[canaryman16]

Have there been any indications that this product will appear in the short to mid term? Would the switch to 45 nm intel chips make a difference?
I'm still using a 12" PB and would love a MacBook Pro but am not prepared to move to a 15" form factor for traveling reasons and the MacBook is a similar weight to the MacBook Pro 15".
Surely there is a market here for Apple?

[macnuke]

dunno about the 12" new model.
my 12" does all I need it to cause it's for mobile use only. I have plenty desktops to use normally.
but dang I would miss the 12" size should mine die.

[smax013]

Quote:

---

Have there been any indications that this product will appear in the short to mid term? Would the switch to 45 nm intel chips make a difference?
I'm still using a 12" PB and would love a MacBook Pro but am not prepared to move to a 15" form factor for traveling reasons and the MacBook is a similar weight to the MacBook Pro 15".
Surely there is a market here for Apple?

---

Yeah, it is called the MacBook! /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
OK, so that is probably not what you are after. You probably want a 12" with better graphics and the nicer case of the MBP model. I am not aware of anything forthcoming...but, then Apple is rather tight lipped in general so I doubt anyone (other than Apple...and they aren't talkin') REALLY knows. You can certainly browse around the Mac rumor sights, but that is still really a crap shoot.
Sorry, but you are not likely to get a good answer on this, so in reality my somewhat less than serious response about the MacBook might be your best answer...until Apple decides to release something. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[d00d]

There certainly is a market there. The 12" MBP model is second only to a smaller version of the Mac Pro in terms of popularity of an as-yet unrealized Mac model. Personally, it's part of the reason I'm still rocking a Powerbook (12" natch).

[Devlin]

I was actually holding out to upgrade till Apple decided to release a 12" MacBook Pro but was starting to change my mind given how much of a step up the 15" models are over my current PowerBook. It doesn't end there though, cause if you browse the rumor sites you'll come across rumors of Apple releasing either a 12" MBP or an ultralight model with a solid-state drive (I'm not really sure if the speculation's over two different products or just one possible future notebook).
I was actually starting to believe that Apple wouldn't release a 12" model cause of how long it's been and how the MacBook represents the "best" compromise between the former 12" and 14" iBook/PoweBook lines. I later found out that the 12" PowerBook didn't come out until after 2 years? (please correct me if I'm wrong) after the release of the 15" TiBook. So, here's hoping that happens this time around!

[MacosNerd]

Personally I don't think there's too much of a market out there for them.
Those that use it are very zealous over the 12" but overall I think its not a form factor that would sell a lot.
Additionally you'd need to consider how much the 12" MBP would cannibalize the MacBook sales.

[Martian]

There is a huge, growing market for full featured travel computers with 10-12 screens. What we dont know is how much of this market is for business travelers who need only Windows and cant be sold on Mac OS. Sony seems to be doing OK with its underpowered and hugely expensive TX series.
To compete in this market, Apple must have an ultra-compact Pro model with an ExpressCard slot.
It also wouldnt hurt to have a pointing stick in addition the trackpad (some Dells have a dual pointing stick/trackpad system and the IBM/Lenovos have only pointing sticks).

[d00d]

Quote:

---

It also wouldnt hurt to have a pointing stick in addition the trackpad

---

Yes it would. Pointing sticks hurt my fingers.

[CheeseHead]

Quote:

---

There is a huge, growing market for full featured travel computers with 10-12 screens. What we dont know is how much of this market is for business travelers who need only Windows and cant be sold on Mac OS. Sony seems to be doing OK with its underpowered and hugely expensive TX series.

---

The market is quite small in comparison to the standard laptops and it is why the Sony is so expensive. These laptops are marketed to businesses that don't have a problem paying a premium for ultra portability. If Apple were to make one it certainly wouldn't be any cheaper than the Sony.

Quote:

---

To compete in this market, Apple must have an ultra-compact Pro model with an ExpressCard slot.

---

Apple is not competing in this market. It's a business market, which is strongly committed to Microsoft.

Quote:

---

It also wouldnt hurt to have a pointing stick in addition the trackpad (some Dells have a dual pointing stick/trackpad system and the IBM/Lenovos have only pointing sticks).

---

The suits are going to have to realize that the pointing stick had its day and it's time to move on. Apple will never put a pointing stick on its laptops.

[gooser]

is there anything wrong with your powerbook? just keep it, who knows what will be available when yours finally wears out. (i'm typing this on my 466 clamshell, but i must confess i have a much newer 600mhz g3 ibook at home.)

[stashmanguitar]

My sister is still pushing on a 667 PB. Though she always complains about the USB 1.1 ports, she is still very satisfied with what it can do.

[canaryman16]

No there is nothing wrong with my Powerbook per se. It works well for general tasks, but if I try to do some basic video encoding or anything that pushes the processor it starts to feel rather limiting (although I realise that this was never its purpose). I have 1.25GB ram so there is little more I can do to upgrade this particular machine. Also with iMovie '08 requiring a G5 or Intel I believe that this is just the beginning of a slippery slope for G4 support that will end up with my Powerbook feeling underpowered for current tasks, but with no direct Intel replacement available.

[gooser]

i think i see what you mean. should've realized that if you didn't want power you never would've had a powerbook in the first place. if it's any consolation i don't see any mac portables in the future for me either but for entirely different reasons.

[MacosNerd]

Quote:

---

There is a huge, growing market for full featured travel computers with 10-12 screens

---

if the market was indeed so huge and growing why did apple kill off the 12"PB when they introduced the intel Macs. If they were catering to that large market and making money they would not have killed off the laptop.
No its a small niche market that could cannibalize existing computer lines. Why sell x number of units of a 12" MBP only to have the 13"MB line sales drop by x units. Throw in R&D costs and advertising - makes little sense.