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Ultra-Portable Mac Expected at Macworld Expo 2008

I wonder if the NAND storage space might be expandable like RAM. Say, 2 slots, max of 64GB each? I'd imagine they would behave as two hard drives though, not syncronised to appear as one.
 
ncbill said:
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.
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Well, let's think about it. SSD is lighter than HDD. No optical drive. LED is lighter than old LCD lighting (though that is pretty marginal). Not energy savings also allow a smaller battery. Then you just have to think about a lighter case. Also note that reduced energy usage allows some weight savings due to designing around heat on the bottom of the laptop (you still have the processor heat though). Then you have any other neat ideas for materials, design and construction to save weight.

I'd bet money on 2.9lbs or 3.1lbs if it is 13inch. I'd look at the Dell D420 and the Panasonics for benchmarks of what can be done weight wise. The Toshiba RX1 is my bet for the internal benchmark for Apple. Check it out and see what they will be growing by about 7/8 of inch in length.
 
  • 13" LED WideScreen
  • 2.2/2.4 C2D Processor
  • Whatever Video card above X3100 integrated but Below 8600M
  • 2x1gb Ram
  • 160gb NORMAL 5400rpm HD
  • New keyboard that is available in macbook/wireless desktop kb
  • Regular touchpad
  • Optical drive- who knows.
  • ~4lbs
  • $1799

Should this actually come out, which I still have my doubts, it will just be a smaller MBP. That will be a revolution in itself to have a small form factor with decent power. Its going to be a trimmed up slightly beefed up macbook.

There is no flip and dab touchpad or touch keyboard or anything else ludicrous.

These dreams of flash drives are seriously ridiculous. They are not going to show up. I guarantee it right now. Everyone needs to quit thinking about it.

32gb for $500 is beyond being marketable to anyone but the most hardcore, and that is not who Apple is going for anymore. Their rising marketshare means they are trying to make sure they have just enough to make everyone happen and still let the newcomers/middle tier users get their fingers wet too.
 
applefanboy said:
:apple: has never made a mistake in any product launch. :apple:'s subnotebook will be the next iPod. No one with a rational mind can deny how amazing :apple: is has has always been and will always be. I will buy one :apple: subnotebook in no matter what incarnation for each day of the week. I wish they would bring back the flower pattern from the original form factor of the imacs and have that be the design for the subnotebook. But of course if they didn't :apple: obviously made the right choice. Getting rid of the optical drive will be analogous to ditching betamax for VHS. But of course if they keep the optical drive, obviously :apple: made the right choice because who would want an :apple: subnotebook without an optical drive?! :apple: forever, man, forever.
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Sad.
 
To make something as thin as 0.5", they're going to have to do more than just drop the dvd drive. I'm thinking a touch sensitive screen that displays a keyboard image and can be reconfigured. Not touch style. A separate screen where you just press on the image of the key you want. Think about how thick a keyboard is and how the screen is raised to avoid rubbing it. Plus, it could be reconfigured based on the needs of the application. Having a notebook that opens up like a normal one, with a normal top screen and touch sensitive keyboard where a normal one would be could be interesting. It would take a while to get used to typing like that though.
 
typerlover said:


  • These dreams of flash drives are seriously ridiculous. They are not going to show up. I guarantee it right now. Everyone needs to quit thinking about it.
Click to expand...


  • Given that Toshiba and Sony both have already gone SSD, rumors that apple is working on it for over a year and discussions of Apple's move to corner the supply of SSD in the media, would you really say this is a dream?

    I assume this is quite likely. The SSD price will be tough though. However, as SSD comes down this will be a boon for Apple (each month their margin will grow as the SSD price comes down and the laptop price on apple.com is unchanged)...
 
NYCMacFan said:
Given that Toshiba and Sony both have already gone SSD, rumors that apple is working on it for over a year and discussions of Apple's move to corner the supply of SSD in the media, would you really say this is a dream?

I assume this is quite likely. The SSD price will be tough though. However, as SSD comes down this will be a boon for Apple (each month their margin will grow as the SSD price comes down and the laptop price on apple.com is unchanged)...
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At this time and in the next 6 months, yes it is a dream. A new design will have only so much, what point is there from a business model to go and come out with everything all at once and leave no room for improvement in the future. Release a little at at time, keep making the money.

A smaller laptop is enough in itself to generate huge sales, Apple doesn't need to go all out right at once. They can update it again in the future with those SSd's when they become more reasonable and start the cycle anew with people buying that model.

I bet those Sony and Toshiba ssd's are OPTIONS and not standard, which very few people are going for, and probably fairly expensive.

Maybe it will be a BTO option, but even that at the pricing it would add to the laptop it would not generate many sales and with Apple's BTO program I would expect them to delay shipment of your laptop atleast a month if not more.
 
havand said:
To make something as thin as 0.5", they're going to have to do more than just drop the dvd drive. I'm thinking a touch sensitive screen that displays a keyboard image and can be reconfigured. Not touch style. A separate screen where you just press on the image of the key you want. Think about how thick a keyboard is and how the screen is raised to avoid rubbing it. Plus, it could be reconfigured based on the needs of the application. Having a notebook that opens up like a normal one, with a normal top screen and touch sensitive keyboard where a normal one would be could be interesting. It would take a while to get used to typing like that though.
Click to expand...

The laptop will in no way be .5" thin. It will probably just at 1"-to slightly below that. Seriously, these comments are just down right outrageous. Folding, opening, button pushing displaying keyboards. I still don't even believe this is going to be released.
 
13 Inch Ultraportable -- Non sense

13 inch is a small FULL size Laptop.... Too big to be called Ultraportable....

Vaio has the best SMALL size Laptops google this one: VGN-TZ198N/RC I have the previous Version with XP... 11 Inch and 2.6Lbs and at less than an inch thick with great battery life and wonderfull form factor; this is the perfect size for someone that does not want a pocket device nor a full size laptop... Keyboard is perfect sized even for my Big hands.... Cant type 52 WPM just like in regular KB. And this one comes with DVD Drive.... This would be the PERFECT size for a SMALL Size Mac... Would be a sweet Machine...

I dont get it 13 inch no DVD Drive??? Kind of big to call it Ultraportable... Go figure....
 
typerlover said:
The laptop will in no way be .5" thin. It will probably just at 1"-to slightly below that. Seriously, these comments are just down right outrageous. Folding, opening, button pushing displaying keyboards. I still don't even believe this is going to be released.
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Outrageous? What is so outrageous about taking a normal computer, taking the keyboard and dvd drive out to make it thinner and replace the keyboard with a thin touch sensitive screen???
 
GRuizMD said:
13 inch is a small FULL size Laptop.... Too big to be called Ultraportable....

Small full size, ultraportable... I don't get the hangups some have over terminology. From what I've heard, Apple is going for a significantly lighter, thinner laptop than their existing models. In my view weight matters more than size when it comes to portability. Apple hasn't made any notebook lighter than 5 pounds in ages (I think even the 12" weighed nearly that much). If they can come in at near 3 pounds, I'll be singing their praises (and lining up at the store).

If your definition of an ultraportable is something that can fit in your pocket, obviously a 10" notebook doesn't qualify. You still need a laptop bag to carry it over your shoulder when you're traveling. I'm just sick of lugging my 5-pound-plus Powerbook everywhere I go.

Come to think of it, all laptops are portable, that's the point. So anything significantly lighter than Apple's existing lineup is, as far as I'm concerned, more, or ultra, portable.
Click to expand...
 
happydude said:
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!
Click to expand...

:D i like to think so, it eases the pain :p

DUDE, you have got it nailed! Spaces, stacks, it all makes sense now ;). This is how apple will drive their Ultra-portables. Small screen, Big OS, infinite possibilities. :apple:Book
 
havand said:
Outrageous? What is so outrageous about taking a normal computer, taking the keyboard and dvd drive out to make it thinner and replace the keyboard with a thin touch sensitive screen???
Click to expand...

Take a moment to think about that star trek. DVD-Drive out, simple and understandable. No keyboard? We're not there yet buddy.
 
typerlover said:
Take a moment to think about that star trek. DVD-Drive out, simple and understandable. No keyboard? We're not there yet buddy.
Click to expand...

Ok slick. I'll shelf it for about 400 years. If we can make a screen accept touch input (ipod touch) why is it so unbelievable to just expand on the concept? Ugh.

I was just thinking of what could potentially be 'revolutionary.' I don't think making a tablet that's total interface is touch is worthwhile right now. There isn't much they can do except make the laptop smaller, so I was looking for things they could do 'outside' the box.
 
havand said:
Ok slick. I'll shelf it for about 400 years. If we can make a screen accept touch input (ipod touch) why is it so unbelievable to just expand on the concept? Ugh.

I was just thinking of what could potentially be 'revolutionary.' I don't think making a tablet that's total interface is touch is worthwhile right now. There isn't much they can do except make the laptop smaller, so I was looking for things they could do 'outside' the box.
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Sure it sounds great. But touch interface, even for Apple is in its infancy. It has only been half a year since it has come out, and it would be wrong to assume they have perfected it and its ready to go full blown to your every workings on a computer that fast.

They can only do so much at a time. They have a new OS that they need to iron out. They have a cell phone market to address. They have a music industry to tackle. And design computers.

I'm just saying, everyone is just "thinking outside the box." All it is is everyone spewing out their ideas, and not being reasonable to what would actually come out.
 
Not your Student Laptop

I'm hoping Apple's aiming at the Toshiba R500. They never got around to replacing the 12" PBG4. Don't think for a second it'll be any cheaper than a 15"MBP. The NAND drive(s) will send the price easily in the 2.5K range, and I wouldn't rule out an optical drive just yet. Toshiba managed to squeeze one in. Maybe, like the R500, this new ultraportable can be configured with an inexpensive conventional HD, or NAND drive. It would be nice to have a fingerprint reader and make the drives user swappable. Apple needs to think of the security concerns of its customers.

The target audience is probably the traveling exec who really uses his computer on the go who doesn't want to tote more than 3 pounds of computer around. I wouldn't mind paying a premium for an ultra sexy take-me-anywhere form factor. A true daylight viewable transreflective LED backlit screen like th R500 would also be a way to differentiate this from the MB 13.
 
typerlover said:
Sure it sounds great. But touch interface, even for Apple is in its infancy. It has only been half a year since it has come out, and it would be wrong to assume they have perfected it and its ready to go full blown to your every workings on a computer that fast.

They can only do so much at a time. They have a new OS that they need to iron out. They have a cell phone market to address. They have a music industry to tackle. And design computers.

I'm just saying, everyone is just "thinking outside the box." All it is is everyone spewing out their ideas, and not being reasonable to what would actually come out.
Click to expand...

Ok, point taken. I agree with you they have a lot on their plate. I maintain they COULD do it, but I do see your point.
 
Macrumors said:


AppleInsider reports that Macworld San Francisco 2008 will be the launching ground for Apple's long-rumored ultra-portable laptop.

The new 13" aluminum sub-notebook is described to be 50% lighter and "strikingly slimmer" than the existing 15" MacBook Pros. To achieve this small form factor, Apple is said to have removed an optical drive from the design of the new laptop. As well, Apple will incorporate NAND flash-based storage as well as LED backlights to improve power efficiency.

Appleinsider posted their belief that a sub-notebook is coming from Apple back in February of 2007. Rumors of an ultra-portable Mac, however, have been ongoing for months with talk of a NAND-based ultra-portable Mac dating as far back as June 2006.

This new description of an aluminum case corresponds to a recent report by 9to5 indicating that slim aluminum MacBooks had been spotted with "something strange" about the touchpad.

Macworld Expo takes place from January 15-18th, 2008 in San Francisco, California.

For what its worth, Apple 2.0 Blog reports that Piper Jaffrey's Gene Munster is 75% certain that an ultralight MacBook “or possibly an entirely new product” will be coming in January at Macworld. They also point to photos and video of Engadget editor, Ryan Block, successfully transplanting a pre-release Samsung 64GB solid-state drive into his MacBook Pro.


Article Link
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so how will cd/dvd media be installed?
 
As a potential Logic Studio user, I'd definitely like something that I can grab and take on the road to have with me at all times, and I'm fine with most of the suggestions listed.

While I'd love to have a SSD hard drive, when Logic Studio takes 40+ GB to install completely, I'd find myself using up the hard drive rather quickly. To me, it seems that this just isn't the time to abandon traditional hard drives. Sure, once 96GB or bigger SSD hard drives are reasonably priced, I'd love to have one. To me, the lack of a bigger hard drive would be a killer (as I imagine it would be for a lot of people), which is the same reason why I have yet to buy an iPhone. Man, I wish it was 2010.....
 
John Musbach said:
so how will cd/dvd media be installed?
Click to expand...

Two ways:

1) Via an external drive, which Apple may (or may not) include.

Or:

2) Via the Internet; wave of the present -- DVDs are so 2003.
And: Ever heard of iTunes?

I think Apple will jettison the DVD drive with this ultraportable,
just as they did the floppy with the iMacs.

I don't think Apple expects this to be most users' only computer.
If you need to burn DVDs and an external drive is totally unacceptable,
then use your desktop or your MB or MBP. The UP will be (mostly)
for those who need a truly portable second computer.
 
One computer that I saw that was incredibly thin was (I think its the model) a Thinkpad x61. It uses a docking station for its optical drive instead of a native one. I doubt people would want to have to lug a docking station around, but it could be a quick way to have it play CDs/DVDs
 
Still find it difficult to believe Apple will not include an optical drive. I think this earlier rumor indicates that is not cut & dry!

http://www.unwiredview.com/2007/01/...-by-putting-optical-disc-drive-at-the-bottom/

And I wonder if any Intel Newport/Metro features will find its way into the new MacBook Metro! Maybe a smaller touch screen on the outside of the case?

http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/05/25/intel.metro.and.macs/

And as screen sizes get bigger (Apple drops 17" iMac) a lightweight and more compact 13" does constitute a sub-notebook these days!
 
Somehow the story reminded me of my old Vaio 505, it had neither internal floppy nor CD drives. They sold external drives with proprietary connector. Typical Sony !
It was in the days of Windows 98, before the advent of OS X, before my switching to Mac ...

But it was a nice machine ! (tears in my eyes)
505EX

I don't know if it was sold in the US.
233MHz MMX Pentium, 2.1 GB HDD, 64MB memory, 10.4 inch 800x600 display,
10.2x1.0x8.1 ....

Oh those were the days.
--- a proud user of 1st gen Black MacBook
 
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