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I would have thought they would keep Firewire in some way shape of form, and that doubles as the ethernet connection.

Everyone was pretty shocked (including me) when they dropped the modem from laptops....but I've never missed it. Nearly anywhere that has ethernet will have wireless too.
 
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.

BUT.... if the iPhone was exactly or slightly less functional at 8mm thickness instead of the 12mm it is now, would it be worth it?
 
Its like the Asus Eee PC and the old 12 inch Powerbook....um.. got it on and mated. Don't know if that is a good thing or not. For me, no DVI out = no deal, but that is just my personal thing, not to say this is the wrong direction to go.
 
I'm really hoping (if this is what's coming) it has some form of integrated memory card reader (SD/SDHC) and a mini-dvi out.
Between 9" and 12" LED-screen would be nice :>
 
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.

I think i see what you are saying but let me sure: Are you saying that the person does all this on the screen, with their finger? If so you are still holding your wrist and forearm over the keyboard. Try doing that right now for the rest of the time you are on your computer. Within 5 minutes your forearm will be screaming. Unless you are a tennis player or carpenter. Or are you saying that there is a seperate trackpad? Like on all other laptops.
 
Is it just me, or is anybody else not really turned on by a $1500 small screen thinbook lacking many essential connectivity and design features...

For me, I'd like to see a 19" MacBook Pro and a complete revision of the Cinema Display line, with LED backlighting and about a $300 - $500 pricecut across the line. I am into bright, big flashy displays on my mac, and the ability to hook up Dual-Link DVI or HDMI...both of which this "toy" is gonna lack. Come on, this thing looks like a toy.
 
When it comes to the Ethernet port though, they will NEED to have one of those on there. Wireless is far from perfect, it is usually slower and more prone to security issues than a wired connection, and too many businesses rely on wired networks for Apple to do this.

I don't know, I've rarely plugged my laptop into the ethernet. Wireless has been more than adequate. And if this thinger had some kind of dock, it would be solve that issue. I think.
 
Hmm that mock up says "MacBook" under the screen...surely if it truly was the so called MacBook Air, it was be called that and not a MacBook.

They won't be replacing the MacBook consumer laptop with a groundreaking technological master piece.

It's realistically not even possible to make the laptop that thin. From the images given, it looks like the thickness is no thicker that the actual material is likeley to be and therefore, they are not likely to get a logic board/hard drive (even SSD)/Keyboard in anything that thin.
 
"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?

Sorry, I disagree. Every time you touch your computer you will use the keyboard. Just participating in forums like I'm doing now would be nearly impossible with just a touchscreen. Same goes for long emails. I haven't done any surveys, but I'm certain that for the average user (ie, NOT a video or music pro), the optical drive gets little if any use on a daily basis. Apple is moving us AWAY from optical media (iTunes store, streaming, etc), and although we are a long way from that, it's a start. They'll need to offer an external option (or include it), but for the average user (and especially road-warriors), the optical would be the first thing to chuck from a light laptop. Get a USB drive for backups.
 
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 think this is what is coming.... I think the mockups are wrong.
Use a wireless keyboard when you want one via bluetooth. When you don't, use the virtual keyboard.
I predict a 15" touchscreen shaped like an iphone. No keyboard.
 
I just remembered the Intel Metro concept...the specs sound awfully similar to this new rumored mac if I remember right. ~2.x pounds, very thin, long battery life, no optical, glass to the edges of the screen, just no multitouch.

Anyone remember that thing from May?
 
"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?

i'm going to have to disagree you with that. optical drive is NOWHERE near as important as a keyboard, especially when you have flash drives available for cheap that does just what you described: data transfer, exporting projects etc. flash drives are today's floppy drives. CD's and DVD's are mainly for installing software, watching movies, backing up an occasional file here and there...not something somebody on the road is going to need. If you do need it, an external optical drive is sufficient enough for the vast majority of people.
 
Sorry, I disagree. Every time you touch your computer you will use the keyboard. Just participating in forums like I'm doing now would be nearly impossible with just a touchscreen. Same goes for long emails. I haven't done any surveys, but I'm certain that for the average user (ie, NOT a video or music pro), the optical drive gets little if any use on a daily basis. Apple is moving us AWAY from optical media (iTunes store, streaming, etc), and although we are a long way from that, it's a start. They'll need to offer an external option (or include it), but for the average user (and especially road-warriors), the optical would be the first thing to chuck from a light laptop. Get a USB drive for backups.



so in the future,,,, if i want to watch a movie, i have to either buy it from apple at a ridiculous price, and then store it on my hard-drive that is probably lacking in size because its FLASH, and therefore I'm forced to buy ANOTHER piece of external hardware to store all my movies? or, attache an external included optical drive to watch my own dvd's? that hardly seams practical for "road-warriors"
 
Is it just me, or is anybody else not really turned on by a $1500 small screen thinbook lacking many essential connectivity and design features...

For me, I'd like to see a 19" MacBook Pro and a complete revision of the Cinema Display line, with LED backlighting and about a $300 - $500 pricecut across the line. I am into bright, big flashy displays on my mac, and the ability to hook up Dual-Link DVI or HDMI...both of which this "toy" is gonna lack. Come on, this thing looks like a toy.

That would be a nice niche machine (19"!), but if that's what you need, this is NOT the laptop for you. The machine you described will not drop any jaws at Macworld, that's for sure.
 
I don't like it

Personally i don't like the slope design of a notebook, in fact today i sat in class and saw a fellow student's Dell thinking, "Wow i think the slope is unattractive...at least Apple has symmetrical designs." Then I get on, and what do i see? the very computer i spent in class hating on..great... The mock-up is nice, but not apple. Apple is all about simplicity and symmetry, none of their products don't follow the consistency of that. I am really hoping this is not the macbook air, if so i will just buy the revamped macbook or macbook pro.


*Crosses fingers*"PLEASE DON'T DISAPPOINT ME APPLE!"
 
so in the future,,,, if i want to watch a movie, i have to either buy it from apple at a ridiculous price, and then store it on my hard-drive that is probably lacking in size because its FLASH, and therefore I'm forced to buy ANOTHER piece of external hardware to store all my movies? or, attache an external included optical drive to watch my own dvd's? that hardly seams practical for "road-warriors"

Road warriors don't watch that many DVDs on the road. They are usually working. If they do, they'll either put the external in their bag or suffer with a 5 lb macbook. I agree that it would be nice to have an optical drive, but if there's one thing that would save a lot of heigh/weight, it's the optical drive. In "the future", you'll probably download your movie altogether.
 
If this is meant to be a laptop then I don't understand the lack of an optical drive. What ever happened to those patent sketches of an optical drive that is underneath the laptop? A USB external drive makes sense, though that would seem very un-Apple.

If it doesn't have an optical drive, I'm sure Apple has come up with a simple easy solution for consumers to install software from a CD or DVD.

I'm still hoping this "Air" is more large iTouch than tiny Macbook. Can't wait until tomorrow night. And even more excited for a Leopard update!
 
Whatever it is I hope it has a matte screen...

I hope it does too, or else i'll scream, then cry because there is no decent replacement for my 12" powerbook, and then either figure out a mod to put the insides of this into a powerbook case or buy a PC notebook and make a hackintosh.
 
I want an innovative Apple that pushes the boundaries of what's available and makes the industry move forward. Taking away an optical drive could help do that.
 
so in the future,,,, if i want to watch a movie, i have to either buy it from apple at a ridiculous price, and then store it on my hard-drive that is probably lacking in size because its FLASH, and therefore I'm forced to buy ANOTHER piece of external hardware to store all my movies? or, attache an external included optical drive to watch my own dvd's? that hardly seams practical for "road-warriors"

we'll also be ruled over by morlocks, so... don't sweat the optical drive thing.

Cause you're gonna get eaten by a morlock.
 
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