There comes a point when something just is too small to be really functional. At 11.6" that's cutting it close. If this is a real product, then I'll have to pay a visit to the Apple store to find out.
How about a sheet of paper? Too thin to be useful? How about a clipboard? In ten years the MBA will be the thickness of a clipboard. It'll stand by itself and the camera will watch your fingers type on the tabletop and input the text. Then, maybe, it'll be thin enough. Maybe.
Either Jobs was wrong or the iPad is not a computer. Or the iPad is a piece of junk.
SJ may have been right at that time. The landscape has changed considerably with the introduction of the iPad. Apple has learned a lot about how to reduce costs as pointed out in the article. Besides - the Airs may cost more than 500. I suspect the price will be a step up from the iPad but less than the MBP. I suspect that the Air will become the new MB.
What I look forward to seeing is how, and to what extent IOS will inform OSX in this and future revisions. With so many IOS (but non-OSX) users a lot can ride on this. A simplified OS to which an IOS user needs no introduction would be a great selling point.
Either Jobs was wrong or the iPad is not a computer. Or the iPad is a piece of junk.
Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism
Since when did words only have one pedantic definition? I think you know exactly what he was referring to by the use of the word “computer”.
I think he was joking
Besides that quote was pre-iPad and people can change their minds. I think the iPad is a computer. Prior to the ipad i used my MacBook to surf the web, listen to itunes, read my mail, write notes, write letters and dabble withe odd spreadsheet. Now it's redundant. MacBook is a computer and therefor so is my iPad. My logic.
The thing that I am wondering about is the keyboard. The "magic" of the original Air was that it retained a full-sized keyboard relative to the other Macs. If the screen shrinks that much, the bezel would go with it, which seems to me would require that the keyboard be downsized as well. It will be interesting to see what comes about next Wednesday.
The iPad is not a computer. Even though many other devices do computing functions they are not exactly considered computers in the general sense. Take a calculator for example, it can compute, but it is not considered a computer, same goes for my iPhone. Technically these devices are computers but in the general sense they are not.
A calculator is not a 'computer' because it can't do anything beyond its existing purpose.
The only feature I've seen ascribed to a computer that the iPad doesn't currently have is an ability to program for it on the iPad itself. But I don't know of any accepted definition of a computer that requires this. If that were the case, then the original Mac wasn't a computer because you had to program for it on a Lisa.
I still haven't seen anyone make the case authoritatively that the iPad isn't a computer.
I bet we'll see a peek of 10.7 that looks a whole lot more like iOS. Maybe the ability to run apps...? By November, iOS will get far more capable in the content creation department.
The ultimate "one more thing" would be an MacBook Air that is essentially an iPad with a faster processor, upgradable storage, a USB port and a full keyboard. All while preserving the touch panel. This would completely blur the line between iPad and Notebook. Hopefully the Operating systems will eventually follow suit.
A calculator is not a 'computer' because it can't do anything beyond its existing purpose.
The only feature I've seen ascribed to a computer that the iPad doesn't currently have is an ability to program for it on the iPad itself. But I don't know of any accepted definition of a computer that requires this. If that were the case, then the original Mac wasn't a computer because you had to program for it on a Lisa.
The thing that I am wondering about is the keyboard. The "magic" of the original Air was that it retained a full-sized keyboard relative to the other Macs. If the screen shrinks that much, the bezel would go with it, which seems to me would require that the keyboard be downsized as well. It will be interesting to see what comes about next Wednesday.
It?ll fit if they use the 16:9 form factor. In fact, the width of the 12.1? 4:3 display is slightly less wide than the 11.6? 16:10 displays.
Also, if they use the 1280x800 resolution found in the current 13.3? MB/MBA/MBPs they will a PPI that is inline with the High-Resolution display options of the 15? and 17? MBPs and that of the 9.7? iPad.
I thought Apple said they weren't going to do netbooks.
Netbook = super-slow, tiny screen (smaller than 11.6 typically) and therefore really cheap. Which is pretty cool in a way, and theoretically, “good enough” for “net” usage (surfing, email) if not much else. In reality, quickly obsolete and aggravatingly slow. (Not to mention, they don’t come with OS X.)
The Air won’t be that awful Nor that cheap... and if it was, I wouldn’t want it.
I badly want my current Air just a bit faster and with the SSD option I skipped the first time. That alone would have me craving a new machine. And it sounds like this new Air will actually be entirely new! Small is good.
I’d use it as a file server with all my most-current files on it. (Older, seldom-used files can be on an external.) I’d use my iMac’s big screen and extra speed to work on those files. But when I need to hit the road, no sync will be needed: just grab the Air which already has everything. (And of course a Time Capsule backup is part of the picture too.)
I’m already starting to use that system with my old Air. Don’t know why it took me 3 years to think of!
Quote:
Originally Posted by cvaldes1831
Correct.
People seem to forget that just a few years ago, the 12" PowerBook was a very popular model in the notebook product line.
True. I wanted one of those badly and never got one! The 12” PB lovers may finally have their dream come true next week.
My first mac with the Titanium Powerbook at 15", followed by the 12.1" Aluminum Powerbook, followed by my current White 2006 Macbook (whose battery just reached 1300 charge cycles and still runs for 2.5 hours). By far my favorite mac was the 12.1" Powerbook. The size was amazing. Because it will be widescreen and have a higher resolution like all other macs today, that should mean that we get a lot more screen real estate than before..
SSD card? Could it be like the SDXC reader on the iMac, but used at the main drive?
Most likely it will be a PCI Express card or a controller interfaced via PCI Express. It could be a controller of their own design or one of the new PCI Express supporting chips to recently hit the market. There is the issue of this "drive" being a card at all as they could simply integrate it directly on the motherboard.
In a way being directly integrated on the motherboard would suck for upgrades but it would be reliable. If they go the route of direct integration hopefully they will provide a slot for expansion. The one certainty here is that there won't be enough storage space.
In any event the performance possible by going this route should be shocking. 500 to 800 MB / sec read should be no problem at all. Depending upon how aggressive they are performance could exceed that significantly. If they use an A4 type processor as the controller they might be able to do some interesting things with RAiD like tech to enhance flash reliability and fault tolerance.
All in all I'm vary curious about this new machine as it soubds like a major innovation effort upon Apples part. Hopefully they will manage the price better than the old AIR.
0. Steve will start with the usual what has happened over the past bunch of months.. He'll mention the iPad coming to AT&T and Verizon Stores.
1. Steve will announce OSX 10.7 (or 11) which will support multi-touch on screen.
2. Hello iMac touch
3. MacOSX (or ichat) to support FaceTime
4. The "one more thing" will be the new mac book air 11.6" it'll cost $999 (or maybe $1299) he'll probably say, "The world's thinnest laptop just got thinner"
Don't forget 30 minutes of combined clapping throughout the presentation, and perhaps people laughing in Steve Jobs' face like morons when he asks them to disable wifi...
Comments
Sign the petition for the MacBook Air mini:
http://macbookair10.net
What a waste of time. Apple listen to their customers for bug reports but not product advice.
Either Jobs was wrong or the iPad is not a computer. Or the iPad is a piece of junk.
Or he was right, they didn't know. But now they do. Human beings can learn you know.
There comes a point when something just is too small to be really functional. At 11.6" that's cutting it close. If this is a real product, then I'll have to pay a visit to the Apple store to find out.
How about a sheet of paper? Too thin to be useful? How about a clipboard? In ten years the MBA will be the thickness of a clipboard. It'll stand by itself and the camera will watch your fingers type on the tabletop and input the text. Then, maybe, it'll be thin enough. Maybe.
Either Jobs was wrong or the iPad is not a computer. Or the iPad is a piece of junk.
SJ may have been right at that time. The landscape has changed considerably with the introduction of the iPad. Apple has learned a lot about how to reduce costs as pointed out in the article. Besides - the Airs may cost more than 500. I suspect the price will be a step up from the iPad but less than the MBP. I suspect that the Air will become the new MB.
What I look forward to seeing is how, and to what extent IOS will inform OSX in this and future revisions. With so many IOS (but non-OSX) users a lot can ride on this. A simplified OS to which an IOS user needs no introduction would be a great selling point.
Either Jobs was wrong or the iPad is not a computer. Or the iPad is a piece of junk.
Or that statement was true at the time and they've since figured out how to it.
I say that's the case.
Originally Posted by mstone
Either Jobs was wrong or the iPad is not a computer. Or the iPad is a piece of junk.
Since when did words only have one pedantic definition? I think you know exactly what he was referring to by the use of the word “computer”.
I think he was joking
Besides that quote was pre-iPad and people can change their minds. I think the iPad is a computer. Prior to the ipad i used my MacBook to surf the web, listen to itunes, read my mail, write notes, write letters and dabble withe odd spreadsheet. Now it's redundant. MacBook is a computer and therefor so is my iPad. My logic.
The iPad is in it's infancy.
The iPad is not a computer. Even though many other devices do computing functions they are not exactly considered computers in the general sense. Take a calculator for example, it can compute, but it is not considered a computer, same goes for my iPhone. Technically these devices are computers but in the general sense they are not.
A calculator is not a 'computer' because it can't do anything beyond its existing purpose.
The only feature I've seen ascribed to a computer that the iPad doesn't currently have is an ability to program for it on the iPad itself. But I don't know of any accepted definition of a computer that requires this. If that were the case, then the original Mac wasn't a computer because you had to program for it on a Lisa.
I still haven't seen anyone make the case authoritatively that the iPad isn't a computer.
I'm still waiting.
The ultimate "one more thing" would be an MacBook Air that is essentially an iPad with a faster processor, upgradable storage, a USB port and a full keyboard. All while preserving the touch panel. This would completely blur the line between iPad and Notebook. Hopefully the Operating systems will eventually follow suit.
...It'll stand by itself and the camera will watch your fingers type on the tabletop and input the text...
Or we'll have gotten beyond using a 19th century input technique that's intentionally designed to be inefficient.
NOT a netbook - rather a full-blown notebook with a small form factor.
Correct.
People seem to forget that just a few years ago, the 12" PowerBook was a very popular model in the notebook product line.
A calculator is not a 'computer' because it can't do anything beyond its existing purpose.
The only feature I've seen ascribed to a computer that the iPad doesn't currently have is an ability to program for it on the iPad itself. But I don't know of any accepted definition of a computer that requires this. If that were the case, then the original Mac wasn't a computer because you had to program for it on a Lisa.
The thing that I am wondering about is the keyboard. The "magic" of the original Air was that it retained a full-sized keyboard relative to the other Macs. If the screen shrinks that much, the bezel would go with it, which seems to me would require that the keyboard be downsized as well. It will be interesting to see what comes about next Wednesday.
It?ll fit if they use the 16:9 form factor. In fact, the width of the 12.1? 4:3 display is slightly less wide than the 11.6? 16:10 displays.
Also, if they use the 1280x800 resolution found in the current 13.3? MB/MBA/MBPs they will a PPI that is inline with the High-Resolution display options of the 15? and 17? MBPs and that of the 9.7? iPad.
11.6 Form Factor?
I thought Apple said they weren't going to do netbooks.
Netbook = super-slow, tiny screen (smaller than 11.6 typically) and therefore really cheap. Which is pretty cool in a way, and theoretically, “good enough” for “net” usage (surfing, email) if not much else. In reality, quickly obsolete and aggravatingly slow. (Not to mention, they don’t come with OS X.)
The Air won’t be that awful
I badly want my current Air just a bit faster and with the SSD option I skipped the first time. That alone would have me craving a new machine. And it sounds like this new Air will actually be entirely new! Small is good.
I’d use it as a file server with all my most-current files on it. (Older, seldom-used files can be on an external.) I’d use my iMac’s big screen and extra speed to work on those files. But when I need to hit the road, no sync will be needed: just grab the Air which already has everything. (And of course a Time Capsule backup is part of the picture too.)
I’m already starting to use that system with my old Air. Don’t know why it took me 3 years to think of!
Correct.
People seem to forget that just a few years ago, the 12" PowerBook was a very popular model in the notebook product line.
True. I wanted one of those badly and never got one! The 12” PB lovers may finally have their dream come true next week.
SSD card? Could it be like the SDXC reader on the iMac, but used at the main drive?
Most likely it will be a PCI Express card or a controller interfaced via PCI Express. It could be a controller of their own design or one of the new PCI Express supporting chips to recently hit the market. There is the issue of this "drive" being a card at all as they could simply integrate it directly on the motherboard.
In a way being directly integrated on the motherboard would suck for upgrades but it would be reliable. If they go the route of direct integration hopefully they will provide a slot for expansion. The one certainty here is that there won't be enough storage space.
In any event the performance possible by going this route should be shocking. 500 to 800 MB / sec read should be no problem at all. Depending upon how aggressive they are performance could exceed that significantly. If they use an A4 type processor as the controller they might be able to do some interesting things with RAiD like tech to enhance flash reliability and fault tolerance.
All in all I'm vary curious about this new machine as it soubds like a major innovation effort upon Apples part. Hopefully they will manage the price better than the old AIR.
My prediction:
0. Steve will start with the usual what has happened over the past bunch of months.. He'll mention the iPad coming to AT&T and Verizon Stores.
1. Steve will announce OSX 10.7 (or 11) which will support multi-touch on screen.
2. Hello iMac touch
3. MacOSX (or ichat) to support FaceTime
4. The "one more thing" will be the new mac book air 11.6" it'll cost $999 (or maybe $1299) he'll probably say, "The world's thinnest laptop just got thinner"
Don't forget 30 minutes of combined clapping throughout the presentation, and perhaps people laughing in Steve Jobs' face like morons when he asks them to disable wifi...