IF there is a sub-notebook...(Macworld)

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KodiakStar

KodiakStar

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Do you think you would buy one?

I was considering an "EEE PC" from Asus but after seeing a Sony with a similar screen size, I felt it was a bit too small.

Granted if there is a sub-notebook by apple, it will be more then 400$...

I am impressed with my wifes 15" mbp that we just bought, that I would consider getting a sub and probably install XP on it. OS (letters) just hasn't impressed me enough to use it on a normal basis.
 
Then there's no real point to getting a Mac notebook, is there?

It's one thing if you periodically dip into Windows, but if your goal is to run it full-time, you'd be more honest if you got a Windows rig. Otherwise you're just sacrificing some money and hard drive space.

Me, I find OS X is much better-suited to notebooks than Windows is. If money allowed, I'd get the new notebook right quick.
 
I agree... if you're primarily planning to use windows, there is no point in spending the money on a mac.
 
Andrmgic said:
I agree... if you're primarily planning to use windows, there is no point in spending the money on a mac.
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unless its absolutely stunningly sexy and spectacular (which very very very very very very few pcs are) and it had enough HD space for windows and ur needs...
 
whats with all these pc guys wanting to run windows on the mac now days? does anyone else think it is like buying a ferrari and replacing the engine with that from a volkswagen?

seriously, just sit down with the os for a few days, learn the ins and outs, and i doubt you will be switching back.

yeah, i have xp installed on my macbook, for 2 reasons. 1. because i can, and 2. where i currently work, i occasionally need the windows, unfortunately. i do hate giving the hard drive space to xp, but i can deal with it for the convenience of 2 computers in 1.

as for a mac sub-notebook. IF one is released, i will definitely want it. however, just like any other piece of technology (save leopard) i always wait till the second generation to get the bugs out. depending on the offering though, i may try to find a way to fund one really hard. especially if it had tablet style input.
 
The rumor is that the sub-notebook (if there is one) will cost $1500. That's slightly obscene. Even for a Mac. Even though I still kind of want one.
 
I would love a subnotebook but if it does come out for $1500 then I might just wait for the ASUS EEE pc with the full I think it's 8 or 9" screen. Now if Apple's device had like a core 2 duo in it and had the ability to twist the screen so you could use it tablet style with some ebook functionality then I would seriously consider it.
 
It ALL depends on battery life and processing power. If we're getting something like 5-6 hours of battery life (or more!) then I'd seriously consider it for classes. Hell, I'd save about 600$ in batteries alone in the next 4 years or so.
 
finalgt said:
The rumor is that the sub-notebook (if there is one) will cost $1500. That's slightly obscene. Even for a Mac. Even though I still kind of want one.
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Slightly?! WTF? Im expecting around 600$, for 1500 id rather get a full powered macbook then that...it better have some damn good features for that much, multi touch, razor thin OLED display, blu-ray, 320gb SSD drive, ect....if it aint got any of this then it aint worth it at all!
 
I won't get into it on OS, its pointless.

As far as why I would get this particular one, 13" is better then 7" or 9", and the rumored 32gb steady state drive would be better then hacking the 8gb EEE to try and hold more, or filling up the slot with an add-on card.

I'm a fan of the "bones" of the macbook that my wife has, screen brightness, quality of build (other then getting a bit warm)...

If someone else had out a machine, with all the same features, for a decent price point, I would get it instead. But this might be the first sub-n that I would buy into.

(we have had the mac-b-pro for over a month, and it the os just doesn't do it for me)
 
I haven't chimed in on here for quite a while, but I have to say that there is absolutely NO way apple would release a laptop for anything less than a grand ($1000). It would be assenine to think apple would allow it's operating system to be run (without some tomfoolery) on any (laptop) computer they sell for anything less. Rumor has it that it is a sub notebook that is in the form factor IE: metal shell such as the macbook pro, and if that is such the case, and since it will have an SSD, there is absolutely no way that laptop would go for anything less than a grand. I would be surprised, very very surprised if Apple didn't hit the 1600+ mark with this laptop. It will be smaller (and presumably faster) than the macbook, will likely have a better keyboard than the macbook, and if anything it will likely be a smaller macbook pro sans DVD drive.

My fiance owns a EEEpc, we shipped it to my place over christmas so I had the opportunity to play with it for a couple weeks before getting it in her hands, and it just doesn't compare to the macbook or macbook pro, or anything apple produces for that matter for quality, speed, or anything else. And for $400, it is actually overpriced in my opinion. The screen is FAR inferior, and the keyboard, albeit after some use, I was able to get used to it a little more, is a complete joke.

You open up a word document, and you can't fit the whole thing on there without shrinking the text down to a size only seen by those wearing binoculars, and when viewing websites, it doesn't at all make sense to have to scroll left or right to view them.

You might as well own your ipod touch or iphone for viewing websites. They practically have the same resolution.

Beyond that, the new 9" EEEpc is going to be priced significantly more than the 399 price point the 4gig version is at the moment, and I guarantee that the macbook(sub-notebook) will include a much larger SSD drive. At least a 32gig version if not the 64.

The OS, ram, SSD, build, and screen resolution are all reasons that I can't imagine comparing the EEEpc to the plausible sub-macbook.

Anyway, I can't say I will be switching over from my santa-rosa macbook pro anytime soon, but the market for the sub-notebook release from apple does twinkle in my eye. It just wont have the practicality and usability that I require in a full size, and full priced laptop.
~m
 
Whatever notebook it is, as long as it has a metal housing I'm going to buy one and gold plate it :D
 
Qtip42 said:
Whatever notebook it is, as long as it has a metal housing I'm going to buy one and gold plate it :D
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LOL! i saw that one coming.... although im still hoping to see some black plating from you. gold just isnt my thing. ;)

honestly though, i would not be surprised at all if the sub-notebook didn't show up. apple has kicked around the idea for a long time, but it has never materialized. granted there are some more awesome technologies available now that just weren't there a couple years ago. instead, id expect it to be like a more portable version of the macbook pro. probably along the same size of the macbook, only with beefier specs, comparable to the MBP. kind of as a replacement for the old 12 inch powerbook.

either way, happening or not, i can go either way. i love my macbook, but i would like to have a more compact notebook. on the other hand, i would love to have a mac style tablet even more so. if it were like a tablet, id probably justify keeping the macbook AND the new sub-notebook.

but, i would be even more impressed if it were more along the lines of a pda or pocket pc. full computer functionality, iphone grace. but, i haven't kept up with the rumors.
 
I'm actually waiting waiting on this, and depending on specs, will pick one up when they are available. The Asus box is priced right, but the screen is too small. I'm looking at one of the 12.1" xSeries thinkpads or the soon to be announced Apple alternative.

I'll often travel with two laptops, so a sub notebook would be perfect. Bonus points if I can open it when the person in front of me reclines their seat on the airplane.
 
Black doesn't seem to work as well in terms of perceived value. So while I'm tired of gold myself, other people aren't. There is an antique gold which can be done which looks dark in flat spots and transitions to yellow around curves/bends in the metal.


wankrtron said:
LOL! i saw that one coming.... although im still hoping to see some black plating from you. gold just isnt my thing. ;)

honestly though, i would not be surprised at all if the sub-notebook didn't show up. apple has kicked around the idea for a long time, but it has never materialized. granted there are some more awesome technologies available now that just weren't there a couple years ago. instead, id expect it to be like a more portable version of the macbook pro. probably along the same size of the macbook, only with beefier specs, comparable to the MBP. kind of as a replacement for the old 12 inch powerbook.

either way, happening or not, i can go either way. i love my macbook, but i would like to have a more compact notebook. on the other hand, i would love to have a mac style tablet even more so. if it were like a tablet, id probably justify keeping the macbook AND the new sub-notebook.

but, i would be even more impressed if it were more along the lines of a pda or pocket pc. full computer functionality, iphone grace. but, i haven't kept up with the rumors.
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is a macbook so heavy and the screen so large that you need something lighter with a 1" smaller screen? Does it really make that much of a difference?

There are better things Apple could be working on. Such as a tower for home users that uses c2d processors, DDR2 or DDR3 ram and I can upgrade the video card. And don't say the mac pro. It's a workstation and not aimed at consumers, it uses xeon processors and FB Dimms and is very expensive.
 
there is no point for the consumer tower when there is the imac. sure you cant upgrade the video card, but seriously, there arent that many mac compatible vid cards to begin with. so why have a tower with a replaceable card, but no cards to go in it. THAT makes a lot of sense.
 
Archer75 said:
is a macbook so heavy and the screen so large that you need something lighter with a 1" smaller screen? Does it really make that much of a difference?
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The macbook, with a 13" (or so) screen is pretty darn close. Battery life is fair - not great. (Wife uses one) Traveling with a pair of laptops, one a t60p thinkpad for work (with extra battery), another for personal (and emergency work, were something bad to happen) gets to be heavy. I'm in the market for an ultra portable. They get this right - I'll be pulling out the amex tomorrow. The xSeries 12" is a contender. As is the $400 (before mods) Asus. Long battery life and a nice resolution are primary drivers for me, as the airline seats I sit in don't have power outlets. Bonus if it weighs in at less than the extra battery pack for the t60p.
 
wankrtron said:
there is no point for the consumer tower when there is the imac. sure you cant upgrade the video card, but seriously, there arent that many mac compatible vid cards to begin with. so why have a tower with a replaceable card, but no cards to go in it. THAT makes a lot of sense.
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If they release the tower the video cards will come. It's not as if you are ripping out the video card it comes with as soon as your mac arrives.

The imac is a useless to me. I have both a 24" and 20" LCD. I don't need to throw them away just to get a computer. And the ATI 2600 video card in them is rather weak. I'd hate to be stuck with it.

There is a market for towers. Those of us who have monitors but need more than the mini offers.
 
maybe this is why apple offers a free recycling program for any type of computer.

or perhaps ebay or even the forums here.

your argument still makes absolutely no sense to me. why would you want to waste the space for a tower when you could have the whole computer tucked behind your monitor? the main reason people want to yank a video card is because there is something that will help them get a better frame rate on their games out. and since there really isnt that many games out for the mac right now, the argument seems pointless.

if you wanna truly get vid cards coming for the mac, get the games to run on mac first. if you have the games, the cards will come, otherwise, you will be stuck without.
 
wankrtron said:
maybe this is why apple offers a free recycling program for any type of computer.

or perhaps ebay or even the forums here.

your argument still makes absolutely no sense to me. why would you want to waste the space for a tower when you could have the whole computer tucked behind your monitor? the main reason people want to yank a video card is because there is something that will help them get a better frame rate on their games out. and since there really isnt that many games out for the mac right now, the argument seems pointless.

if you wanna truly get vid cards coming for the mac, get the games to run on mac first. if you have the games, the cards will come, otherwise, you will be stuck without.
Click to expand...

With the advent of bootcamp, gaming is more accessible to mac users than ever. In light of this, I think it would be worth re-evaluating the merits of a stand-alone non-pro tower.
 
Andrmgic said:
With the advent of bootcamp, gaming is more accessible to mac users than ever. In light of this, I think it would be worth re-evaluating the merits of a stand-alone non-pro tower.
Click to expand...

For the gamer community, yes, but that's never really been their target has it? Comparatively, I'd imagine it's much more lucrative to market towards the billions of non-PC-gamers out there, than the small percentage of PC gamers that would want to buy a mac in the first place. It'd be fun, sure, but I don't see that many units shipping in comparison to how many iMacs and MacBooks are being shipped out their doors right now.
 
wankrtron said:
maybe this is why apple offers a free recycling program for any type of computer.

or perhaps ebay or even the forums here.

your argument still makes absolutely no sense to me. why would you want to waste the space for a tower when you could have the whole computer tucked behind your monitor? the main reason people want to yank a video card is because there is something that will help them get a better frame rate on their games out. and since there really isnt that many games out for the mac right now, the argument seems pointless.

if you wanna truly get vid cards coming for the mac, get the games to run on mac first. if you have the games, the cards will come, otherwise, you will be stuck without.
Click to expand...

I don't care about space. I have plenty of room. Hell my main desktop is a giant cube from mountainmods.com
All I care about is specs. And there are more games out for mac than you may realize. And with bootcamp one could play any game.
It seems mac users are more used to buying a computer, using it and then throwing it away. PC users upgrade piece by piece. I build my own systems. My desktop, my server and my HTPC. And i'd be willing to buy a mac, but I need to upgrade that video card. It increases it's life to me.
 
Here comes the info... (streaming from http://www.macrumorslive.com/)

10:23 am 5 hours of Battery Life
10:23 am No optical drive, but a Superdrive accessory is available for $99. Also, software comes with the MacBook Air that allows you to "borrow" a Mac or PCs optical drive.
10:21 am 802.11n + Bluetooth 2.1/EDR
10:20 am Other features: 45 Watt MagSafe, 1 USB 2.0 port, Micro-DVI, Audio Out
10:19 am Steve retaking stage

10:19 am Otellini: The processor is as thick as a nickle and as wide as a dime.
10:18 am Apple asked Intel to shrink the Core 2 Duo. Intel shrunk the processor by 60%. Paul Otellini, CEO of Intel is taking the stage
10:17 am 1.6 GHz Standard, 1.8 GHz Option -- Intel Core 2 Duo
10:16 am 80 GB hard disk standard, 64 GB SSD as an option. "they're pricy, but they're fast"
10:15 am 1.8" Hard Drive
10:15 am How did we fit a Mac in here?
10:15 am Move a window by double-tap and move. Rotate a photo by pivoting your index finger around your thumb. Of course, pinch-zoom.
10:14 am Multi-touch trackpad
10:13 am display is LED backlit. iSight is built-in. MacBook-like keyboard, but with an ambient light sensor
10:12 am Magnetic latch, 13.3" widescreen display
10:12 am MacBook Air is 0.16" to 0.76". The thickest part of the MacBook Air is thinner than the thinnest part of the Sony. It fits inside a envelope
10:10 am We thought 3 lbs is a good target weight, but there was too much compromise with the other features
10:10 am Most people think of Sony TZ series when they think of thin notebooks. Competition specs: 3 lbs, .8-1.2 inches, 11 or 12" display, miniature keyboard, and slower processor.
10:08 am "The World's Thinnest Notebook"
10:08 am As you know, Apple makes the best notebooks in the industry. Today, we are introducing a third kind of notebook. It's called the MacBook Air
10:08 am 4th thing: There's something in the air
 
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