Is Apple set to release a netbook?

Wintek, a Taiwanese display manufacturer, has released they are working with Apple to design a new products which may a new netbook according to Digitimes. Quanta has also been reported as making the netbook for Apple according to an article from Commercial Times. It has also been rumored that Quanta was going to be the maker of the new Sony Vaio P. Right now this is all speculation, but considering the way the economy is shifting Apple is probably working on a low-cost notebook to boost sales.

Image courtesy of Frunny

 

If it's a netbook, it'll be an $800 netbook that competes more with the VAIO P than $400 class netbooks, Apple will not compete with the race to zero on profit margins or "stoop" down to a common PC makers strategy.

 

I would love it if apple were going to release a netbook , I would pounce on it! Any thoughts on the price?

Thanks!

Fattail95

 

They might release one, except it will cost as much as an X200/s or similar "real" laptops. However, some people will buy it, no matter that it'll be similar or lower specced than a midrange netbook. Just for the looks and how sweet it'll match for their iPod/iPhones

 

Let's assume this is in fact $800. Why would someone buy it over the $999 MacBook?

 

Why would anyone buy an overpriced and crippled smartphone and/or DAP when they can get a fully featured smartphone for less and a better sounding DAP with no tie-ins/tie-downs for much less?


The perceived "coolness" associated with it might be one of the answers. Or it might be the answer, no matter if people will admit it or not.

 

A MacBook is 4.5 lbs -- a Vaio P competitor is 1.4 lbs.

 

Because if they make this netbook they'll drop the $999 plastic Macbook (which is out of date--although at least has current specs--and only being kept around because they need to have $1000 notebook), with this netbook taking it's place as the cheapest.

EDIT: Hmm I had another thought, I remember from a few weeks back a rumor about a larger iPod Touch. Wintek being a touch screen maker, maybe they're actually supplying the panels for the over-sized iPod Touch, which would be very much like a netbook/tablet.

EDIT2: LINK: http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/30/large-form-ipod-touch-to-launch-in-fall-09/

The screen size is right.

 

Wouldn't it be awesome (and the next step hopefully) if the keyboard area was just one gigantic touchscreen, like the kind on the new blackberry? That way the keyboard would still "click" like a regular keyboard, but the buttons displayed can be changed around and stuff.

You could set it to just a giant "ASWD" and arrow keys when you're gaming or something, then change it back to a keyboard with a click.

I can dream.

 

Steve Jobs said himself that Apple wasn't interested in the netbook market. A netbook would be seen by Apple as cheapening the brand. Similar to the way the Boxster cheapened the Porsche name.

Oh that picture is definitely a new 24" Apple display fused to a bluetooth Apple keyboard.

 

Hmm a netbook would be nice but if its more than $600 its overpriced. If it was to be $800 it'll be way to close to the macbook.

 

Steve Jobs "himself" said that they weren't going into the oversaturated cell phone market.

History has shown Steve Jobs to change "opinion" as the wind blows. The thing is, he's a salesman and sometimes he'll say things that aren't true (shock! Horror!)

 

Steve Jobs also said Wintel machines are bad, Apple would stay with PowerPC processors, iPods would only play audio, and Apple would not make phone to compete in the crowded phone market. Steve Jobs also said the G4 was 3 times as fast as Wintel machines.

Take what Jobs says with a grain of 10 liters of salt.

 

LOL, exactly!

 

Doesn't look to bad, even for an Apple product. I wonder what the price point and feature set are going to be.

 

Apple also said they weren't and had no interest whatsoever in making a mobile phone before the iphone came out. I never believe a word Apple says or any of these type of PR statements from any company.

 

Wow I just noticed that nice catch!

 

I'm thinking that this could be Apple's first major post-Jobs business strategy. I wrote some more about that on my blog (link in signature if anyone cares).

 

i would love to see a Mac OSX tablet. surfing the web on my iphone just kills my eyes. If they were to be made & released I doubt it will be in the netbook range since Apple products are never on the cheap side. If they do, I have a feeling lots of ppl will buy it nevertheless. I rem when the iphone was first released and i told my friends I wouldn't buy one but after playing with my friends 1G iPhone. I ended up buying a 2G & upgrading to a 3G iPhone down the road. Guess its the gadget lover & geek within me.

 

You know the source for all this? Apple is buying touch screen panels.

Yes, that is the only source for all this speculation. There are no marketing photos, that's a user mock up. If you think Apple buying touch screens is news, and on top of that, that it means they're making a netbook, then boy you're really grabbing at straws.

 

If Apple makes a netbook you better believe its going involve some type of new technology that will rationalize a high price in the consumers mind.

 

BINGO,

100% right there they are gonna come out with one that is touch screen or something and charge $800+

 

And it would be 100% compatible with Itunes!
Maybe..lol

 

If they do Steve jobs is a lier, he said they would NEVER make a netbook or even consider it.

Besides we already have touch screens and OS (blank) on the EEE you just have to be willing to mod. Also I can tell you all the EEE touch screen users agree that its just a gimmick and not really usefull in any way on such a small screen.

Heck I tried to use a big 20" HP touchscreen today and even it was a pain to do normal windows stuff, its really only good for programs that are interfaced with touch screen in mind.

 

Welcome to reality. He's a salesman. That's it. He has done the exact same thing before, as several people have shown by now.

Since when has gimmicky not been part of Apple's modus operandi?

I agree, but I would go one further and say that not only does it need to have apps written and developed for touch screens, it also has to be very specific sort of apps, and size (or lack of size, actually) is a big part of this.

 

It wouldn't surprise me to see Apple try to release an IBook.... (They already have the name, just reuse it for the Netbook craze) The market is worth having a piece of so Apple would be a little silly to ignore it completely.

An Aluminum IBook Tablet with the Apple logo would sell at the right price point. The bigger question would be what OS apple would include? A FULL version of MacOSX?

No doubt the new IBook will be running Nvidia ION platform with a slightly tweaked Atom perhaps.

 

Hey maybe the iBook would be a Kindle competitor!

 

it will be expensive but apple should put a dual core cpu in it to make it a netbook but faster than all the rest.

 

If Apple produces something like the Sony Vaio P then technically it won't be a netbook it will be a MID. ;þ

 

Im curious why you would pounce on it? Do people really enjoy over priced, under powered computers with tiny keyboards?
Once the novelty of "I have a teeny weenie laptop" wears off and reality sets in will these thing actually have a market?
Are consumers that obsessed with bling? Now bear in mind I am not attacking apple here, the PC people make netbooks and they dont make any sense either except as a laptop away from laptop as it were. I mean come on people you can only make things soo tiny. In five years will people be staring into a cel phone sized laptop wearing magnifying glasses and typing with toothpicks all in the name of bling?
Alas, what strange times we live in..............

 

Actually netbooks are pretty useful. You have to remember not everyone has $600+ to spend on a laptop. Also if you browse the internet only and just go on youtube you really don't need a notebook. I can see your point, but remember things are touch now and consumers are looking for the cheapest thing they can find.

 

If you browse the internet only and just go to youtube do you really even need a netbook?

 

Yes

I love my EEE infact I can do 99% of what I do on my G50V on it.

Its ultra portable, long battery life, versitile & fun.

I use it for music, movies, games, internet, gps

Id say its better for many tasks than a full sized notebook by a good amount. You just have to look at the situations where its usefull.

Waiting for a seat at dinner, sitting in the lobby at the doctors office, at a friends house, in the car, etc...

Many times a full size notebook would be a burden not to mention the battery life issues. You cant trek around with a fullsize all day before the battery dies, with the EEE you can.

I find its good for photography too, I can put it in my camera bag and use it to review photo's before I go home to see if I want to delete some stuff or take more shots of something.

 

I would give you a straight answer but vicious has already explained. People need to start realizing as well that most people that buy netbooks are using it as a SECONDARY computer.

You have a big 17" notebook and you are going somewhere boring are you gonna lug that around or just take your netbook? The netbook has pretty superior battery life, Its really a no brainer as you can see i don't have a netbook but i plan on getting one once i really see one that i like. I'm waiting for an ION netbook or a successor to the N10J. I like the AMD Neo notebooks though.

 

+1,love my eee too

BTW guys,why so much negative?it is just a rumor...

P.S. I may be wrong,buy AFAIK,Jobs said:"we are currently not interested in netbook market but have some interesting ideas"

 

yeah - that is definitely a cinema display fused to an apple bluetooth keyboard. i like the 9" tablet idea though...

thanks

fattail95

 

Lol i think Steve jobs previously said way back when that they wouldn't get involved in the phone market didnt he? Well you see where that rumor took them

 

Take everything old Jobs says with a pinch of salt - I personally think they should release a netbook.

fattail95

 

If apple does release one I'm pretty sure that exactly what is predicted will happen and they will price it outrageously, but people will justify their choice to buy it over even a Macbook with "but it's so much smaller and lighter!"

 

Within the Taiwanese electronics manufacturing industry, the discussion has moved far beyond Apple Netbook speculation. Instead, their news consists of "who's won which manufacturing contract for which apple netbook component." There's no doubt that Apple will be releasing a new touch screen based device, sized somewhere between an iPod touch and a normal laptop. The real question is, what will it look like, and what will Apple call it?

 

Apple don't do affordable pricing, their products are for the people who have lots of money to spend

It would be good to finally have a reasonably priced Apple product though.