MacBook Mini Photos Generate Speculation

[kzin]

The keyboard depicted is full-size layout. If indeed this product has a 10" screen, like the Asus netbook I'm typing on now, then those keys are going to be pretty tiny. Most netbooks use a combination of shrinking the physical key size down a bit as well as making some compromises with key layout to reduce wasted space.

Except for the Sony Vaio P, and the HP Mini Note 1000. Both go with the "10 inch wide screen and full keyboard" arrangement. I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple do the same if they go into the netbook market.

$899 is pretty high, but sounds about right for Apple.

Yeah, a little high for a netbook, but still cheaper than most laptops.

$899? For $100 more you'd get a macbook with a bigger screen, faster processor, and other goodness? Ridiculous.

That's one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is:

For $100 less than a Macbook, I can have a device that isn't dinosaur sized.

netbooks aren't just "small laptops", they address a completely different use niche than laptops. If you want the faster processor and "other goodness", buy the dinosaur-book.

If you want something lighter, more portable, and that's just intended for basic use (ie. the slower processor isn't a problem), then you get a netbook.

 

[mj6252]

Fake-ish

Dunno what to think of it. 899? It's more expensive than I would've thought. I might keep my old white macbook... but who knows? It's apple...

But if there's smoke, there should be fire... And the rumors are spreading like one.

 

[rhysmorgan]

this mockup is hidious

Because it looks like one of the Aluminium MacBooks?

 

[Eraserhead]

r u serious? the msi wind has 3! that would be ridiculous...

Same as a MacBook Air .

 

[Bubba Satori]

I'd buy one. It makes sense for me. I have an iMac for the office and a MacBook for home ... when I travel, I want something smaller for typing on airplane/train/bus tray tables.

I think that $899 is a premium price that I'd be willing to pay to have everything synced between all of my machines. In fact, I really couldn't care less about specs, except for size and potability. Unless I was traveling, it wouldn't be used.

Agreed. For $699-$899, depending on configuration, I could sell them faster than we could keep them in stock. Come on Apple. Step up to the plate and hit a four bagger. Back to the glory days of Apple Computer.

 

[rhysmorgan]

Same as a MacBook Air .

Hopefully, it'd be one of Apple's superpowered USB ports, and would be able to power the external SuperDrive

 

[ditzy]

According to the tech press, nobody's making money selling netbooks, so it would seem odd for Apple to make a product for a market where they won't make tons of money. I mean, even AppleTV - not Apple's best seller compared to the Mac & the iPhone / iPod touch - turns a good profit.

I hear what you are saying but then most wouldn't sell netbooks for $900. I'm sure they can turn a profit on that.

 

[acidfast7]

I'd also gladly pay and extra $100-$200 if it had Turbo3g integrated (so I wouldn't need to buy a USB Turbo3g dongle).

edit: then it could be subsidized just like the iPhone ... but we'd probably have the with/without contract prices (usually we get an option of no locking on the phones or 4 different plans at most carriers and an inverse relationship between iPhone outright price and monthly cost of contract).

 

[Egnat69]

A couple of reasons why this is fake...

1.) The first number key is smaller than the others ... why is that? do we use "1" and "!" less than the others?!
2.) NVIDIA MCP79 is a c2d chipset marketet as competitor for intels centrino 2 --> atom cpus would use ion
3.) talking about atom... Z740? never heard, not even at intel
4.) 10 inch display with 1280 x 768 seems quite unusual
5.) as mentioned b4: adium and wow on screen? i dont think so either...

 

[John Jacob]

Looks nice...

I would buy one if it was real. But this seems obviously fake enough that the whole story should have been on page 2.

 

[Prometheus2000]

I am with you. The screen size isn't as important as the dual core.

That being said, since the Mac Mini (my first post and I thought it was a fake) fiasco, I will not be proclaiming anything.

However, is it a stretch (possibility) that the MBA could come in a 10" size perhaps?

an even more compact MBA but still uncompromised on keyboard, trackpad size and frist rest...please with iPhone like 3G (no dial in, just on) and I am sold. I started to care less for the computational performance then for the ergonomy of my notebooks. Specwise every laptop is outdate after a couple of month, but its good ergonomy will be with you for a couple of years...

I am just a bit disappointed if that is all Apple has to say about the "ultra compact" or "Netbook" market. Where is the gamer changer device like the iPhone? Its just more of the same type of computer device...

 

[gkarris]

1.) The first number key is smaller than the others ... why is that? do we use "1" and "!" less than the others?!
2.) NVIDIA MCP79 is a c2d chipset marketet as competitor for intels centrino 2 --> atom cpus would use ion
3.) talking about atom... Z740? never heard, not even at intel
4.) 10 inch display with 1280 x 768 seems quite unusual
5.) as mentioned b4: adium and wow on screen? i dont think so either...

The photos may be legit prototypes. Apple experiments with different form factors all the time.

If so, $899 is feasible - replaces the White MacBook, making all their notebooks Aluminum...

 

[kzin]

Ultimately I think Apple will make something more innovative than this (think touchscreen) to justify the price tag in consumers minds.

Yeah, I want something more tablet/touchscreen-ish as well.

Some thoughts:

HTC Shift format device, with the iPhone UI in a Front Row type overlay over Mac OS X. 7" or 9" screen.

Something like the Touchpad: pure tablet, but with an optional attachable keyboard.

Convertible Tablet format device: least likely, IMO, as they're all ugly ... and I don't see Apple releasing something ugly (nor do I see them fixing the ugly factor on these devices). However, it might be the most useful of these formats.

I'd probably buy something from Apple in one of those formats.

Though, I'd also like to see the Modbook folks take a crack at turning a Mac Mini into a Touchpad type device. Even if it cost a little more than $1000, starting with the low end Mac Mini, I'd still consider it if it was a 9" or 10" screen.

 

[student_trap]

I know that this sounds terribly snobbish, but I ultimately think it is true. Apple aren't going after the average consumer. If your first consideration when buying a computer is cost, Apple will never be the place for you. Macs are seen as elitist and Apple like it that way.
If this is not a fake, I'll be ordering on the day they come out.

the problem is that for a short while the 'macs are so expensive' argument left over from the older days (which was one of the most prevalent in most anti-osx arguments) became a pointless one as apple catered very handsomely to the middle market and above (while students in particular could buy imacs or macbooks for £600, while mac minis were at £350 and mac pros at £1400...Very good prices indeed)

Its a big shame that the only hardware that even approaches this sort of value now is the soon to be gone white macbook.

Im not saying that the price changes aren't understandable in todays current climate (as those who 2 years ago would have 'stretched' for a mac now will go cheaper, leaving only those who are financially comfortable buying, and it is these people who can stretch to a slightly higher price without too much fuss, which can make up to some extent for aforementioned lost sales), just that pricing people out undoes a lot of good that has been done over the last decade

 

[rhysmorgan]

If this were an ickle bit cheaper, I would snap one up like nobody's business.
While I love my current MacBook nano (Eee 1000H w/ 320GB HDD and 2GB RAM ), I would love this more. It has a better processor than my Eee. 2GB standard. Much, much, much (x 1,000,000) better graphics. And hopefully, a working mic . The actual only downsides I see on my Eee are the microphone not working in OS X and the graphics. And this would address both, while allowing me to legitimately run Mac OS X .
Also, they'd have to allow Garageband to run with less that 800px vertically .

 

[polaris20]

Funny, that battery capacity is higher than a MacBook's, and nearly as high as the 15" MBPs.


And is Nvidia making a board that would fit an Intel Atom and a 9400M just for Apple?? I don't believe such a thing exists for anyone else right now.

No, they already have demo'd it before, playing back full 1080p video.

 

[rhysmorgan]

the problem is that for a short while the 'macs are so expensive' argument left over from the older days (which was one of the most prevalent in most anti-osx arguments) became a pointless one as apple catered very handsomely to the middle market and above (students in particular could buy imacs or macbooks for £600, while mac minis were at £350 and mac pros at £1400...Very good prices indeed)

Its a big shame that the only hardware that even approaches this sort of value now is the soon to be gone white macbook.

Im not saying that the price changes aren't understandable in todays current climate (as those who 2 years ago would have 'stretched' for a mac now will go cheaper, leaving only those who are financially comfortable buying, and it is these people who can stretch to a slightly higher price without too much fuss, which can make up to some extent for aforementioned lost sales), just that pricing people out undoes a lot of good that has been done over the last decade

In the words of a great, great man: Apple's UK Prices for 2009 = A big bag of hurt.

 

[student_trap]

netbooks aren't just "small laptops", they address a completely different use niche than laptops. If you want the faster processor and "other goodness", buy the dinosaur-book.

If you want something lighter, more portable, and that's just intended for basic use (ie. the slower processor isn't a problem), then you get a netbook.

spot on

 

[WRXface]

the shot with the aerial view the bottom corners looks blurry as if it came from i dunno photoshop?

i like the idea of it, its awesome!

 

[iPave]

I would buy that. Small, sexy and has horsepower for my needs. But unfortunately it is fake

 

[kzin]

For giggles I am going to assume that Apple is entering the Netbook market...and that they are trying to sell a netbook class machine for $899.

Apple is on major drugs if they think their netbook is going to compete with Dell or HP's that sell for $275. Yup...$275. You can add a few upgrades and max it at $499.

Actually, a Maxed out Dell mini-9 goes for about $600ish.

Personally, comparing a $275 Dell Mini 9, with Ubuntu (since Windows just isn't an option) ... to a potential OS X machine, that isn't a hackintosh ... yes, I'd pay $500-$600 more for that.

 

[tommyminahan]

899!!? yes, its Apple!

Guys!
$899 is very much a very plausible price.
its APPLE!!

they're selling a Cell Phone for $600.. so, yeah, a netbook for $899 seems about right! :]

 

[archer75]

For a netbook it's way too expensive. Drop the price by at least $400 and then we'll talk.

 

[paja]

This whole thing is an April Fools gag anyway.

I'd pay $799 for it if it were the real thing.

 

[kzin]

Apple needs to do one of 3 things to make a netbook a success
Either:
a) make a netbook for < $600
b) subsidize a netbook through at&t for their 3g coverage. sell around $100
c) revolutionize the netbook concept. not just carbon copy the macbook

I understand the point you're making, but I disagree with (a).

They could easily make a device targeted at the Sony Vaio P. $899, 10" ultra-wide screen, full-ish size keyboard. It wouldn't be a low-end netbook by any means, but I bet Apple fans who want a netbook (like me) would buy it (I probably would).

Though, I hope they go with a combination of (b) and (c).