Thin MacBook with Bottom Mounted Optical Drive?

[Warbrain]

i'm not so sure about the 1-3%. i guess 50 % of all mac sales are notebooks. and i guess half of that are desktop replacements. so maybe 25% of all users could use a docking port.

I still don't think so. If those computers are desktop replacements, how many of them are using an external monitor? Probably less than 1/3 of those that bought a laptop for that manner. And even then, they most likely have all the necessary things to expand their capabilities without a dock.

 

[Shintocam]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the diagram show a Ti Powerbook? By my way of reckoning, the MacBook Pro comparison would appear to be an on-topic opinion (it is, after all, an opinion). And what's more, what percentage of people solely use their laptops without anything plugged into it?

My slant on this is that for a full sized laptop (like the one shown in the diagram), it's a crap idea... but I would agree that for an ultra-portable, it's probably right on the money.

Dazzer21

Dazzer - you misunderstood me - I meant that I was the one who was off topic - not you.....

i'm not so sure about the 1-3%. i guess 50 % of all mac sales are notebooks. and i guess half of that are desktop replacements. so maybe 25% of all users could use a docking port.

I completely agree....I seriously doubt it is 1-3% of users. Now perhaps you could say that only a small percentage of MacBook users may opt for a docking station - but the MacBook Pro is often used by people that don't want to have to buy a notebook AND a desktop. And when it is being used as a desktop replacement, it is plugged into a lot of stuff.

Seriously, how hard would it be for Apple to put a port on the bottom and a nice little port replicator - does not have to be a full docking station. Something very Apple like - cool design that lets you plug everything in and just one cable coming out. Or even simpler - just make the CinemaDisplay into a port replicator. Everything plugs into the Cinema display and when you plug it into your laptop - you are all set to go. Seriously it would not be that hard.

 

[dejo]

I like the old TI PB used in the patent image...

What makes you think it's an old Ti PB? Seems fairly generic to me.

Geeze, just take the optical drive out of the ultra portable!
And then make a really nice, thin add-on drive available.

Ultra-portable. Add-on. Isn't that a conflict of terms?

 

[dazzer21]

Dazzer - you misunderstood me - I meant that I was the one who was off topic - not you.....

Could have read it either way, but my mistake - sorry about that...

 

[WilliamLondon]

LOL - This is soooo stupid.
I can't wait to get my "flip-book."

Geeze, just take the optical drive out of the ultra portable!

And then make a really nice, thin add-on drive available.

AMEN!

My gawd, why must every device be required to perform every possible task?

Are you serious? Do you not know what Apple's mantra is? A computer is shipped to be able to be used right out of the box! To include a dock is to make the computer a cripple and will ultimately make the computer less marketable.

Not at all - it would make it appropriate for its form factor. Why lug around an optical drive the life of the machine just so you have the option of popping a disk in when you take it out of the box? Either a port replicator or slim external device for those that absolutely need it. For the rest, there's a firewire cable connection to our other machines, there's ethernet to our existing networks, there's this new fangled wireless world out there.

That's my wish.

 

[Warbrain]

Not at all - it would make it appropriate for its form factor. Why lug around an optical drive the life of the machine just so you have the option of popping a disk in when you take it out of the box? Either a port replicator or slim external device for those that absolutely need it. For the rest, there's a firewire cable connection to our other machines, there's ethernet to our existing networks, there's this new fangled wireless world out there.

That's my wish.

But again...you're not following the philosophy of Apple. That computer is supposed to be totally usable EVERYWHERE. To not do that is to create something that isn't Apple.

 

[steve_hill4]

I don't necessarily care about smaller laptops, I'm more concerned with improving the overall speed and quality of the notebook. [snip]

Well, if we all took that attitude, no progress would be made in the world of technology. "I'm not bothered about an easier to use GUI based machine, I just want a faster DOS, command line offering." Where would we be if we had have listened back then? The GUI may have been slow to take off at first, but eventually few are using machine without it. It's about catering for a market when it becomes worth it, whether it's a small market or potentially large. Sure, sub-notebooks are a small market and tablets are even smaller, but they both show signs of huge potential growth.

Apple would be foolish to completely ignore them just because a lot of their current customers say they're not interested. If they weren't, and they already use Macs, what's the point? They want to sell these to Mac owners who are currently after something smaller, but nothing is there for them, or those who want to use a Mac, but Apple doesn't offer what PC manufacturer X does.

Are you serious? Do you not know what Apple's mantra is? A computer is shipped to be able to be used right out of the box! To include a dock is to make the computer a cripple and will ultimately make the computer less marketable.

Like the PowerBook Duo.

We probably sell PC laptops anything up to 5 to 1 to desktops in our shop these days, and we ain't a small retailer. Maybe even more. Macs sell at more like 2 to 1, but that's MacBooks and MBPs against iMacs. We don't sell that many Mini's or Mac Pros. The reason we sell so many portables across the board these days is more often than not space. If there was a dock option for these, or even one in the box like Sony have previously done, people would use it. I know this, I sure would and I know personally many more people that would too.

Again, things like this are all about niches.

 

[gauriemma]

Hmmmm...this might be the single most ridiculous thing I've heard all week. Even worse than the "Cingular is giving away a year and a half of service to anyone who buys an iPhone" story.

 

[BigPrince]

With the cheapness of Flash Drives, CD-ROM's maybe going out the door. Instead of totally removing the CD-ROM cause that is not yet reasonably possible to do, they could be phasing them out. Other then burning iLife stuff to DVD's and some installations, although now many of those installations can be found online, by drive sits idle.

 

[WilliamLondon]

But again...you're not following the philosophy of Apple. That computer is supposed to be totally usable EVERYWHERE. To not do that is to create something that isn't Apple.

I don't believe that at all. It has to be usable for its *intended* purpose. One argument I see over and over here is that every machine must address every person's needs for every conceivable task - that ludicrous. For my home machine, yes it needs an optical drive - for my laptops (I have two, neither of which are Apple), not so much, and for an ultraportable, not at all.

The requirements for machines to support external media is changing because we have too many other options for getting data onto a machine.

 

[zblaxberg]

Can't see that working myself. If you want to pop in a CD you have to shut the laptop, turn it over insert disk, turn in back the right way, open the lid, oh balls its the wrong CD....

yea I don't see how they would fit something like that in there...isn't the goal to make the laptops less bulky?? and what if your MBP fell or was tapped...oops there goes the $500 adobe photoshop install cd all scratched up

 

[shawnce]

But again...you're not following the philosophy of Apple. That computer is supposed to be totally usable EVERYWHERE. To not do that is to create something that isn't Apple.

That is an overstatement of Apple's philosophy... it also isn't supported by the feature set of MacBooks, Mac minis, iPods, etc. they are devices targeted as specific markets with a specific subset of feature most appropriate to that market.

 

[morespce54]

why do we need cds or dvds anyway? they are an outdated concept. you can easily put the contents of a dvd on a sd card. if software distributors embraced a flash type solution it would eliminate the need for a optical drive all together.

...therefore, eliminate a very usable backup solution... I don't know... I do agree that I don't use the CD/DVD drive that much but for backup purpose (when your HD is 40GB), I still do...

 

[combatcolin]

"getting The Bugger To Work"

the picture reminded me of the original sony playstation.

Years ago my mates old PS would only play games if turned upside down and a heavy book placed on top to weigh down the CD drive.

That was fun changing game discs over.

 

[Yvan256]

But again...you're not following the philosophy of Apple. That computer is supposed to be totally usable EVERYWHERE. To not do that is to create something that isn't Apple.

A DVD-less MacBook would still be usable out of the box, you just need an external drive (USB or FireWire) to install CD/DVD software, read/burn CDs and read/burn DVDs.

I can't burn DVDs with my Mac mini, does it mean it goes against Apple's philosophy? I mean, why do I get iDVD if I can't burn DVDs?

Ultra-portable = drop the damn optical drive already. It's not like you can't access CDs/DVDs, just connect an external unit - there's plenty of those on the market.

 

[Aldyn]

omg. i would probably have that door bitched up within a week if i had to close the laptop, turn it over, push an eject button to pop the door open.

 

[uNext]

How annoying.

I hope is redefined but then again apple is claiming re-invention a whole lot this days and far from actually REINVENTING something worth the title.

I hope it evolves to something revolutionary-if 1 company can slim down any product is apple.

For now this goes into the "WHAT THE FU(K" section.

 

[janstett]

It's an innovative, if unusable, solution. This just bolsters my argument that an ultraportable laptop doesn't even need an optical drive anymore. Just eliminate it completely ala the Thinkpad X60.

If it's needed so rarely that it's on the bottom of the laptop, it really isn't needed much at all, is it, so what's the point of having one at all?

 

[Chef Medeski]

It's an innovative, if unusable, solution. This just bolsters my argument that an ultraportable laptop doesn't even need an optical drive anymore. Just eliminate it completely ala the Thinkpad X60.

If it's needed so rarely that it's on the bottom of the laptop, it really isn't needed much at all, is it, so what's the point of having one at all?

I dont use mine much. Maybe once or twice a month. But if I didnt have it those times I would really have been poed. Usually its to burn a file quick off my computer or to upload a CD at school of my friends. Definetly not going to carry an external around, but this owuld be perfect. Very slim device that still has one even though its a bit touch to reach, its ok by me.

 

[bilbo--baggins]

My thoughts:

Impractical
Vulnerable to breaking
Why should this allow it to be any thinner than a slot loading mechanism?

This is the kind of thing I'd expect on April fools day.

 

[BigPrince]

If it had an 11-13 inch matte screen and they dropped Santa Rose in there, I am buying it. Again, with the FLASH drives being so easily accessable, I no longer need CD-ROM's except for some iLife burning. If you do alot of iLife burning then you probably own your own quicker external drive. This labtop does not have to meet everyones needs. I am sure that when Apple dropped the floppy drive as a standard feature on their computers, people were up in amrs then too.

I think that this is a unique idea that seems a little ugly, but I think if it helps make the small form factor more possible, then I am all for it.

 

[panoz7]

My thoughts:
Why should this allow it to be any thinner than a slot loading mechanism?

I don't think thinness is what they were necessarily after. I think they were suggesting that as laptops get smaller the amount of surface area available for ports, latches, and the hinge gets smaller as-well. Placing the optical drive on the bottom would leave a few more inches of space around the perimeter that could be used for ports, the hinge, etc...

 

[waltchan]

Stay away from bottom-mounted DVD drives. They tend to wear out and break down faster, because they play discs upside-down. I work in an electronic business and I know.

 

[BigPrince]

Do you know the reason for that?

 

[cho]

Horrible design

I don't think this bottom-loading CD/DVD drive is a good design.

Here's one scenario that makes this method unsuitable:
Imagine that your laptop is hooked with Firewire cables, USB cables, Magsafe power plug, along with a USB light to illuminate a bookstand that sits to the left of the laptop. That's my computer! Now, when I want to watch a DVD on this laptop, I have to turn the whole laptop upside down with all those wires and contraptions stuck to it (or if not, unplug everything and then flip it over) and then insert the optical disk?

Horrible idea!

I only own one computer (a laptop) which is why along with using it as a work computer, I also use it for music, videos etc. It is my media station.