Resetting the timeline for Apple's ultra-portable initiative
An effort on the part of Apple Inc. to develop an ultra-thin and lightweight notebook with next-generation technologies such as on-board NAND flash may take a bit more time than initially reported.
The Cupertino-based firm's return to the sub-notebook market, as AppleInsider billed it in an exclusive report this past February, had the Mac maker scurrying to complete its initial design around mid-year.
Evidence suggested the Apple World Wide Developers Conference, which invades San Francisco in June, could have served as an ideal venue for company chief executive Steve Jobs to first flaunt the device. That's now unlikely to be the case.
Citing a maturing timeline, people familiar with the initiative now have the chic notebook tracking for the latter half of the year, with a contingency plan in place to transition the device into a Macworld 2008 product should engineers require the additional time.
Those sentiments were recently echoed by American Technology analyst Shaw Wu, who seconded AppleInsider's initial report with one of his own, only putting forth more relaxed expectations that had the diminutive Mac unlikely to surface until later in the year.*
It's unclear whether Apple's delay of Leopard, the company's next-generation version of Mac OS X, will have a renewed effect on the delivery of the sub-notebook -- the Mac maker's first in over a decade.*
The compact portable is expected to draw on software support from the Leopard OS, now slated for October, for managing features such as onboard NAND flash.*
The addition of the solid state memory to the notebook's motherboard should improve power efficiency -- and thus better battery life --* as well as facilitate near instantaneous boot times.
Another trait that may set the new Apple notebook apart from existing MacBook designs, people familiar with the project have said, may be the conspicuous absence of an optical disc drive. Although Apple's original plans for the notebook appear to have called for the drive's inclusion, it was later omitted, those people said.
For additional details on Apple's re-entry into the sub-notebook market, check out AppleInsider's earlier report.
The Cupertino-based firm's return to the sub-notebook market, as AppleInsider billed it in an exclusive report this past February, had the Mac maker scurrying to complete its initial design around mid-year.
Evidence suggested the Apple World Wide Developers Conference, which invades San Francisco in June, could have served as an ideal venue for company chief executive Steve Jobs to first flaunt the device. That's now unlikely to be the case.
Citing a maturing timeline, people familiar with the initiative now have the chic notebook tracking for the latter half of the year, with a contingency plan in place to transition the device into a Macworld 2008 product should engineers require the additional time.
Those sentiments were recently echoed by American Technology analyst Shaw Wu, who seconded AppleInsider's initial report with one of his own, only putting forth more relaxed expectations that had the diminutive Mac unlikely to surface until later in the year.*
It's unclear whether Apple's delay of Leopard, the company's next-generation version of Mac OS X, will have a renewed effect on the delivery of the sub-notebook -- the Mac maker's first in over a decade.*
The compact portable is expected to draw on software support from the Leopard OS, now slated for October, for managing features such as onboard NAND flash.*
The addition of the solid state memory to the notebook's motherboard should improve power efficiency -- and thus better battery life --* as well as facilitate near instantaneous boot times.
Another trait that may set the new Apple notebook apart from existing MacBook designs, people familiar with the project have said, may be the conspicuous absence of an optical disc drive. Although Apple's original plans for the notebook appear to have called for the drive's inclusion, it was later omitted, those people said.
For additional details on Apple's re-entry into the sub-notebook market, check out AppleInsider's earlier report.
Comments
Me personally I think I could live without an optical drive but I'd really love it if Apple
added a dock. I love the "one click" nature of docking laptops. I could leave an external DVD-R
drive attached to the dock so having one locally wouldn't be much of an issue but I would rather not
have to plug and unplug monitors and other peripherals. Plus Apple could deliver the first sub-notebook with
the ability to run dual monitors along with its integrated screen.
.
1st Post! :P
Me personally I think I could live without an optical drive but I'd really love it if Apple
added a dock. I love the "one click" nature of docking laptops. I could leave an external DVD-R
drive attached to the dock so having one locally wouldn't be much of an issue but I would rather not
have to plug and unplug monitors and other peripherals. Plus Apple could deliver the first sub-notebook with
the ability to run dual monitors along with its integrated screen.
I agree, Apple should have a docking station for their sub-notebook, one that is similar to the Apple Duo. Personally I do not need an optical drive or a large HD on the go, but I do need them at home. The Duo was beautifully engineered such that the station had the large memory, and all interface circuitry such as SCSI, Video, etc On the go your light, and at home you get all the desktop features. Yeah DUO should come back.
I agree, Apple should have a docking station for their sub-notebook, one that is similar to the Apple Duo. Personally I do not need an optical drive or a large HD on the go, but I do need them at home. The Duo was beautifully engineered such that the station had the large memory, and all interface circuitry such as SCSI, Video, etc On the go your light, and at home you get all the desktop features. Yeah DUO should come back.
I think it would make sense to have a docking station for each and every laptop not just for a subnotebook.
The current laptops are a mess of dangling cables. Some from the left, some for the right. Makes for a real messy desk and long time to connect and disconnect all the Sh!%.
Unlike the iMac, laptops used as desktops are a mess of cables.
Oops, sorry they are no longer laptops, they are notebooks..... The more reason to have a docking station.
I think it would make sense to have a docking station for each and every laptop not just for a subnotebook.
The current laptops are a mess of dangling cables. Some from the left, some for the right. Makes for a real messy desk and long time to connect and disconnect all the Sh!%.
Unlike the iMac, laptops used as desktops are a mess of cables.
I would also like the ability to slide out the DVD drive and replace it with a second battery.
I think it would make sense to have a docking station for each and every laptop not just for a subnotebook.
Agreed. Not so much on the extra battery but a docking station would be a great help.
Dont expect this beatie before September. The new higher density NANDs wont show up before summer and might get sucked into other things...like the Nano and iPhone...
Vinea
I'd like to take a page out of HPs book and have a Dock with built in NAS for storage. That way not only is this content available to you but it's available over a network. Steal and idea from Sony's Dock which charges a second battery for you.
Faster optical drives can be used in the Dock and hopefully easy multiple monitor support. Spend money on the graphics chip in this notebook not adding redundant items for those who cherish power in a compact form factor.
Robson tech would be nice for the speedup and batter power saving.
Theres not much else you can talk about for sub-notebooks. People want them small, fast and light. It's how they interface with the rest of your network that will determine the final value to end users.
Remember that patent filling a few months back where it showed a laptop which had a screen in the keyboard part with a virtual keyboard onscreen? That'd be amazing especially if you could unfold it out flat, turn it on its side to get a widewscreen picture!
That being said, I like the existance of the sub-notebook. I like that they push the envelope in size and change expectations. I don't expect to buy one, but I will cheer when they come out (if they are way cool).
That being said, I like the existance of the sub-notebook. I like that they push the envelope in size and change expectations. I don't expect to buy one, but I will cheer when they come out (if they are way cool).
I agree. Apple is a rapidly growing company, and has a ever growing userbase. It's probably time they expanded their computer lineup to a point of pleasing people with more niche needs. ie sub-notebook lovers. There's a number of people who would buy this thing, and even some who choose to go with a Viao and Windows because Apple doesn't currently have that solution. Another thing Apple really needs IMO is a budget 17 display. For say even $199, so people who buy a Mini can just add it at checkout.
I'm thinking about this sub-notebook though, I think with the long/extended timeline that Apple plans to do something more somehow, and not just a smaller, thinner MacBook, but something truly different from what they currently offer. Maybe they'll make it a tablet and not a sub-notebook at all. Now with all this Multi-touch® technology talk maybe this would look like a (very thin) notebook in the closed position, but when you open it the lid swings all the way round the back, magnetically holds to the back, and has subtle MacBook like feet for placing on a desk etc. Maybe this could be the true travel, take-it-anywhere computer, and an Apple eBook rolled into one.
Not including an optical drive would be a mistake IMO, I would think about buying such a laptop from Apple only if it had an optical drive.
They already make laptops with optical drives, buy one of those. The rest of us want a sub notebook so ditching the drive that rarely gets used is a useful saving in space.
They already make laptops with optical drives, buy one of those. The rest of us want a sub notebook so ditching the drive that rarely gets used is a useful saving in space.
I'm not alone. There's lots of other people who wouldn't be interested in it if it had no optical drive. If someone wanted to switch to Mac, wanted something this small that would be their only computer, they wouldn't be able to import music CD's or burn them etc. CD's are staying around for a while yet, so if it's gonna be a tiny notebook, at this point in time it would still need the optical drive IMO.
Howdy neighbour ; )
I'll assume you mean me. Hello to you too. (Occupation = waster, made me laugh).
I'm not alone. There's lots of other people who wouldn't be interested in it if it had no optical drive. If someone wanted to switch to Mac, wanted something this small that would be their only computer, they wouldn't be able to import music CD's or burn them etc. CD's are staying around for a while yet, so if it's gonna be a tiny notebook, at this point in time it would still need the optical drive IMO.
A subnotebook with an external drive that also could live in the dock is just fine IMHO.
Typically these machines are judged on size and weight.
A subnotebook with an external drive that also could live in the dock is just fine IMHO.
If it was done in the right way, then maybe. It could be an optional extra as part of the dock.
I think it would make sense to have a docking station for each and every laptop not just for a subnotebook.
The current laptops are a mess of dangling cables. Some from the left, some for the right. Makes for a real messy desk and long time to connect and disconnect all the Sh!%.
Unlike the iMac, laptops used as desktops are a mess of cables.
What makes a notebook worse than an iMac for cables? If you had to use a desktop KB & mouse, OK, iMac can have the same. An external drive would be the same either way, though an iMac can have larger drives, so there may be less pressure to have an external drive. The only thing is that the iMac keeps the connectors to the back, and Apple's notebooks put connectors on the side. And I do think that is a valid concern.
Oops, sorry they are no longer laptops, they are notebooks..... The more reason to have a docking station.
Have these businesses ever called them laptops in their marketing?
WHile no optical drive is fine for, say, a student at college it can be the pits when taking an overseas business trip - actually even an in-country business trip.
I believe that Apple has the engineering talent to get one included and would far prefer that to a dock. I use an iCurve behind a 23" display for my PB and it only takes a few seconds to set it up. No big deal for me.
Yes you can do so much with a Dock.
I'd like to take a page out of HPs book and have a Dock with built in NAS for storage. That way not only is this content available to you but it's available over a network. Steal and idea from Sony's Dock which charges a second battery for you.
Faster optical drives can be used in the Dock and hopefully easy multiple monitor support. Spend money on the graphics chip in this notebook not adding redundant items for those who cherish power in a compact form factor.
I had a nice dock for my Compaq, it had halfway decent speakers, 3x PCI slots, one standard 5.25" drive bay and two multibay slots (for notebook drives or separate battery charging) plus all the standard IO connectors.