I don't need no bays. And I don't need no stinkin' optical drive.
My friend you're a small minority. You'll either have to get a PDA or PC, sorry. It's a cool concept and if I was rich I might get one, most times I don't use my PB G4 12's optical drive but the times are do are necessary. I think trimming the 12" down a little bit more is the most viable solution, without cutting any features.
It will be interesting to watch how the Apple Store on the Ginza does once that opens in a couple of weeks. Apple's always had a strong base in Japan. If they can expand that base to the point where it can support the sort of machine that is uniquely popular in Japan (that VAIO) then maybe you'll see one.
In the U.S., though, a full-featured notebook is pretty much necessary, and even the 12" screen of the iBook is too small for many. While the U.S. market is the largest Apple market - by a margin - its needs will continue to dictate Apple's direction.
Originally posted by Mark- Card Carrying FanaticRealist
That said, CF and SD have more penetration, but do they have the throughput? I don't know and - to be honest - I'm not too bothered.
The fact that all of the professional digital SLR cameras support CF and nothing else is a clear indication that CF leads in terms of capacity and does not lag in terms of throughput. Note, however, that there are many different qualities of CF cards, some being significantly faster than others.
Quote:
The "realist" bit of my AI title should have the word "pragmatic" attached to it ... with my only conviction on this subject being that there is probably a better/more convenient read/write/removable solution for a sub-notebook/tablet than an optical device.
So your name should really read Card Carrying Fanatic Pragmatist?" I have been advocating subnotebooks, without optical drives, for purely pragmatic reasons. I hate to carry antying more than what I actually need. It doesn't get any more pragmatic than that.
There's no question that Sony as a leader on the subnotebook front. Although the slightly heavier 12" iBook and PowerBook have one clear advantage over Sony subnotebooks: They are not nearly as flimsy.
As for using a C1 Picturebook on your commute, fireants22, you have to be pragmatic. If it serves your purpose on your commute, that's alright. However, I recently got my first Windows box in over ten years, and I cannot believe how bad the Windows UI still is. I isn't nearly as natural and intuitive as Mac OS X. The bottom line for me is that I will gladly carry an extra 2 lbs of notebook if it means that I can use Mac OS X instead of Windows.
They can't cut [the bezel] down too much. The Airport antennas are in there.
At least in my iBook, the AirPort antenna is actually behind the screen, not inside the bezel. However, the backlight(s) for the screen make it impossible to remove the bezel entirely.
Quote:
Originally posted by Aquatic
My friend you're a small minority. You'll either have to get a PDA or PC, sorry.
A PDA or a PC? Bah! Not to replace a PowerBook or iBook! As I said a bit further above, I'll carry an extra few pounds any day if it means that I can run Mac OS X instead of Windows. You'll note that I have became relatively quiet since the 12-inch PowerBook came out in January, and even quieter since Apple added DVI-out and more raw power with Rev.B of the 12-inch PowerBook. My ideological side likes to rant and rave about subnotebooks, but my pragmatic side is more than happy with Apple's current offerings.
The most intelligent way (in terms of useability and reading) to shrink a powerbook would be to reduce the height of the display, keeping the width (and thus the keyboard size) the same and maybe ixnay the optical drive. when closed, such a powerbook would be small enough for pretty much any portable use, and yet typing and reading would not be any more difficult.
It would be a sleek rectangle of metal, and w/out the optical drive, it would be perhaps 1/2" thick.
The problem you run into there is that the IBook and 12" PowerBook both run the minimum recommended resolution for OS X: 1024 x 768. Furthermore, they already compress the pixel density about as far as it'll go before the size of objects on screen starts alienating even more buyers (remember, the 14" iBook outsells the 12" iBook comfortably).
So to go to a widescreen, you'd either have to drop the vertical resolution below 768, leaving a pitiful amount of room between the menubar and the Dock; or you'd keep the vertical resolution and go with a Squintronic(TM) screen. It's not a pretty choice.
I still think the only way this will happen is if the main market for little tiny portables - Japan - becomes large enough for Apple to design and sell into without taking the U.S. market into account. Until then, as Apple is fond of pointing out, the 12" PowerBook is smaller than the last such laptop Apple made (the 2400).
(remember, the 14" iBook outsells the 12" iBook comfortably).
That puzzles me to no end. But I have to admit that I've seen quite a few 14" iBooks around.
Amorph: You make a very well-reasoned argument against Apple producing a widescreen subnotebook at this point in time. You probably capture the reasoning of Apple management quite accurately.
Quote:
Until then, as Apple is fond of pointing out, the 12" PowerBook is smaller than the last such laptop Apple made (the 2400).
Smaller in volume, yes. But not in terms of weight (4.6 lbs v. 4.1 lbs) or footprint. (See my .Mac page for a 2400c-iBook comparison.) Needless to say, however, that I would choose a Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook over an antiquated PowerBook 2400c any day. After all I traded in my beloved 2400c for a measly iBook/500 two and a half years ago already.
A PDA or a PC? Bah! Not to replace a PowerBook or iBook! As I said a bit further above, I'll carry an extra few pounds any day if it means that I can run Mac OS X instead of Windows. You'll note that I have became relatively quiet since the 12-inch PowerBook came out in January, and even quieter since Apple added DVI-out and more raw power with Rev.B of the 12-inch PowerBook. My ideological side likes to rant and rave about subnotebooks, but my pragmatic side is more than happy with Apple's current offerings.
Esche
Ah true and as Amorph pointed out Japan is different. I'd forgotten. They're doing better there then anywhere else. Maybe Japanese just know quality. Wasn't the 2400 Japan only?
The PowerBook 2400c was indeed designed with Japan as its primary target. However, Apple later decided to sell it in the US as well. It was equipped with a 180Mhz PPC 603e, which was the same as the bottom end of the full-size PowerBook 3400 series. The 2400c/180 didn't sell too well in the US, so when Apple revised it with a 240Mhz processor, it dropped the 2400c/180 from the US lineup and sold the faster 2400c/240 only in Japan.
Talking about old sub-size PowerBooks, I sure wish Apple would bring back the Duo, one of which was code-named after me. The Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook is close to perfect. But an updated Duo-style Dock would make it an even more compelling choice.
"Apple needs to make a (insert type of computer) that has all of of the ultramodern features of the top of the line computer, but should cost $100. That would be what I would like to see.Oh yeah make it the size of the Ipod maybe even smaller."
Comments
I don't need no bays. And I don't need no stinkin' optical drive.
My friend you're a small minority. You'll either have to get a PDA or PC, sorry.
Originally posted by fireants22
gawd dammit....sony went and did it again:
http://www.jp.sonystyle.com/Style-a/...505/index.html
less than 1cm thick, 10"lcd and only .758kg.
And a sexy carbon fibre casing to boot....drool
Ah, the Japanese market.
It will be interesting to watch how the Apple Store on the Ginza does once that opens in a couple of weeks. Apple's always had a strong base in Japan. If they can expand that base to the point where it can support the sort of machine that is uniquely popular in Japan (that VAIO) then maybe you'll see one.
In the U.S., though, a full-featured notebook is pretty much necessary, and even the 12" screen of the iBook is too small for many. While the U.S. market is the largest Apple market - by a margin - its needs will continue to dictate Apple's direction.
So get lots of people buying Apples.
Originally posted by Mark- Card Carrying FanaticRealist
That said, CF and SD have more penetration, but do they have the throughput? I don't know and - to be honest - I'm not too bothered.
The fact that all of the professional digital SLR cameras support CF and nothing else is a clear indication that CF leads in terms of capacity and does not lag in terms of throughput. Note, however, that there are many different qualities of CF cards, some being significantly faster than others.
The "realist" bit of my AI title should have the word "pragmatic" attached to it ... with my only conviction on this subject being that there is probably a better/more convenient read/write/removable solution for a sub-notebook/tablet than an optical device.
So your name should really read Card Carrying Fanatic Pragmatist?" I have been advocating subnotebooks, without optical drives, for purely pragmatic reasons. I hate to carry antying more than what I actually need. It doesn't get any more pragmatic than that.
Escher
Originally posted by fireants22
less than 1cm thick, 10"lcd and only .758kg.
And a sexy carbon fibre casing to boot....drool
There's no question that Sony as a leader on the subnotebook front. Although the slightly heavier 12" iBook and PowerBook have one clear advantage over Sony subnotebooks: They are not nearly as flimsy.
As for using a C1 Picturebook on your commute, fireants22, you have to be pragmatic. If it serves your purpose on your commute, that's alright. However, I recently got my first Windows box in over ten years, and I cannot believe how bad the Windows UI still is. I isn't nearly as natural and intuitive as Mac OS X. The bottom line for me is that I will gladly carry an extra 2 lbs of notebook if it means that I can use Mac OS X instead of Windows.
Escher
Originally posted by discstickers
They can't cut [the bezel] down too much. The Airport antennas are in there.
At least in my iBook, the AirPort antenna is actually behind the screen, not inside the bezel. However, the backlight(s) for the screen make it impossible to remove the bezel entirely.
Originally posted by Aquatic
My friend you're a small minority. You'll either have to get a PDA or PC, sorry.
A PDA or a PC?
Escher
It would be a sleek rectangle of metal, and w/out the optical drive, it would be perhaps 1/2" thick.
So to go to a widescreen, you'd either have to drop the vertical resolution below 768, leaving a pitiful amount of room between the menubar and the Dock; or you'd keep the vertical resolution and go with a Squintronic(TM) screen. It's not a pretty choice.
I still think the only way this will happen is if the main market for little tiny portables - Japan - becomes large enough for Apple to design and sell into without taking the U.S. market into account. Until then, as Apple is fond of pointing out, the 12" PowerBook is smaller than the last such laptop Apple made (the 2400).
Originally posted by Amorph
(remember, the 14" iBook outsells the 12" iBook comfortably).
That puzzles me to no end. But I have to admit that I've seen quite a few 14" iBooks around.
Amorph: You make a very well-reasoned argument against Apple producing a widescreen subnotebook at this point in time. You probably capture the reasoning of Apple management quite accurately.
Until then, as Apple is fond of pointing out, the 12" PowerBook is smaller than the last such laptop Apple made (the 2400).
Smaller in volume, yes. But not in terms of weight (4.6 lbs v. 4.1 lbs) or footprint. (See my .Mac page for a 2400c-iBook comparison.) Needless to say, however, that I would choose a Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook over an antiquated PowerBook 2400c any day. After all I traded in my beloved 2400c for a measly iBook/500 two and a half years ago already.
Escher
A PDA or a PC? Bah! Not to replace a PowerBook or iBook! As I said a bit further above, I'll carry an extra few pounds any day if it means that I can run Mac OS X instead of Windows. You'll note that I have became relatively quiet since the 12-inch PowerBook came out in January, and even quieter since Apple added DVI-out and more raw power with Rev.B of the 12-inch PowerBook. My ideological side likes to rant and rave about subnotebooks, but my pragmatic side is more than happy with Apple's current offerings.
Esche
Ah true and as Amorph pointed out Japan is different. I'd forgotten. They're doing better there then anywhere else. Maybe Japanese just know quality. Wasn't the 2400 Japan only?
Originally posted by Aquatic
Wasn't the 2400 Japan only?
The PowerBook 2400c was indeed designed with Japan as its primary target. However, Apple later decided to sell it in the US as well. It was equipped with a 180Mhz PPC 603e, which was the same as the bottom end of the full-size PowerBook 3400 series. The 2400c/180 didn't sell too well in the US, so when Apple revised it with a 240Mhz processor, it dropped the 2400c/180 from the US lineup and sold the faster 2400c/240 only in Japan.
Talking about old sub-size PowerBooks, I sure wish Apple would bring back the Duo, one of which was code-named after me. The Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook is close to perfect. But an updated Duo-style Dock would make it an even more compelling choice.
Escher
"Apple needs to make a (insert type of computer) that has all of of the ultramodern features of the top of the line computer, but should cost $100. That would be what I would like to see.Oh yeah make it the size of the Ipod maybe even smaller."
I love the comedy on these pages!!!