Ultra-Portable Mac Expected at Macworld Expo 2008

[typerlover]

To anyone thinking this is being released for a niche market, especially business men carrying around suitcases. What the hell do they need a mac for? They are well suited with their PC because that is what they need for their work.

Most of you are justifying how a ultralight would suit you, but its not feesible to mass produce an item for only a few customers. How many people have 4 macs and now need an ultraportable one too?

I salute all of you breathing fire into the SSD debate and dreams of an ultraportable, but it won't happen. If it comes, expect it to be a mini MBP. Thats all, nothing fancy just smaller size.

 

[diamond.g]

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-

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.

The problem with SSD's is the lack of speed when compared to memory. Nothing I have seen has shown transfer rates to actually peg out SATA connections bandwidth.
It also is looking like, from my perusal of Anandtech, that a good SSD drive will cost a pretty penny. Picking up a cheap drive may cost you performance.

 

[aurin]

As I write now on a lg tx express weighing 2 pounds, including a geforce card with a 12" wide monitor gives some clue to the possibility (yes, the graphics drain the battery to a mere 2½ hour, the cheap version has 5hours, but i love having second life and silkroad in the pocket

My previous laptop was the 3½ pound 13.3" fullsize screen fujitsu lifebook 6120, including dvd drive, and 5 hours battery life!

So a 13" widescreen macbook without optical drive should be absolutely physically possible to make at 3 pounds, depending their choise of materials, which is likely more metal and hardcasing than the lg or fujitsu

Apples recent ipods are ingenious examples of lowweight devices, and i truly admire how wellmade, sturdy and beautiful the nano is

I have always wondered why the power and macbooks have been more heavy than the pcs i have been used to, and dealing in secondhand machines having seen my share of broken macs are not giving sturdyness a factor here

aurin

I can't see how this will be 3 lb. w/ a 13" screen.

A MacBook weighs 5.1 lb.

A SSD is about half the weight of a traditional 2.5" hard drive (0.25-0.3 lb.)

This notebook optical drive weighs 0.85 lb.:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834996055

So dropping the optical drive and using a SSD saves about a pound.

How is Apple going to cut another pound?

Take it off the battery and kill runtime? (only average with the current Macbook battery)

 

[monkeypaul]

Someone say "Ultra Portable eeeMac?"

If it has working network drivers then i'm not sure how i will keep my hands of the credit card....

http://uneasysilence.com/archive/2007/11/12654/

 

[Cloudane]

eeeMac

Is that a Mac for people from Yorkshire?

 

[celloman]

if i dont want a macbook that doesnt have an optical drive, should i buy a macbook right now?

 

[headfuzz]

As I write now on a lg tx express weighing 2 pounds, including a geforce card with a 12" wide monitor gives some clue to the possibility (yes, the graphics drain the battery to a mere 2½ hour, the cheap version has 5hours, but i love having second life and silkroad in the pocket

You have pockets that are 12" wide??? For trousers to be that baggy you can only be...

MC HAMMER!!!

 

[UCLArocks]

expensivo

I can't imagine that they would sell this thing (if it comes out) at less than $2K. Subnotebooks are expensive as it is, and the rumors talk about all this new technology they are going to use. LED screen, flash memory, multitouch pad - this stuff is going to cost.

 

[AidenShaw]

if i dont want a macbook that doesnt have an optical drive, should i buy a macbook right now?

<sarcasm>
Yes, buy now. Jobs has decided that opticals are obsolete, no more Apples with optical drives will be built.
</sarcasm>

This rumour seems to be about a replacement for the dearly departed 12" PowerBook - not a replacement for the MacBook. MacBooks will continue to have opticals for some time.

 

[Luap]

You have pockets that are 12" wide??? For trousers to be that baggy you can only be...

MC HAMMER!!!

(Sorry, didnt have a more OS X styled one in stock)

 

[thechidz]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/3B48b Safari/419.3)

very interesting with the new flash memory article that just came out

 

[wchen6572]

not cheap for students, but what the base price

 

[Furious SNake]

Well maybe they should look at Toshiba?!?!

The sad story is I'm sure I'll be disappointed. I build a hackintosh with my sub-book (prior Toshiba subnote). Works fine but it's painful to upgrade and not totally compatible. Have a look at what Toshiba designer created. I know the link is in Japanese so here is a summary.

http://www3.toshiba.co.jp/jdirect/catalog/dynabook_ss_rx1_w/spec-1s.htm

- Core2Duo
- 12.1 inches
- 120GB
- 28x22x2cm 1kg
- DVD +/- RW (Internal)

I know CPU speed and Graphics are not the best but hey that's a subnote. Too bad it's for Windoze

 

[daze]

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.

What I would like first is the ability CUT and paste files. Why is it not available in Mac OS X???

 

[celloman]

one thing i am confused about is the relationship of this rumor to the 9 to 5 mac rumor. the two say different things. which one is the "correct"/"more possible" rumor? thanks,

 

[r21hugo]

(Sorry, didnt have a more OS X styled one in stock)

haha, i am sure you waited long enough for the day you got to use that baby

 

[Quillz]

I can't imagine that they would sell this thing (if it comes out) at less than $2K. Subnotebooks are expensive as it is, and the rumors talk about all this new technology they are going to use. LED screen, flash memory, multitouch pad - this stuff is going to cost.

I dunno, I think it will probably end up being competitively priced. The main reason that sub-notebooks cost what they do is because they tend to be produced in limited quantities, which of course drives up the price. But I do recall that the 12'' PowerBook was a relatively popular model, and coupled with both Mac OS X and the Apple name, I do think a 12/13'' MacBook Pro could do very well. I for one would have loved to buy a MacBook Pro if it wasn't for the fact that 15'' is just too big for everyday portability and it started at $1999. Bring down the entry level to something like $1499/$1599 and I'll buy one for sure, even if I do have a (perfectly functioning) MacBook already.

 

[j26]

Why not one with 16 gigs flash and a 80/160 gig 1.8" drive (a la iPod) to store media?
It would seem to be a waste of expensive flash memory to have media files on it. The OS and documents could be on the flash, and movies, music and photos on the 1.8". They could be loaded into flash when being worked on.

Edit: And/or use the EEE PC idea and allow you to expand your memory with SDHC cards

 

[aswitcher]

Why not one with 16 gigs flash and a 80/160 gig 1.8" drive (a la iPod) to store media?
It would seem to be a waste of expensive flash memory to have media files on it. The OS and documents could be on the flash, and movies, music and photos on the 1.8". They could be loaded into flash when being worked on.

Edit: And/or use the EEE PC idea and allow you to expand your memory with SDHC cards

I agree, 16Gb and a 160GB HDD that stays off unless specifically called on would be a clever way to balance things.

 

[Chris Bangle]

apple tv= dvd drive = usb on the back of apple tv, hint hint, plug into ultraportable, you have yourself a dvd drive in you dvd drvie less mac.

 

[killr_b]

This is going to be the most useless product yet.

Apple is really starting to get on my nerves. Let's not update the Mac Pro (not talking about the most recent announcement by intel), or make price-point competing consumer notebooks (now with crappy screens, can't get a regular matt finish that has even backlighting? WTF?), or a tower that cost less than $2500. Because nooobody wants these offerings. Steve Jobs talks about how people rarely upgrade their towers- well lets see… no upgrade options= no upgraders. Apple doesn't put out enough hardware updates for people to upgrade. Since Jobs has only worked at Apple, he has no concept of how often PC users buy upgrades. Anyway, who would upgrade at Apple's price? Do you buy Apple RAM? Didn't think so.

I can't believe they even bothered to spend money on the R&D for a less than niche market item. Do you think flash based notebooks will be the norm next year? No. They won't be. Because people will by sub $1000 notebooks with 200+GB storage instead. Oh, and real video cards. Oh, and a DVD player!!!!

 

[CWallace]

This is going to be the most useless product yet.

Maybe not...

If Apple can snag some executives and "decision-makers" with a high-end Mac ultraportable, it might improve the penetration rate of Macs in businesses.

One of the directors of my company uses a Mac at home. Since I am the only member of IT who also uses a Mac, my company just bought me a 17" MacBook Pro to support him. He's a proponent of moving the company to Macs and I plan to do a bit of "viral marketing" within IT with my Mac, as well as with users who come and visit. And, of course, I'll be taking the MBP with me to meetings with other groups...

 

[Catonow]

I dunno, I think it will probably end up being competitively priced. The main reason that sub-notebooks cost what they do is because they tend to be produced in limited quantities, which of course drives up the price. But I do recall that the 12'' PowerBook was a relatively popular model, and coupled with both Mac OS X and the Apple name, I do think a 12/13'' MacBook Pro could do very well. I for one would have loved to buy a MacBook Pro if it wasn't for the fact that 15'' is just too big for everyday portability and it started at $1999. Bring down the entry level to something like $1499/$1599 and I'll buy one for sure, even if I do have a (perfectly functioning) MacBook already.

To quote Arrowsmith, "Dream on." This is going to be a Pro item, and will be priced accordingly. Ticket it at the level you're proposing, why would anybody buy a MacBook (as the last sentence in your own post confirms)? I'd be staggered if the new UP is a penny below $1799. More likely to start at about $100-200 more than that.

The MacBooks are Apple's cheaper laptops for more price-conscious consumers. The new UP is going to be a premium product, tagged for first-adopters. But don't fret overmuch -- I suspect that Apple will come out with a consumer MB version (priced accordingly) sometime around May 2008, if you can wait that long.

 

[nnkd]

In anyone's (or everyone's) opinion,

what chance is there that the MBP sees a substantial upgrade/redesign by the end of January? I'm very curious. I see a lot of people say it will happen then a lot of people shoot those comments down. Is it all just speculation? Let me know, thanks.

Cheers

 

[namX]

There will be an internal update to Penryn - this is almost for sure. Additional updates on outside probably "something strange about the trackpad", lets see.