Purported MacBook Pro prototype built-in 3G appears on eBay

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
An alleged Apple prototype of an older MacBook Pro with built-in 3G cellular data functionality has appeared for sale on eBay, indicating that the company looked into adding wireless data capabilities to its notebooks as early as 2007.



According to the auction, the unit is a "one of a kind" pre-production prototype of a 2007 15-inch Santa Rosa MacBook Pro. The laptop's distinguishing feature is the inclusion of an extendable cellular antenna at the right top side of the display assembly and a SIM card slot beneath the memory cover.



Additional evidence that the unit was supposedly an Apple prototype includes the fact that the circuit boards were bright red, as opposed to the normal blue, and the lack of an EMC Number. The laptop's serial number also does not show up in Apple's online database.



The seller claims to have obtained the prototype via classifieds site Craigslist from a former Apple engineer who received the machine for "software development work" and was allowed to keep it after he left. The alleged original owner told the poster that he had never used the cellular data functionality because it wasn't related to his work.











Hardware specifications for the prototype, which identifies itself as MacBook Pro model 3,1, include an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz dual-core processor, 2GB DDR2 RAM and nVidia GeForce 8600m video. The device also sports AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wireless and Bluetooth 2.1 alongside the test 3G functionality.

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The laptop is said to be in "surprisingly good condition" after being restored by the seller, who obtained it in non-working order and then replaced the hard drive, battery, RAM and MagSafe adapter. According to the product description, the seller was unable to get the antenna to work with a SIM card.







"I have unfortunately been unable to get it working with my SIM card, though it is seen by the operating system and recognized as a modem device usable to connect to the internet with various configuration options. It is entirely possible it can be made to work by someone with more software and driver experience than myself but I can make no guarantees," the seller wrote.



The recently surfaced prototype appears to validate earlier reports that Apple was looking into building 3G wireless into its notebooks. In 2009, rumors swirled that wireless carriers would help subsidize the cost of new Macs with 3G data service plans after a job listing appeared for a 3G specialist for Macs.



Two other alleged Apple prototypes are currently for sale on eBay: a purported Newton NotePad prototype in perfect working condition and two Apple Bose speakers. The seller of the Newton prototype claims to have traded for the prototype from "a group of engineers at Apple's Newton group."







Meanwhile, the speakers are said to be prototype subwoofers built by Apple in conjunction with Bose for its limited-edition run of Twentieth Anniversary Macs.







Supposed prototypes of Apple products regularly make their way onto eBay. Last month, a couple alleged pre-release versions of the iPhone 4 surfaced on the auction site.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 42
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    1) Anyone know the specs for the Dynastream ANT2USB card?



    2) I think once we move to a tapered MBP design vis-Ã*-vis the MBA, with the optical drive removed we should room enough for this tiny 1" x 1.5" board. If we look at the iPad 2's cellular chips we see 2 aspects that make a cellular addition more likely. We see a standard size for GSM/UMTS and CDMA/CDMA2000, and a separate daughter board for the cellular HW.
  • Reply 2 of 42
    Still waiting for the prototype iCar.
  • Reply 3 of 42
    There was a ThinkSecret rumour article on this prototype in 2007.
  • Reply 4 of 42
    bdkennedy1bdkennedy1 Posts: 1,459member
    I can see why those speakers remained prototypes. They look like freakin' garbage cans.
  • Reply 5 of 42
    sheffsheff Posts: 1,407member
    Am i the only one who finds it weird that an apple engineer would jusf sell this thing on craigslist, and not sell on ebay himself? Also why not fix the computer himself if he is an apple engineer ( or find a buddy with hrardware skills if he was more of a software guy. Also they description on ebay says that he noticed he mac was "different" because of the red logic board, i would have noticed it by a giant antenna!



    Also from what i got from the ebay poat is that the engineer never used the cellular because he was not a hardware engineer (not related to his work) not because the use of therr data was unrelated. In other words he did not know how to fire it up without the right hardware skills. Which is once again suspect because whoever gave it to him could have helped out with that if the seller was indeed part of the engineering team.



    In other words the story does not tie neatly but its an awesome prototype nonetheless. Lets hope it surfaces on an mba some time soon.
  • Reply 6 of 42
    Excuse me, but don't you check your mail? I send you pictures of an iPhone 4S/5, but you haven't posted anything about it yet? Shouldn't you do that, people are interested in seeing it, I guess.
  • Reply 7 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trondolsen View Post


    Excuse me, but don't you check your mail? I send you pictures of an iPhone 4S/5, but you haven't posted anything about it yet? Shouldn't you do that, people are interested in seeing it, I guess.



    Chances are good that it's fake.
  • Reply 8 of 42
    cloudgazercloudgazer Posts: 2,161member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trondolsen View Post


    Excuse me, but don't you check your mail? I send you pictures of an iPhone 4S/5, but you haven't posted anything about it yet? Shouldn't you do that, people are interested in seeing it, I guess.



    You can always post them on the forum, we could use a laugh
  • Reply 9 of 42
    macinthe408macinthe408 Posts: 1,050member
    This is the best posthumous rumor validated as a non-rumor article on AI in a long time.
  • Reply 10 of 42
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trondolsen View Post


    Excuse me, but don't you check your mail? I send you pictures of an iPhone 4S/5, but you haven't posted anything about it yet? Shouldn't you do that, people are interested in seeing it, I guess.



    So post them. Here. Now. In this thread.
  • Reply 11 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    So post them. Here. Now. In this thread.



    Sorry, I'm feeling this is pretty legit, but I really have no kind of idea. You can compare the border, but really, maybe it's just a photo put on a China copy... Weird with the old notificationsystem on the screen though. But I hope you're happy with me sharing it anyways.



  • Reply 12 of 42
    huh, that actually does look pretty damn legit. nice work sir!
  • Reply 13 of 42
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trondolsen View Post


    Sorry, I'm feeling this is pretty legit, but I really have no kind of idea. You can compare the border, but really, maybe it's just a photo put on a China copy... Weird with the old notificationsystem on the screen though. But I hope you're happy with me sharing it anyways.



    Whoa, wha-che-WHAT?!



    MORE ANGLES.
  • Reply 14 of 42
    potentially quite a nice evolution of the current design, retaining the external antenna but removing the sharp corners on the underside (which will make it a bit more comfortable to hold). the presumably tapered back will present a nice slim profile per iPads etc.
  • Reply 15 of 42
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trondolsen View Post


    You can compare the border, but really, maybe it's just a photo put on a China copy...



    If you look at the band in the reflection on the lower iPhone, I think people can see exactly what it is. Anyway, this thread is about a 3G MBP.



    I think a 3G MBP would be an ok idea but it needs more coverage and better speeds. Wireless tethering is a better idea IMO.
  • Reply 16 of 42
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trondolsen View Post


    Sorry, I'm feeling this is pretty legit, but I really have no kind of idea. You can compare the border, but really, maybe it's just a photo put on a China copy... Weird with the old notificationsystem on the screen though. But I hope you're happy with me sharing it anyways.



    image: http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/6...estionmark.jpg



    It certainly looks like what I'd expect from the evolution of the iPhone 4.



    Where was this picture presumably taken? PLADS 71, is that in Apple's campus? Seems like that would easily trackable. When was this picture presumably taken? It does look like someone didn't plan for the image to be taken of their desk.



    The use of the old notification system isn't a shock. First of all, the popover is still part of iOS 5.0 if you choose it. Secondly, we've seen them keep the developing HW and OS separate. IOW, only the drivers for the new HW optimizations would be changed keeping the UI intact until they also want an engineer to test the new OS with the new HW.
  • Reply 17 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    It certainly looks like what I'd expect from the evolution of the iPhone 4.



    Where was this picture presumably taken? PLADS 71, is that in Apple's campus? Seems like that would easily trackable. When was this picture presumably taken? It does look like someone didn't plan for the image to be taken of their desk.



    The use of the old notification system isn't a shock. First of all, the popover is still part of iOS 5.0 if you choose it. Secondly, we've seen them keep the developing HW and OS separate. IOW, only the drivers for the new HW optimizations would be changed keeping the UI intact until they also want an engineer to test the new OS with the new HW.



    Can't say it, though it's in Denmark (the europe-Denmark), and I haven't seen it in real life. Plads 71 is Spot 71.. Like you're having office desk 71. The notification is something with a danish soccerteam.
  • Reply 18 of 42
    j.r.j.r. Posts: 27member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ameldrum1 View Post


    huh, that actually does look pretty damn legit. nice work sir!



    I was kind of thinking that too, but now I'm a little more skeptical. Why is the A in august not capitalized there on the lock screen? Is there a region format that changes the capitalization on the month? The "day date month" format is used by the UK region setting, but on my iPhone 4, the month is still capitalized.
  • Reply 19 of 42
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    I think a 3G MBP would be an ok idea but it needs more coverage and better speeds. Wireless tethering is a better idea IMO.



    I say screw 3G and 4G altogether. Have Apple push for 802.22 inclusion in consumer devices and make a new generation of AirPort base stations based on 802.22.



    The telecoms had their chance. They failed miserably. Let consumers own their own "towers" now.
  • Reply 20 of 42
    cloudgazercloudgazer Posts: 2,161member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    I say screw 3G and 4G altogether. Have Apple push for 802.22 inclusion in consumer devices and make a new generation of AirPort base stations based on 802.22.



    The telecoms had their chance. They failed miserably. Let consumers own their own "towers" now.



    802.22 is designed for low population rural areas. It isn't designed for high population urban areas, This isn't the first time that you've said this so I'm guessing you don't really grok that a technology well suited to providing a small number of users bandwidth across a large area probably isn't well suited to providing a large number of users bandwidth across a small area.
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