why does the air have an eject key?
it almost makes sense that they would drop the additional fn key on a macbook mini, if it lacks the optical drive like the air (also, what does that key on the air do anyway?).
Is this the face of Apple's unannounced netbook? Russian MacBook Mini Russian mag's MacBook Mini Image courtesy 9to5mac.com According to one Russian magazine it is, and the title even lists specifications for the MacBook Air-like machine, website 9to5mac notes. Well, kind of. There are some inconsistencies. The 10.4in, …
Apple's standardising on x64; aren't there rumors that OS X 10.6 will be x64-only?
If that's the case, then putting the 32-bit-only Z-series Intel Atom makes zero sense, and makes it better resemble mass-market netbooks, which Steve Jobs says they're not going to do.
/Paris because her brain's about the same size as the processor's namesake
Okay, so I'm a Mac 'Fanboi' but I've have never had the desire to have a notebook, Mac or otherwise, being quite happy with my Mac Pro desktop. But if this rumour is true then I could definitely change my opinion.
I have an iPhone (yes, again I'm a 'fanboi'), which is cool for mobile internet but I can't help thinking I'd like a bigger display ta v much. All I'd like is to watch the occasional video when I'm travelling, perhaps do a bit of word processing and internet browsing. This could be exactly what I need. I really want this to be true!
There are many clues that this is a fake... but a good one.
* In the image showing the keyboard from the side with the reflection of the keyboard visible, the reflection of the aluminium section between the Fn keys and hinge is far too large.
* On the comparison shots of MacBook Pro, MacBook Mini and MacBook Air, zoom in to the bottom left of the keyboard - there are marks on the alf and cmd keys that are identical on each and if you look at the shift and capslock keys they show signs of being extended and shrunk from the Pro versions.
* There is a strange "dot" on the "P" key of both the Pro and Mini
* The trackpad is exactly central in both of the real computers, but slightly off-centre in the "Mini" - do you really think Apple would be so sloppy?
* The "1" key is a different size to all the other number keys - and this is supposed to be an Apple?
This is definitely a fake. The Mac keyboard is exactly the same on all models (within your localization) and it is almost as wide as a 13-inch display. If Apple is going to release a Mac with a 25% smaller display than any other, they are going to need to do major surgery on the Mac keyboard to make it 25% smaller also. They would have to do that again for every international market. That's a lot of work just to make 1 freakish Mac model with its own unique hard-to-use keyboard. Consider that if you go into an Apple Store today you will see exactly 1 keyboard layout on all of the Macs there, so it is really something to talk about a new Mac model with its own keyboard. And you can't even touch type on it. Also, would there really be enough space between the keys to do them in the Unibody way, setting them into a CNC'd part?
The more-believable Apple Netbook rumor is the 10-inch iPod at a Netbook price point. Instead of a lesser Mac you get a bigger iPod. Consider the advantages:
- for browser-based computing you can turn the iPod vertical and fill up the screen with a typical Web page or application
- iPhone OS already knows 3G and ultra-low battery life and complete portability
- running Kindle.app it's better than a hardware Kindle, and presents an opportunity for Apple to add books to the iTunes Store (they already own the iBook name)
- big onscreen keyboard will be better than many Netbooks, and Bluetooth or dock-accessory hardware keyboards will be available as an add-on for people like writers who really need to touch-type (see the iPhone OS 3.0 announcement)
- only has to be one model because the internationalization happens entirely in software, reducing the price considerably
Consider also that Apple has been shipping iPhone OS devices for almost 2 years and so far has used only 320x480 displays on devices you can fit in one hand. It certainly could be time for a larger iPod, whether or not anyone ever said the word "Netbook" or not. An iPod with the full HD resolution would make perfect sense at some point in the future.
I use a MacBook Air and an iPhone, carry them with me everywhere when I'm working, and it seems to me that the thing that is in-between them is not another Mac, it's an iPhone with a big screen. The iPhone is already a shrunken-down version of the Mac, it's easier to expand it up then shrink down the Mac again in another way.
As much as I love Apple, this isn't going to do it, at least not for me. A big draw of netbooks isn't just the size, its low cost. And if this comes in at less than $750 I'd be stunned. If its real at all.
I have an EEE PC 1000HA running Leopard "yes bought my own OS X disk" And its a light, cheap, long battery life netbook that cost me about as much as my iPod touch. I love real Macs, I own two of them. Mind you, my Hackentosh EEPC would never make me give up my Macbook Pro. But The netbook market is not a group Apple understands. They will take the economy netbook and turn it into a high end aluminum micro Mac and expect everyone else who can't meet the cost to limp along on an iPod touch..
If they can keep it under $500 I'll be interested. But I'm not holding my breath.
Sounds a bit like a fake too me. too many things mentioned that don't match. On top of that, I'll assume it says $899 [US?]. If so, that will be an expensive netbook. With the specs, sounds more like a small notebook. No netbooks on the market has that much RAM or that big of a SSD drive. wonder if the 1280*768 resolution is valid as well.
On top of that, Steve Jobs said it wasn't worth creating a netbook as it wouldn't be profitable.
For starters, the 1280x768 resolution is a giveaway that someone behind this article is coming from PC-land -- Apple use 1280x800 as one of their standard screen resolutions for a reason.
And for seconds, 5100-odd mAh in the battery for a 1Kg netbook? If they can do that, we have a technical term for this machine: we call it a "bomb". (Most netbooks with 6-cell batteries tend to weigh in at around 1300 grams, for a reason: half of it is battery. If they've crammed that many cells into so light a machine, either the machine itself is barely there, or they've got some mystical new high-energy-density storage medium ...)
This is a monster netbook. If real, there's no way Apple will be able to sell it at a price to compete with the rest of them.
I'd put actual money on it being fake, but only a fiver or so. It wouldn't be the first time Apple have reinvented something, missed the point completely, and called it a revolution.