<strong>Got the idea of a dock?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Thank you for starting this thread, Gulliver, explaining the idea of a Dock to disbelievers and continuing to push it.
[quote]Originally posted by Kecksy:
<strong>I heard someone say if Apple ran each of their commercials for six months instead of one month, more people would remember those commercials and more people would remember the product.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Kecksy: I know nothing about advertising. But that explanation of the lacking success of Apple's commericals makes sense. I hope that Apple will run celebrity ads like the Vern Troyer/Yao Ming clip more consistently and will thereby gain more mindshare.
[quote]Originally posted by Aquatic:
<strong>No matter how advanced notebooks get, desktops will always be ahead. So there's always room for a Duo. I always wondered why Apple killed the Duos. They fit in and made sense.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Aquatic: I wish everybody could see the natural need for a Dock that clearly. Actually, I think many people see the wisdom of a Dock but aren't willing to admit it to themselves. I really like Not Unlike Myself's pun that "docks are for boats." But it's so witty it makes me think that even he understands the purpose of a laptop dock and is just playing devil's advocate (a role I regularly take on myself).
[quote]<strong>I have a Duo Dock II+ and MiniDock, and Duo 280c and 2300c sitting in my room right now along side my Color Classic.</strong><hr></blockquote>
The first Mac I owned was a Colour Classic (with the "u" because I bought it at home in Switzerland, where British spelling prevails). I still think it's one of the most beautiful Mac designs every\\ to come out of Cupertino. It's still chugging along at my father's house.
Ah, the good old Duo 280c, <a href="http://homepage.mac.com/escher/PhotoAlbum5.html"; target="_blank">codename Escher</a>. Unfortunately, I never had the privilege of owning one. That's why a Duo with Dock is still on my eBay to-buy list.
[quote]<strong>Why oh why does Apple come up with good ideas and then kill them?</strong><hr></blockquote>
First the Duo. Later the Newton. Then the Cube. Will it ever end? <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> At least we now have the 12" PowerBook G4 to make up.
Whenever you use your powerbook at home or in your office you do the following procedure:
1. Plug-in your USB-mouse
2. Plug-in your firewire-HD
3. Plug-in your firewire videocamera and/or your digital still camera
4. Plug-in your network cable (Plug-in your Airport basestation)
5. Plug-in your AC-adapter
6. Plug-in your external monitor (and run the second-monitor hack)
And at the end of the session you do the same procedure the other way round.
Got the idea of a dock?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Why would you need to "plug in your airport basestation"? The whole point of airport is that you don't have to plug in anything. Unless you are bringing your basestation with you to work everyday or something.
Also, it seems to me that things like digital cameras or video cameras really only need to be plugged in when you are going to use them. Also don't forget that firewire peripherals can be daisy-chained or on hubs and USB devices can be on hubs, so you really only have to plug in one cable for each.
In my case, I would probably need to plug in an external FW HD, a USB hub with all of my USB peripherals already plugged in, and the monitor. Takes all of 10 seconds. Plugging into a dock probably would take a few seconds less, but is it worth $200-$300?
No. I'm not paying $200-$300 for a port replicator.
But it would be cool to have a dockable mini-laptop. I personally don't use my laptop for much when I'm not at my desk. So why not ditch the optical drive and half the ports and reduce the size of the hard drive (while using a 1.8" instead of a 2.5"), and put them into a dock instead? You'd still have the option to get a small full-featured laptop like the 12" PowerBook.
They could even take it a step further... reduce the heat inside the unit by putting a non-speed stepping 533 MHz G4 in the laptop itself, then have a second 533 MHz G4 in the dock. Plug it in, and bingo! A dual-processor workstation. Laptops usually reduce their processor speed when not plugged in anyway, so it's no big loss. Actually, it would be cool to have the processor in the dock be faster, but I don't know if SMP works with two processors of different speeds. If, say, a 533 MHz G4 was coupled with an 800 or 1000 MHz G4, what would happen?
However, I would probably want the option to use the built in screen. I personally really like LCDs, even the tiny 12" one on my iBook, and I'd rather use that than any CRT.
So the specs of the bare laptop would be something like... a 533 MHz G4, a single USB port, headphone port, possibly one FireWire port, and a 20 GB 1.8" hard drive. Meanwhile, the dock would have a second G4 processor, FireWire and USB hubs, analog and digital audio in and out, a built in ATA/100 bus for putting a larger hard drive in (comes standard with a 40-80 GB one), an optical drive, a couple of PCI slots, and maybe an AGP slot if you want to connect an external monitor and use a more powerful graphics controller than is included onboard the laptop itself. Also, it should include software for synchronizing the laptop's built in hard drive and the dock's hard drive.
The only problem is that it would be too specialized. I don't think enough people would buy such a thing because it would cost too damn much. Still, the possibilties are quite interesting... the laptop could probably be tiny, under 4 lbs and maybe as light as 3 lbs, with a 10-11" screen at either 800x600 or 1024x768.
Glad everyone liked my pun. I love getting praise as it goes straight to my head. And BTW, you are exactly right, I do understand the usefullness of a dock for folks who need one. And in retrospect if I owned one of those sexy new al-books I'd hunt (but not too hard) for a nice dock setup. But I don't think my wife would let me out of the house with the computer (since she loves um) so I think I't get welded into place and become a desktop! <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
Ah yes, Escher, I see now that your dock makes for an elegant solution to situation "b" rather than "c." It may very well be that the 12"PB is desktop enough for me as well...it is still hard to contemplate how absolutely great that machine will be...when I finally get to see one at the Apple reseller!
But as cool as the VCR-like dock would be, I don't think I could justify its purchase myself. The PowerBook has too nice of a screen to hide and having access to dual monitors would be wonderful. Also back in the day it was easier to justify the desktop footprint of the dock when there was a crt sitting ontop of it taking up space anyway. However if you had an LCD screen on your desktop, the dock really would take up space unless you hid it in a drawer or set it on a shelf.
I do want the capability of using two PCI cards with my desktop and it would be so nice to have that capability with only the 12" as my only computer. So without a "docking station" as I've described above, I am forced to buy a PowerMac that I can't really afford AND an iBook to carry with me. Definitely a DANG COOL option, just a little too pricey for me.
Thus for me a barebones 10" widescreen subnotebook paired with that PowerMac would make the most sense and would save me a few hundred dollars...I would hope.
Thanks for the compliment, Escher, I hope Apple does take a look at this thread and feel that there is a market for a dock in one form or another.
Escher I didn't know I owned you! That's cool. By the way, I will sell my Dock, MiniDock, and a 230 (already pomised someone else the 280c) to you. Name your price. I use my Color Classic every day, for Stickies, Spin Doctor, and cool lil' games and apps, but I'm afraid I don't use my Duo stuff anymore. It was really neat-o when I got it 2 years ago but then I got my iceBook. And now the AluBook 12". I believe my Dock has cache, a gig hard drive, and Ethernet card, and of course the useful floppy. And I even have the key for it!
<strong>it would be cool to have a dockable mini-laptop... Plug it in, and bingo! A dual-processor workstation.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Luca: Several people expressed a wish for such a DP dock in past threads. I think it's a fatastic idea in theory, especially if it allows for a tiny and light ultraportable sub-PowerBook. In reality however, the small market and high cost of such a system make a PowerMac/iBook combination a more economical proposition.
[quote]<strong>However, I would probably want the option to use the built in screen.</strong><hr></blockquote>
So we have at least two persons (Luca and MacGregor) who would like to retain use of the built-in LCD in a dock. Personally, I would be happy with a single Apple Cinema Display hooked up to my dock. I wouldn't think twice about letting the 'Book's built-in display disappear inside the dock's mouth.
[quote]<strong>The only problem is that it would be too specialized. I don't think enough people would buy such a thing because it would cost too damn much.</strong><hr></blockquote>
You anticipated my reservations above. Even though a dock with a second processor is a great idea in theory, in practice it will be difficult to beat the combination of a real PowerMac and the smallest 'Book available (iBook or 12" PowerBook). The big advantage of the PowerMac/'Book combination over a DP dock is that you can use the PowerMac and 'Book each on their own. If there are two or more persons in your household, that's a big plus.
Case in point: Not Unlike Myself's wife would weld his sub-PowerBook to the dock so that she could control its use. If he had both a PowerMac and a 'Book, he wouldn't have to worry about his wife. (Note: I have the same problem. We still have our 5 year-old Rev.A iMac so that my wife isn't computer-less when I'm on the road with the iBook.)
<strong>it is still hard to contemplate how absolutely great that machine will be...when I finally get to see one at the Apple reseller!</strong><hr></blockquote>
MacGregor: All I can say is that I expect the 12" PowerBook to be more powerful than the iBook, but (obviously) less powerful than the bottom-end PowerMac. So if you would have been in the market for a G4 Cube, I expect the 12" PowerBook would satisfy all of your needs. But if you need those two PCI slot you mention above, I fear that you will have no choice but to buy a PowerMac.
[quote]<strong>But as cool as the VCR-like dock would be, I don't think I could justify its purchase myself. The PowerBook has too nice of a screen to hide and having access to dual monitors would be wonderful.</strong><hr></blockquote>
See my reply to Luca above. I really can't picture a sophisticated dock that would not hide the PowerBook's built-in display. If you need to retain use of the internal LCD, a BookEnds dock is likely to be the only option. And I think we've agreed that $200+ for a pure port replicator is too expensive.
[quote]<strong>Also back in the day it was easier to justify the desktop footprint of the dock when there was a crt sitting ontop of it taking up space anyway.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I've considered this problem as well. Can you picture the keyboard drawers that are built into so many computer desks? Similarly, I've been imagining a VCR-style dock that I could suspend below my desk, or vertically on its side, with two simple brackets. As we are discussing this fictive Apple Dock, I am imagining a home-made drawer dock based on a BookEndz Dock and a drawer in my file cabinet. We'll see whether I have the courage to follow through on this idea once I get a 12" PowerBook.
[quote]<strong>So without a "docking station" as I've described above, I am forced to buy a PowerMac that I can't really afford AND an iBook to carry with me. Definitely a DANG COOL option, just a little too pricey for me.</strong><hr></blockquote>
MacGregor: As I've argued to Luca and Not Unlike Myself above, my continued fear is that a very sophisticated DP dock and a 12" PowerBook will be more expensive than a PowerMac/iBook combination. That's presumably why Apple abandoned the dock idea as 'Book prices became more accessible. That's also why Apple is likely to stay out of the dock business and leave this small market of questionable profitability to third parties.
<strong>So we have at least two persons (Luca and MacGregor) who would like to retain use of the built-in LCD in a dock. Personally, I would be happy with a single Apple Cinema Display hooked up to my dock. I wouldn't think twice about letting the 'Book's built-in display disappear inside the dock's mouth.</strong><hr></blockquote>
But Escher, you said yourself that it would be too expensive... requiring the purchase of an external monitor, and (as Apple would have it) a big LCD at that, would drive the cost through the roof. Besides, I prefer my iBook's 12" display to any CRT, even a nice flat 17" one. I still have to run CRTs at low resolution (for example, the 17" is at 1024x768) because they're so fuzzy compared to LCDs. So to top an internal 1024x768 LCD, I'd need a 1280x1024 one, which would cost $500-$1000.
I don't see any reason why it would be difficult to make the built in LCD visible while docked. Instead of having the dock surrounding the laptop, it would just be below it. Of course, that would make it tough to put an external monitor on top if you so desire... dang, like Einstein said, any idiot can make things complicated, only a genius can make them simple.
I suppose it's a moot point since we already decided it wouldn't really be practical anyway. Besides, I don't think a 12", 4.6 lb notebook is too large for anyone. You want something smaller, get a PDA, Pocket PC, or a tablet. Which brings me to...
Apple should make a tablet. It's like the modern outgrowth of the dockable laptop. Just put it on a stand and connect it to an external keyboard and mouse, and you're good to go. Of course, Apple would have to think up something cool to make it more desirable than PC tablets (other than just making an OS X tablet edition). I don't know, on a PC tablet, is the little stand just a stand, or does it also serve as a hub so you don't have to plug everything in when you come home? Apple might be able to do some innovation there.
Taking things even farther, Apple could repackage the iBook as a portable desktop. Remove the keyboard and battery, rotate it 90° to put the optical on the front and the ports on the back, and you've got yourself a $599 iLC. I mean, some people (like me) don't use their laptop while on the road. I'm in college so I prefer a laptop so I can move it from my home to my dorm. A month ago, when I bought this computer, I would have definitely considered a portable desktop instead, had it been available at the time. A system like the one I described could take over the CRT iMac as Apple's lowest cost computer. You want a cheap AIO, get an eMac. But the portable desktop would be for truly bargain basement customers, and it would apply to switchers who want to use their PC's monitor as well.
<strong>But Escher, you said yourself that it would be too expensive... requiring the purchase of an external monitor, and (as Apple would have it) a big LCD at that, would drive the cost through the roof.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Luca: A docking solution will never be cheap. I've been assuming all along that anybody who wanted a dock would also buy a high-res external monitor. Said external monitor would remain plugged into the dock at all times.
I wholeheartedly agree with your preference of LCD over CRT monitors. If I were to get a dock, I'd certainly shell out for a high-res LCD as well. If I'm going to continue using my iBook's (or PowerBook's) internal 1024x768 12" LCD, however, I don't really need a dock since I have one less cable (VGA) to plug in.
[quote]<strong>[Making the built in LCD visible while docked] would make it tough to put an external monitor on top if you so desire... dang, like Einstein said, any idiot can make things complicated, only a genius can make them simple.</strong><hr></blockquote>
There you go. If you want to use your 'Book's built-in LCD, your dock will have to be on your desk. (Unless you like mirrors. ) I'd rather have the dock under or next to my desk.
[quote]<strong>Taking things even farther, Apple could repackage the iBook as a portable desktop. Remove the keyboard and battery, rotate it 90° to put the optical on the front and the ports on the back, and you've got yourself a $599 iLC.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Now that would be excellent! That would be the long-desired headless iMac. I've played with the idea of turning my old Rev.A iMac into a headless iMac with a <a href="http://www.marathoncomputer.com/irac1.html"; target="_blank">Marathon iRack</a>, but at $399 it's too expensive. Even with all the new-found variety in Apple's lineup, there's clearly room for an inexpensive monitor-less consumer box to bring OS X goodness to the masses. See the <a href="http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=002900"; target="_blank">$399 Question thread</a> and many topics before it for headless iMac discussion.
BTW: I ended up finding the Gefen <a href="http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=1301"; target="_blank">VGA-to-ADC Converter</a> after all. It'll set you back $299, but it does work with various resolutions up to 1920x1200 (23" HD Display). Of course the 12" PowerBook would "only" support the 1600x1024 of the 22" Cinema Display, since the PowerBook's video card won't support more than 1600x1200 on an external monitor. I'd like to see that functionality built into an Apple Dock (or a DVI connector in the Rev.B 12" PowerBook).
Comments
<strong>Got the idea of a dock?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Thank you for starting this thread, Gulliver, explaining the idea of a Dock to disbelievers and continuing to push it.
[quote]Originally posted by Kecksy:
<strong>I heard someone say if Apple ran each of their commercials for six months instead of one month, more people would remember those commercials and more people would remember the product.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Kecksy: I know nothing about advertising. But that explanation of the lacking success of Apple's commericals makes sense. I hope that Apple will run celebrity ads like the Vern Troyer/Yao Ming clip more consistently and will thereby gain more mindshare.
[quote]Originally posted by Aquatic:
<strong>No matter how advanced notebooks get, desktops will always be ahead. So there's always room for a Duo. I always wondered why Apple killed the Duos. They fit in and made sense.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Aquatic: I wish everybody could see the natural need for a Dock that clearly. Actually, I think many people see the wisdom of a Dock but aren't willing to admit it to themselves. I really like Not Unlike Myself's pun that "docks are for boats." But it's so witty it makes me think that even he understands the purpose of a laptop dock and is just playing devil's advocate (a role I regularly take on myself).
[quote]<strong>I have a Duo Dock II+ and MiniDock, and Duo 280c and 2300c sitting in my room right now along side my Color Classic.</strong><hr></blockquote>
The first Mac I owned was a Colour Classic (with the "u" because I bought it at home in Switzerland, where British spelling prevails). I still think it's one of the most beautiful Mac designs every\\ to come out of Cupertino. It's still chugging along at my father's house.
Ah, the good old Duo 280c, <a href="http://homepage.mac.com/escher/PhotoAlbum5.html"; target="_blank">codename Escher</a>. Unfortunately, I never had the privilege of owning one. That's why a Duo with Dock is still on my eBay to-buy list.
[quote]<strong>Why oh why does Apple come up with good ideas and then kill them?</strong><hr></blockquote>
First the Duo. Later the Newton. Then the Cube. Will it ever end? <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> At least we now have the 12" PowerBook G4 to make up.
Escher
[ 01-17-2003: Message edited by: Escher ]</p>
<strong>At least we now have the 12" PowerBook G4 to make up.
for now! haha!!
<strong>
So let me count that:
Whenever you use your powerbook at home or in your office you do the following procedure:
1. Plug-in your USB-mouse
2. Plug-in your firewire-HD
3. Plug-in your firewire videocamera and/or your digital still camera
4. Plug-in your network cable (Plug-in your Airport basestation)
5. Plug-in your AC-adapter
6. Plug-in your external monitor (and run the second-monitor hack)
And at the end of the session you do the same procedure the other way round.
Got the idea of a dock?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Why would you need to "plug in your airport basestation"? The whole point of airport is that you don't have to plug in anything. Unless you are bringing your basestation with you to work everyday or something.
Also, it seems to me that things like digital cameras or video cameras really only need to be plugged in when you are going to use them. Also don't forget that firewire peripherals can be daisy-chained or on hubs and USB devices can be on hubs, so you really only have to plug in one cable for each.
In my case, I would probably need to plug in an external FW HD, a USB hub with all of my USB peripherals already plugged in, and the monitor. Takes all of 10 seconds. Plugging into a dock probably would take a few seconds less, but is it worth $200-$300?
<strong>
Takes all of 10 seconds. Plugging into a dock probably would take a few seconds less, but is it worth $200-$300?</strong><hr></blockquote>
YES!
But it would be cool to have a dockable mini-laptop. I personally don't use my laptop for much when I'm not at my desk. So why not ditch the optical drive and half the ports and reduce the size of the hard drive (while using a 1.8" instead of a 2.5"), and put them into a dock instead? You'd still have the option to get a small full-featured laptop like the 12" PowerBook.
They could even take it a step further... reduce the heat inside the unit by putting a non-speed stepping 533 MHz G4 in the laptop itself, then have a second 533 MHz G4 in the dock. Plug it in, and bingo! A dual-processor workstation. Laptops usually reduce their processor speed when not plugged in anyway, so it's no big loss. Actually, it would be cool to have the processor in the dock be faster, but I don't know if SMP works with two processors of different speeds. If, say, a 533 MHz G4 was coupled with an 800 or 1000 MHz G4, what would happen?
However, I would probably want the option to use the built in screen. I personally really like LCDs, even the tiny 12" one on my iBook, and I'd rather use that than any CRT.
So the specs of the bare laptop would be something like... a 533 MHz G4, a single USB port, headphone port, possibly one FireWire port, and a 20 GB 1.8" hard drive. Meanwhile, the dock would have a second G4 processor, FireWire and USB hubs, analog and digital audio in and out, a built in ATA/100 bus for putting a larger hard drive in (comes standard with a 40-80 GB one), an optical drive, a couple of PCI slots, and maybe an AGP slot if you want to connect an external monitor and use a more powerful graphics controller than is included onboard the laptop itself. Also, it should include software for synchronizing the laptop's built in hard drive and the dock's hard drive.
The only problem is that it would be too specialized. I don't think enough people would buy such a thing because it would cost too damn much. Still, the possibilties are quite interesting... the laptop could probably be tiny, under 4 lbs and maybe as light as 3 lbs, with a 10-11" screen at either 800x600 or 1024x768.
This has been a pretty good thread!
But as cool as the VCR-like dock would be, I don't think I could justify its purchase myself. The PowerBook has too nice of a screen to hide and having access to dual monitors would be wonderful. Also back in the day it was easier to justify the desktop footprint of the dock when there was a crt sitting ontop of it taking up space anyway. However if you had an LCD screen on your desktop, the dock really would take up space unless you hid it in a drawer or set it on a shelf.
I do want the capability of using two PCI cards with my desktop and it would be so nice to have that capability with only the 12" as my only computer. So without a "docking station" as I've described above, I am forced to buy a PowerMac that I can't really afford AND an iBook to carry with me. Definitely a DANG COOL option, just a little too pricey for me.
Thus for me a barebones 10" widescreen subnotebook paired with that PowerMac would make the most sense and would save me a few hundred dollars...I would hope.
Thanks for the compliment, Escher, I hope Apple does take a look at this thread and feel that there is a market for a dock in one form or another.
[ 01-18-2003: Message edited by: MacGregor ]</p>
Escher I didn't know I owned you! That's cool. By the way, I will sell my Dock, MiniDock, and a 230 (already pomised someone else the 280c) to you. Name your price. I use my Color Classic every day, for Stickies, Spin Doctor, and cool lil' games and apps, but I'm afraid I don't use my Duo stuff anymore. It was really neat-o when I got it 2 years ago but then I got my iceBook. And now the AluBook 12". I believe my Dock has cache, a gig hard drive, and Ethernet card, and of course the useful floppy. And I even have the key for it!
<strong>it would be cool to have a dockable mini-laptop... Plug it in, and bingo! A dual-processor workstation.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Luca: Several people expressed a wish for such a DP dock in past threads. I think it's a fatastic idea in theory, especially if it allows for a tiny and light ultraportable sub-PowerBook. In reality however, the small market and high cost of such a system make a PowerMac/iBook combination a more economical proposition.
[quote]<strong>However, I would probably want the option to use the built in screen.</strong><hr></blockquote>
So we have at least two persons (Luca and MacGregor) who would like to retain use of the built-in LCD in a dock. Personally, I would be happy with a single Apple Cinema Display hooked up to my dock. I wouldn't think twice about letting the 'Book's built-in display disappear inside the dock's mouth.
[quote]<strong>The only problem is that it would be too specialized. I don't think enough people would buy such a thing because it would cost too damn much.</strong><hr></blockquote>
You anticipated my reservations above. Even though a dock with a second processor is a great idea in theory, in practice it will be difficult to beat the combination of a real PowerMac and the smallest 'Book available (iBook or 12" PowerBook). The big advantage of the PowerMac/'Book combination over a DP dock is that you can use the PowerMac and 'Book each on their own. If there are two or more persons in your household, that's a big plus.
Case in point: Not Unlike Myself's wife would weld his sub-PowerBook to the dock so that she could control its use. If he had both a PowerMac and a 'Book, he wouldn't have to worry about his wife. (Note: I have the same problem. We still have our 5 year-old Rev.A iMac so that my wife isn't computer-less when I'm on the road with the iBook.)
Escher
[ 01-21-2003: Message edited by: Escher ]</p>
<strong>it is still hard to contemplate how absolutely great that machine will be...when I finally get to see one at the Apple reseller!</strong><hr></blockquote>
MacGregor: All I can say is that I expect the 12" PowerBook to be more powerful than the iBook, but (obviously) less powerful than the bottom-end PowerMac. So if you would have been in the market for a G4 Cube, I expect the 12" PowerBook would satisfy all of your needs. But if you need those two PCI slot you mention above, I fear that you will have no choice but to buy a PowerMac.
[quote]<strong>But as cool as the VCR-like dock would be, I don't think I could justify its purchase myself. The PowerBook has too nice of a screen to hide and having access to dual monitors would be wonderful.</strong><hr></blockquote>
See my reply to Luca above. I really can't picture a sophisticated dock that would not hide the PowerBook's built-in display. If you need to retain use of the internal LCD, a BookEnds dock is likely to be the only option. And I think we've agreed that $200+ for a pure port replicator is too expensive.
[quote]<strong>Also back in the day it was easier to justify the desktop footprint of the dock when there was a crt sitting ontop of it taking up space anyway.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I've considered this problem as well. Can you picture the keyboard drawers that are built into so many computer desks? Similarly, I've been imagining a VCR-style dock that I could suspend below my desk, or vertically on its side, with two simple brackets. As we are discussing this fictive Apple Dock, I am imagining a home-made drawer dock based on a BookEndz Dock and a drawer in my file cabinet. We'll see whether I have the courage to follow through on this idea once I get a 12" PowerBook.
[quote]<strong>So without a "docking station" as I've described above, I am forced to buy a PowerMac that I can't really afford AND an iBook to carry with me. Definitely a DANG COOL option, just a little too pricey for me.</strong><hr></blockquote>
MacGregor: As I've argued to Luca and Not Unlike Myself above, my continued fear is that a very sophisticated DP dock and a 12" PowerBook will be more expensive than a PowerMac/iBook combination. That's presumably why Apple abandoned the dock idea as 'Book prices became more accessible. That's also why Apple is likely to stay out of the dock business and leave this small market of questionable profitability to third parties.
Is the realist in me taking over today?
Escher
<strong>So we have at least two persons (Luca and MacGregor) who would like to retain use of the built-in LCD in a dock. Personally, I would be happy with a single Apple Cinema Display hooked up to my dock. I wouldn't think twice about letting the 'Book's built-in display disappear inside the dock's mouth.</strong><hr></blockquote>
But Escher, you said yourself that it would be too expensive... requiring the purchase of an external monitor, and (as Apple would have it) a big LCD at that, would drive the cost through the roof. Besides, I prefer my iBook's 12" display to any CRT, even a nice flat 17" one. I still have to run CRTs at low resolution (for example, the 17" is at 1024x768) because they're so fuzzy compared to LCDs. So to top an internal 1024x768 LCD, I'd need a 1280x1024 one, which would cost $500-$1000.
I don't see any reason why it would be difficult to make the built in LCD visible while docked. Instead of having the dock surrounding the laptop, it would just be below it. Of course, that would make it tough to put an external monitor on top if you so desire... dang, like Einstein said, any idiot can make things complicated, only a genius can make them simple.
I suppose it's a moot point since we already decided it wouldn't really be practical anyway. Besides, I don't think a 12", 4.6 lb notebook is too large for anyone. You want something smaller, get a PDA, Pocket PC, or a tablet. Which brings me to...
Apple should make a tablet. It's like the modern outgrowth of the dockable laptop. Just put it on a stand and connect it to an external keyboard and mouse, and you're good to go. Of course, Apple would have to think up something cool to make it more desirable than PC tablets (other than just making an OS X tablet edition). I don't know, on a PC tablet, is the little stand just a stand, or does it also serve as a hub so you don't have to plug everything in when you come home? Apple might be able to do some innovation there.
Taking things even farther, Apple could repackage the iBook as a portable desktop. Remove the keyboard and battery, rotate it 90° to put the optical on the front and the ports on the back, and you've got yourself a $599 iLC. I mean, some people (like me) don't use their laptop while on the road. I'm in college so I prefer a laptop so I can move it from my home to my dorm. A month ago, when I bought this computer, I would have definitely considered a portable desktop instead, had it been available at the time. A system like the one I described could take over the CRT iMac as Apple's lowest cost computer. You want a cheap AIO, get an eMac. But the portable desktop would be for truly bargain basement customers, and it would apply to switchers who want to use their PC's monitor as well.
<strong>But Escher, you said yourself that it would be too expensive... requiring the purchase of an external monitor, and (as Apple would have it) a big LCD at that, would drive the cost through the roof.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Luca: A docking solution will never be cheap. I've been assuming all along that anybody who wanted a dock would also buy a high-res external monitor. Said external monitor would remain plugged into the dock at all times.
I wholeheartedly agree with your preference of LCD over CRT monitors. If I were to get a dock, I'd certainly shell out for a high-res LCD as well. If I'm going to continue using my iBook's (or PowerBook's) internal 1024x768 12" LCD, however, I don't really need a dock since I have one less cable (VGA) to plug in.
[quote]<strong>[Making the built in LCD visible while docked] would make it tough to put an external monitor on top if you so desire... dang, like Einstein said, any idiot can make things complicated, only a genius can make them simple.</strong><hr></blockquote>
There you go. If you want to use your 'Book's built-in LCD, your dock will have to be on your desk. (Unless you like mirrors.
[quote]<strong>Taking things even farther, Apple could repackage the iBook as a portable desktop. Remove the keyboard and battery, rotate it 90° to put the optical on the front and the ports on the back, and you've got yourself a $599 iLC.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Now that would be excellent! That would be the long-desired headless iMac. I've played with the idea of turning my old Rev.A iMac into a headless iMac with a <a href="http://www.marathoncomputer.com/irac1.html"; target="_blank">Marathon iRack</a>, but at $399 it's too expensive. Even with all the new-found variety in Apple's lineup, there's clearly room for an inexpensive monitor-less consumer box to bring OS X goodness to the masses. See the <a href="http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=002900"; target="_blank">$399 Question thread</a> and many topics before it for headless iMac discussion.
BTW: I ended up finding the Gefen <a href="http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=1301"; target="_blank">VGA-to-ADC Converter</a> after all. It'll set you back $299, but it does work with various resolutions up to 1920x1200 (23" HD Display). Of course the 12" PowerBook would "only" support the 1600x1024 of the 22" Cinema Display, since the PowerBook's video card won't support more than 1600x1200 on an external monitor. I'd like to see that functionality built into an Apple Dock (or a DVI connector in the Rev.B 12" PowerBook).
Escher
[ 01-21-2003: Message edited by: Escher ]</p>
This concept is still valid. Apple should make a new Duo line. Maybe now people are finally ready for it.
Like I said, desktops will always be more advanced, and so if they are, the Duo makes sense.