Zealots Unite: MacWorld Keynote tomorrow

[MacUser]

Live Blogging here:
http://www.macworld.com/article/131486/ ... pdate.html

Any early predictions on what the mothership will put out?

[Pastor Gary]

I'm thinking this rumor may be correct...



MacBook Air?

[RamboPreacher]

unless they go to samsung or like for solid state drives, I can't see it as being that thin. could be, but again cooling technologies would not allow it either, unless that is also addressed in some special way - liquid circulation, rather than a fan? obviously heat-sink isn't happening.

of course it might be a thin client, type- notebook (subnotebook), like the ones that have been around in the wintel world for years - but i have doubts about that.

pretty neato - can't wait to see what it actually is/isn't.

[Who new]

No firewire or external monitor ports or dvd drive. That would be an inconvenience. It IS the most viable of the rumors, though, since Apple has been behind in the subcompact market. Solid state design would be kewl (cool) too, and fast.

[MacUser]

10:08 PT: What is the MacBook Air? In a sentence: "it's the world's thinnest notebook." What does that mean? They went and looked at most of the thinnest notebooks: Sony TZ series, for example. Looked at all of them and tried to distill the best of all of them: ~3 lbs, 0.8-1.2" thin, "compromised on display" with 11" or 12" display, and compromised on keyboard with a miniature keyboard, and they run 1.2 GHz Core 2 Duo. Looked at this and tried to figure what they liked. Weight's a good target, but too much compromising on thickness and less than fullsize display and keyboard, and want more performance.




10:10 PT: Here's the thinness first. 1.20" down to 0.8" in a wedge shape. Holy cow, the MacBook air runs from 0.76" to 0.16" (that's not a typo). The thickest part of the MacBook Air is thiner than the thinnest part of the TZ series. So thin it fits in a manila envelope. Here's what it looks like. And, typical Steve, he's got it in an envelope on the stage (all those case manufacturers are going to be disappointed).

[Alan]

I have to agree with Rambo, it does seem too thin to cool. I can see getting a 2.5" sata drive in there, but the cooling is gonna be a big thing.

It might be time to update an old joke wallpaper, from back when powerbooks had batteries that would cause them to catch fire....

[MacUser]

Cool look... price point compares above the macbook and slightly below the MacBook Pro. You PAY for the skinny.

[AndyG]

They are using the 1.8s they put in the iPods instead of the 2.5s, the core 2 duo is 60% smaller and the main board is the length of a pencil

[dolfan]

Reminds me of the "iPod Invisa" sketch on SNL.

[Alan]

After reading a few more things

like this

Its Intel chip is the diameter of a dime and the thickness of a nickel.

and this

It has no optical drive (an external one is available for $99)

http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/01/15/1842211&from=rss

I can see it working. Cooling will still be the biggest issue, but running it via a heat pipe to a heat sink in an area where they can take full advantage of the limited space could work quite well.

[DeWayneTN]

I'm looking forward to seeing the next generation of iPhones.

[EagerBeaver]

The MacBook Air is a cool concept, however a lot of tech pundits are already turned off by the fact that the battery is similar to that of iPods and iPhones. If something goes wrong with it, you can't replace it yourself.

iPhone Software Update 1.1.3 is out...downloading it now.

[Pastor Gary]

I see this as MAYBE a great second computer. It would be very nice for travel, but the size of the hard drive, lack of optical drive for installing software, etc. would require changes in way I work. But to take along on trips? Thin, light, and slick.

[AndyG]

I believe the issue here is we are all stuck thinking in the current structure of how computing has been defined since the beginning.

Think about a new way of computing where you have one main system and a multitude of devices which sync to and work with that system, from handheld devices to small laptops to ... Maybe iPods that sync music wirelessly? Handhelds/small tablets that are like the new Air only without the keyboard and you work with it like an iPhone? Cameras that uplink wirelessly and allow instant, on the fly edits and uploads without having to "Think" about it?

All it will take to tip in that direction is cheap solid state memory and better/safer bateries.

Why do you think Leopard touted "Back to my Mac" and .mac syncing?

The drive is an enviroment and lifestyle that has all of the data that makes your life at the touch of a finger.

We are moving to an always on/always connected/always integrated mode of living and Apple is positioned in the best possible place.

Also, I can't help but think the Apple TV "Upgrade" is exactly what Steve meant to have in the first place but couldn't do rentals then.

[MacUser]

Yep Apple was the first to delete the floppy and everyone went nuts.
Honestly some of these hit.. and some don't.

I think this is a great machine.. it just needs to be priced below $1000 price point. Then it becomes the viable second travel light.. it's geared to be.