“I have been hearing some interesting things about Apple’s upcoming line of portable computers,” Seth Weintraub blogs for Computerworld.
• Thinner than current MacBook and MacBook Pros and slightly more rounded, taking design cues from the MacBook Air.
• The trackpad is glass, multi-touch and uses gestures. The screen isn’t multi-touch.
• They will most likely have Intel Centrino 2 platform chips.
• Release Date: Last week(s) of September.
Weintraub writes, “I have no idea if this will be called MacBook Touch or if they will keep their current monikers.”
More in the full article, including rumored screen sizes and aspect ratios, here.
[Attribution: Electronista. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Sir Gill Bates” for the heads up.]
Meh….
Actually, this seems perfectly plausible, and I’m certain Apple already have working prototypes of MultiTouch Notebooks – some with glass keyboards and some with touch screens.
However, it may not be practical to manufacture those products on a large scale yet and there’s the question of translating the iPhone’s ease of use into a notebook.
Personally, I’m hoping the iMac eventually takes on MultiTouch, where you don’t need a physical keyboard. Imagine launching an app on the Dock by tapping it with your finger, or dragging items across the screen and into a folder/Trash!
Actually what the have been hearing about is a MacBook Pro with integrated iPod touch.
You put the touch in the place where the track pad usualy goes, use it as super track pad when installed and when you need to go ultra light pop out the iPod and take you data, e-mail, ect with you in you pocked.
Recently I dropped my iPod touch about 3 1/2 feet onto a concrete paving stone… right on the corner with. I held my breath as I picked it up. The glass was perfect. The case suffered two very small pick marks in the metal frame, hardly noticeable. And it works perfectly.
Don’t know how they’ve done it, but Apple has one very tough product on its hands, thank goodness!!
You get what you pay for with rumors. Wouldn’t be surprised if Apple was passing along disinformation just to taught the Fanboys.
@Sarasota:
That would be taunt. But I get your point.
How about the idea of a virtual, contextual-driven keyboard, whereby the keyboard configuration is in software. Say you want a French or German keyboard, simply go up to your ‘international’ menu and select it. There’d have to be some kind of tactile feedback, but I’m guessing Apple are working on that too…
One name: Macbook AirTouch (with multi-touch virtual keyboard featured)
Nothing else to add… bye bye.
Quesition: Why would someone buy a PC instead of a Mac?
Answer: Because PC’s are “cheap”.
The Crackbook, finally.
Andy,
“Personally, I’m hoping the iMac eventually takes on MultiTouch, where you don’t need a physical keyboard. Imagine launching an app on the Dock by tapping it with your finger, or dragging items across the screen and into a folder/Trash!”
Would you type on the screen? Imagine trying to hold your arms straight out for any length of time. Not very comfy.
Wouldn’t you think that Apple would get their new line of laptops out in time for college students to purchase them before going off to school?
Some people here seem to be confusing Centrino with Celeron
Ryan,
Yeah, I see that a lot too.
Usually, when someone is trashing Centrino, they don’t really know what it is. It was a smart move by Intel, both hardware and marketing wise. Laptops with Centrino were a big improvement initially.
Why not just build a ipod/phone touch screen into the track pad area. It could be a multitouch track pad and also a second mini monitor for what purpose I have no idea. Maybe the bit where error messages or promts pop up. Then you just tap yes, no, cancel or ok.
@Sir Gill Bates
Well, there is that little problem… although perhaps the iMac form factor would be modified slightly where the Apple logo currently sits. Perhaps the screen will ‘slope forward’ a bit to provide space for the touch keyboard.
Or either, the screen will be slightly larger and sit at an angle just off the desk, rather than sitting vertically on a stand?
@ Mac+
‘MacBook AirTouch’ sounds like some weird Nike hybrid product! Buy a MacBook Pro and get a free pair of Apple branded Nike sneakers/tennis shoes?
Andy,
How about if the screen was held in a cradle that would allow you to pull it towards you. It could slide in an arc from an upright vertical viewing position, to a flat keyboard location for typing. Make the stand with one curved central beam. I’ll bet Apple could to it and make it look kickass.