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Ultra-Portable Mac Expected at Macworld Expo 2008

The trackpad is clearly going to be a key deciding factor in the functionality/price point of this product. Its a pity this tidbit is all we have rather than whether or not the damn thing has a keyboard.

My guess for what it might involve:

1) a nintendo ds-style second, smaller touchscreen for multitouch functionality which functions doubly as a graphix tablet by mapping to the screen...
2) ...and in the absence of a keyboard, brings one up much like iphone (altho that would be a very bad idea IMHO)

another interesting question is whether the ultra-thinness will mean they use mini-usb, firewire ports etc., or make use of those collapsible port designs we saw patented a while back, or simply has full-size ports behind the hinge, where the thickness is double (either in a brick behind the hinge, or better yet, built into the hinge itself with a design that opens and closes as the laptop does.

I'm sure we'll get a better idea in the run-up to January, but the possibilities opened up by ditching the dvd drive and HDD sound pretty promising.
 
You guys are all thinking about this product in terms of what's been put out there. Apple isn't going to be competing with the other subnotebooks, they are going to create their own category of product--something between iPhone and Macbook.
 
Martin C said:
Why make the Apple TV 1080p if you're only going to give it 720p content from iTunes and a standard definition DVD drive?
Click to expand...

For Pictures and peoples own content. Of course, Apple could release 1080P and up the specs of the Current Apple TV, but I doubt it is going to happen.
 
I can't wait to see the unveiling of this, I'm soon to be a switcher and after owning various iPods within the last 3 years I'm constantly wowed by Apple's talent when it comes to product design and simplicity. It definitely sounds like something I will buy at launch.

My only worry is that they go the route of the TX & TZ Vaio series ie. using slow processors and basic specs to decrease heat and allow a smaller form factor whilst also increasing battery life but costing enormous amounts of money.

I think it's likely that it'll use both a solid state drive and an HDD for storage. Does anybody with better technical knowledge know how/if this could work and what the outcome would be?

Again I love the sound of this report BUT ultimately when you think about it, what void in the market would this product be filling?

If this report is believed to be correct it's basically gonna be a slighlty smaller lighter macbook without an optical drive and lets face it we all know that making it ultra slim and using an SSD is not gonna keep it within macbook pricing territory.

Just my two cents worth. Again, if it's within reaching distance of the blackbook price I will get it but what do you guys reckon?
 
What if the trackpad could become a screen? Like if it were to remain black or white for most of the time but then would show the actual screen in the case that you wanted to use multi-touch?
 
zedsdead said:
Here are my predictions for Macworld:

(1) Games, Radio, Copy-Paste Function, and Finder for iPhone / iPod Touch - iPhone bumped up to 16 gigs.
Click to expand...

No Finder, that would make the iPhone inelegant in Steve's eyes.

Maybe copy-paste, but seriously doubt the Radio, it would take far too much Bandwidth from AT&T and make the flat monthly fee unprofitable.
 
ridiculous

This is NOT an 'ultra portable' (regardless of what CNET uses as a search filter). They already have a 13" notebook, which is heavier than a mofo. (Really, it's a big piece of plastic junk.) What they need to come out with is a 11"-12" ultra portable macbook pro. And they needn't forgo the optical drive to do so (though it sometimes helps if you want to keep costs down).

Useless.
 
As for the SSD, they could be a little more conservative and provide a hybrid drive solution. 1.5" drives are up to 160GB (see ipod classic), and with a sufficient cache space, as a previous user said, you could all but avoid writing back to the HDD while working with files. That would make the solution a lot more economically feasible.
 
duh..

for all those out there you keep complaining about the lack of optical drive, its obvius that apple is going to PROVIDE it with the laptop, even dell does that come on... and i can imagine that the hard drive will change to a flash drive and that the keyboard will have a similar layout to the current bluetooth keyboard and the computer as a whole will occupy a smaller footprint than the current macbook even though they have the same screen size
 
Since we're on the subject of other things due in January I predict.....

that Apple will announce (in conjunction/partnership with a major car mfg) the fuel-less engine. in Stores nationwide by summer 08. No more gas.


Turns out Apple has gotten so good at making things smaller, lighter, less energy consuming, more energy efficient, etc etc +nice design ....that a major car MFG said...."Apple, make us a gas-less car pls thx". Apple responded with "well your 1st problem is.... you have way too many moving parts in engines....look, give it here, we need to redesign it completely".




The new car doesn't take the " i " in it's name, like many other Apple products . The new car is simply named " GG " pronounced 'gee-gee' or also referred to by some in the media as "Jesus Car"
 
I dont think Flash will be in them yet...

As much as I would be sold on a nice 80GB flash drive in my portable computer its just not cost effective at the moment and probably not until the end of next year.

I want a PowerBook G4 style MacBook Pro Possibly with the following specs:

Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz Processor
13" (not 13.3") Widescreen display
1GB RAM soldered standard, upto 3GB installable (256/512/1G/2G chips)
GeForce 8400M GT Graphics Card w/ 128MB Memory
160GB Hard Drive
Connectable Optical Drive (SuperDrive)

$1749

Of Course the MB Pro's would see a bump to 2.4/2.6GHz and 160/200GB HDDs
 
hmm.... honestly.... i just want an updated 12' powerbook =)

... perhaps this rumor cld be the return of that? haha 13' wide screen macbook pro ... haha =D

... it wld be cool... i am not exactly a fan of macbook's thick frame around the screen...
 
"Strikingly slimmer," eh? Last time AppleInsider user the word 'striking' was to describe the redesign of the iMac... and we all know how that ended up. Apple gave it an aluminum case, shaved off a little chin, and called it a day.

I'm very afraid that this "ultra-portable" is just going to be a "slightly-more-portable." Unless Apple truly cuts the optical drive, truly uses NAND storage, and truly cuts power cosumption so they can reduce the battery size/weight, it's just going to be a 13" laptop.

Oh, and about that 13". It should be 11". If you need a unit to truly compliment your PC, you don't need 13".

Truly.

-Clive
 
koobcamuk said:
They might start using that liquid I have heard so much about: petroleum.
Click to expand...

what is this perteulom you speak of? ok seriously, that would kind of defeat the purpose of it don't you think? The point is looking for an alternative source of energy not the unprocessed form if it.
 
I'm just excited I will finally be able to afford a 12" powerbook, I have had my eye on one of those for a long while now and needing to keep my imac I haven't been able to justify the expense of a second computer, maybe in january.
 
To me, the big deal is the big decrease in weight. I've looked at Macbooks and those suckers are just too heavy to haul around alot (comfortably). The smaller form factor is nice, and I wouldn't mind the smaller screen, since I wouldn't be doing a lot of screen intensive work on this sucker. This would be my laptop to go, and I've been looking forward to it for a long time.
 
Clive At Five said:
"Strikingly slimmer," eh? Last time AppleInsider user the word 'striking' was to describe the redesign of the iMac... and we all know how that ended up. Apple gave it an aluminum case, shaved off a little chin, and called it a day.

I'm very afraid that this "ultra-portable" is just going to be a "slightly-more-portable." Unless Apple truly cuts the optical drive, truly uses NAND storage, and truly cuts power cosumption so they can reduce the battery size/weight, it's just going to be a 13" laptop.

Oh, and about that 13". It should be 11". If you need a unit to truly compliment your PC, you don't need 13".

Truly.

-Clive
Click to expand...

Like, consumer portability should be defined somewhere because I think everyone has a different idea of it.

IMO, there's only 2 kinds of portable with devices:



1. Fits in a pocket portable

• (up to 5"x5 1/2"x2")
• anything bigger than a standard CD case isn't going in a pocket
• allows the user to function without portable device being an intrusive item (user can virtually go ANYWHERE hands free, no device visible)


2. Doesn't fit in your pocket portable

• laptops that WONT fit in your pocket
• have to carry in hand ALL the time or place in a large bag
• prevents user from functioning normally in many common instances w/o device being an intrusive/odd item being lugged around. (in other words, you probably won't find yourself walking into the Club with a laptop, where as you may with a pocket portable)




Now to me ultra portable should probably fall under "pocket portable" otherwise, it falls under the same exact portable limitations as the 17"Laptop.

That said.... if 13" screen falls under the same portability limitations as 17" then what's the point of calling it ultra portable?


EDIT: btw I know i probably missed a ton of items that define portability in either instance. BUT I'm confident that just about any portability limitation you can think of for a 17" laptop applies to a 13" thingy...in works...behind closed doors...at an Apple lap...in area 51.
 
An "ultra" portable needs to be sub 13". It should fit in my trapper keeper and not be too heavy. It dosen't need to de everything, just the basics, web, WP, pic editing, light Cad work, and mobile chat. This would make it a "tool" instead of a "toy".
 
trapper keeper

OdduWon said:
An "ultra" portable needs to be sub 13". It should fit in my trapper keeper and not be too heavy. It dosen't need to de everything, just the basics, web, WP, pic editing, light Cad work, and mobile chat. This would make it a "tool" instead of a "toy".
Click to expand...

do they still make those? maybe i'm dating myself with that question.

but i agree, def needs to be under 13" and with SPACES, dude, no worries about a small screen. you can have 16 different small screens with spaces to keep clutter/mess down. that's where the true value of spaces comes in. my 24" imac doesn't need to utilize it too much since there is a ton of space on the screen. at most i use 3 spaces. but with the subnotebook i'm eagerly awaiting and will purchase th emoment it comes out, dude, spaces will be crucial!
 
I'm waiting ...

I've enjoyed my 12" PB. It's been a workhorse. I've been waiting to update to a newer Mac but don't really want the big screen of a macpro. I've not see that much in Leopard to entice me to upgrade right now. But a new subnotebook, might be just the thing. If this subnotebook comes in with a 12 inch screen and WITHOUT a touchscreen, I'll be interested. It would certainly be nice to have a peripheral optical drive that can be upgraded to a Blue-Ray drive when that becomes available. I'm anxiously waiting to see what this animal will look like. Does anyone know the if the limitations of write-cycles will pose any problems with a NAND based device?
 
$2000 minimum

If it has a 64 GB SSD.

And I'm not sure it would save much weight if it sticks with the 13" MacBook screen.

The bezel can't get much smaller (the MacBook screen has proven much more fragile than previous Powerbook screens)

So if the case stays roughly MacBook-sized (slightly more compact with aluminum instead of plastic), I think it will come in around 4 lbs.
 
ncbill said:
If it has a 64 GB SSD.
Click to expand...

$2000 for 64Gb SSD would be a good deal, but $2k is still a bit more than what I would think would sell to more than just early adopters and those that could benefit from a device like this.

Starting it at 32Gb SSD and knocking $500 off would be more enticing.
 
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