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Ultra-Portable MacBook - yes or no?

Would you purchase an ultra-portable Apple computer?

  • Yes

    Votes: 41 55.4%

  • No

    Votes: 20 27.0%

  • Maybe. I love my iPhone.

    Votes: 1 1.4%

  • Do not really care.

    Votes: 12 16.2%
  • Total voters
    74
  • Poll closed .
N

Nepenthe

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 24, 2003
103
13
Minnesota
Would you purchase an ultra-portable Apple computer (MacBook Mini, iPhone Macro, etc...)?

Reference: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/327985/

Wanting to avoid another "customers love glossy displays" situation... I think we should vote/discuss/digg this article and show someone -*anyone*- at Apple how we really feel.

- Optical or no optical
- GPU or no GPU
- glossy screen or no glossy screen
- Physical keyboard or virtual keyboard
- Multitouch or no multitouch
- $600-$900 (like the iPhone is going to stay at $599... psshh)

I would purchase one... no make that four Apple ultra-portable computers / ultra-thin notebooks on their release day - $600-$900. Keep in mind that I am still using a TiBook and a 4G iPod.
 
No from me, but "iPhone Macro" as a possible name for an Ultra-Portable MacBook, WTF?!
 
I think one with a 10" or 11" screen would be sweet. However, judging by the way ol' Steve is planning out his product lines, I don't think we're going to get one:(
 
Not sure if these were questions or not, but... yes, I want one, and I prefer something like this:

- Optical or no optical -- negotiable, I guess
- GPU or no GPU -- don't care
- glossy screen or no glossy screen -- don't care
- Physical keyboard or virtual keyboard
- Multitouch or no multitouch -- don't care, but I don't want a tablet, I want a subnotebook
- $600-$900 (like the iPhone is going to stay at $599... psshh) -- I'd be more interested in something nice that fit into the $1600-2000 price range.

But basically what I want is an Apple take on the nicer Windows subnotebooks -- C2D (can be ULEV), slot loading, 10-12" screen, SSD or HD (open to either), >5 hour battery life, <3.5 lbs, don't care too much if it has an iSight or not, although it probably ought to, footprint as small or smaller than the 12" Powerbook.

Like the Mini Cooper, though, it should be small because we want it small, and not small because its cheap. I definitely want a Mini Cooper (or a 1 series) and not a Yaris.
 
mkrishnan said:
Not sure if these were questions or not, but... yes, I want one, and I prefer something like this:

- Optical or no optical -- negotiable, I guess
- GPU or no GPU -- don't care
- glossy screen or no glossy screen -- don't care
- Physical keyboard or virtual keyboard
- Multitouch or no multitouch -- don't care, but I don't want a tablet, I want a subnotebook
- $600-$900 (like the iPhone is going to stay at $599... psshh) -- I'd be more interested in something nice that fit into the $1600-2000 price range.

But basically what I want is an Apple take on the nicer Windows subnotebooks -- C2D (can be ULEV), slot loading, 10-12" screen, SSD or HD (open to either), >5 hour battery life, <3.5 lbs, don't care too much if it has an iSight or not, although it probably ought to, footprint as small or smaller than the 12" Powerbook.

Like the Mini Cooper, though, it should be small because we want it small, and not small because its cheap. I definitely want a Mini Cooper (or a 1 series) and not a Yaris.
Click to expand...

1 series all the way
 
Nepenthe said:
Agree - I mainly want an Apple version of this because I so enjoyed using one of the tiny Sony deals.
Click to expand...

I'd like something small, but not too small. I've had several Vaio Picturebooks. They were nice machines, but a little too small for serious work, with that 8.9 inch LCD and equally small keyboard.

Personally, I think a 12 inch LCD is the sweet-spot. It's small enough to be easily portable, yet large enough to do some serious work for an extended period of time. I could probably go as small as eleven, but really, my notebook is my main machine, and 11 and smaller can be a little difficult to look at for longer computing sessions.

Really, I wish they'd just do away with the 13.3 Macbook and go back to a twelve inch consumer level notebook, but that'll never happen.
 
I voted yes, but I think the forum threads clearly show that individual definitions of "ultra-portable" are very subjective and vary pretty widely. In my case, I'm a PB 12" owner and I'd be pretty content with a similar MBP 12".

I don't know if the vote was expected to meet all the poll criteria, but I'm not expecting something in the $600-$900 range. I would strongly consider a 12" MBP at $1999 USD or under.
 
droo94 said:
I voted yes, but I think the forum threads clearly show that individual definitions of "ultra-portable" are very subjective and vary pretty widely. In my case, I'm a PB 12" owner and I'd be pretty content with a similar MBP 12".
Click to expand...

I'm with you. I don't think it has to be super tiny to be considered ultra-portable. As far as I'm concerned, my 12 inch machine is, and I don't want to sacrifice an optical drive to achieve this "ultra-portable" status.


droo94 said:
I don't know if the vote was expected to meet all the poll criteria, but I'm not expecting something in the $600-$900 range.
Click to expand...

Anyone who thinks Apple will ever release any laptop in the $600-$900 range has rocks in their head. It will never happen.
 
mick4394 said:
Personally, I think a 12 inch LCD is the sweet-spot. It's small enough to be easily portable, yet large enough to do some serious work for an extended period of time. I could probably go as small as eleven, but really, my notebook is my main machine, and 11 and smaller can be a little difficult to look at for longer computing sessions.

Really, I wish they'd just do away with the 13.3 Macbook and go back to a twelve inch consumer level notebook, but that'll never happen.
Click to expand...

Now I have a reverse opinion on this subject. At first when the mb's came out i was like great they made them bigger and I wanted smaller. NOW when I have to use my 12 pb I cant help to thing wow I used this micro screen for that long.
 
droo94 said:
I voted yes, but I think the forum threads clearly show that individual definitions of "ultra-portable" are very subjective and vary pretty widely. In my case, I'm a PB 12" owner and I'd be pretty content with a similar MBP 12".

I don't know if the vote was expected to meet all the poll criteria, but I'm not expecting something in the $600-$900 range. I would strongly consider a 12" MBP at $1999 USD or under.
Click to expand...

Agreed. After travelling with an associate who uses a PB 12 he looked more comfortable doing work in the cramped quarters of an airplane than I did with my 15" MBP. If Apple can build a 12" MBP with similar or slightly better specs than the current MBPs, then I would pick one up immediately.

Sigh...one can wish, yeah?
 
anothermacaddic said:
Now I have a reverse opinion on this subject. At first when the mb's came out i was like great they made them bigger and I wanted smaller. NOW when I have to use my 12 pb I cant help to thing wow I used this micro screen for that long.
Click to expand...

I don't know that I would want a 12 inch Powerbook either. The computer I'm using now is a 12 inch widescreen, which is much easier to use than the old standard ratio screens.

I don't know how people still use standard ratio LCDs. Once you go widescreen, you'll never go back.
 
this may be a little contrarian, but my gut reaction to this is that a 12" MPB is like a VW beetle with a Ferrari engine.:rolleyes:
 
jczubach said:
this may be a little contrarian, but my gut reaction to this is that a 12" MPB is like a VW beetle with a Ferrari engine.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Well then I guess VW better get on it because there are a lot of people who loved their 12" Powerbooks. Right size, right power, and the look of a Powerbook/Macbook Pro. What's not to love?
 
jczubach said:
this may be a little contrarian, but my gut reaction to this is that a 12" MPB is like a VW beetle with a Ferrari engine.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Not everyone wants to lug around a large computer with a large LCD.

I know when it comes to 15" notebooks, the MBP is pretty small. But small for 15", still isn't small enough.
 
mick4394 said:
Not everyone wants to lug around a large computer with a large LCD.

I know when it comes to 15" notebooks, the MBP is pretty small. But small for 15", still isn't small enough.
Click to expand...

that's my point. I was in a computer store yesterday and saw my 15" 'er next to a bunch of other notebooks/laptops and it was absolutely diminutive. I seriously wanted to take a tape measure to the critter to confirm it was the same contraption. WE ARE BEING SPOILED ROTTEN by apple and judging by some of the threads on this site, it is beginning to show. entitlement abounds!
 
jczubach said:
that's my point. I was in a computer store yesterday and saw my 15" 'er next to a bunch of other notebooks/laptops and it was absolutely diminutive. I seriously wanted to take a tape measure to the critter to confirm it was the same contraption. WE ARE BEING SPOILED ROTTEN by apple and judging by some of the threads on this site, it is beginning to show. entitlement abounds!
Click to expand...

Your 15" MBP isn't diminutive next to my m1210.

The MBP is small, for a large machine, but it doesn't compare to 12 inch notebooks.
 
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