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Dreaming of 13.3" iBook

post #1 of 27
5/28/02 at 7:51am
Thread Starter 
Okay, I can't afford the Titanium and it's a bit fragile for my usage.

The 12.1" iBook is too small (my eyes are not as good as they use to be), and the 14 inch is too bulky and heavy.

Is it a pipe dream to see a 13.3" iBook any time soon? Make it the same weight and size of the 12" by just expanding the display.
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post #2 of 27
5/28/02 at 7:55am
The way I see it, don't expect a change like that until G4 iBooks come around, at which point new casing wil probably be unveiled, and possibly new screens. The general feeling seems to be that G4 iBooks will not be available, until at the absolute earliest MYSF, so you could have a bit of a wait for that one.

What is wrong with the current 14.1in iBook? <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
Graeme D Warren
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post #3 of 27
5/28/02 at 8:59am
Thread Starter 
[quote] What is wrong with the current 14.1in iBook? <hr></blockquote>

Nothing majorly wrong with it . It just feels a bit large and heavy.

The resolution is so-so and the price here in Canada makes it not much of a bargain.
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post #4 of 27
5/28/02 at 9:10am
I'd love a 15" iBook. Iwht NORMAL proportions. If only TFTs were chaper.
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post #5 of 27
5/28/02 at 9:12am
I'd love a 15" iBook. Iwht NORMAL proportions. If only TFTs were chaper.
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post #6 of 27
5/28/02 at 12:00pm
[quote]Originally posted by Graeme D Warren:
<strong>
What is wrong with the current 14.1in iBook? <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>

Everything. It's big, ugly, and the screen is no improvment over the 12" since it's the same res. Bigger isn't always better.
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post #7 of 27
5/28/02 at 1:32pm
[quote] It's big, ugly, and the screen is no improvment over the 12" since it's the same res. <hr></blockquote>

Cool, I'll remember that! I haven't mucked abotu wqith a 14in model yet, just assumed it would be better than 12in. Doesnt bother me though, cos I will have to get the 12in anyway, as I can't afford the 14 inch!
Graeme D Warren
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post #8 of 27
5/28/02 at 3:13pm
[quote]Originally posted by EmAn:
<strong>

Everything. It's big, ugly, and the screen is no improvment over the 12" since it's the same res. Bigger isn't always better.</strong><hr></blockquote>

That's a bit of an oversimplification, to say the least. While your comment is true wrt screen real estate, the issue goes way beyond that.

Most people still use 1024x768 resolution on 17" CRTs (and many even on 19") from my experience. (I personally prefer higher, but I've got good young eyes.) With any application that you can change the size of text or image proportionately, a larger display at the same res. will be an improvement. Look at a MS Word document with 12pt. text on a 12" iBook. It's pretty tough to read unless you bump it up to 125% zoom. You don't have that problem on the 14" iBook. Images in Photoshop will be bigger for the same zoom level (and proportionate window size to screen size) on the 14" screen.

I was very happy when the res on the Ti was bumped up to what it is now, because I find on a screen that size, 1024x768 (or its widescreen equivalent) all the interface elements (menu text, icons, widgets, etc.) look huge. I don't think that the res. on the 14" iBook looks that absurd.
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post #9 of 27
5/28/02 at 4:51pm
Apple is now offering more choices of display size in their laptops then ever before! They have:

12.1"
14.1"
15.2"

And now someone is actually COMPLAINING?!?! Sure it'd be nice if the res was a bit higher on the 14.1", but please, just choose one and complain about something worthwhile, like how the iBook should have a G4!
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post #10 of 27
5/28/02 at 5:04pm
[quote]Originally posted by Junkyard Dawg:
<strong>Apple is now offering more choices of display size in their laptops then ever before! They have:

12.1"
14.1"
15.2"
</strong><hr></blockquote>

not true. Wallstreet Powerbooks rev A had the best options. 12.1, 13.3 or 14.1. all used the same case which had its positives and negatives.

I wish Apple offered a 13.1 inch iBook upgrade that kept the 12.1 inch case.

12 is a bit small and the 14 inch iBook is just too big although it gets more criticism than it deserves
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post #11 of 27
5/28/02 at 5:53pm
I'm with EmAn. Mostly I say it so that Apple will know that people love the size and the design of the 12 inch iBook. For awhile, there were rumors that Apple was going to dump the 12 inch model.

I don't knock the fact that there is good variety in the notebook line in the way of screens. But really, the design of the 14 inch is the ugliest thing apple has going right now.
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post #12 of 27
5/28/02 at 5:56pm
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If the current 12" iBook comes with the 13.1" screen it will be PERFECT
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post #13 of 27
5/28/02 at 6:32pm
Thread Starter 
[quote]Originally posted by Leonis:
<strong>If the current 12" iBook comes with the 13.1" screen it will be PERFECT</strong><hr></blockquote>

13.1" screen and G4 w/superdrive.
Now that's perfection.
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post #14 of 27
5/28/02 at 6:36pm
Uhh, the 12.1" iBook and the 14.1" iBook both have exactly the same styling. How can one be beautiful and the other ugly?

I think they are both nice. If you want something small and easily transported, get the 12.1". If you like a larger display and maybe a bit more battery life, then get the 14.1". Yeah the 14.1" could have better resolution, and I think for the price it most definitely should, but that doesn't make it ugly.

And if the 14.1" iBook is too big, then what about the Titanium?
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post #15 of 27
5/28/02 at 6:46pm
[quote]Originally posted by Junkyard Dawg:
<strong>
And if the 14.1" iBook is too big, then what about the Titanium?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Titanium is actually smaller.

May be a bit bigger width though.
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post #16 of 27
5/28/02 at 6:47pm
It's ugly. The proportions weren't adjusted appropriately, and the keyboard treatment is ghetto. It works on the powerbook, but sucks on the ibook. I havent met a single person (other than you, I suppose) who thinks the 14.1" ibook looks good.

The only uses of the 14.1" ibook are those who need a rugged portable mac with a long battery life and a screen thats not tiny.
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post #17 of 27
5/28/02 at 8:15pm
[quote]Originally posted by Junkyard Dawg:
<strong>Uhh, the 12.1" iBook and the 14.1" iBook both have exactly the same styling. How can one be beautiful and the other ugly?
</strong><hr></blockquote>

Have you ever seen the 14" iBook in person? Look at all that space around the keyboard. It's very ugly. The whole thing just looks over sized and not very well designed.
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post #18 of 27
5/28/02 at 9:37pm
The 14 inch iBook is exactly why Apple didn't do the 17 inch iMac. It is just thrown together to give them more shelf space. I really doubt that Jonathan's first idea was the 14 inch model.

It is a great machine and it definitely has a market. It is just out of proportion and ugly.
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post #19 of 27
5/29/02 at 10:34am
[quote]Originally posted by ThatGuy:
<strong>It's ugly. The proportions weren't adjusted appropriately, and the keyboard treatment is ghetto. It works on the powerbook, but sucks on the ibook. I havent met a single person (other than you, I suppose) who thinks the 14.1" ibook looks good.

The only uses of the 14.1" ibook are those who need a rugged portable mac with a long battery life and a screen thats not tiny.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Coming from a PC perspective, I have never understood the hostility towards the 14" iBook. Other than ultra-portables (which the iBook is not), there are no 12" notebooks in the price range of the iBook. Your last paragraph pretty much describes the vast majority of notebooks users. 14"-15" is the sweet spot for notebooks. Only those burried deep inside Apple's RDF have a 12" fetish. To most people, screen size is more important than keyboard aesthetics.
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post #20 of 27
5/29/02 at 10:43am
I personally dont like the 14"ers, they are really quite clumsy to carry around. Go to an Apple store and really get your hands on one, they arent that nice, i would take the 12" model any day. And the extra screen real estate doesnt get you better resolution, just bigger pixels.....
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post #21 of 27
5/29/02 at 12:21pm
[quote]Originally posted by Mac Voyer:
<strong>

Coming from a PC perspective, I have never understood the hostility towards the 14" iBook. Other than ultra-portables (which the iBook is not), there are no 12" notebooks in the price range of the iBook. Your last paragraph pretty much describes the vast majority of notebooks users. 14"-15" is the sweet spot for notebooks. Only those burried deep inside Apple's RDF have a 12" fetish. To most people, screen size is more important than keyboard aesthetics.</strong><hr></blockquote>

You're right, bigger screens are better. I'd take a 14" over my 12" regardless of how the case looks if it had a higher res. Unless you have poor vision, there's no reason to take the 14" over the 12" since they've both got a resolution of 1024x768.
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post #22 of 27
5/29/02 at 12:41pm
[quote]Originally posted by EmAn:
<strong>

You're right, bigger screens are better. I'd take a 14" over my 12" regardless of how the case looks if it had a higher res. Unless you have poor vision, there's no reason to take the 14" over the 12" since they've both got a resolution of 1024x768.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Alternatively, you could say, "Unless you WANT poor vision, there's no reason to get the 12" since they've both got the same resolution."

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post #23 of 27
5/29/02 at 2:36pm
[quote]Originally posted by naepstn:
<strong>

Alternatively, you could say, "Unless you WANT poor vision, there's no reason to get the 12" since they've both got the same resolution."

</strong><hr></blockquote>

maybe you're right, but I know at least with my eyes, I'm fine looking at a 12" screen.
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post #24 of 27
5/29/02 at 3:14pm
[quote]Originally posted by applenut:
<strong>

Wallstreet Powerbooks rev A had the best options. 12.1, 13.3 or 14.1. </strong><hr></blockquote>

best? I'd sure be salty if I was missing that inch on my tibook.
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post #25 of 27
5/30/02 at 8:34pm
I actually have a 13.3" Wallstreet, and I quite like the size. Simply put, if Apple made a 13.3" screen iBook in the 12.1" ibook's case, I'd be whoring myself out on the street corner for handjobs saving for one.

The cruel irony of the 12.1" is that the small screen is made to look even smaller by that big fat border of casing around it... which if were trimmed down to 1/4" would offer more than enough space for a 13.3".

It would be perfect: small, light, w/ the biggest screen that would fit the small elegant form factor.

The 14.1 is probably the iBook I'd get today, simply because 12.1 is too small for my needs, and the 6 hour battery is a bonus.

The dimensions of a laptop should never exceed 1.4" larger than the screen, IMHO, as any more makes the screen appear smaller than it is.
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post #26 of 27
5/31/02 at 2:53pm
[quote]Originally posted by stimuli:
<strong>I actually have a 13.3" Wallstreet, and I quite like the size. Simply put, if Apple made a 13.3" screen iBook in the 12.1" ibook's case, I'd be whoring myself out on the street corner for handjobs saving for one.

The cruel irony of the 12.1" is that the small screen is made to look even smaller by that big fat border of casing around it... which if were trimmed down to 1/4" would offer more than enough space for a 13.3".

It would be perfect: small, light, w/ the biggest screen that would fit the small elegant form factor.

The 14.1 is probably the iBook I'd get today, simply because 12.1 is too small for my needs, and the 6 hour battery is a bonus.

The dimensions of a laptop should never exceed 1.4" larger than the screen, IMHO, as any more makes the screen appear smaller than it is.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Um, stimuli...

Do you realize that the border around the 12" iBook is 11/16"? Therefore, the dimensions of that model is 22/16" (i.e. 1.375") larger than the screen size, meeting your criteria. I personally quite like that amount of border around the screen, and I think that it greatly adds to the regidity/ruggedness of the iBook.
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post #27 of 27
5/31/02 at 4:12pm
[quote]Originally posted by naepstn:
<strong>

Alternatively, you could say, "Unless you WANT poor vision, there's no reason to get the 12" since they've both got the same resolution."

</strong><hr></blockquote>

No reason except it's fugly, costs a lot more, and the screen isn't as sharp.
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