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Question of the Day: What's the most interesting small town you've visited in South Africa?
MacWorld 2008
- Thread starter vespax
- Start date
koffiejunkie
Executive Member
http://macenstein.com/default/archives/1020 said:
He's making wild assumptions. I've banged on about this before but have a look at the Sony Vaio TZ series. They come with everything built into a really tiny body. Thinner than a MBP, much smaller. My one colleague has one that has everything, including a DVDRW, and a REAL hard disc in that tiny body, and manages about 7-8 hours battery life. Yes, it has Intel graphics but so what? It doesn't have to have the top end GPU, and even if it does, it can still be cooled effectively. Lose the built-in optical drive and there's enough space for a reasonable cooling system.
Carrying my 6 lb (2.7kg) HP 15" around in my backpack, and carrying my old 3.5 lb (1.6kg) Compaq 12" I can definitely feel a huge difference in my back by the end of the week. If the only mobility you need is carrying your notebook to and from your car then buying small doesn't make sense. But if you move travel a lot, and/or live in a country where public transport for your daily commute makes sense, a "ultra portable" definitely makes sense too.
Also, the MacBook is not really a light notebook. At 2.27kg t's all of 180g lighter than the 15" MacBook Pro (2.45kg), which isn't a hell of a lot. Going by the laptops I see on the train every morning, there's definitely a market for a really small MB/MBP.
Not necessarily - at least according to the specs page - while Sony isnt too sure how high their machine is ( 0.8" - 1.17"(H)
) apple is (1"). Can we agree then that the MBP is already thin? If so making it thinner is going to be difficult. Throw an integrated graphics I dont think you can get away with labelling it a MBP.
koffiejunkie
Executive Member
Not necessarily - at least according to the specs page - while Sony isnt too sure how high their machine is ( 0.8" - 1.17"(H)
If you look at the TZ from the side it's wedge shaped. Thicker at the back than in the front. It's a really sweet notebook. If I didn't want a Mac, the TZ is what I would have bought.
I don't want it thinner - just smaller
Fair enough but everyone else wants an ultra-thin.I don't want it thinner - just smaller
Maybe Apple will decide to fill the gap left behind when the powerbooks were replaced by the MBP but I have to wonder why they have waited years to do so.
koffiejunkie
Executive Member
Me too. I see more 12" PowerBooks than 15"/17" models here. And they were mostly up to spec with their bigger siblings, so I don't see the issue.
Of course you see more - the 15/17" Powerbooks are obsolete and have long been replaced by the 15/17" MBP - the 12" was never replaced.
Spec wise they were inferior to the 15/17's http://support.apple.com/specs/powerbook/PowerBook_G4_17-inch_Double-Layer_SD.html something had to be sacrificed for form factor.
koffiejunkie
Executive Member
Let me rephrase that. I see way more 12" PowerBooks than 15"/17" Apple Notebooks - I can't distinguish between a PowerBook and MacBok Pro of the same size unless I'm viewing it at such an angle that I can see the label under the screen. And then only if I happen to have my glasses on.
Agreed but only marginal. The biggest difference seems to be display (screen and GPU). While the 5200 Go isn't equal to a mobile 9700, it's by no means a slow chip - certainly much more powerful than what's in my Macbook.
But the difference in spec only adds to my argument - there's definitely a market for a smaller MBP, even if it has lower specs than the 15"/17" models.
Ok - do you see more 12" Powerbooks or 13.3" MacBooks? If so then maybe the niche has been filled?
BTW - easy way to tell the difference - Powerbooks dont have a camera or (if memory serves) an ExpressCard slot.
Not much longer before we all know.
koffiejunkie
Executive Member
No I guess there are more MacBooks around - I'd say about a third/two-thirds split. But keep in mind Apple's notebook sales have increased dramatically since they released the MB and MBP. I'd be willing to bet a fair number of MacBook owners are first-timers.
That said, I think in terms of performance in general, where the graphics falls short the processor more than makes up. Unless maybe if you're a Maya user. Photoshop is very quick on my MacBook and I haven't tried anything yet where the graphics disappointed. So I guess in terms of performance the niche is filled. Size is all that's left....
Not much longer before we all know.
Can't wait. If they do in fact bring out a good spec mini MB/MBP, that will shorten the lifespan of my MacBook considerably
