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Thin MacBook Design Details?
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No, I stand by it...my iMac doesn't have to be thin, my Macbook doesn't have to be thin...THIS machine has to be thin. Why are the nano, iPhone and RAZR so sexy to hold? Because they are thin. Thin laptops are quite usable (I'm not suggesting they leave out a decent processor or enough RAM), and they aren't "fragile" (see VAIO TX series)...unless you've held a thin, light, laptop in your hands, you won't understand why it's so appealing. The MB and MBP are thin enough for most casual laptop users, but travelers CRAVE thinness.
I'm really having trouble feeling you here. All we have is a mock up of a traditional form factor known as the laptop. There is no fundamental shift being represented here. If its a touch screen then i would argue that its a step back due to poor ergonomics. (imagine using your finger as a mouse for any length of time while your arm and wrist are suspended over the keyboard. You forearms are going to smack you up the side of the head for buying this.
As a tablet, yes, I can see where your soaring ecstasy is justified. And it would make a truly wonderful, transparent... thing. What is the purpose of the... thing. Apple makes no product that doesn't fit EXACTLY into a niche. Either one already existing or they create one. What is the niche for a tablet? Or, for that matter, a laptop with a touch screen?
A slightly thinner computer that inspires posts the length of War and Peace no less.
OMG Please shut up. All these rumor sites should be shut down 24 hours before all of steve's keynotes. Too much speculation. Too much excitement. It might be hard to beleive but some people still have to report to their jobs today. So please don't make it any more difficult for them.
Fortunately for me though, keynote will start at 10:30PM here. Five minutes after I finish my work
Can't wait. Just a few more hours to go before iChristmas is here. Santa Steve is back in town.
A few more hours? More like 15 hours?
I mean, its 7pm now right?
I have 2 questions.
How much smaller is it than a MacBook?
How much bigger is it than an iPhone?
Rocketman
How much smaller is it than a MacBook?
How much bigger is it than an iPhone?
Rocketman
Yeah. Why not? iTunes is probably going to be the way official programs are distributed to the iPhone anyway. The iPHone syncs contacts and bookmarks through iTunes.
It's just an extension of that.
I'm not sure I see the point of a thin laptop that is more consumer electronics-oriented and streamlined like an iPhone though especially if it's $1600. It seems like that also would mean folks need a regular computer and since most folks are buying laptops anyway then that means they already have a laptop. Who's going to buy a laptop to connect to a laptop? I could see it as a 2nd computer like a compliment to an iMac. It would give me great freedom around the house in conjunction with my iMac and let me take it on the road easy enough. It's got to have 2 or 3x the battery life though otherwise why not just get an Macbook?
The only other way I could see it being viable is if it worked through the AppleTv and the AppleTV acted like the big storage house with all your media on it. (160gb model of course or a new one with more capacity or one with external drives plugged into it.) Or it could be viable if it worked with the Airport Extreme with hard drives plugged into it.
Or it would probably have to have a dock included.
IN those cases a lightweight thin laptop with much greater battery life makes sense. That would be fairly forward looking.
And if they could keep costs down because there is no hard drive and disc drive all the better. Flash though costs alot so it probably wouldn't be cheaper.
If there is no optical drive and no dock then they are changing the way they will deliver software in the future.
Ok, I understand what you're saying. I own an ASUS W3j. 1.4" at the thickest. 14" with a dedicated graphics card. You are right, to a point. I have held a nano, iphone and razr. I've almost dropped all of them. I won't go into it here, but because of the size of my fingers/hands, I wish apple had made the iphone permanently oriented sideways except while at your ear. Bigger keypad, 2 thumb usage instead of holding with 1 hand and pecking with the other.
YES! Shaving 40% of the weight IS a big deal...try lugging your laptop in a shoulder bag all day and you'll know why. And laptops are meant to be used in public, and sexiness doesn't hurt. If the iPhone was exactly as functional as it is now, but was .75" thick (like a treo), it wouldn't have nearly the same sex appeal as it does.
well i hope it's true. we'll find out tomorrow. i really hope the screen is 12" instead of 13.3 though
much like communism, the macbook air mockup is a brilliant design concept - on paper.
We really need to consider that apple is largely now focused on entertainment
Front Row - watch DVD's
iTunes - Import/Burn CD'S
iLife - Burn iMovies/data cd's
etc. etc.
if this is truly an ultra portable, i dont see the need for their to be an actual keyboard. why isnt it all touch?
if theres a full working keyboard, there should be an optical drive.
We really need to consider that apple is largely now focused on entertainment
Front Row - watch DVD's
iTunes - Import/Burn CD'S
iLife - Burn iMovies/data cd's
etc. etc.
if this is truly an ultra portable, i dont see the need for their to be an actual keyboard. why isnt it all touch?
if theres a full working keyboard, there should be an optical drive.
It's gotta have at least USB or it will become a beautiful museum piece. I know Apple like to play the form over function card a lot, but no ports is just impractical. I can live w/o an internal optical, but I need USB, FW400, and video out. Video out can be via a dongle, but I need the capability w/o a dock. Either that OR two express card slots so I can add this functionality.
It does look amazing, and its cool that technology is moving forward - but I dont think making the already tiny Macbook thinner helps me out in any way - I think I'd rather other innovations.
I mean yeah, those RAZR phones and other super thin cells are cool - but thats understandable because it goes in your pocket and has to fit in one hand.
Apart from a weight reduction, I wouldnt really buy into a thinner laptop alone.
I mean yeah, those RAZR phones and other super thin cells are cool - but thats understandable because it goes in your pocket and has to fit in one hand.
Apart from a weight reduction, I wouldnt really buy into a thinner laptop alone.
Steve will surprise us once more !
I don't think it make sense to release a laptop that folds with a keyboard.
Look at the logic of Apple new products: iPod Multi-Touch, iPhone multi-touch.
If they're going to release a new laptop or device it has to be useful and be really "NEW" like iphone and iPod was.
I'm thinking a 15 Inch flat screen, with no keyboard !!
The keyboard is like in the Iphone.
Steve told you they can change the keyboard based on the App being used.
They have not created a adapted Mac OS X version for nothing.
So: a 15 inch flat screen that can play DVD, music of course. It has Wifi, USB and firewire. no mouse, no keyboard.
To selectyour application: coverflow to the rescue.
Device would be geared towards: email, chatting, browsing the net, online community.
Something you can carry around with you anywhere.
Hard drive / Flash memory: good question: Flash memory is expensive and limited in space. I would go with hard drive. Probably same used in iPods.
So take an iPod MultiTouch, remove the wheel, stretch the screen so it forms a 15" and voila you have a: isomething.
It's not a mac, it's not a iPod.
Newton, say hello again !!
"There is something in the air".
It could he the apple falling from the tree.
That would make sense, don't you think?
I don't think it make sense to release a laptop that folds with a keyboard.
Look at the logic of Apple new products: iPod Multi-Touch, iPhone multi-touch.
If they're going to release a new laptop or device it has to be useful and be really "NEW" like iphone and iPod was.
I'm thinking a 15 Inch flat screen, with no keyboard !!
The keyboard is like in the Iphone.
Steve told you they can change the keyboard based on the App being used.
They have not created a adapted Mac OS X version for nothing.
So: a 15 inch flat screen that can play DVD, music of course. It has Wifi, USB and firewire. no mouse, no keyboard.
To selectyour application: coverflow to the rescue.
Device would be geared towards: email, chatting, browsing the net, online community.
Something you can carry around with you anywhere.
Hard drive / Flash memory: good question: Flash memory is expensive and limited in space. I would go with hard drive. Probably same used in iPods.
So take an iPod MultiTouch, remove the wheel, stretch the screen so it forms a 15" and voila you have a: isomething.
It's not a mac, it's not a iPod.
Newton, say hello again !!
"There is something in the air".
It could he the apple falling from the tree.
That would make sense, don't you think?
Personally I hope they update the Macbook pro
I guess I am one of those that don't get the ferver over a light lap top. I just don't see what is so fundamentally ground breaking. Sony has been making these for years.
I just hope that Apple updates the macbook pro. Call me old fashion but I like to have the capabilities to do everything on the road that I do at home. That includes being able to read a cd-rom, watch a dvd movie, hook up to a wired ethernet network, or write a snippet of code.
If Apple really wants to release a light-weight laptop that surfs, streams, and runs a few apps. Why not go all out and make a flash drive, single screen tablet with multi-touch capability. It could double as a ebook reader, a music and video playback device, internet surfing, mail checking tool.
I guess I am one of those that don't get the ferver over a light lap top. I just don't see what is so fundamentally ground breaking. Sony has been making these for years.
I just hope that Apple updates the macbook pro. Call me old fashion but I like to have the capabilities to do everything on the road that I do at home. That includes being able to read a cd-rom, watch a dvd movie, hook up to a wired ethernet network, or write a snippet of code.
If Apple really wants to release a light-weight laptop that surfs, streams, and runs a few apps. Why not go all out and make a flash drive, single screen tablet with multi-touch capability. It could double as a ebook reader, a music and video playback device, internet surfing, mail checking tool.
What?!.....It's not in colors!?!
Just a touch of color would be great. Like where the iPhone is black on the back down by the speakers, let there be a narrow strip underneath the ultraportable that's for colors. Fancy underwear! Clamshell type colors, why not. Something old, something new... Tangerine!
Ok, I understand what you're saying. I own an ASUS W3j. 1.4" at the thickest. 14" with a dedicated graphics card. You are right, to a point. I have held a nano, iphone and razr. I've almost dropped all of them. I won't go into it here, but because of the size of my fingers/hands, I wish apple had made the iphone permanently oriented sideways except while at your ear. Bigger keypad, 2 thumb usage instead of holding with 1 hand and pecking with the other.
Sorry, I feel for you, but you can't expect Apple to stop pushing the design envelope because some people aren't compatible with tiny electronics, am I right?
I would have thought they would keep Firewire in some way shape of form, and that doubles as the ethernet connection.
Touch is fine for a phone, but lousy for a laptop. Try typing a 50 page report with a virtual keyboard. And I don't really get the relationship between not having an optical drive and a keyboard. Most road warriors use their optical drive zero times on the road. The keyboard is used every single time the laptop is used. An optical drive adds to a machines thickness and weight. A keyboard does not.
I agree it needs USB ports, but what, pray tell, are you doing that needs FW and video-out? That sounds like video editing or something like it...this is NOT the machine for that. The 17" MBP is the videographer's choice. TWO expresscard slots? Dream on.
How about a multitouch screen with a virtual trackpad? Drag one finger anywhere on the screen and the cursor imitates that movement while magnifying the motion, just like your Macbook's trackpad does, complete with double tap to drag, 2 finger scrolling etc. This allows for precise pointing (when moved slowly, the pointer movement is slower) and no arm motion, a finger or thumb is enough. In addition, you can just drag and drop, click and zoom like on the iPhone.
If you've ever used a Wacom tablet, it's very similar. You can set the pen to absolute (top right on the tablet is top right on the screen) or relative (behaves like a mouse or trackpad). Basically the same thing, but without the pen/stylus.
"Most road warriors use their optical drive zero times on the road."
i respect that, however, an optical drive is JUST as important as a keyboard. CD's are used for practically all types of data. software, music, exporting projects. right now the macbook air just looks like an unfinished computer.
who would use itunes or ilife if they didn't have immediate access to an optical drive.
this is where the device becomes neither a tablet or a laptop. its severely lacking in fundamental components.
what is it?