GB SSD to get to 64GB (RAID 0 via OS X), instead of going with a single 64GB SSD.
Then you can just add another 32GB SSD to get to 64GB (RAID 0 via OS X), instead of going with a single 64GB SSD.
TNot everyone has a flash drive!
Which is strange. Bands are beginning to distribute albums on them. Soon I expect the smaller ones will come free in boxes of cereal.
With a few of of these...
http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=CT1GBUFDJNR000
you don't need an optical drive on the road. Ever. They just plug right into a USB port - and are compatible with any computer that has a USB port - unlike some CD/DVDs that can be very twitchy about what drive they work in.
There are smaller and less expensive examples. There are even companies that will do up a batch of them with your company logo silkscreend onto them. Great gifts for clients
It probably won't use any of those. Intel has special Low Voltage C2D chips (one is 1.2GHz, up to 1.8GHz I think) This is what most companies use in an ultraportable.
That may be fine for you, but I still see many people needing an optical drive to burn things on the road. Not everyone has a flash drive!
<snip part of rant from guy stuck in 1999>
It's obvious people who argue to do away with the optical drive are filthy rich and can afford to give away hundreds of flash drives to everyone. They may be cheap for one, but add up over time. Working class people like me (and other pro-optical drive people too I guess?) simply can't afford the anti-optical drive people's ideology that everyone has a flash drive. I hope
So what do you do, carry around a huge spindle of CD-Rs?
Powerpoint files are tiny. Attach them to emails. Wifi is everywhere now, so you can just email it to clients. Or go out and buy a flash drive (seriously, you can find them for like $9.99). CDs are an old and outdated technology.
Oh here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820189036
1GB USB flash drive for $6.99
That may be fine for you, but I still see many people needing an optical drive to burn things on the road. Not everyone has a flash drive!
I bring my plans/products to show clients often. I also have several PowerPoint presentations made for different clients who I cater my presentation to. Not only that, I have various files that can cater to each client's needs, some of which I would NOT want two different clients to see. They want this and that file, and then I just include it on the CD. This necessitates burning CDs after each presentation which is actually pretty quick. I cannot burn a bunch of CDs before my day since I have multiple presentations sometimes in a day.
Again, not everyone has a flash drive!
Don't start about networking my laptop to transfer the information to the client's system either. Every office has different networking software, protocols, etc. It would take forever to set up (and I've tried). Again, giving them a CD is cheap, easy and quick.
I also take my 12" G4 on vacation too. My friends and I bring digital cameras to record photos and movies. Well, not all have flash drives with them too. I gladly transfer their photos to CDs before we split up. One time, some people in a tour group saw me take a movie of the free concert. I only recorded the finale, but the tour group asked if they could have a copy of it. They were in the hotel next to me, so I met up with them the next day with several CDs of the concert. None had flash drives, and I was NOT going to give mine to them. The CDs made them happy.
It's obvious people who argue to do away with the optical drive are filthy rich and can afford to give away hundreds of flash drives to everyone. They may be cheap for one, but add up over time. Working class people like me (and other pro-optical drive people too I guess?) simply can't afford the anti-optical drive people's ideology that everyone has a flash drive. I hope
Get a macbook then.
You know that T-Mobile do have networks outside of USA? And that 3G Networks are rather common outside of USA?
--j
Yea I can't imagine a 3G iPhone coming any time soon... I'll worry about it when it's announced.
Wise post....
I'm amazed by all the whiners who don't realize that another model in the Apple lineup fits their needs.
People who want small and light (and there are lots of them, based on the 12" PB and other small system sales) don't want CD burners or mega-CPUs or 7 radios or whatever. They want small and light with good battery life. They will happily accept compromises to get those traits.
For the rest, Apple gives you a choice between the MB and the MBP. Why is it so necessary to say that the small system is "bad" because it doesn't have something that you want - when another Apple does have what you want?
(Too bad on the desktop that Apple doesn't give a choice between the incredibly constrained MiniMac and Imac and the incredibly huge Mac Pro....)
Of course, a month is composed of days...
I'm amazed by all the whiners who don't realize that another model in the Apple lineup fits their needs.
People who want small and light (and there are lots of them, based on the 12" PB and other small system sales) don't want CD burners or mega-CPUs or 7 radios or whatever. They want small and light with good battery life. They will happily accept compromises to get those traits.
For the rest, Apple gives you a choice between the MB and the MBP. Why is it so necessary to say that the small system is "bad" because it doesn't have something that you want - when another Apple does have what you want?
(Too bad on the desktop that Apple doesn't give a choice between the incredibly constrained MiniMac and Imac and the incredibly huge Mac Pro....)
Of course, a month is composed of days...
How can you know what they want? I'm one of the persons in the need for a 12" laptop but I also need optical drive. Apple had a perfect product for this market and that was the 12 inch PB. The Macbook was never a real fair and equal follow up for the great 12" powerbook. I don't need super light, or an mini laptop. I just need smaller and better quality then the current Macbook (which is one of Apple's most worse designs in my opinion with it's horrible sharp corners). The fact is the Macbook is already slight to big to travel with every day with public transport. The 12 inch ibook of my girlfriend is much more easy to carry around.
I travel a lot from Hotel to hotel for my work with trains. And yes I also like it to watch a DVD on my laptop in my Hotel. Who says you only have to use your computer professional? The bottom line is. Me and I'm sure many with me just need a slightly smaller computer then the current Macbook but WITH a optical drive.
With kind regards,
Bas
Really? You think that Apple will use processors that are much slower than a Macbook? 1.2ghz? Perhaps the 1.8ghz one could be an option for this cheap $1500 version we're hearing about for people who want ultra battery life. I remember hearing that Penryn will feature a 25W model alongside the other 35W models. I'm sure the clock speed is lower also, but with Penryn expected to bring a 40% increase in speed, perhaps a medium 1.8ghz, low powered version would equate to a current generation Merom, between the 2.4-2.6ghz performance? If so, that would be a highly attractive option. Perhaps we will see something along the lines of 1.6ghz, 1.8ghz, and 2.0ghz flavors of Macbook Mini, or whatever it will be called. I still don't buy the $1500 pricetag though, and I also don't think Apple will skimp on performance. I was also thinking about the video card. X3100 would provide the best battery life and lower price, but perhaps we will see a low powered video card as an option for the more expensive models. I say base price no lower than $1699.
