Apple Sub Notebook Hints: External Optical Drive, MultiTouch Trackpad?

[Tousiger]

very bad idea

Anyone think this is a good idea?

Take a black Macbook.
Where the touchpad is, make a recessed docking station for your iphone/ipod touch.

Now the iphone itself is the multitouch trackpad. Now imagine the possibilities. You could mirror your main screen right on the trackpad/iphone itself and interact via multitouch with whatever you wanted to (without the fatigue of reaching up to a multitouch main LCD)

You could have hot keys pop up on the iphone trackpad. Contextual buttons for various programs you may use frequently. New skins for Apple to sell you. Extra characters. Etc. The dock itself could live on the pad. One button to launch an app. Switch songs on itunes easily while running another app. Millions of possibilities.


It also is constantly syncing the iphone to the mac.

Any thoughts?

Now what would you do if you are gone with the ipod touch/iphone and your sister (or mother, etc.) want's to use the laptop ?

And what to do if you actually don't own a touch/iphone ?

Interesting... but bad idea

 

[Tousiger]

Am I the only person who sees something wrong with a multi-touch trackpad. MULTI-TOUCH IS A TOUCHABLE SCREEN. Why would apple trade the trackpad for multi touch? Apple might make a touch screen on the SCREEN not on the trackpad though.

Hemm... sorry... but MULTI-TOUCH means you can touch with more than one pressure point... so the trackpads in all new macbooks and macbook pros are MULTI-TOUCH since they support input with two fingers... next step is three fingers and other features...

iPhone (and iPod Touch) are MULTI-TOUCH SCREENS!!!

Thats the difference!

 

[Tousiger]

Seriously who cares, if the new notebook is as thin as the iPod Touch or thinner.

People keep complaining about weight, do you not frequent a gym. Some of you people sound like babies.

17" Hi-Res MBP. Perfection.

Haha.. agree with you...

But I do have a backbag with laptop + camera + equipment... already around the 30 pounds.. so if the laptop goes from let's say 8 to 3/4/5... I'd be very happy

 

[Dan Uff]

Come on guys, this HAS to be a fake

This photo has to be a good Photoshop fake:

1. Why would Apple make the trackpad bigger in an Ultra portable?
2. The trackpad and the screen even looks like it was modified.
3. Smaller computer - bigger trackpad?

Just some observations,
-Dan Uff

 

[wjanoch]

External Drive Included, possibly new Firewire (faster than eSATA II)

If it is powerful, has sufficient storage capacity, good battery life (PLEASE), and is physically something I would be able to use size wise for college I will be picking one up. My disc drive on my current computer is only used when I rip CDs these days, so I welcome the external optical drive. Sounds great to me, as long as you don't have to pay a boat load of money extra for it (which I unfortunately could see Apple doing... ) MacWorld Expo '08 cannot come soon enough!

Um... no. Apple won't make it optional, so you won't pay extra, it'll be included in the price.

This is because a system requires a drive to restore the system, and to install all the other software that is way too huge to download, like Final Cut Studio, Aperture, and many non Apple products.

Software might come on thumb drives in the future, but that's still a few years out, at the earliest, even though there are already some vendors like Mandrake who offer their software on a thumb drive, they make you pay extra for the drive.

I already use a FW DVD DL burner, and I rarely ever have a desire to resort to the internal drive. It's nice to know it's there, but it'd be nicer to know it's in the laptop bag.

I have a 2 Gig Micro SD which can hold half a DVD and the card reader it came with looks like a standard USB cable without the cable. Seriously, as small as the head on a USB cable. I predict many vendors are going to be releasing their software on microSD in the near future. The consumer cost is under $10 for 1 Gig already, so they should be able to buy it in bulk and provide the usb card reader with it for a year or two until it catches on enough that all laptops are being made with a slot for them. They might be considered too tiny, so they might come on SD instead.

Apple is possibly going to announce the first use of the latest FW standard which is faster than eSATA 3.0 Gbs and provides power and is good for a lot more than just external HDDs, as well as supporting cables around 300 ft long. The power rating should support faster devices w/o having to resort to a power adapter, so any external DVD or Blu-ray drive would probably use this connection and only require 1 cable, which is the same cable used for FW800 now.

Over all, it's change as usual.

Wm

 

[azentropy]

Lenovo today introduced the U110 ultra

http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2008/01/lenovo_ideapad_u110.html

Lenovo has not published detailed specs yet, but here’s what we know so far:

* 11” display
* 2.3lbs
* 0.7” deep
* SSD will be selectable by buyers
* Available in April 2008

No CD/DVD...

 

[Digital Skunk]

Lenovo today introduced the U110 ultra

http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2008/01/lenovo_ideapad_u110.html

Lenovo has not published detailed specs yet, but here’s what we know so far:

* 11” display
* 2.3lbs
* 0.7” deep
* SSD will be selectable by buyers
* Available in April 2008

No CD/DVD...

I think Sony still has the lead. it is only .5 lbs heavier and not that much thicker and has the optical drive internally. I don't know why people are whining about optical drives. They really don't take up that much space or weight. But who knows, people are getting weaker these days, especially rich Americans.

 

[rezonat0r]

I don't know why people are whining about optical drives. They really don't take up that much space or weight.

About 1/5 of the room inside my 17" MBP is for the optical drive... it took up almost half the internal space in that 12" Powerbook pic earlier in the thread! To Apple's engineers, designing around it is probably one of the biggest obstacles.

 

[CaptainCaveMann]

well that for sure is more interesting than a stand alone sub notebook ... personally i would like a notebook but prefer working on a desktop while at home so it at least would create an option

i wonder how it will be priced ... i hope they don't price it like it is made from moon rocks

The laptop inside a macbook docking station idea is great EXCEPT for one thing. A laptop running in clamshell mode, INSIDE of a small space? How do you plan on keeping it cool? Even with vents on all 4 sides, that thing would still get pretty hot, too hot. UNLESS Apple found a way around it, they are after all "Geniuses".

 

[J273]

Hey guys...


Sorry not sure if its been answerd before but do you think the new ultraportable will suport dual link DVI?

I wanting one of these but want to hook it up to my 30'' monitor.

Any ideas if dual link will be supported like the 15/17'' pro's?

Thanks

 

[diamond.g]

Hey guys...


Sorry not sure if its been answerd before but do you think the new ultraportable will suport dual link DVI?

I wanting one of these but want to hook it up to my 30'' monitor.

Any ideas if dual link will be supported like the 15/17'' pro's?

Thanks

With an IGP I am not too sure they would. Supposedly the X3100 can do DLDVI dunno if Apple would enable something like that though.

 

[MrCrowbar]

I like this thing:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/upgrade/4243000.html?page=1

 

[CWallace]

Interesting concept... Might fly, but I tend to think the "port" part would be unwieldy for lap or desk use.

What would be neater is if the keyboard could detach as well as the dock part, leaving just the display.

 

[Digital Skunk]

About 1/5 of the room inside my 17" MBP is for the optical drive... it took up almost half the internal space in that 12" Powerbook pic earlier in the thread! To Apple's engineers, designing around it is probably one of the biggest obstacles.

Yeah but the MacBooks are already pretty small to begin with. It may take up space, but taking it out won't save them much space. Sony has already done it and their machine is under 3lbs.

I like this thing:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/upgrade/4243000.html?page=1

Wow! That thing is ugly and the worst design I have seen since the old iPhone mock ups.

 

[gazfocus]

I can't wait for MacWorld. I hope they announce something exciting.

I've been waiting since the new iMac's for Apple to update the MacBook or MacBook Pro so I can buy a new mac, but I'm determined to wait til the portable line's updated because knowing my look, I'll place an order then the day after, they'll replace them.

Don't like the thought of the optical drive being on the underside of the laptop though...not a good design idea IMO

 

[Digital Skunk]

I can't wait for MacWorld. I hope they announce something exciting.

The one thing that i know will happen is boredom. Apple really has to spice things up in its lineup on the consumer end and the professional end to give users something exciting. Last year was the biggest snore for Apple that I have ever seen. The iPhone was a bomb in my opinion since it can't do anything outside of look pretty, and the computers were all just mediocre and offered nothing substantial over their PC counterparts. If it wasn't for the software, there'd be no reason to even get a Mac.

I am waiting for the day that Apple wows us once again with breakthrough technology that actually puts them ahead of the curve, instead of fooling everyone to believe that they are ahead of it by using pretty UI and fancy design.

Keep the design, but give us real hardware.

I like this thing:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/upgrade/4243000.html?page=1

Now that i have watched to video, this thing really is a POS. The worst idea for a machine ever, and I mean beyond reasonable thought and logic worst idea ever. I hope Apple does it so they can prove to me that they really don't know what they are doing in the hardware market. Putting out a machine like that may even get me eyeballing some HPs and Dells.

I can't believe I said that.... but then again... there is the iPhone

 

[sushi]

Sony TZ, G2, Panasonic W7, Toshiba R500, Fujitsu P7230.

IMHO, an ultra-laptop is 2 pounds or under.

For example:

OQO Model 2 -- Fits in your pocket type.

Sharp MM20 -- Small screen with keyboard type.

The ones that you mention are all under 3 pounds but not 2 pounds or under. So they would not qualify in my book.

As for the laptops you mention, my comments:

Sony TZ -- Skip it. Low quality. Not built to last.

Panasonic W7 -- Nice laptop. The palm rest door to the laptop is somewhat flimsy, but if you hand with care it should be okay.

Toshiba R500 -- Nice laptop. But seems a little flimsy. The keyboard is good.

Fujitsu P7230 -- Looks good. However, I have not had the chance to try this model out.

It used to be 2 pounds or less was the definition of ultra-portable. Now it seems to have migrated to 3 pounds or less. Of which your models qualify. It all depends on the definition of ultra-portable.

On a side note, Apple had applied for a patent with an optical drive on the bottom of a laptop. Who knows, that may be Apple's solution for a optical drive.

Unless the new C2D chips have a TDP of less than 20 Watts, you are going to need a fan. Which again makes the size of the up larger than .5 inches thick (closed).

My guess is that Apple will use a low power chip, so a cooling fan will not be needed. A metal case helps for cooling as well.

That drive is PATA not SATA.

What's wrong with PATA? PATA drives still work okay.

I like this thing:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/upgrade/4243000.html?page=1

Weird. Don't like the location of the trackpad.

Also, it looks like the keys will be facing down if the keyboard is attached when using in Touch or Tablet mode.

I can't wait for MacWorld. I hope they announce something exciting.

I imagine that it will be.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Sony TZ -- Skip it. Low quality. Not built to last.

If that's the case then the MBP is really no better.

 

[caldw]

 

[AidenShaw]

What's wrong with PATA? PATA drives still work okay.

Right - and in a single drive setup I think that SATA's only advantage over PATA is NCQ.

And, since NCQ is a way to optimize delays due to head movement and rotational latency - it would seem that a PATA SSD and a SATA SSD would be equal since the SSD doesn't have moving parts.

Unless, of course, the bandwidths are approaching the 100 MBps or so limit of PATA -- but I haven't seen any consumer level SSD that threatens the bus bandwidth of PATA so far... (I'm playing with one in the lab that needs at least a x8 PCIe interface to run at speed - but the PCIe card is about the same price as a handful of Imacs...)

 

[averyash]

The iPhone was a bomb in my opinion since it can't do anything outside of look pretty, and the computers were all just mediocre and offered nothing substantial over their PC counterparts.

So I take it that you haven't actually USED an iPhone... If the iPhone has been a bomb, as a shareholder and an extremely happy iPhone user, I hope that Apple continues to release "bombs."

 

[mmmtest]

http://www.mac4ever.com/news/34059/ultra_portable_en_photo/

 

[zioxide]

I don't know why people are whining about optical drives. They really don't take up that much space or weight.

Are you kidding?

photo from ifixit.com

That optical drive takes up nearly half of the case.

 

[DuRui]

If those renders are true...I'm not buying one.
The design just doesn't work for me at all.

Actually looking at all the designs (/renders /mockups) posted here..it just makes me want to go to the store now and buy a nice white Macbook.
But then again perhaps I'm weird and not as design orientated as I thought

 

[esskay]

IMHO, an ultra-laptop is 2 pounds or under.

For example:

OQO Model 2 -- Fits in your pocket type.

Sharp MM20 -- Small screen with keyboard type.

The ones that you mention are all under 3 pounds but not 2 pounds or under. So they would not qualify in my book.

As for the laptops you mention, my comments:

Sony TZ -- Skip it. Low quality. Not built to last.

Panasonic W7 -- Nice laptop. The palm rest door to the laptop is somewhat flimsy, but if you hand with care it should be okay.

Toshiba R500 -- Nice laptop. But seems a little flimsy. The keyboard is good.

Fujitsu P7230 -- Looks good. However, I have not had the chance to try this model out.

It used to be 2 pounds or less was the definition of ultra-portable. Now it seems to have migrated to 3 pounds or less. Of which your models qualify. It all depends on the definition of ultra-portable.

Personally, I like to see hard core ultraportables close to 2 lbs too.

FYI --

Toshiba R500- the lightest version with 64GB SSD is under 2 lbs (1.7lbs IIRC if you forgo the optical drive).

Sony G2 (not available in US except through importers like Dynamism)- the lightest version (without optical drive) is also under 2 lbs. Even with an optical drive, it is just barely over 2 lbs with an SSD and the lightweight battery. This model is reported to be a sturdy notebook.

Panasonic R7 is about 2 lbs (no optical drive). Also tiny... about a 10" screen IIRC.

Sony TZ with a lightweight battery is about 2.2 lbs.