Widescreen iBook?

[GilGrissom]

Toshibas Portege range is also ultra portable.

Some have built in optical drives and are therefore bigger/thicker slightly (but still very impressive ultraportable laptops) and others do not (and are unbelievably thin!!!)

Whatever Apple do I do not want them to swop it for the current 12" model. I think that should be the model where you try and strike a compromise between portability and power, and have a seperate ultraportable laptop with the reduced specs...that would make me happy. (and awkward people who want the best of both worlds!!)

But it does strike me as more likely an update to the powerbook range as opposed to the ibook range, although could be proven wrong. Powerbook range seems to fit better.

 

[killuminati]

I dont understand the difference in a 14" display and 14" widescreen display. The size is measured diagonally so wouldnt it not be 14" anymore if they make it wider? Or is it just not at tall?

 

[AidenShaw]

Bingo!

Or is it just not at tall?

That's right, it would be shorter and wider.

Note also that if the dpi (pitch) is the same, it will have fewer pixels than the normal screen 4x3 version.

 

[tsunami2k3]

One thing that struck me as very odd about the Latitude X1 was that nowhere could I find out the expected battery life range. Typically on ultraportables such as this that is one of the main marketing points (VAIOs bragging about up to 10 hrs battery life on some of their ultraportables), but nowhere did Dell mention this. That scares me.

 

[AidenShaw]

2.5 to 3 hrs std battery, up to 6 hrs w/ high capacity battery

One thing that struck me as very odd about the Latitude X1 was that nowhere could I find out the expected battery life range. Typically on ultraportables such as this that is one of the main marketing points (VAIOs bragging about up to 10 hrs battery life on some of their ultraportables), but nowhere did Dell mention this. That scares me.

And of course, YMMV based on your activity.... (but you won't have to worry about DVD/CD usage reducing the battery life )

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2283
http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/notebooks/0,39023985,39193432,00.htm

 

[GilGrissom]

One thing that struck me as very odd about the Latitude X1 was that nowhere could I find out the expected battery life range. Typically on ultraportables such as this that is one of the main marketing points (VAIOs bragging about up to 10 hrs battery life on some of their ultraportables), but nowhere did Dell mention this. That scares me.

I dont know what it is about Dell, but something about then makes me feel weiry!!!
IBM are planning to put the new fuel cells into their thinkpads, the direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Supposed to easily give battery life of over 8 hours per cartridge. Wonder if Apple will come up with something similar or some equally impressive battery technology for future PowerBooks?!...(hint hint for a solution for G5 power!! hehe!!...shame about the heat still!)

 

[Yvan256]

I dont know what it is about Dell, but something about then makes me feel weiry!!!
IBM are planning to put the new fuel cells into their thinkpads, the direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). Supposed to easily give battery life of over 8 hours per cartridge. Wonder if Apple will come up with something similar or some equally impressive battery technology for future PowerBooks?!...(hint hint for a solution for G5 power!! hehe!!...shame about the heat still!)

I thought IBM wasn't going to make laptops anymore?

Where's my iBook mini!

And don't make any "sub-notebook" run a stripped-down version of OS X... We need a full-fledged ultra-portable solution, not some limited crap like PocketPC or PalmOS...

 

[GilGrissom]

I thought IBM wasn't going to make laptops anymore?

Where's my iBook mini!

And don't make any "sub-notebook" run a stripped-down version of OS X... We need a full-fledged ultra-portable solution, not some limited crap like PocketPC or PalmOS...

As far as I know they physically arnt, more pushing it onto other companies under licence, but they're still IBM machines. The fine detail is, as they say, in the small print!! So I dont know the full story there!
They still research into their machines though I think, so I think this would be classed as R&D or product development.
Much prefer IBM over Dell anyday!! Although their machines are butt ugly, you cant fault them!! (Some Dell machines are ugly aswell, several friends have got various ones [granted not business line or ultraportable ones] but there ugly!!
I think they could do with a splash of Apple!!

Ye I agree with you on the last point...fully fledged. I doubt it it will have a cut down version of OS X though, I think it would have a full version of the OS, so no worries there.

 

[whenpaulsparks]

~7" widescreen LCD (1024x800)

1024x800 isn't widescreen. it's portrait screen ish if anything. normal 4:3 would be 1024x768. maybe someone already posted this before. but even then, a 1024x768 can't be made into a widescreen without squashing pixels. it would have to be 1024x576, or 1280x768. but nice thinking anyways.

i would love an "ibook mini" or whatever, just a simple laptop that would be used as an accessory to a desktop, that could sync between them.

 

[iPC]

hp also has a decent 14" widescreen model. very sexy sizing for me. still a hp though.

 

[Yvan256]

Would it have a keyboard? 7" screen wouldn't make much sense with a keyboard that you could type on.

The answer is the Butterfly keyboard. IBM did this years ago. I also think an iBook mini would need a trackpoint (also from IBM) since there'd be no room for a trackpad.

 

[blogman41]

i want one!

I will buy it

 

[GilGrissom]

I think an iBook mini would be very good!! tackle a unique market inbetween that of the mac mini and the normal ibook. I can imagine lots of different types of people who would want one or who would find it a match to what they want. I hope something comes out of this even if it isnt an ibook mini. Please leave the Powerbook line alone tho!!...just increase spec and reliability!! (maybe make 12" a touch thinner!!! hehe)...Not much to ask for eh?!! Im not sure how the trackpoint will go with Apple. It doesnt seem quite apple to me!!...especially with them trying out their own trackpads on the latest powerbook line, but it ma y go well!! I think its because I associate the trackpoint with older laptops, (although true they still do appear on ultra thin/mini laptops!!)

A small widescreen ibook mini??...sounds almost believable!! Sounds wantable too!!!