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Apple May Be Re-Entering the Sub-Notebook Market
Posted by
Zonk
on Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:33 AM
from the time-to-upgrade dept.
from the time-to-upgrade dept.
An anonymous reader writes "AppleInsider is reporting that Apple has plans to reenter the sub-notebook market this year. The project, the article states, should be unveiled around the time of WWDC (summer). Drawing parallels to the legendary PowerBook 2400, the sub-notebook will offer some of the best elements of old and new. With a small footprint, light weight, and manageable screen it will fill a niche not currently occupied by any Apple hardware. At the same time, it will offer some new technologies that the current crop of computers do not: 'The new MacBook model is expected to introduce some features not yet available with Apple's existing notebook offerings, such as onboard NAND flash. Plans reportedly call for the notebook to be the first of the company's MacBook offerings to utilize the solid-state memory in order to improve power efficiency and facilitate near instantaneous boot times. This feature, however, had not been frozen upon last check.' Apple hopes this micro-notebook will capture interest both here in the states and in Japan, where the appeal of small consumer electronics may offset the current weak computer market."
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Mac Tablets (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm not terribly fond of Windows (most of my apps would run under Wine or Parallels, the only Win-Only suite I really use is OneNote) but if there were a Mac replacement, I'd probably buy.
They're quick, pretty computers with easy software that doesn't get in the way.
An ultraportable tablet running an OS that stays out of my way is like a dream...its too bad that Apple is so shy of making a tablet.
Re:Mac Tablets (Score:5, Informative)
It's not ultraportable, but this should meet the "for nearly any price" requirement: Axiotron ModBook [macsales.com].
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Apple's ``Best of Both Worlds'' (codename for the initial PowerBook Duo and docking station, ``
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Not that I'm in the market for the ModBook myself, but it does come with a SuperDrive (your last point) and BlueTooth/AirPort should solve issu
Re: (Score:2)
Even on the Windows end, I wish that more tablet manufacturers realized that a powerful graphics system is helpful. My ideal system would be a powerful small tablet that I connect to a Cintiq and a Happy Hacker keyboard at the desk. It should have a nice dock with additional disk space and a DVD-R... Solid state storage would be great, and I'd even be willing to pay quite a bit for a 200 gig, but that really isn't totally feasable yet. I liked the concept of the new ModBook, but the aesthetics
Re: (Score:2)
The common wisdom (for what it's worth) seems to be that Apple doesn't release something until they can do it well. So, with a decent touchscreen interface, and their already popular laptops, they may just be reaching that point for a tablet.
I'm not going to hold my breath, but it at leas
Cool (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Cool (Score:5, Funny)
With a sub version of the MBP, you'd at least burn a smaller protion of your lap
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I asked for the 200GB 4200 rpm hard drive instead of the smaller 5400 rpm choices. I'd like to be able to enjoy longer battery life, and while I expect the machine to run City of Heroes (via Boot Camp) most of the time I can't foresee 4200rpm causing any problems for me. Any slowness
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
--jeffk++
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
If you has 2 drives both at the same RPM, the 200 gig perp drive has twice as many bits per second going past the heads.
So a 200g 4200 RPM perp drive would be the same head bit rate as a theoretical 100g 8400 rpm drive.
This comparison is of course only valid when both disk drives have the same number of platters and tracks on each platter and the data rate is
Let it be a Newton replacement as well.... (Score:5, Interesting)
It's silly that InkWell (nee Rosetta, the print recognizer from Newton OS 2.0) is bundled w/ every copy of Mac OS X, yet is only enabled when one plugs in a graphics tablet (and only fully usable if one shells out for a Wacom Cintiq).
William
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
If you have a Apple and a pad; try writing "Rosetta!" three times. It was a Newton Easter Egg and from what I have heard migrated into OS X from its smaller cousin.
Re: (Score:2)
Rosetta! Rosetta! Rosetta!
is all I get in 10.4 after clicking the ``Send'' button in the Ink window after writing that out.
William
Size (Score:2)
The PowerBook 2400 was my favorite Mac ever. I owned 2 of them. What a fantastic profile. even now looking at the photos, they still look like great machines. I bought a MacBook instead of the MacBook Pro for the size, and I'm not the only one I know. Apple should realize that they are losing sales to lower end
I'd be interested if... (Score:5, Interesting)
Sub-notebook keyboards are a little cramped for me. Yes, I know Bluetooth keyboard blahblahblah (I'm using one with my Powerbook as I type this), but you can't carry that on the road.
Re: (Score:2)
I know that you can use control + button for right click, but everytime I've used that combination, it has felt unnatural (I agree, it is probably a matter of what I am used to, but Apple is still asking me to unlearn a muscle memory).
And if I decide to run Windows and/or Linux on my Apple notebook, it would be worse since using an UI where I am used to the right mouse button without it would be hard.
I understand the original reasoning behind a single button, but c
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I find it annoying having to learn another thing (and especially since I have a muscle-memory of using mouse + keyboard combinations).
If IBM took off a button, I'd move to Dell and if Dell did, I'd move to HP. So, why should I treat Apple any differently for not having a feature that is very common (not to mention desirable and widespread in use)? It's not like people haven't asked for [cnet.com]
Re:I'd be interested if... (Score:5, Interesting)
Regarding the other comment in this thread about not being able to right-click drag with the two finger solution: I don't think this is true, although I'm having a hard time finding anything I have installed that can make use of a right-click drag. But it is certainly possible to move the cursor after performing a two finger right click (just keep two fingers on the pad while holding the button). Any application that allows a right-click drag should respond in exactly the same was as a right-click drag with a mouse. If anyone knows of an application that uses a right-click drag, I'll try it and respond with the results.
-Spyky
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
That doesn't cover all right-button uses; for instance, you can't right-click-and-drag with the two-finger method. I use this all the time, and I have to carry a mouse with my ($2800!!!) Macbook pro so that I can actually do it. And I use the two-finger trick all the time, as well as the control button trick. It's just not the same, and it is long past time for Apple to simply say "ooops" and fix the darned thing. Two buttons are
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
I mis-described that, sorry. You can't right+left click and drag from a left click state. In other words, here I am dragging out an ellipse with the left button. I want to release the anchor, which is done in this particular application by pressing the right button without releasing the left button. On the Mac, this action (dropping the second finger) locks the trackpad's position sensing, which means that there is no way to move the anchor. With a mouse, going from left press (sizing the el
I repeat (Score:5, Insightful)
Just make a 13.3" MacBookPro already! I don't want a MacBook and I don't want a 15.whatever laptop.
I love my 12" Powerbook but it's getting to the point where it's just too underpowered, and I don't have an upgrade path that I'm happy with.
Re: (Score:2)
I want a mac for my next computer, but I'm not finding the features I want matching with the size computer I want.
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Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
(1) Higher display resolution and more display space at 17 inches (I do graphics intensive stuff); (2) faster display hardware; (3) More memory; (4) faster CPU cores; (5) bigger screen; (6) more ports; (7) illuminated keyboard (turns out, I love this little feature.)
There are some things I don't care about or consider really bad design decisions -- the MBP has much better sound, but that is to say that that the MB bui
What I would like... (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm probably more than a little biased because my own has had some problems, but so have a lot of other people waiting at that damn Genius Bar in the Apple store. Other customers I've talked to are in there for really similar problems (to mine and each other) and you have to wonder how much QA went into them and then subsequently why they were released with the problems.
Of course, you could also wonder why Apple customers (myself included) continue to stand by their chosen brand and accept it.
Expand the line, but fix the problems first- not after their in the wild.
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe he's waited in the customer service line before and it hadn't been so damn long.
Personally I had to take my MacBookPro to the repairer 6 times! and the only time I had to take in my G4 Powerbook was for the battery recall. (I also
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
OK, you're obviously being an ass (and not a particulalry clever one), but let's apply the Apple experience to Home Depot anyway.
Let's pretend Home Depot makes and sells their own cordless drills. You buy one of these drills and shortly after purchase, it stops working properly. So you take it back to Home Depot. For the purpose of this scenario let's also say they have the ability to repair it on the spot. You go to the store, wait in line for an hour (or if you spent 15% of the cost of your expensive d
Funny (Score:5, Interesting)
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Scaling OS X down (Score:2)
Don't know why Apple couldn't tweak the OS to make it more usable on the smaller computer.
Re:Scaling OS X down (Score:5, Insightful)
Some [appleinsider.com] links [apple.com] about [wikipedia.org] this [digg.com].
Parent
Re:Scaling OS X down (Score:4, Interesting)
What does appear to be true is the Apple application make more liberal use of space,assuming a big screen. For instance iMovie wastes an enormous amount of space. Itunes is not so bad, but the borders are in some contexts quite large. Safari is the exception, but most web pages now are exersises in the frivolous use of screen real estate.
I would think the OS itself could be put back on an 640X480 screen with few changes. However, the current culture of application GUI development has to change. A large matter, really, is hte culture of application development, and the assumption that the user has relatively unlimited resources.
Parent
Intel Santa Rosa platform (Score:4, Interesting)
Instead of being on the bleeding edge..... (Score:2)
http://store.shopfujitsu.com/ca/EcomCA/buildserie
Plus by using off the shelf stuff in it, they lower the cost. Works for me.
Re: (Score:2)
Came with WinME which I put Win2K in it's place.
It also worked with RH7.2 but not Mandrake.
Great little fully functional notebook.
Apple: do UMPC or PepperPad right (Score:2)
1. Apple needs to identify all the shortcomings of UMPC [umpc.com] or the PepperPad [pepper.com]
2. Infuse Appley goodness into a perfected formfactor, and sell it,
3. And profit.
I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
Nowhere to go. (Score:5, Interesting)
The differences between the MacBook and MacBook Pro are very few and certainly not worth the $. The MacBook has drifted upward in abilities, and they stopped making the 12" machine - hence, there is nowhere for them to go. They have to re-invent what they've abandoned. As TFA says, three once was a small and venerable machine many years ago, and the 12" G4 iBook was the last of that "inertia".
Now their strategy has abandoned low end small machines. Ooops. So now we'll see one. This comes as no surprise. They have nowhere to go. Frankly, I am looking forward to this, because my G4 iBook is getting a bit long in the tooth...
RS
Re:Nowhere to go. (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
They did it to themselves (Score:3, Insightful)
Despite its modest performance it was my constant companion until the day I found out that Apple was abandonin
Strechable Laptointrops (Score:4, Insightful)
You know what device I'd like? (Score:2)
Here's a short list of some of the features I'd like to see:
-Reasonably high DPI screen. Doesn't have to be super-big, maybe 12" should be enough, but it's got to have a respectable resolution.
-A backlight that you can
Please, Steve. Give me a touchscreen. (Score:5, Interesting)
Seriously. I love the Fujitsu Lifebook p-series, but I'd be happier if I could use OSX on something similar.
(Unless Wyse or Neoware get their gorram act together and produce a linux-based touchscreen notebook thin client first, anyway. Get on it, people!)
Re:The Pacific Theatre (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:The Pacific Theatre (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Whoopsie! (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)