Apple touch-screen netbook in Q3?
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Mar 9th 2009 7:17AM
posted Mar 9th 2009 7:17AM
[Image courtesy of Frunny]
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Hmm.
Apple could have put out a netbook for $500 with an enhanced version of the iPhone OS and it would damn near corner the market.
if apple releases a touch-screen netbook it sure as hell won't be under $1k, unfortunately...
Hmm nothing.
After other companies have done the same thing to catcalls of "why do we need this???" or "no one is going to to want to use a touch screen because it will make their arms tired", all of a sudden this is now a great idea to anyone?
Of course because they slap an Apple logo on the same thing, so now it's cool, right?
Oh and another thing. Since this type of device already exist, doesn't it make it, assuming this just isnt another manufactured rumor just to get Apple into the news, a "me too" "copycat" clone that's "late to the party".
Or does that standard not apply to Apple also?
@flashpoint..
market? the... netbook market?
the.. market where no product is allowed more than 5 cents of profit margin?
who cares? the iPod touch blows away and dumbass Netbook already.
@Look_Around_You
Apple is not like every other OEM. Apple have their own, mature operating system. If they create a touchscreen netbook, we wouldn't need to wait until Windows 7 until we can use it to its full potential - the operating system will support it from day one. The closest other OEMs can come to innovating in hardware-software integration is to use linux, but that's obviously not an ideal option.
Apple have a unique position that lets them do things Windows OEMs can't. That's why I'm excited about their netbook - they'll be able to make something exciting and just do it right.
Also: "another manufactured rumor just to get Apple into the news"
Paranoid much? Don't worry, I think Apple already have your precious bodily fluids, they come after you again.
"Apple have a unique position that lets them do things Windows OEMs can't. That's why I'm excited about their netbook - they'll be able to make something exciting and just do it right."
Um, yeah... The old "Apple can make a "copycat" "me too" "late to the party" device, because we contrived a convenient cop out called the "They will do something exciting and just do it right" clause. Which, if we were to go by the low bar that Apple fans setup for that company, will mean that it will be no different than the existing models Apple is "ripping off", it just will have the Apple brand, and thus it ok.
Using the logic of Apple fans on Engadget that if Apple makes product A, no other company can make a similar product without being accused of stealing the idea from Apple. If Apple fans were consistent (heh), they would be screaming as to why Apple cant come up with an original idea in this case.
@Look_Around_You
See I'm thinking of something like the iPhone. Did Apple copy anyone else with it? Not really. Phones had been around forever and so had touch screens, but Apple changed it in a way that it wasn't copying. While they might have copied things in the past and will continue to in the future, branding the company as lazy people copying everyone else for their products is incredibly short-sighted and biased.
You don't like their products - fine. I don't even like half their offerings. What I see as stupid and unnecessary (and KarlW did some of this, too) is arguing about copying other products when NOTHING HAS EVEN BEEN MADE YET. Both of you are speculating. NOT REAL.
So please, stop b@#%hing on the page and go read other articles.
there is not point in them making this.. worthless. they should put their attention on all the other things they blow at making first
@Alex,
You speak nonsense.
I agree that they could make one. But Jobs said Apple could not make a good enough product at the current price point.
He also said iPods would not have photos or video.
Heres some guesses of mine:
I bet we see an Apple netbook, just as soon as they come up with an "i" name. Maybe revert back to the iBook? iPad? iTop? NetPod?
And it will be $500 on wireless carrier contract only. I bet on 3G tech with possible 4G/LTE included. Maybe have Gobi? AT&T exclusive again, but will work on Verizon's network when hacked... or when officially supported by Apple after a certain time period.
iPhone OS, but with full Flash & cut & paste. But I bet no way on Skype or any other VoIP... due to locked down OS. Prob have multi-ouch.
other ideas I see within reason: built in iPod iPhone dock; non removable battery; Wi-Fi built in, no Bluetooth; NO USB ports... no tethering or BT dongles, Integrated iTunes and Safari into OS. 64GB or less SSD; .mac address and huge online storage, mobile me;.
I'm not an Apple guy, but I know a few. Dont go crazy with the flames, these are just ideas I had. I dont have any Apple stuff, but if the thing came out like I as proposing, I might buy it and switch to apple.
@Alex
Uh, smart phones with touchscreens have been around a lot longer than the iPhone. Most of them ran Windows Mobile.
Just because Apple does something, does not make it the greatest. All the iPhone did was over simplify the system, and sleek it down so it would have mainstream appeal.
@Look_Around_You - Haha.. What's your deal man? Did Apple touch you as a child?
Where are these "Apple fans" calling this a great idea that you speak of? And if somebody said that a touchscreen netbook, or some derivative of that, was a bad idea in the past does that somehow make them Apple fans? Are you supposed to support every PC product to come out of every PC manufacturer if you use PC's or you're an automatic Apple user?
Your posts make absolutely no sense and reek of jealousy. Why would you even take the time to read an article about an Apple product and comment about it if you have such a disdain for the company?
AAAAHHHHH I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!
True or not, to us this is just random speculation. Realistically, who can really vet these wild rumors? You might as well throw darts at an Apple rumor dartboard and write about the results because at some point ONE of them will be true. (iPhone Nano/iTablet/New Mac Mini - wait...)
...But show me some ballyhooed "fake" blurrycams and I'm sold.
Or as Rorschach would say: Hrm
nVidia card failures in MBP = not breaking news
Speculation about Q3 Apple product = breaking news
@Look_Around_You - you have gone off on a tirade, accusing Apple fans of double-standards, and saying they are supporting something that they have previously ridiculed ...
all because someone said "Hmm" !
Bloody hell! How on Earth did you manage to read all that into "Hmm" ?
I have often said that the anti-Apple trolls indulge in precisely the same behaviour (and worse) that they accuse the 'iFans' of engaging in, and here is a perfect example. There were no pro-Apple troll comments and yet you responded as though there were! This should not be a surprise, seeing as how the anti-Apple crowd also brays on and on about Engadget's 'Apple bias' despite the fact there is no. fucking. evidence. of. it. whatsoever.
But hey, I guess you're just testing the theory that if you say something often enough, you'll get plenty of fools believing you.
will canabalize the Macbook Air market so will not happen.
@ Saad
Won't necessarily cannibalise the MacBook Air market. If it's not a vaporware product, there's always the possibility that it will BE the MacBook Air market (next gen). Don't discount any eventuality when there's no proof of anything even existing! ;)
Umm.
Uhhh....
Uhhuh..
Oooh, yeah baby...
Me-too.
Apple is the ultimate Me-too company.
Copy cat, copy cat, don't know what your lookin' at !!
@ kccboy2004
Yes that's right, Apple only ever copy don't they!?
Er... first ever pre-built home computer system, check... first mainstream OS using a GUI, check... first widely available machines using a mouse as input device, check... first PDA (and incidentally using both touchscreen and handwriting recognition), check... first hard-drive based MP3 player, check... Streaming video, check... Damn, just off the top of my head I accidentally thought of a whole bunch of markets they established or built through innovation rather than copying.
Oh wait... I think I've got something they copied - the configless network, that Bonjour is just a rip off of Windows Networking. Oh wait, no it isn't is it!
C'mon somebody help me out here - oh, oh ,oh, er... yes, they copied the Dock paradigm from the multitude of launcher apps that you used to see on the Amiga - got one! Oh, but hang on, wasn't the dock a reworking of the Launcher app that used to be in System 7, OS 8, OS 9? So it's not entirely a straight rip-off from Workbench 3.1 era miggies. Still, EVERY OS has ripped off the idea of multitasking from the miggy anyway, and AFAIK there's still not been another machine since that could display multiple resolutions/bit depths on the same monitor at the same time in different apps - yup the miggy was light years ahead.
Oh, and the miggy existed, which is more than can be said for the rumoured hardware speculated about in this article.
Boom!
(Applause)
...goes the dynamite...
nope! where is the money for the APPLE?
What?
I dont own anything apple, but a netbook always seemed to me to be right up their alley. Im sure it will look great, just hope is costs great too :/
Sources say it'll cost only 1199 USD.
Except of course you would want 2GB of RAM wich u will really need for the ever so RAM hungry OSX then it will just cost you 1399 USD, oh and maybe you would want a 160GB HDD instead of 120GB and maybe an Apple Remote than it would be just 1999 USD but so what, it's still a netbook!
OS X RAM hungry? Not Leopard... I clock in at 420MB used RAM with Safari, Mail, iTunes, and an AIM client running. Without any thing going, the OS uses about 240MB of RAM.
And why would Apple price a netbook more then on the plastic MacBook?
I like the photoshopped netbook (in the pic above) though :)
Leopard really is bloated, without 2 gb of memory the thing slows to a crawl within seconds of bootup. It takes me a good 5-10 seconds to open safari on a mac mini with 1gb, try opening garage band and wait for paint to dry. The sad thing is Apple puts cheap crap hynix memory in the mac mini and tops it at 1gb, it's pathetic they even sell this machine with this amount of RAM and claim 'it just works'. It just works when you have to pry open the machine with a putty knife since apple has never heard of using screws and upgrade it to 2gb.
@PG
That's strange - I'm running Leopard on a Mac Mini with 512Mb and no slow-downs. I'm running Tiger on a decade-old 400MHz tower which is maxed out to 1.5Gb RAM and no slow downs. I'm running Leopard on an 800MHz G4 PowerBook with 512Mb and no slowdowns, and Tiger on a 1.5GHz G4 PowerBook with 1Gb RAM - again no slowdowns. So all PowerPC and Intel Macs I own seem to run Tiger/Leopard fine.
Conversely I tried installing Vista on a brand-new low-end PC (with a massively higher spec than the 10 year old G4 Tower that's running THE LATEST VERSION OF OS X), and the thing just won't run. I got sick of it eventually and sacked off Vista for a nice smooth Ubuntu install running lightning fast. Vista certainly is a bloat-fest mess, which hopefully Win7 will correct (7 actually being the long-awaited REAL Vista... just not in Vista's current 'public beta' state).
From vast personal experience I can tell you that OS X is far from bloated if the very latest incarnations will run on machines that were designed for the last generation OS (OS 9.0.4 came with the G4 tower originally) and actually be more responsive now than anything before OS X 10.3. Apple are actually streamlining OS X with each release and speeding things up. Don't believe me? Try going back to 10.1 ;)
If you really DO have a mini and have speed issues, perhaps you should have a look into the hardware faults on your HD as that's likely causing problems.
And I can't believe someone can possibly moan about the fact the top just unclips (no messing around with fiddly tiny screws which you might lose when upgrading) and the whole layout is so neat and easy to access... so you'd rather have a half dozen screws to locate, undo, store while you're just wanting to quickly stick a 1Gb stick in? Weird, man... really weird. I bet you hated the G3/G4 tower design with the logic board mounted to the fold-flat side door that meant you could access everything without having to take half the case apart first like the average PC tower case. Do you also find it more pleasurable to get out of your car and push it up hills rather than just drive it up there too? Sounds like a masochistic streak you have. heh ;p
It is my contention that a Blu-Ray Xbox 360 was in planning at Redmond up until the very last minute i.e. a launch. Someone, somewhere realised what kind of economic times we were headed into and expanding costs without a good sales forecast paused or scrapped this project. I reckon you could find an Xbox with a Blu-Ray drive in MSHQ if you rooted around a bit.
Thoughts?
I may be wrong but I think the 360 lauch predates the bad news on the economy. I mean its been going down for years, but I think the last 2 years is when we really got to see how bad things are.
martin, he was referring to the rumors that one was going to launch after HD-DVD went away; not at the XBox 360 launch.
My understanding is that Micro$oft has said they will be postponing the next generation of the 360 because of the economy. So by my logic, I guess you could use the next release of the Xbox as a sign of our economic turnaround.
Um, Microsoft definitely can't foresee market troubles by 3 years. The Xbox 360 doesn't have Blu-Ray because, believe it or not, Microsoft actually did believe that DVD was sufficient, just like they said.
(If this is a double/triple post plz blame Engadget comment system)
Um... Hunter... read it properly. I was referring to the rumours last year regarding a blu-ray packin' 360. Um... um.. um..
It'll will be high priced like the Sony vaio P. Sounds more like a tablet to me.
"Wintek will supply the touch panels"
sounds more like an apple tablet
convertible tablet with 8.9" screen perhaps?
meh...
*draws on tx2500* :)
I was thinking that this should be a tablet as well. I might be interested in a product like this.
Bet it will be a netbookish forgodssakedon'tcallitanetbookelsepeoplewontpaytwicethepriceforit small portable computer ala the Vaio P.
You couldn't have planned the first three posts better...that was made me laugh this morning.
grammar ftw!
A netbook w/ an Apple logo = at least $800
You obviously forgot the "1" after the "$" sign and right before that "800".
@kihaki
Since when is OSX ram hungry?
(sorry, wrong place :"))
this lol
It that's true it'll only be a bigger iphoney.
Possible. Since Jobs isn't there to scream, "It's about the lap, stupid!"
What you have to remember is that these companies are probably making prototypes for apple and while their rumors might be accurate for that they are creating for apple it might be that apple decides to drop the product later.
One thing that seems true about Apple rumors: the further out they start from production the more likely they are to be COMPLETELY false.
I dont understand why they are so reluctant to make one...
I'm pretty sure that if they made a apple netbook for around $500 they would sell them like hot cakes..
They need to price it effectively within the current product range. I think they will limit its features similar to the mac mini to stop macbook owners migrating to a cheaper alternative.
I can tell you why, because they been outdone in it, they missed the trend entirely... and by a huge delay.
If Apple makes one, they have nothing to claim over it, maybe touchscreen, but really that will make it a tablet over priced netbook.
@ Beastage:
That's what people said right before (and shortly after) Apple entered the MP3 player market.
I'm not saying this could/will be a success, just that the fact that Apple are behind a little bit doesn't mean they can't bring a superior product to market that will wipe the floor with the competition.
Because Mac people are absolutely unwilling to switch to a cheaper PC to save money. Many of them would probably love, however, to switch to a cheaper Mac if it was available. As long as Apple keeps the price of entry for a laptop above $1000, they will retain the exact same number of customers but make more money off of them.
Really, if you were in their place, would you bother making a netbook?
Personally I've never owned an Apple computer, not even the Apple II.
I found Macbooks "interesting", but not interesting enough to shell out what they were asking for them.
If there were an Apple mini-book for under $500, I'd seriously consider getting it, even if it didn't offer everything a full blown Macbook did.
By human nature, and the love of shiny new gadgets, once I had my Apple mini-book, who's to say I'd be able to resist upgrading to a full Macbook ? I probably wouldn't be able to resist :-)
I'm sure there are a good few people like myself out there. Apple could use this as a way to gain new customers (citizens?) into the macworld.
@ beastage
you mean like how they were late to the mobile phone market?
I'm not sure why Apple would be interested in making a netbook or tablet PC when they won't even make a 12" notebook anymore. For some reason I don't see Apple making a straight up sub-notebook. I don't see them releasing a cheap 10" netbook either, because it would cut into their other notebook sales.
I've owned a Fujitsu P1510, the convertible 8.9" touchscreen sub-notebook, for several years now. There are a lot of things to like about it, including the fact that when it was new, the extended battery lasted about 6 hours. (Now of course it lasts about 45 minutes.) So, I've been on the sidelines during this whole netbook trend, since the P1510 has trumped them all, including the much higher price tag.
One thing that is not great about this form factor is the screen size-screen resolution ratio. The P1510 is "usable" but only as long as you're okay with everything looking "off" somehow. You *can* run regular Windows XP applications on the P1510, but *none* of them look or act exactly right *specifically* because the UI is off -- the font sizes, the scroll bars, the Taskbar, everything about the UI is off. Given Apple's history, I don't think they would release a sub-notebook without extensive UI optimizations, which would take a lot of time. And again, given Apple's history, if they were to do something like that, the system would have to run specially optimized applications, rather than the usual OSX applications.
brief historical analysis:
- Newton: more expensive than average at release, superior UI, required its own OS and applications
- iPod: more expensive than average at release, superior design, superior UI, bundled with iTunes and hence the iTunes Store
- iPhone: more expensive than average at release, superior UI (the design in this case is that it is all UI), bundled with the App Store and iTunes
In that sense, I think the rumors of a "tablet or large iPod Touch or Newton-like device" last year make sense, because rumor-mongers implicitly understood that a tablet PC from Apple would be more useful if it integrated some of the design philosophy of the Newton and the Touch. If Apple releases a tablet PC, I anticipate it will be locked down, kind of like the iPod Touch. It will run a "version" of OSX like the Touch, but it won't run OSX apps. It will be dumbed down, like the iPhone.
It kind of makes sense to do this now. Most users of Linux based netbooks are looking for basic functioning and are content with not being able to add new applications for them. Windows based netbooks are a trade-off for a number of reasons, and MS is gunning to put Wndows 7 on them. Now is the time to move on netbooks and to promote a locked down, all Apple all the time netbook OS.
Other thoughts:
- From this point forward, it is only more likely that people will be regularly using computer devices larger than a smartphone and smaller than a notebook. The biggest problem in general for portable electronics is power management and battery capacity, which Apple seems to have addressed across all of its products by making customized, device-specific non-user replaceable batteries. (Yes, the two are related; I don't understand why people laud Apple's product design but decry the non-user replaceable battery -- they are completely interrelated aspects of Apple's design and manufacturing process.)
- The price range of current netbooks is $300 to $900+ (if you count the Vaio P, which I do, running the high end price up to $1200). Apple doesn't usually make out-of-reach, luxury-category products, so I'm looking at $750+. The high end iPod 2G used to be $500, so that seems about right to me.
- One thing you can count on is that when Apple does release a device larger than an iPhone but smaller than a notebook. we'll all be subject to the revisionist historical tendencies of the legions of autistic-spectrum disorder Apple fanboys about how all technology naturally evolves into Apple products.
well, until it's released, netbooks are a bag of hurt
Yeah, right.
I'd love a netbook like that mockup though. Tiny bezel and tight-to-keyboard form factor... I miss my 12" PB.
We already have plenty of underpowered options on the mac side.
(couldn't resist)
Yes, but will it run Crysis?
No, it won't... but hopefully it will somehow eat people who post stupid comments like this...
Do you think you're funny?
oh please you two, I thought that comment was sort of funny, right up there with "first post!" I guess daylight savings robbed you two of enough sleep.
That being said, I bet an Apple netbook would be much *snappier* than the competition!
@gTaylor
You mean in the hinge?
Apple Macbook Micro: The Netbook That's Not Priced Like a Netbook!
See, that's where I worry. I like Apple products and love my MacBook Pro, but there's no denying that their pricing is often outside the range of the average consumer. The whole point of a netbook is in its accessibility, which is a three part package:
1. Ease of use and inclusion of needed features
2. Lightweight and portability
3. Potentially most important, an easily-affordable price (I'd say under $400, with the goal at the $250 to $300 mark)
While Apple has proven the first two in their hardware design and Mac OS, I really have my doubts about the third point. I absolutely do not see there being any chance whatsoever of this thing being $400. Especially with the touchscreen, I don't see $500 happening (which although ushing it would be fairly reasonable). Frankly, I expect either $699 or $599 which means your paying the price of a full laptop and only getting the performance and size of a netbook. Hell, the Air is a neat little notebook, but thsoe things are expensive and aren't exactly high performers either. But, they still sell, so ultimately I figure Apple's going to just do what's best for business.
I'll believe it when I see it as I strangely remember such rumors popping up here and there in the past. Plus i'll go ahead and jump on the bandwagen that yes it'l cost at least an arm, and with options, a leg as well. But i'd be damned if it didn't look good doing it.
Take this story with a grain of salt? I think this one is going to need the whole salt mine. Still, nice to see that they managed to combine 2 unicorns into the same story (i.e. an Apple Netbook and a touch-screen device).
LoL there is really no sense of humor left on engadget, is it.
Ya I hear ya man; me thinks that you were referring to a previous article.
I don't think they would enter this market with a shrunken laptop... Because is someone wants a premium netbook they simple buy a laptop. ;) Apple is smarter than that.
They would probably enter the market with a new paradigm, a new form factor...
Just like the entered the populated celular market is a paradigm shifting phone.
I'd bet on a large thin touchscreen with nothing more. An ipod touch but for the net, with a large screen.
That's how they would create the desire to have one of those. ;)
It would be a different product from the current market offerings, with great qualities (that I can't predict, but similar to the advantages the iphone had over the phones) and there would be no competition...
That has been Apple's modus operandi.
What most of you may be missing is that it would most likely be another cellphone/3G tie in ... it would be $399 with a $40 unlimited plan and two year contract - maybe a 32GB SSD.
trackpad fail.
it's not going to happen if it doesn't have an edge
I hope it's true!
Apple just place a nice TouchScreeen on anything and I will buy it.
When ever they do... that is when I will have my first ever Apple Product.
Are you saying that Apple has never had a touchscreen product before? What rock have you been under for the last two years?
regret at your leisure. I refer you to Apple's atrocious QA and product failures. Don't be fooled.
I'm calling it right now...
Apple Netbook = $1200
wrong, dead wrong:
Touchscreen Apple Netbook = $2099
Why would they make a netbook for $500 they will sell you a 32 gig music player just north of $400
It's not going to happen. They already have a netbook, it's called Macbook Air. The only problem is that they missed the price point. Offering a netbook is just going to cannibalize MBA.
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!!!!!
That might be one of the reason for the unsolved gfx problem on MBP 17...
@ Look_Around_You
Yes and their iPhone was also late to the party, and a me to copycat clone of every other smart-phone on the market, correct? All they did was slap an Apple logo on it, and call it a day correct? ;-)
are you trolling intentionally, or is my sarcasm detector broken?
I wouldn't be surprised if they release this thing on-contract w/ AT&T or VZW. $399 with 2 year contract, or somethign like that.
Everyone's absolutely right that if they price it as low as we're hoping, it will completely cannabalize their market-share for their macbook that costs twice (or 3 or 4 times, depending on just how low they price this netbook) as much.
Also, who knows where this Photoshop/Mock-up photo is from? I haven't seen it before.
@ crawdad689
Yes your sarcasm detector is broken? I was replying to Look_Around_You on the first page but Engadget comment system is at it again.
It would be a very bad idea to release this rumored device tied to some providers contract. I don't think there's anyone in this universe who likes being lock into any phone contracts. Not a good idea, plus it would be unlike Apple to do so.
You do have a point about it cannibalizing the MacBooks though. If it's like the average Netbook form factor I agree but if it's more like a larger size iPod Touch I don't see it cannibalizing anything.
"...while these two Taiwan-based magazines tend to be accurate with insider info related to Taiwan-based companies like Acer and ASUS, they can often be wide of the mark with rumors related to foreign companies."
Quanta is a Taiwan-based company and makes up half of this rumor. Does that make it more credible?
I think apple can do this for an attractive price.
If you look at shrinking a macbook, it looks tricky. If you imagine enlarging an iPod touch it seems pretty easy.
Top end touch is $399 - imagine 3 vertical touches together, that's about a 7" screen - some clever blutooth keyboard
as an option - iPhone tethering for free. Wifi etc, gps. Tweaked sdk for extra pixels - open up a new app store, easy!
Surely doable for $599 - $799...
.. I'd pay that!