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The Ultimate MacBook

TSE

TSE

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jun 25, 2007
4,053
3,671
St. Paul, Minnesota
Say you are an Apple Designer. Design your ideal MacBook. Don't worry about cost. Labels. Name. Target consumer. You are the target consumer.

My design would be simple. Take the 12 inch MacBook Pro from 2015 - 2017. Put an M1 in there. Put a normal keyboard in there (even if it has to be a tiny bit thicker), and call it a day.

My other design would be a little bit riskier. I would make a 20" MacBook Pro. Yes, I said it. 20" MacBook Pro. It would be for those long all day trips to the cafe to get some work done so I have ultimate screen real estate. And guess what I would do? Remember those slot loading DVD drives Apple used to have on their computers? I would put a slot loading drive where when I eject it, it ejects a 12" MacBook. The best of both worlds. Ultimate portability and ultimate power. All in one. Tim Apple, come holler at your boy!!! I got a blank spot on my resume for Apple, Inc.! It's called Creative Director!
 
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Is that a fairyland-fantasy thing, where absolutely everything is possible, no matter how far fetched or dumb or has it to be in the realm of possibility?
 
they're honestly pretty good the way they are.

if i could get a better dac, webcam, screen and speaker system i would take it. the main thing for me would be m1 ultra-like multicore with a higher single core speed, without meaningful increases in size or fan noise, or a reduction in battery life. i'm pretty satisfied with the ports.

i don't care about touch id or face id, so they could leave that out. making it indestructible would be cool too. making airdrop flawless would also be nice (it has definitely improved a lot).
 
I would take the MBP from 2015, stretch it to 18”, add a removable 4K OLED screen (for tablet use, of course), drop an M1 Pro in it with 32 GB of RAM, and call it a day. Of course, it would cost $6K, and I couldn’t afford one, but still…
 
A twelve incher with the current design philosophy, an underscreen webcam, and hotswappable I/O on one side.

And a magnetic docking plate, add that too =).
 
Mr.Blacky said:
Is that a fairyland-fantasy thing, where absolutely everything is possible, no matter how far fetched or dumb or has it to be in the realm of possibility?
Click to expand...

Why would my idea be dumb? And it technically is a "fairyland-fantasy" thing - I let everyone know to just use their imagination and dream up their ultimate MacBook. Are you saying it wouldn't be cool to have a 20" MacBook that spits out a 12" MacBook from a slot-loading drive whenever the user wants to maximize portability over screen real estate?
 
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TSE said:
Why would my idea be dumb? And it technically is a "fairyland-fantasy" thing - I let everyone know to just use their imagination and dream up their ultimate MacBook. Are you saying it wouldn't be cool to have a 20" MacBook that spits out a 12" MacBook from a slot-loading drive whenever the user wants to maximize portability over screen real estate?
Click to expand...
How thick and heavy would that 20" Macbook be with an 12" MacBook inside? Also, how about structural integrity when thr 12" MacBook is removed?
 
Another candy and cartoon consumer. By the time you set it up it's obsolete, you toss it in the trash, you buy the new one, the toy manufacturer gets richer. Brilliant idea.
 
My 2017 MacBook 12" (512/i7/16gb RAM) works perfectly. The keyboard is fine, it is fast ( I don't make videos), and it is much easier to carry around and use than my M1 MacBook Air. My biggest complaint is not the keyboard but the fact that it has only one USB port. The fact is, most of us don't need a super-fast CPU etc., but we update anyway (I'm also guilty). I just downsized from a iPhone Pro 12 Max to a 12 mini, which AT&T had at an amazing price. Now, the Max looks like a boat anchor. The MacBook Air isn't exactly a boat anchor, but it's a lot bigger than my MacBook and harder to lug around. I suspect that more RAM is a lot more significant than a faster CPU.
 
TSE said:
I would make a 20" MacBook Pro. Yes, I said it. 20" MacBook Pro. It would be for those long all day trips to the cafe to get some work done so I have ultimate screen real estate.
Click to expand...

Do you remember the Dell M2010? I remembering seeing this in a Dell catalog once and thinking it was the coolest piece of computer technology to date. I must admit, Dell had some interesting notebook designs during this period.

This wedge-shaped machine was a 20"
 

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Apple_Robert said:
My 12" MacBook is still in 'like new' condition and does the basic user tasks without a problem. I wish Apple would put an M1 in the same form design. That would be the perfect mobile Mac for me. :D
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+1 here. I would love an updated 12” MacBook. Like minds. ? I’ve sourced a few on eBay, but I’m hesitant to pull the trigger… still have hope that Apple will bring the 12” back.
 
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beach bum said:
+1 here. I would love an updated 12” MacBook. Like minds. ? I’ve sourced a few on eBay, but I’m hesitant to pull the trigger… still have hope that Apple will bring the 12” back.
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To be honest, we are kidding ourselves, Beach. I don't believe Apple will resurrect the 12" MacBook. If they did, I think it would take some sales away from the iPad line.

I think you should pull the trigger on eBay and use a keyboard cover so, hopefully, you don't have any problems with the keyboard.
 
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Apple_Robert said:
To be honest, we are kidding ourselves, Beach. I don't believe Apple will resurrect the 12" MacBook. If they did, I think it would take some sales away from the iPad line.

I think you should pull the trigger on eBay and use a keyboard cover so, hopefully, you don't have any problems with the keyboard.
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I know, but it would be pretty awesome. As much as I love the portability of the IPP, it doesn’t have the full functionality that I would need which is why I got rid of my 12.9 IPP.

I’ll keep looking though. ?
 
beach bum said:
I know, but it would be pretty awesome. As much as I love the portability of the IPP, it doesn’t have the full functionality that I would need which is why I got rid of my 12.9 IPP.

I’ll keep looking though. ?
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www.ebay.com

Apple MacBook 12 inch Laptop - MNYL2LL/A (June, 2017, Gold) for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Apple MacBook 12 inch Laptop - MNYL2LL/A (June, 2017, Gold) at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
 
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beach bum said:
Thanks! The price isn’t too bad. I’d have to skin the whole thing since I don’t like the color. I’m looking for either space gray or silver.
Click to expand...
Brand New Space Gray.

www.ebay.com

Apple MacBook 12 inch Laptop - MNYF2LL/A (June, 2017, Space Gray) for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Apple MacBook 12 inch Laptop - MNYF2LL/A (June, 2017, Space Gray) at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
 
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Apparently I'm the only Mac user who uses a laptop computer... on my lap.
I nursed my 13" Air to eleven years, and finally gave up and bought a ridiculous 16" Pro last year, JUST BECAUSE it sat on my lap nicely, not sliding INTO my lap (I'm kind've a big guy). Lotsa money just for a laptop that was stable to watch cat videos.
My biggest complaint (once the cost was forgotten) were the irritating post pads on the bottom, versus the thin rounded rubber pads on my old Air. They really dug into my legs (even at 60+ I still have birdlegs) but I just got some 1/8", self-adhesive cork sheets to remedy that (will also stop the "cold" shock from the heavy bare aluminum, now that I'm retired and don't necessarily wear pants).

So, my ultimate Macbook (and assuming I have an ultimate desktop for my photography work, in my "office"):
At least a 16" form factor. Minimal "feet" (how about an insulated, non-sliding bottom, with NO feet?) Light as a 13" Mac Air. 48-hr battery life. Same screen resolution as my 16" Macbook Pro.
And heated, vibrating lumbar support?? :D
 
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BotchQue said:
They really dug into my legs (even at 60+ I still have birdlegs) but I just got some 1/8", self-adhesive cork sheets to remedy that (will also stop the "cold" shock from the heavy bare aluminum, now that I'm retired and don't necessarily wear pants).
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I found that a (small) shelf from a bookcase works well enough for people who use their laptop on their lap. My grandfather is well into his 80s and that's what he uses. I went to visit him one day and he was lounged back in his La-Z-Boy recliner with a book shelf long enough to straddle both arms of the chair with his laptop and wireless mouse all on top of it. I have never seen the need to purchase a lap desk since seeing this.
 
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I'd make the screen touch-sensitive, make the function keys programmable with changeable faces (so, like the TouchBar, but with actual keys), and would add a pointer nib like ThinkPad computers have.
 
bluespark said:
I'd make the screen touch-sensitive, make the function keys programmable with changeable faces (so, like the TouchBar, but with actual keys), and would add a pointer nib like ThinkPad computers have.
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I hate touch screen laptops because they have finger prints. One rule of computers is to never touch another person’s screen (kind of like Men at Work…never touch another man’s fries)
 
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Apple obviously already has all the technology to do what I want.

What I want is a really small MacBook, as thin and light as it can be while still having a great keyboard. I’m guessing it would be about 10”.

(The PowerBook G4 12” and the MacBook Air 11” are high on my list of favorite devices of all time.)
 
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