New Macbook = Intel Metro? "The razr of laptops"

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Have we already seen the upcoming ultra portable macbook? Intel showed off a hot ultra portable concept back in May that pretty much showed off everything rumored to be in the new macbook.

http://www.businessweek.com/technolo...523_272039.htm



Here is the gallery of the Intel Metro concept... It's pretty hot:

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07...p/index_01.htm



And here are the interesting tidbits and a big clue:
  • Less than 0.7 inches thick

  • Up to 14 hours of battery life

  • flash memory in place of the standard hard-disk drive

  • this laptop also strives to be a personal fashion accessory. "Like Jewelry"

  • the design is geared toward professionals on the go

  • This model's embedded chips let users access cellular, Wi-Fi, or WiMax wireless broadband networks. (Intel is expected to release embeddable chips that access all these networks in late 2007, early 2008.)

  • and unlike other computer prototypes, including some from Intel, this one actually may line the shelves of a retailer before long. Intel hasn't announced an official release date but people familiar with the matter say a PC maker will announce plans to start manufacturing the machine later this year.

This concept seems to mirror the apple rumors pretty closely, and obviously Intel and Apple have a close relationship. The cellular and WiMax tidbits are especially interesting. If the Intel Metro = New ultra portable Macbook I definitely want one.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    We talked about this last May. They are "completely" unrelated. Although a small notebook from Apple would have like specs, with at least two USB ports, a silver aluminum exterior, and a white, plastic keyboard.
  • Reply 2 of 16
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mdnetguru View Post


    Have we already seen the upcoming ultra portable macbook? Intel showed off a hot ultra portable concept back in May that pretty much showed off everything rumored to be in the new macbook.

    http://www.businessweek.com/technolo...523_272039.htm



    I doubt anything Apple delivers will be a straight copy of Intel technology. On the ohter hand ideas and concepts likely do float around the industry. In Apples case I wouldn't be surprised if they had a prototype of the device.

    Quote:

    [*]This model's embedded chips let users access cellular, Wi-Fi, or WiMax wireless broadband networks. (Intel is expected to release embeddable chips that access all these networks in late 2007, early 2008.)



    This is what I see Apple needing in its ultra portables and for that matter even its tablets. That is both Cell and Wi-Fi as standard.

    Quote:



    This concept seems to mirror the apple rumors pretty closely, and obviously Intel and Apple have a close relationship. The cellular and WiMax tidbits are especially interesting. If the Intel Metro = New ultra portable Macbook I definitely want one.



    I don't think Mirror is really the word here. What a company like Apple can deliver is split between what can be supplied to it via manufactures like Intel and its internal ability to build chips. Thus, like it or not, most Santa Rosa based laptops are pretty much the same.



    Apple has some potential here to distinguish itself form other manufactures via the development of custom logic chips. I'm not convinced they are interested in that risk though. One place we might see such customization would be on the rumored Ultra and its SSD. That might be one place where the risk would be worth the payoff for custom engineering.



    Dave
  • Reply 3 of 16
    I "completely" mean't the shape/concept, not the exterior colors.
  • Reply 4 of 16
    Yeah, I imagine that's almost exactly what the MacBook Thin will look like in terms of form factor. I imagine Apple leverage Intel's designs to the maximum, and that notebook linked above is likely an Intel reference design.
  • Reply 5 of 16
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mdnetguru View Post


    I "completely" mean't the shape/concept, not the exterior colors.



    I "completely" get what you meant. I don't think Apple had any input in it is all. A minimal, flash-driven notebook can't help but avoid having a lot of this notebook's traits.
  • Reply 6 of 16
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    Now I know there is no credibility to the "ultra portable" rumor. Apple wouldn't share a design, or be thought of using someone elses design.

    But it does show a laptop as thin as a razr. So if yyou can make a laptop as thin as a razor you could make a convertable tablet that is thinner than todays existing Apple notebooks.

    Thats for all the people that say convertables are too bulky.
  • Reply 7 of 16
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by onlooker View Post


    Now I know there is no credibility to the "ultra portable" rumor. Apple wouldn't share a design, or be thought of using someone elses design.

    But it does show a laptop as thin as a razr. So if yyou can make a laptop as thin as a razor you could make a convertable tablet that is thinner than todays existing Apple notebooks.

    Thats for all the people that say convertables are too bulky.



    Oh no he's off again.
  • Reply 8 of 16
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    I'd take that keyboard but lose the small screen on the lid.
  • Reply 9 of 16
    Love those pics... even if they are a couple of months old. 14 hours of battery life is amazing. Sounds fantastic. This thread could compliment this rumor very nicely I might add...





    http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/27/t...nd-the-corner/
  • Reply 10 of 16
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Oh no he's off again.



    I'm not the one that says they are too bulky. I'm the one that says only if your not using existing technology. That makes me correct.
  • Reply 11 of 16
    That design needs to be significantly overhauled for the consumer market. At .7 inches thinck toally, the body is about .4 inches thick and is too thin for an ethernet port, which comes in at about .6 inches tall.



    I hear all this talk about new incredibly thin laptops coming from Apple, but no one seems to know where all this space is coming from. If you look at the Macbook Pro, the body is just about as thin as it will ever get while ethernet ports are still in use, as the body is almost exactly as tall as an ethernet port. The only place a macbook pro can stand to lose any thickness is in the LCD screen, which won't get that much thinner unless OLED technology is used.



    Also, one of the key aspects of the concept is use of a Vista technology called sideshow. I doubt Apple would use a design which is known for the way it incorporates Vista tech.
  • Reply 12 of 16
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ModernMech View Post


    That design needs to be significantly overhauled for the consumer market. At .7 inches thinck toally, the body is about .4 inches thick and is too thin for an ethernet port, which comes in at about .6 inches tall.



    I hear all this talk about new incredibly thin laptops coming from Apple, but no one seems to know where all this space is coming from. If you look at the Macbook Pro, the body is just about as thin as it will ever get while ethernet ports are still in use, as the body is almost exactly as tall as an ethernet port. The only place a macbook pro can stand to lose any thickness is in the LCD screen, which won't get that much thinner unless OLED technology is used.



    Good thought, but that's been covered.



    http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...e_systems.html



    Quote:

    Also, one of the key aspects of the concept is use of a Vista technology called sideshow. I doubt Apple would use a design which is known for the way it incorporates Vista tech.



    I wouldn't call the Sideshow screen a key aspect of the concept. The screen, as portrayed in the concept, is built into the leather portfolio/carrying case and not an integral part of the main hardware design.
  • Reply 13 of 16
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by audiopollution View Post


    Good thought, but that's been covered.



    http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...e_systems.html



    Yeah, I was thinking about that patent too when he said that.
  • Reply 14 of 16
    That's an interesting concept, but I just don't see it happening; it's far too inelegant for Apple. If they're going to go to those lengths, why not simply use one of those spring-loaded ethernet ports found in some PCMCIA ethernet cards?



    And I would agree that the slideshow aspect isn't integral to the hardware - the actual physical machine - but it is integral to the concept of the metro, which goes well beyond the physical design.
  • Reply 15 of 16
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mdnetguru View Post


    I "completely" mean't the shape/concept, not the exterior colors.



    Unless that product is extremely rugged--military grade impact--I don't see the purse strap being very successful in design.
  • Reply 16 of 16
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ModernMech View Post


    That design needs to be significantly overhauled for the consumer market. At .7 inches thinck toally, the body is about .4 inches thick and is too thin for an ethernet port, which comes in at about .6 inches tall.



    I hear all this talk about new incredibly thin laptops coming from Apple, but no one seems to know where all this space is coming from. If you look at the Macbook Pro, the body is just about as thin as it will ever get while ethernet ports are still in use, as the body is almost exactly as tall as an ethernet port. The only place a macbook pro can stand to lose any thickness is in the LCD screen, which won't get that much thinner unless OLED technology is used.



    Do you remember those patent apps for collapsable ports? Yeah...
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