Apple's Next 17" MBP should be this.....Maybe

[wheezy]

I think right along with you, the 17" really needs to be more than a 15" with a bigger screen. If it has to be a little thicker, then make it a little thicker. What is in currently, an inch?

Apple should start coming out with the 'red-headed step child' (sorry to any redheads!) computers that are just spec'd out to the max for folks who want full blown performance. While I appreciate the beautiful form + function that they produce, it seems that form takes precedence over function too often now.

 

[Digital Skunk]

I think right along with you, the 17" really needs to be more than a 15" with a bigger screen. If it has to be a little thicker, then make it a little thicker. What is in currently, an inch?

Apple should start coming out with the 'red-headed step child' (sorry to any redheads!) computers that are just spec'd out to the max for folks who want full blown performance. While I appreciate the beautiful form + function that they produce, it seems that form takes precedence over function too often now.

Yeah, right now it's 1" thin. And I have seen PCs that are 1.1" thin add so much more to the mix other than an extra USB port.

I would love to see an Apple engineered power house desktop replacement, but I know that will never come. Steve is too obsessed with thinness to worry about giving users a quad core SLI 17" laptop that heavy lifters would love.

And consumers are taking over the Apple market. I hear so many on these forums begging for a 17" Air, or a lighter thinner 17" with slower processor and less replaceable parts..... WTF!

I am a few inches from ripping out my optical and sticking another HDD in there just to feel like I have a REAL desktop replacement for FCP. I don't mind an extra pound if I can get a faster, more functional machine.

 

[ajpl]

And consumers are taking over the Apple market.

That's because Apple are explictly targeting consumers who have low expectations and few demands, so can be fobbed off with the crap Apple are currently releasing as laptops.

You want a monster workstation for travelling like the Lenovo and I want a light 13" powerhouse with a high res screen and plenty of connection, both of us are graphics professionals [supposedly Apple's main market] with not unusual requests and there's nothing for us in the Apple range.
The iPod changed everything and the iPhone only took things further and Apple are only interested in money and lowest common denominator is the new Apple way and with even less choice, not that Apple were ever generous in that respect.

 

[NT1440]

Idk, to me that screen just seems like pure gimmick to me. Sure it could have SOME use as just a place to place your toolbars or w/e, but to me, thats just not an appealing feature for a laptop.

The screens resetting is HUGELY annoying as well.

 

[FX120]

Idk, to me that screen just seems like pure gimmick to me. Sure it could have SOME use as just a place to place your toolbars or w/e, but to me, thats just not an appealing feature for a laptop.

The screens resetting is HUGELY annoying as well.

Most of my desktops are dual-monitor workstations, once you get in to the mindset of ultilizing multiple monitors it makes a big difference on your workflow.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Most of my desktops are dual-monitor workstations, once you get in to the mindset of ultilizing multiple monitors it makes a big difference on your workflow.

I agree whole-heartedly.

I think the second display on the laptop is cute, but I don't think I'd use it or get it as an option. I was more interested in the innovation (even if not well accepted). Apple used to brag about being innovative, but now they are just as lame as Dell and Windows were back in the 90's and early 00's.

Putting a second display on a laptop with built in Wacom tablet and calibrator for imaging pros is innovation.

Making a 17" laptop thinner with non-removable battery, less ports, and crappy GFX is not.

 

[NT1440]

Good point on the innovation. I do think the whole multi-touch trackpads tied into the OS are a great innovation, even if we've already become jaded with it.

 

[termina3]

Good point on the innovation. I do think the whole multi-touch trackpads tied into the OS are a great innovation, even if we've already become jaded with it.

I love them, but perhaps they should take it a step further and make the multi-touch trackpad into a multi-touch tablet?

Of course, that'd mean having somewhere to put that stylus…*and you just couldn't have that kind of nuisance.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Good point on the innovation. I do think the whole multi-touch trackpads tied into the OS are a great innovation, even if we've already become jaded with it.

Also true, that is the innovation that I expect from Apple and had me acting like a drunken fool during store openings and such. The trackpads are true innovation as is the construction.

I loved the intro of the unibodies and extremely large trackpads.

But as usual, the longer the keynote ran, and the longer Steve talked about the new books, the more pissed I became. No firewire, only glossy, useless LED display for everyone else, mini display port, increased price, etc.

I have a feeling the next one won't change a thing.

 

[FX120]

Eh, what's been frustrating me as of late is that Apple has been claiming innovation about things that they didn't innovate.

The "new" manufacturing process for example. CNC machining certainly isn't new, nor are single part chasis, high end audio equipment has been using these techniques for years. It's not common to see in a consumer-class product because it is expensive, time consuming, and extremely energy and material intensive.

Multi-touch is another example. Apple did not invent multi-touch technology, and they were not the first manufacturer to feature it on a laptop.

As for a larger trackpad, I would hesitate to call that innovation either, that's like saying a larger hard drive is an innovation.

What is innovation is removing the button and placing it below the entire trackpad. Although this is something that isn't exactly new to Apple, it stems back to the cube days when Apple came out with their translucent mouse, and of course the modern mighty mouse.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Eh, what's been frustrating me as of late is that Apple has been claiming innovation about things that they didn't innovate.

The "new" manufacturing process for example. CNC machining certainly isn't new, nor are single part chasis, high end audio equipment has been using these techniques for years. It's not common to see in a consumer-class product because it is expensive, time consuming, and extremely energy and material intensive.

Multi-touch is another example. Apple did not invent multi-touch technology, and they were not the first manufacturer to feature it on a laptop.

As for a larger trackpad, I would hesitate to call that innovation either, that's like saying a larger hard drive is an innovation.

What is innovation is removing the button and placing it below the entire trackpad. Although this is something that isn't exactly new to Apple, it stems back to the cube days when Apple came out with their translucent mouse, and of course the modern mighty mouse.

True, just like the iPhone new gestures rumors.

Where a user can swipe a certain way and enter down to a new line of text, or copy/paste etc. You mention that Palm did that with Graffiti almost 12 years ago and you get flamed.

 

[NT1440]

Eh, what's been frustrating me as of late is that Apple has been claiming innovation about things that they didn't innovate.

The "new" manufacturing process for example. CNC machining certainly isn't new, nor are single part chasis, high end audio equipment has been using these techniques for years.

Multi-touch is another example. Apple did not invent multi-touch technology, and they were not the first manufacturer to feature it on a laptop.

As for a larger trackpad, I would hesitate to call that innovation either, that's like saying a larger hard drive is an innovation.

What is innovation is removing the button and placing it below the entire trackpad. Although this is something that isn't exactly new to Apple, it stems back to the cube days when Apple came out with their translucent mouse, and of course the modern mighty mouse.

I think the unibody is innovative for laptop construction, sure they haven't actually invented the tooling process, but im fairly certain that apple is first to implement it on its notebooks.

Same goes for multi-touch, did they invent it? HELL NO! Are they implementing it in ways that help us push how we interact with computers? Sure are.

Sometimes its not about who invents it, but how its used.

Yes i realize that was a very fanboyish type of post, but that was the only way I could think of wording it.

 

[FX120]

I think the unibody is innovative for laptop construction, sure they haven't actually invented the tooling process, but im fairly certain that apple is first to implement it on its notebooks.

Same goes for multi-touch, did they invent it? HELL NO! Are they implementing it in ways that help us push how we interact with computers? Sure are.

Sometimes its not about who invents it, but how its used.

Yes i realize that was a very fanboyish type of post, but that was the only way I could think of wording it.

On notebooks, sure. But I have a Yamaha C2a preamp from the late 70's that has the top, front, and sides are all milled out of a single piece of aluminum billet.

So I get what you're saying, but at the same time then you've got to recognize that if this mindset were true all the way across the board, no one should ever be able to claim that Microsoft "stole" features from Apple, as they were just innovating. Innovation stems from invention, not improvement.

 

[hayduke]

Lenovo introduces 11 pound dual display *laptop* :0

WTF? Seriously?

 

[GoCubsGo]

The Acer desktop replacement at 17 lbs didn't go over well, neither will this.

 

[~Shard~]

11 pounds and $3600?! Yeah, I'll get right on buying one of the "mobile" beauties...

 

[iBookG4user]

Wow, that's crazy. I can't say it is the best idea in the world because it is a portable, but it certainly is an interesting one. Are there any pictures of it? I didn't see any in the link.

 

[~Shard~]

Yeah, it's definitely unique, but sometimes unique isn't a good thing...



I predict a "fail" on this one, but hey, good on them for thinking outside the box, taking a risk and trying something different. It will get people talking if nothing else...

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

I would not buy something like that. Never mix two very distinct form factors. Some people are mobile and will never opt for a "desktop replacement" machine. They want something like a 15" max, with a powerful CPU and GPU.

 

[MacTraveller]

I agree, 11 pounds is super heavy for a laptop (at least in my opinion it is). Heck, it makes my 17" PowerBook G4 feel like a featherweight.

Wow, you guys are weaklings these days. I still have my Powerbook G3 "Wall Street". It was one of the last black plastic case Powerbooks. With a tiny 13" TFT screen, it's nearly 8 lbs. Back in the 1990s, we carried nearly-10-pound laptops without whining like gurly-men! How the times have changed!

 

[ajpl]

What some of you fail to appreciate is that heavy as the Lenevo is, it is still way lighter than taking a desktop out with you. It is heavy but not impossible to carry and for those who need a computer whilst away from home but can carry a heftier beast, it may be ideal. I've got my girlfriend's 16" Sony laptop here which weighs a bit than that [I just checked specs] with it's huge 4:3 screen and yet it still manged to fit in my backpack along with my camera kit and I even used it abroad on location before I got myself a more sensible [for my needs] 13".


We all have different needs and preferences and Apple seem to be saying with their laptops, here's what looks pretty and we don't care how usable it is. Like it or lump it. Well it may be ironic as Apple starts getting more succesful, those people who used their kit for years and kept their business alive may be the ones who start buying PCs. Except those trapped into Apple software. I prefer crossplatform software for that very reason, I refuse to be trapped.

A very common [and annoying] thing in online forums is people who don't need something slagging off others who do need it. If only things that everyone wanted were made, nothing would ever get made, certainly not Apple computers who are very much a minority outside of the US and even there, OSX is still only about 6-7%.
I think iPods are completely pointless as they cannot even play high quality music, stop making them!!! Now!

 

[ajpl]

True, just like the iPhone new gestures rumors.

Where a user can swipe a certain way and enter down to a new line of text, or copy/paste etc. You mention that Palm did that with Graffiti almost 12 years ago and you get flamed.

I've been using mouse gestures in Opera [the browser!] for years, I love them. I'm surprised Firefox hasn't claimed they invented them yet, as they nick everything else of Opera and pass it off as their innovation, 5 years later!

Apple's gestures are a very watered down version of what Fingerworks came up with some years back. Apple bought Fingerworks, but is using a fraction of what was available a while ago. And if you think Apple's new trackpad is big, Fingerworks' entire keyboard was the gesture area.

http://www.fingerworks.com/userguides.html

 

[ajpl]

Yeah, it's definitely unique, but sometimes unique isn't a good thing...

Uh seeing as Apple's mantra was think different, that's ironic posting that in Mac forums where Apple were/are almost perverse in not doing things the same as anyone else, no matter how stupid - 2 button mice, how long did that take them?

 

[~Shard~]

Uh seeing as Apple's mantra was think different, that's ironic posting that in Mac forums where Apple were/are almost perverse in not doing things the same as anyone else, no matter how stupid - 2 button mice, how long did that take them?

As I said, sometimes unique isn't a good thing...

 

[ajpl]

So Mr Skunk, will the new beastie tempt you?

As I said, sometimes unique isn't a good thing...

At least you weren't being unintentially ironic!