In my opinion, I can think of three: iPod. iPhone. Mac OS.
Considering the consumer appeal, the professionally developed and supported UI (and hardware), and the pure core functionality for their purpose, I don't believe anybody has caught up with these products, therefore, nobody sells the same thing for less. Some people believe they have suitable substitutes, but they really don't compare, feature-wise.
Remember, since becoming Apple, Inc., they're not just about pcs anymore as the primary business.
Their iPod prices are the same as anyone else's. The same is true for the iPhone. At first, it was high, now, it is average.
The OS is software, and with Apple, as you should know, software serves to sell the hardware. They price the software low for that reason. It helps to lock people into the Mac universe. Upgrade your OS, get new programs from Apple, and others, that have better features because if it, and then buy a new Mc for better performance.
It would be good if we could have a real idea about the proposed specs. I would really like a DVD drive if it had a dedicated card as well i would put my notebook up for sale now and possibly buy an Asus EEE to tide me over.
I am #1 on the I want an ultra-portable band wagon but a 13" screen does not meet my definition. I want a 10" or 11" screen 16:9 ratio.
13" Dang, might as well be 17" on the go.
With 13" no reason to leave out the optical drive as the point of the ultra-portable is to be portable and a 13" screen works against that.
I'll still buy it, but I won't be totally happy about it.
Give me a 13inch widescreen that is a bit over half an inch thick and 3lbs or under and I'd call that an ultraportable or subnotebook or whatever and happily buy.
BTW, I am buying irrespective of price. I don't mind if it is $2,500 as work pays. Your experiences may differ, but I have rarely found road warriors that get much work done on machine that has less than a full-size keyboard and 12inch screen.
Who are these people wanting 10 or 11 inch? Have you guys ever worked on such machines? The cramp compromised keyboards, the lack of vertical space on the screen? Everything you do with such a machine can ALMOST be done with an iphone...
I guess you could run excel on a 10inch screen, but then who could read it?
Give me a 13inch widescreen that is a bit over half an inch thick and 3lbs or under and I'd call that an ultraportable or subnotebook or whatever and happily buy.
BTW, I am buying irrespective of price. I don't mind if it is $2,500 as work pays. Your experiences may differ, but I have rarely found road warriors that get much work done on machine that has less than a full-size keyboard and 12inch screen.
Who are these people wanting 10 or 11 inch? Have you guys ever worked on such machines? The cramp compromised keyboards, the lack of vertical space on the screen? Everything you do with such a machine can ALMOST be done with an iphone...
I guess you could run excel on a 10inch screen, but then who could read it?
It's a fun machine, not so much a work machine. Who says computers have to be made, and bought, for work?
Right now, the new Samsung 64GB SSD costs the OEM (it's not available to end users) $1,000. That would translate to at least $1,500 for you in the computer. Compare that to a bigger capacity HDD for about $125.
I'm sure you would just run out to buy one of these things.
I have a feeling the SSDD will be an option and not a standard feature for the MacBook Thin or whatever it's going to be called.
Here's hoping that they won't go iMacish and make every display glossy. At least give us an option to purchase matte screens.
It's a fun machine, not so much a work machine. Who says computers have to be made, and bought, for work?
This is a very fair point. For me, I live on my laptop and so really would love a 13inch as I need a usable screen. One other issue is how big is the market for either. If you had a Solid State Hard Drive, we are already close to $2,000 and so you'd need to know there are buyers for it. I'd assume a really light 13incher would steal a lot of people that wanted a usable laptop that was just much much lighter and thiner and benefit from fast boot up time.
But judging by the posts, I may be completely mistaken on this. Part of the motivation is the Japanese market which is really big on ultraportable and probably is very used to 10,11inches. I have spent a lot of time there and might see a market for either though.
Is it generally considered that this product will be fitting into the macbook pro line? or as a completely new line all together? What with the 13" screen surely that leans towards a Macbook Pro Light or similar. Anyway, i was wondering if anyone else remembers the black and aluminium cases these laptops were rumoured to have been seen in, surely if this 'ultra-portable' is to be introduced into the macbook pro line then there will be some sort of unison in design for the larger laptops, which obviously means a redesign, even if it is just a black option. Sorry if im being a bit hopeful, i just want apple to do something to the macbook pro already, its been this way for years, id love to even see an option for a custom change (keyboard/colour?) (yes i know many people like it the way it is) i'd like an Aston Martin DB5 but it doesn't mean id buy one if they brought the same design out today.
Eh...the SanDisk 1.8" 32GB SSD is $599 retail. A 32GB SSD for an "ultraportable" should be standard with a larger HDD the optional BTO.
I am not sure on this. I don't see HDD vs SSD as being a choice.
Wouldn't the case be designed around the SSD and its thinness relative to all conventional HDD? Isn't this a rationale for the complete redesign of the internal architecture?
Why would you design internal space to fit the larger HDD and wouldn't this necessitate a larger battery (note battery size impacts maximum energy output and not just longevity - you need a minimum displacement to product a certain amount of Joules/Watts for start up and other peak energy times).
But judging by the posts, I may be completely mistaken on this. Part of the motivation is the Japanese market which is really big on ultraportable and probably is very used to 10,11inches. I have spent a lot of time there and might see a market for either though.
Anyone know a reasonable way to clean the mighty mouse's scroll button? Apple's guidance did nothing (correct that: when I vigorously rubbed it over a damp towel until I cramped up, it went from only scrolling down to only scrolling up). I'm not in the camp that hates the mighty mouse (and I'm too tired today to speculate or care why that makes me flawed), but I'm disappointed that it is now dirty and can't be pulled apart for cleaning. At least not by someone with my average talents.
A Genius mentioned he found a cleaner at Frye's he sprayed on and in the mouse, then proceeded to rub it per the care instructions. Haven't been there yet to search.
Anyone know a reasonable way to clean the mighty mouse's scroll button? Apple's guidance did nothing (correct that: when I vigorously rubbed it over a damp towel until I cramped up, it went from only scrolling down to only scrolling up). I'm not in the camp that hates the mighty mouse (and I'm too tired today to speculate or care why that makes me flawed), but I'm disappointed that it is now dirty and can't be pulled apart for cleaning. At least not by someone with my average talents.
A Genius mentioned he found a cleaner at Frye's he sprayed on and in the mouse, then proceeded to rub it per the care instructions. Haven't been there yet to search.
Anyone want to make my day?
I fixed my daughter's by using iKlear.
I first (though you're not supposed to do this, it's ok for the mouse ball) sprayed some into the ball chamber. Then I moved the ball up/down, around in circles, while pressing down. After doing this several times, after five minutes, or so, small globs of softened dirt began to move up around the ball as I moved it. I kept removing those clumps. After a while, the ball stopped getting dirty.
Then I sprayed a small area of towel and began vigorously rubbing the ball so that it would turn quickly.
After a total of about ten minutes, the scroll began to behave normally.
Don't do this with anything caustic, or that will leave a residue. iKlean is recommended for plastics, and rubber, such as found on computers, and is sold in Apple's stores, so it is safe.
Those ultralight highpowered notebooks that Panasonic makes (yeah, the 12-ounce ones) are $4,000+. Hence the reason that Apple can't offer anything like it. No one would buy it.
No, no one said that the US was the world. The US is simply the market. Or at least the main market, that is.
I would also gladly buy a <1lb $4K laptop like the one my Japanese roommate has if it ran OS X. But the market in general would not. Jobs is an amazing salesman, but even he could not sell high-powered shopping carts at a mall. Likewise, he won't be able (in the US, his main market) to get more than a few tech junkies to shell out 4 Gs for a laptop just because it weighs as much as an oversized checkbook.
I've lived in both Europe and Asia. My point is that I think a 13inch laptop if it under 3lbs and 2cm thick is pretty darn amazing and portable. It conforms to a common definition of ultra portable, especially in an age where most laptops seem pretty darn heavy.
Some examples people might use - Sony Vaio UX92 are not necessarily seen as laptops.
The standards for me are the Toshiba RX1 and the Panasonic lines. Both are on that page from Dynamism (interesting a 13inch Panasonic is classified as such, demonstrating my point).
I would look at the RX1 on www.dynamism.com as you suggest. The new mac will look like the RX1 with an extra 7/8 inch in length and 1/8 inch in height and whatever else Apple can do. The RX1 looks pretty darn ultraportable to me at 12inches.
I've lived in both Europe and Asia. My point is that I think a 13inch laptop if it under 3lbs and 2cm thick is pretty darn amazing and portable. It conforms to a common definition of ultra portable, especially in an age where most laptops seem pretty darn heavy.
I agree. If Apple sticks with a 13" screen, they will want to redefine what portable is: not so much about small screens, but about lightness and thinness. Teamed up with an external hard drive and DVD burner, it would be pretty cool.
I agree. If Apple sticks with a 13" screen, they will want to redefine what portable is: not so much about small screens, but about lightness and thinness. Teamed up with an external hard drive and DVD burner, it would be pretty cool.
You know actually they could combine them into some cool Apple form factor as an external device. I even wonder if you could have an external wifi bluetooth connected drive of some sort. Fussy technology, but presumably Apple could do it...
I am not sure on this. I don't see HDD vs SSD as being a choice.
Wouldn't the case be designed around the SSD and its thinness relative to all conventional HDD? Isn't this a rationale for the complete redesign of the internal architecture?
No...the 1.8" SSDs are drop in replacements for 1.8" HDDs. Same for 2.5" SSD vs 2.5" HDDs.
Comments
That smells of MS BS to me... "Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC edition!"
With OSX, it's all or none.
you meant to say $999???
Sorry, typo.
I meant to write $799. That was the price being bandied around here.
THe actual price was $1099.
In my opinion, I can think of three: iPod. iPhone. Mac OS.
Considering the consumer appeal, the professionally developed and supported UI (and hardware), and the pure core functionality for their purpose, I don't believe anybody has caught up with these products, therefore, nobody sells the same thing for less. Some people believe they have suitable substitutes, but they really don't compare, feature-wise.
Remember, since becoming Apple, Inc., they're not just about pcs anymore as the primary business.
Their iPod prices are the same as anyone else's. The same is true for the iPhone. At first, it was high, now, it is average.
The OS is software, and with Apple, as you should know, software serves to sell the hardware. They price the software low for that reason. It helps to lock people into the Mac universe. Upgrade your OS, get new programs from Apple, and others, that have better features because if it, and then buy a new Mc for better performance.
I am #1 on the I want an ultra-portable band wagon but a 13" screen does not meet my definition. I want a 10" or 11" screen 16:9 ratio.
13" Dang, might as well be 17" on the go.
With 13" no reason to leave out the optical drive as the point of the ultra-portable is to be portable and a 13" screen works against that.
I'll still buy it, but I won't be totally happy about it.
Give me a 13inch widescreen that is a bit over half an inch thick and 3lbs or under and I'd call that an ultraportable or subnotebook or whatever and happily buy.
BTW, I am buying irrespective of price. I don't mind if it is $2,500 as work pays. Your experiences may differ, but I have rarely found road warriors that get much work done on machine that has less than a full-size keyboard and 12inch screen.
Who are these people wanting 10 or 11 inch? Have you guys ever worked on such machines? The cramp compromised keyboards, the lack of vertical space on the screen? Everything you do with such a machine can ALMOST be done with an iphone...
I guess you could run excel on a 10inch screen, but then who could read it?
Give me a 13inch widescreen that is a bit over half an inch thick and 3lbs or under and I'd call that an ultraportable or subnotebook or whatever and happily buy.
BTW, I am buying irrespective of price. I don't mind if it is $2,500 as work pays. Your experiences may differ, but I have rarely found road warriors that get much work done on machine that has less than a full-size keyboard and 12inch screen.
Who are these people wanting 10 or 11 inch? Have you guys ever worked on such machines? The cramp compromised keyboards, the lack of vertical space on the screen? Everything you do with such a machine can ALMOST be done with an iphone...
I guess you could run excel on a 10inch screen, but then who could read it?
It's a fun machine, not so much a work machine. Who says computers have to be made, and bought, for work?
how much are you wiling to pay for this?
Right now, the new Samsung 64GB SSD costs the OEM (it's not available to end users) $1,000. That would translate to at least $1,500 for you in the computer. Compare that to a bigger capacity HDD for about $125.
I'm sure you would just run out to buy one of these things.
I have a feeling the SSDD will be an option and not a standard feature for the MacBook Thin or whatever it's going to be called.
Here's hoping that they won't go iMacish and make every display glossy. At least give us an option to purchase matte screens.
It's a fun machine, not so much a work machine. Who says computers have to be made, and bought, for work?
This is a very fair point. For me, I live on my laptop and so really would love a 13inch as I need a usable screen. One other issue is how big is the market for either. If you had a Solid State Hard Drive, we are already close to $2,000 and so you'd need to know there are buyers for it. I'd assume a really light 13incher would steal a lot of people that wanted a usable laptop that was just much much lighter and thiner and benefit from fast boot up time.
But judging by the posts, I may be completely mistaken on this. Part of the motivation is the Japanese market which is really big on ultraportable and probably is very used to 10,11inches. I have spent a lot of time there and might see a market for either though.
I have a feeling the SSDD will be an option and not a standard feature for the MacBook Thin or whatever it's going to be called.
Here's hoping that they won't go iMacish and make every display glossy. At least give us an option to purchase matte screens.
Eh...the SanDisk 1.8" 32GB SSD is $599 retail. A 32GB SSD for an "ultraportable" should be standard with a larger HDD the optional BTO.
Eh...the SanDisk 1.8" 32GB SSD is $599 retail. A 32GB SSD for an "ultraportable" should be standard with a larger HDD the optional BTO.
I am not sure on this. I don't see HDD vs SSD as being a choice.
Wouldn't the case be designed around the SSD and its thinness relative to all conventional HDD? Isn't this a rationale for the complete redesign of the internal architecture?
Why would you design internal space to fit the larger HDD and wouldn't this necessitate a larger battery (note battery size impacts maximum energy output and not just longevity - you need a minimum displacement to product a certain amount of Joules/Watts for start up and other peak energy times).
But judging by the posts, I may be completely mistaken on this. Part of the motivation is the Japanese market which is really big on ultraportable and probably is very used to 10,11inches. I have spent a lot of time there and might see a market for either though.
Japan doesn't want computers.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/...partner=alerts
Many thanks to Melgross for the link.
Anyone know a reasonable way to clean the mighty mouse's scroll button? Apple's guidance did nothing (correct that: when I vigorously rubbed it over a damp towel until I cramped up, it went from only scrolling down to only scrolling up). I'm not in the camp that hates the mighty mouse (and I'm too tired today to speculate or care why that makes me flawed), but I'm disappointed that it is now dirty and can't be pulled apart for cleaning. At least not by someone with my average talents.
A Genius mentioned he found a cleaner at Frye's he sprayed on and in the mouse, then proceeded to rub it per the care instructions. Haven't been there yet to search.
Anyone want to make my day?
Since the mighty mouse was brought up....
Anyone know a reasonable way to clean the mighty mouse's scroll button? Apple's guidance did nothing (correct that: when I vigorously rubbed it over a damp towel until I cramped up, it went from only scrolling down to only scrolling up). I'm not in the camp that hates the mighty mouse (and I'm too tired today to speculate or care why that makes me flawed), but I'm disappointed that it is now dirty and can't be pulled apart for cleaning. At least not by someone with my average talents.
A Genius mentioned he found a cleaner at Frye's he sprayed on and in the mouse, then proceeded to rub it per the care instructions. Haven't been there yet to search.
Anyone want to make my day?
I fixed my daughter's by using iKlear.
I first (though you're not supposed to do this, it's ok for the mouse ball) sprayed some into the ball chamber. Then I moved the ball up/down, around in circles, while pressing down. After doing this several times, after five minutes, or so, small globs of softened dirt began to move up around the ball as I moved it. I kept removing those clumps. After a while, the ball stopped getting dirty.
Then I sprayed a small area of towel and began vigorously rubbing the ball so that it would turn quickly.
After a total of about ten minutes, the scroll began to behave normally.
Don't do this with anything caustic, or that will leave a residue. iKlean is recommended for plastics, and rubber, such as found on computers, and is sold in Apple's stores, so it is safe.
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?
How very ethnocentric. Sigh. The US is not the world. See http://www.dynamism.com/
Those ultralight highpowered notebooks that Panasonic makes (yeah, the 12-ounce ones) are $4,000+. Hence the reason that Apple can't offer anything like it. No one would buy it.
I would.
How very ethnocentric. Sigh. The US is not the world. See http://www.dynamism.com/
No, no one said that the US was the world. The US is simply the market. Or at least the main market, that is.
I would also gladly buy a <1lb $4K laptop like the one my Japanese roommate has if it ran OS X. But the market in general would not. Jobs is an amazing salesman, but even he could not sell high-powered shopping carts at a mall. Likewise, he won't be able (in the US, his main market) to get more than a few tech junkies to shell out 4 Gs for a laptop just because it weighs as much as an oversized checkbook.
How very ethnocentric. Sigh. The US is not the world. See http://www.dynamism.com/
I would.
I've lived in both Europe and Asia. My point is that I think a 13inch laptop if it under 3lbs and 2cm thick is pretty darn amazing and portable. It conforms to a common definition of ultra portable, especially in an age where most laptops seem pretty darn heavy.
Some examples people might use - Sony Vaio UX92 are not necessarily seen as laptops.
The standards for me are the Toshiba RX1 and the Panasonic lines. Both are on that page from Dynamism (interesting a 13inch Panasonic is classified as such, demonstrating my point).
I would look at the RX1 on www.dynamism.com as you suggest. The new mac will look like the RX1 with an extra 7/8 inch in length and 1/8 inch in height and whatever else Apple can do. The RX1 looks pretty darn ultraportable to me at 12inches.
I've lived in both Europe and Asia. My point is that I think a 13inch laptop if it under 3lbs and 2cm thick is pretty darn amazing and portable. It conforms to a common definition of ultra portable, especially in an age where most laptops seem pretty darn heavy.
I agree. If Apple sticks with a 13" screen, they will want to redefine what portable is: not so much about small screens, but about lightness and thinness. Teamed up with an external hard drive and DVD burner, it would be pretty cool.
I agree. If Apple sticks with a 13" screen, they will want to redefine what portable is: not so much about small screens, but about lightness and thinness. Teamed up with an external hard drive and DVD burner, it would be pretty cool.
You know actually they could combine them into some cool Apple form factor as an external device. I even wonder if you could have an external wifi bluetooth connected drive of some sort. Fussy technology, but presumably Apple could do it...
I am not sure on this. I don't see HDD vs SSD as being a choice.
Wouldn't the case be designed around the SSD and its thinness relative to all conventional HDD? Isn't this a rationale for the complete redesign of the internal architecture?
No...the 1.8" SSDs are drop in replacements for 1.8" HDDs. Same for 2.5" SSD vs 2.5" HDDs.