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Apple Sub-Notebook Nearing Release?

koobcamuk said:
I really do not want a tablet to be released. What do you people use tablets for?

I think 12" widescreen or something more 12" PB size would be so awesome.
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I'm a cartoonist, I used to work with a cintiq and I loved it. Today I work with two monitors and a wacom tablet. I really love te idea of a real Mac Tablet. right now the ModBook looks apealing but it's not Apple's product so at the end I don't trust it. so, if Apple works on a tablet I will buy it!
 
pesc said:
Not that I think it will ever happen, but I really wish Apple would have the guts to NOT use widescreen aspect ratio on a subnotebook.

For a computer meant to WORK with, the more pixels the better. Given the same PPI, a widescreen (reduced height screen) has fewer pixels than 4:3. And at subnotebook sizes, the extra pixels that 4:3 gives would be welcome.

Unless all you do is watching movies.
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That's only true if you view widescreen as "widescreen (reduced height screen)" rather than 'widecreen (increased width screen)'.

Is the glass half-full of half-empty? :p

Yes more pixels is better, but with the same number of pixels (the only fair comparison surely?) a widescreen is more natural to view and more useful to most people, IMHO (and in Apple's opinion it seems).
 
jellomizer said:
Are Docking stations still useful? I know on older models and some of other companies more poorly designed laptops may need one because you had a lot of plugs to plug in Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, Network, Printer, Zip Drive... But Now all you really need is a USB Hub and plug that in and the display. Seeing how most docks are very clunky and picky and difficult to get docked, Plugging in 1 USB Port and a Monitor on the side seems very easy.

Making a Dock 3rd party for a MBP isn't that hard either. if you have like a C-Clamp and some guides then all the connections just plug right in.
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only usb and monitor?:rolleyes:

how about power? firewire 800 for external HD? firwire 400 for ipod dock? audio out? microphone?

please, give me a good docking station!
 
I really hope Apple begins to embrace the subcompact market. This could be so awesome: a tiny, powerful little notebook with great battery life to tote around on the college campus!

*salivates*
 
NewSc2 said:
Does anybody seriously think Apple's "doing away" with optical drives? What is Apple going to do, sell Leopard pre-mounted onto flash drives? Download it?
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Hu? They will of course provide an external drive. Just because it's not built in doesn't mean there is no way to connect an optical drive!
 
Its really good to hear that Apple are making exciting computer products again. There's been nothing to shout about since the iMac G5 came out. iPod, iPhone, Apple TV all great (and very profitable) but its the computers that tickle my pickle :)

Its not for me, I'm sick of my 12" PB and can't wait to buy something with a bigger screen, but it will sell well and show that Apple is innovating again.
 
NewSc2 said:
Does anybody seriously think Apple's "doing away" with optical drives? What is Apple going to do, sell Leopard pre-mounted onto flash drives? Download it?
Click to expand...
Given that external USB DVD drives can be had CHEAP, it's not to much of a stretch to want an ultraportable without the optical drive.

You don't need to install Leopard on the road that often, do you?

B
 
A year or 2 ago I posted somewhere that I would love a sub-notebook even if it came without an optical drive. Not having an optical drive isn't as big of a loss as it was a few years ago especially with the advent and price dropping of flash drives. Could optical drives go the way of the floppy drive? Now granted there are many who need to burn dvd's for video projects and the like but for many it's not that important.

I have an iBook and an iMac. I rarely use the optical drive in my iBook. Most of the data I transfer is done through .mac and flashdrives. I'm really interested in this macbook mini. The main issue will be price. If it's priced right I think these things will sell like crazy.
 
Sounds interesting. I suspect it could be popular, though I won't be buying one. I'd much rather have a larger notebook with a larger screen, an optical drive, and more practicality for general use.

That being said, I'm sure there is a market for an ultraportable machine, especially since there's virtually nothing like it on the market today.
 
ultra-thin laptop

Hey instead of a keyboard, why not make the laptop like a nintendo DS and have just a big flipscreen. Then you have have a sweet virtual keyboard with the brand new iphone touch screen technology.


Thats the ticket!
 
arn said:
Some of you may not have been around... but back in the day people really loved their Duos. Almost as much as people loved their Newtons. :)

arn
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More to the point APPLE loved Duos. They had high hopes for the form factor. The chip switch to PowerPC (from 68030 tp 68LC040 to 603e) was not all that great for ultra-compacts (video performance sucked) at first so it killed that thread of Apple products, then narrowing of the line generally killed off more.

But Apple PR always purred when Duo's were involved and Management really pushed them.

They were really expensive too as I recall.

Now that chip speeds are somewhat level and in any case they are now fast enough for any consumer application that people no longer wait for their computer very much, it becomes a form factor marketing effort. This is something Apple is good at. I posted about this a couple times late last year and early this year.

Rocketman

glennyboiwpg said:
Hey instead of a keyboard, why not make the laptop like a nintendo DS and have just a big flipscreen. Then you have have a sweet virtual keyboard with the brand new iphone touch screen technology.


Thats the ticket!
Click to expand...

Apple's patent application does exactly that.

They show the lower display interchangeably being a keyboard, a series of video-audio controls and pots, a piano keyboard, etc.

I for one hope it is a 3-4x iPhone sized pad (ATNN) which docks to your base hooked to CD, extra HD (ZFS/backup), hardwire internet, power and either a bluetooth or USB keyboard.

Rocketman
 
I don't understand this idea that you have to ditch the optical drive still to make an ultraportable. Certainly this used to be the case, but this is an engineering issue that has already been figured out:

http://www.dynamism.com/g1/main.shtml
http://www.dynamism.com/tx93/main.shtml
http://www.dynamism.com/r6/main.shtml
http://www.dynamism.com/t5/main.shtml

etc.

Really, a lot of these companies have figured out how to make some incredibly thin and light laptops while still putting full optical drives in there, so I don't see why Apple can't do this as well.

I would much prefer to have the optical drive built-in, even if it wasn't used much; I used to own an old Toshiba Portege, which was awesome because it was so thin and light, but having to carry around the big external CD-ROM drive at the time was a pain.
 
Grakkle said:
That being said, I'm sure there is a market for an ultraportable machine, especially since there's virtually nothing like it on the market today.
Click to expand...
Nothing like it? Try the Thinkpad X60, which people in our company are ordering in a frenzy since they were offered as a standard alternative to a full-size laptop. I have one on order. I have no idea about the sales numbers, but from the number I have seen around the place, they must be selling like hot cakes. With 4gb flash drives under £20, 54g wireless networks everywhere and external DVD burners under £35, who cares about optical drives? You can get an 8gb memory stick for £130, for crying out loud - it's a lot easier to carry than a couple of DVDs.
 
b0ned0me said:
Nothing like it? Try the Thinkpad X60, which people in our company are ordering in a frenzy since they were offered as a standard alternative to a full-size laptop. I have one on order. I have no idea about the sales numbers, but from the number I have seen around the place, they must be selling like hot cakes. With 4gb flash drives under £20, 54g wireless networks everywhere and external DVD burners under £35, who cares about optical drives? You can get an 8gb memory stick for £130, for crying out loud - it's a lot easier to carry than a couple of DVDs.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I got a chance to try out an X60.......... awesome little machine (although not as convenient if you do need to carry the docking station around, at which point a Vaio TX is a better bet).
 
I agree

Zadillo said:
I don't understand this idea that you have to ditch the optical drive still to make an ultraportable. Certainly this used to be the case, but this is an engineering issue that has already been figured out:

http://www.dynamism.com/g1/main.shtml
http://www.dynamism.com/tx93/main.shtml
http://www.dynamism.com/r6/main.shtml
http://www.dynamism.com/t5/main.shtml

etc.

Really, a lot of these companies have figured out how to make some incredibly thin and light laptops while still putting full optical drives in there, so I don't see why Apple can't do this as well.

I would much prefer to have the optical drive built-in, even if it wasn't used much; I used to own an old Toshiba Portege, which was awesome because it was so thin and light, but having to carry around the big external CD-ROM drive at the time was a pain.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the Panasonics and the other superlights have been out for years in Japan. They can eliminate the optical drive if they make it even lighter than there, but I have a feeling it will probably weigh over 3 pounds and still not have an optical drive. I will still buy one unless it is a tablet or something weird like that.
 
tkn said:
Yeah, the Panasonics and the other superlights have been out for years in Japan. They can eliminate the optical drive if they make it even lighter than there, but I have a feeling it will probably weigh over 3 pounds and still not have an optical drive. I will still buy one unless it is a tablet or something weird like that.
Click to expand...

Yeah, if they have a good reason for eliminating the optical drive, I'm all for it.

But I really don't want to see them release a 1" thin 3 pound ultralight but then use some excuse about how they got rid of the optical drive to make it so "thin" and "light".
 
Waiting for:
12" non widescreen. Matte.
Aluminium.
No optical drive.
Full size, PB/MBPro class keyboard.
HiSpeed Wifi + mini DV for connectivity.
Low power Core Duo. Intel graphics.
up to 2GB RAM
up to 80GB HD (1.8" with same NAND help).
3lb.
$1500.
 
Spectrum said:
Waiting for:
12" non widescreen. Matte.
Aluminium.
No optical drive.
Full size, PB/MBPro class keyboard.
HiSpeed Wifi + mini DV for connectivity.
Low power Core Duo. Intel graphics.
up to 2GB RAM
up to 80GB HD (1.8" with same NAND help).
3lb.
$1500.
Click to expand...

Is 12" considered sub-notebook? Nearer 10" I'd expect. The rest is realistic.

Does it need Ethernet or Modem? I don't think so.
 
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