Slashdot Mirror
MacBook Announcement Expected on Tuesday
wwhsgrad2002 writes "Both ThinkSecret and Apple Insider are reporting that Apple could hold a press conference as early as Tuesday, May 9th, to announce their new line of MacBooks. The laptop will be the Intel-based successor to the company's popular iBook line. The 13.3-inch widescreen MacBook is expected to sport Core Duo processors from Intel Corp and pack novelties such as a completely magnetic latching system, built in iSight video camera, and MagSafe power adapter. Additionally, each MacBook is expected to come bundled with Apple's Front Row and PhotoBooth software applications. A coding glitch with Apple's Web site has all but confirmed the MacBook moniker for the new consumer laptop."
Why would they time it to be the same day as Nintendo's press conference on Tuesday?
I understand that they're different markets, but all eyes are going to be on Nintendo that day. They could easily put it off a week and get 100% of the attention.
I would definitely expect there to be a Core Solo option at the low end of the line, and some of the features from the MacBook Pro are certain to be missing. Integrated video would certainly seem likely - after all, there have to be quite a lot of potential MacBook buyers out there who don't care/aren't willing to pay for dedicated video in their notebook.
i forget
Do those two names strike anyone else as a bit silly? I wish Apple had kept the PowerBook name.
Apple Stores are hosting a pre-release event for the Red Hot Chili Peppers on Tuesday, May 9th. MacBooks will not be released on the same day.
The pro line is called the MacBook Pro, so the consumer line is called the MacBook. I expect the Intel towers, if they ever appear, to be called the Mac, MacTower, MacPC, or the like. They do seem to be moving away from the brand of 'power' to the brand of book.
As far as the screen size, the industry does seen to be standardizing on the 13.3 screen as the small entrant. In terms of cost, this is probably the best choice for the entry level portable. What is interesting is that this probably means that we will see a consolodation of the iBook and Powerbook into a Macbook. The MacBook will be a compromise dimension betwen 12 and 15 inches, while the pro models will be 15 and 17 inches.
Which also leaves the 12" models in limbo. These are really a perfect size, and if the 12" PowerBooks are ever $800 dollars I may buy one, as we are unlikely to see such a machine again. I wonder how long Apple is going to produce PowerPC based macines, which is, really to ask, how long until the PowerMacs are replaced. Or is Apple just going to produce laptops and media centers, and leave the pro image editing to the MS crowd? I shudder to think.
In any case, we will see what happens over the next few day and the next year. Certainly Apple has plenty of time to pull an rabbit out of it's hat since we won't see big PC sales until christmas of 2007 when MS vista will be ready for prime time.
Oh, the joys of life. Perhaps I will get a PowerMac G5 yet, even if they slurp electricity like it is water.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
They'd have to design a new notebook keyboard for anything smaller than the current 12" laptops.
I've used a few 12" laptops, and haven't found a more comfortable keyboard to use than Apple's, it's just so well laid out compared to others that try and cram too many keys into too small a space.
What it comes down to is that Apple feels that it has the right balance in its product offering, and that being a niche in a niche isn't worth it quite yet.
You see, the key to Apple was product differentiation. I don't think people really understand what Apple has taken on when it moved to Intel.
Essentially it's moved its entire product lifecycle up a gear. You'll see newer, faster Apples appearing much more frequently than you used to, because Intel release interim speedbump chips throughout the year - maybe as many as 5 or 6. For Apple, this is a good thing.
But, Intel also releases a new platform technology every year or so, so when Yonah's successor Merom is released, Apple has no choice but to do the same, otherwise it has a marketing dilemma of people doing a like-for-like speed comparison between a Yonah Mac and a Merom PC.
Now, we know that comparing Macs to PCs is apples and oranges, but Joe Public doesn't know that and would possibly plump for a fast new Dell over what on paper looks like a slower, older Mac.
The other downside is that by keeping up with Intel releases, Apples are going to date a lot faster. In a year, the 15" Macbook Pro will be a slow Macbook Pro assuming Apple keep up with Intel. Now it may not be slow to use as OSX software doesn't seem to bloat as fast as PC stuff, but it could potentially cause confusion for new buyers.
The bottom line is that essentially, Apple have rescinded some of their control over their product line development. While they can innovate on peripheral elements such as illuminated screens, magnetic power cords and the like, the core of their machine is now owned by Intel and they are going to have a much tougher time exhibiting the kind of product differentiation that they have been able to in the past.
A 13" MacBook is a nice product, but what's "innovative" about it?
switcher \'swi`ch &r\, n.
A person who thinks that they are a Mac user but are really just trying to be. The mistake they make is to try to become a Mac user, when real Mac users are all about not trying to be anything and following your own rules. There is no fashion code to being a Mac user. There are no rules as to what applications you have to run.
Recent converts like you are ruining the old school Mac community because you are posers. Apple releases one OS that popularizes Fitts' law and the Genie effect, and suddenly people assume being a Mac user is all about owning a Mac. But a real Mac user is born, not made. You "switchers" are misrepresenting yourselves and the Mac platform. You're giving people the wrong idea of what Macintosh is.
switcher: shops at hot topic, thinks Firefox is a good Mac app, waiting for OS X port of PayrollPro 2000, follows any hint of a fashion trend (instead of setting them!), wouldn't know Clarus from Carl Sagan.
real Mac user: someone true to who they are, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world.
There's your answer. At least nowadays (the Powerbook Duos were a while ago), Apple seems to feel that the notebook should contain everything you're going to actually need on a frequent basis. So there aren't external drive bays, docking stations, port replicators or things like that - and yeah, they lean toward the larger screens.
:)
The old 12" iBook was 2.2kg, the 12" PowerBook was 2.1kg. So far, the MacBook Pros have been a little thinner and lighter than the PowerBooks they replaced. If the new MacBook is actually thinner (as has been rumored) than the old iBook, maybe they can get it down to 2kg or less - that'd be nice.
(If the specs are at all decent, I need to buy a few, anyway.)
Incidentally, I have multiple colleagues who use 12" PowerBooks and just tuck them (in thin sleeves) into their little-tote-bag purses. Amusingly, they frequently breeze through metal detectors where everyone else's laptop gets taken out and turned on, because after all, nobody wants to search a purse.
Village idiot in some extremely smart villages.
Very true: the MacBookPro gets VERY warm, VERY quick. In fact, in all honesty, I have probably forfeited my ability to have children.
Worth it. Totally worth it.
Best. Laptop. Ever. And before anyone says "mac fanboy" (no contest) let me at least say that this is my first Apple since my IIe circa '85.
barack to the future?
I think we might think that MWSF 2007 or perhaps WWDC 2007 might bring some interesting new hardware. Either lighter all-in-one notebooks as Jobs seems averse to dongles or tablets. Or perhaps (on the other side of the Mac/iPod divide) the fabled iPhone. For now Apple just has to ship the first Intel Mac in each of their product areas. Big innovation comes later.
One interesting point about the Macbook is how much it will weigh? How well will it compete against the Sony SZ at 4lbs? They "only" have to shed 0.7lb to get there with all the peripherials.
This speaks to a pricing issue Apple is going to have with this product. The 12" Albook has always been in a precarious position with fewer and fewer differentiating factors to justify the price. With the bottom end of the market moving down Apple has to do something if they want to price this over $1000. Light weight is one feature to sell, especially if Apple can deliver a Core Duo at "nearly 4lbs" for much less than $2000. There are Windows users who'd buy these machines but they're not bottom feeders. So like the mini don't expet bargain basement pricing (yet, Apple will reduce the price later).
I just don't think there's much room here for anything more than one each of Solo or Duo models (a la the Intel mini) with similar features to the Intel mac mini. And outside possibility is extra model. The third would be a 12" Albook replacement with ATI graphics (or both ATI and integrated graphics like the Sony SZ) but with the same apperancee and basic design as the
Hopefully the movable keyboard (like the iBook) will be replaced with the much nice fixed Albook like keyboard.
The misdirected mail mentioned on macintouch seems to imply black or white as a choice. Just like the iPod.
Minis are nice in offices, but the real problem is the lack of cheap display. My boss believes that you must buy "mac displays". I managed to talk him into iMacs using his ignorance. Seriously though, if a lamer goes into an apple store wanting a computer for under 1000 dollars, apple can't do it for them. They need a 200 dollar monitor and a mac mini at 500 or less. Its cheaper to buy an iBook right now (until tuesday) than to spend the 700 dollars on that damn apple display. (its great, but not practically priced) How can dell sell monitors at 200 dollars but apple can't?
MidnightBSD: The BSD for Everyone
I agree. I wonder what brand Apple displays are. Most of the Dell's (and all the Ultrasharp/digital ones) are just rebranded Samsung LCD's. I'm pretty sure Apple just has a contract with one of the main LCD companies to slap on a different, and more attractive, casing.
Is the nice casing really worth all the extra $$$ when its the same hardware inside?
It went up $100. Is that quite a bit? They added built-in 802.11g+BT 2 (over having to add it), serial ATA (over parallel), 10/100/1000 ethernet (over 10/100), 2 more USB ports, 1 more memory slot, and optical audio (over just analog audio out). Not to mention I think the Intel GMA 950 is probably better than the Radeon 9200 (which sucks). I have a PowerPC mini (with the secret speed bump) and this is WAY better for the money.
Not since Marie-Antoinette played milkmaid has looking simple and honest been so fake and complicated.
What CS department would use .NET? CS Departments typically shy away from single platform programming languages, at least the ones that I know of do. Even at my extremely Windows-centric university, beginning courses use Java, systems courses use C (and some assembly), networking courses use C & Perl, and programming language design courses use Scheme. Even if your university used .NET, Mono should be acceptable.
---- "XML is like violence. If it doesn't fix the problem, you aren't using enough."
I've been using an Apple machine in one way or another since 1987, when my family got an Apple IIGS. I've never owned a PC. I've had an LC, an LC II, a Centris 660av (the machine of the true believer), a PowerMac 7500 (that lasted through so many upgrades by the end it had no original parts left except the case and power supply), a white iBook, PowerBooks 180c, 520c, Wallstreet II G3 and Al G4, and a Sawtooth G4 (I got lucky and got one of the original 450MHz ones, before the speeds were reduced.)
Right now I have the PB G4 and a Core Duo Mini. I sold the G4 tower (it was also pumped full of upgrades) and just about made enough to cover the cost of the mini--try doing that with a 6 year old PC.
Here's my point--the Core Duo Mini is the coolest piece of Apple kit I've used since OS X 10.2 came out and I switched over permanently. The 1.66 Duo is enough faster than the 1.25 G4 in my PowerBook that I have started to complain about the PowerBook. The OS feels tighter, somehow. I've never had a single problem with Rosetta, apart from a few PrefPanes and plug-ins not loading, which was expected. Mundane things, like browsing in Safari, are hilariously faster. Harder things, like transcoding video, are noticeably quicker. Parallels is nice to have around, even if I never use it.
If the new Macbooks are this good, they're going to be the biggest hit Apple's ever had, particularly at the college level. I don't know any non-geek students who still buy desktops, and the speed and polish of the MacBook coupled with the whole BootCamp/Parallels thing is going to wow a lot of people. I was initially hesitant about the Intel thing, but it really has breathed a whole new life into Apple's product line.
london is drowning and i live by river
The most important feature in a laptop is portability. I don't want a fucking iBook. I want the smallest fully-featured PowerBook imaginable, and, ideally, I want it to have 1600x1200 even on a 12" screen (OK, perhaps that's hyperbole. But 1280x1024 at minimum. Fuck 1024x768.)
Fuck anything above 1024x768. You know what I want? I want software developers to stop designing their applications to take up the most screen real estate they possibly can. Back in my day I had a Mac IIci running at 640x480x8 and I never had any trace of a problem with an application wanting more - unless I was trying to run Word 6 with all the toolbars enabled, god. These days, most computers won't even let you set the resolution below 800x600x16, and even if you can the programs simply won't squeeze into the space anymore. It's fucking ridiculous, they're not displaying MORE data, they're displaying the SAME AMOUNT of data but making LARGER so it won't be so small in high resolutions. It's nothing more than a damned vicious circle of making everything bigger to accomodate other things that are doing the same thing.
My apologies for this rant.