3G iPhone and $1500 'Super Laptop' in 2008

[Cinch]

With Back to My Mac, the size of the portable's "hard drive" becomes largely irrelevant. Well, unless you don't have .mac

True, however, not many of us are willing to pay for .mac. I know it is a bizarre human behaviour, and I'm no different. Paying $100 for a year to store data on the web? It sounds like a case for a Google solution!

Apple is not always right

Cinch

 

[weckart]

Yes...

http://eeepc.asus.com/global/

They really are quite good. I almost bought one, but got a (more expensive) iPhone instead.

I know there was huge initial demand for eeepc's too. (Everyone is sold out, basically.) But beyond the initial "cool" factor of a little tiny portable with solid state flash memory, I don't see the big deal for most people?

Possibly not. I'm posting from one now. It's light. Very light. Very cheap at a quarter of the price of my Macbook. Has decent battery life. A user friendly OS. Perfect for forum surfing and emailing, in fact. An impulse buy, which I doubt I will regret. My iPod Touch, however........

32 GB will be plenty for Apple's Lightbook. as long as there is a slot for an SD card or the like. You don't need an expensive SSD for your iTunes. 16GB SD cards can be had for about £70 these days and for even less, if/when Apple launches it next year

 

[tMac85]

so exactly what is happening with the ipod touch?

are they going to just make headlines because the are going to sell a lot.

or is something changing on it already????

 

[MarlboroLite]

So what were these 13.3" LED screen orders reported on yesterday for?

If this thing is going to be 12"...could they also come out with a 13.3"MBP??!!

I don't see them refreshing the Macbooks again with a simple LED addition and nothing else just 2 months after the SR update...they could have added the LED with the November update...

 

[shimmer11]

So what were these 13.3" LED screen orders reported on yesterday for?

If this thing is going to be 12"...could they also come out with a 13.3"MBP??!!

I don't see them refreshing the Macbooks again with a simple LED addition and nothing else just 2 months after the SR update...they could have added the LED with the November update...

Excellent point MarlboroLite...The 13.3" LED additions could simply be for the existing Macbook. But a 12" all aluminum lightweight MBP with flash may be the Macworld addition.

-Maclover

 

[grappler]

Why? Imagine a 12" Iphone screen where you wouldn't even need a keyboard. All of your input would be multi-touch. This sounds great to me. I don't even have an Iphone or a Touch yet and I think this could "revolutionize" the way we interact with computers.

Ever since I first played with one (an Iphone), I thought that this would make an incredible form-factor for an ultra-portable. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that this could be another "ground-breaking" product for Apple.

Again, I too, think that this would not be a replacement for a main system but be a way to portable-ize everything you do on your home or office system. Granted, this may not be what they are actually releasing so I could be getting all excited for nothing!

When you put words in quotes like that, I'm not sure if you intend to add emphasis, as with a bold typeface.

When I read it, I picture you using finger quotes while talking.

 

[gkarris]

I'm thinking that it'll be "announced" in Jan but not available until the end of Feb or end of March (kinda like the iPhone/iTV/Touch wait for it... deal) to give SDD time to go down in price.

I can see a 32 Gig and a 64 Gig model....

 

[GQB]

Whenever this thread comes up, I always feel like a certain segment is looking at a 'Think' car and asking where they're going to put their 427 Hemi.

People have to get over this idea that they're going to get (or need) desktop/developer/graphicsdesigner performance out of an ultraportable or tablet. That's just not where the new users and market are going. Japanese users are showing the canary-in-the-coalmine for big honkin' desktop systems (and even for overpowered laptops).

A lot of users will still need that power, but way more don't.
I think the market is shaking out into the 'trucks' and the 'high milage 2-seaters'.

Megaprocessingpower is really only needed by a small % of users. The power needed for 95% of everyday use doesn't justify it or its associated costs. The market will ultimately reflect that.

 

[timish]

The killer app for the iphone regardless of 3G or Edge is being able to tether it via USB or bluetooth to the mac so you can use it as a wireless modem.

If Apple is going to 3G, that would REALLY make it useful.

For those debating the speed on just using connectivity on the iphone EDGE vs. 3G, at this point speed is not the problem since you can't download using this device as of yet.

I used to have a Blackberry and being able to use that as a conduit to access the Internet was VERY useful.

If Apple implements that in the current phone and the possible new one that would be very very very cool.

Tim

 

[OldTimey]

If EDGE and 3G were automobiles EDGE would be a run down jalopy and 3G would be a Formula 1 race car. There is no comparison.

agreed. EDGE is fine for basic web stuff, but it really can't touch 3G when it comes to streaming multimedia...

 

[Superman07]

Why does it piss you off, it's nearly 6 months away and that's just technology. I got a Macbook Pro and 2 weeks later a faster one came out for the same price, nothing I could do about it. Even when it does come out, I can't see it being significantly different, apart from 3G and maybe a larger drive. You will continue to receive updates via software, so just enjoy it . Come February when the SDK comes out, things should get exciting

I agree with this. Somebody on page 1 said don't expect the 3G iPhone until the end of 2008. If Apple waits that long it's a mistake. In the computer/technology industry 1.5 years (2 since announcement) is suicide. Especially since the iPhone is Apple's only entry into the phone market. Apple is not Nokia where they have a litany of phones where they can wait to release their high end products. However that is being generous. If you look at Nokia's release history for their flagship multimedia phones they release 5 iterations over 2 years! Even if some were incrimental, the iPhone isn't so great that is has the "priviledge" to realease 1 every 2 years.

Also, keep in mind that Steve said they wanted to crack 10 million phones by the end of 08. Unless you introduce another model and drop the price on this one I really don't see that they are on track to reach that goal.

 

[OldTimey]

Megaprocessingpower is really only needed by a small % of users. The power needed for 95% of everyday use doesn't justify it or its associated costs. The market will ultimately reflect that.

blame software companies then. the razzle dazzle of Vista and Leopard DO require a decent amount of processing power just to do tasks that were quite basic in in previous generations of the OS's...

blame advertisers and web content developers...ever try visiting CNN.com on a single Proc. G4? it can be pretty painful...

 

[Cloudsurfer]

A flash notebook for $1500?? Hahahaha.

 

[nathanbal]

I agree with this. Somebody on page 1 said don't expect the 3G iPhone until the end of 2008. If Apple waits that long it's a mistake. In the computer/technology industry 1.5 years (2 since announcement) is suicide. Especially since the iPhone is Apple's only entry into the phone market. Apple is not Nokia where they have a litany of phones where they can wait to release their high end products. However that is being generous. If you look at Nokia's release history for their flagship multimedia phones they release 5 iterations over 2 years! Even if some were incrimental, the iPhone isn't so great that is has the "priviledge" to realease 1 every 2 years.

Also, keep in mind that Steve said they wanted to crack 10 million phones by the end of 08. Unless you introduce another model and drop the price on this one I really don't see that they are on track to reach that goal.

good point - they have just updated the N95 after only 6 months...

 

[NYCMacFan]

A Black Macbook retails for $1500, what gives on the crazy pricing? Where is the Pro premium with this laptop?

Given that a 32gig ssd is gotta be like $300 best case and 64gig ssd is $700 or more (the costs Apple pays, not us), it sounds like a pretty tight pricing...

The Sony TZ is what $3999 for 64gig SD with 12inch and a drive (small, but thicker). I'd be ready to scream at Sony if Apple almost does the same for $1500....

 

[MRU]

I wait with bated breath, and will probably purchase the ultra laptop on impulse alone, but only if its 32gb 'minimum' on board storage. Anything less and I'll have to pass though.

 

[Antares]

I like the sound of "Super Laptop."

 

[NYCMacFan]

I'm thinking that it'll be "announced" in Jan but not available until the end of Feb or end of March (kinda like the iPhone/iTV/Touch wait for it... deal) to give SDD time to go down in price.

I can see a 32 Gig and a 64 Gig model....

Only issues with that is people don't tend to like it. Apple did this only with the Iphone and that was to build a line of demand for when it came out.

It will want to refresh the whole MBP line in January. So a bit odd to offer new 15" and 17" MBP and say - wait a new 12" or 13.3" one is coming. They might fear that that will sort of dampen sales in January and February on both MB and MBP lines.

Apple's pricing is such that they can afford to eat the price of the SSD rather than wait a few weeks. All their component prices come down. But the pricing for consumers is sticky. So there margins grow in the product life cycle as the COGS falls for key components (e.g the price they pay Intel for chips or what they pay for flash memory for IPODs changes monthly, where the overall price does not).

Apple's margins follow a wave motion, sales follow a wave motion but with an earlier crests. So since profits=volume*margin and volume is a touch inversely correlated too margin, profits are reasonably constant and smoothed out.

 

[Superman07]

Apple's pricing is such that they can afford to eat the price of the SSD rather than wait a few weeks. All their component prices come down. But the pricing for consumers is sticky. So there margins grow in the product life cycle as the COGS falls for key components (e.g the price they pay Intel for chips or what they pay for flash memory for IPODs changes monthly, where the overall price does not).

Apple's margins follow a wave motion, sales follow a wave motion but with an earlier crests. So since profits=volume*margin and volume is a touch inversely correlated too margin, profits are reasonably constant and smoothed out.

Any figure for Apple's cash reserves? It might give us an idea of how willing they would be to eat some of these costs.

 

[Steve Works]

Apple was first to get rid of the floppy.

Now they're getting rid of the optical (about time, my 12" Thinkpad X31 doesn't have one nor do I miss it - you can get a portable external anyways).

Might as well get rid of the Hard Disk. Tons of stuff? You can get a mobile external of that too...

Nice job Apple, bad news for my bank account...

let me see... $1500...without optical drive...just because it's screen is an inch smaller than the macbook...for that price i'd have the macbook... because the "ultra portable" has limited HD (64Gbs sucks!)...and probably it's performance isn't superior than the macbook (i doubt they would have the new penryn cpu...so no more batery life in a smaller device)....
but hey, those Mac Die-Hard Fans (who buy every thing even if they don't need...) will buy them...
i mean, i want to watch a dvd and i need an external drive?? please god...then i just have to carry extra weight...that could be ON the laptop (and no so heavy...)

and someone said "apple was the first to drop the floppy..."
to you my friend i just have to say: Macbook still has a combo drive... how obsolete is that?
PC was the first to drop that....

 

[zioxide]

let me see... $1500...without optical drive...just because it's screen is an inch smaller than the macbook...for that price i'd have the macbook... because the "ultra portable" has limited HD (64Gbs sucks!)...and probably it's performance isn't superior than the macbook (i doubt they would have the new penryn cpu...so no more batery life in a smaller device)....
but hey, those Mac Die-Hard Fans (who buy every thing even if they don't need...) will buy them...
i mean, i want to watch a dvd and i need an external drive?? please god...then i just have to carry extra weight...that could be ON the laptop (and no so heavy...)

and someone said "apple was the first to drop the floppy..."
to you my friend i just have to say: Macbook still has a combo drive... how obsolete is that?
PC was the first to drop that....

somebody doesn't understand the concept of an ultraportable.

 

[NYCMacFan]

Any figure for Apple's cash reserves? It might give us an idea of how willing they would be to eat some of these costs.

Ample reserves. It is more an issue of smoothing quarterly earnings per share. Here is data from Yahoo:

Apple Income Statement
Revenue (ttm): 24.01B
EBITDA (ttm): 4.73B
Net Income Avl to Common (ttm): 3.50B

Apple Balance Sheet
Total Cash (mrq): 15.39B
Total Debt (mrq): 0
Current Ratio (mrq): 2.361
Levered Free Cash Flow (ttm): 2.77B

 

[Cloudsurfer]

What's wrong with 64 GB again? Didn't the original entry level MacBook have a 60 GB hard disk as well? I didn't hear anyone complaining back then.

 

[MRU]

One simple question though.

If you drop the DVD completely from the device ? How on earth will the machine install applications ? How will it come with the installation disks ? If they have to be stored on a smaller partition of the disk, then immediately were losing 6Gb or so from the already restrictive storage.

Fine for people who already have mac's and can use target mode and such, but for newbies - I can see this being a mighty nightmare.

 

[zioxide]

One simple question though.

If you drop the DVD completely from the device ? How on earth will the machine install applications ? How will it come with the installation disks ? If they have to be stored on a smaller partition of the disk, then immediately were losing 6Gb or so from the already restrictive storage.

Fine for people who already have mac's and can use target mode and such, but for newbies - I can see this being a mighty nightmare.

External DVD drive for software installation.

That's what the Dell D430 (12'' 3lb laptop with SSD & LV C2D) comes with.