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'MacBook Air' Design Considerations
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I think they used it in their X40 series, and people could definatly feel that it was slow. They now use 2.5'' drives again in their latest X6x series.
I work at a defense research lab. We do everything we can wired. There are some WAPs near the conference rooms for visitors, but they get outside net access only, not even a DMZ. No telling how many Russkies are out there in the parking lot with a laptop and a Pringles can, I guess. Oh, yeah, we can't use BlueTooth either.
And, yes, Apple's penchant for putting a camera and microphone in everything causes us problems, too.
dernhelm said:
Our security policy is dictated by federal agencies. No luck there.
thefunkymunky said:
And drain the batteries faster? Plug in a brick for the external drive; most have a DC IN port.
As for the internal hard drive, what dictates the use of an existing form factor? The 1.8 inch standard was just to make it fit in PC Card slots. There are companies that sell chips that make regular flash chips look like SATA drives; Apple could build it into the motherboard that way.
What if your on the road and not near a power source? This new sub-notebook is meant to have extended battery life, so perfect if you need to run an external hard drive or an optical drive on the road.
An Apple Co. laptop with an iPod Dock Connector. Somehow, I like it. After all, we can all guess correctly that this machine NEEDS a dock.
The dock could be totally independent, connecting itself to the airport, and accessible via the network. Transfer speeds would probably be a limiting factor.
I guess it could connect to the airport via usb port... Well, who knows, just brainstorming here...
Can't wait for tomorrow...
I guess it could connect to the airport via usb port... Well, who knows, just brainstorming here...
Can't wait for tomorrow...
I don't know. I just always thought it sounded very hokey and dumb.Its a notebook and a Mac. What else would you call it?
At the end of the day, it is just a name. If the machine is good they can call it crapbook for all I really care.
I think most people thought it did at the time.
When SJ announced the first MacBook Pro he mentioned in his keynote the reason for the name changes. Due to the Intel transition, Mac hardware was now very similar to generic PC hardware. Apple wanted to have "Mac" in the name of their computers to differentiate them from the PC industry. At the time, machines like the iBook/PowerBook with an Intel chip wouldn't have said to you "Mac or Apple" So we had the MacBook Pro and later the MacBook.
Why is everyone debating about a firewire port? The port can be pretty small you know.
i hate 4-pin. no power.
it would be great if apple built induction charging into the battery itself.
that means we can replace our macbook and MBP batteries with induction charging versions! dunno if this is even remotely possible though.
The 'disbelief' involved here is trying to fathom why Apple would choose such a terrible, terrible name.
"MacBook Air" is a horrible name. Someone needs to take the peyote away from Schiller.
Everyone seems so stuck on "macbook air", all because of that one google cache thing. I think "AirBook" is much more elegant and likely.
Not long til we'll know anyway.
EDIT: Aha, I see from the post above that I am not the only one thinking this.
apple want "mac" in all their product names.
if this product comes into fruition, my bets are on Macbook air or airMac.
One of these days, someone will make an external HD case with a battery to power it.
Personally, I'm surprised that someone hasn't added a Power-Over-Ethernet-like feature to Firewire. There are two differential twisted pairs; it would be the same thing. Maybe no room for the needed magnetics?
here is why i think it is called air....
it has an ssd drive which is space limiting. so....
it is designed to use three elements that extend the storage-- wmax or 3g modem for always on, or extended data, backtomymac to access all data on a home mac, and the inclusion of a .mac account for storage.
elgato is coming out with eyetv 3.0 tomorrow and it will include a slingbox-like place shifting app so storage hungry video does not have to be on the unit itself.
the macair/macbookair/airmac-- whatever the heck it is called.... will be the first notebook designed to be a web2.0 device from the ground up.
it has an ssd drive which is space limiting. so....
it is designed to use three elements that extend the storage-- wmax or 3g modem for always on, or extended data, backtomymac to access all data on a home mac, and the inclusion of a .mac account for storage.
elgato is coming out with eyetv 3.0 tomorrow and it will include a slingbox-like place shifting app so storage hungry video does not have to be on the unit itself.
the macair/macbookair/airmac-- whatever the heck it is called.... will be the first notebook designed to be a web2.0 device from the ground up.
Get yourself a crank. Duh. I mean, if the OLPC can do it, why not the 'Air Book Pro MacInteltosh?'
Courtesy of http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/01/12/olpc-gets-cranky
Attachments
Get yourself a crank. Duh. I mean, if the OLPC can do it, why not the 'Air Book Pro MacInteltosh?'
Courtesy of http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/01/12/olpc-gets-cranky
Nice idea but no good if you wanted to travel light. Just you, your external hard drive and your new airMac.
Docking station with hard drive, MagSafe
Was thinking the docking station might have a built-in hard drive for use with Time Machine. Also, while docked, the files could be written to the docking station's hard drive, thus saving wear and tear on your laptop's (probably irreplaceable) storage, and saving on write-time.
Also, I haven't really looked a MagSafe connection too closely, but it seems to me to be an ideal connector for a docking station. This also allows you to use a standard power adapter when away from your docking station.
Was thinking the docking station might have a built-in hard drive for use with Time Machine. Also, while docked, the files could be written to the docking station's hard drive, thus saving wear and tear on your laptop's (probably irreplaceable) storage, and saving on write-time.
Also, I haven't really looked a MagSafe connection too closely, but it seems to me to be an ideal connector for a docking station. This also allows you to use a standard power adapter when away from your docking station.
I don't see why Apple can't use a 2.5" hard drive (single platter). It's not like the MacBook Air is going to be small, it's only going to be slim and the removal of the optical drive will free up a lot of space.
As people mention, the biggest problem are the ports. USB is slim enough, even ExpressCard is slim enough. A standard Firewire port is pushing it however, and an Ethernet port is quite chunky.
Either the MacBook Air is thicker towards the back than the front (like a wedge) - this is how ultra-slim laptops have coped with this issue before. Or Apple will drop the ports but introduce a dock. Or they will do something else that's funky, looks good, works well but isn't conventional. Or there'll be a combo Firewire/Ethernet ExpressCard available if you need them.
Remember a lot of thinness could be from having a very thin display rather than a thin base, which could be just thick enough for the ethernet port and mini-DVI port.
As people mention, the biggest problem are the ports. USB is slim enough, even ExpressCard is slim enough. A standard Firewire port is pushing it however, and an Ethernet port is quite chunky.
Either the MacBook Air is thicker towards the back than the front (like a wedge) - this is how ultra-slim laptops have coped with this issue before. Or Apple will drop the ports but introduce a dock. Or they will do something else that's funky, looks good, works well but isn't conventional. Or there'll be a combo Firewire/Ethernet ExpressCard available if you need them.
Remember a lot of thinness could be from having a very thin display rather than a thin base, which could be just thick enough for the ethernet port and mini-DVI port.
Thunderclapped
Just a thought.. could the cryptic message refer to the sixties song by Thunderclap Newman of the same title, which goes:
Call out the instigators
Because there's something in the air
We've got to get together sooner or later
Because the revolution's here, and you know it's right.
Just a thought.. could the cryptic message refer to the sixties song by Thunderclap Newman of the same title, which goes:
Call out the instigators
Because there's something in the air
We've got to get together sooner or later
Because the revolution's here, and you know it's right.
Is it possible that Apple would get rid of the ethernet port? They were the first to do it with floppy drives, they've dropped the laptop-modems, it seems they are getting rid of the optical drive too - so is it too far fetched that they get rid of the ethernet port and rely on wireless?
I don't think they'll do it (yet), but I wouldn't be surprised either.
Just my 2 ører (Danish currency
As long as it has wifi, then its no great loss, get rid of it IMO
Are you serious? Gag me with a spoon. Hopefully it's a tablet and not a notebook at all.
AirMac. Maybe the dock will be wireless. ethernet into the dock, wireless from the dock. some type of dedicated 802.11n that auto-pairs like the BT headset for the iphone.