Quote:
Originally Posted by zippy
See, I'm convinced that eliminating the internal optical really won't make the unit much lighter or smaller, nor will they be able to boost performance or battery life substantially enough to make a difference. There's only so many processor selections that can fit in a case that small and not burn a hole through your table. And face it, Apple has been challenged enough in this area with their larger notebooks that I don't think it's wise for them to 'push the envelope' anymore.
As I said in another thread, if someone can point me to a sub-compact notebook that is on par with the Sony TX or TZ series ala size and weight, but that has any improvements in battery/processing by eliminating the optical drive, then I may believe it. I don't think such a product exists.
|
I don't care about lighter and smaller.
Ryan's description makes me want to wet my drawers. Start with the old PB 12." Take out the internal, add far more battery, an Express Card slot, and maybe another USB or Firewire port. Then stop and make me very, very happy.
Could it maybe come down to 1" thick? Maybe--or very close. Could it maybe come down to th 4-5 pound range? Maybe--but don't do it at the battery's expense. Optical drives aren't as heavy as batteries, so I'd hate to see Apple take out the optical without an increase in battery, just to keep it lighter. Of course, that's almost certainly what Jobs would do. "Guys. This thing is amazing. It's onl 0.8" thick, it weights only 3.2 pounds, still has a 12" screen,
oh, and by the way, the battery still only lasts three hours".
*Sigh.* I can always dream.