Apple Netbook, For Reals?
by Chris Hardwick on August 3, 2009
Schwa??? Some anonymous analyst somewheres, or “anonylyst,” swears on his anonymous mother’s life that he has held a 10-inch Apple Netbooky thing in his hands. Hands, by the way, that we must picture as an amalgamation of other hands we’ve stored in our memories as we do not have a visual reference due to their owner’s unidentifiable nature.
STILL, we may not have long to wait because the Nerd gossip rumor mill predicts a September release. Philosophically it makes sense, since Apple tends to stalk the viability of a market and then strike with some sort of game-changing device. Practially, though, I still can’t wrap my head around carting around a large piece of breakable glass. I mean, an iPhone or Touch is barely okay–and even then, 50% of the time–when you drop it. How could something bigger and heavier survive? Unless SteJo has patented a Flubber-like substance. That would be nifty.
And how could typing be smooth? Again, philosophically, I would get to live out my fantasy of hyper-poking a hard, flush input surface a la Lieutenant Commander Data. But practically, would the iPhone-like typos be frustrating?
No word on a name yet, but I’m sure it will give the feeling of the not-too-distant future. If it breaks easily I’m going to be the first journalist to tag it “The Crackintosh.” I own that. It’s mine.
What do you think? Is a Netbook storm a-comin’?
Not sure but whatever it is it won’t be something we can just photoshop. It would have to be far more innovative to be worth it. Else we would all just buy MacBook Air. haha
What if it really is the Netbook Storm!? A 10 inch tablet with that god awful Blackberry storm tactile touch screen.
anyway, I think the tablet will come.
I agree – the Ipod Touch, IPhone and this rumor-based thingie u posted there – r all about creating a real live data-pad. And being an ex-owner of an iphone (left it for a blackberry bold few months back) – I can totally say it does feel like something out of a sci-fi flick.Too bad that feeling doesn’t last.
One technical Conundrum though – If the keyboard is display/touch – won’t hat make the device operable only when rested diagonally (on some tripod thingie in the back perhaps?) – I mean, putting it flat out on your desk n typing, would make viewing and typing at the same time kinda hard, won’t it? Especially if the display is anything like the macbookpro/air display…
Still seems rumorish to me – maybe in another yr or so…
Liked the flubber patent idea – some1 should work on that…
Patent on name MacJohn Doe
I think it’s on it’s way.. but I don’t think I can give in, after I fell for the macbook air..
The point of this product is not that it is a netbook. What Steve will wow us with is the use of multi-touch for everyday apps. Multi-touch is the new mouse.
I got firstys on the apple netbook – We should be able to input our info to use the crappy 3G network if there is no wifi available.
Whatever it is, I’m sure it will revolutionize the netbook industry. Thinking back to what smartphones were like before the iPhone came out, some could say that apple invented a category of phones all to themselves. It went about 2 years without any serious competitors. I’ve got a feeling that this new tablet will have that same power.
I have my doubts about how game-changing the Apple Netbook could be. Part of the appeal of the current netbooks are their low prices, since they don’t do much other than web surfing and word processing. Macs, while usually better built and virus “resistant” tend to start at higher prices.
I guess it all comes down to how much I hate my current MBP in September. And if I have a job, that’s important too.
If it uses optional and occasional bluetooth keyboard and mouse, for using like a traditional computer when you want, then it will be an excellent solution. You can just take the screed/pad when you travel, and have traditional input when you’re at your desk.
And I agree: multi-touch is the new mouse.
I really don’t think this is going to be sold as a netbook. I see it as more of a PMP geared towards video because of its size. Like a portable Apple TV with a bunch of extras thrown in (like wifi, web browsing, etc…) to make the price tag more palatable. They do sell video at the itunes store, after all. And it’s not moving as much as the music is. This is a total guess, but really the only way I could imagine them justifying charging twice as much for a netbook without a physical keyboard.
All these rumora aren’t true
I think it’s going to be one of those netbooks with a keyboard. So it’s just like a typical netbook, but it has a touch screen. then it swivels around on top of the keyboard you can touch, draw, type and so on.
I hope it’s just a swivel top with touch access in it’s tablet form.
Just that picture makes me want a screen protector.
god I hate apple. that withstanding, I just got a new iphone.
Do you ever drop your laptop? I’d think of it that way. Phones and mp3 players are so much smaller and easier to let slip out of our hands. I’d keep it in a sleeve whenever I wasn’t using it as well.
I would think that it’s exactly what they’re going to do, simply for the fact that they’re currently denying the importance/advantage of netbooks. They did the exact same thing with previous projects: tell everyone it’s a horrible market (to reduce competition), and then blow the market away with their perfection.
As for the touchscreen, I think they’ll take the route of the kindle, rather than the iphone route. Or maybe they’ve figured out a way for a keyboard to swivel to be either horizontal to the pad (think acer One) for heavy typing and vertical for reading formats (think kindle).
I’ve been waiting for an iTablet for awhile, but only because I want something Kindle sized that is more versatile than an Amazon Kindle. Reading e-books on an i-phone is an eyesore, but I don’t want to spend the money for a device that will only let me read e-books, however including the cost for lifetime wireless service to the device in the initial cost is a smart thing. Who really likes contracts?
Also, if it has Wacom technology like the i-Rex readers, then I’d be even more willing to give them my money happily.
you forgot to add “Pro” the “Crackintosh Pro” which apple has been changing all its products to. its funny to think how the name you came up with has a dual meaning to it depending on which fanboy you talk to.
Can I just say, holy shit that looks awesome!
I have to admit that when Apple releases something new, there is a genuine urge for me to get into my POS car and drive down to Apple and beg them to sell me whatever it is they just released.
Perhaps my addiction to all things Apple is the reason I drive a 13 year old pile of feces around. But I have some cool Apple shit in my house. At least when I become a total shut in, I will have tons of Cool Shit to surround myself with. All thanks to Apple.
Michael
If this gets released, I will not buy it. It looks awful! Although playing Guild Wars via bootcamp or crossover with a touchscreen sorta sounds good… But more importantly, there’s a Russian model of a more realistic MacBook Mini, somewhere in a scanned Russian magazine on the internet. I would totally learn russian for that sweet thing! Ta-da: http://bit.ly/15uK8w
Now Guild Wars on a 10 inch tote-to-grandma’s-house macbook would be SWEET!