Introducing the MacBook Air?

[Marvy]

Hmmm "Apple Airport Home Server". Share your iTunes library and Time Machine Backup Drive with the Home Server. Got Gigabytes if music on your iPod and don't want the same stuff fill up your Mac's hard drive? Got a lot of photos you want to show everybody in the house? The Apple home server fits nicely under your Apple TV holding all your libraries and backups you don't need to take with you.

I'd like that. A Mac mini with external HD would do the same job but would be harder to set up.

I would really love some kind of iLife server from Apple, as I find it non-intuitive to use a single iPhoto, iTunes, etc. database with multiple Macs. The sharing option only allows others to view the content, not edit it. Maybe I've missed something, but is there currently any simple solution to access iLife media from multiple Macs, each with the same permissions?

A maxed-out Airport Extreme sounds like an awesome idea, which could let you stream all your media to your Mac, TV, and HiFi-system, AND allow all Macs to edit the content on the device itself.

 

[derrickearl]

MacBookAir

This concept gets much of it's design cues from the new keyboards.

I've been pretty close in the past with my Apple concepts.

Back in 2001 I came up with a design for the new iMac and Apple
released something very similar in August 2004

http://www.theapplecollection.com/design/macdesign/Tessera.html

 

[RoboCop001]

I hear the iCat has compatibility issues with the Mouse.

Fixed with iCatFriendMouse update!

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I really doubt it would be called Macbook Air, because the domain name was JUST registered yesterday. I don't think Apple would be so dumb as to not pre-register the domain name, even if they did it anonymously.
http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/results.jsp?domain=macbookair.com

Why because Apple snapped up the MacBookPro.com domain before they announced that new model? NOT. It was created AFTER it was announced.

 

[DMann]

MacBook

Well, you would know their background, wouldn't you, being one of them? I know most of you forum-posters are, in fact, Apple employees who are "in the know" and are just here to post misleading suggestions to point everyone else in the wrong direction. I'm probably one of the few non-Apple people here (of course, that's what I would say if I did work for Apple, isn't it...)



As for MacBook Air, tell your bosses it is a silly name, whether it is for "leaks" (aka: misinformation) or an actual product name. And if an actual product is named that, I will give out one short laugh, as I did when you Apple nuts named the MacBook "MacBook" (also a silly sounding name).

MacBook may be a silly name, but what else could they name it? It needs the have name Mac in it, and it is a notebook. MacLap is no better, and neither is MacTop. MacPort doesn't seem to work either. Macbook is about as direct a name one could conjure up, without sounding too trendy i.e. Mac Ozone, Mac Pinnacle, Mac Wafer......

 

[DMann]

Airport Extreme Server

I would really love some kind of iLife server from Apple, as I find it non-intuitive to use a single iPhoto, iTunes, etc. database with multiple Macs. The sharing option only allows others to view the content, not edit it. Maybe I've missed something, but is there currently any simple solution to access iLife media from multiple Macs, each with the same permissions?

A maxed-out Airport Extreme sounds like an awesome idea, which could let you stream all your media to your Mac, TV, and HiFi-system, AND allow all Macs to edit the content on the device itself.

This seems the most plausible of all possible ideas.......

 

[Data]

there is something IN the air....

Content.

 

[globalhemp]

HDTV, HD Radio tuner on iPod/iPhone OR Wireless Net for Laptops

Perhaps the banner "There's Something in the Air" refers to something actually being in the air, and is now available to you. So, perhaps something like content, like HDTV, or lesser known / available HD Radio.
There are several USB jumpstick-like drives available that act as HDTV tuners. I'm sure the same could be incorporated into iPod's and iPhones.

Microsoft's Zune has a "whoopty-do" FM tuner. Apple could one-up Microsoft by including an HD Radio Tuner or HDTV Tuner.

Otherwise, Apple could be adding the availability for iPhone users to use a network card for their laptops!!! Yes, use your data access from iPhone on MacBook!

 

[digitalbiker]

Everyone is way off base.

Everyone is way off base. I just saw the demo in the back room of the Mosconi Center.

The Macbook Air is the code name for the new Macbook Pro with built in lap air conditioning. With laptop system heat becoming more of an issue in the direct cause of male sterility and testicular cancer. Apple has taken the first bold new direction of supplying laptops with air. The built in air condition unit cools the laptop to a refreshing 65 degrees F regardless of processor demand.

It has absolutely nothing to do with a new thin laptop running at 2.6 Ghz and weighing less than 2 lbs. Nothing!

 

[zedsdead]

MacBookAir

This concept gets much of it's design cues from the new keyboards.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22587304@N02/2190557903/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22587304@N02/2176140681/in/photostream/

I've been pretty close in the past with my Apple concepts.

Back in 2001 I came up with a design for the new iMac and Apple
released something very similar in August 2004

http://www.go2mac.com/images/iMac2001/4.jpg

http://www.theapplecollection.com/design/macdesign/Tessera.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:IMac_transparency.png

That first picture is by far the most realistic mockup probably so far...very good...I would buy it in a heartbeat. I expect it to really have just 1 USB and maybe a 30-Pin iPod connector.

 

[m1ss1ontomars]

I said it before and I'll say it again.Those Adium stats are based on "user submissions"

Anybody could have typed in Macbook Air.

How could they have typed that so easily? Sparkle never asked me for my computer type, and I've never manually typed it in anywhere. It's gotta be from somewhere else. On the other hand, it is very possible that someone hacked their computer to report a different computer model, and they figured MacBook Air was a nice name for their MacBook. Why they would name it that is beyond me.

 

[derrickearl]

That first picture is by far the most realistic mockup probably so far...very good...I would buy it in a heartbeat. I expect it to really have just 1 USB and maybe a 30-Pin iPod connector.

Thank you. That's all you really need is one USB for your camera on the go and a iPod style connection that can carry your power, sync, and everything else.

 

[MrCrowbar]

MacBookAir

This concept gets much of it's design cues from the new keyboards.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2258730...n/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2258730...n/photostream/

I've been pretty close in the past with my Apple concepts.
[...]

Dude, those are awesome, don't hide them behind a link, show them right here!

Great concept although the card reader and the rounded screen edges are unlikely. Add some more ports (is that a USB or magsafe connector?) and maybe relocate the power button and I'd buy that in a heartbeat.

 

[jpxdude]

A new kind of battery technology will be announced at this Macworld.

 

[derrickearl]

MrCrowbar thanks. I was having some problems linking the images at first.

Glad you like them.

 

[tacojohn]

I've posted this before, but I think we'll probably see something like this w/ a slightly larger hard drive than I put in the mockup...

 

[MrCrowbar]

A new kind of battery technology will be announced at this Macworld.

That would be very welcome. I'm not happy at all with my Macbook batteries. Not even 100 cycles and I don't even get an hour. First one blew up and the replacement isn't better:

This nanowire technology sounds very promising, but I don't think it's ready and in production yet. Do the new Macbooks run on Air?

 

[Warbrain]

There is more than one entry for MacBookAir if you search the logs Adium has online. Week 52 of 2007 has another entry.

Then it tells you that it's not new and could have been there for a while. I suspect that it's nothing now. If this was a new product it's possible that you would see more of them popping up.

 

[aarond12]

Moving Parts

I've posted this before, but I think we'll probably see something like this w/ a slightly larger hard drive than I put in the mockup...

HDD = moving parts... so maybe this should include 32GB or 64GB of flash storage...? Great mock-up though!

 

[stoutboy1]

If the majority of Mac World covers the alleged macbook air ultra-portable laptop, it will be such as disappointment. They wouldn't be the first to make something like this... I expect cutting edge from the 2 Mac Worlds we get each year. Let the ultra-portable be a side show 15 minute coverage on the 16th, or something like that.

 

[FreeState]

That would be very welcome. I'm not happy at all with my Macbook batteries. Not even 100 cycles and I don't even get an hour. First one blew up and the replacement isn't better:

This nanowire technology sounds very promising, but I don't think it's ready and in production yet. Do the new Macbooks run on Air?

Bummer - mines at 94% healthy with 139 charge cycles...

 

[dtlasky]

Ahhh, get it. "Theres somthing in the AIR"

 

[ThunderLounge]

Well, it was deleted. Now it's back.

MacBook Ayre

I don't care who you are, that's funny right there.

Kid of odd that intel's WiMAX chipset is starting to pop up here and there and the rumor of Sprint re-launching XOHM on Tuesday.

Very interesting indeed.

It could be very interesting indeed. Although, and maybe I'm just "lucky", but I've been using Sprints EDVR as my primary internet access for a while without any issues at all. Nice little card slips right into the router, and it's a done deal.

Furthering this through things like XOHM, and working towards a truly nationwide wiMax type offering would be nifty.

However, one has to wonder whether or not the iPhone and its "exclusive" ties (for the time being) to AT&T would in some sort of legalize prevent Apple working with other providers in non-iPhone related areas?

forget the 'lameness' of the name for a second.

"This log entry was made on or before January 9th (based on the cache), well before the Moscone banners were posted."

That to me is very interesting and as good as confirms this WILL be the name of the new system what ever it will be!

What seems to be getting lost with this whole Adium thing, is that an end user can control their machine name/data, which is then gathered and sent in to Adium for anonymous statistics.

It could be a number of things as to why this shows up in their logs. It doesn't exclusively mean that there will without a doubt be a product names as such. It is an interesting coincidence, yes, but it doesn't necessarily prove a thing.

I could turn around and edit some data on my machine, which would then be picked up in their stats, that would be an off the wall and "apple-ish" type name. If I did it a month or so before a big Apple event... see where I'm going?

While it is an interesting coincidence, it doesn't make it absolutely so.

An earlier reference to the iPhone showing up in May, or there abouts, last year is quite different. At that point in time, everybody already knew about the iPhone, and that it was going to be called the iPhone. So its showing up was something to be expected, where this was pulled out of thin air (no pun intended).

 

[jasonsledd]

Air....as in Airport...as in Movies

I think it's just referring to the movies we will be able to download and send through the 'air' to our Apple TV

 

[m1ss1ontomars]

How could they have typed that so easily? Sparkle never asked me for my computer type, and I've never manually typed it in anywhere. It's gotta be from somewhere else. On the other hand, it is very possible that someone hacked their computer to report a different computer model, and they figured MacBook Air was a nice name for their MacBook. Why they would name it that is beyond me.

Hah, now we have some more concrete proof.

http://trac.adiumx.com/browser/sparkle/keys.php

This determines how things are named in the Adium Sparkle+ logs. As you can see, MacBookAir was indeed reported by the computer. Which means either there is such a thing as MacBookAir, or someone hacked their computer to say so. MacBookAir is a more internal name and isn't necessarily what Apple will sell it as, so don't hate on the name just yet.

Allow me to clarify. For example, some PowerMacs will report their name as Gossamer. Obviously, Apple did not sell them as Gossamer but as PowerMacs. If someone with a Gossamer PowerMac goes to System Profiler, they'll see their Model Identifier as Gossamer. Adium, when it updates, will tell the server that it's a Gossamer computer. This keys.php will replace that in the usage logs with PowerMac, because not everyone knows what kind of Mac a Gossamer is. Keys.php also allows all different kinds of a certain model to be grouped together, so you don't get like 5 entries for MacBooks or 10 for iBooks. This also ensures that iBooks are counted as iBooks, since internally they're called PowerBooks, which any iBook owner can confirm in System Profiler.

Apparently, some computers store their model type in the BIOS or other hardware as well, because Mac OS X is able to grab that information for System Profiler on Hackintoshes too.