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Thin MacBook Design Details?

I said it first!!!!!

Apple air is going to be, ipod as a home drive :D

Basically take your home with you on your ipod and connect via wireless to any mac?
 
are we calling this a PhotoShop mockup? i hope THIS isnt apple air, its just an iPhone update... BOO HOO
 
In my opinion, it won't be called "Air".

In my opinion, "air" refers to some sort of wireless method for connecting peripherals, such as wireless USB or something like that.

In other words, "air" = ultra-portable and lightweight and there's no need for cables.
 
pyre said:
You have either two choices. Keep living in fantasyland, or come down to earth. Bluetooth 1.0 speed is ~1Mbps. Bluetooth 2.0 is 11Mbps, IIRC. Do you want to try and use Ethernet & External Optical/Hard Drives over that? Keep in mind that those are only theoretical maximum limits, meaning that the actual *real world* throughput that you'll see will probably be somewhere less of that.
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Wireless USB says hi!
 
diamond.g said:
Wireless USB says hi!
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I know about wireless usb, but last I checked no one even had a chip for it. It's not like Apple creates its own chips.

Edit:

Not only that, but the "oh noes! no wires!" prediction doesn't cover the fact that your external optical disc drive will need power. From a wire. Especially if you plan to pack it and bring it with you. With wired USB or FireWire, you can get power from the bus through the cord.

Not only that, but there is also Bluetooth 3.0 which will supposedly have 480Mbps speeds. But it doesn't exist yet.

I wasn't saying these things are unpossible. I was saying that it's not going to happen right now.
 
This seems to fit with the leaked notes on wikipedia earlier. Air almost certainly refers to a method of wireless data transfer as suggested in the banner rather than a name for a new line of slim machines. I suspect the leak is correct in asserting the macbook line will be shrunk to the new slim form factor. Rumors about the design suggest it reflects the same aesthetic as the Mac, i.e. black on silver, which would lend brand consistency to the Mac/MacBook while simultaneously delineating it from the MacPro/MacBookPro.
 
darwinian said:
I'm certain it's all been said in the preceding pages before, but assuming that a more portable-portable is what is being released today, here's what I would like to see:

--No optical drive, with some incarnation of an external, USB 2.0 superdrive available, obviously that would be ridiculously slim and aluminum too
--3 USB 2.0 ports (I would LIKE to see firewire, but I think USB might make a solo debut on this thing if they're going for small)
--Bluetooth
--Wireless N and no ethernet port (insert shock here) - ethernet available as a USB thing like the modem.
--If they can cram a mini-DVI on there or possibly HDMI, they will (I do not know how big the chipset is for these things). They could also go proprietary with the necessary converters if need be.
--speakers and a headphone jack, i think they'll cram an isight on there too, win the casual user points
--SSD 128 GB or 64 GB. I just can't imagine them trying to be serious with anything less.
--Some low voltage intel chip
--They're going to be shooting for the magic number here, 10 hours of battery off of a li-poly.
--Total thickness should probably be smaller than the base portion of my MBP.
--Weight? Less than the human brain but probably with less surface area.
Edit 2: regarding multitouch keypad, I think it's a bad idea and hope they don't try and implement something poorly. As independently of that judgment as possible, I just don't think they'd be that boring when the future is clearly here with iPhone/iPod touch like mulltitouch interfaces.

It would be a bit more than mildly amusing if they didn't even release a subnotebook today. :)

Edit: Assuming that's real (haha), then this is going to be a sleepy keynote. This is just the whole "bring your home folder with you" thing isn't it. If so, yawns for me.
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we're talking about a MACBOOK update right? Not a macbook pro right? If so, then you're asking way too much not to be dissappointed.
 
Evan_11 said:
Macbook Touch

13" multi-touch screen
Aluminum enclosure
Intel Core2 Extreme Processor
120gig HD
Superdrive
standard ports (2 usb, 1 FW400, ethernet, video out)
Desk Cradle
no keyboard
optional bluetooth keyboard and mighty mouse.
$1499
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I can only assume your $1,499 price is referring to the 13" multi-touch screen.

How much for the rest of the machine?

:)
 
darwinian said:
--SSD 128 GB or 64 GB. I just can't imagine them trying to be serious with anything less.
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Maybe at MacWorld 2009...

darwinian said:
--They're going to be shooting for the magic number here, 10 hours of battery off of a li-poly.
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Currently the ThinkPad X61s gets 8-9 hours (estimate) with the 8-cell battery which sticks out the back. (according to a review 6 hours with wireless active)

10 hours may be a stretch.

darwinian said:
Edit 2: regarding multitouch keypad, I think it's a bad idea and hope they don't try and implement something poorly. As independently of that judgment as possible, I just don't think they'd be that boring when the future is clearly here with iPhone/iPod touch like mulltitouch interfaces.
Click to expand...

Those interfaces are _clearly_ the future. I mean they've only sold ~1-2 million iPhones and there are only ~5-6 billion people on the planet.

On a more serious note, for small devices maybe, but not for larger devices for a while to come.
 
jayeskreezy said:
we're talking about a MACBOOK update right? Not a macbook pro right? If so, then you're asking way too much not to be dissappointed.
Click to expand...

No-one has said if it's a Macbook or Macbook Pro. Most of us are expecting something close to pro (like the powerbook 12" was).

On an unrelated point, if anyone can bring down the price of SSDs Apple can (economies of scale).
 
I suppose I'm the only person who doesn't like the mockup - the tapering design makes it look like a Sony Vaio. I sure hope it doesn't taper. Apple notebooks are the only notebooks (I believe) that have a completely flat profile. They need to keep that look in place, it's absolutely sexy.

Identicle MBP profile, just in a smaller / thinner package. That's my dream Apple ultraportable.
 
jayeskreezy said:
we're talking about a MACBOOK update right? Not a macbook pro right? If so, then you're asking way too much not to be dissappointed.
Click to expand...

Yeah, a macbook. integrated graphics etc. I don't think a major MBP thing will happen for awhile. So I say minutes before a friggin keynote. In any case the current MBP line is bomber.

pyre said:
Currently the ThinkPad X61s gets 8-9 hours (estimate) with the 8-cell battery which sticks out the back. (according to a review 6 hours with wireless active)

10 hours may be a stretch.

Those interfaces are _clearly_ the future. I mean they've only sold ~1-2 million iPhones and there are only ~5-6 billion people on the planet.

On a more serious note, for small devices maybe, but not for larger devices for a while to come.
Click to expand...

Apple loves round numbers. 5 hours here (PowerBook Pismo ad), 1,000 songs in your pocket, etc. etc. I think they'll shoot for 10.

I agree about multitouch. Which is why I think trackpad multitouch isn't a good idea. Actually, I don't even like trackpads in general and wish trackballs won. Can't win every format war, I see. :)
 
Intarweb said:
Tapered looks ugly and goes against all of Apple's other industrial design teams ideas. It won't be tapered.
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Twilight Elk said:
Oh :eek:
Good catch, tapered designs fail.
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vince chicago said:
Man, are you guys kidding me? A tear drop profile? Am I the only one that thinks this mockup is absolutely HIDEOUS?

Nearly every product Apple has come out with over the past few years consists of 90º rounded angles and parallel surfaces. This design would be inconsistent with other Apple designs, a rip off of cheap Sony and Dell portables, and FUGLY!
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:)
 
F*cking forum!

I had a bunch of criticism for this new product that apple would do well to take note of. but by the time I tried to post, the forum had timed me out and logged me off! Needless to say, it was constructive, but pointed out the MANY flaws in this product. Too bad apple.. from the look of this product you really could have done with knowing these things!!!
 
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