Apple Developing New Palmtop Mac?

[lmalave]

I still think there's a market for a sub-notebook. Yes, clamshell Pocket PCs failed before, but I think it's because the technology wasn't quite there yet. The Mac Mini showed how much you could fit into a small package with the latest technology. Now take it a step further with a 1.8" hard drive and no optical drive. The difference is now you can put a full-fledged OS X operating system and software on such a machine - not "Pocket" versions. Which means when you hook up an external display and input devices to the machine, it functions just like a "normal" machine.

And with the ubiquity of wi-fi in schools, offices, and hotels, a wi-fi equipped subnotebook lets people do the tasks the most want to do when they're mobile: check email, surf the web, and use Microsoft Office. And when you're at your desk and don't want to be squinting at an 8" display and typing on little chiclet keys, you just hook up an external display, keyboard and mouse.

So I hope the part that's wrong about this rumor is that the device runs a "stripped down" version of OS X. There's no need to with today's technology. Just keep it the size of a paperback book but make sure it packs enough punch to run Tiger.

 

[Analog Kid]

First and foremost, I agree with the people who think this is bunk.

Otherwise, I agree that this wouldn't be a PDA. Although I tend to think the PDA market died because Palm ran out of ideas and MS filled the void with rubbish, I think consumers now trust their phones more than they would a separate handheld.

Very small keyboard based units do have a market though. For one thing, they're the only computer you can even think of using on a plane any more, and as a walk through the shops in Akihabara, Tokyo will show-- the Japanese have been enamored with small sized (often Transmeta powered) Windows machines for a while.

Notes in class, travel computer, presentation machine whatever-- I'd probably get one. Price it like a mini and I'd probably get it in addition to a Powerbook..

My dreams aside, the rumor is still bunk.

 

[hobbbz]

THIS IS A LEAK

Here is a leak ripped off the apple site, err my poor attempt at a mockup

 

[astrochess]

The PDA isn't dead, but it is dying. I still see one every now and then, and I use one myself, but they definitely aren't the cream of the electronics industry. If Apple is really going to go after this, though, it's gotta have something to freshen up the market and make it a novelty again.

I doubt that Apple would go for this. Usually, Apple looks at what customers want, expand the idea, and sell it. Right now, there isn't such a big demand for PDAs.

 

[lmalave]

Very small keyboard based units do have a market though. For one thing, they're the only computer you can even think of using on a plane any more, and as a walk through the shops in Akihabara, Tokyo will show-- the Japanese have been enamored with small sized (often Transmeta powered) Windows machines for a while.

Notes in class, travel computer, presentation machine whatever-- I'd probably get one. Price it like a mini and I'd probably get it in addition to a Powerbook..

I think a good number of American consumers can also become enamored with ultra-small laptops. The advantages in terms of portability sell themselves, as long as the price is right. I think what's missing is a cohesive and strong marketing effort - the type which Apple excels at. I mean, think of it:

"Introducing the iBook Mini. The smallest and lowest-priced Mac portable ever. Starting at $699."

It would just fit so well with Apple's latest moves!

In fact, Apple should totally ditch the idea of a touchscreen or anything that makes it more PDA-like. The emphasis should be on smaller size and price and the fact that it runs Tiger, iLife, etc. Really it would be a kind of like Mac Mini, but with a small built-in display and keyboard that you can use for light tasks (which by the way also happend to be far and away the most common tasks).

Think about it. Apple was able to sell the Mac Mini for $499. Remove the optical drive and add a small display and keyboard, and I think the $699 price point is reachable. Or maybe initially $799 until they ramp up volume sufficiently.

 

[Macheath_Messer]

Sony Vaio U71/P

Haven't seen anyone mention this from Sony. It seems to be meant for the Japanese market only, but Kurns & Patrick sells it.

Kurns & Patrick

It runs XP, and not the flavor meant for the Tablet PC.

I would love to see something like that from Apple. I might be the only one, however.

I could type notes during classes, then use the touch-sensitive screen to draw drug structures and such. Cool; well, at least in my opinion.

Also, check out the Zaurus clamshell PDA. Interesting.

 

[lmalave]

Haven't seen anyone mention this from Sony. It seems to be meant for the Japanese market only, but Kurns & Patrick sells it.

Kurns & Patrick

It runs XP, and not the flavor meant for the Tablet PC.

I would love to see something like that from Apple. I might be the only one, however.

I could type notes during classes, then use the touch-sensitive screen to draw drug structures and such. Cool; well, at least in my opinion.

Also, check out the Zaurus clamshell PDA. Interesting.

Nice link! Ahh, but I was thinking something more along the lines of the JVC 741 laptop featured on the same page:

9" Screen. 2 lbs. 8.58 in x 1.16 in x 6.97 in. Built-in wi-fi. 60GB drive. It even has 64MB VRAM. But for that they're charging about $2000!!

The Mac Mini showed that smaller doesn't have to mean more expensive. Granted, they're adding a display and keyboard to it, but maybe they can cut corners there. Like maybe the widescreen display is only 896x600 or even just 720x480 (though that might get annoying since a lot of websites assume at least 800 pixels width). I still think a $799 initial launch for such a machine is very possible.

 

[Heb1228]

Give it up!

Apple could care less about PDA's. Give it up!

Why would they? The 12" Powerbook is only twice as big as a PDA!

 

[GregA]

with the ubiquity of wi-fi in schools, offices, and hotels, a wi-fi equipped subnotebook lets people do the tasks the most want to do when they're mobile: check email, surf the web, and use Microsoft Office. And when you're at your desk and don't want to be squinting at an 8" display and typing on little chiclet keys, you just hook up an external display, keyboard and mouse.

I think the wireless connectivity would be the key if Apple does anything in this area. Start with a device with iPod Photo functionality, with additional functions to check your messages (phone, voice, fax), check your calendar, open/edit simple documents, and perhaps make phone calls via headphone/mic (don't put the device to your head!). Plus simple applets.

You could do all that via a smarter synchronisation with .Mac, and Dashboard apps. Perhaps a cut-down OSX refers to dashboard? A super-iPod with a larger screen, dashboard, and wireless (3G or Airport?, or possibly simply bluetooth connected to the net via your mobile phone).

All that said, I doubt Apple is currently doing that.

So I hope the part that's wrong about this rumor is that the device runs a "stripped down" version of OS X. There's no need to with today's technology. Just keep it the size of a paperback book but make sure it packs enough punch to run Tiger.

hehehe... damn, if it's that easy.....

 

[asdf123]

Apple could care less about PDA's. Give it up!

Why would they? The 12" Powerbook is only twice as big as a PDA!

what kind of PDA are you talking about? Small....not that small.

Rumor...blah.

Under current market conditions and demand, never going to happen. Especially for a price sub-$1000. And doesn't OSX feed on RAM? Why would apple use less than stellar hardware to drive a rather power hungry OS. ESPECIALLY Tiger.

There would have to be some major innovations on apple hardware/software to drive such an idea.

Not saying it's not grand......

 

[nagromme]

The next laptop I buy will be the SMALLEST I can get that runs OS X. If that's a 12" PB, so be it. If it's even smaller, all the better! And OS X means it can run ALL my stuff in a pinch, even if the form factor isn't ideal for certain tasks. That means it's a real portable Mac OS X computer, not a PDA, or you'll have a tough time selling me one.

My iPod is all the PDA I need: great at delivering data (maps, photos, audiobooks, calendars, To-Do lists, address book, mini-games, text notes and reference info, and soon calculator etc. thanks to Linux!) And for INPUTTING the data, which I need more rarely, using my Mac is far easier than a stylus anyway.

BTW for efficient typing in a tiny area, there ARE some interesting alternatives:

http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/frogpad-ifrog-review.html

 

[SiliconAddict]

*shrugs* I've given up on Apple ever releasing anything PDA-ish. Jobs would have to die before he lets anything Newtonish back into HIS kingdom.

That being said I'm perfectly happy with my HP iPaq 4705. 624Mhz Xscale, 128MB of ROM, 64MB RAM, BlueTooth, WIFI, 480 x 640 4" display, native landscape support, SD slot, CF slot. With a 1GB SD card and a 4GB CD card. (Ask me how many movies I have on it. )
*shrugs* I still use my Newton to take notes from time to time but there is a reason the system is named: Newton-4705. As far as I'm concerned HP picked up the torch Jobs threw to the ground, and ran with it. The 4705 IMHO is where the Newton would be if Jobs hadn't killed it.

PS- Lets see your iPod pull this one off...

Yes that is a app. I can zoom in to street level and it supports my BT GPS unit.

Or how about this...

Yep that is the PDF service manual for the Mac Mini. Easily viewable on my 4" VGA screen.

 

[Lacero]

Apple could make a 9" PowerBook. This would be much more useful than a PDA or palmtop. And it wouldn't have to sacrifice a CD drive. Use 1.5" harddrives, standard USB 2.0, drop Firewire, 10/100 ethernet, bluetooth, Airport Extreme, OLED screen, chiclet keyboard, miniaturized motherboard.

 

[Windowlicker]

As with the iPod mini, I think there would definitely be a market for it. It would be the size of a small paperback book so we're talking a whole new level of portability. It could be marketed to students or mobile professionals that just need a machine to take notes, edit documents, surf the web, send email, etc. And the bluetooth and external display connector mean that you can use it as a full-fledged computer at your desk at your dormroom or office.

As long as it would be much more affordable than the ibooks, i would definitely concider getting one at some point. I'd like to have a laptop for taking notes and such (hate writing by hand and then having to search for the notes) but don't have much money and don't need a fast computer since I already have my G5PM for serious work.

 

[iindigo]

Here's my PS of what I think this thing would look like... does it look real?

 

[JtheLemur]

And it wouldn't have to sacrifice a CD drive.

Yes yes yes it would. If the rumor is true, I bet Apple would try to squeeze an optical drive in it, but I hope thy won't. Once I step outside my home or office I never EVER use the optical drive. Make the damn thing a companion to a home Mac - syncable via FireWire, etc. No need for an optical drive of any sort - you use iTunes for music playback, etc. The specs wouldn't make it a viable DVD creation station either, so no CD drive needed. NO CD DRIVE I SAY! It would also cut power consumption and improve the thinness of the thing if they left it out.

 

[Yvan256]

Yes yes yes it would. If the rumor is true, I bet Apple would try to squeeze an optical drive in it, but I hope thy won't. Once I step outside my home or office I never EVER use the optical drive. Make the damn thing a companion to a home Mac - syncable via FireWire, etc. No need for an optical drive of any sort - you use iTunes for music playback, etc. The specs wouldn't make it a viable DVD creation station either, so no CD drive needed. NO CD DRIVE I SAY! It would also cut power consumption and improve the thinness of the thing if they left it out.

Removing the CD drive not only cut on the thickness and power consumption, but it also make it lighter and less expensive.

The 12" iBook/PowerBook may be small, but a sub-notebook would be so small and useful (run full OS X version, not some cut-down, limited crap that requires special software, like PocketPC and Palms) that you'd take it everywhere, just in case.

And make it run 20 hours or more on a single charge so it's actually useful.

Imagine the Mac mini motherboard with a keyboard and a LCD on top of it (instead of the CD drive). That's how small it needs to be (CD case in surface area, maybe about two CD cases in thickness?).

 

[emotion]

It would make a great deal of sense for Apple to go into the sub-notebook market given the stalling of the whole G5-in-a-notebook project.

So an ibook mini would still use the same chips (cpu etc) that the other g4 based portables use but the innovation would be the size not the power.

I've used a PDA for years but have never been that happy with them and how they integrate with my desktop/notebook. i'd get rid of my pda like a shot if i could have a macosx based sub note.

 

[fixyourthinking]

PowerPage has a history of putting bogus leads up to drive traffic to the site. As much as I would love to have a pocket-sized Mac it ain't gonna happen.

A history? More like all of their stories have turned to Dvorak like mad lib rants, reviews of laptop bags no one cares about, or as you say - just rumors that aren't true to drive traffic.

About a month and a half ago, they removed the comments from each post because people were starting to disagree.

http://www.jackwhispers.com/powerpagelosespower.html

 

[jholzner]

Has PowerPage gotten anything right in the last 3 years? 5 years? Doesn't seem worthwhile posting anything from them without another source..

Maybe I'm wrong but didn't they break the Asteroid story?

 

[Yvan256]

I might be wrong, but follow me for a second...

- Apple has inkwell technology which is superior to anything on the market (or so people keep saying).

- Apple and Sony are getting a bit friendly... Even Steve said "Apple and Sony are cooperating. Maybe even music and computers in the future, who knows?" on stage, to Sony's president (or CEO, or whatever)

- Sony recently dropped their own Palm-powered Clié PDA line.

- Steve said they'd never make PDAs. A sub-notebook/palmtop isn't a PDA, it's a fully-fonctionnal computer that only happens to be very small. And if Sony makes it, it won't be from Apple, so Steve wasn't lying.

We're already getting iTunes on Motorla phones, why not OS X on Sony palmtops? And if it's an IBM G3+Altivec, it won't even put the (recent) iBooks in danger of being overthrown.

What do you think?

 

[corywoolf]

could this be the ipod movie?

I think iBook Mini hits the nail on the head, since as the article pointed out it goes with their "Mini" theme. I think they should market it as a sub-notebook though, not as a PDA. Hmm...maybe they revive the G3 or use some other low-power Moto chip?

I picture something like this:

low-power G3 running at 800MHz (gotta have at least 5 or 6 hours battery life)
6" to 8" Widescreen Display (touchscreen). At least 640 pixels wide.
Full qwerty keyboard
1 or 2 USB ports (possibly also FireWire)
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled (same setup as Mac mini)
1.8" Hard drive at 20GB or 40GB
1 RAM slot, up to 1GB (laptop memory)
small external video connector (same as iBooks)
not sure about video card, but something with 32MB VRAM and ability to run full-fledged OSX and drive and
NO optical drive
Under 2lbs. weight

Omitting the optical drive and using a 1.8" hard drive will allow the unit to be quite a bit smaller than he Mac Mini. As with the iPod mini when it first came out, it would not be that much cheaper than the cheapest iBook. (especially considering the expensive hardware like touchscreen and 1.8" drive). So maybe something like this could sell for $800 initially?

As with the iPod mini, I think there would definitely be a market for it. It would be the size of a small paperback book so we're talking a whole new level of portability. It could be marketed to students or mobile professionals that just need a machine to take notes, edit documents, surf the web, send email, etc. And the bluetooth and external display connector mean that you can use it as a full-fledged computer at your desk at your dormroom or office.

it all adds up to the ipod movie, maybe it will be called the mini ibook or whatever. but it would make sense, the widescreen would be perfect...


just a thought

 

[dsharits]

I might be wrong, but follow me for a second...

- Apple has inkwell technology which is superior to anything on the market (or so people keep saying).

- Apple and Sony are getting a bit friendly... Even Steve said "Apple and Sony are cooperating. Maybe even music and computers in the future, who knows?" on stage, to Sony's president (or CEO, or whatever)

- Sony recently dropped their own Palm-powered Clié PDA line.

- Steve said they'd never make PDAs. A sub-notebook/palmtop isn't a PDA, it's a fully-fonctionnal computer that only happens to be very small. And if Sony makes it, it won't be from Apple, so Steve wasn't lying.

We're already getting iTunes on Motorla phones, why not OS X on Sony palmtops? And if it's an IBM G3+Altivec, it won't even put the (recent) iBooks in danger of being overthrown.

What do you think?

Sounds good, but wouldn't that be the first step toward licensing OS X and the PowerPC processor for other companies to use? Also, the G3 most likely wouldn't run Tiger nearly as well as Apple would like it to. Who knows? Apple may surprise us.

Daniel

 

[Eniregnat]

This may be in the works, but not from this rumor.
" runs a stripped-down flavor of Mac OS X"- isn't going to happen.
Stripped down versions of OSs usually cause more problems than they are worth. Apple is not going to strip down OSx, unless it is to minimize device drivers. The OS can easily fit on an iPod, so it could easily fit in a sub notebook.

Jobs was very taken by the eMate. Apple even looked into developing a bMate (b for business). Apple also knows that cost is an issue, and unless they have the killer apps, with stunning design, at a great price, they know that they won't break even on the development costs.

The only cost effective model is for Apple to subsidize the cost, and attempt to seed it as a way to gain switchers.

I hope it's true, I would love one, but it certainly would cut into iBook sales.
But it might also generate desktop sales.

 

[Chobit]

Found this on Apple's server when I was looking for Tiger stuff:

Ok, so I didn't I made it myself tho...


I could see Apple bringing out something like that. I wish they would, the Newton left a gaping hole that needs to be filled -

That is quite possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen. This just makes me want to find another iBook so mine can mate with it ::frantically searches:: I don't even care if this DOES anything (would be a nice though), I'd pay to have it sitting there looking cute next to my current one.