RSSCNBC: Apple preps sub-notebook for Macworld
By Ed Oswald | Published December 7, 2007, 1:29 PM
With just a little over one month before the yearly meeting of the Mac faithful, the rumors of an Apple sub-notebook have started to appear.
Sub-notebooks are a relatively new class of laptop computers, although examples have been around since the early 1990s. Many still consider the devices a "niche" product: sales have rarely been substantial.
That, however does not seem to be stopping Apple. In a report by CNBC's Jim Goldman Friday, sources indicate that the company is aiming to debut its first entrant at the Macworld Expo in January.
With Flash becoming a more viable storage medium in actual computers due to falling prices, and larger capacity chips with a smaller physical footprint, the sub-notebook market may be finally ready to take off.
A ultra-portable notebook has been the target of some speculation among Apple rumor sites over the past couple months, and analysts have chimed in as well saying that such a product launch will have a positive effect on the company's bottom line.
According to CNBC, the device will have a 12-inch screen and be priced at approximately $1,500. It will also be about half as thick as a current MacBook Pro.
Along with the report on new sub-notebooks, Goldman also reported that iPod Touches were selling far better than expected, with its manufacturers ramping up production past five million units, and that a 3G iPhone will debut by June of next year.
It's just keeps getting better and better with Apple. I just switched away from Windows on Nov. 30th to a brand new Macbook running Mac OS X Leopard and this is what I've been missing in computing. I thought it was just a cheesy catch phrase but it true, "Once you go Mac you won't go back." ^--^
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|Of course, if I pay so much for the piece of s*** which I can get a PC do as much if not more with better performance at half the price, I would lie to myself how great a Mac is too. Not only that, I will try my friends and co workers too, so I don't look like a moron.
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|Maybe in your fantasy land, but not in the real world.
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|Ouch. Still living in the 90's, I see? :p
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|Oh, I see you were missing the blue screen and data loss :) that's why you changed to Mac OS X Leopard. Good luck!
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|OK...if a sub notebook is really what you want.
Personally I would like to see more work in the other direction, providing more power, capacity (RAM, socketed GPU cards allowing video updates with their shorter lifecycles, enhanced multichannel memory controllers with external jacks for eSata/iSCSI, etc.) and capabilities - even a larger screen. An 8-9 pound machine is not a threat in return for the functionality. In other words, a machine optimized for running VMWare with multiple VMs.
I really have no use for a fancy PDA.
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|You can find your 8-9 lb monster at Alienware... (ugly too!)
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|Well, if it has a Flash hard drive, maybe.
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|It's supposed to have a flash hard drive according to rumours. CNBC even reported that so I'm not sure why it isn't mentioned in Ed's article.
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|$1500 for a sub-notebook! I just don't understand why people pay so much for this Apple crap just because it's white and has a picture of a fruit on it. You can get an Eee PC for a $1000 less and it will probably be the same quality or better and they won't make you send it in if your battery dies.
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|perhaps you should wait until a product is officially announced rather than make up stuff about it?
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|An Apple a day..... Try rendering ANYTHING, try editing ANYTHING, try doing ANYTHING on the Eee PC besides running antiSOMETHING remedys... It's real simple... Quality vs. Quantity!
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|yes because apple is known for their computers doing absolutely nothing.
You could say that wasn't a shot even close to being in the dark with apple. Obliviously it won't be as fast as the higher end macs, but I am sure it will still kick the crop out of those crappy Eee pc's.
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|The same anti Apple garbage instead of an analysis of the format.
You can do more with a MacBook for $1000!
But obviously you are oblivious to other market offerings and simply want to whine about Apple.
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|Well Simple Simon, what you miserably fail to understand is, that at the end of the day you can slap together any hardware configuration you so choose but your still NOT running Mac OS X. Have you ever tried it personally? Or are you like most PC nuts here living in their mom's basement so brain washed by Microsoft that you can't imagine someone not using a garbage and malware infested PC? Get a Job Altman and you to can enjoy the wonderful world of Apple.
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|+1
Mac OS X. Everything else is obsolete.
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|Wow what a bunch Apple a** Kissers. I like what works the best and I can't say that Apple is that case. I use Vista and have absolutely no problems, and 95% of the software runs on windows as compared to Apple. For the rest of it I have my laptop which has Ubuntu loaded on it, fast, does what I need, didn't cost $2500 for a laptop that I can get at dell with the same specs for $1500.
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|I do have a job in programming and I prefer having the openness of Linux and Windows. I like being able to have a choice in what processor I want on my machine. If apple had 90% of the market we'd be in a world of hurt as there would be less hardware competition especially noting that AMD would be out of the picture. Do you remember the days when Intel was your only choice? I have used a Mac before and I don't see it being any better then my Ubuntu Laptop. Hell if I want I can make Ubuntu look like a Mac.
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