MacBook: a 13-inch widescreen with MagSafe & iSight?
Remote, built-in iSight, and a completely latchless design that uses magnets to hold the screen shut. According to AI this device is to be Apple most "heavily redesigned Macintosh... in the last two years," implying it would probably a lot unlike our rather uninspired photoshop mockup.
Filed under: Laptops
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
GanzHimself @ Feb 25th 2006 2:49PM
Hell yes! I want one of these! Unfortunately, I bought a 12" iBook back in August of '05... Can't afford, nor can I justify a new one so soon! Damn you Apple!
Conrad Quilty-Harper @ Feb 25th 2006 2:49PM
Finally - the white iBook design is getting old. It's been around since 2001...
Matt @ Feb 25th 2006 3:04PM
Yes! i just hope this is true and they do come out with something before the end of the summer. something like this would be purfect for future college students like myself.
Dominic Cordisco @ Feb 25th 2006 3:05PM
Hmmm, I bet it won't be unveiled until Apple's 30th anniversary in April, but I'll be pre-ordering mine whenever it does appear, as I've been waiting to get a new lappie for some months now.
Brad @ Feb 25th 2006 3:05PM
I really hope it has at least 1280x800 resolution - please not 1024x768. Dell's 700m has 1280x800 and it's a 12.1" screen.
eggs @ Feb 25th 2006 3:07PM
im talkin bout eggs! that looks like a hefty update for the iPod! wheres the click wheel though?
Blake @ Feb 25th 2006 3:09PM
Am I the only one that doesn't feel tied to my laptop purchase? If I buy a new laptop and 3 to 6 months later a new version comes out, I turn to eBay! I'm generally only out a couple hundred bucks, and then I'm free to buy whatever new goodness I please.
js @ Feb 25th 2006 3:11PM
The new Macbook will be similar to the one shown above but it will be thinner. It will come in several colours: lime green, sky blue, pearl white, jet black, and bold red. Instead of a single hinge to hold the screen this new one will be a dual hinge design.
Jan Alberts @ Feb 25th 2006 3:20PM
I hope the "fun" new products announced on Tuesday are more "fun" than a MacBook. I want FUN products, people.
http://getkickedoffaplanewearingthis.blogspot.com/
GanzHimself @ Feb 25th 2006 3:20PM
A black iBook would *ALMOST* convince me to buy a first gen MacBook, or whatever they're going to be calling it.
SL @ Feb 25th 2006 3:21PM
1024x768 on a widescreen laptop would be very ugly. I think it will be something like 1280x768....that's the typical setting for widescreen laptops in consumer level.
Bobman32x @ Feb 25th 2006 3:32PM
Anyone else here scared the fact that theyre using Magnet clasps. Magnets always tend to cause problems when it comes to keeping things shut. Id feel better if my laptop had a nice sturdy physical Clasp to keep my 1500+ dollar computer shut, and not accidently open cause something bumped it.
Brian Kirk @ Feb 25th 2006 3:37PM
AppleInsider is the "Nostradamus" of overdramatized rumors oh which most turn out wrong anyway. The "Farmer's Almanac of crap" if you will.
Tom @ Feb 25th 2006 3:40PM
Lucky 13 ey...
Shane @ Feb 25th 2006 4:00PM
I'm assuming that it uses electromagnets. You can apply a pretty good amount of force using a tiny amount of power.
mike @ Feb 25th 2006 4:08PM
This is what it probably will be, and that's my next computer... I've only had this eMac for 2 years, and I could use it for another 2, but I might prefer a laptop for after college :p
liam @ Feb 25th 2006 4:08PM
am I the only one who thinks magnets near harddrives isn't a good idea?
heh @ Feb 25th 2006 4:15PM
Whats the point in the remote, really. Who is going to put their ibook at one end of the room so they can watch their movie on a 13" screen? You're gonna wan't it infront of you.
Same with remotes for car stereos, wtf?
cw @ Feb 25th 2006 4:16PM
i was told about this last week from an "insider." seems to make sense since education buying season starts in a month or two.
Oscar @ Feb 25th 2006 4:30PM
A remote is usefull in times such as listening to music and you actually want to walk around the room and change the song without having to physically go up to the machine and change it. Same thing with car stereos. Sometimes you'll be out of your car listening to some music and want to raise up or lower the volume.
John @ Feb 25th 2006 4:33PM
Electromagnets do not sound good to me - you leave it shut for too long, the battery runs down and the lid pops open. I think I'd prefer proper clips. The single clasp on my 15" PowerBook sometimes unlatches, but I've never had that problem with any of the Thinkpads I use at work; not sure I'd see a magnetic one as an improvement over that.
kevin @ Feb 25th 2006 5:01PM
you guys do realize that the g4 powerbooks and ibooks already have magnets in the latch, right?
if you've got one, hold it with the screen opened facing to the floor. the latch doesn't slide out with gravity. it gets pulled out by a magnet just beneath the mouse button.
if that's ok for a harddrive, i'd imagine they figured out another one that can be safe.
the battery draining thing seems like an issue though, if they are indeed electromagnets.
berger @ Feb 25th 2006 5:03PM
I actually dont think that apple will call it "macbook" I thinkthey will stick to the "iBook", the iMac wasn't renamet either so....
IK47 @ Feb 25th 2006 5:14PM
^^magnets do not affect modern harddrives.
My intention is to pick one of these up (the cheapest model), and then get a macbook pro in 2008.
Chandler @ Feb 25th 2006 5:23PM
Berger-
You obviously don't follow these things close enough. Stevie J. himself said that they wanted "Mac" in their computer names, that's why they changed the Powerbook name. iMac already contains "Mac", in the last 3 letters if you didn't know, so there was no need to change it based on their new strategy. The iBook name will definitely be changed and it will definitely be to the MacBook. Or else why call the other one the MacBook Pro?
Chris @ Feb 25th 2006 5:32PM
you guys realize tha inside of every harddrive is one hell of a strong magnet right? next time you have a dead HD, take it apart, those magnets are great fun! thay can hold a small book, like 20 pages, to a fridge. with thoughtfull shielding, the magnet is perfectly safe.
Anonymous Coward @ Feb 25th 2006 5:36PM
Maybe they can finally name it the Lapple.
Nick @ Feb 25th 2006 5:44PM
#23/berger: You realize Steve Jobs said he wanted 'Mac' in every product, therefore, that's why they called it the MacBook? So since iMac already has Mac in it, it stayed the same?
And the awkward name of MacBook Pro just lends itself to offering a MacBook as the lower model?
Matt @ Feb 25th 2006 5:44PM
since the iMac name didn't change when they switched to intel why would the iBook name change?
It made sense that they had to change the name of the PowerBook since it's no longer using the PowerPC...... so I'll be shocked if the new iBooks are simply called MacBooks.
eggs @ Feb 25th 2006 5:54PM
all in favor of the MacMac, say I!
eggs @ Feb 25th 2006 5:54PM
all in favor of the MacMac, say I!
Neil Christie @ Feb 25th 2006 5:58PM
Matt - Steve Jobs mentioned in an earlier keynote that Apple's policy was now to try to include 'Mac' in all of their computer names.
Justin @ Feb 25th 2006 6:00PM
"17. am I the only one who thinks magnets near harddrives isn't a good idea?"
If you were using a stack of floppy disks as a drive, maybe.
In order to damage a drive or interrupt its operation with a magnetic field, it would have to have to be of a magnitude far beyond anything you'd normally come into contact with. In tests that I took part in (out of boredom), it took a degausser, specially designed for the task of erasing magnetic media, to do anything to the harddrive or the data on it. Thats a field about 11000 Oe in magnitude.
To put that in perspective, thats 11T. Which is about a hundred times more powerful than a iron bar magnet, and about 70 times more than any rare-earth magnet (permanent magnets, that is).
vemti @ Feb 25th 2006 6:55PM
re. the magnetic clasp, what about the flipside of an electromagnetic system. Why not two permanent magnets that naturally clasp when brought close together and an electromagnet coupled with one of the permanent magnets so as to cancel out the attraction only when it is needed to open, thus only drawing power during unlatch? That would solve the continous power draw issue people keep blogging about.
elektrotekno @ Feb 25th 2006 8:44PM
it's uses magnets to hold the screen shut. it's very useful
distantbody @ Feb 25th 2006 8:51PM
The dirty little secret of consumer goods engineering is that products are designed to fail just after warranty. Think no further than non-removable batteries.
That little magnet 'innovation' may just fit into that category.
z_iz_4_zigma @ Feb 25th 2006 9:44PM
This is the laptop that apple hired sony engineers to design, isn't it?
So I'd expect it to look like the Sony VAIO S series under the hood and have the same mechanism for keeping the screen shut. Ofcourse, this baby will have all that mac goodness thrown in.
I wish they'd make it in BLACK too, to go with my ipod.
If for no other reason, it would make those two black dots (the isight and IR port) dissappear.
Sony VAIO S: http://www.beareyes.com.cn/2/lib/200509/21/20050921419.htm
Sean G @ Feb 25th 2006 9:51PM
Well, Asus is the one making the widescreen macbook for Apple, so it is about time they used a magnetic latch like my Z63 has had for almost a year.
z_iz_4_zigma @ Feb 25th 2006 9:54PM
Basically, you'd just have to look at the specs on a VAIO S to get an idea of what the hardware specs on the new iMac is going to be.
1280X800
DVD-RW
4-hr battery
no magnet shmagnets for the screen to shut
P.S. sry for the double post
macattacks10 @ Feb 26th 2006 1:19AM
#37, why 4 hour battery, my iBook G4 can get 5 hours with normal use easily. I could probably push the advertised 6 if I shut more things off for lighter use. If anything it should go up more.
And what is the point of the magnetic latch? To add more cost, I mean if they add it and it's the same price, I won't complain, but I won't complain either if the latch folds out because of magnets as it is. It holds it together fine, unless they just want to show off being different...
Christopher @ Feb 26th 2006 2:06AM
A black iBook, great idea! I think that would really look sharp.
Chris
http://amateureconblog.blogspot.com/
DJ LEX @ Feb 26th 2006 2:48PM
i am a huge apple fan i have a powermac dual G5 and just bought an imac 20 inch, with an apparent 8 speed DVD burner, no matter what discs i use it WILL NOT burn at 8 speed and everywhere on the internet says the same thing, isnt it illegal to sell a product under false pretence, I have always liked apple as it does what it says on the box and has always worked for me. However the matshita drive in it is a complete joke, APPLE what are you playing at???? You have pure and simply ripped off a good customer, donot buy one unless you want to pay another 60 for a pioneer writer and external caddy, which i wanted to avoid taking up desk space, i am very angry, apple, you can kiss my ass!!!!!!
mike @ Feb 26th 2006 8:51PM
Matt - Steve Jobs mentioned in an earlier keynote that Apple's policy was now to try to include 'Mac' in all of their computer names.
--
no he didn't. he said they were tired of the Power moniker.
Justin @ Feb 26th 2006 11:52PM
I would so get one of these. I would like a MacBook Pro, but they're a little to much for my budget. I would love an intel iBook!
luis @ Mar 22nd 2006 8:14PM
u guys know something about the new video card of the macbook?
Robert Warren @ Mar 24th 2006 8:31AM
I just bought my fist mac in january (a mac mini) and really want a portable mac machine as I still have to use my win XP laptop.
Stephen @ Apr 8th 2006 1:22PM
This looks really cool, i hope they make this. Nearly as good as the macbook pro with all those features. But those features may come at a price, who knows how much the "MacBook" Will cost?