Comments on: CNBC jumps on Mac ultraportable bandwagon

Business channel is adding its name to the list of those expecting Apple to unveil an ultraportable notebook at Macworld in January.

[Andy kaufman]

But that Mac laptop will tank in third world nations

that are buying the $100 Intel Classmate laptop or the $180 OLPC XO laptop that the Apple Mac laptop competes against for $1500 each?

Has Steve Jobs been smoking something funny again? How can he expect to sell a $1500 laptop in a market that can only afford a $100 or $180 laptop?

[d.c.rogers]

3rd Worlders aren't exactly Apple's target audience

Obviously this computer isn't designed to compete with laptops in
the $100-$200 range...and I imagine that Apple's flash-based
notebook will probably outperform the OLPC XO.

[Draxon]

Your the one smoking

Wow,

What are you smoking this laptop is meant to be for the upper class not the lower class. Flash based drive will give HUGE battery gains, and WAY faster performance. It would not be a big step to say a ultra portable laptop, with a 12 inch Back lit LED screen, and a flash hard drive would have instant (not 4 minutes like vista) boot time, and 6-8 HOURS battery life (not 2 hours like a cheap dell). This 12 inch laptop would be competeing for all the people who want a laptop but dont want to put thier back out carring it around all day.

[ladiesmanwc]

Since when do they have faux-hipster wannabes in the third world?

Apple doesn't target to third-worlders or developing nations.

Apple targets gullible kids because it's "cool", and gullible adults because that mac kid is always getting the upper hand on the old PC guy, so obviously macs are better.

[Penguinisto]

Err, how many 3rd-worlers travel every week, genius?

You're operating sans clue, pal...

/P

[No_Man]

I know!

Surely Apple will at least put a hand crank or solar panels in the thing. I mean, what would be the point of a computer that requires more than 15W? You can't put an electrical outlet in a dirt floor, afterall.



P.S. This is the proper way to respond to SATIRE.

[bhushan bhaagii]

YOU'LL BE SURPRISED

No doubt Steve Jobs primary and secondary market
is the US, North America and Europe. But you'll be surprised at the number of people across Asia who would be able to afford it, and who would find it the ideal aspirational product to flaunt
in their circle.

[Penguinisto]

Not too far fetched...

It may even be cheaper. After the Asus PCee sub-notebook was released (it's something like $400 or so), I can see a market for Apple to introduce something with a 12-inch screen and, say, 16GB of flash storage for around the price of a Mac Mini (in other words, it doesn't have to be a 64GB flash drive).

OTOH, it may use a combination of, say, 8GB of flash storage for its boot disk (for the OS and the built-in apps, with perhaps a bit of room left over for commonly-used 3rd-party apps) and an iPod-sized disk drive (up to 80GB) for data storage. Such a combo wouldn't need to invoke the power drain of the spinning HDD full time (saves power), and yet could withstand quite a bit of abuse.

It would make sense for someone who travels a whole hell of a lot, and it would still be hefty enough to do pretty much what a traveler needs it to.

/P

[whidbeyben]

It's about time.

Apple never got around to replacing the Aluminum 12" Powerbook
G4, which was a perfect form factor for the traveling executive.
Who really uses a 17" laptop on a transpacific flight? Hopefully it
will be configurable to suit various needs and pricing. $1500 will
probably be a Flash/HDD hybrid. $2500 for all flash and
transreflective screen. Wireless docking station for optical, backup
drives and high power graphics card- sweet! It will be exciting to
see what they really come up with after all this waiting.

[originalanalog]

JOBSTRADAMUS

One more thing....here's how you make an 'ultra-portable' that is 1/2 the width of the MacBook - you make it a tablet. Boom. It makes total sense to make a 13inch, 3G capable multi-touch Mac to give them a product in that sub $1000 range. Check out more here: http://myiphonediary.blogspot.com

[Bridging the GAP]

You're on the right track

Apple already has a 160GB drive in the iPod classic for $349...I believe it is a flash drive. This drive will be in the new iTablet...and it will look like a large iTouch...and you can bet it will be at$999....