Touch Panels for Apple Netbook Ordered?

[VoR]

Do you see Mercedes making little Korean-esque clown cars just because they'll sell? No. They're protecting their brand image and that's exactly what Apple is going to do

Yay, car analogies!
Mercedes also make the A (and B...) class, an costly car, built cheaply and sold to people that want to buy their idea of a status symbol. They've had loads of bad press recently for poor quality cars. It wasn't long ago the E class was built for less money than the mondeo.
I don't live in the US, there's a lot less of the "omg it's a german car, they're all amazing and expensive and the best" over here.
You do not (often) get what you pay for.

ps. The 'korean clown car companies' are probably struggling for business more than mercedes - and do you drive a toyota or a nissan? You don't seem to know yourself

 

[Jelite]

And so The Cycle begins again... Infinite Loop indeed.

An obscure component manufacturer somewhere in the Pacific Rim announces a major order for some bleeding-edge piece of technology that could conceivably become part of an expensive, digital-lifestyle-enhancing nerd toy.

LoL

 

[j5045096]

Yay, car analogies!
Mercedes also make the A (and B...) class, an costly car, built cheaply and sold to people that want to buy their idea of a status symbol. They've had loads of bad press recently for poor quality cars. It wasn't long ago the E class was built for less money than the mondeo.
I don't live in the US, there's a lot less of the "omg it's a german car, they're all amazing and expensive and the best" over here.
You do not (often) get what you pay for.

ps. The 'korean clown car companies' are probably struggling for business more than mercedes - and do you drive a toyota or a nissan? You don't seem to know yourself

What I said was that Mercedes hasn't made a low cost ($10,000) Mercedes car to sell to the masses. There are Mercedes cars that are cheaper than others, not 10 grand. Now whoever brought up the Smart car example...that's a good example and I'll concede it, though I hardly consider 70 hp and 3 cylinders a Mercedes. But nonetheless, Mercedes as a brand who owns Smart, did stoop to broad appeal and I stand corrected.

 

[macshill]

netbooks = lowcost smaller laptop computers

Apple + netbooks (lowcost smaller laptop computers) = does not compute!

I think Apple will just see this as a rare hybrid (Apple netbook) to gouge their buyers.

 

[Slurpy2k8]

I seriously hope Apple doesn't release a netbook...EVER. Smaller doesn't necessarily equate to better. Every netbook I've played around with was painful in terms of the keyboard size--the Asus ones are even worse because they decided to put the L and R mouse click buttons on the sides and it's awkward to use ...beyond awkward. The keys are clumsy and small - the thing is just impossible to use.

The tablet idea to me is DEAD. Toshiba, Asus and others tried the table computer years ago - do they even sell them anymore? They were overpriced and just a novelty -- not something that did anything for productivity. Plus you look like a geek carrying one around...kinda like people who walk around with Bluetooth in their ear ALL DAY LONG, waiting for a call.

The iPhone/iTouch is the platform Apple needs to keep pushing...this past weekend I was away on a camping/canoeing weekend and had my iPhone with me (left the MacBook Pro at home). I was able to text several people, send all the e-mails I needed to send; my wife calls me and tells me the Social Security card for our newborn arrived and gave me the number...while sitting on a canoe (taking a break) I logged on to my bank/insurance company, added our baby and opened up a joint savings account for her...all from my iPhone.

Did I make typing mistakes on the iPhone keyboard? Absolutely, but if I had to choose between a crummy netbook to carry around and an iPhone/Touch the choice is easy. Just like handheld computing (Windows/Palm based Pocket PC's/Palm Pilots) this netbook fad will die fast and I think it's because they don't do enough (they're good for email and web and that's about it whereas an iPhone can do that and talk, text, run apps, download music etc.).

That's nice. But for many of us, there's definitely a place for something between an iPhone and a macbook. Your experiences dont translate to everyone. Dont try to pretend that web browsing on an iPhone is something enjoyable for anything beyond a couple minutes. Same thing with the virtual keyboard. For me, an apple netbook would be perfect. It should have a much smaller footprint than a macbook, and would have a keyboard that would make it useable. It would run OSX of course.

I'm travelling overseas soon- and I'm debating what to bring. The iPhone doesnt cut is for me (Id like to download photos off the camera, send decent sized emails, IM, voice-chat, and work on some files) while I dont really need the full heft and features of the macbook. A nicely built machine with an SSD, no optical drive, 7-10' screen running OSX would be perfect. And no, I dont want the macbook air.

I always find it odd how people like you hope that companies 'never' release a product that would fit so well in the lifestyle of others and make them happy and more productive- as if the release would somehow harm you.

 

[j5045096]

That's nice. But for many of us, there's definitely a place for something between an iPhone and a macbook. Your experiences dont translate to everyone. Dont try to pretend that web browsing on an iPhone is something enjoyable for anything beyond a couple minutes. Same thing with the virtual keyboard. For me, an apple netbook would be perfect. It should have a much smaller footprint than a macbook, and would have a keyboard that would make it useable. It would run OSX of course.

I always find it odd how people like you hope that companies 'never' release a product that would fit so well in the lifestyle of others and make them happy and more productive- as if the release would somehow harm you.

I hear your points...

1) I didn't say Safari on the iPhone was enjoyable. What I did say is that I have pretty much been able to (maybe not enjoyably) do everything on my iPhone's browser than my full Safari does...minus Flash and don't get me started about how much I could care less about Flash.

You used the word "enjoyable experience" - I think where we differ is that I see a netbook as a novelty that is made for the Starbucks regular. "I have a few minutes so I'll check my e-mails or look up something online." If you want to "enjoy" the internet, don't you surf when you're at home, on a bigger screen? It's like the iPhone. It plays movies, but do you think I sit at home on my couch watching movies on it? Heck no - I barely watch movies on it as it is, but if I do I'm waiting for my wife to finish shopping; or I'm in the airport or on a plane etc. A netbook is not a small MacBook - the current offering of netbooks are no frills little e-mail checkers! And there's nothing wrong with that but if that's true tell me why Apple needs to make one OR why a netbook is more practical than just owning a laptop that has full size computing power + an iPhone or an iPod touch that can go with you via a pocket.

The people like me comment...yeah I just think we're overdrawn and overspent and a netbook is a novelty to me. Again, it's my opinion and ours differ and that's okay

 

[j5045096]

I'm travelling overseas soon- and I'm debating what to bring. The iPhone doesnt cut is for me (Id like to download photos off the camera, send decent sized emails, IM, voice-chat, and work on some files) while I dont really need the full heft and features of the macbook. A nicely built machine with an SSD, no optical drive, 7-10' screen running OSX would be perfect. And no, I dont want the macbook air.

how bout a bigger memory card for your camera though? that is one thing that has amazed me - how cheap those have gotten...

 

[trip1ex]

ON a sidenote: What if Apple gave us longer battery life in their current laptops?

What if the cpus and gpus could run at much slower speeds. (I know some of this is done now, but not as much as it should be.) What if software was also designed for on the go use as well as well as full desktop use?

What if Apple's laptops had the option to run more robust "iPhone" versions of the programs in OS/X? Why not have 8gb-16gb of flash on a laptop in addition to a harddrive? The flash would house an iPhone like version of OS/X. What if I could instantly boot to this flash drive like with an Iphone or Touch?

 

[StephenReding]

I hope.

I think Apple should compete with all the eBooks, like Amazon’s Kindle. Introduce their new e-book that has 32 shades of gray and show how its touch screen is just as easy as the iPhone and iPod touch. And add eBooks to iTunes. Then say, “There is one more thing.” The reason it looks so great, its running Snow Leopard. Audience Cheers!!! It’s also a full touch screen Mac with a high-resolution color screen. I think that would be a great. You know everyone would be upset if it was just another eBook at first. Then they would go crazy after the, “One more thing” line. When they are done talking about their new device they could then finish by talking all about snow leopard.

 

[trooman]

Apple late to the netbook game

So what? Apple was late to the cell phone game too.

 

[ddTaylor]

I wouldn't necessarily expect Apple's to be "low-cost" either.

I am FAR from an Apple apologist as can be seen from my previous posts on MacRumors and 9to5mac but this IS Apple so you can expect it to come in around $700-900. I am not opposed to that price IF they bring something substantially new to the table, not just shrink the size and add some so-so features. Is it to much to ask for a MATTE DISPLAY? Since this will be used in a more mobile/portable environment I would hope it is a OPTION.

I have been looking for an Apple branded netbook in order to give my Acer One OSX netbook the bott down the line to my parents or non-Apple user friends to test the OS out.

Here is for a sub $700 netbook - but you and I know that is not going to happen unless Apple and those in charge have been hitting the medical Marry Jane.

D

 

[Eric S.]

I call it the xMac. It IS the xMac (it uses "Bloomfield", for crying out loud), it's just $1,000 more than people expected.

That's not the xMac. I know it's not the xMac because if it were, I would be buying one.

As to the tablet rumors - what, again?

 

[adamvk]

C'mon people, its not a netbook, but a larger screen iPod Touch....Thats all....

 

[GQB]

2. Windows 7 is being released in the relatively near future, and alongside that comes strong support for touch screens... so far, initial reviews on Windows 7 has been overwhelmingly positive.

Amazing.... almost 30 years of MS's patented FUD, and people still fall for it.
Don't buy <really good existing product> because windows is releasing (fill in the blank) REAL SOON and everyone (i.e. MS flaks) says it will just blow <really good existing product> away!

 

[pmoeser]

It'll be for the next gen iPhone, not a netbook

 

[ULFoaf]

Me want netbook

Ug! Me Want Netbook. Ug!

 

[Marx55]

What size are those touch screens?

See the first picture of this:
Next Apple moves will be Books and Games…
http://spidouz.wordpress.com/2008/09...ooks-and-games

 

[MattInOz]

It's a market that Apple has officially denied interest in.

They said they had explored options.
They said they didn't know how to make a computer in netbook price point that wasn't junk.
They said they hadn't found a way to hit that market in a way they could sustain or be happy with.

They have never said they weren't interested.

 

[GQB]

There's a very male element to this thread (no surprise), in that the there's some underlying assumption that a tablet won't sell because it won't fit into a pocket.
But I've taken to carrying a really cool, small shoulder bag (re Seinfeld... IT'S NOT A PURSE!!!!!) first for my (ugh, for work) X61 lenovo, next for a trip to europe as my day pack, and now, just because its way more efficient that a wallet (which, incidentally, is bad for your back.)

In short, I can carry up to a 10" just fine, but still think 6-8" is going to be the sweet spot.

And finally, those who say that Apple's 'netbooks' will essentially be larger touch/iPhones running the slimmer OS, while saving the higher performance OS X for full-bore laptops have it on the nose.
Although we'll eventually see the 2 OS's merge.

 

[joemama]

It'll be for the next gen iPhone, not a netbook

Shhhhh (quiet).....Haven't you heard? Don't post comments or ideas other people already posted.

"striatedglutes" will notice, get upset and call you names.

 

[notjustjay]

ON a sidenote: What if Apple gave us longer battery life in their current laptops?

I think that would be great!

They might be heading in that direction with the 17" unibody. No other 17" laptop battery life even comes close as far as I've read.

If their MacBooks and MacBook Pro's could be tweaked to get, say, 8-9 hours of battery life on a charge, that would be pretty significant innovation and would partially negate my own desire for a netbook (to have a small device I can count on "anytime" without worry about battery life). Students would find this particularly appealing.

The next step is to get long-life batteries and inductive charging pads -- a laptop you never have to plug in.

 

[GQB]

That's irrelevant. There won't ever be one.

Seems you have a lot of emotional investment in there not ever being one.
You know, maybe there will be pads for people who want that, and fliptop 'netbook' for those with other needs.
Funny how that works.

 

[JoeDMD]

Apple HAS to be higher priced. Their gear is simply better. Folks that complain about price never seem to take into account the Quality of the Materials and the Perfection of the Build. Why? Because then they wouldn't have something to b!tch about. There are also quite a few PC Trolls here that want to create negative on Apple at every chance they get.

Apple has the best OS, in the best-looking and excellently crafted machines around. I happily pay more because it's simply WORTH IT.

While I enjoy working on my Mac, I don't know it is worth the price premium.
My mac is 7 years old, and still running strong, but no name off brand PC I retired 3 years ago was 6 years old when I replaced it, and it still ran well, it was just outdated. My 3 year old Dimension 9100 is also fine, I was just too dumb to go for the Pentium D so I am stuck with a HT chip. I have never had a PC die on me. I have never had a drive fail or RAM fry. The biggest thing I ever replaced was a PSU. The Mac may have smarter cases (recently, but my 8500 was impossible to work in), but quality has been the same - good.

There are still some essential features of windows that osx does not have.
These shortfalls cost me tons of time and extra keystrokes and mouse movents.
1) jump to a file name (when saving) by hitting the first letter of the file.
2) remember the last save to directory when saving rather than where the original was from

 

[iMacmatician]

3.) Think education. School budgets are shrinking. A portable lab full of inexpensive netbooks would be fantastic, and imagine if textbooks and interactive workbooks could be installed right onto them at a fraction of a cost of the real thing. Heck, Kindle already has an iApp for this.

I too think this will be one of the focus areas of the Apple mini-tablet/netbook.

 

[twoodcc]

well now. i would love to see an apple netbook. especially a touch screen one