Apple Finishing Up Work on an Ultra-Thin 15" Notebook

[manu chao]

Wrong, pretty much every ISP will give you a router as in a device with built in modem and wireless and ETHERNET ports.
Call up your ISP for support cause you can't browse they will tell you to test with ethernet, have no ethernet port then tough, get one.
WiFi is NOT good enough to replace 10/100 or Gig e ports, it never will be, plugging a cable in is always a hell of a lot more reliable and secure then any wireless system.
I support wireless, it's great tech but I also would like an ethernet port too thanks.

The point is not whether you need Ethernet, the point is whether an adaptor used in the few occasions when you need it adds more hassle overall than a slimmer and lighter design adds benefits.
Just because I clean my display maybe once per month does not mean I would like it come with built-in screen wipers.

well all this software u just mentioned is forbidden to be sold here starting with good old "anydvd & clone dvd*

If with here you mean Germany, how do explain that German Mac news sites routinely report on this software and link to it: http://www.macnews.de/software/mac-...hiert-film-und-verspricht-mehr-leistung-62988
http://www.macnews.de/iphone/macheist-nanobundle-2-sieben-shareware-apps-fur-20-dollar-16274

The little app factory operates legally out of Australia and the United States. DVDSuki Softwares Inc. looks operating out of the USA as well.

(And btw, I simply plug my WiFi base station into the my ISP router's Ethernet port. I have never plugged my computer directly into my ISP's router. Moreover, with iOS 5, you can configure Apple's WiFi base stations without the help of a computer and thus without an Ethernet port.)

 

[manu chao]

Deleted.

 

[bwillwall]

noooooo

Apple, it's too soon. Also, there needs to be SOME way to install and play games that i have bought in the past without an optical drive. Maybe I could prove that i have it by syncing it with the mac app store. Now if only old and new REAL games would appear on the mac app store...

 

[gnasher729]

Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. You should keep a backup of your files as it could turn out to be highly expensive (or maybe not even possible) to recover your files if your hard drive dies on you one day.

Slight correction: It's not "if your hard drive dies" but "when your hard drive dies".

 

[chukronos]

Intro to the Optical Drive debate: Those in favor of it disappearing are either devout fanboys or are convinced that Apple will actually do something with the space left-over. While Apple DID just do this with the higher-end Mac mini, they didn't with the low-end model for no real reason and their philosophy with their mobile products seems to make them thinner and thinner, thusly lending no real credence to the idea that they'd do anything with the reclaimed space except by removing it altogether. Meanwhile those that don't want it gone use it enough to warrant complaining about it or don't want to be inconvenienced by having to buy a separate external drive for the few times that they will actually use it.

I agree with you on the mac mini. It is, for all intents and purposes, a desktop computer. Because of that, I completely agree that it should have an optical drive. On the portable end, however, I am in the latter group that you described. I am all for removing the rarely used optical drive IF the space is going to be used to increase performance. As I said earlier, I already have to have an external BD drive to burn HD movies.

 

[Hattig]

If you need Ethernet then connect the system to the cheap Thunderbolt display that provides Ethernet as well as Firewire and USB ports. Don't worry about your now redundant existing display, it's always nice to spend more money.

I really hope that Apple makes a Thunderbolt break-out box without the display.

As for the 15" MBA - it needs a higher resolution display than the 13" MBA, but I think that is a given. Hopefully the same goes for a discrete graphics chip like the one in the higher-end Mini.

 

[bushido]

The point is not whether you need Ethernet, the point is whether an adaptor used in the few occasions when you need it adds more hassle overall than a slimmer and lighter design adds benefits.
Just because I clean my display maybe once per month does not mean I would like it come with built-in screen wipers.


If with here you mean Germany, how do explain that German Mac news sites routinely report on this software and link to it: http://www.macnews.de/software/mac-...hiert-film-und-verspricht-mehr-leistung-62988
http://www.macnews.de/iphone/macheist-nanobundle-2-sieben-shareware-apps-fur-20-dollar-16274

The little app factory operates legally out of Australia and the United States. DVDSuki Softwares Inc. looks operating out of the USA as well.

(And btw, I simply plug my WiFi base station into the my ISP router's Ethernet port. I have never plugged my computer directly into my ISP's router. Moreover, with iOS 5, you can configure Apple's WiFi base stations without the help of a computer and thus without an Ethernet port.)

they can promote it but can't sell it

Verboten ist die Umgehung von Kopierschutzmechanismen und die zugehörige Software. Der Verweis auf derlei Inhalte ist, sofern er nicht als Anstiftung zu einer Straftat zu werten ist, nicht verboten.

 

[ksgant]

Part of me says I'd be wary of buying a Macbook Pro with no optical drive...yet my 2008 Macbook Pro is sitting here with it's optical drive never having been used even once.

So I dunno. For me personally, it really doesn't matter.

 

[adder7712]

Hypothetical situation. I've bought a new MacBookProAir or whatever it's going to be called without an optical drive. I don't want to shell out for an external DVD drive and the reason I bought it in the first place is because my current MacBook Pro has died. On my shelf are boxed copies of Quark Xpress 8, CS5 and Microsoft Office. Are Apple making me HAVE to buy an external drive as well as my shiny, new, EXPENSIVE laptop just because I have software I can't download..?

You can buy a $29 (same price as Lion, go figure) external DVD burner.

Or...if you have another computer running Windows or Mac, you can use the other machine's DVD drive through network sharing.

But, it's too early to remove the SuperDrive on all products. Brace for PC fanboys laughing at Apple (LOL! No DVD drive, Macs suck!!!1!11).

Cheap display? I'm not shelling out RM3,000+ for an Ethernet port...

 

[wizard]

You really don't know what you are talking about.

If such a machine is intended as an addition to the consumer-oriented MBA line, then fine, although I'm not sure how substantial the market niche would be for such a machine (given the likely price point).

This is your first mistake, the MBA's are no more consumer oriented than the MBP's. In fact I suspect more AIRs are being sold to professionals than MBP's. That simply because they travel well.

But trying to market this thing as a professional class computer would be problematic. The engineering obstacles that would arise from trying to slim down the MBP chassis further without seriously compromising utility and performance are immense: less space for battery cells, limited heat dissipation capacity. It doesn't really matter how they intend to address these problems, either, because every conceivable solution will result in some loss of performance relative to a chassis of the current size.

Every issue you have sighted can be addressed via new technology. For example Ivy Bridge for a processor, new technology batteries, carbon nano tube heat sinks or other technologies will allow Apple to plug more performance into a thinner package.

Now that might not mean they can achieve the same level of performance as if they used the current chassis. That however isn't the important part of the equation here. What is important is that the new models perform significantly better than the old models.

I've long been of the impression that the MBA's characteristics are an excellent fit for the mainstream consumer market, and both predicted and supported their decision to kill the white Macbook.

Well that is nice.

However your ravenous desire to insist that the MBA is a consumer device only, makes about as much sense as a fruit cake.

But if Apple thinks that an ultra-slim case design is all that important (or at least important enough to sacrifice power) to the majority of power users and professionals who fork over $2k for their 15" MBP models, then they've either lost touch or simply don't care about that demographic any more.

You make an assumption here that they will give up performance. I've yet to see that as the case. In fact it looks like Apple is becoming more serious about performance with the advent of a Mini with a GPU. In a nut shell you are far to quick to dismiss something you haven't seen.

Further the $2000 laptop is a dying market anyway. Much in the same way that the Mac Pro is a troubled market. I wouldn't be surprised to find that one of Apples goals is to drop the entry level price for MBPs to remain competitive.

 

[manu chao]

they can promote it but can't sell it

Verboten ist die Umgehung von Kopierschutzmechanismen und die zugehörige Software. Der Verweis auf derlei Inhalte ist, sofern er nicht als Anstiftung zu einer Straftat zu werten ist, nicht verboten.

Well, law is not just one article. Very often law needs to be interpreted and when two articles seemingly contradict each other, a judge has to decide. Thus, have there been any court rulings about these applications?

And presenting this software as a solution to the DVD ripping problem could very well be seen as an incitement (Anstiftung) but I have yet to hear of any legal problems for macnews.de.

And how many CDs have been sold in the past decade which had copy protection on them? And why has nobody ever been convicted for just ripping his or her own CDs? There is a legal principle that if a law is very obviously not enforced, it becomes invalid.

 

[gnomeisland]

Could you also not see the FW800 coming out of the just released Mac minis?

I don't think Apple considers FW800 obsolete in the same way that optical media is dead, I think it will be a space issue on the laptops as well as an incentive to increase adoption of Thunderbolt. Having many firewire devices myself, I have mixed feelings about it being dropped but I really see it as inevitable at this point.

I also think the new mini is a precursor to the modular computing that will replace the Mac Pro in the next 2-3 years which is another reason FW was not dropped. The mini now has an increasing "pro" role to play (yes, yes I'm going to be downvoted/flamed for that but I think it is true).

 

[wizard]

Get ready for heart break.

Would they have to use ULV processors? That'd be a deal breaker for me...

I read some where, can't remember where, that Apple has had significant influence upon Intels mobile direction. It looks like there will be considerable rethinking of the mobile lineup towards ultra low power devices. In part this was likely to happen anyways as the new processors run at lower voltages.

In effect it was stated that Intels future mainstream mobile processors would be the equivalent if today's ULV models. That is Intel would retool most of it's mobile production for the lower power devices and hopefully sell them at mainstream prices.

How much of this true is open to discussion but One thing is obvious, Apple is so big now they can influence the future direction of Intel.

 

[teasphere]

This is your first mistake, the MBA's are no more consumer oriented than the MBP's. In fact I suspect more AIRs are being sold to professionals than MBP's. That simply because they travel well.

Sorry, but this is incorrect. That is a business user or a business traveler, they have entirely different needs than professionals in many fields. I know because I've done the road warrior thing. Thin, light, basic performance, small, all of those things are key. You might put on a presentation, do some web surfing, email, etc. Occasionally something more involved but speed is usually not the focus.

Professionals from audio, video, graphic design, artists, IT, engineers, etc. have very different needs and demands as well as very specialized programs that require real horsepower and often optical media. I have massive amounts of audio samples/loops/tools on CD as well as design tools and programs that end up being massive. I need hard drive space, SSD is cool for the OS but not for those things. Plus I can be generating massive files as well that also need a home. If I have to lug an external optical drive *and* an external HDD just to function, then there's no point and the system is not professional level.

This thread drives me nuts because almost every case the people championing them and this supposed move are people using a MBP for non-professional use or more business-class use. Which is why I still say keep your Airs and Macbooks for home/student/business/travel and leave the Pro line the hell alone and make it for professionals. All of these comments are analogous to telling a professional photographer that they should make do with a consumer-grade Nikon instead of a $7-8k D3X because you can take perfectly good photos of your snowflake's soccer game with a $500 D3000. The logic and thought process escapes me. Pro should stay Pro for the actual professionals, not the people that just want a beefier laptop which is what the regular MB line was for.

 

[wizard]

I'm not a big fan of Blutooth.

You are right about that. However, it will be interesting to see if USB gets replaced by Bluetooth 4.0 instead (although that wouldn't meet all use cases either, since you can't charge the plugged in device).

Wired connections still make a lot of sense. Apples new Cinema display highlights that. Generally you get higher speeds with less interference.

I'm not totally against Bluetooth as I have a mouse so configured but I gave up on the mouse long ago. In this case it was due to the track pad being a much better interface.

 

[jvmxtra]

For me, 15 inch mba is overkill since I already have imac 27 and do all serious work on it. After owning 15 mbp for 3 month, I realize that I didn't like the 15 inch form factor w/ high res(it's nor big enough or small enough).

13 mba is way to go for me -- but for now, I will stick w/ mb. I am waiting for mba to be able to host 8 gig of ram plus better graphic card. But then again, I might just jump on it.

 

[SammySlim]

A couple thoughts:

I expect Apple to consolidate its line and eliminate the MBP 13. I also expect many manufacturers to move to a thin design after Ivy Bridge is available - Intel demonstrated a laptop with Ivy Bridge that looked much like an Air.

Re the optical drive, while I also like to watch DVDs, as my 17 year old reminded me the other day, "watching DVDs is so last century, Dad ...."

I don't think we are likely to see 2 drives in these new devices - we are likely to see SSDs with Apple taking the view that if you need more storage, buy a Thunderbolt-equipped external HD.

I was a little surprised to see the Mini come without an optical drive given its positioning as an HTPC but let's face it, like it or not, that's where Apple is headed - external optical drives on everything but the Mac Pro, IMHO.

I just feel like it's "Back to the Future ..." -- back in the day when I was learning how to program, everything was on the mainframes and you downloaded what you needed and stored your data there. We had dumb (or barely intelligent) terminals. When we moved to desktops and laptops, it was the greatest thing ever because we were freed from the tyranny of central storage and application maintenance!!! Carry your own apps and data!!! Power to the people!!! Stick it to the Man (e.g., IBM)!!!

Now, it's all about the cloud, and it looks like after a couple decades on vacation, The Man is back in charge but we call him The Cloud now so he seems cooler...

I don't know ... vaguely uneasy about it but willing to see how it works out. My guess is it will be great until someone figures out how to crash the Cloud and then we'll all wake up with no apps and no data.

Cheers!

 

[wizard]

You really blew your credibility here.

Portability and reliability in the same sentence. I laughed. As soon as you transport something, you've just killed it's reliability.

As opposed to what, plugging into a USB poor FireWire port. Of maybe you think WiFI networking is more reliable. If you believe any of these things you have revealed yourself to be inexperienced and lacking in technical knowledge.

A home NAS is much more reliable and safe for your data than any kind of laptop internal storage.

You really don't get it do you. Sure a RAIDed NAS is nice and can protect your data but it certainly isn't safe if connected to the Internet. Beyond that the data dies no good while it is safe at home!! The whole point of a laptop is to be able to travel with it, and traveling with it is pretty useless if it can't hold the data I need to have with me.

I'm not sure what your problem is here anyways as NAS has no impact what so ever on this discussion.

Guys, get with the program. Build up your own household infrastructure. Transfer your archived data off your laptops and don't carry it every where you go, where it's at risk.

NOBODY HAS SAID ANYTHING ABOUT ARCHIVED DATA!!!

Carry around what you need to work on only.

And you can predict this on every job you respond to?

 

[funman895]

Hey boss where can I legally download CS5?

Adobe's Website

 

[AppleScruff1]

If a customer has two choices, they walk away from the purchase feeling reasonably certain that they made the right choice. They're happy.

If a customer has 20 choices, they walk away from the purchase thinking that they could have done better. Even if they're satisfied with the purchase, they still feel like they could have made a better choice. They eventually blame the retailer for their poor experience.

This isn't just me saying this. There's tons of research to back it up.

And, yes, in terms of what you "want or need" from a computer, Apple is much more capable of deciding that than you are. If Apple let their customers decide what they should build, we'd be talking about the new MacBook Xtreme 2000 laptop that has a 32" screen, betamax, VHS, DVD, 16mm film, zip drive, floppy drive, cotton candy maker, phaser and cassette deck.

Most people have no idea what they want.

I guess you must have a hard time eating at a restaurant, too many choices on the menu? So only Apple knows what everyone needs in a computer? Interesting.

 

[jesushavemercy]

If its too expensive I will sell my macbook and buy something else..
It feels so wrong to pay 1599 for mediocre performance and made in china.

 

[Ephmreal]

Have you heard of an external hard drive?

Have you ever heard of being on a long bus journey and thinking "oh! i know, I'll stick on a DVD... oh, no, wait, I WONT! BECAUSE I DIDNT WANT TO LUG AROUND A WHOLE OFFICE FULL OF EQUIPMENT JUST TO WATCH A DVD!!!! *hijacks bus, crashes into wall*


yeah....damn straight...

 

[AppleScruff1]

I read some where, can't remember where, that Apple has had significant influence upon Intels mobile direction. It looks like there will be considerable rethinking of the mobile lineup towards ultra low power devices. In part this was likely to happen anyways as the new processors run at lower voltages.

In effect it was stated that Intels future mainstream mobile processors would be the equivalent if today's ULV models. That is Intel would retool most of it's mobile production for the lower power devices and hopefully sell them at mainstream prices.

How much of this true is open to discussion but One thing is obvious, Apple is so big now they can influence the future direction of Intel.

Yea, Apple buys the majority of Intel processors.

 

[Tanguyvd]

Could be next gen MBP. My guess is the Ivy Bridge samples are floating around out there.

wasn't that the tagline they used on the introduction of the 2010 MBA:
"The next generation of MacBooks."

I like where this is going.

 

[Ephmreal]

I guess you must have a hard time eating at a restaurant, too many choices on the menu? So only Apple knows what everyone needs in a computer? Interesting.

I know what i want... i want that cotton-candy making laptop!