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

Bubbasteve said:
Considering I have an iMac, I'm not too worried about capacity size of my future ultra portable investment...

If I really wanted to carry my whole iTunes library with me I would bring my iPod with me and just play my music through the iPod itself or through the computer from the iPod

With that being said I'm thinking there will only be a 64GB version which will be plenty good for a bunch of music and a collection of photos
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1st - and for those who don't have an ipod??
2nd - and for those who don't want to carry and extra hard drive just because apple wants to use flash to soon...


except: i saw someone posting about some new flash sdd up to 500gb..now that would be great!!! include an optical....and i'm in!
i want to go to my university and not having to carry and external hd...and external optical..i mean...what's the logic in that?!?!?
 
NYCMacFan said:
gkarris said:
I can see a 32 Gig and a 64 Gig model....
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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.
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Apple offers build-to-order options for hard drives on most machines. This would be no different. The iPhone was simply marketed differently, more like an iPod than like a computer (which makes sense).
 
zioxide said:
somebody doesn't understand the concept of an ultraportable.
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oh yes...ultraportable means just type or whatever...just work? sounds like microsoft to me...
imagine i make a move in my mac...i burn it where?!?! save it to my pen? then to my desktop computer, then to a dvd? that's to much time involved..
 
Steve Works said:
1st - and for those who don't have an ipod??
2nd - and for those who don't want to carry and extra hard drive just because apple wants to use flash to soon...

except: i saw someone posting about some new flash sdd up to 500gb..now that would be great!!! include an optical....and i'm in!
i want to go to my university and not having to carry and external hd...and external optical..i mean...what's the logic in that?!?!?
Click to expand...

Well, if you really need all that space at all times, an ultraportable is not for you. I, on the other hand, am not planning on ever buying another laptop with a hard disk. So I won't be able to carry my entire music collection everywhere I go unless I bring an iPod (and realistically, I generally won't)? So what? For me, a laptop is for work, not for play.

When the 512GB flash drives come along in a couple more years (yes, that's what the article said), I'm sure that'll be great, but 32GB will be enough for me in the meantime.
 
Steve Works said:
oh yes...ultraportable means just type or whatever...just work? sounds like microsoft to me...
imagine i make a move in my mac...i burn it where?!?! save it to my pen? then to my desktop computer, then to a dvd? that's to much time involved..
Click to expand...

Burn? Now might be time to get used to this phrase: "Physical media is so 2007." ;)

Your options for movies with an ultraportable are:

a) External burner.
b) Copy to another device for playback. (AppleTV...) You have wi-fi after all, plus the improved sharing in Leopard. (Back To My Mac...)
c) Playback directly from the ultraportable by plugging it into the monitor or TV.
d) Upload video to .Mac, YouTube, wherever.
 
tirerim said:
Well, if you really need all that space at all times, an ultraportable is not for you. I, on the other hand, am not planning on ever buying another laptop with a hard disk. So I won't be able to carry my entire music collection everywhere I go unless I bring an iPod (and realistically, I generally won't)? So what? For me, a laptop is for work, not for play.

When the 512GB flash drives come along in a couple more years (yes, that's what the article said), I'm sure that'll be great, but 32GB will be enough for me in the meantime.
Click to expand...

i nead lots of space all the time...i think that 512gb drives will be perfect...but juts 32gb is to small...
with the OS...the apps...you will have like 25gb available...and i had that in a pc like 10years ago as the HD...i don't want to keep moving files to an HD from time to time...and sometimes when you need something that you made some time ago..and already moved it...it's like :mad: ...so more space and an optical and that's it... i'm studying biology, and i have software that come only in cds and i don't want to keep copying it to a pen to install nor having to carry an external optical...
 
Can they included several linked together flash drives so you get more storage?

I still have (writing now) my 12" PB. What a great laptop. PERFECT SIZE.
 
Cinch said:
Now we need two computers to manage iTunes? How about a wireless harddrive that serve both as backup and storing your music?

Personally, I would love to run a laptop for the entire day without the need to plug in.
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No, the relationship of the ultraportable to your desktop is just like an iPhone or iPod Touch to the desktop. Most of your management is done on the desktop. Anything you create on the smaller device (playlists, purchased/added songs), gets synced back up to the desktop the next time you connect.
 
Steve Works said:
oh yes...ultraportable means just type or whatever...just work? sounds like microsoft to me...
imagine i make a move in my mac...i burn it where?!?! save it to my pen? then to my desktop computer, then to a dvd? that's to much time involved..
Click to expand...

I think you're confused... Microsoft just doesn't work. ;-)

Also, what in the world are you talking about when you say "make a move in my mac"? That sentence doesn't even make sense. You mean movies, perhaps? Get an external DVD burner. They're not that expensive these days. Again, if you need to burn DVDs wherever you are (not just at home), an ultraportable is not for you. Or if you have a desktop, what in the world are you doing making movies on your laptop? I certainly don't do my heavy duty photo editing on my PowerBook; that's what I have a Power Mac for.
 
Spades said:
Burn? Now might be time to get used to this phrase: "Physical media is so 2007." ;)

Your options for movies with an ultraportable are:

a) External burner.
b) Copy to another device for playback. (AppleTV...) You have wi-fi after all, plus the improved sharing in Leopard. (Back To My Mac...)
c) Playback directly from the ultraportable by plugging it into the monitor or TV.
d) Upload video to .Mac, YouTube, wherever.
Click to expand...

Pshysical Media is so 2007 looooool i know :p it's just that i really need to burn cds (and dvds) sometimes...and carrying an external burner in my bag when i go to college kinda sucks...and i don't have an .Mac account..and youtube has bad quality... i mean...it's no big deal to include the drive...and probably will come handy!! for me it is...even if for you no...eventually..
imagine updating from Mas OS X 10.5 to 10.6 from a pen drive?!?!!? LOL
no optical...web update??? nice idea but will it work?....
 
MacRumorUser said:
Wouldn't that be more expensive to manufacture than an internal one?
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Cheaper, probably -- the external one won't be subject to the component miniaturization that an internal one would be. The important factor isn't the price, though, it's the weight, which you won't be carrying around most of the time.
 
tirerim said:
I think you're confused... Microsoft just doesn't work. ;-)

Also, what in the world are you talking about when you say "make a move in my mac"? That sentence doesn't even make sense. You mean movies, perhaps? Get an external DVD burner. They're not that expensive these days. Again, if you need to burn DVDs wherever you are (not just at home), an ultraportable is not for you. Or if you have a desktop, what in the world are you doing making movies on your laptop? I certainly don't do my heavy duty photo editing on my PowerBook; that's what I have a Power Mac for.
Click to expand...

yeah yeah sorry ...movie...i need the ultraportable because of the weight...i have to go out to study on the field...and carrying a bigger laptop won't work...
i mean...i would just need a 12" macbook (pro) to work. And carrying a dvd burner is not an option... :( i think that :apple: should just include the drive...
i can't imagine how many people still use cds in my university...not everyone is tech friendly... i mean..i still have people that give me floppys... i just look at it like "what am i supposed to do with this?" but with a cd that doesn't make sense...


i just need the 12"...not being ultraportable... just make the 12" G4 into a 12" MacBook and that would be perfect
 
Steve Works said:
Pshysical Media is so 2007 looooool i know :p it's just that i really need to burn cds (and dvds) sometimes...and carrying an external burner in my bag when i go to college kinda sucks...and i don't have an .Mac account..and youtube has bad quality... i mean...it's no big deal to include the drive...and probably will come handy!! for me it is...even if for you no...eventually..
imagine updating from Mas OS X 10.5 to 10.6 from a pen drive?!?!!? LOL
no optical...web update??? nice idea but will it work?....
Click to expand...

Who really needs media these days. For the most part, you can get everything via download from the Internet ... software, music, movies, and so on. Besides, USB thumb drives have reached a point where 4GB and 8GB are affordable. There's really not much of a need to burn things to disc.

It makes sense for computer manufacturers to offload the media production and distribution costs to the end consumer.

Hence, it makes sense for an ultra portable system to be without an optical drive. An external one as an option makes sense.
 
Lepton said:
Hey! You all laughed last year but I got the iPhone mostly right. So.. If the thing is so thin and no hard drive then it's a tablet, not a laptop. Bank this:

Tablet. 8.5 by 11" or less, 12" diag glass screen, 720p HD screen or better, thick as an iPhone. No keyboard, no optical. 32GB flash, 8 memory card slots so you can add a ton of RAM yourself. Power over Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB, no FireWire no Express Card. Multi-Touch for fingers, stylus for Ink. Leopard. MagSafe.
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:eek:

That WOULD be ultra portable.....about 3x the size of the iphone/touch and the rumored $1500 price tag is roughly 3x the price of the iphone/touch...... :eek: That would be flipping amazing to see!! I wouldnt buy one as it wouldnt fit my needs but absolutely sick nonetheless.

Personally Im hoping for a 13" MBP (which I would buy)

...cant wait for MacWorld!!
 
No SSD, but there could be flash

SSD is a gimmick - no measurable advantage in speed, power consumption, or weight, only in shock resistance (great if you need a Toughbook)

SSD won't be in a $1500 notebook (64GB SSD is still $1000+)

What could be done at a $1500 price point is 8/16GB of flash for the operating system and a few of the most used applications, with a "regular" 2.5" hard drive for the rest.

What I've appreciated about my MacBook is just how cheap and easy it is to upgrade (4GB RAM $100, $125 for 250GB hard drive), so I hope future notebooks keep that aspect of the MacBook's design.
 
tonywob said:
You're totally right in saying that, T-Mobile have restricted me so that I have 3G but I'm not aloud to listen to streamed music or videos. File sharing, VOIP and messaging aren't allowed. So you would see very little benefit on an iPhone, apart from pages loading a little faster, you would still get the noticable lag as it performs DNS lookups, etc..

GPRS/EDGE is absolutely fine for the iPhone, it works really well, considering all you are really doing to viewing websites and email. You are not downloading large movies or files, so it works great
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first of all, the 3g iphone will be on AT&T, not t-mobile. Secondly, TMOBILE DOES NOT HAVE 3G SERVICE! LOL. What are you smoking?
 
kingtj said:
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?

This subnotebook from Apple sounds like it'll fill a similar niche market. Despite all the talk about "huge pent up demand" for a small notebook from Apple, I'm not really convinced it's true.

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. "The screen is giving me eye-strain!" "I wish the keyboard wasn't so cramped for space!" "This thing is too slow!" "I have to carry around external devices all the time to plug into it!" "I wish I had more drive space in it!" "Such and such broke on it, and nobody can do service work on it but the manufacturer, and the parts are back-ordered for weeks!"

Sure, it will be ideal for a few people. But I wager MOST people will find more usability in something like a 15" Macbook Pro or current Macbook -- even though the styling and "hype" will make a lot of people WANT to own it, at first.
Click to expand...

Have you used a 12" laptop before? They are FAR from unusable. I have large hands and most work great. You comparing a POS EEPC or whatever to a REAL subnotebook like what Apple would bring out is laughable.
a 12" wide screen with a decent resolution doesn't cause eye-strain.
And assuming they put in a Intel Core 2 DUO Low voltage or the new penryn medium voltage it will be REAL quick. Not even in the same WORLD as that Asus crap.

The demand has already been shown to be there. Until now, the price is what has kept people from them. Apple is not the only computer manufacturer in the world. Panasonic and Sony in particular have some really incredible little subnotebooks.. mostly available in Asia/Europe however. Some models available in the USA.

http://www.dynamism.com/Notebooks/Subnotebooks/categorygroup.shtml
 
I have a 20" Alu. iMac at home in my den. I would like a light OSX based laptop that I can use when sitting on the sofa, or if its a nice day, having coffee somewhere, for sending some email, writing some letters etc.

Would I be willing to pay $1500 for this ultraportable? Probably not unless I get a big chunk of money. So, personally I can see the use, but the cost would be prohibitive for a 2nd computer with lesser capabilities.

We saw how Palm Foleo was a big bust and that was cheaper.
 
Mr R said:
Can we get some hard statistics and numbers on the board (facts) rather than just vague statements about formula 1 cars and saloon cars.

I'm pretty sure that 3G can perform to 384kbits/sec maximum but really want to know what the theoretical maximum of EDGE is? On here ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_Data_Rates_for_GSM_Evolution )it says:

EDGE can carry data speeds up to 236.8 kbit/s for 4 timeslots (theoretical maximum is 473.6 kbit/s for 8 timeslots) in packet mode and will therefore meet the International Telecommunications Union's requirement for a 3G network.
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EDGE operating in 8 timeslots/connection is rarely implemented. 236kbps is the theoretical maximum for EDGE, most cases you'll get between 100-150kbps. For comparison, I have a Verizon 3G/EVDO Rev.A connection which is capable of 3100kbps down and 1800kbps up. However, On average I see 600-1500kbps down and 400-800kbps upload depending on area. Newer phones are much faster than older, and likewise, laptop cards are usually faster than any 3G phones.

Now the GSM/UMTS/HSPA route is a little different from EVDO. HSDPA (downlink) can be 1800kbps, 3600kbps, 7200kbps or higher. I think A. Unfortunately I don't think they have rolled our their fast upload yet (HSUPA) so the upload is 150-200kbps. In the future HSUPA will take it to 1500 or 3000kbps. I think on average, users of 3G/HSDPA get about similar speeds as Verizon or Sprint 3G/EVDO, or about 4x-6x faster than EDGE.
 
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