An image was recently posted to MacRumors’ forums by a “macrumors newbie” named “greenrabbit.”
Is this the first pre-Macworld Expo leaked image of Apple’s rumored ultra-thin subportable, complete with a nice wide trackpad loaded with multi-touch goodness? For some, that giant wide single button might raise the red flag of fake; it just doesn’t seem to make Apple-sense design-wise to us. It’s “non-Ivesian,” if you will — unless it has new uses previously unseen (for example, perhaps the left and right sides rock on a central pivot, so the button can have multiple uses. We call dibs on that idea, Apple, but it’s available for purchase). All that naysaying said, now watch them release it just like that on the 15th.
It’s that time of the year. So, real or fake, what do you think?
MacDailyNews Take: Perhaps “greenrabbit” should have named him or herself “whiterabbit,” instead.
As I suggest in my article (in italian , link below) the book you see in background is Dan Brown’s Angels And Demons… in Swedish. You may read just a piece of the title ( Anglar Och ) but it’s enough to understand it’s Anglar och Demoner, wich of course means Angels And Demons. I don’t think Apple would ship a prototype of a revolutionary notebook across the oceans for a swedish geek in a chill and guttural languaged land to test it. Well, this guy may be quite a nostalgic immigrant too, who knows? Anyway, nobody noticed the icons in the docks are exactly place in the same position in the two computers. Me, I think this is a well cooked photoshop scam. Intentionally made Jpeg compression artifacts are the nuage that makes this brilliant.
The article with my investigation..
I hate to say it, kids, but this looks plausible. For one, the light source is coming from above and between the two computers, making it entirely possible for the shadows to break in both directions. (I worked as an advertising photographer for years, and I know how shadows break with respect to illumination).
Second, the keyboard appears to be that of the MacBook Pro variety, and this new laptop Mac is likely to be of the Pro heritage, not the plan MacBook group.
As for a latch, don’t be so limited. If it uses a magnetic latch, it might not need any button at all, especially given how thin the design would be.
As for the trackpad, its large size would be indicative of Multi-Touch gesture capabilities. Instead of all the silly rumors about a “Newton” (pulleeeze – give me break – Mr. Jobs hates tablets) with Multi-Touch technology ported from the iPhone, it would make sense to use Multi-Touch instead for the trackpad. We saw this in the last version of the MacBooks and MacBook Pros in a small way, and it would not surprise me if Apple is trying to use gesture technology to broaden the capabilities of the trackpad.
I really hate to say this, but I think it’s very plausible that this is for real. If so, take a long look, because Apple’s attorneys will swoop down pretty hot and hard with a cease-and-desist letter on this site and others.
And to the frigtard to uploaded this to MacRumors: thanks, butthead. Thanks for ruining a good surprise, you schmuck. Jeez, can’t anyone leave secrets a secret?
So let the silly season begin. By this time next week, rumors will probably fly about a new Apple device that can enhance sexual prowess, reverse global warming, get Osama to surrender and cause Rob Enderle and John Dvorak to predict doom for Apple. It’s that time of year when the idiots come out of the woodwork. Given all the cockroaches, I’ve got my can of RAID at ready….
SO FAKE.
Look at the perspective and the relative sizes of the ports on the right. If that’s an ultraportable macbook, then they’ve managed to also shrink the size of USB ports. For example, the width of the ultraportable would be the same as a headphone jack.
I wish it was as real as Mom’s Apple 3.1415 but alas methinks it is fake.
I am praying it is fake.
Apple will have to be innovating far more then this to get me to think about upgrading.
As I understand the size is about right.
No hinged monitor, or clam closure system.
No keyboard – as it shall be a virtual full size thanks to the monitor size.
This isn’t gun blue.
And it has not yet ben asked to be removed for this site!
SO – it’s fake. Or an early mockup.
I am still dreaming for a “MacSlate” stylized along the iPodNano, iTouch and iPhone lines.
Fun to see though – thanks.
I agree with ‘Differing view’. The photo does not look fake to me. There are a lot of subtleties in the shadows and highlights that someone other than an expert at retouching would not be apt to come up with. There are a lot of good reasons why it should be fake, but I work in PhotoShop a lot creating composites and producing the photo shown would be a lot of work.
if this is it… it isn’t impressive.
Apple needs to leap frog the expectations here and really come through on Multi-touch.
Otherwise, the competitors will be multi-interfacing soon.
Lets see the best UI get the best UE for a sub-notebook in a form factor better then this.
fake
No – that’s an Apple Business card.
the shadow on the smaller one is off. judging from lighting, it shouldn’t be coming towards the viewer, rather away
Why is the same screen dump or background used on both computers? Maybe because all they did was use the same computer – turned it in a different direction of the light, move the icons around, throw some dock icons out, add a few. It’s not that difficult. It’s a fake. Your also missing the light reflected off the top of the sub. Why does the MBP have it – and not the Sub? Why is there no bright reflection on the IPod window – if it’s facing the back of the Sub’s top surface – surely – there would be a huge reflection of ambient and reflective light.
Those ain’t ports on the side – its a mini optical slot.
Smaller disc means less to spin hence saving battery drain.
Right Christopher?
winnie the pooh
@ Maciac: you’re totally correct.
I was going to post that too, but I searched for “palm” and see you did so.
Complete BS.
What suckers believe that is real?
@ Differing view
Light shall break but with more believable grace.
This is a picture taken of two current laptops. the right has easily been altered to squeeze or truncate dimensions and add and optical drive.
If Apple were to make a track pad larger…
1) it would cover the entire portion below the keyboard.
2) multi-touch gesture does not require a button to comfirm, you just tap… a function possible since 10.2.8 set to any track pad so you done’t need the clicker button.
3) the size is not 13.3 inches claimed by the recent orders made by Apple.
4) those lcd were touch screens… the new sub-notebook is all multi-touch. No keyboard at all.
Barney Millar
I think it’s real.
That wide trackpad can accommodate different plates for different purposes, remember Apple Patent?
The keys are higher, because no room in the chassis.
By deliberately placing that Apple business card in the scene
the artist tries to persuade us to trust that image comes
from head quarters…
…but any employee that leaked such a photo would be smart enough not to fan out his credentials right there…
The misleading KEY and answer to the truth is the business card as exposes this image is a fake I say – Right Andy?
Deputy Barney Fife
hmm interesting if it is real maybe the touch pad button acts as a mighty mouse and the width of the pad itself could be multi-touch
Okaaaaayy, if I had two laptop computers and one of them little iPods AND a iPhone, you can bet I’d have me a foreign housekeepin’ lady to straighten up the mess on my DAMN DESK RIGHT NOW!
That is why it HAS to be fake.
It’s a fake, why would Apple keep the old outdated keyboard style instead of syncing it with their new keyboards which are more efficient and better looking. The huge trackpad leaves no wrist room as mentioned above…
Too many faults too be true. It’s just a shrunken version of the MacBook Pro which will be getting a make over anyway.
its a fake. I would think that apple will integrate the MacBook keyboard into all new laptops. they sell them for desktops now so to me it just makes sense that it will be the new style they push on anyting that has a keyboard.
I believe it!!!
I love the idea of no optical drive and all flash based.
If it comes in glossy only, Apple can go fsck themselves.
It’s an iBook with a photo shopped mac book pro sitting on a desk in a dorm room.
What’s all the excitement about-there is no subnotebook coming people, nor will “touch” be incorporated into the iMacs. Get over it.
It’s a good one, but it’s a fake. It was two separate shots of the same laptop in two positions. The “fake” one was cropped, retouched and dropped into the original photo.
Proof? Look at the icons on the right side of the desktop. He forgot to change them, so he photoshopped the two bottom ones out on the left macbook and the middle two out of the “fake” one. You can see the rub out where the icons were when you zoom in.
(I think his battery was running low when he took the second shot though, and that worked well for him.)
He altered the dock slightly, but at least ChrissyOne should be happy he’s running CS3 on both of them…
GROW UP KIDS is a crap fake.
Bad one.
anyway, who cares.
Who wants to help me with my New Electric car I am making??
I need a Motor Donation.
A Ultra capacitor
a Fuel Taken For Hydrogen, ? or Flywheel
and a Girl to look nice near it.
OK cheers
on the sub-notebook:
if this is set to launch the week after macworld, it’s been built and packaged and is being stored somewhere, right?
Doesn’t anyone have a cam on their cell?
Its the same size as the normal ONe LOL!!!!
its 15″
I am bored with this. MDN can you sort this out please.
anyway.. Mac os willl be released for PCs soon.
apple shares will hit 500 hundred by end of year
and you heard all here.