When Steve Jobs introduced the new aluminum laptops in 2003, he spoke in a way that made it sound like a drawback of the hinge design was having ports located on the sides. It wasn't terribly obvious, but it was sort of the inflection by the way in which he spoke about the new design. This is one of the points that has always led me to believe that the aluminum design was a stop gap design...anything to get away from using Titanium which was costing them a fortune.
When Steve Jobs introduced the new aluminum laptops in 2003, he spoke in a way that made it sound like a drawback of the hinge design was having ports located on the sides. It wasn't terribly obvious, but it was sort of the inflection by the way in which he spoke about the new design. This is one of the points that has always led me to believe that the aluminum design was a stop gap design...anything to get away from using Titanium which was costing them a fortune.
if they needed to stop using Titanium, they could have switched to aluminum and kept the ports on the back with the ugly traditional hinge design. Apple is all aobut form following function. the great thing about ports on the side is that the mouse and other connections can easily be accessed. It is the biggest pain to have to either close the lid or move the laptop to access ports (not to mention all of the excess movement wearing down the life of the notebook, if only by the slimmest of margins). the current hinge design is the most beautiful thing in a notebook ever. Hey, even Asus is trying to imitate it (actually they have just about come up with a PC knockoff version, but uglier and with lame components).
The Aluminum is a great build material and the hinge design is great too. the ports on the side are a huge plus for anyone who actually uses the ports in any routine manner. I hope they keep the current hinge design. They may improve the quality, etc., but the current design is really a revolution is notebook form factor. to return to the visible hinge with the lid jsut flip-flopping on top of the base would be a backward step.
I liked the idea of the clear plastic outer shell on the earlier iBooks. Then people could 'skin' them in some way. Wood would be pretty cool, or marble.
I liked the idea of the clear plastic outer shell on the earlier iBooks. Then people could 'skin' them in some way. Wood would be pretty cool, or marble.
Hmmm...what if it wasn't carbon fiber, but carbon nanotubes? Now that would be badass. Pretty expensive, too. But good thermal properties, high geek appeal and tougher than a microwave steak. Seriously.
What's tacky about carbon fiber? It's a material, not a fashion trend. Admittedly, what is unspeakably tacky is that fake carbon fiber silver/black checkered look that was slightly popular a few years ago. Real carbon fiber is way too expensive to be tacky
(speaking as someone who just spent $2000 on a carbon fiber cello case )
what if they combined the pro aluminum look and the consumer white much like they did with the cinema displays. In another thread they were talking about how the white sides and aluminum of the cinema displays go well together...i think if they used the white sparingly they could make a really nice enclosure that wouldnt be too aluminum and denty as the powerbook and not too scratchable as the iBook...
Comments
Originally posted by DHagan4755
When Steve Jobs introduced the new aluminum laptops in 2003, he spoke in a way that made it sound like a drawback of the hinge design was having ports located on the sides. It wasn't terribly obvious, but it was sort of the inflection by the way in which he spoke about the new design. This is one of the points that has always led me to believe that the aluminum design was a stop gap design...anything to get away from using Titanium which was costing them a fortune.
if they needed to stop using Titanium, they could have switched to aluminum and kept the ports on the back with the ugly traditional hinge design. Apple is all aobut form following function. the great thing about ports on the side is that the mouse and other connections can easily be accessed. It is the biggest pain to have to either close the lid or move the laptop to access ports (not to mention all of the excess movement wearing down the life of the notebook, if only by the slimmest of margins). the current hinge design is the most beautiful thing in a notebook ever. Hey, even Asus is trying to imitate it (actually they have just about come up with a PC knockoff version, but uglier and with lame components).
The Aluminum is a great build material and the hinge design is great too. the ports on the side are a huge plus for anyone who actually uses the ports in any routine manner. I hope they keep the current hinge design. They may improve the quality, etc., but the current design is really a revolution is notebook form factor. to return to the visible hinge with the lid jsut flip-flopping on top of the base would be a backward step.
Originally posted by cubist
I liked the idea of the clear plastic outer shell on the earlier iBooks. Then people could 'skin' them in some way. Wood would be pretty cool, or marble.
Don't be silly! Wood? Marble?
Originally posted by farve
Don't be silly! Wood? Marble?
He is joking, only somebody trapped in the year 1994 would think clear plastic would be the next cool thing.
Originally posted by clonenode
...with a carbon-fibre exterior...
Hmmm...what if it wasn't carbon fiber, but carbon nanotubes? Now that would be badass. Pretty expensive, too. But good thermal properties, high geek appeal and tougher than a microwave steak. Seriously.
(speaking as someone who just spent $2000 on a carbon fiber cello case
Originally posted by robo
What's tacky about carbon fiber? It's a material, not a fashion trend.
Please explain this statement
Originally posted by Peter North
Please explain this statement
Talking of tacky - are you familiar with this website?
http://www.peternorth.com/
Originally posted by si_flippant
Talking of tacky - are you familiar with this website?
http://www.peternorth.com/
yes, intimately