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MacBook Updates Rumored To Include Glass Trackpad
CWmike writes to tell us that Seth Weintraub has been hearing some interesting rumors surrounding the next iteration of Apple's MacBook line. "I have been hearing some interesting things about Apple's upcoming line of portable computers. The talk amongst insiders on the new MacBooks is kind of scattered but here's a summation of what I've heard: The new models are thinner than current MacBook and MacBook Pros and slightly more rounded, taking design cues from the MacBook Air; the trackpad is glass, multi-touch and uses gestures. The screen isn't multi-touch; the body is manufactured out of one piece of aluminum. Eco-friendly, yet sturdy. Manufacturing process is completely different; the release date will be in the last weeks of September."
What makes this "eco-friendly"? The glass trackpad? The "manufactured out of one piece of aluminum"?
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
I hope under the glass trackpad there's a little display just like the iPhone's.
mod me funny
Yes. Yes it can actually.
What are the advantages of a glass trackpad? Wouldn't your finger stick to it?
Since when was /. (officially) devoted to Linux/open source?
I've used a few touchpads in my time, and the bad ones are the ones that either started off glossy, or became glossy because of wear. I'm fine with using glossy touch-screens for tapping around or stylus work, but trying to operate one as a mouse for a long period of time gets immensely annoying. The slightest bit of sweat on my fingertips makes them stick and stutter across.
I've not used an iPhone or iPod touch for long, but I got the impression that they were designed to favour short finger motions on the pad for precisely this reason. I'm not sure it would translate well into a touchpad.
No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
If you want a real revolution, simply making the screen a *touchscreen* would be great, not trying to change the surface material of the touchpad, which people generally hate anyway...
I've really been trying to figure it out, but I can't. If it does have a second LCD in the trackpad as smitty97 speculates, it sure won't be more eco-friendly:
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/07/04/lcd-greenhouse-gas-worries/1
Also if it has a 1-piece aluminum chassis, it will be more difficult to repair, therefore more likely to be replaced, therefore more hardware going into landfills, therefore less eco-friendly. The case itself is sturdier but if it's one hard piece of aluminum, the internals will take more damage and the case will take less. Again, less eco-friendly. A good case for preventing damage would be a replaceable one made of thin, soft metal.
Also getting the parts inside such a case would be a nightmare...I guess the screen would have a slit on the bottom where the internals are inserted and then clipped into place, and the body would just have removable bays as usual, but then the mobo and keyboard would be non-replaceable.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
since before VA LINUX bought them.
Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.
Why would you want what you payed for? Don't you enjoy being robbed? I think that the shinyness of MacBook compensates for its lack of pwnage.
It's not about being devoted exclusively to Linux/FOSS, it's about the simple fact that this entire "article" is that there's a rumour that new Macbooks might have a glass touchpad and an aluminium casing. Even if that was a stone-cold fact it wouldn't be newsworthy, so as a rumour it's complete bullshit. The GP is right.
so the wifi range can be shorter O_o
It seems like they're assuming an iPod touch screen surface would be required to have a multi-touch trackpad.
This is not the case.
September 2011: Looking for Cocoa/iOS work in Boston area Cocoa Programmer Quincy, MA
At $1500 it should be better or at least put a bigger screen in.
13" lightweight laptops are more expensive than the big bulky 15.4" laptops of the same specs.
This is true across the board.
The Macbook actually compares very well with current offerings from Dell. Compare it to the Vostro 1310 and XPS 1330. The Macbook specs are getting slightly dated in comparison to Dell's frequent updates, but when the new Macbook comes out expect the specs to be as good or better for the price than similarly-equipped laptops from other manufacturers.
except the Macbook is 1099 not 1500 base and the extra you pay to bump it up to the 1500 level are in processor, disk drive, memory and hard drive
"Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."
The RAM/HD bay in my Macbook is behind the battery. I DNRTFA, but I don't see why having the body be a single piece of aluminum would prevent them from doing the same thing.
You mean, you can actually get the HD out without tearing the machine apart into a million pieces now? Well, that's a pleasant surprise. When did this start happening? Because I still haven't seen this.
What?
Only in the macbook can you easily service the ram and hard drive. In the macbook pro the only 'user' serviceable part is the ram. The reality of taking apart a macbook pro is out of the reach of most users.
the MacBook Pro already has a multi-touch trackpad, so I'm not sure where the rumor part comes in...
If Apple wanted to be cool, they'd dump the trackpad entirely and add a trackpoint.
Yes, that's right. They should switch to the nub. The pencil eraser. The clit mouse. The keyboard clit.
C'mon, it'd be awesome.
I support the Center for Consumer Freedom
Good god! I apologize! The slight misspelling of that word must have made the entire pose unreadable!
Why do you assume bigger is better? I'd rather have a 13" laptop than a 15" laptop.
My perfect laptop form factor would be a 12" non-widescreen with nVidia discrete graphics. Oh, and it would be even more awesome if it were a tablet and doubly awesome if I could rotate it into portrait mode.
Too bad the ThinkPad X61 only has GMA...
I support the Center for Consumer Freedom
They called him Mr. Glass.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
wish Apple would make a 14.1 inch macbook. 13' is just a little too small for me.
Not sure about the entire pose, but definitely left a bitter aftertaste after reading the *post*...
Sorry friend, you set it up, I knocked it down.
Who is general failure, and why is he reading my hard drive?
a Stained Glass trackpad to our religious users?
But I really would like to see something that I could use a day or two on a charge. If they can make it paper thin and still run a few hours, then surely, they could make something twice as thick that would go for a day?
WWJD -- What Would Jimi Do?
(Smash amp, burn guitar, take home the groupies)
Apple has NEVER used desktop processors in ANY of their Intel lines. Even Mini and iMac use notebook processors, and the Mac Pros use Server-grade Xeon processors. That give them an edge up in buying quantity over Dell because they only buy higher margin parts that Intel likes to sell, not "cheap" ones.
They are considered more "eco-friendly" because they are removing parts and changing to reusable materials. I have an old Snow iBook and the thing is a complex mess of two layers of plastic with "tin foil" to try to meet EMI requirements. The new macbook has barely any parts inside.. only one PCB even. By changing to a metal frame it makes the machine mostly glass and metal... all things nearly 100% recyclable versus plastic that's "sort of" recyclable and required high priced oil to make. I'm sure it's also CHEAPER for them to do (or more marketable) or they wouldn't be doing it either. Apple is looking for ways to separate themselves from the pack, and to cut down on repairs of all those white plastic pieces.
Why do you assume bigger is better? I'd rather have a 13" laptop than a 15" laptop.
My perfect laptop form factor would be a 12" non-widescreen with nVidia discrete graphics.
I definitely agree. However, TFA says that:
16:9 screens which come in slightly bigger sizes: 14 inch and 15.6 inch with different resolutions, obviously.
Pretty disappointing... Come on Apple, everybody wants subnotebooks nowadays, and you increase the screen size??? If these rumors are true, the only 13 inch Macbook will be the Air? :) inch notebook in the near future...
I still hope Apple will make a 12 (or, who knows, maybe 10
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My perfect laptop form factor would be a 12" non-widescreen with nVidia discrete graphics. Oh, and it would be even more awesome if it were a tablet and doubly awesome if I could rotate it into portrait mode.
Not quite sure why the discrete graphics is so important. It's not like you'll be playing any high-end games on a machine like that (which will inevitably have a form-factor requiring a relatively slow ULV CPU).
It cracks me up how many people who read a "news for nerds" web site are confounded by a laptop that requires a screwdriver and some simple instructions to disassemble.
Gosh, it's so HARD! There's SCREWS!
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
Not sure the all-aluminum thing is an improvement; there are plenty of forum postings out there noting that MBPs have worse WiFi reception than standard MBs, and blaming it on the aluminum. (I've found the same thing to be true on my machines as well.)
I don't care about high-end games, I care about memory usage.
Integrated graphics don't have their own memory. They work by eating system memory. I run without swap, so I need as much memory as I can get.
By the way, the Thinkpad X61 (a 12" non-widescreen notebook) does not require a ULV processor. It can come with anything up to a T8300.
I support the Center for Consumer Freedom
It cracks me up how many people who read a "news for nerds" web site are confounded by a laptop that requires a screwdriver and some simple instructions to disassemble.
Perhaps you missed this part:
The reality of taking apart a macbook pro is out of the reach of most users.
. . . taking apart a macbook pro is out of the reach of most users.
. . . taking apart a macbook pro is out of the reach of most users.
most users.
We're a fringe. I like it that way.
More Twoson than Cupertino
Dock the iPhone where the trackpad would be, to lower manufacturing costs. Could use the iPhone's screen so that the trackpad would be more than just input, it would be a second display.
Maybe.
That's a stupid point you're trying to make, the dangerous chemical use is proportionnal to the area, so having a tiny screen 1/10th the area of the main screen is going to add, what, 10% of that bad chemical at worst. Boohooooo.
I have a MacBook and aside from the ordeal I had to go through getting basic developer tools working, the edges are so sharp that I'm gonna have to take some sandpaper out or file them down before the pain in my wrists become too much for me.
Drill baby drill - on Mars
Surely glass is a really bad idea for laptops? It's heavier than plastic, and less durable in terms of scratch resistance and shattering. Worse still it has more friction than some plastics, so not ideal for moving your finger over.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
I'm surprised that, as a member of the tiny Apple fan base, you write in that tone.
If you are not a member of the Apple fan base, I suggest the fact that you could be bothered to read at least the summary and post this, proves your assertion incorrect.
All I want is a secure system where it's easy to do anything I want. Is that too much to ask ~~ Randall Munroe
Sounds like the DS. Dual Screens? I know it doesn't say anything about having the glass track-pad as a screen, but what other use is there for making it glass?
It's the only way for Mac users to keep up with the confusion that Windows users experience when dealing with all those extra mouse buttons.
I agree, it's not newsworthy.
But there are plenty of other IT stories to fill the day.
Uh huh. And most users wouldn't replace their own hard drive, regardless of how mechanically simple it is.
Upgrading computers is something >90% of computer users simply don't care about.
I don't care if I'm the fringe or not...I just don't understand why people get so exercised about the fact that Apple computers sometimes require disassembly to service. Anybody who has the slightest desire to do so can. Anybody who doesn't, doesn't likely care.
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
http://www.misterbg.org/AppleProductCycle/
There are mountains to cross for those that are willing.
re: Why do you assume bigger is better?
More screen estate, higher resolution. I actually want two laptops: one Eepc and one 17" laptop. One is obviously ultra-portable and fine for checking email, running diagnostics with wireshark, etc. while on the other you can do real work or play actual games. Sometimes just having a portable desktop/workstation replacement is nice.
Of course considering I prefer to run Linux, gaming would be limited to LBreakout and Supertux. ;)
The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
Round corners reminds me of the old joke;
Q;Why do they make macs so big?
A: So mac users cant put them up their asses.
Q: Why do macs have round corners?
A: Just in case they manage the above!
(-:
In just about all respects except CPU power, my old 12" G4 Powerbook was so much better. But if the new Macbook comes with a 14" screen, I won't buy one - it will be too big for airplane use. And the Macbook Air doesn't have a replaceable battery, so it's no good for long flights either (yes, I do a lot of work on long-haul flights). Looks like I'm stuck with my crappy Macbook - I'm compelled to run MS Office and need a Unix development environment so I'm going to stick with MacOS X. Money isn't an issue - it's a company machine. But Apple seem determined not to make the full-featured but fairly compact machine I really need.
Well, you're obviously part of the minority; the Air has been Apple's best-selling product since it came out, and the standard MacBook has been switching between second and third since the holidays.
</annoyingbastard>
Yeah, I *can* upgrade the HD in my MBP, but I choose not to because it voids my warranty. Why is that so hard to understand??
Even IF I didn't have my warranty, I would not want to do it because my time is better spent doing other things, like actually getting my work done.
Besides, I can't understand why, when I bring my MBP to the "Genius" bar to upgrade my HD, they tell me not even THEY can do it, but only an Apple Certified repair shop. Wtf?
What bothers me most is that it's an expensive machine, and their LESS expensive machine, the Macbook, actually HAS a user serviceable HD.
Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine -- Robert C. Gallagher
I call BS. Upgrading your hard drive does not void your warranty. I've upgraded my macbook pro's hard drive and subsequently had it serviced under applecare (fan started making noise, it was replaced under warranty) with no issues. It took me longer to back up and restore 80GB of data than it did to physically swap the drives.
Blogging Weight Loss, Distance Education, and more at verlin.com
Manufacturing process is completely different; the release date will be in the last weeks of September
If so, then great! About 4-8 weeks too late for the back-to-school crowd.
Brilliant!
Please help metamoderate.
I can't wait for iWindex to appear on the apple store
Exactly, It's the only reason I cannot recommend it to any of my customers. An easy to service machine is much cheaper and takes much less time to uh...service, and I have run into a lot of crappy drives recently. A 20 dollar job shouldn't cost hundreds of dollars along with the increased of breaking something. That's something I simply can't afford. Best to keep my hands(and my reputation) clean and send them off the the Apple store.
What?
So if I'm understanding this right if a $0.05 part goes out and it would not be covered under warranty the customer would be charged the fee for the whole system of parts (probably several hundred dollars) while Apple gets to refurbish and resell the system of parts after they replace the cheap part (plus in house labor rates). Yea I can see how this would be win/win for apple. The only way to make this fair would be to reimburse the original purchaser for the parts that would be reused during the refurb, sort of like a core charge when you bring back your old starter motor. I would also guess that someone somewhere also is making the call that if the time and material to refurbish a system if going to be more then what they can resell the refurbish for, it will still be tossed in a landfill.
For me it's not a nerd thing. It's a business issue. It's not worth the time and risk. Besides, those are very tiny screws, which I doubt even space ants can handle. And lets not forget all the tape and glue either. There's no reason to make a computer in such a fashion, until you remember that lack of serviceability is more of a fashion statement than anything else. I could even accept it if they put it under the keyboard instead of burying it in one of the most inaccessible spots they could find. Absolutely outrageous.
What?
The idea behind making it simple to service is to make it cheap and less labor intensive to service. It reduces by orders of magnitude the risk of breakage.
What?
Now I can get rid of my therapist and solve my Eco-Guilt with another Macbook I don't need! Thanks Steve Jobs!
Back in 2001, I bought a Toshiba 5105-s607 laptop (I'm still using it). It has a glass touchpad, with a second display (and a controllable EL backlight!). It's even completely supported by Linux, as well as Windows. I use it to display messages while my display is idle and powered off (e.g., new email, small animations, etc.).
So, what's the Apple innovation again?
Can You Say Linux? I Knew That You Could.
It does piss of some people when the subject of just how much power Al Gore uses is brought up. I mean is it really that bad that his home uses more power in 3 weeks than the typical American family uses in a year?
Would it be more usable than the conventional tablet [ ie. scribbling on the screen ], to have a smaller screen to write on? It would seem to keep the 'input clutter' away from the primary screen, provide feedback and higher resolution sensing.
Also, you could use the iSight + little screen to get innovative viewing angles....
When did Slashdot's tag line become "Rumours for Nerds. Stuff that might matter."??
I did indeed upgrade my hard drive in my mbp, it was a pain in the ass. Nowhere near as simple as my dell. I would not call it user serviceable, unlike replacing the ram, if you do not know exactly what you are doing you can really fuck up your mbp.
Uh, aluminum generally doesn't go to landfills. It's too valuable. Generally, if there's aluminum bound for a landfill, someone else figures out it's worth their while to make an extra buck by recycling it.
I've owned an aluminum Powerbook for 5 years. It's still quite useful. And yes, it's definitely been dropped -- from waist-height onto asphalt! Result: some small dents and that's it! If, as you suggest, the ideal case is a replaceable, recyclable, soft thin metal, then aluminum is probably the ideal case material. (Pure aluminum is soft! It has to be alloyed to make it hard.)
Well, then go to the Genius bar and tell them that.
Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine -- Robert C. Gallagher
I think this puts your theories to rest.
How about this: "Gore isn't quite as green as he's led the world to believe"? Between Present Bush and Al Gore guess who's home is more energy efficient... Bush's home. While Gore's home is a gluttony for energy Bush's home is pretty efficient. Bush's home was built to use geothermal energy for heating, though this link says Gore installed such a system in his home. Some get on Bush because he's an oilman however Gore's family has also invested in oil, specifically they invested in Oxy, Occidental Petroleum, and Oxy has threatened a number of native Indian tribes ancestral lands.
Falcon
Should there be a Law?
transportation.
Actually I think most of Apple's product line actually will require more transportation. While stuff like the Mac Mini and iMac are lighter they are not really expandable. Only the Mac Pros are. I can replace the motherboard, hard disks, graphics cards and other components in a Dell or HP thus extending it's life. But I can't do that to a Mini. My last 2 PCs I added internal hard disks, installed new mobos, and a graphics card. I can slowly upgrade a PC making it last longer but I can't do that to most Macs. However laptops, both PC and MacBook/ MacBook Pros, suffer this as well. And I say that typing this on a MacBook Pro.
Falcon
Should there be a Law?
Hell, Al cans vanish out of my recycling bin before the truck even gets there. It's magic!
Yea, I used to get paid to recycle, now I have to pay to recycle.
Falcon
Should there be a Law?
Actually plastic was originally made from plants, plants farmers could grow not manufacturing plants. Chemurgy was about making industrial products with agricultural material. DuPont was awarded a patent in the 1930s on a process for making plastic from petroleum so Chemurgy fell by the wayside. However now it's making a comeback, with Bioplastics.
Falcon
Should there be a Law?
How predictable...some Grünsturmabteilung pussy doesn't have a snappy comeback for my previous post, so he mods it down as Overrated. Whoever you are, you're a gutless coward. Fortunately, I have karma to burn, so I hereby invite you to suck the barbed cock of Satan.
20 January 2017: the End of an Error.