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Apple plans ultra-portable PC
- Thread starter tektonnic
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Sorry, the language part of my brain is not on tody. Are we talking about an uber-thin book with a keyboard, or some crappy thing like the UMPC platform where you lack of input destroys usability?
I'd buy one.Macnoviz said:
I have an iBook, plan to get a PowerMac(Intel version), and maybe even give my iBook to my wife and get a new MacBook. Even after all that, I would still get one. It would be great just to tote around back and forth to work when I dont really need a computer, but just like having one on me all the time. I'd get an OSX implant if possible....
Related to the Apple-RIM Rumor?
Perhaps it's related to this comment: Senior executives at Intel have recommended that Apple work with RIM, Mr. Misek said in a research note.
Maybe Apple has taken Intel's advice and decided to make an Apple/RIM Blackberry that is more than just a Blackberry with iTunes.
-Squire
bwintx said:
Perhaps it's related to this comment: Senior executives at Intel have recommended that Apple work with RIM, Mr. Misek said in a research note.
pure*evil said:
Maybe Apple has taken Intel's advice and decided to make an Apple/RIM Blackberry that is more than just a Blackberry with iTunes.
-Squire
steve_hill4 said:Bet it will be about the same size as my Newton.
Dang, I love that thing.
Yeah I really do wish Apple would bring back the Newton, it was wonderfully designed and very practical. I am very surprised that Apple hasn't resurected the PDA concept yet, they have MP3 players and Notebooks which are portable but nothing in the sights of PDA.
I think the most usable form factor came with the Samsung Nexio line, I had a Nexio S160 a few years ago with a 5' Touchscreen 800X480, built in keyboard, CF card slot, Video out and Wifi etc.
It is not a laptop replacement but could do most things I wanted.
edit Dimensions 155 x 91 x 13 mm
It is not a laptop replacement but could do most things I wanted.
edit Dimensions 155 x 91 x 13 mm
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Many interesting ideas on this board.
As a multi-Newton owner and user, I would love to see something in that form factor running Mac OS X. However, I don't think that the Newton form factor would really be practical. Same holds true for OQO, Palm and Pocket PC devices. All great gadgets that have limited functionality.
IMHO, a small laptop form factor, such as the MM20, is much more functional. Most folks need a keyboard to do most tasks.
I think that a minimum display of 1024x768 is needed to be really usable with most applications these days. Smaller displays are simply too limiting to use full applications.
Image a current PowerBook 12 form factor that is half as thick with no optical drive. The HD could be a 40 or 80 GB 1.8 inch Toshiba drive augmented by NAND memory. Small, lightweight, functional.
Granted I am biased due to what I see by living in Japan. Seems like many if not most business folks have small form factor laptops that work well and connect wirelessly.
Now with new low power Intel chips, the small form factor is a very viable option.
Anyhow, some food for thought.
As a multi-Newton owner and user, I would love to see something in that form factor running Mac OS X. However, I don't think that the Newton form factor would really be practical. Same holds true for OQO, Palm and Pocket PC devices. All great gadgets that have limited functionality.
IMHO, a small laptop form factor, such as the MM20, is much more functional. Most folks need a keyboard to do most tasks.
I think that a minimum display of 1024x768 is needed to be really usable with most applications these days. Smaller displays are simply too limiting to use full applications.
Image a current PowerBook 12 form factor that is half as thick with no optical drive. The HD could be a 40 or 80 GB 1.8 inch Toshiba drive augmented by NAND memory. Small, lightweight, functional.
Granted I am biased due to what I see by living in Japan. Seems like many if not most business folks have small form factor laptops that work well and connect wirelessly.
Now with new low power Intel chips, the small form factor is a very viable option.
Anyhow, some food for thought.
Huh?
A vague report about a new product who's only info is small and using a flash drive is unApple-ish?
It may be very Appleish, it all depends what they do with it now doesn't it? Perhaps it is a small light efficient notebook with a 12 hour battery life - sounds good to me.
Maybe it is a Newton-iPod mixture that will allow you to play songs and movies, read digital books, and who knows what else. Could be very Appleish if Apple does it right.
Maybe it is an Oragami type product that serves no real purpose and is trying to create a niche where it doesn't know where it is going and has no real compelling reason to exist. Sounds very Microsoftish...
At least give the smart boys and girls a chance to create a product! Apple won't release it unless they think it has a real chance. Steevo nixed the PDA they had developed not because he thought they did a poor job on it, but because it served no real purpose and didn't create something unique enough to create it own GROWING niche. However they do have all the work they put into that product kicking around. It may be that they are going to take elements of that work and turn it into something else by combining it with other growing technologies.
Relax and give it time!
eXan said:I dont like this. Its not Apple-ish I think. They'd better make a 12 inch MacBook/Pro
A vague report about a new product who's only info is small and using a flash drive is unApple-ish?
It may be very Appleish, it all depends what they do with it now doesn't it? Perhaps it is a small light efficient notebook with a 12 hour battery life - sounds good to me.
Maybe it is a Newton-iPod mixture that will allow you to play songs and movies, read digital books, and who knows what else. Could be very Appleish if Apple does it right.
Maybe it is an Oragami type product that serves no real purpose and is trying to create a niche where it doesn't know where it is going and has no real compelling reason to exist. Sounds very Microsoftish...
At least give the smart boys and girls a chance to create a product! Apple won't release it unless they think it has a real chance. Steevo nixed the PDA they had developed not because he thought they did a poor job on it, but because it served no real purpose and didn't create something unique enough to create it own GROWING niche. However they do have all the work they put into that product kicking around. It may be that they are going to take elements of that work and turn it into something else by combining it with other growing technologies.
Relax and give it time!
VanMac said:
Yes, but you're a software architect, I was just saying that the niche would mainly be just IT people and people that are constantly mobile, or businessmen. I don't think that is Apples main market, like science, graphic arts, familyconsumers, education, etc.
MisterMe said:
Forgive me if this has already been mentioned, but taking into account the potential size of System Software updates, how much NAND memory would be required in order to make sure that there will never be an update larger than the flash space built into the machine? I'm thinking Post-Next-Gen Operating Systems and Dual-Boot configurations. 4Gb? What will that add to the cost of an otherwise standard MacBook, let's say, compared to the equivalent Nano?
sisyphus said:A vague report about a new product who's only info is small and using a flash drive is unApple-ish?
It may be very Appleish, it all depends what they do with it now doesn't it? Perhaps it is a small light efficient notebook with a 12 hour battery life - sounds good to me.
Maybe it is a Newton-iPod mixture that will allow you to play songs and movies, read digital books, and who knows what else. Could be very Appleish if Apple does it right.
Maybe it is an Oragami type product that serves no real purpose and is trying to create a niche where it doesn't know where it is going and has no real compelling reason to exist. Sounds very Microsoftish...
At least give the smart boys and girls a chance to create a product! Apple won't release it unless they think it has a real chance. Steevo nixed the PDA they had developed not because he thought they did a poor job on it, but because it served no real purpose and didn't create something unique enough to create it own GROWING niche. However they do have all the work they put into that product kicking around. It may be that they are going to take elements of that work and turn it into something else by combining it with other growing technologies.
Relax and give it time!
Well, Apple prefered to say away from ultra-compact notebooks, thats why I think releasing it now may not be a good idea... They could do it in a couple of years, so compact CPUs and other internal components get smaller/faster and then make it. But who knows? Its Apple...
Also, big capacity flash-memory is very extensive these days, so the price for these "half Macbooks" would be pretty high. And who wants that?
I want:
10" non-glossy widescreen, DVD+-RW DL / DVD-RAM, 80GB hard disk (not flash) if 1.8", dual-core, bluetooth, EDGE, HSDPA, FireWire 800, carbon fibre, DVI-I.
Make it 11" if it will fit a real graphics card and dual-link DVI. I would also like an ExpressCard slot. Less prioritary would be to fit a 2.5" hard disk (PMR, 200GB).
I only understand lack of these features if there's REALLY no space left.
Competiition says $2000 at most.
10" non-glossy widescreen, DVD+-RW DL / DVD-RAM, 80GB hard disk (not flash) if 1.8", dual-core, bluetooth, EDGE, HSDPA, FireWire 800, carbon fibre, DVI-I.
Make it 11" if it will fit a real graphics card and dual-link DVI. I would also like an ExpressCard slot. Less prioritary would be to fit a 2.5" hard disk (PMR, 200GB).
I only understand lack of these features if there's REALLY no space left.
Competiition says $2000 at most.
Chef Medeski said:
Bluetooth doesn't have enough bandwidth to keep up with the throughput of an optical drive.
shadie said:
That actually does look pretty cool - except the 5-foot screen is a bit much to believe...
I'm hoping that if Apple does enter this segment it'd be with an interface that can eliminate external buttons, arrow pads, etc. Reminds me just a little too much of a game-boy or a PSP.