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Ultra-Portable MacBook Likely at Macworld San Francisco 2008?
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Why choose one over the other:
http://onlyumpc.com/news/mac-os-x-on-asus-r2h#more-394
I have been waiting for this for sooo long... Remember my mockup?
Yes please
This sounds like something to replace my 12" Powerbook, so I'm pleased it's now 85% likely. I expect i'll have to pay a lot of money for it though.
This sounds like something to replace my 12" Powerbook, so I'm pleased it's now 85% likely. I expect i'll have to pay a lot of money for it though.
Water recharge? Please.
It should charge itself using the moisture in the air.
This feature obviously was alluded to in "The Incredibles" in the scene where Mr. Incredible and Frozone are in the burning house, and Frozone explains why he can't make ice.
Why is everyone so damned interested in a sub-note book? This equals less power, less capability, less EVERYTHING than the current line. I can see how maybe a few people might need them, but honestly. Are you all such wusses that you need a sub 2 pound note book? Come on, give me a break. I still use a iBook G4, and it doesn't break my back. I just don't understand how anyone thinks no optical drive is cool. Whatever. Theres always someone out there that'll buy anything. I mean, some people still buy Chevy's.
First of all: I don't care if i'm wrong.
Second: where the heck do you people get 85% probability. Show me your math calculations. Please. Oh, what? There are none? You are all going on hearsay? Oh thats right. Lame. Very lame.
THANK YOU!!!!
First of all: I don't care if i'm wrong.
Second: where the heck do you people get 85% probability. Show me your math calculations. Please. Oh, what? There are none? You are all going on hearsay? Oh thats right. Lame. Very lame.
THANK YOU!!!!
It's in January because it's the annual electronics event month for everyone. CES in Vegas is usually the first week in January followed by Macworld.
Did anyone post this yet? This is what I'm hoping for (about the only thing I'd ever replace my 12" PB with)!!
Courtesy of Gizmodo's Apple Tablet Contest (entry by Thomas Palmer)
I would first barf, then i would cry, then i would be very upset if Apple gave us this terrible design. That's why I am glad that it would never come out.
Seriously though I doubt that Apple would take the back of the iPod Touch and stretch it out to fit a larger screen, then at the very last minute at a QWERTY keyboard that was only touch. That's like the college student that does their paper at the last minute, it's always rushed, and very very tacky.
And Apple is not tacky, and certainly doesn't rush anything.
If this were true and there would be a large enough storage capacity for files and so forth I would buy this in an instant. I want an ultra-portable to release so badly, especially because I'll be in the market come late spring/summer with for college!
Not much new to see here. Who cares if an analyst is predicting a subnotebook based on the number of rumors there are about it, with no independent corroborating information?
Give me a rumor with some real meat to it.
Give me a rumor with some real meat to it.
This is what happens when you get too much gain in a feedback loop... The rumor sites report that the analysis say there's going to be a product, then the analysts say that the rumor sites are reporting there's going to be a product. Then that gets fed back to the rumor sites, which gets read by the analysts...
This guy is at least up front about his sources-- hopefully that will help everyone keep this in perspective.
This guy is at least up front about his sources-- hopefully that will help everyone keep this in perspective.
I would first barf, then i would cry, then i would be very upset if Apple gave us this terrible design. That's why I am glad that it would never come out.
Actually, truth be told, I wouldnt be surprised for a second if the design incorporated the new black/silver look of the iPod touch/iphone/imac. It seems to be the new design direction (the new white)
I can understand why a sub-notebook might not be right for you. On the other hand, some people have legitimate reasons for having/wanting one. For instance, I never JUST carry my powerbook anywhere. I usually have school books, school supplies, lunch/dinner and my powerbook. I may be a weak, little boy in your mind because of it but all of that weight starts to add up when you have to walk or ride your bike everywhere.
Josh
Good point, it would feel wrong not having an optical drive, but actually, I have used it like maybe 10 times in the past year... I'm sure there'll be an ultra-portable usb optical drive in matching aluminum and form factor available though, for an extra £250...
I obviously meant (I thought) 'announce' AND 'release'... not just announce. So to reiterate, more clearly for you and any others who missed my point...
IF there were such a thing ... this close ... why not announce AND release pre Christmas.
Then I added, the same is true of Mac World in general... I wondered why historically it has always been held just after Christmas. I have shown many new products there from my software company and know many companies launch their products there too. MW was always the main Apple product event in the entire year. My point is it would always have been so much better in early December from a sales point of view. Many business folks as well as private individuals justify a purchase this time of year as a 'little or big treat'.
Did anyone post this yet? This is what I'm hoping for (about the only thing I'd ever replace my 12" PB with)!!
Courtesy of Gizmodo's Apple Tablet Contest (entry by Thomas Palmer)
A virtual keyboard makes sense for a device the size of the iPhone. I don't think that it would work well in a larger tablet like this, though, partly because it uses so much of the screen.
Well, I guess you're not in the target market. But there are a lot of business people and others who find it a pain (literally) to walk around with a 6 lb. laptop plus another pound or two of accessories and other stuff slung over their shoulder all day. An ultraportable would let me edit and run presentations, create documents, and use email on the go and would be incredibly useful to me, as long as battery life were sufficiently long.
Yeah, the lack of an optical drive seems odd at first. But when I consider how often I actually use the one on my PowerBook, it makes more sense. I can live with doing OS upgrades using an external drive and with using a flash device for backups.
My favorite specs
Hardware:
Mac OS X 10.5, full version
11.1" Display LED
60-120GB 1.8" HDD
USB ports
Mini-DVI out
802.11n
Bluetooth
(no Firewire optical drive, ethernet port)
Full keyboard, maybe a little trackpad if there is room for it.
Touch screen like the iPhone.
Features:
Display can be opened 360° so the laptop becomes a tablet
In tablet mode the screen can rotate 90° when the computer is tilted, just like the iPhone. Useful for reading, web browsing and writing.
Ability to display on-screen keyboard.
External keyboard and mouse can be used, bluetooth or USB.
Synchronizing software to keep a standard mac synced.
Ability to tap into the EDGE (or 3G) networks when paired with an iPhone
Hardware:
Mac OS X 10.5, full version
11.1" Display LED
60-120GB 1.8" HDD
USB ports
Mini-DVI out
802.11n
Bluetooth
(no Firewire optical drive, ethernet port)
Full keyboard, maybe a little trackpad if there is room for it.
Touch screen like the iPhone.
Features:
Display can be opened 360° so the laptop becomes a tablet
In tablet mode the screen can rotate 90° when the computer is tilted, just like the iPhone. Useful for reading, web browsing and writing.
Ability to display on-screen keyboard.
External keyboard and mouse can be used, bluetooth or USB.
Synchronizing software to keep a standard mac synced.
Ability to tap into the EDGE (or 3G) networks when paired with an iPhone
I have been lurking here for the past few years and bit my tongue during the first round of ultraportable comments here on MacRumors. I decided I needed to register to get into the fray here. Here goes, my first post... and it's a long one...
First- who wants an ultraportable Mac? Many people! My laptop history:
IBM ThinkPad 701C (Butterfly keyboard)
Toshiba 320CT
IBM X23, X24, and X31
Toshiba M200
Fujitsu P1610
12 years of carrying laptops on the road. What do all of these have in common? A screen from 8.9" to 12" diagonal, and NO optical drive. My current laptop, the P1610 has been upgraded by me to use a 32GB SSD, and the speed/battery life boost was well worth the $500 extra dollars I paid at the time.
Regarding SSDs:
I'm sure Apple has a bit of leverage in the NAND market, and will get their SSDs for less than the average Joe can pick one up on Newegg.com. Not that they will pass the savings along to us. Expect a low end model to have a standard 1.8" 80/160GB iPod hard drive. Anyone looking for performance will skip this and take an SSD.
Regarding Touch/Multi-Touch:
Apple will not bring out a touch screen of any kind on the ultaportable. OSX user interface elements will be too small to interact with using a finger on a screen 13.3" or smaller. Small possibility that they could incorporate a Wacom digitizer and pen, but the odds of that are so remote that they're not worth considering.
Regarding Specs:
13.3" is not a true "ultraportable" in my book, or anyone else who has used true ultraportables (see Dynamism.com for good examples, or the Fujitsu P1610). If that screen size rumored is correct this should fall into the "Thin and Light" category. An ultraportable should not only be 3lbs or less, the screen should be 12" or less diagonally. Finally, smaller laptops are not specifically excluded from having dedicated graphics (Look up notebooks from LG for examples of small laptops with GeForce integrated).
Assumptions if the screen is 13.3"
-------------------------------------
Core 2 Duo processor at 2.0 to 2.4GHz
Up to 4GB of RAM
GeForce dedicated graphics with 128MB SDRAM
Screen resolution probably 1280x800, small chance of 1440x900.
Assumptions if the screen is 11.1" to 12.1"
----------------------------------------------
ULV Core 2 Duo processor at 1.2 to 1.6GHz
Up to 2GB of RAM
Previous generation GeForce dedicated with 64-128MB SDRAM
Screen resolution probably 1280x800, small chance of 1366x768 (11.1" screen from Sony TZ series).
The Other specs
------------------
Gigabit Ethernet
802.11n Wifi
Bluetooth
2MP iSight Camera
2 USB Ports
1 Firewire 800
HDMI video output (with DVI conversion adaptor)
OSX Leopard
External optical drive (possibly bundled, likely purchase separately)
Regarding Price:
Apple is not known for low price, but for high quality at an average or slightly high price. Do not expect an "ultraportable" to cost $999, no matter what company produces it. My educated guesstimates from past experience would be as follows:
Mac Ultraportable with 80GB 1.8" standard HDD, 1GB of RAM --- $1699
Mac Ultraportable with 32GB SSD, 2GB of RAM ---------------- $1999
Mac Ultraportable with 64GB SSD, 4GB of RAM ---------------- $2999
If we are lucky they will throw in a USB powered external SuperDrive (clad in aluminum as well). Otherwise expect that to be $299 extra.
OK, the show's over now. I use Windows based laptops for work/travel and an iMac at home. I want to switch over completely (and use Parallels / VMWare Fusion for work). Almost did when the MacBook line came out, but it's size/weight/plasic turned me off. This rumored upcoming model should be just about right. I'll buy one even if the screen is 13.3", but will probably buy a round for the entire office if they make it 12" or smaller!
First- who wants an ultraportable Mac? Many people! My laptop history:
IBM ThinkPad 701C (Butterfly keyboard)
Toshiba 320CT
IBM X23, X24, and X31
Toshiba M200
Fujitsu P1610
12 years of carrying laptops on the road. What do all of these have in common? A screen from 8.9" to 12" diagonal, and NO optical drive. My current laptop, the P1610 has been upgraded by me to use a 32GB SSD, and the speed/battery life boost was well worth the $500 extra dollars I paid at the time.
Regarding SSDs:
I'm sure Apple has a bit of leverage in the NAND market, and will get their SSDs for less than the average Joe can pick one up on Newegg.com. Not that they will pass the savings along to us. Expect a low end model to have a standard 1.8" 80/160GB iPod hard drive. Anyone looking for performance will skip this and take an SSD.
Regarding Touch/Multi-Touch:
Apple will not bring out a touch screen of any kind on the ultaportable. OSX user interface elements will be too small to interact with using a finger on a screen 13.3" or smaller. Small possibility that they could incorporate a Wacom digitizer and pen, but the odds of that are so remote that they're not worth considering.
Regarding Specs:
13.3" is not a true "ultraportable" in my book, or anyone else who has used true ultraportables (see Dynamism.com for good examples, or the Fujitsu P1610). If that screen size rumored is correct this should fall into the "Thin and Light" category. An ultraportable should not only be 3lbs or less, the screen should be 12" or less diagonally. Finally, smaller laptops are not specifically excluded from having dedicated graphics (Look up notebooks from LG for examples of small laptops with GeForce integrated).
Assumptions if the screen is 13.3"
-------------------------------------
Core 2 Duo processor at 2.0 to 2.4GHz
Up to 4GB of RAM
GeForce dedicated graphics with 128MB SDRAM
Screen resolution probably 1280x800, small chance of 1440x900.
Assumptions if the screen is 11.1" to 12.1"
----------------------------------------------
ULV Core 2 Duo processor at 1.2 to 1.6GHz
Up to 2GB of RAM
Previous generation GeForce dedicated with 64-128MB SDRAM
Screen resolution probably 1280x800, small chance of 1366x768 (11.1" screen from Sony TZ series).
The Other specs
------------------
Gigabit Ethernet
802.11n Wifi
Bluetooth
2MP iSight Camera
2 USB Ports
1 Firewire 800
HDMI video output (with DVI conversion adaptor)
OSX Leopard
External optical drive (possibly bundled, likely purchase separately)
Regarding Price:
Apple is not known for low price, but for high quality at an average or slightly high price. Do not expect an "ultraportable" to cost $999, no matter what company produces it. My educated guesstimates from past experience would be as follows:
Mac Ultraportable with 80GB 1.8" standard HDD, 1GB of RAM --- $1699
Mac Ultraportable with 32GB SSD, 2GB of RAM ---------------- $1999
Mac Ultraportable with 64GB SSD, 4GB of RAM ---------------- $2999
If we are lucky they will throw in a USB powered external SuperDrive (clad in aluminum as well). Otherwise expect that to be $299 extra.
OK, the show's over now. I use Windows based laptops for work/travel and an iMac at home. I want to switch over completely (and use Parallels / VMWare Fusion for work). Almost did when the MacBook line came out, but it's size/weight/plasic turned me off. This rumored upcoming model should be just about right. I'll buy one even if the screen is 13.3", but will probably buy a round for the entire office if they make it 12" or smaller!
