You've spent too much time staring at your 20" iMac, and not enough time on trans-atlantic flights.
i don't understand why you guys want an ultra portable so bad though, i mean, any lap top can fit on your lap, that's why it's called a laptop, i mean no matter what size it is, if it fits on your lap it should be good enough, why would you want something that's so tiny and hard to work with when you could have a nice big screen and still be able to use it more comfortably.
i don't understand why you guys want an ultra portable so bad though, i mean, any lap top can fit on your lap, that's why it's called a laptop, i mean no matter what size it is, if it fits on your lap it should be good enough, why would you want something that's so tiny and hard to work with when you could have a nice big screen and still be able to use it more comfortably.
because it will be smaller and lighter for transportation (eg to and from work or abroad).
also it will fit on the small tables in flights and on trains better.
i actually like the idea of an external dvd drive and heres why:
i hardly ever use disks, most programs are downloaded (legally of course), so are my mp3's (again, its legal, honest!), the only thing i do use are dvd movies, and burning disks. if i move truly digital and rip all my dvd's to the hard drive, then it will all be inside and i will rarely need to use an optical drive.
In the last Article about this I posted a proposal in the thread centered around no moving parts... it apparently still has the HDD but no optical drive.
My Macbook is still fresh... I'll wait a couple of years and by then the HDD will be non existent and WiMax will be standard
Now I just need to know how powerful this thing is.
i mean, any lap top can fit on your lap, that's why it's called a laptop, i mean no matter what size it is, if it fits on your lap it should be good enough.
You obviously haven't seen those 21 inch, 10+ pound gaming notebooks.
There's ultra-portable, and then there's ultra-portable - depending on your definition and expectations.
I just want something under 4 pounds, with an optical drive, ExpressCard slot and long battery life. The 13-inch Sony VAIO SZ Premium Notebooks have these and start from around 3.7 pounds with battery and would be ideal but it doesn't run OS X.
BTW, I'd hate to use a 12-inch widescreen running at 1366x768. The dots on the 13-inch at 1280x800 are small enough for me and a big enough area especially with Leopard's Spaces.
Doesn't matter if it's not the fastest on the block. My 5.5 pound PowerBook is a touch too heavy to carry around or for one hand to grip in the morning from the floor while I'm still lying in bed. Actually, that last point also is due to the metal surface as I have less issues with the black PowerBook G3 with the rubberised casing.
i don't understand why you guys want an ultra portable so bad though, i mean, any lap top can fit on your lap, that's why it's called a laptop, i mean no matter what size it is, if it fits on your lap it should be good enough, why would you want something that's so tiny and hard to work with when you could have a nice big screen and still be able to use it more comfortably.
I can't answer for everyone... but for me I just love good design. My Macbook is brilliant, but there are things like LED Backlit Displays, a Flash Drive (hopefully eventually replacing the HDD in all Laptops), and not having to (or very rarely anyways) plug a single wire in other than the power cord and not having that stupid optical drive I use so rarely anyways and could just as easily be plugged into an Airport Extreme if only Apple would provide a firmware upgrade, that just drive me crazy with excitement.
My own Macbook is brilliant in the following ways:
iSight Built into the Bezel, allowing for funny Photo Booth photos I can use on Websites and Video Conferencing Out of the Box
WiFi and Bluetooth EDR Built In
Multi Touch Trackpad (sort of) where I can scroll by placing 2 fingers on the Trackpad for example
Loaded with unbelievably useful Software like Image Capture that automatically opens up iPhoto and imports my Photos the second I plug my Camera in
System Functions are built into the Function Keys, F1 to F5, that control Brightness and Volume, and the Eject key is next to F12
The Amazing Mac OS X is loaded and powering my Macbook, with more excellent software like Dashboard
Bonjour: I have an Airport Express, a Printer, and some Speakers. I plan to add an Airport Extreme to this for faster connection speeds and Airdisk support, but I love being able to control my Speakers from my Macbook in another room, and not having to plug that damn printer in (unless I need to scan something, for the next update, Add External Optical Drives and Scanners -_-)
The Printer Utility and Network Preference Pane, these 2 are underappreciated but they are still damn good. Other than my Apartment, I have my Macbook configured to work with several other networks so when I open up my Macbook, 60 seconds later I'm on the Network depending on where I am, and some of them have Networked printers
The Apple Remote and Front Row. My Daily Destination just to watch my Video Podcasts and the last place I visit every night
.Mac: mainly due to Ad Free Email + WebDAV (iDisk) and syncing. This saved me after the first HDD in my Macbook met a nasty end I'd rather not talk about
Now imagine something even more environmentally friendly than it already is (as LED is compared to LCD ) smaller than my Macbook, no Moving Parts, relies on WebDAV + a WiFi local network and with WiMax with a minimal performance tradeoff. This is the computer I hope Apple eventually ends up making.
I think the MBP will be out soon, between Tuesday, May 15 and June 11. The question I have that no rumor site seems to have a clue about is will the new MBP have onboard flash (Robson, Turbo Memory).
As for the MacBook, there's no earthly reason why it wouldn't make good use of the new Centrino Duo platform. Let it keep its case and its display but let it have the x3000 graphics. Might as well let it have some good graphics capability to help Leopard shine.
The thin MB could be the first Mac to use the smaller Penryn chips if it isn't coming out until the end of this year or early next. It might not be all flash but could use a 1.8" HDD in addition to some amount of flash.
My vote for a case would be hard-coated anodized aluminum.
If Apple don't use SR in the MB then in an instant, they can't compete on a price/performance ratio with consumer level PC laptops. That is the single thing I hear most from PC users. Macs are too expensive. What advantage does a Mac have if a user is comfortable with Windows and can get a cheaper and faster PC? Currently, they are only a little more expensive and the extras as well as being able to use OS X are enough to make up for the difference.
On the other hand, as mentioned, it makes the MBP seem worth the extra money (which until now it really hasn't) if it has SR and the MB doesn't. Although the MB needs it more because of the graphics performance, this may be exactly the reason Apple won't update it. Doing so would make the MBP even less appealling.
Is it better trying to push more MBPs or get more possible switchers?
I still maintain the simple solution is to scrap the whole MB vs MBP deal and make one lineup with BTO options and keep the components up to date. This way they simplify the options for buyers in that people don't constantly have to look in two categories, they give the consumer more choice so they know what they are paying for and they can still compete well with PCs.
I actually don't mind much if the Mini doesn't get Santa Rosa but for f*ck's sake, Core 2 Duo CPUs have been out for ages and they just need to drop them in at zero extra cost.
I'm looking forward to the iMac redesign though. Of course if they drop the 17" and the 20" is still at the same price, Apple will be making some serious mistakes because they will have no product to cover probably the biggest market that they like to pretend doesn't exist.
As for the ultra-portable, I don't see it as a strong market. I don't think I have enough Mac users say they want such a small machine. Nearly everyone says they want the equivalent of the 12" powerbook back. It was light (more so than the Macbook), it had an optical drive and it was compact, yet it was still a very capable machine.
I can't see Apple making any computer with a non standard size keyboard, no matter how much some of you want an "ultra portable." If Apple uses a 13" wide screen with a very thin bezel, the case would be pretty small and could still contain a standard keyboard. I doubt we'll see anything smaller. Such a computer would be fine replacement for the 12" PowerBook and would satisfy 98% of those wanting a tiny travel portable. If you really can't figure out how to use such a thing on a plane or train, buy an iPhone.
They don't need a really thin bezel. The 12" PB already has a full-size keyboard. A 13" widescreen would have a lot more width to play with. The Macbook just has an outrageously wide bezel, that's all. And as for Apple not using a mini keyboard, they did do so once upon a time. See the Powerbook 2400.
If people are complaining that a widescreen 11" LCD would not be tall enough, how about thinking different? Apple should bring it out with a detachable display that can be used in portrait mode as well as landscape mode. Just like that other Apple gadget. What was it, iPhone or something?
They don't need a really thin bezel. The 12" PB already has a full-size keyboard. A 13" widescreen would have a lot more width to play with.
You're right. In the interest of making it as small as possible while still using a standard keyboard...with a very thin bezel, a 13" portable could be 1.5 inches smaller in each dimension than the MacBook. It would be roughly the size of the 12" PowerBook. If it was also much thinner and lighter than the MacBook it would be an awesome portable Mac.
I don't quite understand what the rationale would be in keeping Santa Rosa away from the MB line, other than possibly slurping up the older chipset more cheaply. Similarly, rushing it into the MBPs seems to offer very modest improvements - a faster FSB is good, certainly, but not much of an incentive to rush out and buy one.
Has there been any word on what the next MBPs might use in the GPU department? Perhaps a 512MB VRAM option as well?
You'll find image capture isn't what does that, fanboy.
Actually Image Capture is the one that opens up iPhoto, iPhoto does the importing though.
EDIT: I guess I should explain more...
The reason I made a bigger deal out of Image Capture than say, iLife is because it's the Applications and Utilities like Image Capture, Printer Setup Utility, and the Network Preference Pane that provide more OS level functionality making things stupidly easy. When I plug in my Camera, Image Capture opens up iPhoto for me and Importing is just a click away.
ThinkSecret seems to be disagreeing with AI's take on whether or not Santa Rosa will show up in the MacBook rev (though they do agree that LED displays on MBs won't be happening soon):
Details of the MacBook update are less known, although there is a strong possibility that the laptop will also take advantage of Santa Rosa, which can be configured with Core 2 Duo processors at speeds of 1.8GHz, 2.0GHz, 2.2GHz, and 2.4GHz. The faster speeds will almost certainly be reserved for the MacBook Pro. More significant for MacBook owners is the faster Intel GMA 3000 graphics processor that Apple will be able to use, delivering improved graphics performance.
The MacBook will not employ newer LED backlight displays; that upgrade will need to wait until the next revision.
Comments
You've spent too much time staring at your 20" iMac, and not enough time on trans-atlantic flights.
i don't understand why you guys want an ultra portable so bad though, i mean, any lap top can fit on your lap, that's why it's called a laptop, i mean no matter what size it is, if it fits on your lap it should be good enough, why would you want something that's so tiny and hard to work with when you could have a nice big screen and still be able to use it more comfortably.
i don't understand why you guys want an ultra portable so bad though, i mean, any lap top can fit on your lap, that's why it's called a laptop, i mean no matter what size it is, if it fits on your lap it should be good enough, why would you want something that's so tiny and hard to work with when you could have a nice big screen and still be able to use it more comfortably.
because it will be smaller and lighter for transportation (eg to and from work or abroad).
also it will fit on the small tables in flights and on trains better.
i actually like the idea of an external dvd drive and heres why:
i hardly ever use disks, most programs are downloaded (legally of course), so are my mp3's (again, its legal, honest!), the only thing i do use are dvd movies, and burning disks. if i move truly digital and rip all my dvd's to the hard drive, then it will all be inside and i will rarely need to use an optical drive.
You've spent too much time staring at your 20" iMac, and not enough time on trans-atlantic flights.
Ireland has a point. The width footprint of display is not the issue, it's the meager height footprint resulting from the widescreen display format.
In the last Article about this I posted a proposal in the thread centered around no moving parts... it apparently still has the HDD but no optical drive.
My Macbook is still fresh... I'll wait a couple of years and by then the HDD will be non existent and WiMax will be standard
Now I just need to know how powerful this thing is.
Sebastian
i mean, any lap top can fit on your lap, that's why it's called a laptop, i mean no matter what size it is, if it fits on your lap it should be good enough.
You obviously haven't seen those 21 inch, 10+ pound gaming notebooks.
ZZZZZZZZ
I just want something under 4 pounds, with an optical drive, ExpressCard slot and long battery life. The 13-inch Sony VAIO SZ Premium Notebooks have these and start from around 3.7 pounds with battery and would be ideal but it doesn't run OS X.
BTW, I'd hate to use a 12-inch widescreen running at 1366x768. The dots on the 13-inch at 1280x800 are small enough for me and a big enough area especially with Leopard's Spaces.
Doesn't matter if it's not the fastest on the block. My 5.5 pound PowerBook is a touch too heavy to carry around or for one hand to grip in the morning from the floor while I'm still lying in bed. Actually, that last point also is due to the metal surface as I have less issues with the black PowerBook G3 with the rubberised casing.
i don't understand why you guys want an ultra portable so bad though, i mean, any lap top can fit on your lap, that's why it's called a laptop, i mean no matter what size it is, if it fits on your lap it should be good enough, why would you want something that's so tiny and hard to work with when you could have a nice big screen and still be able to use it more comfortably.
I can't answer for everyone... but for me I just love good design. My Macbook is brilliant, but there are things like LED Backlit Displays, a Flash Drive (hopefully eventually replacing the HDD in all Laptops), and not having to (or very rarely anyways) plug a single wire in other than the power cord and not having that stupid optical drive I use so rarely anyways and could just as easily be plugged into an Airport Extreme if only Apple would provide a firmware upgrade, that just drive me crazy with excitement.
My own Macbook is brilliant in the following ways:
- iSight Built into the Bezel, allowing for funny Photo Booth photos I can use on Websites and Video Conferencing Out of the Box
- WiFi and Bluetooth EDR Built In
- Multi Touch Trackpad (sort of) where I can scroll by placing 2 fingers on the Trackpad for example
- Loaded with unbelievably useful Software like Image Capture that automatically opens up iPhoto and imports my Photos the second I plug my Camera in
- System Functions are built into the Function Keys, F1 to F5, that control Brightness and Volume, and the Eject key is next to F12
- The Amazing Mac OS X is loaded and powering my Macbook, with more excellent software like Dashboard
- Bonjour: I have an Airport Express, a Printer, and some Speakers. I plan to add an Airport Extreme to this for faster connection speeds and Airdisk support, but I love being able to control my Speakers from my Macbook in another room, and not having to plug that damn printer in (unless I need to scan something, for the next update, Add External Optical Drives and Scanners -_-)
- The Printer Utility and Network Preference Pane, these 2 are underappreciated but they are still damn good. Other than my Apartment, I have my Macbook configured to work with several other networks so when I open up my Macbook, 60 seconds later I'm on the Network depending on where I am, and some of them have Networked printers
- The Apple Remote and Front Row. My Daily Destination just to watch my Video Podcasts and the last place I visit every night
- .Mac: mainly due to Ad Free Email + WebDAV (iDisk) and syncing. This saved me after the first HDD in my Macbook met a nasty end I'd rather not talk about
Now imagine something even more environmentally friendly than it already is (as LED is compared to LCDSebastian
As for the MacBook, there's no earthly reason why it wouldn't make good use of the new Centrino Duo platform. Let it keep its case and its display but let it have the x3000 graphics. Might as well let it have some good graphics capability to help Leopard shine.
The thin MB could be the first Mac to use the smaller Penryn chips if it isn't coming out until the end of this year or early next. It might not be all flash but could use a 1.8" HDD in addition to some amount of flash.
My vote for a case would be hard-coated anodized aluminum.
If Apple don't use SR in the MB then in an instant, they can't compete on a price/performance ratio with consumer level PC laptops. That is the single thing I hear most from PC users. Macs are too expensive. What advantage does a Mac have if a user is comfortable with Windows and can get a cheaper and faster PC? Currently, they are only a little more expensive and the extras as well as being able to use OS X are enough to make up for the difference.
On the other hand, as mentioned, it makes the MBP seem worth the extra money (which until now it really hasn't) if it has SR and the MB doesn't. Although the MB needs it more because of the graphics performance, this may be exactly the reason Apple won't update it. Doing so would make the MBP even less appealling.
Is it better trying to push more MBPs or get more possible switchers?
I still maintain the simple solution is to scrap the whole MB vs MBP deal and make one lineup with BTO options and keep the components up to date. This way they simplify the options for buyers in that people don't constantly have to look in two categories, they give the consumer more choice so they know what they are paying for and they can still compete well with PCs.
I actually don't mind much if the Mini doesn't get Santa Rosa but for f*ck's sake, Core 2 Duo CPUs have been out for ages and they just need to drop them in at zero extra cost.
I'm looking forward to the iMac redesign though. Of course if they drop the 17" and the 20" is still at the same price, Apple will be making some serious mistakes because they will have no product to cover probably the biggest market that they like to pretend doesn't exist.
As for the ultra-portable, I don't see it as a strong market. I don't think I have enough Mac users say they want such a small machine. Nearly everyone says they want the equivalent of the 12" powerbook back. It was light (more so than the Macbook), it had an optical drive and it was compact, yet it was still a very capable machine.
If people are complaining that a widescreen 11" LCD would not be tall enough, how about thinking different? Apple should bring it out with a detachable display that can be used in portrait mode as well as landscape mode. Just like that other Apple gadget. What was it, iPhone or something?
You've spent too much time staring at your 20" iMac, and not enough time on trans-atlantic flights.
The day you can't carry around a 3/4" 2Lbs 13.3" LED MacBook (without an optical drive) is the day you should get a Zimmer-frame®
They don't need a really thin bezel. The 12" PB already has a full-size keyboard. A 13" widescreen would have a lot more width to play with.
You're right. In the interest of making it as small as possible while still using a standard keyboard...with a very thin bezel, a 13" portable could be 1.5 inches smaller in each dimension than the MacBook. It would be roughly the size of the 12" PowerBook. If it was also much thinner and lighter than the MacBook it would be an awesome portable Mac.
Loaded with unbelievably useful Software like Image Capture that automatically opens up iPhoto and imports my Photos the second I plug my Camera in.
You'll find image capture isn't what does that, fanboy.
Has there been any word on what the next MBPs might use in the GPU department? Perhaps a 512MB VRAM option as well?
You'll find image capture isn't what does that, fanboy.
Actually Image Capture is the one that opens up iPhoto, iPhoto does the importing though.
EDIT: I guess I should explain more...
The reason I made a bigger deal out of Image Capture than say, iLife is because it's the Applications and Utilities like Image Capture, Printer Setup Utility, and the Network Preference Pane that provide more OS level functionality making things stupidly easy. When I plug in my Camera, Image Capture opens up iPhoto for me and Importing is just a click away.
Sebastian
Details of the MacBook update are less known, although there is a strong possibility that the laptop will also take advantage of Santa Rosa, which can be configured with Core 2 Duo processors at speeds of 1.8GHz, 2.0GHz, 2.2GHz, and 2.4GHz. The faster speeds will almost certainly be reserved for the MacBook Pro. More significant for MacBook owners is the faster Intel GMA 3000 graphics processor that Apple will be able to use, delivering improved graphics performance.
The MacBook will not employ newer LED backlight displays; that upgrade will need to wait until the next revision.
http://www.thinksecret.com
Hope they're right.
.
As for the ultra-portable, I don't see it as a strong market. I don't think I have enough Mac users say they want such a small machine. .
Its much more of a factor in the Japanese market, where ultraportables are quite popular.
.