Who else is interested by a Macbook Mini ARM?

[bubulol]

Hey, rumors are pretty insistent about Macbook ARM
Since Apple re-start a new mini cycle with iPhone 12 Mini, Homepod Mini, even iPad Mini got refresh recently
I may dream about a Macbook Mini under ARM:

• Somewhere between 9 and 10 inches
• Very small and lightweight like a lighter and smaller Macbook 12
• Can compete with iPad Pro in term of size/weight

Why i do believe it would be smart enough to launch such small Macbook:

• Cheapest Macbook
• Small/lightweight means ultra portability
• Perfect for media consumption (cloud gaming, netflix, watching movies, Youtube...

What do you think? Bad idea?

Thanks

 

[sracer]

Answer: Bad idea.

Having a full desktop OS on a device with a 9" screen has been done before. It wasn't a good experience then, it won't be now.

The best interpretation of a "Macbook Mini" IMO is an iPad Mini 5 with a Zagg keyboard case. I use this combination on many occasions and having a mobile OS in a mini clamshell form-factor is very useful for mobile scenarios. Supports touch, Apple Pencil, and mouse.

 

[bubulol]

I already got an iPad Mini 5, that why i am dreaming about a Macbook Mini
16:9/16:10 ratio is much better for media consumption
I m sick of mobile ads popups especially on Youtube
I want desktop OS, desktop hardware and desktop apps (web browser)
What about 10 inches borderless Macbook? Even 11 if bezel are reduced
It could be a lightweight laptop

 

[Bustermd]

I'm going to vote Bad Idea as well.

The 12 inch macbook was plenty thin and light enough, and that's most likely the form factor for the next small ARM mac. Also if they make it with a more modern thin bezel display you can get a ton of screen real estate in that package. I think if they made it smaller usability would suffer a lot.

 

[calstanford]

What on earth would I do with a 9" computer. Is this a joke?

 

[bubulol]

Why not, iPad Mini its 7.9, older iPad 9.7
I wish basically a Macbook similar in size as older iPad

 

[MultiFinder17]

As someone that still adores his 11” Air, I really don’t think I’d want anything smaller than this.

 

[ghanwani]

If it can't accommodate a comfortable full size keyboard then it's useless to me. As such, I think 12" is about the smallest that would work.

 

[SirAnthonyHopkins]

I voted yes before reading the OP and assumed you just meant a return to the 12” MacBook, which I’d be all over. I do most of my work sat at a desk on my Mac mini, but I’d like a small, lightweight laptop for taking out and around the house, mainly because I prefer a proper laptop to an iPad and keyboard (which I’m using now) for working, but don’t need much power or size.

Anything smaller than that, no, we’re into the territory of netbooks which are just pointless in a world where iPads and small keyboards exist.

 

[Falhófnir]

Apple won't go smaller than the 12" MacBook because they would have to compromise on the full size keyboard, which is something they said they didn't want to do. It was in the 12" reveal presentation that its size was dictated by the width of the keyboard. I expect battery life would also begin to suffer, even with Apple Silicon, and the terraced battery design seems to have been a key reason why the 12" MacBook's price remained outsized to its apparent position in the lineup, so it's unlikely it would be a cheap device either.

 

[Darth.Titan]

What you're describing is a netbook, and those went extinct years ago.

Too small to be of much use.

 

[ghanwani]

What you're describing is a netbook, and those went extinct years ago.

Too small to be of much use.

Indeed. Sony made a bunch including their P series

Sony VAIO P Series review

In a day of $300 netbooks and $500 tablets, it sure is mystifying to see Sony still pushing a secondary, $700+ Atom-powered device. That's right, Sony hasn't given up on its 8-inch VAIO P Series, and has updated the 1.3-pound mini-laptop with a slightly different design, a faster Atom Z560...

www.engadget.com