Macworld rumors du jour: external optical drives, multi-touch trackpad
By Donald Melanson 
posted January 1st 2008 11:13AM
posted January 1st 2008 11:13AM
While anything is obviously possible, it sure seems like the safe bet is that Apple will unveil some form of ultraportable laptop at MacWorld in a couple of weeks, and it now looks like the rumor mill is starting to pick up again with even more purported details. This latest round comes to us from the folks at Mac Rumors, who say they've heard "reliable confirmation" about a couple of the new features, including an external optical drive on the aforementioned ultraportable. What's more, they say that Apple will also be introducing "more than one notebook revision," including at least one that will incorporate a multi-touch trackpad. Again, a reasonable bet, but we'll just have to wait until the man himself takes the stage on the 15th to finally put this rumor to rest and gear up for the next.
Since there has been much talk of a multi-touch iPhone-like trackpad, I suspect Apple is going to do something completely different. Steve Jobs LOVES to give surprises and a multi-touch track pad- as cool as it would be- really wouldn't be enough of a "jaw dropper" for Jobs. So that begs the question what will be a jaw dropper? First, it's almost a given (but not a certainty) that an ultra portable Macbook (pro) is long over due. Say something under 4 lbs with a widescreen 11" display? Optical drive would likely be excluded, but solid state hard drives would definitely be an option.
But imagine, if you will, that the ENTIRE screen has multi-touch feature like the iPhone. Yes, it would be like a tablet, but only better. Now imagine that the laptop, instead of having a conventional keyboard has a second screen of the same size! One screen would act as a virtual keyboard, the other the screen, but both be touch screens so that the user could use either for data entry.
Imagine a dual LED touch screen ultra portable MacBook (pro) that is under 4lbs and 3 to 4 hours of battery life- it would be like no other laptop in the world- that would drop my jaw for sure.
I'm a huge Apple fan, but that sounds HORRIBLE.
Who in their right mind would want to switch a laptop keyboard with a touch screen keyboard.
That's a pretty dumb idea.
@ Miles: Given the commerical success of the iPhone, a virtual keyboard isn't necessarily a dumb idea. If nothing else, it's a radical idea.
A PC and phone are two different things.
That'd be like saying the thumb pad from a phone is a good input interface for a computer.
I disagree with your thumb pad analogy. I'm not drawing a direct correlation between a phone and a laptop (that would be ridiculous); I'm pointing out the relative change to the products themselves that is at once forward thinking and usable. Apple likes to be different; their products tend to be cutting edge items that are a result of "out-of-the-box" thinking. The best example is the iPhone. I wouldn't be surprised if they attempted something different (meaning non-conventional) with whatever they have in mind for an ultra-portable laptop (assuming that's what they're announcing).
@ rawhead
My 700m is a 16:9 12.1" ultraportable.
Anyways, Apple already released a 12" iBook so why wasn't that called an ultraportable? If a 13.3" is bigger than a laptop already released by Apple, how can a 13.3" possibly considered ultraportable when the iBook wasn't? Even if the iBook was 4:3.
Bottom line, come on Apple, return to your roots, go 12.1" or less and I will be there day one to make the switch.
@ rawhead
My 700m is a 16:9 12.1" ultraportable.
Anyways, Apple already released a 12" iBook so why wasn't that called an ultraportable? If a 13.3" is bigger than a laptop already released by Apple, how can a 13.3" possibly considered ultraportable when the iBook wasn't? Even if the iBook was 4:3.
Bottom line, come on Apple, return to your roots, go 12.1" or less and I will be there day one to make the switch.
Apple hasn't called anything an 'ultraportable.' Heck, vis-a-vis what's being written about and discussed here, Apple called anything anything.
It's a lot of posts conflating short-handed words based on multiple layers of speculation.
Are you kidding me?
People are COMPLAINING?
CD/DVD drives are pretty useless nowadays.
The only time I use them is for installing an OS, and my Macbook came with an amazing OS on it from the start :)
Get with the times you haters! You don't need CD/DVD drives at all! Apple knows that it's an outdated medium and knows that you can just buy movies, music, and software online that you can download.
The new medium is digital, and they are the first to notice this.
Apple is doing another revolution guys!
Miles - I'm with you on the get rid of the CD/DVD drive on these sorts of devices and yes, "The new medium is digital" but where's Apple's support for the MP3 of video in their products ... Xvid?
iSight
I'm in the market for a new MacBook (by the end of the month, anyway), so I'm hoping for something relatively minor...
I don't need an ultra-portable, I just need a basic notebook. Really, the current MacBook is perfect for me, except for the ComboDrive. Hopefully they eliminate that (really, there's no reason not to have a DVD burner).
I wouldn't mind a price drop, or RAM/HDD/CPU bumps, but the drive is really my biggest issue.
The MacBook I'm writing this on has a Superdrive. So whats the problem?
@ ard buijsen
I'm guessing "Eric" has a stick up his butt about paying more for a DVD burner on the MacBook. Want more, pay for more.. crazy concept, I know.
If Apple goes ahead and gets makes the optical drive external it would be great if they released an Itunes for software downloads.. Just like no one buys music on CD's the same could be done with software. Then there would be really no need for a drive
A touchpad keyboard wouldnt be a good idea for a laptop. Works for a phone because you dont sit there and use it as a constant rate but I need a physical button to press down in a productivity based keyboard.
A multitouch screen would be neat though.
PLEASE apple, don't make the CD drive external. I understand the need to balance a slim, light design with features. But I don't need (nor think) an ultraportable device needs to be as powerful as your MacBook Pro's. Make it somwhere in between the MBP's and the regular MB's. Market it for it's slimness and regular capability, not as the most powerful, smallest thing out there.
Just PLEASE don't take out the dvd drive - I want to watch dvd's on this thing, and lugging an external drive around, however tastefully designed, is a pain.
Also, a lit up keyboard would be magic :)
If you want to watch DVDs, why can't you rip them? All my DVDs are backed up as .avis, if you can't be bothered doing it yourself there are plenty of torrent sites out there to help you. Spinning a DVD for 2 or so hours isn't the best use of your battery while travelling, might I add...
What about an a trackpad, built into the screen?
i bet that external drives are now gonna be hailed as the biggest new thing, just like when apple invented the mp3 player and pay to download music
I like the idea of a nintendo DS style keyboard if it allowed for a smaller overall case design it'd be awesome. BUT I have the feeling that it will not come to be.
however a smaller than current Mac book (10 inch?) configured with 200 gig nand flash memory and 8022.11n could be the sweet spot for a UMPC
When I tried to pick up another Airport Express over the holiday, they where out. Everywhere was out, not just the Apple Stores in town.
Since this is the only device with remote printing, music and wi-fi internet access, I would guess they are going to roll out an 802.11n model.
Extending Lofish's idea. What if that 13" screen was two parts, so that the new super compact was something like 7", but unfolded to reveal a 13" screen. Then you could have a full size virtual, multi-touch keyboard. No longer would typing be a two thumbs operation, but rather you could use standard all fingers approach. External optical drive and flash memory would reduce the weight. And we would have a 13" two-piece screen concealed in a true ultra-compact case.
If the external portable uses firewire I'd consider this..generally I find externals slow, but if the ultraportable really is, and the drive comes as blu-ray or such.or simply a good superdrive it'd be worth a shot!
Why FireWire? An optical drive would not be able to come anywhere near close to saturating a USB 2.0 bus, or FireWire either obviously. USB would be more practical for this application.