Why 13.3" screen?

fezzasusfezzasus
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Am I the only person disappointed at the idea of a 13.3" screen on the iBook replacement?



I have the current 12" iBook and find the screen is a perfect shape for all I need it for. I bought the laptop mainly to use at university and the screen size is great for typing up lab reports, i can't help but feel that a 13.3" screen would be less useful - bear in mind i watch very few dvds.



I will put it this way, if the screen does turn out to be 13.3" I will find a way to make my iBook last until next summer, if the screen size remains 12" I will be glad of my overdraft and have a new toy shortly afterwards.
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 35
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    The way I see it is that they're going to establish the Macbook as an appealing little notebook with a widescreen that replaces the 12" Powerbook and iBook, and then perhaps make some ickle wittle notebook similar to the ones from Sony to fill the ultraportable bracket.
  • Reply 2 of 35
    fezzasusfezzasus Posts: 36member
    I can see that providing one screen size rather than the 12" and 14" models would be more cost effective and that 13.3" seems a good compromise but it is at the cost of useable screen space - i want more vertical space!



    There has been talk of a macbook thin, which would be a good competitor to the small sony models... perhaps I will just have to wait for the full line up before deciding if i should plunge into my overdraft
  • Reply 3 of 35
    boompubboompub Posts: 15member
    I agree. The 13.3" portable will cover the old slot of the iBooks and 12" Powerbooks and leave a slot for something "special".



    Think 8" screen... "MacPad"??? "Mobile Me"
  • Reply 4 of 35
    fezzasusfezzasus Posts: 36member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by boompub

    I agree. The 13.3" portable will cover the old slot of the iBooks and 12" Powerbooks and leave a slot for something "special".



    Think 8" screen... "MacPad"??? "Mobile Me"



    'Newton'?
  • Reply 5 of 35
    e1618978e1618978 Posts: 6,075member
    13.3" widescreen is roughly the same screen area as the old 12" non-widescreen.
  • Reply 6 of 35
    fezzasusfezzasus Posts: 36member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by e1618978

    13.3" widescreen is roughly the same screen area as the old 12" non-widescreen.



    But in my opinion it is less useable, I don't think I have ever watched a DVD on my iBook yet every day I use email and word, I also use photoshop often and all are more usable on a standard display than on a widescreen display.
  • Reply 7 of 35
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,423member
    The depth of a 13.3 Macbook should be less than a 12" because I'm sure the 12" likely has a taller height. I'm personally a fan of widescreen aspect ratios for monitors. You eyes are aligned on a horizontal plane so you naturally take in more peripheral vision horizontally rather than vertically.



    Im just suprised Apple didn't go with 14.1 which seems to be a screen size more readily available.
  • Reply 8 of 35
    nofeernofeer Posts: 2,427member
    i think the main reason is so that apple can have one screen size for the consumer product less inventory problems and save $$$ and production $$$ maybe the 13 will share with a pro line.
  • Reply 9 of 35
    kedakeda Posts: 722member
    Does anyone have a pic of an existing 13.3" laptop? I'm trying to picture what this screen looks like.



    --edit--



    Nevermind...I did a google.







  • Reply 10 of 35
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,423member




    Sony Vaio's use 13.3" screens
  • Reply 11 of 35
    kedakeda Posts: 722member
    Your fast.



    Anyhow, these look like very useable screens. The res is 1280 x 800...so your not loosing anything on the vertical (vs. the 12"PB), and your gain horizontally. Not bad.
  • Reply 12 of 35
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,423member
    Thanks for those rez specs. I was wondering what the resolution diff would be.
  • Reply 13 of 35
    tenobelltenobell Posts: 7,014member
    That's good enough to watch 1280x720 HD.
  • Reply 14 of 35
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by TenoBell

    That's good enough to watch 1280x720 HD.



    Your math skills impress me.
  • Reply 15 of 35
    pbrpbr Posts: 24member
    I've seen a 13.3" notebook by Asus yesterday...

    That screen is really tiny... Horizontally it is perfectly ok, but those 800 pixels vertically are not a hell of a lot.



    I would prefer a 14.1" widescreen display, since the keyboard would be much more usable as well.



    However... GO FOR IT APPLE!
  • Reply 16 of 35
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by pbr

    I've seen a 13.3" notebook by Asus yesterday...

    That screen is really tiny... Horizontally it is perfectly ok, but those 800 pixels vertically are not a hell of a lot.



    I would prefer a 14.1" widescreen display



    What resolution? The next typical notch above 1280x800 is 1440x900 which just happens to be occupied by some other Mac laptopc_gee, can't think of its name right now.



    Quote:

    , since the keyboard would be much more usable as well.



    Hmm, full-size keyboard vs. full-size keyboard. Yeah, I can see how the latter would be more usable.



    All Apple laptop keyboards are the exact same size. The only two distinguishing factors are their material (white plastic for iBook, aluminum for PowerBook and MacBook Pro) and their backlight feature (only 15 inches and up so far). Again, same size.
  • Reply 17 of 35
    tenobelltenobell Posts: 7,014member
    Quote:

    Your math skills impress me.



    LOL, I know its obvious. Just heading off those who are going to bitch about the resolution and not realize you can watch HD on it.
  • Reply 18 of 35
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by TenoBell

    LOL, I know its obvious. Just heading off those who are going to bitch about the resolution and not realize you can watch HD on it.



    Heh. 's fine, just teasing.
  • Reply 19 of 35
    danosaurdanosaur Posts: 258member
    I have a 12" powerbook and I find the screen size is perfect.



    The extra horizontal width would be nice, but I love the compact size. The keyboard fits perfectly, but what I like most is the small footprint of the laptop. I can slide it in my backpack and its the same size as most textbooks. That way I find its protected physically but especially from theft. I would feel very nervous if it were obvious that I was carrying around a laptop.
  • Reply 20 of 35
    pbrpbr Posts: 24member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Chucker

    Hmm, full-size keyboard vs. full-size keyboard. Yeah, I can see how the latter would be more usable.



    All Apple laptop keyboards are the exact same size. The only two distinguishing factors are their material (white plastic for iBook, aluminum for PowerBook and MacBook Pro) and their backlight feature (only 15 inches and up so far). Again, same size.



    Well, I actually was talking about this Asus machine... (but you're right...)
Sign In or Register to comment.