Arstechnica's take on the ultra portable Mac. After reading I am interested in knowing if Apple can match the specs for a reasonable price.
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Ultra-Portable Mac Expected at Macworld Expo 2008
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if people have already said this, forgive me, i've already read the first nine pages of replies, and dont think i can go on too much longer with my sanity....
I think it still needs the optical drive, because the rest of the world still uses an optical drive. blu-ray and hd-dvd are still "new", and dvds and cds are still used a LOT in the major world of consumers. why be on the blu-ray board, if you want to get rid of optical media? it would be one thing if online downloads and knock-off
tvs were all over the place: but there not. tv remains the only major digital media player for entertainment centers, i'd think more blu-ray and hd-dvd players sell than tvs. it's just not what people are ready for.
my opinion would be to make a tablet mac, with blu-ray/dvd/cd optical drive and lots of memory and storage.
I think it still needs the optical drive, because the rest of the world still uses an optical drive. blu-ray and hd-dvd are still "new", and dvds and cds are still used a LOT in the major world of consumers. why be on the blu-ray board, if you want to get rid of optical media? it would be one thing if online downloads and knock-off
tvs were all over the place: but there not. tv remains the only major digital media player for entertainment centers, i'd think more blu-ray and hd-dvd players sell than tvs. it's just not what people are ready for.my opinion would be to make a tablet mac, with blu-ray/dvd/cd optical drive and lots of memory and storage.
Ultra-Portable Mac
I understand the usefulness of a dvd drive for a Mac ultra-portable.
But consider this, previously mentioned, what if instead of a build in dvd player, it was external, either standalone, or via a dock?
It seems to me that the primary objective of an ultra portable is weight.
Including a dvd in the ultra portable, would be at odds, to the goal of an ultra-portable. Other computer manufactures, do not include a built in dvd. When an ultra-portable is introduced their offering includes a way to externally attach a dvd player.
So the Mac ultra-portable is introduced at MacWorld in January it will not include an internal dvd.
And re: above ultra-portables have been around for a number of years. I have a Thinkpad x40. No internal dvd, but there is available a dock, and the dock has a built in dvd player.
One more thing. Apple has never built an ultra-portable. Despite potential demand from many Mac users. There's no guarantee that Apple will introduce one in January. Or indeed ever.
Which will render all the man hours spent speculating in this forum and others, valueless.
I understand the usefulness of a dvd drive for a Mac ultra-portable.
But consider this, previously mentioned, what if instead of a build in dvd player, it was external, either standalone, or via a dock?
It seems to me that the primary objective of an ultra portable is weight.
Including a dvd in the ultra portable, would be at odds, to the goal of an ultra-portable. Other computer manufactures, do not include a built in dvd. When an ultra-portable is introduced their offering includes a way to externally attach a dvd player.
So the Mac ultra-portable is introduced at MacWorld in January it will not include an internal dvd.
And re: above ultra-portables have been around for a number of years. I have a Thinkpad x40. No internal dvd, but there is available a dock, and the dock has a built in dvd player.
One more thing. Apple has never built an ultra-portable. Despite potential demand from many Mac users. There's no guarantee that Apple will introduce one in January. Or indeed ever.
Which will render all the man hours spent speculating in this forum and others, valueless.
Interesting. Whatever people are calling reasonable, at this point I'd just like to see something new.
I loved my BlackBook but I want something I can either carry around with me, or something that doesn't sacrifice in any major way so I can justify lugging it.
Now to find something to distract me since January 14th is, like, so next year.
I think is is funny how people want a desktop replacement laptop in a package that is smaller and lighter and only want to pay under 1000.
If Apple don't sell many sub 1000 desktop computers, they are not likely to sell you a sub laptop for that or less, specially if they add 64 gig SSD drive.
More than likely it would be as expensive as a MacBook Pro and have a little less horse power.
To sell something under 1000, your screen will suck, the disk space will be like 30 gig or if SSD like 16 gig and will have like 512 of memory and no DVD or dock, more than likely every cable and external DVD will be an option to purchase separately.
Apple unlike Dell does not sell computers 4% over cost.
To sell an Apple computer for 1000, it needs to cost Apple 300 to make. The rest goes to marketting, R&D, support, etc. At the end Apple is looking at 25 to 30% profit.
If Apple don't sell many sub 1000 desktop computers, they are not likely to sell you a sub laptop for that or less, specially if they add 64 gig SSD drive.
More than likely it would be as expensive as a MacBook Pro and have a little less horse power.
To sell something under 1000, your screen will suck, the disk space will be like 30 gig or if SSD like 16 gig and will have like 512 of memory and no DVD or dock, more than likely every cable and external DVD will be an option to purchase separately.
Apple unlike Dell does not sell computers 4% over cost.
To sell an Apple computer for 1000, it needs to cost Apple 300 to make. The rest goes to marketting, R&D, support, etc. At the end Apple is looking at 25 to 30% profit.
What I want is a 13" with a dedicated GPU i personally will sacrifice the optical if i can get this.
i believe this subnotebook will replace the low end 15" MBP and it will have the same Starting price of $1999, or it will be a entirely seperate line. I am prepared for this.
Apple isn't making the UltraPortable for American's and Europeans. if you did some research you would discover, Apple is creating this to save there japanese interests, because apparently the japanese have a fetish ultra portable notebooks with cutting edge technology. after all look at the sony that you keep mentioning.
do u really think any company would make a product they don't sell very much of, and keep it on the market. SONY is expensive, yet they still carry those products, someone must be buying it.
i believe this subnotebook will replace the low end 15" MBP and it will have the same Starting price of $1999, or it will be a entirely seperate line. I am prepared for this.
Apple isn't making the UltraPortable for American's and Europeans. if you did some research you would discover, Apple is creating this to save there japanese interests, because apparently the japanese have a fetish ultra portable notebooks with cutting edge technology. after all look at the sony that you keep mentioning.
do u really think any company would make a product they don't sell very much of, and keep it on the market. SONY is expensive, yet they still carry those products, someone must be buying it.
Sony has always been expensive, for reasons I'm not very sure of. I hope Apple can kick them off their high horse and make them realize how inferior they are... this will definitely spark the Japanese market as Sony is based in Japan. I think Apple can do it.
There'll be one released and it won't make most happy. The 13" bezel shaved is a good size. No dedicated graphics - too expensive, too hot. I just need something that'll be lighter than this lead-sled macbook. I so miss my 12" PB!
Lets look to the most recent past for a minute.
September, remember how many people complained because apple switched all the HDD's in the Ipods to SSD, except the classic. people complained they couldn't hold enough video in the Ipod touch or the nano.
I personally believe this is a sign of things to come.
Think about it, Apple made a deal with the company that makes the SSD for them that if they buy X amount of drives for the IPOD TOUCH AND NANO that they would agree to sell the 32 and 64 GB at X price, thus giving them an affordable price for this laptop being designed.
it's pure business.
Also, how does one expect it to become standard, if someone doesn't make the move and do exactly what it is rumored they are doing, and leading the market by being one of the first companies to offer a laptop where SSD is standard.
what brings the price down, is mass consumption of a product. Apple doing this WILL for DELL AND SONY and other companies to start offering computers with these standard, thus causing people to switch to SSD as the standard Drive. making it more affordable.
September, remember how many people complained because apple switched all the HDD's in the Ipods to SSD, except the classic. people complained they couldn't hold enough video in the Ipod touch or the nano.
I personally believe this is a sign of things to come.
Think about it, Apple made a deal with the company that makes the SSD for them that if they buy X amount of drives for the IPOD TOUCH AND NANO that they would agree to sell the 32 and 64 GB at X price, thus giving them an affordable price for this laptop being designed.
it's pure business.
Also, how does one expect it to become standard, if someone doesn't make the move and do exactly what it is rumored they are doing, and leading the market by being one of the first companies to offer a laptop where SSD is standard.
what brings the price down, is mass consumption of a product. Apple doing this WILL for DELL AND SONY and other companies to start offering computers with these standard, thus causing people to switch to SSD as the standard Drive. making it more affordable.
Make that a LOT less horse power. Ultraportables are designed to be small, but nothing else.
In which area of the ultra-portable market is Sony inferior to Apple? What are the specs you'd want to see in an Apple UP to make Sony's TZ range seem inferior??
First Mac ever: Macbook now or "ultralight" in '08?
After a lifetime of Windows use, I'm converting to Apple. I've never owned a portable, so I am looking at replacing my Win desktop with a MacBook--the lighter the better. Here are the areas I'm still confused about:
(1) Is it realistic to expect a MacBook to replace a desktop PC, i.e. be my one and only computer? What I do: word processing, money management, Web (incl streaming video), some Photoshop, Fireworks. No gaming or film editing.
(2) I saw a post complaining about the resolution of the 13", but in the Apple Store, I see no quality difference between 13" and 15". Is there a good way to put them to the test?
(3) If I get only 1 GB RAM, will I regret it? Doubling the RAM puts me at a different price point ($1400 vs. 1100). I can go up to $1400 but I want to be sure I'm spending the extra $ on things that will improve my computing experience.
(4) I want something very portable, so the rumored ultralight is appealing. But could such a device function as one's main/only computer? Would it have adequate/secure storage capacity or would it require most of one's files to be stored on a separate device? Will it read and write CD/DVDs?
(5) For the elusive ultralight I've seen price guesstimates of $999 to $1999. That's a pretty big range. Hard to know if it's worth waiting for if it's going to be out of my budget. (I guess that isn't really a question; just a comment.) Does Apple ever offer significant discounts, e.g. after Christmas?
(6) If they announce the ultralight at MacWorld, is it available then or does that mean it will still be a few more months before it's in stores?
(7) Number 6 above is a longwinded way of asking whether buying my first Mac, and making it a portable, now (Nov 07) is the smartest move.
Okay, that's it. Great forums here. Looking forward to becoming a Macolyte.
SLF
After a lifetime of Windows use, I'm converting to Apple. I've never owned a portable, so I am looking at replacing my Win desktop with a MacBook--the lighter the better. Here are the areas I'm still confused about:
(1) Is it realistic to expect a MacBook to replace a desktop PC, i.e. be my one and only computer? What I do: word processing, money management, Web (incl streaming video), some Photoshop, Fireworks. No gaming or film editing.
(2) I saw a post complaining about the resolution of the 13", but in the Apple Store, I see no quality difference between 13" and 15". Is there a good way to put them to the test?
(3) If I get only 1 GB RAM, will I regret it? Doubling the RAM puts me at a different price point ($1400 vs. 1100). I can go up to $1400 but I want to be sure I'm spending the extra $ on things that will improve my computing experience.
(4) I want something very portable, so the rumored ultralight is appealing. But could such a device function as one's main/only computer? Would it have adequate/secure storage capacity or would it require most of one's files to be stored on a separate device? Will it read and write CD/DVDs?
(5) For the elusive ultralight I've seen price guesstimates of $999 to $1999. That's a pretty big range. Hard to know if it's worth waiting for if it's going to be out of my budget. (I guess that isn't really a question; just a comment.) Does Apple ever offer significant discounts, e.g. after Christmas?
(6) If they announce the ultralight at MacWorld, is it available then or does that mean it will still be a few more months before it's in stores?
(7) Number 6 above is a longwinded way of asking whether buying my first Mac, and making it a portable, now (Nov 07) is the smartest move.
Okay, that's it. Great forums here. Looking forward to becoming a Macolyte.
SLF
A macbook will be fine for your needs. Photoshop will be the only thing that might bother you.
It's easy to install your own ram. Buy it from a 3rd party and install it yourself.
A sub-notebook from Apple will definitely not be $999. An unlocked iPhone in Germany sells for almost $1500.
You'll want a MacBook Pro for a true desktop replacement. A MacBook won't cut it.
If he's asking whether a macbook will read and write CD/DVDs, a MBP would be too much for him. But if he's got the money, a MBP would definitely ease his worry about whether a laptop can be his main computer.
By the way, LetsFall, what are the specs of the machine you're using now?
Well, the Macbook Pro's main advantage is its video card and screen size (which is either a con or a pro depending on your needs), and this bloke said he didn't want to do any gaming, so I'd say a Macbook would be fine.
a macbook will be fine
After using the amazing tx express ultranotebook (1kg!!) i am absolutely glad about the hardware and very much fed up with the os (windows) and having used the osx on a mac mini, absolutely sure that a a small mac will be amazing, i have friends who use as their only computer, the small powerbook, another has a macbookpro, another the imac and one has the macbook, all satiesfied and doing their work - my mac min only had 512mb ram, making it slow at doing several things at once, but perfectly working as the only computer in a small company now!
After using the amazing tx express ultranotebook (1kg!!) i am absolutely glad about the hardware and very much fed up with the os (windows) and having used the osx on a mac mini, absolutely sure that a a small mac will be amazing, i have friends who use as their only computer, the small powerbook, another has a macbookpro, another the imac and one has the macbook, all satiesfied and doing their work - my mac min only had 512mb ram, making it slow at doing several things at once, but perfectly working as the only computer in a small company now!
(1) Is it realistic to expect a MacBook to replace a desktop PC, i.e. be my one and only computer? What I do: word processing, money management, Web (incl streaming video), some Photoshop, Fireworks. No gaming or film editing.
A: YES, it is perfect for word processing (neooffice is great and free, otherwise iwork is really nice to use, and my preference)
Photoshop is made for mac, internet funcitons flawlessly using firefox, also streaming video, all 2d games are possible and it comes with built in film editing, and many companies are using ancient mac for their money management, lots of new programs exist, including quicken
(2) I saw a post complaining about the resolution of the 13", but in the Apple Store, I see no quality difference between 13" and 15". Is there a good way to put them to the test?
A: the resolution of the 13" is 1280x800 while the pro is 1440x900, and now has led backlighting, and comes in matte, so the actual size of letter etc will be the same, perfectly useful and with the option of adding an external monitor
(3) If I get only 1 GB RAM, will I regret it? Doubling the RAM puts me at a different price point ($1400 vs. 1100). I can go up to $1400 but I want to be sure I'm spending the extra $ on things that will improve my computing experience.
A: One gigabyte ram is definatly enough for normal use, and as elsewhere written, you can get it from other places, but i would use the same money for an external harddrive to use timemachine instead!
(4) I want something very portable, so the rumored ultralight is appealing. But could such a device function as one's main/only computer? Would it have adequate/secure storage capacity or would it require most of one's files to be stored on a separate device? Will it read and write CD/DVDs?
A:I have been using ultraportables almost all my life, as my only machines, and you can get a usb cd/dvd for 100$, storing and moving is better done on harddisks or memorysticks imo
(5) For the elusive ultralight I've seen price guesstimates of $999 to $1999. That's a pretty big range. Hard to know if it's worth waiting for if it's going to be out of my budget. (I guess that isn't really a question; just a comment.) Does Apple ever offer significant discounts, e.g. after Christmas?
A: Every ultraportable on the market have a pricetag of 2000$ or more, the cost of making them small is legendary, and with macs way of pricing it would come in logically at that, a 100$ less than the smallest pro like the powerbooks
(6) If they announce the ultralight at MacWorld, is it available then or does that mean it will still be a few more months before it's in stores?
A: i would like that, to choose another to work through the winter, iwould simply take the mini and then have the external monitor for the possible ultra, having that for home/children/spouse
(7) Number 6 above is a longwinded way of asking whether buying my first Mac, and making it a portable, now (Nov 07) is the smartest move.
A: If you can wait, then you will always save money, so in that case i would wait
Okay, that's it. Great forums here. Looking forward to becoming a Macolyte.
SLF
Wonderful technology
I has to admit that it is a wonderful technology but sad to say at my point of view it is not going to materialise.
In the market it is around USD 8 per GB for the SSD compared to USD 0.25 per GB. Price is the main concern for the already very expensive Macbook Pro.
Macbook Pro is meant for higher end user and if you are providing only 64 GB? Well I dun think Apple will make such a move and futher more it got only like up to 5 million write cycles.
Apple need to think a whole lot before making such committment. I seriously think 2008 is too early to have it launched, probably 2009. Along with Intel Core 2 Quad along with the SSD maybe till den 128 GB with a touchscreen screen, tablet notebook hybrid.
Till the end, it is too good to be true.
P/S: After this post, I have waken from my day dreaming. So should you.
I has to admit that it is a wonderful technology but sad to say at my point of view it is not going to materialise.
In the market it is around USD 8 per GB for the SSD compared to USD 0.25 per GB. Price is the main concern for the already very expensive Macbook Pro.
Macbook Pro is meant for higher end user and if you are providing only 64 GB? Well I dun think Apple will make such a move and futher more it got only like up to 5 million write cycles.
Apple need to think a whole lot before making such committment. I seriously think 2008 is too early to have it launched, probably 2009. Along with Intel Core 2 Quad along with the SSD maybe till den 128 GB with a touchscreen screen, tablet notebook hybrid.
Till the end, it is too good to be true.
P/S: After this post, I have waken from my day dreaming. So should you.