Sub note has to be a future product.

addison · July 15, 2004 2:05PM

Apple is on a roll right now and almost every product is selling very well with longish leadtimes and as their market share and sales increase it will allow for an increase in product ranges. One product missing from the range has to be the sub-note. I don't expect a range opf products just a take it or leave it Airport and BT enables 10 inch machine utilising the new 60gb HDD rumoured to be destined for the iPod.

The only thing missing from this is the processor. As yet there isn't a small economical processor that is going to compleate the circle. But with a built in mini iSight like the Sony TR3a (see below) and wireless hotspots everywhere this could be one very cool product. I think it si only a matter of time before it will appear.

wrong robot · July 15, 2004 2:27PM

I think the neat thing that Apple did was, rather than create a Sub-notebook, they made the industry standard think bigger, 15" wide and 17" wide, so that when they were ready, the introduced the super slim 12" powerbook, which isn't a sub-notebook, but it's damn powerful and it FEELS like a sub-notebook these days since almost every laptop you see has at least a 14" screen.

eitherway, I think someone over at applenova mentioned something about a 10" laptop prototype that does exist.

peter north · July 15, 2004 2:39PM

good work detective

http://forums.appleinsider.com/showt...threadid=43879

ua2006 · July 15, 2004 2:59PM

I had posted a thread about a sub-notebook about 3 weeks ago, where we had a pretty good discussion. I completely agree that Apple needs to add a 10" subnotebook to complete the notebook line. I know the market isn't huge for these products, but it is a pretty good size, since I've already seen many topics about this in other forums. Apple has what it takes to make it even better than any of the sub-notebooks out there. It would be awesome if it was made of carbon fiber to make it even lighter. I do believe we will see one soon, maybe even as soon as next year.

applenut · July 15, 2004 3:14PM

Quote:

Originally posted by s_sarinana

I had posted a thread about a sub-notebook about 3 weeks ago, where we had a pretty good discussion. I completely agree that Apple needs to add a 10" subnotebook to complete the notebook line. I know the market isn't huge for these products, but it is a pretty good size, since I've already seen many topics about this in other forums. Apple has what it takes to make it even better than any of the sub-notebooks out there. It would be awesome if it was made of carbon fiber to make it even lighter. I do believe we will see one soon, maybe even as soon as next year.

market is taken care of by the 12 inch powerbook. anything smaller sacrifices on power and features. work on making the 12 inch slimmer and lighter....not a new product which is unneccessary and wont sell enough to justify developing

ua2006 · July 15, 2004 3:44PM

Quote:

market is taken care of by the 12 inch powerbook. anything smaller sacrifices on power and features. work on making the 12 inch slimmer and lighter....not a new product which is unneccessary and wont sell enough to justify developing

Obviously the sub-notebook market is NOT taken care of if there are so many people that are requesting these products. The 12" is no longer considered a sub-notebook. And you don't have to sacrifice features to make it smaller. It just depends how good you make it.

kim kap sol · July 15, 2004 3:53PM

Quote:

Originally posted by s_sarinana

Obviously the sub-notebook market is NOT taken care of if there are so many people that are requesting these products. The 12" is no longer considered a sub-notebook. And you don't have to sacrifice features to make it smaller. It just depends how good you make it.

Not having a full size keyboard makes everyone very sad.

a_greer · July 15, 2004 3:56PM

Quote:

Originally posted by s_sarinana

Obviously the sub-notebook market is NOT taken care of if there are so many people that are requesting these products. The 12" is no longer considered a sub-notebook. And you don't have to sacrifice features to make it smaller. It just depends how good you make it.

what the hell is the sub-notebook market? if you ask me the 12 inch is the perfect size for any daily task that you would need to do on the road, (Pshop and video editing not withstanding) who would want something smaller than a 12 inch with the drop in speed and storage that it would take to make one?

kickaha · July 15, 2004 4:25PM

Quote:

Originally posted by s_sarinana

Obviously the sub-notebook market is NOT taken care of if there are so many people that are requesting these products.

People request lots of things that make no sense.

To me, a 10" teeny little thing with a teeny little keyboard makes no sense. How do you *use* the bloody thing? Tap at it with pencils?

It's a severe compromise of how a keyboard/screen/pointing device works, IMO. Much better to take a step back and rethink the whole solution rather than continue to try and shoehorn other solutions into the space.

Yeah, there will always be people who buy micro-subnotebooks for various reasons... until there's something better. And until then, that market is small, limited, and frankly, a hack on a kludge.

Nifty tech, but lack of vision.

brussell · July 15, 2004 4:38PM

I think it's a good idea. If you're using the laptop as a desktop replacement, you're obviously not going to want a small screen or keyboard. But I'd think that lots of people would use a notebook for things like presentations where they don't need to stare at the screen or type on the keyboard for long periods of time, or use CD/DVDs, and they want something that's extra small and light.

I would like something like that. And I think a lot of people in travel-oriented jobs might like it.

ua2006 · July 15, 2004 4:39PM

I'm sorry that you guys see it like that but that's because you're not part of the "sub-notebook market." If sub-notebooks aren't your thing, fine, but it doesn't mean that there aren't people out there that want these products, and I'm sure Apple will see that.

kickaha · July 15, 2004 4:47PM

There are people out there that want their computers to create smells too (no, really... it's a real technology). Does that mean Apple should make iSmell? Don't think so.

Subnotebooks are a serious compromise of usability and features in every case I've seen. I've used them. They're klunky as hell. Apple doesn't do klunky... it waits, sees what it can do to flip the problem around so that there's an elegant solution, then springs that on the market.

cf: iPod

kim kap sol · July 15, 2004 4:47PM

Quote:

Originally posted by s_sarinana

I'm sorry that you guys see it like that but that's because you're not part of the "sub-notebook market." If sub-notebooks aren't your thing, fine, but it doesn't mean that there aren't people out there that want these products, and I'm sure Apple will see that.

How about polling people or finding one that indicates that sub-notebooks are more wanted than normal laptops?

ua2006 · July 15, 2004 5:15PM

I never said people prefer a sub-notebook over a regular notebook. Please tell me where I mentioned that. What I did say is that there are people that want a sub-notebook. And if you're not one of them, then DON'T buy one. That's why there's other models out there!!

kickaha · July 15, 2004 5:20PM

And thank god there are, because the subnotebooks are just not up to usability standards Apple likes to maintain.

Two reasons you won't see a subnotebook like you're desiring from Apple:

1) Market is *tiny*. Even for Apple.

2) It'd require tossing out too much elegance.

The 12" lines do a hell of a job of keeping full usability in a portable package. Anything smaller, and you start having to strip out features... like a keyboard that's usable by adult hands.

hmurchison · July 15, 2004 6:05PM

People,

We need to look at this from a cultural(actually it should be biological) standpoint. Sony makes a lot of sub notebooks because in Japan people are on the average smaller than Americans. A sub 12" screen and smaller kb are simply not going to work here. I know some guys with some fat fingers that struggle with today's small stuff. I can only imagine the hilarity of watching them try to use one of these sub notebooks.

chych · July 15, 2004 6:34PM

One of my colleagues has that same laptop described in the picture above. For someone not use to it, the keyboard is definitely way too small to be useful, not to mention the high screen DPI making things difficult to read.

Personally I find 12" to be a good size, however the Powerbook 12" is a bit too large. I think if Apple externalized the optical drive, making the powerbook lighter and thinner, it would be really nice. Personally, I rarely use the optical drive on my laptop, making it a waste of space most of the time.

What *really* annoys me about all computer manufacturers except Apple is that their smaller laptops are usually more expensive than the bigger ones. If Apple made a sub notebook and priced it the same as the current 12", I think it could be quite successful.

mattb · July 15, 2004 6:35PM

The cultural point is quite true I feel. I doubt a sub-notebook would do that well where I live (New Zealand) either, although I must admit I'd think I'd be tempted if Apple released such a thing. Of course Apple is trying to sell to the whole world so it still might make sense for them to make such a device if only to improve market share in places such as Japan. Trying to understand a market of a different culture though is never an easy thing so I wouldn't be surprised at all if Apple decided to just avoid the risk and not release a sub-notebook at all.

mattb · July 15, 2004 6:41PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kickaha

There are people out there that want their computers to create smells too (no, really... it's a real technology). Does that mean Apple should make iSmell? Don't think so.

I think it's only a matter of time until games start making use of smells. It's just another way to add atmosphere just like surround sound and force feedback. From what I last heard the technology is still too little young but in years to come it could be viable. At that point where it has game support I would expect to see an iSmell or some such thing with a nice cross platform API...OpenSL or something.

peter north · July 15, 2004 6:42PM

i want a 13 inch WS pb

murk · July 15, 2004 6:57PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hmurchison

People,

I know some guys with some fat fingers that struggle with today's small stuff. I can only imagine the hilarity of watching them try to use one of these sub notebooks.

Are we talking about Phil Schiller?

Sub note has to be a future product.

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