This may sound totally crazy......but no 12" MBP???

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
I just read an article on macrumors.com and they mentioned that the 13.3" widescreen MacBook will replace the 12"/14" ibook and 12" PB. Not sure how reliable this is, but I have never heard news/rumours/speculation about a 12" MBP. I don't beleive Apple would screw up that bad. What do you guys think?







-Noah
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 38
    I'm really hoping for a small Pro laptop. I have had the 12" for a year and a half now and it's nice, but it is pretty much on par with the 12" iBook. I do however use the monitor spanning function.



    I have a list of features that I'm waiting on before upgrading, which are:
    • 12" or 13" Display

    • Merom 64-bit dual core processor

    • Centrino 4 chipset (Santa Rosa)

    • Dual-link DVI (want to run a 30" at home)

    • Blu-ray or HD-DVD drive

    • 802.11n wireless

    • Mac OS X Leopard

    • Lit keyboard

    • And possibly the Intel RAND Memory technology announced a few weeks ago

    I don't expect many of these until the start/spring of next year, but I'd be disappointed if a MacBook Pro didn't ship with a small screen. I just don't think all of these features will come to the MacBook range, especially as a lot of those technologies will be so new.



    If they don't release one, and I see the 15" with the majority of those functions, I'd be tempted to go for the bigger display and have to lug that around campus. Maybe that's what Apple wants us to do though...
  • Reply 2 of 38
    gargar Posts: 1,201member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by danielctull

    Maybe that's what Apple wants us to do though...



    Maybe Apple thinks that large fat guys walking around with small 12"Powerbooks looks stupid.

    So they give those users the option to look cool with a 15"MBP on their fat lap and getting some exercise for free or look silly and sissy with a small white girly iBook/MacBook.



    Bring on the 13,3"MBP or I have to lug a huge 15,4"MBP in my backpack and increase my overall weight with a whopping 4.2 %.
  • Reply 3 of 38
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    I think the 13" Macbook is going to replace the 12" Powerbook. The clockspeed they're speculating the Macbook will have (1.67 Core Duo) exactly fits the bracket for what the Powerbook 12" would have.
  • Reply 4 of 38
    noah93noah93 Posts: 168member
    That is what I am worried about. There are many pros that make use of the 12" PB and a 15" is not a desirable option for road-warriors. I really hope they dont discontinue the 12" Pro portable line.





    - Noah
  • Reply 5 of 38
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Placebo

    I think the 13" Macbook is going to replace the 12" Powerbook. The clockspeed they're speculating the Macbook will have (1.67 Core Duo) exactly fits the bracket for what the Powerbook 12" would have.



    I am hoping the replacement for the 12" PowerBook will be closer to the 15" MacBook Pro specs than the 12" PowerBook was the the 15" PowerBook specs. Maybe even the same processor. Just thinking that the move to Intel will result in cooler CPUs, I guess the reports of the MacBook Pro suggest otherwise.



    This is the problem with the current 12" PB, processor wise, it lagged one rev behind the 15" and 17". It also never got dual-link DVI. I hope for a 12/13" MBP with the same specs as the 15", maybe a 13" widescreen footprint will give a bit more space to fit it in.



    As I said above, I'm not looking to buy until next year, when we'll know whether they have such a product out. I feel for the people waiting for the replacement for the 12" PB and having to work out whether the 13" MacBook is it or not...
  • Reply 6 of 38
    k squaredk squared Posts: 608member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by noah93

    That is what I am worried about. There are many pros that make use of the 12" PB and a 15" is not a desirable option for road-warriors. I really hope they dont discontinue the 12" Pro portable line.



    How do you know that a 13.3" form factor will be necessary larger than a 12"? Why do you think Apple "would screw up" by not offering a 12" and instead switch to a 13.3" with varying degrees of options? Isn't that what the current 12" PB is -- an iBook with upgraded options?
  • Reply 7 of 38
    The clockspeed may be in line but some of us want an x1600 for graphics. They had better offer something like this!! If they make every keyboard backlit I will orgasm
  • Reply 8 of 38
    noah93noah93 Posts: 168member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by k squared

    How do you know that a 13.3" form factor will be necessary larger than a 12"? Why do you think Apple "would screw up" by not offering a 12" and instead switch to a 13.3" with varying degrees of options? Isn't that what the current 12" PB is -- an iBook with upgraded options?



    You do not understand what I meant. I am implying that if Apple were to cut the 12" PB line entirely, and the people who currently use those systems have to deal with a lower-end machine or get a bigger one. It does not work out. Many pros spend a lot of time on the road and would like a 12" MBP. I do not care if it comes out 13.3" widescreen, I just need something smaller than 15", with horse-power, without paying for it as add-ons, which are typically very expensive with apple [upgrade from 2GHz system to 2.16GHz system, $333 CAD]



    This guy gets what I meen:



    Quote:

    The clockspeed may be in line but some of us want an x1600 for graphics. They had better offer something like this!!



    - Noah
  • Reply 9 of 38
    thttht Posts: 5,692member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by noah93

    I just read an article on macrumors.com and they mentioned that the 13.3" widescreen MacBook will replace the 12"/14" ibook and 12" PB. Not sure how reliable this is, but I have never heard news/rumours/speculation about a 12" MBP. I don't beleive Apple would screw up that bad. What do you guys think?





    It really depends on the features of the high-end "MacBook." If it has discrete graphics, monitor spanning, and other pro features, it's effectively a 13.3" MBP. If the form factor is as small as the Powerbook 12", it's effectively a 13.3" MBP. The only exception would be the cool aluminum chassis.



    The current PB 12" is just an iBook with an aluminum chassis and some, not all, of the pro laptops features, anyways.
  • Reply 10 of 38
    noah93noah93 Posts: 168member
    I know at the moment the PB G4 12" is little more than a high-end iBook/MacBook with better graphics, processor, aluminum case [not really important tho], standard superdrive, larger HDD [standard] , more RAM [standard], and is overall a more pro-ish computer. I want all of the specs of the current MBP in my new 12/13.3", not paying extra to cramp it up to that, ends up costing more. if apple thinks pros do not want small computers, they are going to make a real bad mistake merging the 12" PB with the to-be iBook/MacBook line. Yes the 'we dont know what the specs are yet' line comes up, but just thinking about it, apple has to have [alot] space between their two portable lines, so you can see there will be a [major] difference between the two, and I, along with many others, would prefer a mini MBP.





    - Noah
  • Reply 11 of 38
    k squaredk squared Posts: 608member
    Noah, you're getting yourself pretty worked up over something you have no control over and at this point is pure speculation.



    Just wait until the MacBook is announced and then complain with the rest of us.

  • Reply 12 of 38
    mr. dirkmr. dirk Posts: 187member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by noah93

    I know at the moment the PB G4 12" is little more than a high-end iBook/MacBook with better graphics, processor, aluminum case [not really important tho], standard superdrive, larger HDD [standard] , more RAM [standard], and is overall a more pro-ish computer. I want all of the specs of the current MBP in my new 12/13.3", not paying extra to cramp it up to that, ends up costing more. if apple thinks pros do not want small computers, they are going to make a real bad mistake merging the 12" PB with the to-be iBook/MacBook line. Yes the 'we dont know what the specs are yet' line comes up, but just thinking about it, apple has to have [alot] space between their two portable lines, so you can see there will be a [major] difference between the two, and I, along with many others, would prefer a mini MBP.





    - Noah




    Well, let's consider the situation. Currently, Apple's 12" PB has a 1.5GHZ G4, so assuming Apple did drop the 12" and the high-end MacBook has dual core processors, at least on that spec moving from a 12" PB to a 13" MB would be an upgrade.



    Now, let's look at the graphics card issue (since that's what so many seem to focus on). Currently, the PB has 64mb of dedicated VRAM. My question is (and it can only be answered when the MB comes out and if the 12" PB is dropped) whether Apple is simply boiling down the set of consumers using 12" PBs a little further. In other words, let's assume that the MBs have Intel IG... so, for things that don't require a good video card, the MB wouldn't be usable. But then, the 64mb on the PB now doesn't make the PB that usable for video card-intensive work now. So perhaps the way Apple will look at dropping the 12" PB is that if consumers want a laptop that can do everything but handle graphic-intensive apps (which probably wouldn't be used on a 12" screen much anyway), then they should get a MacBook... But if they do want something that can be used for graphically intensive apps, they can sacrifice a small amount of size and $$$ to get a higher-end product for the task (a 15" MacBook Pro).



    So, I don't think it's a faux pax to drop the 12" PowerBook. Anyway, in the end, Apple's the one with the access to sales data--and you can bet that if the 12" PowerBook sold half as well as everyone seems to think, then it would have been the first to go Intel--and Apple wouldn't even think of dropping it.
  • Reply 13 of 38
    noah93noah93 Posts: 168member
    Thanks guys for pointing out that it might not be a bad decision after all dropping the 12" pro line. And as for my last post, I guess I was a bit pissed off that I would need to carry a larger computer. Oh well.....What can you do?





    - Noah
  • Reply 14 of 38
    k squaredk squared Posts: 608member
    But the MacBook doesn't necessarily have to be "larger" than the PB 12" -- it might be wider, of course, but more than likely it may be thinner and lighter. Apple has had a couple years to think about the 12" iBook and PowerBook revision and I'm anticipating it as much as everyone else.
  • Reply 15 of 38
    noah93noah93 Posts: 168member
    I can't wait either for the revision, but I was talking about NOT having a pro 12/13.3" system. If they merge the line-ups, then it could possibly meen we are in for a treat, a UMPC for example, in the pro range, as they wouldn't leave a whole there. On the other hand, a UMPC is too small for me , and I would have to settle for a lower-end [albeit better than im on now! ] machine or fish out the extra dough for a 15". Ohhhh welllll.......





    - Noah
  • Reply 16 of 38
    dude, get over it.



    13in macbook single cpu, integrated graphics

    13in macbook dual cpu, integrated graphics

    15in macbook pro dual cpu, dedicated graphics

    17in macbook pro dual cpu, dedicated graphics



    for the foreseeable future, those are your choices. the 12in screen is gone forever, apple wont return to 4:3, apple and the industry have chosen widescreen.



    the baby powerbook will be a footnote, a collectors item, for the past minority of baby powerbook lovers. the baby powerbook is the ipod mini, the 13in macbook is the ipod nano. i'm sure this will raise the baby powerbooks ebay price.
  • Reply 17 of 38
    noah93noah93 Posts: 168member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by iggypopped

    dude, get over it.



    13in macbook single cpu, integrated graphics

    13in macbook dual cpu, integrated graphics

    15in macbook pro dual cpu, dedicated graphics

    17in macbook pro dual cpu, dedicated graphics



    for the foreseeable future, those are your choices. the 12in screen is gone forever, apple wont return to 4:3, apple and the industry have chosen widescreen.



    the baby powerbook will be a footnote, a collectors item, for the past minority of baby powerbook lovers. the baby powerbook is the ipod mini, the 13in macbook is the ipod nano. i'm sure this will raise the baby powerbooks ebay price.




    Dude, you still dont get what I meen! I am going to want to buy a computer smaller than 15" from Apple, I do not care whether it is MB or MBP or if it is 12" or 13.3", just as long as it has dedicated graphics. Intel IG is not soo bad, but dedicated is better, and Apple will [most likely] have dedicated in at least one model of the MB, because there is a decent amount 12" PB users.



    I started this thread to get others' opinions on whether Apple will stop producing pro computers in the smaller than 15" range, not about MB specs. I got you opinions and now there is not that much left to this thread, unless someone would like to say why they think Apple will keep/kill the 12/13.3" Pro line. Thanks for your somewhat constructive comments!



    - Noah
  • Reply 18 of 38
    brussellbrussell Posts: 9,812member
    I don't think Apple's smallest notebook will be 13". There's too large of a market for small laptops, and one of the reasons for going Intel was to ensure those types of machines had a future.



    I bet, with the MacBook economy models at 13", they'll have room for a laptop with an 11.1" screen at 1364 X 768, and some other "pro" features to make it more expensive than the 13" MacBook. If you want really small, you'll have to pay extra, like in the PC world.
  • Reply 19 of 38
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BRussell

    they'll have room for a laptop with an 11.1" screen at 1364 X 768



    That's 16:9. Computer screens aren't 16:9.
  • Reply 20 of 38
    brussellbrussell Posts: 9,812member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Chucker

    That's 16:9. Computer screens aren't 16:9.



    The Vaio TX series has 11" screens with that resolution.
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