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Next big thing for apple laptops?


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Next big thing for apple laptops?
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GeorgeYianni
 
 
2004-09-07, 04:40

Right so I was doing some thinking today. Current line of apple laptops are wonderful, they are sexy, fast and have decent battery life. I love them.

But they are not amazingly much better than the competition, if apple are ever going to steal away a decent chunk of the laptop market they need to innovate to do something much better than competition. They need to grab the attention of big corporations and make them switch from windows laptops because they just arent as good.

So 2 year roadmap. Sure they may be able to stick a fast G5 processor in a laptop but that doesnt mean a lot to your average PC joe. Their laptop has a 3GHz P4 in it, that sounds faster to them, right? So they need to innovate in something people can relate to.

What I think they really need to do to grab attention is make fuel cells mainstream. Companies have done it already, the technology is proven http://www.nec.co.jp/press/en/0309/1701.html . But it has not been done well, apple are good at doing things well.

Now if in a year/2 years time they had a G5 powerbook on the market which they could say ran for 20h without charging, that is seriously going to raise some eyebrows. Businesses and consumers will flock to that, they would sell like crazy.

The main selling point to the average joe at the moment is that they are sexy. But for most people (and certainly businesses) you want something that is more functional. 20h laptop certainly is, apple could rule the world with that!

George
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Gargoyle
http://ga.rgoyle.com
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: In your dock hiding behind your finder icon!
 
2004-09-07, 08:05

I am thinking troll, but I will give you the benefit of doubt.

1.) Personally I have never met a business laptop user that needs longer battery life. They might all think its a good idea, and they might all WANT a longer battery life - but really, when was the last time someone turned up for a meeting with their laptop & without a power cord.

I would like 20h of batt life, but thats cos when I get home of an evening I like to sit around the house with my laptop nearby watching tele - listening to tunes etc.

2.) IMO Apple laptops are the best on the market. And not just for the hardware - You have to remember that OSX beats EVERY other OS from a "Sit down and get my work done" point of view. Prime example:- I am sitting here writing this post using Mozilla on the PC in work, wishing I was doing it on my PowerBook so that all my daft spelling errors would be underlined.

Rarther than evaluating these products feature against feature, go down to your local store that sells both - Tell the sales guy to can his pitch and forget about this months system that will give him the most bonus points (you will get much satisfaction from this ) and that you wanna sit down and try out a Wintel laptop and a Powerbook. Do various things on each and decide which one as a whole you liked using the most.

At the end of the day, with the masses and masses of software available for all platforms, it will come down to your personal preference; not weather one can do something and the other one can't.

OK, I have given up keeping this sig up to date. Lets just say I'm the guy that installs every latest version as soon as its available!
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Gargoyle
http://ga.rgoyle.com
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: In your dock hiding behind your finder icon!
 
2004-09-07, 08:24

Or like now, when I am reading a PDF with a weblink and I want to highlight the link and choose services->goto address instead of copy and paste...
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GeorgeYianni
 
 
2004-09-07, 08:25

I agree with your sentiments. If someone with no initial preconceptions sat down and worked on both a windows laptop and mac laptop they would pick the mac. The point is 80 or 90% of the population has this conception that windows PCs are better.

If apple where to do something much better which the average joe can appreciate they might lose those preconceptions and I think if they implemented huge ''battery life'' that would work.

It is really lame how laptops are chained to the desk at lot of time because they don't last without power. Fuel cell laptops will genuinely make them portable on decent timescales.

All I'm saying is if apple did it first they'd catch peoples attention.
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Gargoyle
http://ga.rgoyle.com
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: In your dock hiding behind your finder icon!
 
2004-09-07, 08:29

Or like now when I wanna make this report for the board as a PDF and email it to them...

Maybe I should just bring my laptop into work!

OK, I have given up keeping this sig up to date. Lets just say I'm the guy that installs every latest version as soon as its available!
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MacUsers
Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta.
 
2004-09-07, 08:33

Why does everyone think people with less than 5 posts are trolls
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Gargoyle
http://ga.rgoyle.com
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: In your dock hiding behind your finder icon!
 
2004-09-07, 08:38

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeYianni
All I'm saying is if apple did it first they'd catch peoples attention.
You mean like when they were first to make a widescreen aspect laptop?

Or like when they made a colourful plastic computer?

More Here Scroll down a bit.

Apple is first with a lot of things. However, in the computer industry, you will find that as soon as you release something new - everyone else copies it!!!

OK, I have given up keeping this sig up to date. Lets just say I'm the guy that installs every latest version as soon as its available!
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Gargoyle
http://ga.rgoyle.com
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: In your dock hiding behind your finder icon!
 
2004-09-07, 08:45

Quote:
Originally Posted by MacUsers
Why does everyone think people with less than 5 posts are trolls
It wasn't the first post count that made me think troll. It was the link to the old article and the fact its already been mentioned here , here and here

OK, I have given up keeping this sig up to date. Lets just say I'm the guy that installs every latest version as soon as its available!
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TednDi
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: The Warm Glow of Steve's RDF
 
2004-09-07, 11:10

I like the idea of a fuel cell or even battery and fuel cell combo however, one instant thing that the industry will need before widespread adoption is the permission of the FAA. Right now, fuel cells are considered hazmat and thus heavily regulated on board aircraft.

The fuel cell industry is hard at work on such regulations and approvals. I agree that an apple fuel cell 17" powerbook with 20+ hours of fuel cell life would be great on really long flights. Couple this with Boeing's wifi on aircraft rollout and I am a happy flyer.

Also, fuel cells must be cost effective. perhaps $20 for 20 hours might be a good price point.
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Satchmo
can't read sarcasm.
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Toronto, Canada
 
2004-09-07, 12:25

Before moving onto the next big thing, they need to improve on a few things in the next rev. to simply keep up with the competition.

Upgrade the screen similar to Sony's X-brite and fine tune construction (gaps when closing PB.
Otherwise it's near perfect.
Frankly, the next big thing would simply be having a G5 processor in the current form factor. That in iteself is a big deal.
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spiff
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: New York
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2004-09-07, 17:38

I think making the best laptop on the market, price for feature is a pretty big deal. Sure, there are some things that could be better, but the Powerbook line has a huge wow factor and they were the first to do more than one thing with a laptop. Apple should just try and keep that up. I agree with Satchmo - get a G5 in there and keep with the little updates. Apple should focus more attention elsewhere in my opinion. Their laptop line is solid, unlike other things.
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Satchmo
can't read sarcasm.
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Toronto, Canada
 
2004-09-07, 19:29

Further to my earlier post...how many would be willing to sacrifice a thicker (say 1.25") and heavier (say +0.5 lbs) Powerbook, to get that G5 processor in there?
It might also mean we'd get a brighter screen and perhaps improved battery life.
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blissed
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Join Date: Jul 2004
 
2004-09-07, 19:42

"Next Big Thing" would be uh releasing something real soon... :smokey:
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nassau
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
 
2004-09-07, 22:51

a thicker laptop would be beyond all moral laws of decency.
tohave to pay "per minute" for portability (ie paying for fuel cells) sound repulsive. i know i would never in my life be portable if that ever happened.

next gen powerboooks with a G4 would be like getting caught on teh street with your pants down, and your underwear on backwards
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blissed
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
 
2004-09-08, 20:00

For what it's worth, macrumors.com has posted their "Buy only if you need it - Approaching the end of a cycle" recommendation on their buyer's guide. Another month or two and we ought to see some kind of update.

Hope we get a better 13something inch screen that was rumored a long time ago.
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Zodiac
Shiny, Musky, Fleshy Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: The Beer Store
 
2004-09-08, 21:50

Colors? Xbrite screens? G5 Processor? 2 buttons? Ultra long battery life? Thinner Design? High res? New video card? Built-in porn? Touch screen? Dual core? 120gb harddrives? free camera w/ purchase of ibook? Built in tracking device? 20" screens? USB 3.0? My impossibly unrealistic list goes on......

Founder of the Applenova Folding Team
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futuretheory
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
 
2004-09-08, 22:10

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gargoyle
Personally I have never met a business laptop user that needs longer battery life.
Let me introduce myself....
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futuretheory
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
 
2004-09-08, 22:14

I think they tried the whole fuel-cell-in-the-laptop trick and came out with the iMac. Fuel cell put it at too high a price point, so they pulled it out leaving room for the power supply internally. A happy accident in design really, brought about by the thirst for long-term power storage and a desire for cleaner air.
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bassplayinMacFiend
Banging the Bottom End
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
 
2004-09-09, 07:30

Quote:
Originally Posted by futuretheory
I think they tried the whole fuel-cell-in-the-laptop trick and came out with the iMac. Fuel cell put it at too high a price point, so they pulled it out leaving room for the power supply internally. A happy accident in design really, brought about by the thirst for long-term power storage and a desire for cleaner air.
Oh, so running your iMac on electricity generated by coal fired power plants leads to cleaner air?
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futuretheory
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
 
2004-09-12, 01:24

Quote:
Originally Posted by bassplayinMacFiend
Oh, so running your iMac on electricity generated by coal fired power plants leads to cleaner air?
No, but mine *is* powered by a vegetable-oiled hamster wheel driven generator. Of course hamsters can't run forever, so I've got a small desktop wind farm converting the airflow from my rather large living butterfly collection into pure --and I dare say-- beautiful power. The butterflies help the plants which feed the hamsters whose waste in turn feeds the plants to feed the butterflies...it's perpetual you see....

I've got a couple muscle-bound furballs in the wheel right now just so I can clear up the accusation that I might draw power from your precious coal fired grid of dooming dependence.

What does all this have to do with the new Powerbooks? Two things:

1) the new laptop will have a color capable glowing logo that you can set to alert you based on data sets. For instance green might mean you have new mail, or yellow might mean Apple is trading low and you want buy, or maybe blue means there is a damsel in distress and I must put on the suit and jump in the bastardmobile.

2) Pretty sure there's something in there about bluetooth and cyanide darts. Or maybe it was about coating the lid with solar cells.
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