10 inch powerbook feasible?

augustwestaugustwest
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
I have the current ibook, which I love. But it does lag behind in the speed department on occasion (I actually get a spinning timeout dial in Microsoft Word quite often, though I don't know why this would happen).



But I got to thinking, wouldn't it make sense to get a sub-12 inch powerbook into the mix?



I personally would love the portability of a 10 inch powerbook with a dvi connection. A TRUE portable on the go, and a true desktop when at home.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 71
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    DVI connection? yeah right. The 12" PB doesn't have one. As for the size, I designed a special keyboard layout a week ago (on paper- the best design medium) that would work as a keyboard on laptops only 5" in width. I have to scan that and post it. It takes a couple of liberties (no caps lock[you tap shift twice to get that], only 1 command, control, and option key, and a redesign of the punctuation keys), but it looks like it would work. The prospect of a 7" iBook sends warmth up and down my spine-- but not in the way the 12" PB's heat problem does.
  • Reply 2 of 71
    macusersmacusers Posts: 840member
    sony just came out with a 10" notebook with a 900MHz Centrino processor, it costs $2100 (I think they were drunk when they thought of that price)
  • Reply 3 of 71
    michaelbmichaelb Posts: 242member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by AugustWest

    I have the current ibook, which I love. But it does lag behind in the speed department on occasion (I actually get a spinning timeout dial in Microsoft Word quite often, though I don't know why this would happen).



    Make sure you've got the latest update to Office, and max out your memory (640 MB) - it doesn't cost much at all now.
  • Reply 4 of 71
    kim kap solkim kap sol Posts: 2,987member
    When my penis size is larger than the PowerBook, there's a problem.
  • Reply 5 of 71
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
  • Reply 6 of 71
    michaelbmichaelb Posts: 242member
    Just as long as your girlfriend has the matching size docking station. (This made more sense in the era of the PowerBook Duo - when they brought out the color screen Duo, the Dock lid needed an upgrade. Otherwise it was very painful for the Dock.)



  • Reply 7 of 71
    salmonstksalmonstk Posts: 568member
    Steve is not into sub notebook. he wants the machine to have all basic features, i.e. regular keyboard and optical drive.



    I would like to see an iBook with a 13 inch screen. It would stay the same width as current model. (less bevel around screen) But it would not be as deep. More like dimentions of Titanium. Also it would get to 1 inch.



    With that why go smaller?
  • Reply 8 of 71
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    10" screen would likely not be possible. OSX uses up to much real estate, and Apple has shown a distate for insanely high screen resolutions.
  • Reply 9 of 71
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    I like salmonstk's idea...



    Gee, I wonder why.



  • Reply 10 of 71
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    I think that when the technology permits, Apple will make a subnote/tablet hybrid built around the keyboard footprint, think Sony Xwide. But this won't happen untill cheap-durable-light-small and FULL FEATURED can all be incorporated. Will take some time for the hardwrae and software to catch up (dynamic resizing, dealing with squintronic resolutions in an intelligent way)
  • Reply 11 of 71
    rhumgodrhumgod Posts: 1,289member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by salmonstk

    Steve is not into sub notebook. he wants the machine to have all basic features, i.e. regular keyboard and optical drive.



    Also, very hard to pack all the hardware to make iLife work properly. You need space for all the hardware required to do audio/photo/video not to mention a powerful enough system to drive OS X. I think the 12" is all that current technology will allow. I was surprised as hell to see them release a 12" anyway. That's pretty small for a "full featured" laptop.



    As an aside, I have used several Wintel subnotebooks, and just never liked the keyboard very much. The closest thing to a decent sub was the Sharp Actius/Moebius (Japanese model) - the keyboard wasn't totally obnoxious and the screen was sharp as hell.



    It ran BeOS quite well too, which I was quite into at the time.



    Alas, nothing quite touches Mac OS X and to pack that punch into a subnotebook would require quite a few cutbacks on the hardware side.



    Then again, if someone is going to change the shape of technology, it will be Apple.
  • Reply 12 of 71
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    I'd MUCH rather have a 4.6lb. laptop with everything on/in it that I could ever need (Combo or SuperDrive, USB, FireWire, Ethernet, modem, etc.) than some 3lb. thing that may be less than "full-featured". Especially since a laptop will be my sole computer. It's not worth 1.4 pounds to feel like I'm doing without or somehow lacking.



    And even if there does exist 3lb. subnotebooks with everything onboard, it STILL ain't a Mac and I STILL ain't buying it.



    If/when Apple does the "3lbs, but nothing left out!" model, THEN I'll show some interest in the whole "mini-lap" thing.
  • Reply 13 of 71
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    They can and I sure as hell hope they do shrink the PowerBook 12". That would be the only thing that would make me trade mine for a few one.



    Here is how to do it without any sacrificing:



    Eliminate the bezel around the screen. This means the machine needs to be more narrow and a little shorter. You can do this without making the keys any smaller if you get rid of the border at the side of the keyboard which is already small, and also if you cut the edges of the keys off, and maybe just maybe squeeze they keys all a little closer (eliminate the slopes on the sides of the keys perhhaps). Also get rid of more space at the back of the machine, and between the keyboard and trackpad and trackpad and edge. Make it a little thinner and lighter too. How they'll still fit everything in while simultaneously upgrading the specs with the SupaDrive ability still there, who knows. But if they do, I will buy. That would probably make it too expensive but it's just my dream. Oh yea and lighted keys! Where to fit the sensor?! Who knows, Apple engineers are the geniuses not me!
  • Reply 14 of 71
    i, fredi, fred Posts: 125member
    Bah. You are thinking 10" 4:3. That won't support a standard portably keyboard, true.



    But what about a widescreen? Now we can cram the keyboard in! Profit!!!



    I say if they build it, then many will come.
  • Reply 15 of 71
    yzedfyzedf Posts: 24member
    Apple would be WAY behind the times to do this:



    http://webshop.fujitsupc.com/fpc/Eco...n.do?series=P2



    Fujitsu Lifebook P2120
  • Reply 16 of 71
    rhumgodrhumgod Posts: 1,289member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by yzedf

    Apple would be WAY behind the times to do this:



    http://webshop.fujitsupc.com/fpc/Eco...n.do?series=P2



    Fujitsu Lifebook P2120



    That is the one of the ugliest notebooks I've ever seen. Yuck!



    Quote:

    Originally posted by Aquatic

    They can and I sure as hell hope they do shrink the PowerBook 12". That would be the only thing that would make me trade mine for a few one.



    Here is how to do it without any sacrificing:



    Eliminate the bezel around the screen. This means the machine needs to be more narrow and a little shorter. You can do this without making the keys any smaller if you get rid of the border at the side of the keyboard which is already small, and also if you cut the edges of the keys off, and maybe just maybe squeeze they keys all a little closer (eliminate the slopes on the sides of the keys perhhaps). Also get rid of more space at the back of the machine, and between the keyboard and trackpad and trackpad and edge. Make it a little thinner and lighter too. How they'll still fit everything in while simultaneously upgrading the specs with the SupaDrive ability still there, who knows. But if they do, I will buy. That would probably make it too expensive but it's just my dream. Oh yea and lighted keys! Where to fit the sensor?! Who knows, Apple engineers are the geniuses not me!



    Here is what the 10" Powerbook would look like next to the brutish 12" for comparison of size:



  • Reply 17 of 71
    kedakeda Posts: 722member
    I'm typing this o my 12" PB. Forget all the criticisms you have read...this thing has THE NICEST keyboard I have ever felt on a notebook. Sitting here typing, it seems obvious to me that this would have to change to accommodate a smaller form factor.



    I love this little machine. At the time I bought it, I just wanted a 2nd computer until I buy a new 970 this fall. But this Mac is great. I was doing 3D animations for NASA on here earlier today and now I'm drinking a beer, watching kung-fu and using my AirPort. This computer is great. I'd hate to see any of the features disappear in favor of a smaller footprint.
  • Reply 18 of 71
    escherescher Posts: 1,811member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Rhumgod

    Here is what the 10" Powerbook would look like next to the brutish 12" for comparison of size:



    What a fantastic concept, Rhumgod. I love it!



    A guy on SpyMac did some nice wide-screen subnotebook concepts based on the 12-inch PowerBook as well. I've copied one of them below.







    Escher
  • Reply 19 of 71
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    You need a trackpad and wristrests. I agree with SJ and Keda no sacrifices are necessary. And I'd rather have the screen the current size than 10". However in either case there must be no bezel. And like I said we do NOT need to make the keys smaller like Rhumgod did! Not much anyway, just take off their slopes on the sides, and make the end keys narrower (cut of the small edge border and the ends of the end keys.) I've never cared enough to try to make a mockup in Photoshop before but I think I'll give it a shot.



    I have thought about subnotes and I think a fullfeatured one is worth the size tradeoff...anything else can be served by the future iPod with Crest White Strips? (if you saw that thread haha my apologies) or cell or PDA.
  • Reply 20 of 71
    geddoegeddoe Posts: 45member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Aquatic

    You need a trackpad and wristrests.



    I've never used the "wristrests" on any of the 4 laptops I've owned and have never used them on any of the ergonomic keyboards I've had. You are correct in that if you are using a modern windowing OS like OSX you do need some sort of trackpad, mousestick, or other pointing device.
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