Ultra-thin and Ultra-light Mac Notebook in 2007

[Black Belt]

Don't forget Palm just came out with an ultra-light notebook, the Folio, mainly a keyboard, small screen, and easy sync with the Treo cellphone. But that was almost universally ridiculed. I was surprised by that, since Microsoft has been pushing the idea of tablets and of those little computers for a long time, why when Palm does it everybody thinks it's dopey. I wonder how an Apple product would be different, or if it would get the same sort of criticism. Would it also be a revolutionary product? Or has the Apple reality distortion field now extended over the entire surface of the planet.

The problem with Palm's Foleo is that their priorities are out of whack. They've needed to upgrade their software for ages and release a fullscreen phone and so they decide to come out with NOT A REVOLUTIONARY PDA, but a weird add-on hardware piece, which may prove useful, maybe - a cheap instant-on device with wifi & bluetooth - could be useful. But they need to get their regular stuff under control first. I though they were going to come out with something wild - a PDA/Phone with a foldable screen was patented. Imagine a screen that would fold up and fit in your pocket and unfold to a decent viewing size. That would be cool! But heck, I'd settle for a big software upgrade. But no, we got the Foleo as Jeff's hyped announcement. That was a dud.

 

[MikeTheC]

Having worked for Sony and having had to deal with their super-thin/ultra portable notebooks which had external optical drives, all I can say is that experience teaches it's simply a bad idea not to build an optical drive into the computer.

 

[verniesgarden]

Having worked for Sony and having had to deal with their super-thin/ultra portable notebooks which had external optical drives, all I can say is that experience teaches it's simply a bad idea not to build an optical drive into the computer.

i seriously agree, as soon as you take the optical drive out of a portable it, generally, automatically makes it non-portable

 

[mpw]

i seriously agree, as soon as you take the optical drive out of a portable it, generally, automatically makes it non-portable

How does making it lighter and less voluminous make it less portable

 

[Catonow]

How does making it lighter and less voluminous make it less portable

I think that's for people who want their ultraportable to do everything including the dishes. I suppose the optical-drive defenders who use their CD/DVD drives every day would argue that it would be useless without one, or too awkward to bring an exterior one everywhere.

Most people, however, hardly ever use their optical drives -- maybe somewhere between once a week to once a month. Maybe you'd use it a lot in the beginning, to rip your favorite CDs and DVDs and to load software. But after the first week or so, you'd hardly ever use it. These folk (who I'm guessing are in the vast majority) would prefer the advantages in less weight and bulk to having a built-in optical drive. I think those who must have one should be satisfied with a current MBP or MB. The UP should be for those of us who want real portability.

There is always a trade off between portability and capability. Everyone draws the line somewhere different. I hope Mac is bold enough to make an UP without an optical drive, because I hardly ever use mine and I'd like my UP to be as light as possible. However, I would be upset if it didn't have a full-sized keyboard and decent graphics capability. I'd rather have dedicated graphics (or at the very least, the most advanced integrated system available) than a CD drive. And I probably wouldn't settle for a smaller than 12" screen. But that's where I draw the line. Your mileage may vary.

 

[mirffy]

How does making it lighter and less voluminous make it less portable

well, seeing as you need to take an external cd drive with you every time you want to use a cd.
actually you have to "always" take an external drive with you, seeing as you never know if you might need it, and I know I'm annoyed when I can't use a cd, just because I forgot my external drive.

"suddenly" doesn't seem to make it more portable to me...

 

[mpw]

well, seeing as you need to take an external cd drive with you every time you want to use a cd.
actually you have to "always" take an external drive with you, seeing as you never know if you might need it, and I know I'm annoyed when I can't use a cd, just because I forgot my external drive.

"suddenly" doesn't seem to make it more portable to me...

What about a printer?
seeing as you need to take a printer with you every time you want to print a document.
actually you have to "always" take a printer with you , seeing as you never know if you might need it, and I know I'm annoyed when I can't print a document, just because I forgot my printer.

"suddenly" doesn't seem to make any of Apple's 'portable' range portable to me...

 

[Catonow]

well, seeing as you need to take an external cd drive with you every time you want to use a cd.
actually you have to "always" take an external drive with you, seeing as you never know if you might need it, and I know I'm annoyed when I can't use a cd, just because I forgot my external drive.

"suddenly" doesn't seem to make it more portable to me...

That's your experience. For most of us, the lack of a CD drive will be a minor inconvenience, offset by increased portability. Once again, if the new UP turns out not to have an optical drive, and you're still in the market for an Apple laptop, I'd encourage you to consider the six different models of MBs and MBPs that all have optical drives.

 

[ankh]

>Cd drive

Say, has anyone offered a CD drive that would just grip the hub and a 90 degree slice of the CD, letting the rest rotate in free air? Just fit it into a corner of the computer, say.

I remember some suggestion, one of the very last vinyl turntable ideas, that had the record mostly unsupported, rotating just a wedge of it through the record player (maybe one of the ones that used a laser to read the physical groove, but I don't think so). Always liked the idea for saving footprint.

 

[MikeyTree]

That's your experience. For most of us, the lack of a CD drive will be a minor inconvenience, offset by increased portability. Once again, if the new UP turns out not to have an optical drive, and you're still in the market for an Apple laptop, I'd encourage you to consider the six different models of MBs and MBPs that all have optical drives.

That's been my experience as well. I have had a laptop for 5 years, and take it everywhere (school, work, the library, friends' houses). I use the optical drive at most 3 or 4 times a month, and haven't used it away from home in years.

I hope that Apple creates a Mac tablet, or convertable tablet ultralight laptop, and makes it without an optical drive.

 

[faithfulFrank]

This rumor is interesting. I'll admit, much of these 11 pages is beyond me, (I love my mac, but I use it more then understand the insides of it).

I do know this......I've been trying to buy a 12" powerbook on ebay for a few weeks now, and the prices of those are quite high....higher then the 15" powerbooks that are more powerful. I was outbid on one today that went for $1200.........so it seems that there IS a loyal following for the smaller powerbooks....the 12" ones have a much higher resale value then the 15" ones. Ebay proves it.

So perhaps there is a market for a smaller apple laptop. I know I would rather have a 12" G4 then a macbook.......I don't like the keyboard of the macbooks, and I don't like the glossy screens....also the scrolling keypad on the new macbooks seem not as easy to use then on the 1.5 GHz 12" powerbooks. You have to press down more on these macbooks....

I was bummed the day they dropped the 12", and will still soon buy one..(both my boys have one, now I want one). I'd buy a used 12" powerbook before I'd buy a mac book.......so if apple has some new small laptop coming out...I'd be interested.

Frank D.

 

[verniesgarden]

well i have come to the conclusion that anything over a PDA sized (iphone) is not an ultraportable. if while not in use you can't just stick it in your pocket its no more portable than a laptop that goes into a case.

lack of optical drive would probably be a rather pain more than people think, it's something you take for granted

 

[Adamo]

The majority of the programmes I use on the laptop I'm using now are simply downloadable ones, if they're not, I have to download them (torrents) as it has no disc drive.

Putting music and programmes onto a computer via the optical drive really helps - not having one would be extremely short-sighted by Apple, the 12" PowerBook is tiny, the MacBook itself is already pretty small, so making it smaller wouldn't be too much of a task, but the loss of optical isn't one I'd want when buying such a product.

 

[Apple JAFO]

Anyone heard of Mac tablet based on Iphone touchscreen technology?

Saw this idea on another board. a 12"/15"/etc. true tablet computer using OSX/iphone touchscreen technology upgraded to full computer capabilities. doesn't seem it would be that hard to do. i'd buy one or three.

 

[Spades]

well i have come to the conclusion that anything over a PDA sized (iphone) is not an ultraportable. if while not in use you can't just stick it in your pocket its no more portable than a laptop that goes into a case.

That's funny. I think anything larger than a thin notebook (paper) or an iPod shuffle is too big for pockets. PDAs are too large to comfortably keep in a pocket for me. If I'm going to carry anything larger than the notebook or shuffle I'm going to use a bag anyways.

 

[MikeyTree]

Saw this idea on another board. a 12"/15"/etc. true tablet computer using OSX/iphone touchscreen technology upgraded to full computer capabilities. doesn't seem it would be that hard to do. i'd buy one or three.

That's what I'm hoping for. I wouldn't be able to get one for a couple years yet, and wouldn't want a version 1 version anyway, but otherwise it would be perfect. I have to do a lot of reading for my profession (soon to be lawyer), and it would be nice to just pick up a light weight Mac tablet and read it like a book while sitting on my couch or on a comfy chair.

The tricky part of any true tablet is how to make it usable as a notebook as well as a tablet. The keyboard part is easy enough, since Apple could just make a compact bluetooth keyboard, like the MB's or MBP's with a back. But it would be nice if there could be some way to make the tablet stand up, like a laptop screen, without a danger of falling over. I have no doubt that Apple or one the various peripheral manufacturers could do it elegantly.

 

[winterspan]

dedicated GPU on a sub-notebook?

I don't really see this as a true PowerBook replacement based on the size, weight and speculated specs that were given. The PowerBook 12 inch had a dedicated GPU.
This though by the sounds of it is going to be a smaller factor maybe under powered MacBook but with better battery life and fancy casing.
A true replacement would be a smaller factor MBP with a dedicated GPU maybe with something like the 8400GS.

WTF is up with all these people on here screaming about a dedicated GPU on an ultra-portable?? So you can play Counterstrike on the subway? If you want to play games or use 3dsMAX on a sub-notebook, I think you're obviously missing the point of the device...

 

[gamerz]

Since this thread was started, anybody have any idea of what the specs will be of this ultra-thin ultra-light notebook? Because it is thin, then there wont be much room for a good graphics, or a fast processor. Any ideas?

 

[winterspan]

It's About Showing Respect

Since when are words outdated? Burning witches is outdated (at least in most places) but words? Is there a list somewhere with the politically incorrect words on the net? African-Americans use the N-word all the time... I feel discriminated because I can't say it.

Words most certainly can be antiquated or made obsolete. Especially insolent labels like "deaf mute" which were born out of ignorance and prejudice. It's no different than saying "china-men" or "oriental" to a Chinese person, or any other example of offensive labels, racial slurs and false stereotypes. You may not think much of it, but that's only because you probably haven't ever been included in a group (there are many) that has historically been discriminated against or grossly mis-understood.

Not speaking like an obtuse cretin has little to do with political correctness, it's about being considerate and showing a little respect for fellow human beings, especially when an individual asks politely.

 

[winterspan]

Hey this is my first ever post so dont dont shoot me down lol.

Couple of points.... If they go away with the dvd drive an stuff, how are they goign to provide osx reinstall software and the bootable hardware tests?

Another thing i noticed is on that intel prototype the usb port looks to fit most of the height of the machine... well, how would this effect the mini-DVI port currently used on iMacs and Macbooks is almost a 3rd as chunky again..

Anyway id buy one in a flash

I believe the Mini-DVI port isn't much bigger than USB, but depending on the time this thing comes out there may be(a bit of a stretch) a move to the DisplayPort standard if they also move to that with their new Cinema displays... either way, after using a MB Pro and holding an iPhone, I'm sure apple will be able cram just about anything into a subnotebook...

 

[winterspan]

Now typing on my 12" PB, which is dying a slow death, longing for a decent replacement. See, I'm a novelist and take my laptop around the world, so it has to be light, but I never do much more than word processing and internet--but lots and lots of typing. An ultraportable with a full keyboard would be ideal. I don't care about optical drive (my backup is firewire anyway). But if the keyboard is small, or worse touch-sensitive--well you can't write novels on that.

I'm thinking I shouldn't depend on rumor and should just get a MacBook now. What do you think? I figure even if these come out, it won't be for a while and they'll be too costly.

a couple pages back I posted a list of unique Japanese/Korean laptops from dynamism.com - you should check these out.

Heres the link for the Toshiba RX1:
http://www.dynamism.com/rx1/specs.shtml
it has a 12.1" WXGA screen, Intel ULV Core 2 DUO, weighs 1.88 lbs, and gets 10+ hours of REAL-WORLD use with a 19mm pitch keyboard (full-size)...

reformat the SSD and load up OSX...

 

[mpw]

...Especially insolent labels like "deaf mute" which were born out of ignorance and prejudice. It's no different than saying "china-men" or "oriental" to a Chinese person, or any other example of offensive labels, racial slurs and false stereotypes. You may not think much of it, but that's only because you probably haven't ever been included in a group (there are many) that has historically been discriminated against or grossly mis-understood.

Not speaking like an obtuse cretin has little to do with political correctness, it's about being considerate and showing a little respect for fellow human beings, especially when an individual asks politely.

What do I call a deaf mute if not a deaf mute? and why is chinaman or oriental considered offensive?

I know I'm not the most politically correct person about, but I don't understand who gets to decide what words become offensive. If somebody is a deaf mute there's little point in calling them anything different surely? If somebody is a man from China, Chinaman seems acceptable to me, yes Chinese man works too, but why use two words where one would do?

 

[gamerz]

Aren't the macbooks and macbook pro's already portable enough to lug around?

 

[meagain]

No. The Pros are huge and both are fairly heavy compared to what one can get. It would be wonderful to have a 3.? pound petite option.

Heavy/big depends on one's situation. The more you lug it around, the more you want it light. Airplanes, etc.

 

[mpw]

Aren't the macbooks and macbook pro's already portable enough to lug around?

If you travel a lot, say business trips where you're away for just a night or two, and you're only allowed 6kg of hand luggage a 1kg Asus would be much better than a 2.3kg MacBook (with the exception of the OS). It saves carrying two bags and have to check one in, which can save 20mins+ at the departure end and up to 50mins at arrival. For me that's an hour and 10mins. saved from a journey time for a 35min. flight.