Apple MacBook in May?

[Cinch]

we college students don't even have tv's for the most part. we watch movies on our laptops. what i would really like to see is a TabletMac that has a docking station of some sorts and comes with a bunch of note-taking software for science classes and would recognize symbols that aren't usually used otherwise. those things would sell like crazy to the college student market, we wouldn't even need notebooks anymore!

I'm not crying for you

I still think a notepad is better for note taking. As for watching a two hour movie on your laptop, my point still stand (go see a shrink)..no seriously, see a movie with friends or your mate, trust me it is much better

Cinch

please don't take what I say personally...cause I'm just having fun

 

[supremedesigner]

MacBook Pro
iMac
PowerMac
iBook

???

.... one of these things is not like the other.

Jobs wants "Mac" in the names of all of Apple's products, why would they make an exception with this one product? No, I disagree with you, I find it very unlikely that Apple would not rebrand the iBook. After all, why have a MacBook Pro if there's no MacBook in the first place?

Probably this:

Macbook Pro (former Powerbook)
Macbook Pre (former iBook)

 

[ChrisA]

If you want to watch movies, do it on a TV. If you watch movies on your laptop, you have some serious social issue.

Serious social issue? Maybe.

But I thought Apple computers were marketed to people who MAKE digital content. PCs and TVs are for people who CONSUME digital content.

Most of the video I watch on the computer is stuff I shot. I never watch TV but I see a lot of video and still images and I would not buy a computer that did not display this stuff.

 

[Buzbe]

come on.. come on... hurry up!

hurry up. I hate this laptop (damn acer!) - I need a new one!

 

[boncellis]

...Give me a robust laptop/PDA that can do a few things well e.g. Word/Excel/Safari and email of some sort. Long battery life (greater than 6 hours after one year of use).

Sacrifice an optical drive? come on, who uses optical drive anymore. If you want to watch movies, do it on a TV. If you watch movies on your laptop, you have some serious social issue

I agree, but I do think Apple should keep the optical drive around, since we are getting that much closer to having a Blu-ray drive in a new Macintosh. Obviously you'd have to have the screen to take advantage of the new higher resolution feature films that are released on that format, but BD will be cool strictly as storage (if storage could ever be cool).

 

[Superdrive]

[snipAs for watching a two hour movie on your laptop, my point still stand (go see a shrink)..no seriously, see a movie with friends or your mate, trust me it is much better[/snip]

Have you been on an airplane lately? You couldn't ask for a better spot to watch a movie. What about people who watch movies on iPods? They must be insane!!!

 

[hyperpasta]

The MacBook (no, it will not remain an iBook, as many others have mentioned) won't come out until Apple can get the lower prices for Duo chips that are scheduled to kick in toward the end of May.

Finally! Someone's thinking clearly. Why make a laptop that will be over-priced in less than a month?

 

[bill4588]

Finally! Someone's thinking clearly. Why make a laptop that will be over-priced in less than a month?

to make money!! Apple knows that if they release these things now then they would fly off the shelves. Then once the chips drop in price in about a month, lower the price of the Macbook.

 

[milo]

Finally! Someone's thinking clearly. Why make a laptop that will be over-priced in less than a month?

Finally? EVERYONE has been saying that these would ship then. They may announce them sooner than that, but they probably won't ship until after the price drop. Although it's always possible that intel may do the price drop early, or give Apple the discount before the announced date.

 

[iPie]

Too late for me

I wanted to switch to the MacBook but my PC just died now and don't have enough to shell out for a Pro.

Definitely not going to go for a G4......

Decisions, decisions,.... so close

 

[gnasher729]

The MacBook (no, it will not remain an iBook, as many others have mentioned) won't come out until Apple can get the lower prices for Duo chips that are scheduled to kick in toward the end of May.

Apple got those lower prices long time ago. What do you think why the MacBook Pro got a free upgrade to the next faster processor before it was even released?

 

[iPie]

Italian TV Social Issues

Sacrifice an optical drive? come on, who uses optical drive anymore. If you want to watch movies, do it on a TV. If you watch movies on your laptop, you have some serious social issue .

Cinch

Actually, I don't think that comment is generalizable. You obviously haven't seen the crap that's on TV here in Italy - I would even go so far as to say that if you have a TV here you have a serious social issue...

Not only that, one must pay taxes for owning a TV - so I got rid of mine a while ago. Who wants to pay taxes for crap , especially when one has the option of avoiding them. So yes, I DO watch movies on my laptop.

The tax savings actually let me rent/purchase a pile of new movies every year!

 

[Boggle]

Thinksecret reiterates that the long awaited Intel-version of the Apple iBook, which has come to be known as the "MacBook" is still expected in May.

We have kept track of all rumors surrounding the upcoming Intel iBook in our Guide pages.

In summary, one of the earliest reports did claim that the upcoming Intel iBook would house a 13" form-factor and be expected in April-May of 2006. Followup rumors suggested that the screen would be 13.3" and offer a 1280x720 resolution screen.

While some expected the new computer to appear at Macworld in January, only the MacBook Pro and Intel iMac were released at that time. Overall, many features of the MacBook are expected to be comparable to the MacBook Pro, with the inclusion of iSight, Front Row, Photo Booth, and MagSafe. Finally there have been suggestions of a significant redesign for the iBook-replacement with the possibility of the reintroduction of color choices.

In other words...
No really, this time it's really happening. I swear. I know a guy who knows a guy, who's brother's dating the niece of a girl who's dating a girl in product development @ Apple on the "macbook" tteam.

 

[Cinch]

Have you been on an airplane lately? You couldn't ask for a better spot to watch a movie. What about people who watch movies on iPods? They must be insane!!!

your point is well taken...i prefer a bloody mary instead of course this will not work for most.. but come on, it is good time to work.

Cinch

 

[Cinch]

Actually, I don't think that comment is generalizable. You obviously haven't seen the crap that's on TV here in Italy - I would even go so far as to say that if you have a TV here you have a serious social issue...

Not only that, one must pay taxes for owning a TV - so I got rid of mine a while ago. Who wants to pay taxes for crap , especially when one has the option of avoiding them. So yes, I DO watch movies on my laptop.

The tax savings actually let me rent/purchase a pile of new movies every year!

digressing a bit here...no one is holding a gun to your head forcing you to watch TV..it is a consumer/capitalistic society afterall, you have the power

Cinch

 

[aswitcher]

The MacBook (no, it will not remain an iBook, as many others have mentioned) won't come out until Apple can get the lower prices for Duo chips that are scheduled to kick in toward the end of May.

That would be helpful - but Apple's pull means it can probably cut a deal now not in 4 weeks.

Also I think the Solo is cheaper so it should make an appearance to keep csts down - like the Mac Mini...

 

[Macnoviz]

In other words...
No really, this time it's really happening. I swear. I know a guy who knows a guy, who's brother's dating the niece of a girl who's dating a girl in product development @ Apple on the "macbook" tteam.

Hot lesbian love in the product development division of Apple?
No wonder it's coming in colors...

I hope that right now, they are just dotting the pixels and announce them next tuesday...

 

[BlackLilyNinja]

ok i submit

I think anyone who thinks that the iBook won't change to MacBook is kidding themselves. Watch the keynote from January and see that "Mac" will be moving to each product.

I want to see a durable (read: Not Powerbook like body), a backlit keyboard (hardly a pro feature, some of us do our best work in the dark), dedicated graphics, dual core, and a nice fresh design. If this is going to replace a 12" PowerBook, there had better be some PowerBook features/options. Oh, I also want it to be TANGERINE! Anything but all white.

but why MacBook? why not iMacBook? or macinbook or iMook or iRanoutofideas? MacBook Pro... i love mine but the name ... yeeash. Why would you keep iMac and not iBook? iT was supposed to be that the "i" was for low cost consumer line product base. Which brings me back to.. why not change the iMac name too Steve? Why one and not the other ? WHY WHY WHY???

i would like tangerine too. it was the best color

 

[daveL]

Apple got those lower prices long time ago. What do you think why the MacBook Pro got a free upgrade to the next faster processor before it was even released?

Sorry. I'm not privy to the inside Apple/Intel pricing information you obviously have. All I have to work with is published facts.

 

[milo]

Why would you keep iMac and not iBook?

BECAUSE IBOOK DOESN'T HAVE *MAC* IN IT.

why not change the iMac name too Steve?

BECAUSE IMAC ALREADY HAS *MAC* IN IT.

How hard is that to figure out?????

One contains MAC. One does not. It couldn't be any simpler, why can't you people understand it?

 

[amac4me]

In Apple's best interests to release MacBook ASAP

In my view, it would be in Apple's best interest to have the MacBook (iBook replacement) released as soon as possbibe (hopefully this month). This would allow Apple to have an additional line of Intel Mac computers available for sale. This is especially important in light of Apple's recent launch of the "Get a Mac" advertising campaign. It would be foolish for Apple to have only a few models available for sale after initiating the campaign.

In context, Apple has to satisfy Wall Street's expectations and projections. The best and safest way to accomplish this would be to announce a new Intel based Mac model each of the next two quarters. The reasons would be two fold. The first would be to capitalize on unit sales on a quarterly basis. Secondly, it would allow Apple to have consistent Mac unit sales on a quarter-to-quarter basis. Apple would be best suited to "play it safe" to demonstrate to Wall Street that it has consistent Mac unit sales quarter-to-quarter. A huge spike in sales in one quarter followed by a quarter in which units sales drop would not look good. Wall Steet prefers to see consistency and growth, not spikes and fluctuations. That's why I expect Apple to announce the MacBook this quarter. Let's not forget that many buyers have been holding off on iBook purchases, hoping to replace them with Intel based systems. When the MacBook is released, I expect sales to be strong. My hope is that Apple will avoid repeating the MacBook Pro supply-demand problem when it announces the MacBook.

My expectations are as follows:
- MacBook (iBook replacement) this fiscal quarter which ends in June (April- June)
- PowerMac replacement will be announced next fiscal quarter which runs from July to August
- iMac and MacBook Pro updates prior to the 2006 Holiday Shopping Season

I expect iMac and MacBook Pro revisions for two reasons. The first is that Apple will want to have new models available prior to the holiday season, new models would be good marketing, plain and simple. Second, the Intel based iMacs and MacBook Pros announced in January are referred to by Apple as "Early 2006". This simple naming scheme would indicate that revisions later in 2006 are likely.

Examples include the Apple docs that refer to the Firmware updates for MacBook Pro and iMac

Just my 2 cents

 

[mikea]

The MacBook (no, it will not remain an iBook, as many others have mentioned) won't come out until Apple can get the lower prices for Duo chips that are scheduled to kick in toward the end of May.

sure, but don;t you think if apple wanted the new price, since everyone knows it's coming down, they'd get it sooner?

 

[daveL]

sure, but don;t you think if apple wanted the new price, since everyone knows it's coming down, they'd get it sooner?

Could be, but I know it won't be later.

 

[bill4588]

I have a feeling it may launch next Tuesday. Isn't the iBook's birthday May 10th? Or is it May 1st? I know next Tuesday is the 9th but it's close enough lol.

 

[Macnoviz]

I have a feeling it may launch next Tuesday. Isn't the iBook's birthday May 10th? Or is it May 1st? I know next Tuesday is the 9th but it's close enough lol.

It won't come out of the blue, probably it will be announced during a special event with appropriate Stevenote, and invitations normally come out a week before that.
On an unrelated note, I have silent hopes that Apple would release/announce the Macbook on May 9, since it's my birthday then, and I want to spend the money I get on the Macbook (I already have most of it, so I'm thinking about getting the higher end one of the low-end line)