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Modbook will let you convert your Retina MacBook Pro to a tablet for $1,999
Modbook, the company behind those aftermarket Apple tablets, just launched a Kickstarter campaign for its latest product, the Modbook Pro X. After paying a pre-order price of $1,999 today, backers will be able to convert their own Retina MacBook Pros into a tablet beginning early next year. The conversion incorporates the laptop's original hardware, with components shifted from the lower half of the computer to just behind the 15.4-inch 2,880 x 1,800-pixel LCD.
Baseline Modbook Pro gets its RAM, storage and screen sensitivity doubled, stays at $3,500
The first batch of Modbook Pros have yet to make their way to owners, but the base model is already getting a spec bump. The Macbook come tablet will have its RAM boosted from 4GB to 8GB and its solid state drive roughly doubled in capacity to 120GB. As for the Wacom pen digitizer on the slab, a total of 1,024 pressure levels will make it twice as sensitive than previously planned. What's the cause for the sudden volley of upgrades? Turns out the folks at Modbook Inc. managed to get a sweeter deal on parts from manufacturers and had the financial wiggle room to include better hardware. One thing that hasn't changed on the Modbook Pro, however, is its price: the tablet will still withdraw $3,500 from pockets. Those who've already pre-ordered one of the devices will get the upgrades at no additional cost when the slates ship later this month. Update: Reader ThorntonArt points out in the comments that the Modbook Pro doesn't sport a touch-sensitive screen, but one that's sensitive to pen input. We've clarified the post.
Modbook Pro gets priced at $3,500, as pre-orders begin
No one ever said a modded MacBook Pro was gonna be cheap. Last week Modbook announced that it would be going ahead with pre-orders on the Modbook Pro today, but didn't really touch on pricing. As ordering begins, the company's attached a $3,500 starting price tag for the honor of controlling your 13.3-inch Mac with a pen. The Modbook Pro, which is set to start shipping in the middle of next month, runs Mountain Lion and features a 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 processor (upgradable to a 2.9GHz i7) and memory and storage up to 16GB and 480GB, respectively. If you're aching to get your hands on one of these Frankensteinian tablets, you'll have to plunk down a $500 deposit.
Modbook Pro to launch with SSD storage, up for pre-order October 3rd
It wasn't all that long ago that Modbook Inc's CEO, Andreas Haas, made the mac-in-tablet Modbook Pro official, now we're learning that the super-slate will launch with high performance SSD storage. So, as you wield your MacBook Pro come tablet, you'll be free from spinning disks. Great, but what impact will this have on capacity? Well, according to the firm, storage will start at 64GB as standard, with upgrades possible all the way up to a, not-unreasonable, 480GB. Pre-orders go live on October 3rd, along with the all important reveal on price. Regardless of cost, if that void between the iPad and full-fat Windows 8 slates had been irking you, here's your answer.
Modbook introduces the Modbook Pro
Who remembers the Modbook? We looked at an early iteration back in 2008, and today the company has introduced the Modbook Pro. It is a tablet, but the Modbook Pro does not run iOS. It's essentially the hardware of a 13" MacBook Pro inside a tablet case with a touch screen, running OS X. The company notes that the screen uses a Wacom digitizer for "512 levels of pen pressure sensitivity," which it claims is more than any other tablet. As for the screen itself (1280 x 800 pixel resolution), the Modbook says it's "etched" for a paper-like feel. So what's inside this beast? You'll find a 2.5GHz dual core Intel i5 processor ( 2.9GHz dual core i7), up to 16GB of RAM, a 2.5–inch SATA drive (up to 1TB HDD or up to 960GB SSD), DVD burner, an Intel HD Graphics 4000 chipset, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. On the outside you'll find a Gigabit Ethernet port, one FireWire 800 port, one USB 3.0 port, one Thunderbolt port, one SDXC card slot and one audio line in/out. The device ships with a digitizer pen, which can be tucked away inside a magnetic "pen garage" when not in use. The company hopes to ship the Modbook Pro in "fall of 2012," and has promised sales info within the next few weeks.
The Modbook Pro gets official, CEO Andreas Haas talks success in an iPad world
You'd be forgiven for assuming that the ModBook dream died with release of the first iPad. After all, the first version of the hacked notebook predated Apple's announcement by a couple of years. When the iPad finally hit in 2010, it did a lot to address the desire for a slate device running Apple software. Since then, things have largely remained silent on the Axiotron front. In fact, the last time we heard a significant peep out of the company was back in 2009. Its former CEO Andreas Haas assured us, however, that the real reason for the company's silence is a bit more complicated than the story of yet another product falling victim to the Apple steamroller. "Axiotron itself was a great company," says Haas. "Back in 2008, I took the company public, everything was really great. There was one little thing that turned out to be a huge problem, which is that the company was largely bank-financed and 10 days after it went public, Lehman Brothers went belly-up and put the whole financial market in a tailspin. After that was mostly spent on trying to somehow restructure the company, and ultimately there was just nothing that could be done about it." As the newly reborn Modbook Inc. teased via its Facebook page yesterday, however, the name lives on. This week marks the return of the tablet in the form of the 13.3-inch Modbook Pro, a device slated to ship early this fall. Can such a device survive in a world that's been downright flooded by tablets in the years since its predecessor's release? The company clearly feels it can -- that its new product is unique enough to set itself apart in amongst the deluge of slates, calling the new Pro, "the world's most powerful and largest-screen tablet computer." And in a space where hardware and software are relatively neutered, it's understandable how the company might be inclined to make such bold claims about the converted notebook.
Modbook teases a 'Pro' announcement on Facebook
Modbook -- now there's a portmanteau we haven't heard in a while. Looks like that'll change this week, however. The company has offered up the intriguing promise that "imagination goes pro. Tomorrow," alongside the image of the edge of a slick looking device and some familiar OS X icons. Color us modtrigued.
Axiotron's Modbook goes and Modbook Pro to get projected capacitive screens
Resistive touch-screens are great when you have a stylus in-hand, capacitive screens offer more finesse when you're going at it with fingertips, and both are about useless when you're wearing gloves (for now, anyway). That changes with the projective capacitive screen, able to offer responsiveness to a bare fingertip and also react to non-conductive objects like styli, and it's that type of screen that Axiotron's MacBook-based Modbook tablets will be seeing in the near future thanks to a partnership with Touch International. Starting next month, Modbook buyers will be able to add a Synergy Touch screen as an option, while those going for the 15.4-inch Modbook Pro will receive one as standard. No word on what this accessory will cost, but we think it's a shame the two couldn't get these things to market before the end of glove season.[Via Gadgets.TMCNet.com]
Axiotron Modbook upgrade: not quite 2 minutes, but overnight ain't bad
If you have $1,149 to spend, TechRestore can convert your MacBook into an Axiotron ModBook overnight during the work-week. They've put together a little stop-motion video, even, to show you how it's done. The $1,149 price is good through March 6. Overnight delivery options are an extra $29 to $99, depending on whether you ship it yourself to them, drop it off at a shipping center, or have it picked up. [Via Gizmodo.]
Video: Modbook modded in stop motion
Although Axiotron's Modbook and Modbook Pro look like they're relatively simple creations -- take off the original screen, install touch screen backwards -- we've always assumed the process was much more complicated. Turns out we were wrong -- if this Modservice video from TechRestore is to be believed, a normal MacBook will actually do most of the work for you, as long as you're willing to provide the appropriate high-tech sound effects. Seriously, the DVD drive just reinstalls itself! Video after the break.
Axiotron's Modbook Pro: when the Modbook just isn't enough
While we sit around twiddling our thumbs waiting for Apple's rumored resurrection of the Newton, we'll occupy ourselves with the latest 3rd party Mac tablet -- the Modbook Pro. Based off a 15-inch unibody MacBook Pro, the Modbook Pro has all the same ports as the standard model (including the ExpressCard/34 slot), supports both pen and touch input, and has a glossy black shell. Axiotron pre-installs Quicktouch software to aid those with fat fingers, and the screen is totally flush. However, nobody said that function came cheap -- the Modbook Pro starts at $5k, but there's a $400 discount available for Macworld.[Via Boy Genius Report]
Woz gets a new job
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak seems to be a lot more visible lately.First, he's been making bad web ads for SCOTTEVEST. Next, we received pictures of Woz whizzing from the deck of his Segway. He was fined US$700 for driving his Prius at 104 miles per hour (167 kilometers per hour) on I-5. At last, we've received news that he's actually using that geek cred of his for the good of mankind.Yes, Stephen Gary Wozniak has just joined the Board of Advisors of Axiotron, makers of the Modbook (that's the mod that turns a stock MacBook into a Tablet Mac). Andreas Haas, CEO of Axiotron, was quoted late last week as saying "We're thrilled to bring Steve onto our Board of Advisors. His deep knowledge and experience are an invaluable resource for Axiotron. Steve's forward-thinking and non-conformist approach, his incredibly creative engineering designs and his emphasis on the human aspects of technology have always been an inspiration to me."We'll be visiting Axiotron and reporting on the newly updated Modbook at Macworld Expo 2009, as well as interviewing some well-known artists and designers who use the Modbook as a creative tool. Stay tuned January 5th through 9th for TUAW's extensive coverage of the Expo.
Axiotron tweaks Modbook for better, stronger, faster performance
Axiotron has the upgrade bug again, and it's making a litany of small, useful improvements to its Modbook that add up to a seriously improved machine. For starters, the rig now has a new hardware controller board for improved sleep, battery and system performance. Moreover, a fresh bonding process for the AnyView LCD panel and paper-emulating ForceGlass screen cover results in a "better contrast ratio, a firmer etched drawing surface, and decreased parallax between pen tip and cursor." Also of note, the updated beast incorporates the company's QuadCoat process, which protects the top shell with a liquid metallic coating and decreases the weight to 5.3-pounds. The Modbook starts at $2,249 by itself, or users can convert their non-aluminum Core 2 Duo-based Macbook into one starting at $1,299.
Axiotron Modservice takes your sad, disused Macbook, converts it into swanky new tablet
If you happen to have a spare MacBook lying around, and you're at all intrigued by Axiotron's ModBook tablets, you'll probably be stoked to hear that the company is now taking orders on their website to convert personal MacBooks into the devices. Prices start at around $1,300 -- far less than buying a new one, which go for a base price of $2,290. Modification kits are being sent out to a network of authorized modders, the nearest of which will contact you once you place your order to set up an appointment for the so-called "transformation." You're totally out of luck, however, if you were looking to have your brand new, aluminum MacBook "transformed" because they're apparently "too cool" to submit to the keyboard denuding-degradation Axiotron requires. As if.[Via Notebooks.com]
TUAW reviews the Axiotron ModBook
Axiotron's ModBook has been making a stir for a while, so we're pleased to have the opportunity to take it for a spin. In case you haven't seen it before, it's a MacBook that's been modified into a slate-style tablet computer, and it's stiff competition for any tablet PC (for many reasons, not the least of which is... it's a Mac). Photographer Peter Boysen worked with us (video after the jump) to put it through its paces as we considered the needs of the artists and designers who are Axiotron's primary demographic. Read on for the rest of our review, and a video bonus.
Mahalo Daily visits the ModBook folks
Our good friends at Mahalo Daily took this short look at the Axiotron ModBook, which (you've probably seen) is a modified MacBook that's been turned into a tablet computer. I learned a couple of interesting things about the device -- first of all, it's not a touchscreen, it's really a tablet, which means you need a stylus to use it. Also, Apple is approving, if not actually supportive, of these things. They're supplying the MacBook bases to Axiotron as an "Apple Proprietary Solution Provider." One could infer from this that Apple doesn't think there's a big enough market for these to make it worth Apple's making an iTablet anytime soon.The lovely and talented Veronica Belmont also runs through a few practical applications of the device, which I'd imagine are pretty standard on any Tablet PC -- the big draw here, obviously, is that it's a Mac, and you get all the software and UI-shininess contained therein. I don't know that I'm any more inclined to buy one after watching this (I kind of like my keyboard-laden PowerBook, to be quite honest), but it's cool to get a fun look at them in action.
Modbook upgraded, now up to 2.4GHz, 160GB
Bummer to everyone who just got their Modbook, what, two months ago? As with the inevitable tide of technology, Axiotron just upgraded the line, bumping the specs to 2.1 or 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo configs with 120 or 160GB drives. The price on the base model stays the same ($2,290), but the new 2.4GHz config will run you $2,480.
Show floor video: Axiotron's Modbook wows the crowd
Who said there can only be one big portable computer announcement at Macworld Expo? The long-awaited Axiotron Modbook -- a FrankenMac adaptation of the MacBook into a surprisingly sleek and functional tablet machine -- was originally shown at last year's Macworld Expo and has finally reached shipping status (available starting at $2290). Does the lure of a touchscreen outweigh the siren call of a MacBook Air? Can you get real work done with Ink gesture recognition?We got a quick demo at the Axiotron booth (video after the jump). For mobile artists, storyboard work or architectural annotations, the Modbook might be just the thing.
Axiotron Modbook tablet Mac hands-on
Live from the heart-pounding, pulse-racing showfloor of Macworld 2008, we bring you a full frontal hands-on of Axiotron's long-awaited Modbook -- the MacBook tablet conversion. After all the waiting and wondering, we're not totally blown away by the end result, though if you're an artist or designer, this could be a real boon to your productivity. The build is sturdy, and the screen feels solid beneath your stylus (stylus only that is -- no touchscreen here), though the pressure sensitivity seemed to give out at really soft touches... of which there were many. Check the gallery and see for yourself.%Gallery-13934%
Axiotron's ModBook now shipping
Just over a week ago, we posted that Axiotron's MacBook-based tablet was indeed about to ship. If you've been holding out for one, and if you have then I take my hat off to you for your patience, the most important news is that you can finally run over to Axiotron's site and order your very own ModBook. I have to admit, the specs look particularly tasty: built-in GPS, Wacom-developed digitiser technology on top of the Macbook's screen, not to mention the simple fact that it is a Mac OS X tablet!My only concern echoes that of Scott's last week: Apple choosing to revise the MacBook configurations, or even enter the market themselves with a more touch-orientated device at Macworld, could put a dampener on Axiotron's much-deserved party. If any readers get a ModBook, drop us a line via our tips form: your nerves in advance of the keynote contents must be stronger than ours!Thanks Greg!
