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Ultra-Portable MacBook Likely at Macworld San Francisco 2008?

photusEnigma said:
Removal of the keyboard alone would allow for dramatically reduced size, but still having the dedicated "bigger non-touch" screen allows you to keep working quickly without having to look around your hands to see what's happening as you work!
Click to expand...

Honestly, if Sony can make an 11.1" widescreen laptop with HDD, tray loading optical drive, decent processor and integrated GFX with 7.5 hours of battery life and less than 3 lb. in weight then I think Apple can just give us the keyboard and a slot loading optical drive with at least 2 USB ports, mini DVI, and ethernet ports at least.

I am honestly not asking Apple for any miracles in technology at miracle prices. Just give me an ultra-portable mac laptop that is smaller than the MacBook and has amazing battery life.
 
Digital Skunk said:
I think Apple can just give us the keyboard and a slot loading optical drive with at least 2 USB ports, mini DVI, and ethernet ports at least.

I am honestly not asking Apple for any miracles in technology at miracle prices. Just give me an ultra-portable mac laptop that is smaller than the MacBook and has amazing battery life.
Click to expand...

While I agree with you that a tactile keyboard is still key (pun intended) for a truly productive work environment, I hope the next phase of "portables" (laptop or otherwise) stops forcing the keyboard to be attached in a fixed manner as they are today. I'd hope they begin to allow users to select their own...or at least allow you to separate use the keyboard as either attached OR separated. Let users choose the keyboard position they want, and whether they want to carry what comes with the unit, or select their own bluetooth/wifi/or even wired (usb/firewire/esata) input and data devices. The portable system should have at least one reasonable input method for "in-transit" use (I'd consider the multi-purpose/touch pad a great option). So..what about a laptop that allows you to piggyback one of several optional wireless keyboards if you want one...hopefully even allowing for 3rd party options to be developed!

I think of a keyboard as an add on - a necessary one, but one that should be able to be swapped out at the users discretion, and something people should be able to select and position in the most comfortable manner. A removable or wireless keyboard would be much better on most peoples wrists!

I'm really hoping for an "ultra-mobile" type unit from Apple. I love the ultra-mobiles for their versatility and ease of use in situations where I need something small and easy to whip out, use, and put away quickly. That said, I actually hate the keyboards built into any ultra-mobile unit I've tried (and I've tried a lot). I have a windows mobile device that I use a lot for server administration and editing word/excel docs while moving from location to location (which happens a lot for me throughout the day). I use a wonderful full-size bluetooth butterfly (foldout) keyboard that has proven to be an amazingly productive method for working when I can't easily whip out my macbook pro. I'd pay dearly for something smaller than my macbook, and would hope to be able to use my wireless keyboard as it allows me to position the screen wherever is convenient and have my keyboard in a comfortable position.
 
Clive At Five said:
Oh, please. Can we stop recycling all this "Analyst" garbage?

Let's get real here and realize that Gene doesn't actually have more info than any of us. His sources are Apple rumors sites! See?

Therefore he can't draw any more of an 85% chance than any of us... and I have yet to see any truly compelling stories about ultra-portables. AppleInsider had one a while back, but that's just one report, and they practically worship anything Shaw Wu says, so who knows if it's real.
-Clive
Click to expand...

Analysts know way more than we do. They know all of the financial logic behind every decision Apple has and could make. They know Apple's corporate accounting numbers. They know what Apple needs and what Apple doesn't. They know how Apple's board of directors think. They can better predict the outcome of possible events in order to try to think like Apple thinks.

Analysts get paid six figures to do what they do. They can predict the outcome of such events much better than anyone on a MacRumors forum can.

Sorry... It just annoys me when people try to brush professionals off like that. These top analysts went to top graduate schools to learn how to do what they do. They spend hours researching (which is what some people here may do), but they also spend many hours thinking and brainstorming. :)
 
I like the "what ifs"

there's no doubt Apple will eventually try to stray us away from the keyboard, as it's pretty... archaic really.. A second screen in place with zoom features would be quite a nice treat.
 
photusEnigma said:
...stops forcing the keyboard to be attached in a fixed manner as they are today. I'd hope they begin to allow users to select their own...or at least allow you to separate use the keyboard as either attached OR separated...
Click to expand...
A removable keyboard? You're clearly a man of great vision, a brilliant idea.
 
I don't think Apple is going to launch a tablet at MacWorld, personally. Axiotron is supposedly about ready to finally release their ModBook tablet so that should feed the needs of those handful of folks who really need a tablet.



Digital Skunk said:
Honestly, if Sony can make an 11.1" widescreen laptop with HDD, tray loading optical drive, decent processor and integrated GFX with 7.5 hours of battery life and less than 3 lb. in weight then I think Apple can just give us the keyboard and a slot loading optical drive with at least 2 USB ports, mini DVI, and ethernet ports at least.
Click to expand...

Apple should just source the Sony unit. :D
 
mikeishi said:
Analysts know way more than we do. They know all of the financial logic behind every decision Apple has and could make. They know Apple's corporate accounting numbers. They know what Apple needs and what Apple doesn't. They know how Apple's board of directors think. They can better predict the outcome of possible events in order to try to think like Apple thinks.

Analysts get paid six figures to do what they do. They can predict the outcome of such events much better than anyone on a MacRumors forum can.

Sorry... It just annoys me when people try to brush professionals off like that. These top analysts went to top graduate schools to learn how to do what they do. They spend hours researching (which is what some people here may do), but they also spend many hours thinking and brainstorming. :)
Click to expand...

Sorry, off topic, but these "analysts" you speak of may know more than we do, but that means absolutely nothing. For example, the stock market. No one has ever been able to come up with a method to consistently beat the stock market. Take mutual fund managers, whose job is to profoundly study the companies they invest in. It is well documented that the majority of these managers get beat out by index funds (funds that are not actively managed). If these "analysts" knew so much, wouldn't they all be millionaires from being able to predict the future?
 
Well I can say with no shadow of doubt that if the new ultra portable has the same keyboard as the macbook they can count me out as a customer.
 
I'm going. I can't wait to see what Apple pulls off this year!

Billy Bob said:
Well I can say with no shadow of doubt that if the new ultra portable has the same keyboard as the macbook they can count me out as a customer.
Click to expand...

But what if it's a multi-touch keyboard ?
 
I like what you write; In this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcKqyn-gUbY - note the use of the keyboard. It floats over the workspace but only when needed. Also note that the keyboard is split like the old Microsoft egomaniac ones. The keyboard can also be stretched using the pinch method. I think we get hung-up on tactile feedback from keyboards. If the keyboard could be shaped to fit my fingers then I'd think the tactical bit is not such a big issue.... if I get a "click" sound the letter like the iPhone and teh letter is enlarged then I think I could type with speed and accuracy..... we should remember that the QWERTY keyboard was invented to slow people down from typing (http://half-qwerty.com/)…. It was to stop the arms on the letter of each key on a typewriter from getting stuck as you typed. Problem we have now you cant change the keyboard as everyone is so used to it…… however to change the size and shape of it could make a difference…….. its just that we are all so used to using keyboard with tactical feedback we think we need it…… ever seen your mum, dad or grandparents use a mouse for the first time…. ? they were hopeless..... they would over compensate the mouse movement to the same distance they wanted to move on the screen….. but over time they learned to distance moved on the mouse to its movement on the screen….. maybe we all need to learn a new way of typing ? The QWERTY keyboard was invented in 1860… surely there is a better way to type in 2008 ?

photusEnigma said:
While I agree with you that a tactile keyboard is still key (pun intended) for a truly productive work environment, I hope the next phase of "portables" (laptop or otherwise) stops forcing the keyboard to be attached in a fixed manner as they are today. I'd hope they begin to allow users to select their own...or at least allow you to separate use the keyboard as either attached OR separated. Let users choose the keyboard position they want, and whether they want to carry what comes with the unit, or select their own bluetooth/wifi/or even wired (usb/firewire/esata) input and data devices. The portable system should have at least one reasonable input method for "in-transit" use (I'd consider the multi-purpose/touch pad a great option). So..what about a laptop that allows you to piggyback one of several optional wireless keyboards if you want one...hopefully even allowing for 3rd party options to be developed!

I think of a keyboard as an add on - a necessary one, but one that should be able to be swapped out at the users discretion, and something people should be able to select and position in the most comfortable manner. A removable or wireless keyboard would be much better on most peoples wrists!

I'm really hoping for an "ultra-mobile" type unit from Apple. I love the ultra-mobiles for their versatility and ease of use in situations where I need something small and easy to whip out, use, and put away quickly. That said, I actually hate the keyboards built into any ultra-mobile unit I've tried (and I've tried a lot). I have a windows mobile device that I use a lot for server administration and editing word/excel docs while moving from location to location (which happens a lot for me throughout the day). I use a wonderful full-size bluetooth butterfly (foldout) keyboard that has proven to be an amazingly productive method for working when I can't easily whip out my macbook pro. I'd pay dearly for something smaller than my macbook, and would hope to be able to use my wireless keyboard as it allows me to position the screen wherever is convenient and have my keyboard in a comfortable position.
Click to expand...
 
Looks like Macworld shaping up to be a snoozefest.......

At least they didn't wait til then to bore us to death with the new mac pros and xserves.
 
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