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Apple Orders 13.3'' LED Backlit Screens for Upcoming Laptop?
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Agreed, 13.3 would fit a 8.5"x11" form factor, and with more than .28" of room on all sides. Could be perfect for this familiar size. But the ratio is not standard. What is the ratio of the new LED's? What, somewhat standard format ratio, diagonal LED would fit into a ~11"x~8.5" form factor?
Does anyone consider the New LG 13.3 LED's "ultra-Portable"? Was the PBG4 12"?
MBUP<13.3" . MBP>13.3"
Exactly. This is a machine that is a 2nd machine if you have a desktop apple product. A machine you can run photoshop and other professional apps and be useable (even if they aren't lightening fast) Make this a sub 10" machine and it is not going to have the same level of usability.
As one of the thousands waiting for the ultra-portable or "MacBook nano," this is a disappointing announcement to me.
What's "hot" right now in windows laptops, and what I hope the nano will be, is a small form factor. This screen on the other hand, is as big (or bigger) than the current MacBooks and that just doesn't equate to "nano" in my mind.
Sure it will be cool, and ridiculously thin and light if Apple does it's usual great design job, but here's hoping they also have a "real" nano waiting to be released also.
In my university, there are literally hundreds of new students this year with those tiny little Sony laptops and lately a lot of Asus eePC's. This is the coming trend in ultraportables IMO.
If Apples answer is just a thinner MacBook with no CD drive, that might not be as popular as people think. I'm hoping that this is for the rumoured tablet Mac or a new version of the MacBook. I want a laptop I can fold up, put in my jacket and run out the door, not another MacBook with another special carry bag, power adapter, etc. etc. etc.
I had a 12" Powermac.
While the form factor was nice & tight, it was a mess to sit and do anything resembling real work on (audio/video, graphics, etc.) - especially for durations longer than ~ an hour. Technically, one could do all sorts of things on the 12". But the combo of the small screen and any application's palettes left the user very little viewing area. Mail, Safari, iLife apps? No problem (especially with Exposé and other real-estate efficiencies). But I hardly consider those pro apps or uses.
Can you see the artists at Pixar hunkered over a 9" ultra-portable machine, for hours on end? Me neither.
Thus, it has always struck me as odd that so many are clamoring for the next MacBook Pro to be an ultra-portable. Why?
And I'm not anti ultra-portable, at all. I just don't see that a device targeted at the pro user (video, graphics, etc.). Maybe a pro users' tax bracket, but that's another thread. No, I see a true ultra-portable targeted at more the highly mobile, everyday user. Students, metros, etc. And in this case, I too think 13.3" is too big for what I consider an ultra-portable. I'm thinking more in the 5-8" range. Something between an iPhone and MacBook.
But maybe that's just me...
I'm also thinking (and hoping) that these screens will replace the CCFL ones in the current MacBooks.
My prediction (like anyone cares) is a revamp of the entire MacBook Pro range, which a new 13" model would be part of.
13" doesn't qualify as ultraportable, but I don't care too much as long as it's full-featured and not under-powered. It'd be a lot more portable than the 15. Pickup a 15" MBP, then a MacBook... Or try to use a 15 in a cramped train/airplane seat. It's surprising how much difference an inch and a half makes.
What I'd like to see though is a higher-res screen than the MacBook. If they could get the resolution of the 15 into a 13.3 screen, that'd be ideal.
Then make it significantly lighter and thinner, and possibly smaller (less bezel) than the MacBook. Sexy-looking aluminium case. Charge a premium (compared to the MB). We're there.
(which to some degree is what the old 12" PB was compared to the iBook. Thinner, smaller... It only fell down for me because it was a lot more expensive but not significantly more powerful)
Leaving out the DVD drive...? I'd prefer to have one built-in, but if it enables Apple to create a dramatically smaller form-factor then I'd love to see it. I could live without an optical drive 90% of the time. I'd assume they would put a cute external in the box.
To my mind, a true "ultraportable" is a whole other product category which perhaps Apple isn't ready to enter... and it could be argued that it's catered for by iPhone to a degree, once proper 3rd party apps start appearing. I mean, if a bit of web browsing and sending emails is all an ultraportable is good for, isn't that called an iPhone?
My final thought... What if they went higher-resolution with the 15" screen as well? Do you think there'd still be a market for the 17"?
13" doesn't qualify as ultraportable, but I don't care too much as long as it's full-featured and not under-powered. It'd be a lot more portable than the 15. Pickup a 15" MBP, then a MacBook... Or try to use a 15 in a cramped train/airplane seat. It's surprising how much difference an inch and a half makes.
What I'd like to see though is a higher-res screen than the MacBook. If they could get the resolution of the 15 into a 13.3 screen, that'd be ideal.
Then make it significantly lighter and thinner, and possibly smaller (less bezel) than the MacBook. Sexy-looking aluminium case. Charge a premium (compared to the MB). We're there.
(which to some degree is what the old 12" PB was compared to the iBook. Thinner, smaller... It only fell down for me because it was a lot more expensive but not significantly more powerful)
Leaving out the DVD drive...? I'd prefer to have one built-in, but if it enables Apple to create a dramatically smaller form-factor then I'd love to see it. I could live without an optical drive 90% of the time. I'd assume they would put a cute external in the box.
To my mind, a true "ultraportable" is a whole other product category which perhaps Apple isn't ready to enter... and it could be argued that it's catered for by iPhone to a degree, once proper 3rd party apps start appearing. I mean, if a bit of web browsing and sending emails is all an ultraportable is good for, isn't that called an iPhone?
My final thought... What if they went higher-resolution with the 15" screen as well? Do you think there'd still be a market for the 17"?
You're all wrong! It's for the new 13" Cinema displays!
Seriously though, I think it's just for the next Macbook refresh. A 13" Macbook Pro would be possible, especially if Apple plans to redesign the Macbook Pro line to match the Macbook line more closely. I mean, even iMacs have the Macbook Keyboard Style, so that tells us Apple likes those keyboards.
I can imagine a lifted aluminum Macbook, i.e. thinner overall, thinner screen bezel, smaller footprint with same screen size, magnetic latches and all. Use a low end dedicated graphics card and an additional integrated one for battery savings. Many manufacturers do that for their portable gamer oriented machines. We might lose the uber easy hard drive access for smaller size though. Maybe lose the optical drive and bundle it with a wireless (draft n) Superdrive that can be powered over USB (Airport Extreme, iPod Power Adaptor, Mac). The saved space can be used for a larger battery or an express card slot. Apparently, many people buy the Macbook Pro mainly because of the express card slot, so having that in the 13" makes sense.
Seriously though, I think it's just for the next Macbook refresh. A 13" Macbook Pro would be possible, especially if Apple plans to redesign the Macbook Pro line to match the Macbook line more closely. I mean, even iMacs have the Macbook Keyboard Style, so that tells us Apple likes those keyboards.
I can imagine a lifted aluminum Macbook, i.e. thinner overall, thinner screen bezel, smaller footprint with same screen size, magnetic latches and all. Use a low end dedicated graphics card and an additional integrated one for battery savings. Many manufacturers do that for their portable gamer oriented machines. We might lose the uber easy hard drive access for smaller size though. Maybe lose the optical drive and bundle it with a wireless (draft n) Superdrive that can be powered over USB (Airport Extreme, iPod Power Adaptor, Mac). The saved space can be used for a larger battery or an express card slot. Apparently, many people buy the Macbook Pro mainly because of the express card slot, so having that in the 13" makes sense.
Ultraportable?
Let's say its 2lbs or 2.5lbs and less than .5 inch thick. Big foot print, tiny everything else.
1. Would something that light be ultraportable?
I think so, but take your point
2. Would there be a market for it?
Yes. I will buy immediately and in my personal case would prefer to smaller screens.
I like a bigger screen and non-cramped keyboard. I own a 10 and 12 inch (widescreen) ultraportable from Apple competitors and find the screen hard to watch and in the case of the widescreen almost no vertical viewing area (problematic for word, powerpoint and some web surfing.
I also have an old 12inch PB and that screen is fine (the 13.3 letterbox has the same vertical viewing area). I like it and use it every day.
Let's say its 2lbs or 2.5lbs and less than .5 inch thick. Big foot print, tiny everything else.
1. Would something that light be ultraportable?
I think so, but take your point
2. Would there be a market for it?
Yes. I will buy immediately and in my personal case would prefer to smaller screens.
I like a bigger screen and non-cramped keyboard. I own a 10 and 12 inch (widescreen) ultraportable from Apple competitors and find the screen hard to watch and in the case of the widescreen almost no vertical viewing area (problematic for word, powerpoint and some web surfing.
I also have an old 12inch PB and that screen is fine (the 13.3 letterbox has the same vertical viewing area). I like it and use it every day.
Why would you think that transfering data over wireless would be faster than trasnfering via USB? Surely USB could be used for data transfer if it can be used for power transfer...
(802.11n has max transfer rate of 248Mbit/s and USB2 has 480Mbit/s, and we all know how reliably wireless can sustain the maximum transfer rate)
The trouble with the form factor you describe is:
1. It's still too close to the current MacBook. Yes, it's much thinner and lighter, but it's not the sort of device you can just throw in a small bag or even a large coat pocket. You'd still need a dedicated way to carry the thing around, and depending on how much case integrity you sacrifice for the thinner form factor, you may need an even more substantial bag than current laptops use to prevent it from being damaged.
2. Even if you're correct and there is a market, the market is not nearly as large as that of a "true" ultra portable. Why would Apple put the R&D into a smaller laptop and then release something that isn't far enough from their current offerings and wouldn't capitalize on what the public is clamoring for? You can say what you like about what form factor you prefer, but I think it's clear to even a casual observer that Apple users (diehard and casual alike) are simply dying for a Mac you can hold in the palm of your hand, or at the very least a replacement for the old 12" PowerBook form factor you mention. This looks to be neither of those.
What is really needed is something to bridge the gap between the iPhone/iPod Touch and the MacBook.
Something with a 7" to 10" display, 32GB or more of storage, a decent hard drive and standard ports. Price this at $1,000 to $2,000 depending on the configuration and you'll have yourself one hot seller...
Yeah...What is up with glossy? I really like the way they look, but as far as functionality goes, they are miserable. GLARE-city! Geez!
Me three hates the glossy screens. I want to view the screen, not what is out side the window behind me. And yes SMALL. Still love my 12"PB
Apple Orders 13.3'' LED Backlit Screens for Upcoming Laptop?
Hum, it looks to me that this LED screen will be living in a MacBook Pro.
I can't see an upgrade to the MacBook, until sometime, later in 2008.
But the MBP line, that's different.
I bought one of the first MBP, at MacWorld 2006.
The MBP selling today look exactly like my 2 year old model. That's a fairly long time being a model make over.
I've been saving my money for an ultraportable.
Hum, it looks to me that this LED screen will be living in a MacBook Pro.
I can't see an upgrade to the MacBook, until sometime, later in 2008.
But the MBP line, that's different.
I bought one of the first MBP, at MacWorld 2006.
The MBP selling today look exactly like my 2 year old model. That's a fairly long time being a model make over.
I've been saving my money for an ultraportable.
I totally agree with you here.
Or another product in between the iPhone and the 13" MB/MBP offerings. Say the Newton redux....
I want a 15" HD screen for myself. And yeah, I think there will still be a market for the 17" and the 17" HD. There are always people who want more real estate...
Good Post! (probably because we mainly agree...
)
The answer is still no. The pixels are on the LCD panel in front of the LED backlight. And do not even think of asking you father for this too...
This might be a stretch, but ....
I could even envision a change where Apple quit selling 2 separate lines of notebooks. Realistically, the Macbook Pro is what almost ALL Macbook owners would really rather have anyway, minus the price tag.
Sure, there's a lot of love for various features of the Macbook ... the plastic cases that are "less likely to show scratches or develop nasty dings or dents", for example, or the slightly smaller form-factor, or even the new keyboard design.
But none of these things are things that couldn't be addressed or overcome by simply offering 3 or 4 Mac notebooks of different sizes, and pricing them around where current Macbooks are priced.
As nice as the current Macbook Pros are, they've been out in essentially the same basic configuration for over a year now. They started out as the best value for the dollar for something with a Core Duo CPU in it, but currently, they look overpriced. On the flip-side, 90% of Macbook owners could benefit from a non-integrated video chipset (allows 3D games, as well as making OS X just feel a little snappier, and gives them the chance to dabble in "Pro" apps like Motion which they might use in college video production courses and the like).
I could see offering this "consolidated" Macbook in a 13.3", a 15" and a 17" screen size ... potentially making the DVD drive a USB external box in order to make the whole lot 2x as slim, and going with backlit keyboards across the board. Perhaps offer a couple different video chipset configurations for each of the models too - so those wanting higher-end video could get it at a premium price? And following the trend for everything else Apple is making now, all will be aluminum (for better or for worse).
I could even envision a change where Apple quit selling 2 separate lines of notebooks. Realistically, the Macbook Pro is what almost ALL Macbook owners would really rather have anyway, minus the price tag.
Sure, there's a lot of love for various features of the Macbook ... the plastic cases that are "less likely to show scratches or develop nasty dings or dents", for example, or the slightly smaller form-factor, or even the new keyboard design.
But none of these things are things that couldn't be addressed or overcome by simply offering 3 or 4 Mac notebooks of different sizes, and pricing them around where current Macbooks are priced.
As nice as the current Macbook Pros are, they've been out in essentially the same basic configuration for over a year now. They started out as the best value for the dollar for something with a Core Duo CPU in it, but currently, they look overpriced. On the flip-side, 90% of Macbook owners could benefit from a non-integrated video chipset (allows 3D games, as well as making OS X just feel a little snappier, and gives them the chance to dabble in "Pro" apps like Motion which they might use in college video production courses and the like).
I could see offering this "consolidated" Macbook in a 13.3", a 15" and a 17" screen size ... potentially making the DVD drive a USB external box in order to make the whole lot 2x as slim, and going with backlit keyboards across the board. Perhaps offer a couple different video chipset configurations for each of the models too - so those wanting higher-end video could get it at a premium price? And following the trend for everything else Apple is making now, all will be aluminum (for better or for worse).