smaller MBP?

Hi,

Will there be a smaller MBP sometime this year?

Went to the new Apple store in the mall. I really love the MBP, but 15" is kind of big... 12"~14" will be nice.

Any rumors?

 

Well, there's been no indication of any 12-inch MacBook Pro arriving anytime soon. There's always rumours, but hey, the iPhone was rumoured for years.

I think its more a matter of when than "will it happen?". The demand is there, the interest is there, so many of the older Mac users say their favourite Mac of all time was the 12-inch PowerBook.

I'd say look towards WWDC 2008 or a Special Event from January 2008 until WWDC 2008. Apple's got quite a lot on their hands in terms of things to introduce or update.

 

Yeah, my advisor had to switch to MB since there's no smaller MBP, when he retired his 12" PB.

It's always a pain to carry a 15" around although the MBP is not that heavy.

 

Agreed with Sam; at this point it definitely does seem to be a matter of "when", not "if".

Frankly, the rumors about it have been so prevalent, and become more prevalent over the past year, that it seems very likely something is actually cooking now. It's sort of like the whole iPhone thing; it had been rumoured for years (at least in the form of the "TabletMac", which was the genesis of the iPhone), but those rumors started becoming a lot more concrete in the year leading up to its unveiling.

If it isn't actually unveiled at a special event sometime this year, it seems like a pretty likely candidate for Macworld in January 2007.

-Zadillo

 

Yeah, that's the thing; it's only really a matter of a larger footprint. The current MBP is only .2 pounds heavier than a MacBook (and slightly thinner to boot).

 

Rumors are still circulating about a 12 or 13" MBP being released in the fall, but until then....they're just rumors. The 12" PowerBook never sold very well, so who knows.

 

I don't know about them having a smaller MBP. If anything it'll just be a better MB.

 

Exactly.

I love the smaller footprint size of the MB, but I hate the fact that it's so heavy for its size.

 

Yeah, I don't know, I don't think there's much that can be done short of finding lighter materials to use, which usually increase the cost.

Sony's C series, for example (which is probably one of the closest things to a MacBook, at least for it's 13.3" screen) weighed just over 5 pounds, for example (thicker and heavier than the considerably more expensive SZ series).

It's probably not impossible though. I think the base model XPSM1330 without some of the fancy extras can come in the $1299-1599 range pretty easily.

-Zadillo

 

If you want smaller MBP, why do not you get your MB?? I really like the big screen(15.4 inch) and I am really tired of small screen. I can not really figure out that some company produce 11 inch model?? Does it make the screen and font so small that it will hurt your eye when you try to read?

 

Most 11" machines, like the Sony TX/TZ or Asus U1F, are designed for maximum portability.

Yes, text can be harder to read, but the tradeoff allows you to have a machine that can literally be carried around anywhere and barely take up any room.

They are niche products, but they serve their purpose.

 

I don't like the glossy screen. And it's a tad heavy for that size laptop. Plus I've read that the edge can be sharp.

I'm pretty close to just buying the 15.4" MBP. My only concern is that if a 13.3" MBP is soon released, I might be sorry I didn't wait.

 

The 15.4" MBP is not that big, in all honesty. It's far smaller than most other 15" notebooks.

 

The way I'd look at it is, does the 15.4" MBP suit your needs?

If it does, I'd go ahead and get it. Whatever else Apple might come out with in the future won't change anything if the 15.4" MBP works for you.

However, if you are concerned about the size of the 15.4" MBP, and you think it would be an interference/annoyance/etc. then it's probably safer to hold off, and get either that 13.3" MBP if it comes out any time soon, or the next closest thing (like an XPSM1330, which seems awfully close to what many people expect a 13.3" MBP might be like anyway, outside of running Vista instead of OS X).

 

I agree that it's lighter than most other 15.4" laptops. My Dell 6000 laptop is heavy!

But it's the footprint size I'm concerned with. The difference between the footprint size of my Dell 6000 vs. my 12.1" Dell D420 laptop is huge.

 

Hee-hee... I can give that same advice to you!

 

The gap is obviously there, someone just don't like to admit.

I have the money and want to buy a laptop running MAC OS, with a smaller footprint than 15", LED screen, backlit keyboard, aluminum chassis... Nothing is available.

 

Apple can't satisfy everyone...someone wants a 20-inch Mac notebook, the other wants a 14-inch Mac notebook, and still another wants a 12-inch ultraportable Mac. Apple can't start releasing all those models...they have to see consumer demand and they have to check for production costs vs. profit or if releasing a 14-inch Mac will hurt sales of the MacBook. Apple is one company and they're the only company that allows you to use Mac OS X. The loss of variety is the price we pay for the exclusivity of Mac OS X.

Although I still think we're better off like this than if we licensed Mac OS X to Dell...

 

I want to see a 14.1" Macbook Pro with WSXGA+ resolution. Now that would be a nice laptop if Apple would build it. Apple also needs to update their hard drives with 120 7200 RPM, 160 7200 RPM, 200 7200 RPM and 250 5400 RPM hard drives. I am not sure why Apple still has the 200 GB 4200 RPM hard drive. Apple already makes a light case and LED display. I am curious how much a 14.1" MacBook Pro would weigh, 5lbs?

 

I think there would be a lot of demand for a 13.3" MBP.

And due to the higher price the Pro would bring in, there would still be demand for the lower priced Macbook.

A 20" Mac notebook? Not so much.

 

Dell has 12" 13" 14" 15" 17" 20"

why can't Apple?

 

Because Apple has a more limited product line generally. There's lots of things Dell makes that Apple doesn't; two different lines of business notebooks (Vostro and Latitude). Gaming laptops. Gaming desktops.

Not to say Apple won't ever expand that. But basically of what you mentioned, Apple doesn't make a 12 or 14" notebook, or a 20" "notebook", although I'd venture to say that Apple's 20" iMac sort of covers that base anyway.

Apple used to make 12" and 14" versions of the iBook and PowerBook, and continued making 12" and 14" iBooks even after the move to widescreen 15" PowerBooks. The 13.3" current MacBook sort of fits in that space, but Apple's made a decision not to add more.

By the same token, Dell doesn't make a 13.3" Inspiron, nor do they make a 14" XPS. Every company has to decide what is going to sell and make the most money for them.

-Zadillo

 

Because Apple doesn't sell 5 million computers a quarter. Apple sells less than 2 million a quarter. Its a record amount for Apple quarter after quarter, but until they really start selling big like Dell and HP do they can't release a huge lineup of products.

Plus, Apple has to attend to the iPod and iTunes and iPhone business as well. Dell doesn't have to worry about that.

 

well. if there's a smaller footprint MBP, I'll certainly consider switching to MAC.

 

I'm sure lots of folks would.

 

I think that apple could have been the dominant platform (in terms of use, sales) had they been as aggressive with the options they offered to consumers as PC makers are.

But on the other hand, some will argue that appeal that apple has to it's consumers/supporters is they simplify the process for consumers by offering fewer, yet premium quality system models.

Would apple sell more systems and appeal to more consumers if they offered fully customizable options and screen sizes as PC makers like dell, hp do? Who knows. I think apple and apple users enjoy the fact that by having to pay a premium price for apple systems, it is a symbol of status and going against the norm (the norm being PC users).

PC makers: "We have lower quality budget models, up to premium quality higher priced models"

Apple: "We have a limited selection, yet all premium quality."

Apple generates buzz by keeping us wondering and wanting more. Case in point, forums always have a good number of threads related to "apple rumors, and what's next?" I guess what i'm trying to say is Apple has it's reasons for limiting options, and it seems to be working for them.