'MacBook Mini' will be $699 iBook with green credentials?
After some research, putting together facts, rumours and trends this is my forecast for the new low-end portable to go on sale in October '08. I expect the whole portable range to be re-alligned, with the possible loss of the MacBook Air, but I will focus on the new low-cost, light-weight, environmentally friendly, 'iPod halo' laptop.
This will restore the 'iBook' moniker for three reasons: nearness to 'iPod' with Apple's strategy to build the Mac market from iPod users in mind, the iBook was a well-loved consumer-friendly product line with the 2nd generation being particularly missed by many for the lighter weight and smaller dimensions compared to the MacBook, and a slight distancing from 'Mac' products due to a gulf in performance. In line with the times, the marketing emphasis will be on green credentials - recyclability, low toxicity, low-energy and low total environmental footprint.
Forecast Specs
1.6GHz Dual core Atom Processor (8W vs 35W power consumption of current Core 2 Duo)
Aluminium enclosure - recyclable
Glossy 12" screen, LED-backlit (low power)
1GB RAM, two slots (BTO options)
120 GB 2.5" drive - (BTO options)
No optical drive (external option)
Wirelessly bootable
Can use other machine's optical drive
No firewire (this is not a video editing machine)
Sound in/out
Stereo speakers
Apple Remote
Built-in iSight & mic
Mini video out
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
20 to 26 Wh battery, 4 hrs+ life
1Kg (2.2 lbs)
Mac OS 10.5.5, iLife '08
$699 headline (£499 UK inc. VAT)
Any advances? Anyone want to offer me odds on this being announced within a month?
Tim Millea.
This will restore the 'iBook' moniker for three reasons: nearness to 'iPod' with Apple's strategy to build the Mac market from iPod users in mind, the iBook was a well-loved consumer-friendly product line with the 2nd generation being particularly missed by many for the lighter weight and smaller dimensions compared to the MacBook, and a slight distancing from 'Mac' products due to a gulf in performance. In line with the times, the marketing emphasis will be on green credentials - recyclability, low toxicity, low-energy and low total environmental footprint.
Forecast Specs
1.6GHz Dual core Atom Processor (8W vs 35W power consumption of current Core 2 Duo)
Aluminium enclosure - recyclable
Glossy 12" screen, LED-backlit (low power)
1GB RAM, two slots (BTO options)
120 GB 2.5" drive - (BTO options)
No optical drive (external option)
Wirelessly bootable
Can use other machine's optical drive
No firewire (this is not a video editing machine)
Sound in/out
Stereo speakers
Apple Remote
Built-in iSight & mic
Mini video out
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
20 to 26 Wh battery, 4 hrs+ life
1Kg (2.2 lbs)
Mac OS 10.5.5, iLife '08
$699 headline (£499 UK inc. VAT)
Any advances? Anyone want to offer me odds on this being announced within a month?
Tim Millea.
Comments
I'm not saying Apple will never jump on the netbook bandwagon, but I do think that if they do then it will be quite different from what others offer. It won't be an Asus Eee PC running Mac OS X. That much I'm sure about.
That new iBook somehow looks too close to an Eee PC running Mac OS X.
I like the idea of bringing back the iBook name, and the reason listed by Tim sound good to me.
This would be in line with rumors that see the aluminium MacBook and aluminium MacBook Pro merged into one 'MacBook' line.
But on the other hand with the MacBook and MacBook Air names, why not add a MacBook mini or nano? These names would also make sense.
I like the idea of environmentally friendly notebooks for the masses. And I can see how Steve Jobs, stressing it again on the iPod nano, would like to have that.
But we all know that plastic enclosures are never as environmentally friendly as aluminium ones. Aluminium can be recycled so much better.
From that it is clear that any 'Mac Book eco' would likely have an aluminium case and hence be more in line with the existing MacBook lineup, than bringing back the iBook name.
The question is just what can Apple add to a small variant of the MacBook, in aluminium, that is beyond an Asus Eee PC? The MacBook Air had thinness going for it. So this time small size alone won't do.
Perhaps it is a convertible tablet/notebook? But HP has done that before.
How about a notebook with two screens and a virtual keyboard? An eBook reader/notebook with two multi touch screens.
That might be an exciting product. Not suited for people who want a tiny Word processor (they need their keyboards) but perhaps exciting for everyone else.
I like the idea of bringing back the iBook name, and the reason listed by Tim sound good to me.
This would be in line with rumors that see the aluminium MacBook and aluminium MacBook Pro merged into one 'MacBook' line.
But on the other hand with the MacBook and MacBook Air names, why not add a MacBook mini or nano? These names would also make sense.
There just doesn't feel like there is room in the product line. you've got the entry level MB, the MBP and the MBA. I would love for there to be a Eee PC competitor from Apple, as I had an Eee PC and loved it. But that just isn't what Apple will do.
I still feel that the next thing in the portable category will be the Mac Touch.
/is on the Ireland bandwagon
as I had an Eee PC and loved it.
loved, past tense??
did you get rid of it? and if so why??
It was wonderful, and when I had everything done, I sold it for just $50 less than retail, to a fella who now needed it more than I did.
It had served its purpose. I needed it for this little adventure I went on. I was doing this big photography thing (just a personal thing for fun) in a couple cities, and it was so convenient with its cheap price and extreme portability. It was wonderful to be able to fill up my card on my camera, stick it in the Eee, upload it to the web and then continue on. It was also great to get all the writing done that I needed.
It was wonderful, and when I had everything done, I sold it for just $50 less than retail, to a fella who now needed it more than I did.
cool, so where is the Apple angle? why would you then keep a similar Apple product?
to me eee "netbooks" are almost throw away laptops, not quite a laptop, not quite an iPhone.
I'm interested to know why you would consider an Apple branded machine would be any more worthy of holding onto ??
It all just doesn't feel right.
Agreed. I don't see apple dropping the air and I don't see Apple marketing a smaller "macbook mini" as the thread starter suggested.
The analysis seems thorough but perhaps the interpretation is off?
*edit: I read that wrong, but I stand by my stupid post
The U.S. is no longer Apple's majority business and there is huge pent-up demand for smaller and lighter laptops from Apple in the Far East and to a degree in Europe. The MacBook had a very mixed reception outside of the U.S. because it was even heavier and bigger than the iBook it replaced. Until now Apple has given the impression of ignoring this demand at least a year longer than most expected. I agree they will not go down the Eee PC route because 1) there is little money in it and 2) Apple is a premium brand supplying premium products. Instead, they will offer the laptop that most of the the net-book market really wants - full-size keyboard and 12" screen in a 1Kg package - at a (relatively) premium price.
The Intel dual core Atom 330 is cheap and consumes a fraction of the power. Less power means smaller batteries and this saves money too. No optical drive etc. etc. , it is a virtuaous circle. The 330 became available around 2 weeks ago, around a month later than originally billed. This delayed the launch of the new laptop and the update of the rest of the Apple portables.
I am not sure about the Air. I think it depends on what Apple does with the MacBook. Now the humble MacBook has a better spec overall than the Air. The new MacBook will be in aluminium and will lose some weight. If it continues, the Air will be harder to differentiate/justify from the MacBook than is the case now. That said, Apple has chased a lucrative market segment and probably won't drop it until the numbers don't work. They haven't released any sales figures for the AIr but reports suggest that they are not good. Then they do not need to be at current prices.
The Mac Mini looks set to die or be re-invented as an Apple-TV/Time Machine/Airport Express combo home server.
Thoughts aloud,
Tim.
cool, so where is the Apple angle? why would you then keep a similar Apple product?
to me eee "netbooks" are almost throw away laptops, not quite a laptop, not quite an iPhone.
I'm interested to know why you would consider an Apple branded machine would be any more worthy of holding onto ??
Simple. While I'm a fan of Linux, just the fact of having a Mac OS along with the software available is reason enough to keep it.
And that I could assume it'd be prettier, better quality...
Keep it simple.
New 13" aluminum MacBooks with white keyboards. 5 colors including silver.
New 15" and 17" aluminum MacBooks with Black (backlit) keyboards, general shape is Air-like.
Like I said, there isn't a spot in the lineup for a 'Macbook Mini'
And there won't be when the Mac touch comes along, which they need to leave that screen-size-gap for.
Stop that you.
And there won't be when the Mac touch comes along, which they need to leave that screen-size-gap for.
Exactly. That's the only other product that can fit in the lineup well.
What the freak? Are you seriously posting that in every thread?
I had to leak it somehow...
Exactly. That's the only other product that can fit in the lineup well.
Otherwise they'd have too many laptops (I hate the term notebook), this will be Ok as it will stand out as; "different to their notebook".