Transportable Mac
I was browsing MacOSRumors and came across comments from two readers saying they want an easily transported Mac that is bigger than a laptop and AC line powered. Here are a few remarks from one of the reader's. Anyone else think this is a good idea?
"Seems, that every effort is being made, to pack power into a fragile, miniaturized envelope, now aptly named "laptop." To me a laptop, although very convenient at times, could never be a serious tool."
"Yet I would love to have a solid machine, where all major components can be folded-up and carried with relative ease from the office to the home, or even to clients. Believe it or not, even in Africa all those places have electricity!"
"As all the parts are already existing, all that would be needed is an innovative package for that "transportable G5." Well - just dreaming!"
"Seems, that every effort is being made, to pack power into a fragile, miniaturized envelope, now aptly named "laptop." To me a laptop, although very convenient at times, could never be a serious tool."
"Yet I would love to have a solid machine, where all major components can be folded-up and carried with relative ease from the office to the home, or even to clients. Believe it or not, even in Africa all those places have electricity!"
"As all the parts are already existing, all that would be needed is an innovative package for that "transportable G5." Well - just dreaming!"
Comments
It must be a niche market tho.
Dobby.
Originally posted by Carson O'Genic
In about a year it will be called the PowerBook G5 17".
you know it!
Of course if the next PB is a G5, then the L3 cache will be unnecessary.
It sounds more like people want a PB heavy duty, thick, heavy, and noisy like some of those high-end Dell machines.
The old CRT iMacs had a handle for transportability, as did the original Macs (what we now call "compact Macs"). The eMac does not have a handle; it is just too big.
The problem with using 17" Powerbooks as desktop replacements is that the screen is attached to the base. A 17" iMac has a wonderful arm, a faster hard drive, an easier-to-use tray optical drive, and a full-size keyboard. And it costs less. (We expect a 1.5GHz model any day now, so processor speed will be equal.)
Someone probably makes fitted foam cases for transporting iMacs already, if you're going to be bumping over African roads.
Originally posted by FormatC2
Something like the FragBox?
It is a pretty box, but the system as a whole is not transportable per-say
I don't want thin and light, I want performance. My wallstreeet g3 was nearly 2 1/2 inches thick, and with the extra battery and assorted modules and other goodies my laptop bag weighed in at around sixteen pounds. It was a great machine.
I'm pretty sure that Apple could cram a 2GHz G5 into a 17" powerbook it they doubled its thickness and let the weight increase to the 10+ pounds. It would fit my needs perfectly, and I know that there are a lot of others out there that feel the same way.
There is a reason that companies on the PC side make thick, heavy and powerful laptops as well as sleek and thin ones. A lot of people needs are better satisfied by a huge desktop replacement, and I really wish Apple would get on the bandwagon and add one to their lineup.
Originally posted by Res
There is a reason that companies on the PC side make thick, heavy and powerful laptops as well as sleek and thin ones. A lot of people needs are better satisfied by a huge desktop replacement, and I really wish Apple would get on the bandwagon and add one to their lineup.
Personally, I really hope not. There is a reason PC makers do it - it's called cutting corners. The fact that Apple does not do this is something that sets them apart from the crowd (not that all the other things they do don't, but this adds a bit more onto it). If you have a laptop with a battery, then you're always going to be wanting to use it away from your desk - e.g. in bed, or on the couch.
The Apple range offer good performance, more than you'd need for the average use, and do so at a reasonable price (12" iBook through 17" PB, they cover pretty much the whole range of people). If you need more than that, then odds are it will be a G5 and a large screen - you're not really going to want to consider the equivalent of a 3GHz P4 in a small box, with a slower laptop HD, and major heat problems.
Apple laptops now are about the right sizes, I think, and they should be kept as they are - with upgrades happening in the same thicknesses etc.
Yet Apple needed to make the current G5's case absolutely enormous--larger than my old 450 G4, which wasn't so bad. I assume that in this compact, you would want two hard drives (probably full-size, rather than mobile ones) for backup on the go, in case one breaks down, or for more storage for video and such--and dual processors, as video editing is better with two. You'll want a high-end graphics card, as well. You'll likely want a SuperDrive for further backup and possible distribution.
This "desktop replacement" equates to a desktop G5, save for a lack of internal expansion slots. I should gladly have purchased one, and Apple probably would gladly have made one if heat weren't an issue. Even with mobile drives at a slower speed (not as good for video editing) and a single processor, the heat generated would be enormous in such a compact casing. Apple would have more of an edge on the competition if they could produce a desktop machine that performed as well as any other but proved half or a third the size of the competition.
To me, can the iMac and eMac as we know them. Replace the eMac with 'FragBox' a Cube. A nice white cuboid with handle and an Apple chrome logo on the front. Certainly, we know Apple can make a sexier shuttle, right?
iMac replaced with imac mini tower. (You know. The Alu mini-G5 pic that was doin' the rounds...)
Both could be portable and durable.
People can get what monitors they want.
But hey, it's too flexible and sensible. I can't see Apple doing it.
Yeesh. The who eMac. Certainly not transportable. And what will it look like when the don't make 17 inch CRTs anymore?
Lemon Bon Bon
Originally posted by Mike Peel
Personally, I really hope not. There is a reason PC makers do it - it's called cutting corners. The fact that Apple does not do this is something that sets them apart from the crowd (not that all the other things they do don't, but this adds a bit more onto it). If you have a laptop with a battery, then you're always going to be wanting to use it away from your desk - e.g. in bed, or on the couch.
The Apple range offer good performance, more than you'd need for the average use, and do so at a reasonable price (12" iBook through 17" PB, they cover pretty much the whole range of people). If you need more than that, then odds are it will be a G5 and a large screen - you're not really going to want to consider the equivalent of a 3GHz P4 in a small box, with a slower laptop HD, and major heat problems.
Apple laptops now are about the right sizes, I think, and they should be kept as they are - with upgrades happening in the same thicknesses etc.
I didn't say that Apple should stop making the slim line of powerbooks, I just want them to add a desktop replacement model to their lineup. And the desktop replacement PC laptops are not big and heavy because they are "cutting corners," they are big and heavy because they have to be to put in a 3.4GHz P4 with an 800MHz bus and great video card - if you want power, you need the space for the parts and extra cooling.
There are a lot of people (including myself), that move around too much to use a desktop system, but need as much computing power as possible. We don't care about the sleek sexy look of our portable sistems, we just want as much power as possible in a mobile system.
Originally posted by andrewm
I believe that Apple might make one of this--if only it could. Subtract the screen from this tiny unit, and with what are you left? A compact G5.
Yet Apple needed to make the current G5's case absolutely enormous--larger than my old 450 G4, which wasn't so bad. I assume that in this compact, you would want two hard drives (probably full-size, rather than mobile ones) for backup on the go, in case one breaks down, or for more storage for video and such--and dual processors, as video editing is better with two. You'll want a high-end graphics card, as well. You'll likely want a SuperDrive for further backup and possible distribution.
This "desktop replacement" equates to a desktop G5, save for a lack of internal expansion slots. I should gladly have purchased one, and Apple probably would gladly have made one if heat weren't an issue. Even with mobile drives at a slower speed (not as good for video editing) and a single processor, the heat generated would be enormous in such a compact casing. Apple would have more of an edge on the competition if they could produce a desktop machine that performed as well as any other but proved half or a third the size of the competition.
The 3.4 GHz P4 produces more heat then a 2GHz G5 and the PC side can put them into a laptops. If the PC companies can do it, there is no physical reason why Apple could not put a 2GHz G5 into a portable system.
And no one expects multiple full sizes hard drives in a portable computer. Just give me something like this modified 17" powerbook:
17-inch TFT Display
1440x900 resolution
2GHz PowerPC G5 w 1GHz frontside bus
512K L2 cache
512MB DDR400 SDRAM
80GB Ultra ATA/100 @ 5200rpm
ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128MB DDR)
Backlit Keyboard
Gigabit Ethernet
FireWire 400 & 800
AirPort Extreme built-in
DVI & S-Video out
Double the current thickness and bring the weight up from 6.9 to 10 or so pounds and price it at $3000 -- If they had something like this out right now I would buy it today, and so would a lot of other people in the music business.
Like a desktop:
- Full-size, full-power components (i.e. full speed)
- Fully adjustable monitor (iMac style, connected to CPU)
- Full-size extended keyboard
- Relatively low price
Like a laptop:
- All components connected together (keyboard/monitor)
- Includes trackpad on keyboard
- Contains a battery
Since this is just a "luggable", rather than a "laptop", the battery isn't intended to keep you working while unplugged. When you disconnect the power, the computer automatically puts itself to sleep, and will re-awaken as soon as you plug it back in. The battery only has to be big enough to keep the computer going, in sleep mode, for one or two hours... long enough to get to the next power outlet.
Meanwhile, when the computer is plugged in, it's just the same as a desktop... which is a much nicer experience than working on a laptop.