Why no PowerBook without optical drive?

[Monk Edsel]

Man, some of you guys have NO imagination. I am really floored by comments like... an empty void would be left that could not be filled if you removed the optical drive. Well, I suggested ways to fill it for one thing. (The 17" is extremely thin, has nothing above or below the hard drive, a very thin battery and seems to be A-okay to me.) For another, all you would have to do is engineer a new design for it as, uh, Apple and every other company on the planet continues to do with every new product. Third, this is, you know, Apple. The Mac mini, I mean, who saw a form factor like that coming? Which one of you anticipated something so small? And would have said it couldn't be done before they saw it with their own eyes? This very discouraging talk really shocks me, coming from none other than what I presume to be Apple loyalists. Especially the the habit of citing other sub-notebooks that they feel are subpar. This is APPLE, people. Completely different ball game. How many other laptops out there have you seen encased in aluminum, for example? And that's just for starters.

Also, I am so relieved some of us are pointing out the fact that with a sub-notebook, the whole point is to leave the optical drive at home and not lug it with you everywhere, otherwise you would just get a regular PowerBook. And please let's not assume that someone who wants a lighter notebook is physically weak? I mean, whaaa? I can assure you that when my bag is full of school crap, my left shoulder most certainly notices the additional 4.7 pounds of weight when I bring my twelver with me. If I could shave a couple pounds off that I'd be happy.

Cost is also not such a strong factor I don't think. It would not have to be cheaper than the 12" because you are paying more for less, so to speak. It couldn't be more than the 15", though. Even if you want to argue that it would not be suitable for the Western market (which may or may not be true), it could at the very least be made available online only, which is not unheard of.

 

[kubark42]

I just bought a 15" PowerBook. It shipped a few hours ago. I haven't owned an Apple product since the IIe. I've been using an Acer TravelMate for the last three years, and haven't been disappointed. I personally would very much like to see a PowerBook that had no optical drive, as I've managed just fine for three years without one.

Now, I understand that some people use their drives all the time, but, heck, some people use floppy drives all the time, too, but I'm more than happy to not have one in my computer. I fell the same for the CD drive. All other things being equaly, I would rather have a space saving whole than the added weight of a drive, even though it only weighs a few grams.

I have no idea what to put in the whole, and frankly that doesn't concern me. Nothing would be fine. Or a motherboard that's a little less cramped and thus a little less expensive to manufacture. Or a PowerBook that can actually be taken apart by mere mortals. Unless I'm mistaken, none of us are design engineers, so we don't really know what sort of tradeoffs and engineering hours were spent to shoehorn everything in. It could be that taking out the drive could result in a 10% savings or more on every computer.

As to those who say that the ultra-lights are very flimsy, I say, "So what?" They're so light they can afford to be. Just because it feels as if it can be broken in two doesn't mean it can be. My glasses look that way, but A) they can't be, and B) the weight wouldn't be worth it even if they could.

A few grams on 2.6kg is quite significant, especially since my Acer only weighs 1.8kg. I'm definitely going to notice the difference. I don't regret my choice to puy a heavier laptop, but I will definitely have some days where I'll pine for something lighter. Those who say that you'll never notice the difference in weight might try lugging the laptop around day after day, country after country. With 80GB in hard drive space, I certainly don't need to bring any CDs or DVDs with me when I travel.

Just a choice, you're not obliged to feel the same.

 

[AlmostThere]

I generally think this is a good idea. The only use for an optical drive is basically entertainment or multi-media (YMMV - video and photo processors still work with multimedia) but not everyone needs or wants that.
My principle external i/o device is the ethernet port followed by an external hard drive. In my new PowerBook I have put ONE disk in the drive - and that was to check it actually worked!

vis-a-vis line up : this was suggested in a thread sometime ago. I see one possibility for this as a PowerBook come the G5 PB (or G4-dual core). The 15 and 17" move to the new processor which is likely to have power and heat issues. The 12" possibly stays could use with the top G4 or maybe G5 / G4-DC but moves up to a 13" wide screen.

That leaves space for a 10" that can be introduced with a current G4. The point to note is that it earns it's position in the pro line through the "executive", ultra-mobile market not through its processing power.

Apple already sacrifice power and features for portability with the 12" PB (i.e. RAM, CPU, GPU, PCMCIA, Gigabit Ethernet, FW 800) and so there is scope for this to extend this further, the precedent is already set for different architecture across a single line.

Furthermore, it is about getting these devices into the hands of people with "power" i.e. managers. I personally know a few and if you make a sexy, cool, ultra-light laptop that works and show it to the boss, they will want one, it will be made to work in the IT department of a company, the IT department will warm to Macs because what the Boss says, goes. They have no respect for IT practicalities and good on them for it.

And that is all good for Apple as it provides a means to skip the inertia in getting Macs into the corporate work place which means $$$.

Lastly, it doesn't have to be flimsy at all - I don't judge my current PowerBook by the offerings of various PC manufacturers - it is slick, solid, strong, light and looks great too. I think implying an Apple ultra-portable would be equally flimsy or have great gaping holes where the optical drive was does a great disservice to the Apple engineers.

 

[Passante]

time for a paradigm shift?

Until I read this thread I would agree that the compromises of not having an optical drive would negate the benefits of an ultra light. Then I started to think about how I use my 12” Powerbook and realized that I don’t use the optical drive that often.

I have a tower and burn most of my music on that.

Backups go to an external drive.

Single files are transported on usb drives.

Sure I have pictures that I want to burn to CD but that can be done via firewire taget disk mode

I don’t remember the last time I installed software from a CD. Most new software is downloaded. Wi Fi has really reduced the need for CDs.

Rendezvous has allowed me to share music and files without resorting to burning discs.

So I think I could live without the optical drive. A laptop without an optical drive would definitely not be a good choice for people with only one computer. But those of us with a desktop and wi fi might find that we could live without the drive.

Maybe Apple could cram a G5 into a powerbook without an optical drive! 😀

 

[Bear]

Re: time for a paradigm shift?

Until I read this thread I would agree that the compromises of not having an optical drive would negate the benefits of an ultra light. Then I started to think about how I use my 12” Powerbook and realized that I don’t use the optical drive that often.
...

Well said.

What everyone needs to remember is that 1 product does not fit all. Otherwise why would there be so many different models of iPods (for example)?

Some people need the optical drive capability when on the road so having the built-in optical drive makes sense. Having to carry an externa drive would add extra weight overall. Also, if the external drive requires its own powerbrick that adds even more weight.

Some people only need the optical drive (normally) when they are at home or maybe in the office. Some people I know who have external optical drives for their laptops keep one at home and one in the office to cut down on the weight they carry around.

The real question would is would making a Powerbook with an externl optical drive be cost effective for Apple to do? It doesn't matter if you would use it. All that matters is would enough people would buy it?

For myself, I would be getting the PowerBook with the drive internally as I use it often enough and not just at home or in the office. On the othe rhand, I have a USB floppy drive that stays at home (usually) and gets used about 2 or 3 times a year at most.

 

[173080]

Apple makes full-featured notebooks, not crippled knockoffs. 😉

Besides, the current slot-loading drives look awesome. 😎

 

[anthonymoody]

I must say that all you folks coming down hard on this idea because the end product does not suit your particular needs simply need to get out more. Open your eyes. And think back to all the products you thought would be complete failures because you didn't "get" them or were priced "way too high."

Sub-notebooks are a real category - and Apple has a gap in its line in this regard. And if you think the 12" PB is smaller and lighter than most PC laptops then again - you need to get out more. Check out places like dynamism.com and remember - most of these models also have US-targeted equivalents (the Japanese models Dynamism imports tend to be 1 generation of CPU ahead of the US models).

I'm talking 3 pound notebooks WITH CD/DVD drives, and HALF INCH THICK 2.5 pound notebooks without drives. And yes...wth REAL 5+ hour battery life thanks to Intel's very effective low-power consumption mobile pentium lines (one of the only bright spots for them).

If you don't see the utility in this sort of thing then again - you need to get out more, open your eyes and realize that the world is a big place and your own needs don't come even a little bit close to representing the whole.

TM