"I don't care if it is feather light, the size of this would still be somewhere near the current MacBook...and not very "ultra" portable. I seriously hope Apple is still planning to wow us in January with a UMPC-sized multi-touch device!"
I'm with you on this one... I was thinking somewhere along the lines of a 10" or 11" display... but I just did some calculations...
If you keep a full sized keyboard on it, and make it as small as possible while maintaining a 16:9 ratio, this would result in a laptop measuring 10.75" X 6.04". Meaning that the display would have to be at least 12.34". Again, this would be to maintain a full sized keyboard and 16:9 ratio. But who knows about the 16:9 ratio... I just know how Apple likes to keep things uniform.
I'm gonna go ahead and say it, I use my optical drive every single day. Wether burning, ripping, installing or playing, I use my drive for >2 hours a day. This one product losing its drive would be OK with me, personally, but Apple CANNOT remove the optical drive from all products yet.
So, it's really odd that Apple had to wait so long, when it could have used existing technology.
think different. Apple NEVER releases anything that justs meets the status quo of the market. i'm sure they've waited until it could be done the way they want to do it.
At 13", this just sounds like a MacBook with a few less features/weight. Though I'm sure more than a few would buy one, there's not much to get excited about.
A 13inch screen is perfect and very ultraportable. For those of us that have worked on a 12inch widescreen frequently, we realize why you want the bigger screen and will accept the bigger footprint as a consequence (especially where the footprint gets traded for thinness).
I own a 12inch ibook g4 and a 12 inch widescreen that is windows based and I can tell you that you get very little workable vertical space on the widescreen. Viewing websites and working in MS word, powerpoint, etc. is difficult as a consequence. I say this with 20/20 vision as well. (I also own one of the old 10.4 inchers.)
I constantly use my old ibook as a result (well that and the better OS).
A secondary benefit of either a 12 or 13 inch computer is the fullsize keyboard that makes a real difference (11inch widescreen would lead to a semi-workable keyboard, but a tough screen to see).
Moreover, a thin light computer that delivers on battery life is still an ultraportable even if it is an inch longer. 13inches still fits comfortably in any satchel, backpack. When the extra length allows for more thinness, it is often a good tradoff.
To be frank, my big concern would be weight and secondarily thickness. Length is less relevant to most of us. Weight is almost everything...
I really wonder if some of the posters have ever used an ultra ultra portable windows machines like you see in the stores ? Often net terribly useful. For example, the Averatec 1579 is really cool, but 11.1 inches really hampers the usability.
Last bit of evidence, look at what Panasonic toughbooks sell for. Getting a 14 or 13 inch screen and a full size keyboard in under 3lbs allows Panasonic to charge up to $3,000 and over.
Tells you were the a lot of the professional market is (high end executives where normal IT/infrastructure rules are overridden, military/intelligence/law enforcement).
What if apple waited until now to release an ultra-portable, because they wanted to implement multitouch technology to reduce the size. think about it, the trackpad and the keyboard take space up...so why not just get rid of them. And making it 13 inches would be great if the multitouch technology is added because the screen could then emulate a full size qwerty multitouch keypad.
personally, i would rather have an ultralight notebook computer [at 2 lbs] than a UMPC in the form factor of HTC Shit or the Sony VIAO UMPC... and i would rather have a 10 - 12" screen - capable of displaying a full web page - instead of a 5-7" one. Lastly, i think there needs to be a full [laptop size] keyboard.
then again, Apple is famous for industrial design and i'm confident that whatever form factor they produce will be copied by everyone else - again.
Even if this is true, it simply doesn't get my blood racing.
If Apple did this two years ago, it would have been different. But now, there are a bunch of machines that have similar specs to what this will seem to have, assuming it's real.
Even the LED backlight is no longer a big deal.
Samsung has a 30" computer monitor with the same 2560 x 1600 rez the Apple 30" has, but it also has an LED backlight. It goes for $1849. So the price of backlighting has really dropped a great deal this year. There are other models with it as well.
How much would this weigh? That's a big question. What kind of CPU would it have? Graphics?
I would have to assume that Apple will release a small, portable optical drive as well.
I haven't seen any good ideas as to how one would get CD and DVD content, or software on the machine, here, or anywhere else. The only practical way would be through a portable drive.
When Apple does Ultra-Portable, they do it right. This is the company that invented the #1 selling ultra-portable computer in the world, back when Macs weren't nearly as popular (the Duo).
Apple will do it right, not with what is off the shelf, but something that is thinner than you thought possible.
Ultra-Portables are great for people who have multiple systems or work entirely in computers. I have 3 MacBook Pros, and I can't tell you how many times I've wished for a 1/2 thick 13" notebook that i can toss in my alice pack and not feel the weight of.
I hope the axe the optical drive on the ultra-portable it's so not needed. Load up with a portable USB drive, or something else. The only time I use DVD on my MacBook Pro is to install an OS update, or to play a DVD (maybe twice in 3 years) and usually I just ripped them to watch later so the drive wouldn't have to spin up.
Think about the fact that the iPhone has a 600mhz processor in it and runs OS X. Then use your imagination.
Otherwise most games won't be able to be be played, lots of software can't be loaded, and how are you supposed to repair the disk?
External optical I can se, no optical, no way.
The point of an ultra-portable is NOT to play games.
Of course there is going to be a way to plug in an external drive of some sort, perhaps even "dock" with another machine to install software and what-not. Repair what disk?
The point of an ultra-portable is NOT to play games.
Of course there is going to be a way to plug in an external drive of some sort, perhaps even "dock" with another machine to install software and what-not. Repair what disk?
I wouldn't say the POINT of it is to not play games. I would say that they aren't very good at playing SOME games. But, you know, most people don't play those games. The studies that have been out for several months now, and that we have even discussed here, is that most people play "casual games" Any machine is capable of playing those. All you need is a moderate web connection, and you're off and running.
Right. Sure you are. Why don't you just build your own ultra-portable, that should be easy for you.
What kind of assinine comment is that? It's been done before by several people, including an acquaintance of mine - at least with Tiger. It's not a secret, or anything new.
If Apple won't build what we want, we'll make the OS work for us on the hardware we want.
Comments
I'm with you on this one... I was thinking somewhere along the lines of a 10" or 11" display... but I just did some calculations...
If you keep a full sized keyboard on it, and make it as small as possible while maintaining a 16:9 ratio, this would result in a laptop measuring 10.75" X 6.04". Meaning that the display would have to be at least 12.34". Again, this would be to maintain a full sized keyboard and 16:9 ratio. But who knows about the 16:9 ratio... I just know how Apple likes to keep things uniform.
So, it's really odd that Apple had to wait so long, when it could have used existing technology.
think different. Apple NEVER releases anything that justs meets the status quo of the market. i'm sure they've waited until it could be done the way they want to do it.
I own a 12inch ibook g4 and a 12 inch widescreen that is windows based and I can tell you that you get very little workable vertical space on the widescreen. Viewing websites and working in MS word, powerpoint, etc. is difficult as a consequence. I say this with 20/20 vision as well. (I also own one of the old 10.4 inchers.)
I constantly use my old ibook as a result (well that and the better OS).
A secondary benefit of either a 12 or 13 inch computer is the fullsize keyboard that makes a real difference (11inch widescreen would lead to a semi-workable keyboard, but a tough screen to see).
Moreover, a thin light computer that delivers on battery life is still an ultraportable even if it is an inch longer. 13inches still fits comfortably in any satchel, backpack. When the extra length allows for more thinness, it is often a good tradoff.
To be frank, my big concern would be weight and secondarily thickness. Length is less relevant to most of us. Weight is almost everything...
I really wonder if some of the posters have ever used an ultra ultra portable windows machines like you see in the stores ? Often net terribly useful. For example, the Averatec 1579 is really cool, but 11.1 inches really hampers the usability.
Last bit of evidence, look at what Panasonic toughbooks sell for. Getting a 14 or 13 inch screen and a full size keyboard in under 3lbs allows Panasonic to charge up to $3,000 and over.
Tells you were the a lot of the professional market is (high end executives where normal IT/infrastructure rules are overridden, military/intelligence/law enforcement).
Otherwise most games won't be able to be be played, lots of software can't be loaded, and how are you supposed to repair the disk?
External optical I can se, no optical, no way.
Just some fruit for thought.
then again, Apple is famous for industrial design and i'm confident that whatever form factor they produce will be copied by everyone else - again.
If Apple did this two years ago, it would have been different. But now, there are a bunch of machines that have similar specs to what this will seem to have, assuming it's real.
Even the LED backlight is no longer a big deal.
Samsung has a 30" computer monitor with the same 2560 x 1600 rez the Apple 30" has, but it also has an LED backlight. It goes for $1849. So the price of backlighting has really dropped a great deal this year. There are other models with it as well.
How much would this weigh? That's a big question. What kind of CPU would it have? Graphics?
I would have to assume that Apple will release a small, portable optical drive as well.
I haven't seen any good ideas as to how one would get CD and DVD content, or software on the machine, here, or anywhere else. The only practical way would be through a portable drive.
13 inches and 2.7 lbs is not an ultra-portable. It is a mid-size, mid-weight laptop. Ultra-portables are 10-11" and well under 2 lbs.
Really?
Funny, go to CNET and look at the editor's recommended laptops.
http://reviews.cnet.com/4370-3121_7-....html?tag=lnav
I don't see many 10-11 under 2lbs. Do we see any?
Or check out Notebookreview.com and sort by under 3lbs.
Just how many sub 2lb laptops are there out there?
I mean the Samsung Q1 and the Sony VAIO Micro PC UX Series are listed as "portable devices" rather than laptops right?
personally, i would rather have an ultralight notebook computer [at 2 lbs] than a UMPC...
Two totally different markets.
Apple will do it right, not with what is off the shelf, but something that is thinner than you thought possible.
Ultra-Portables are great for people who have multiple systems or work entirely in computers. I have 3 MacBook Pros, and I can't tell you how many times I've wished for a 1/2 thick 13" notebook that i can toss in my alice pack and not feel the weight of.
I hope the axe the optical drive on the ultra-portable it's so not needed. Load up with a portable USB drive, or something else. The only time I use DVD on my MacBook Pro is to install an OS update, or to play a DVD (maybe twice in 3 years) and usually I just ripped them to watch later so the drive wouldn't have to spin up.
Think about the fact that the iPhone has a 600mhz processor in it and runs OS X. Then use your imagination.
Unless it comes with an external optical drive.
Otherwise most games won't be able to be be played, lots of software can't be loaded, and how are you supposed to repair the disk?
External optical I can se, no optical, no way.
The point of an ultra-portable is NOT to play games.
Of course there is going to be a way to plug in an external drive of some sort, perhaps even "dock" with another machine to install software and what-not. Repair what disk?
Let's hope this comes out in January, or I'll be buying a Windoze laptop and hacking it to run OSX.
Right. Sure you are. Why don't you just build your own ultra-portable, that should be easy for you.
The point of an ultra-portable is NOT to play games.
Of course there is going to be a way to plug in an external drive of some sort, perhaps even "dock" with another machine to install software and what-not. Repair what disk?
I wouldn't say the POINT of it is to not play games. I would say that they aren't very good at playing SOME games. But, you know, most people don't play those games. The studies that have been out for several months now, and that we have even discussed here, is that most people play "casual games" Any machine is capable of playing those. All you need is a moderate web connection, and you're off and running.
Right. Sure you are. Why don't you just build your own ultra-portable, that should be easy for you.
What kind of assinine comment is that? It's been done before by several people, including an acquaintance of mine - at least with Tiger. It's not a secret, or anything new.
If Apple won't build what we want, we'll make the OS work for us on the hardware we want.