Ultra-Portable Mac Expected at Macworld Expo 2008

[lbjack]

NOT too big!

13" is definitely NOT too big, when you're talking widescreen. In terms of screen height it's about like a 10-inch 4:3. Sure, it's fine for watching movies on your tray table or tummy, but not for serious work. At 13 inches, reducing size shouldn't mean reducing the footprint. Apparently Apple agrees.

 

[celloman]

this may sound n00bish but, does "no optical drive" mean that the comp will have no place to put cds/dvds? or does "no optical drive" mean just that the hard drive will have no spinny things and rather have a solid state drive? thx.

ps. why do solid state drives come in not very big capacities and weird numbers? ie. 64,128? do bigger ones exist? and why are they so expensive?? thx a lot!

 

[motulist]

this may sound n00bish but, does "no optical drive" mean that the comp will have no place to put cds/dvds? or does "no optical drive" mean just that the hard drive will have no spinny things and rather have a solid state drive? thx.

ps. why do solid state drives come in not very big capacities and weird numbers? ie. 64,128? do bigger ones exist? and why are they so expensive?? thx a lot!

No optical drive means it has no place for you to stick in cd or dvd type disks.

Solid state drives are a replacement for the internal spinning hard drive where all the files on your computer are stored.

 

[MacinDoc]

I bet they have a dedicated graphics card - that's the big complaint about the Macbooks, and it would drive a ginormous external screen for all you pro users.

/snip/

I would think it would be at least as powerful as a Macbook, if not moreso - you use the extra space freed up by the optical drive to make this work...

Won't happen in an ultraportable where the concern is heat production. Sorry, no dedicated graphics, and a low-power CPU.

 

[celloman]

No optical drive means it has no place for you to stick in cd or dvd type disks.

Solid state drives are a replacement for the internal spinning hard drive where all the files on your computer are stored.

thanks for the clarification!

 

[Wild-Bill]

Won't happen in an ultraportable where the concern is heat production. Sorry, no dedicated graphics, and a low-power CPU.

If there is to be no dedicated graphics in this ultraportable, they should refrain from calling it "Pro" then, IMO.

 

[Val-kyrie]

How about hybrid gfx

I'm really hoping for the best GPU they can cram in the space and not drain the battery.

Perhaps this is just wishful thinking, but it would be nice if Apple would use a hybrid gfx system like some of the Sonys--x3100 for power saving and 8400M (or something similar) for graphics processing power. Now only if Apple could switch between the two without having to restart the computer (the problem with the Sony design).

 

[Roller]

The target audience for this will be people who need a lightweight (no more than 3 pounds) Mac that can keep going through a cross-country flight and handle most "business productivity" software. With LED backlighting, flash memory storage, and the like, it's not going to be cheap, but I bet it'll sell. I'll buy one.

The interesting question is whether there will be a separate "ultra-portable" in between a laptop and the iPhone/iPod touch.

 

[dabirdwell]

Flash for OSX and app caching?

So, could this conceivably use flash memory to hold all of OSX and a sizable caching buffer for both the OS and the active applications, so that there are (almost) never swap files on a HD?

I can see this contributing to battery life in a huge way for mobile productivity use. If Photoshop loads up your 1GB file into cache and never has to go back to the HD while you're working on it, and all of OSX runs out of the cache, then damn, it seems like speed and power efficiency all in one.

How big would the flash space have to be in order to accommodate this under a majority of portable applications? 16GB? 32?

Maybe we see a product differentiation here- if you only use Word, Keynote, Mail, Safari, and iTunes, then buy the one with a 16GB solid state drive. But if you're using something much more demanding, then go for the more expensive model. Maybe a 16, 32, 64. 64GB of space would sure let some mobile video warriors edit small spots on the scene. And fast.

Maybe I'm crazy-

 

[iEdd]

Didn't apple patent a couple of optical drive ideas, either under the keyboard or on the back of the laptop? At least then you wouldn't have to cart around an external and find somewhere to plug in.

I hope this doesn't end up being a crippled macbook, with "pro" tacked on it, with half the specs and double the price.

 

[(L)]

OK. Very exciting.

I can't be bothered to read 200 posts, but one of the big questions I hope has been mentioned is this:

Is this a tablet, or no?

If it is, that probably ups the price point. If not, which might seem more likely with the odd-sounding trackpad, then this would almost have to be sandwiched between the MacBooks and MBPs. Yet, being that small and something weird about the trackpad leads me to believe this product is not simply being squeezed in there, but rather, Apple is doing some new and interesting things that are appropriate for a new niche.

Apple being hot with touchscreen technology and a 13" format being perfect for a tablet gives reason to hope. I don't personally hope in that direction, since it'd probably cost like 1800? Sounds good, so it must be expensive.

 

[TurboSC]

I think Apple is laughing it up because everyone thinks it's going to be the same old same old.

There will definitely be an update to the MacBookPro line, and quite frankly the slimmed down sub-compact will probably fall under this update.

I have a feeling there's something bigger and unexpected around the corner, and I hope I'm right... because a Tablet would be uber sweet.

 

[CatharticFlux]

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[CatharticFlux]

delete...

 

[CatharticFlux]

Exciting as the idea of a revolutionary multi-touch tablet with a solid-state drive is... I'd take just small and well-engineered.

I'm on board with the lack of an optical drive. I just don't remember the last time I used one on the road. I'm on board with using the 1.8" form-factor HDs used in iPod Classics. A multi-touch touchpad would be cute, but not if it means $500 more. A high pixel density LCD screen would certainly be welcome. Give me 802.11n, a couple of gigs of ram and one of the spiffy 160 HDDs that the iPods are carrying and we can color this sold.

 

[hayduke]

Exciting as the idea of a revolutionary multi-touch tablet with a solid-state drive is... I'd take just small and well-engineered.

I'm on board with the lack of an optical drive. I just don't remember the last time I used one on the road. I'm on board with using the 1.8" form-factor HDs used in iPod Classics. A multi-touch touchpad would be cute, but not if it means $500 more. A high pixel density LCD screen would certainly be welcome. Give me 802.11n, a couple of gigs of ram and one of the spiffy 160 HDDs that the iPods are carrying and we can color this sold.

I agree, except I don't think the iPod drives would work well for a laptop. The size is nice, but they are designed for the near constant read/write that a laptop requires. They are "read occasionally, write rarely" drives.

Fingers crossed for something small. I have a MacPro, so I don't need my laptop to be as powerful.

 

[catlair]

No Optical CD/DVD drive!!!

Apple can't be serious! I'll be one of the first to buy an ultra light 13 or 12" BUT without an optical CD/DVD drive it will be a bumper. Guess I may just stick to my trusty PB 15"... :-(

 

[tveric]

Why would you need an optical drive when a 4 GB USB flash drive costs $20, and in a year a 16GB flash drive will probably cost $20?

This is Apple ahead of the curve, if the rumor is true, and if eliminating the optical drive means a smaller, thinner laptop, then I'm all for it.

If you don't own a desktop Mac, and don't want to shell out $$ for an external optical drive, then this ultra-thin Mac isn't for you, that's all. Even so, optical drives will go the way of the floppy drive, eventually. Just a matter of when, not if. They're already unnecessary for many of us, myself included.

 

[Clancycoop]

This is not rhetorical or supposed to be rude:

Could someone who has used a Tablet or likes them tell me what they can be used for? The only thing that comes to mind is a Doctor using it instead of a clipboard... and that is probably not even right.

I am just curious what their application is, as it seems many people on here would love for them to make a tablet.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Catonow]

Frankly, if the rumors are true, this will be a dream come true.

I'd gladly sacrifice a CD/DVD drive in exchange for greater portability. If you really need to burn DVDs on the road, you can always throw an external drive in your bag. They're small and cheap nowadays. Or... you can buy one of five other laptop models offered by Apple which all contain Super Drives. But I'd wager that most laptop users don't burn DVDs or CDs all that often, and won't miss it much at all.

Pace ParisParamus, I'm really excited to see that the new thingamajig is (rumored, at least) to be a lot lighter. I personally think that weight is a greater factor in portability than the overall dimensions. I need a full-size keyboard, so I wouldn't want anything much smaller than 13". But just try slogging through airport security and changing terminals during a stop-over while dragging a carry-on bag and lugging a 5-pound laptop over your shoulder -- well, getting a fully functional laptop on a diet would make my life a lot easier, and I'm sure I'm not alone.

Would love to have a solid-state drive, even if overall memory won't be too impressive. I really like the notion of almost-instant booting up, it will increase portability all the more. I do hope that the new family member doesn't sacrifice too much graphics capability, though I'm a realist and understand the heat and size tradeoffs, and I'd probably ultimately settle for something on par with a x3100, at minimum.

As for price, sorry everybody, but if memory serves, the 12" Powerbooks weren't much cheaper than the 15" models, and cost more than the highest-end iBooks. I'm expecting the lowest-end model to come in at about $1800 -- and even though I'm far from a wealthy man, I'm willing to pay a premium for portability plus functionality. Smaller doesn't always mean cheaper, and most consumers get that.

 

[fafner]

Tablet rational

Could someone who has used a Tablet or likes them tell me what they can be used for? The only thing that comes to mind is a Doctor using it instead of a clipboard... and that is probably not even right.

I am just curious what their application is, as it seems many people on here would love for them to make a tablet.

Thanks for your thoughts.

A Tablet is not for everyone but my rational is described in the Tablet thread post #78 and #176.

 

[timmillwood]

i dont really mind loosing my optical drive, because the only time i need one is when im in the house where i can plug in an external one.

BUT it will have to be a lot smaller than other small laptops with optical drives, i have seen a few small laptops and they are tiny and light and still have an optical drive.

 

[zedsdead]

Here are my predictions for Macworld:

(1) Games, Radio, Copy-Paste Function, and Finder for iPhone / iPod Touch - iPhone bumped up to 16 gigs.
(2) iPhone Developers Kit
(3) iTunes '08 - Lyric Support for iPhone/iPod Touch/Apple TV, Movie Rentals with HD (720p and Surround Sound)
(4) Apple TV Update - 1080p, DVD Drive (maybe), bigger hard drive...software wise (for all original owners as well), more screensavers, Better organization for TV Shows, Chapter Selection Menu's (for iPhone/Touch as well), iTunes Store.
(5) One More Thing - Tablet Mac - no optical drive (an external will be provided), all Flash memory, touch screen.

 

[gramarye]

so based on these rumors, the ultra-portable mac, will only be introduced in January, and probably not be released until later quarters in the year? It's really hard to tell some times. For example, the iPhone was introduced in this years MacWorld in Janurary, however, it wasn't released until late-June. Then again, the updated and newly designed iMacs were introduced in August at Apple's private press-invited event, and released in stores by the end of the week of the event. (I believe the same time as ipods this year, as well). You guys have thoughts on when the ultra-portable mac might be released. It might just be a simple answer: any day.

Also, considering the fact there won't be an optical drive, running such programs as Final Cut wouldn't be recommended on this right? I see the priority of this project is portability, and performance not yet to reach a Pro line, that's why they'll always be there, one thing about Apple products is the apparent distinction between their product lines. (ex. iMac / MacBook vs. Mac Pro / MacBook Pro) It's nice to hear what everyones thoughts are about this, it's quite a pleasure reading the 10-pages!

A side note: While Apple releases these updates so frequently, I find it very difficult when to buy a product, such as the MacBook and MacBook Pro. It has been constantly updating according to the helpful Buyer's Guide. I've made the mistake in December of 2005 when I purchased an iMac G5 PPC and later find out in less than two weeks (January 2006), the iMacs were completely updated with Intel architecture with Dual-Core or Core 2 Duo(?) processing, updated hard drives, memory, pretty much everything beneficial for the hardware, and iLife '06 as well. The benchmarks of the Intel vs. PPC were such a landslide. Do you guys have personal preferences on when you drop the ball and buy? I know, I know, the waiting game will always be there, it's technology, anything could be outdated soon, even tomorrow. Anyway, sorry for ending up on rambling, thanks for your time. MacRumors is awesome!

 

[Martin C]

Here are my predictions for Macworld:

(1) Games, Radio, Copy-Paste Function, and Finder for iPhone / iPod Touch - iPhone bumped up to 16 gigs.
(2) iPhone Developers Kit
(3) iTunes '08 - Lyric Support for iPhone/iPod Touch/Apple TV, Movie Rentals with HD (720p and Surround Sound)
(4) Apple TV Update - 1080p, DVD Drive (maybe), bigger hard drive...software wise (for all original owners as well), more screensavers, Better organization for TV Shows, Chapter Selection Menu's (for iPhone/Touch as well), iTunes Store.
(5) One More Thing - Tablet Mac - no optical drive (an external will be provided), all Flash memory, touch screen.

Why make the Apple TV 1080p if you're only going to give it 720p content from iTunes and a standard definition DVD drive?