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Apple Investigating Thinner Notebook Enclosures

Wireless Hub

I think it's time for an external wireless hub with a pre-configured connection, something the size of a Mac Mini or AppleTV. It would have a decent size hard drive and a superdrive that your ultraslim MacBook with say a 32GB flash hard drive and just a USB port can connect to wirelessly (802.11n) and read CD/DVDs and store your big files, films and music. If it had AirPort Extreme type functionality as well (connect to stereo, ethernet and printers) it'd awesome.
 
I would love to have a Mac Tablet similar to ones Motion produces
 
This is a similar technique to "honeycombing". Aircraft are made with honeycombed aluminum/titanium. If they allow access to all the components, i don't see a problem with this. They might even allow greater heat dissipation so your kate moss laptop will be like a warm friend instead of hell in your lap.

but i would be interested in the weight difference and the cost.
 
Macbook RAZR?

I think the RAZR looks cool, for instance, but they're difficult to actually use IMO. Too thin to effectively hold onto. Not to mention, with it being so thin, I've heard many a horror story about the phone breaking in someone's pocket because it wasn't robust enough.

At a certain point, diminishing returns won't allow you to make thing any smaller and have it still be useable. I'm guessing .75 or so is about as thin as possible for the forseeable future. Carbon Fibre? bah ... too brittle. What I predict is a 12" sceen ultra portable with virtually no bezel in the neighborhood of 3-3.5 pounds, NAND memory, but I doubt Apple would do away with the optical drive just yet ...
 
I've been waiting (impatiently) for a portable desktop extender for about 5 years now. I'm starting to get optimistic, what with Intel's moves ( http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS6487582395.html), and these rumors.

The HTC Shift is the best form factor design I've seen yet, but if they only offer it with Windows, and not Linux, I won't be getting it.

It's a race, I'll buy either an Apple (preferred, but I remain price-skeptical), or a Linux one that meets my criteria.
 
I'm not sure that this new technique will be used to create thinner computers... it may just be used to increase the rigidity of computers that have more or less the same dimensions as the current lineup. Looking at my MBP, it's hard to imagine a much thinner computer; the height of the ethernet port is already almost equal to the height of the base section.

If they can get the LCD half of the laptop thinner, though, that would be very nice. Maybe the upcoming LED displays will allow that. And if they only use this technique to increase the rigidity of laptops with current dimensions, that would be very welcome, too.
 
MacTheSpoon said:
If they can get the LCD half of the laptop thinner, though, that would be very nice. Maybe the upcoming LED displays will allow that.
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I agree. I think this would be the main area of focus for making the whole package thinner. The base unit can't be made too much thinner, unless you start dabbling with some sort of adapter setup for ethernet and the like, but that gets awful kludgy, and ultimately, very UN-Apple. Ultimately, ethernet/USB/Firewire WILL go away (who remembers ADB?) in favor of pure wireless, but for the present, it stays I imagine.
 
grappler said:
I would love a thin notebook that could also drive a 30" display at full resolution. Then I'd have a nice big screen at home and a nice small computer to take elsewhere, both in one computer.

Who's with me?
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I for one am! My next computer purchase will be this type of setup ... MB or MBP and a 20 or 23" display at home ... should be enough to run Creative Suite for me, and E-mail and Pages, iMovie, etc. for the wife. Prefer a 30" with a 8Core but the checkbook is arguing with me on this point ...
 
as long as there's no heat issues it's a fine idea. i'm more interested in faster graphics capabilities than thinner enclosures though.:)

on a second thought, the thinness is fine, just get faster computers! i don't care how thin it is! it's already perfect!
 
Take an old iBook, PowerBook, or MacBook, take the shell off, arrange all components appropriatly and spay with several layers of epoxy, let it dry for a few days. After it is dry flip over and repeat the spraying process.

Now you have a very thin laptop and it is also see-thru to boot. You should be able to monitor the battery when it starts to expand and crack the case.

If you are lucky the battery will be fine and you got a unique and thin design. Do not worry about replacing or upgrading components in the future, just toss it and get a new one.

LOL
 
Seriously this time .... why not use a similar procedure for the enclosures of iPods and iPhone?

I would think that Apple can use their new patent to also make thinner, lighter, and more rigid enclosures for all their products, not just laptops.
 
Sounds great! I hope they use it in all of their laptops.

Now when are they going to stop investigating, and start making some new laptops? :)
 
slffl said:
Sounds great! I hope they use it in all of their laptops.

Now when are they going to stop investigating, and start making some new laptops? :)
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Since Jobs came back Apple have a very strong track record on delivering innovation as polished products which return profit.

I don't think they will fall into the trap again of withering hours away in the labs working on several far flung yet interesting concepts or ideas which may or may not ever result in a finished product that can be sold.

I have strong reason to believe now the majority of work is focussed towards some kind of meaningful strategy or goal.
 
.

Maybe they'll pull people off of OS X to work on thinner laptops!!!:eek: :eek: :eek:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHGGGGGGRGRRRRRR!!!!;) ;) ;)
 
petej said:
HDD: no way, Flash all the way.
Battery: build it in no chance to change it
Optical: not needed in an ultra portable
Ports: no thanks, they just add bulk
Wireless: every possible combination
Power: Ok I conceed that some power connection may be required.
Upgradability: not needed.
Lightness: you bet
Strength: as strong as possible. Carrying one of those bulky computer bags is not my idea of fun.
Speed: Who cares. No video editing here just internet, e-mail and all those other boring business apps.
Click to expand...

Power: how about one of those induction plates, like on the fancy stoves. Just lay the laptop on the induction plate and it automatically charges. I think I saw a recent Apple patent to do something similar with their (future?) iPods/iPhones. So one less port. And no need for Magsafe, no way the dog could run by and yank on the power cord.
 
matznentosh said:
Power: how about one of those induction plates, like on the fancy stoves. Just lay the laptop on the induction plate and it automatically charges. I think I saw a recent Apple patent to do something similar with their (future?) iPods/iPhones. So one less port. And no need for Magsafe, no way the dog could run by and yank on the power cord.
Click to expand...

The problem with an induction plate system is that it would be hard to make it small enough.

My charger goes with me everywhere the laptop goes, especially when traveling to other towns.

I'm all in favor of dropping the CD/DVD drive. Flash (or better yet, iPod-size drives) would also be fine and dandy. Make the screen a touch-screen and you can even eliminate the need for a trackpad, allowing a tiny widescreen that fits perfectly when folded over the size of a standard keyboard.

802.11n and Bluetooth pretty much replaces everything you would use Ethernet, FireWire or USB2 for, so dropping all of them them also sounds good to me. A mini-DVI output might be nice. So would one of those combo headphone/TOSLink connectors you sometimes see.

The end result would be something between an iPhone and a MacBook. (Throw in a SIM card reader and a GSM transceiver, and you've got a hell of an iPhone II, come to think of it.)
 
petej said:
With the ultra portable, current ideas about what a laptop is need to be thrown out the window.
Think of it as basically an iPhone with a keyboard or better still a 2 screen clamshell. 1 screen behaves as you would expect. The lower screen becomes a configurable User input device, sometimes a keyboard, sometimes a track pad, sometimes a control wheel. The resolution of the lower screen can be much less that the upper screen just make it big enough to display a keyboard.

HDD: no way, Flash all the way.
Battery: build it in no chance to change it
Optical: not needed in an ultra portable
Ports: no thanks, they just add bulk
Wireless: every possible combination
Power: Ok I conceed that some power connection may be required.
Upgradability: not needed.
Lightness: you bet
Strength: as strong as possible. Carrying one of those bulky computer bags is not my idea of fun.
Speed: Who cares. No video editing here just internet, e-mail and all those other boring business apps.

I am constantly travelling the world for my work and my current work laptop goes everywhere with me. Even though it is one of the smallest on the market (IBM X40) 12" display, it still too heavy and too bulky. I try and avoid taking more than hand luggage with me so every bit of space that is saved the better.
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i cannot think of a better place for optical out/in than a small laptop. supposing you use this small miracle for recording - DJing? you may not want to carry heaps of equipment, separate usb dongles or outboard sound cards. and optical connection really takes no more space than headphone jack as we know from current books.

usb ports - needed completely for mouse or usb key or something, external hd to connect to. all small computers have these and i have seen small where giant sections are taken out and made hollow for sake of lightness. you need ports.
 
GanleyBurger said:
.
Maybe they'll pull people off of OS X to work on thinner laptops!!!:eek: :eek: :eek:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHGGGGGGRGRRRRRR!!!!;) ;) ;)
Click to expand...

exactly... they are so worried about R&D of future projects they dont work on the products that they have now, and need to be updated! they are so worried about getting better products in the future, they are throwing what they already have by the way side. examples of this are all the computers they have and the operating system they have been working on for a year or so... while still trying to patch the old one... what is this, microsoft?
 
shigzeo said:
i cannot think of a better place for optical out/in than a small laptop.
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Also ghe MacBook Pro and MacBook already have optical.

<http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/specs.html>

Audio
Combined optical digital input/audio line in (minijack)
Combined optical digital output/headphone out (minijack)
Built-in stereo speakers
Internal omnidirectional microphone (located under left speaker grille)
 
oldwatery said:
How about they make a laptop that actually works as advertised:eek:

I am on my 5th MBP and it is still a load of #$@!

Sticking cursors, airport drop offs and a screen that is so bad a new class action lawsuit has been instigated. http://images.appleinsider.com/apple_macbook_lawsuit.pdf

Innovation is wonderful.....if it works!
Click to expand...

Why does it say Apple Computer Inc. when it's dated for May of this year? Why does it say "Unfair Competition", and what's all this nonsense about being unable to display millions of colors?
 
Don't get your pantiesw in a twist ...

Corrosive vinyl said:
examples of this are all the computers they have and the operating system they have been working on for a year or so... while still trying to patch the old one... what is this, microsoft?
Click to expand...

No, if it was MS, it'd be 4 or 5 years before a new OS came out, not just 12-18 months ...

Again, y'all need to quit whining so much ... Where MS comes out with a "new" OS that is already outmoded as soon as it drops, Apple does truly innovative and amazing things whenever an OS is released... it takes TIME! Complaining for the sake of doing so is pointless.
 
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