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Next MacBook to Include Glass Trackpad, Due in September?

olakthepolak said:
You know I think this is complete BS, glass trackpads? and if it does happen I will be really pissed at apple I just bought a black macbook I need it for school I can't wait till the end of septemper, because I need a computer.

I really doubt this rumor, but if it goes through **** apple...
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Yes as Apple must update when you want them too, why do people have this attitude that when Apple update they hate you? No other company seems to get stick when they update there lines. Its really weird, your blackbook is still a great and useful machine but oh no its not the current version!

Anyway certainly an interesting rumour, surely the macbook pro will get updated first with the new trackpad etc.
 
Excellent... I finally have some cash and need to replace my 4 year old Powerbook. i want a bigger screen though. might have to go with a macbook pro. hope that too gets an update.
 
Display backed trackpad?

Tosh once had some laptops with LCD trackpads, quite cool. Now if Apple could do something similar to the Samsung SOUL phone and mix-in shum shexy multi-touch goodnesh, that would be nishe! Hmm? :)
 
I'm with a lot of you on this. I'm curious on how exactly this will all work. However, this "rumor" is the most realistic one I've heard in a while. While I'm all in favor of a tablet form factor, I just can't see Apple doing a tablet anytime soon.
 
I'm just looking forward to the next generation MBP. I'm ready for a new one. I'm sure it will ROCK!
 
maybe there's nothing special about it...

maybe its just used to make the sensitivity better

maybe they're just using it to make people excited, and rumor it around that its going to be out after b2s. then release it before and make everyone excited so that there will be more consumers
 
bbydon said:
I'm thinking the glass is optical, and reads small gesture above it.... and example would be doing the two finger scale trick above the pad. Or the swipe over the glass optical track pad.

Maybe im just dreaming.
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Bottom line. I want to touch my screen and control my laptop the same way I do my iPhone 3G. The screen itself in my opinion should have an on/off option for user to choose if he/she wants it multi-touchable. The trackpad is where most of the controlling would come from though.

Or, maybe have the keyboard part of the laptop be an exact duplicate of the screen. No physical buttons. The only difference between the screen and the keyboard would be that an on-screen pop-up keyboard (like iPhone) would pop-up anytime you wanted to use it.
 
JML42691 said:
The one thing that seems somewhat strange about this rumor is the glass trackpad's. Besides the fact that it may offer better sensing of input (just my speculation), what is there to gain by using it?
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Built-in display?

Tallest Skil said:
Do we have a release date for Gainestown yet? A release month?
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Q3 2008 in very small quantities. Q4 2008 "for real."

faffoo said:
So you believe there will be a Apple Special Event in August. If so what do you think will be anounced there besides this. New iMac, Tablet Mac Book or what???
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If there's a special event, I'd expect iLife '09 and iWork '09.

bj3949 said:
If the screen was multi-touch, I'd buy it no matter what the darn thing looked like :)

Why are they waiting so long to make a darn touch-screen laptop??

Sorry for the annoying two "darn"s.
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They probably don't want to. Apple might be keeping multi-touch displays on the iPhone and regular keyboard and mouse with Mac OS X.
 
bigmc6000 said:
Not wet as much as moist. Like after you get out of the shower or you just washed your hands (which should happen quite often) and combine with that if you live in a humid environment. It's more of an issue than it should be...
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Or if your hands sweat after a while. For some reason my office is hot enough and my palm starts to sweat occasionally. If you rub your fingers on your palm to wipe it off, you get a little residue on your fingers which is often enough to screw with a trackpad.

And blu-ray is another one of those features that I'd like to see, regardless of screen size, as I'd like to buy any future movies in BR and only have to buy them once (not on BR for home and DVD for the computer).
 
bytethese said:
Yes! Those 5-6hr flights can be boring sometimes. :)

Right now I occasionally watch on my iPhone, 13" screen would be WAY better!
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Yeah but with BluRay your battery isn't going to last a 5-6 hr flight. I'd rather they increase battery life than put bluray in the macbook or at least leave bluray as an option for those who want to use it as part of their home theatre setup.
The reason I say this is because on a 13" screen, your eyes won't be able to discern the difference of 480P to 1080P because the pixels would be so damn small. Therefore just watch ordinary DVD's and enjoy the longer battery life. This is of course only true unless you literally have the eyes of an eagle or hawk, or you're bionic man, or superman lol.

Really though, on a 13" screen, BluRay is about as useful as plugging your PS3 into a 13" SD CRT TV and watching BD movies
 
Isn't the Macbook Touch a product that would more likely come out at a Macworld Conference than at the end of September?

Perhaps the "product transition" is nothing more than a transition of the whole iPod line to multi-touch? After all, new iPods usually come out in September.

~matt
 
G4scott said:
I would be very skeptical of Apple releasing new computers before the promotion ends. There was a similar promotion several years back, and they introduced new iPods, but they were ineligible for the promotion. It would be cool for you, and all other consumers, but Apple doesn't need to give away iPods to sell new computers.
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you are repeating others. get over it.
 
Terrific! This is a logical evolution to the design. I don't think anyone was ready for a revolution especially in lieu of all the 3G b***ing and moaning. Baby steps Apple; but a baby that others envy.
 
jdechko said:
And blu-ray is another one of those features that I'd like to see, regardless of screen size, as I'd like to buy any future movies in BR and only have to buy them once (not on BR for home and DVD for the computer).
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True, that is a valid point, but maybe portable copy caters to your needs? I say make BD an option as not everyone is ready to sacrifice their battery life.
I fly ghetto airlines who don't have laptop charging ports :eek:
 
Matt342 said:
Isn't the Macbook Touch a product that would more likely come out at a Macworld Conference than at the end of September?
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It could come out at a Special Event.

Matt342 said:
Perhaps the "product transition" is nothing more than a transition of the whole iPod line to multi-touch? After all, new iPods usually come out in September.
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They could update the iPods in October instead.
 
thecartoonguy said:
Thank you!! I am growing weary of all of this Blu-Ray talk. The cheapest unit is somewhere 300-400. And that is the crappy ones. Until the price become lower it will not happy. Additionally why would you want something so high end on a small screen. I would think a minimum 20" would be needed before it could be completely enjoyed.
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This is why I bought a PS3, plays my movies wonderfully on my 56" DLP at home, and is the only BR player upgradeable to the 2.0 spec. So I get video games and Bluray for $399. :)

Additionally I would be able to play the same disks again when I travel (my biggest peeve). My only alternative would be to buy the same movie again either on DVD or digitally. Why should I buy the same movie twice? :)
 
bj3949 said:
So what? The iPhone screen gets fingerprints too. Big time. If fingerprints are really the only downfall, who cares. You'll be able to touch your screen. I think the touch screen should just be there in case you feel like actually touching your screen, but the glass trackpad will be the place the user usually works from.

What are your thoughts on what I just stated?
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My thoughts are that the iPhone works just fine as a multi-touch-capable device due to simple physics. You have another hand (or table or something) holding the thing applying equal force from behind so that your gestures register, etc.

If you try to create a multi-touch-capable LCD (or LED) screen on a hinge, you're going to need to use the other hand to keep the screen angle from widening because there's nothing behind it to apply equal pressure (unless you have it directly against a wall or something).

It's just not practical and would be more a pain in the butt than it's worth.

I think they'll save such a thing for a possible tablet device, if they ever release one of those at all.
 
Jimbo Slice said:
True, that is a valid point, but maybe portable copy caters to your needs? I say make BD an option as not everyone is ready to sacrifice their battery life.
I fly ghetto airlines who don't have laptop charging ports :eek:
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Options are (almost) always good. I think portable copies are a great idea and I can only hope that every movie in the future, whether blu-ray or dvd comes with a portable copy. And the benefit then, is that everyone can take advantage of the battery gains by running a movie from their hard drive (or external flash drive) and not need the disc at all. ;)

EDIT: And I already have the option to make my own portable copies of movies, but a studio-included copy saves me time.
 
anyone else think this could be something new, not the "macbook"? what about those statements about lower macbook stocks and decreased shipments to best buy? would they really let apple computers run dry at best buy for a month?
 
Glass makes complete sense.

My friend's track-pad has completely worn down from general usage.

Adding more touch gestures would warrant more use from the track-pad, ultimately wearing it down more quickly.

Glass is a brilliant progression of the technology.
 
September seems too late to be releasing the new MBs. How long can Best Buy and other resellers last until Sept. with the their current dwindling supply of MBs/MBPs?
 
Ropedartman said:
This sounds pretty reliable, especially considering the types of rumors lately and some of the patents :apple: has applied for. Touch for the main screen seems difficult to pull off right now and I imagine them reserving a Touch Tablet for next year (give some time for Touch to really catch on and a market to present itself). Right now laptops are due for some updates and that's a big seller for them. iPhone functionality in a trackpad? Brilliant! If it could run small stuff like Finder, or dock icons, possibly handle a mini iTunes while working on main stuff on the big screen. Sensors would shut it off when your palms are down (there was a patent for that, remember?). PS and Ai are difficult on a laptop screen, having tool bars on the bottom would help, a quick tap and you change tools! Most of your screen reserved for the main image. I know it's been said, but what if the touch pad could run iPhone apps? That would be nice, have to be landscape though..... The pad would have to be able to handle some sort of pen/stylus for us graphics guys, for quick sketches or getting a line right. Maybe asking too much...... I just hate packing my Intuos around!
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Bottomline this crap means no MacTouch till MacWorld 09 correct??! :mad:
 
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