[Atko]

iPod Mini, iMac Mini - surely the iBook Mini is the next logical step. With built in iSight to rival the mini vaio's anyone? Thoughts on size and specs?

[Akumulator]

Doubt it.

[oldmacfan]

Originally Posted by Atko iPod Mini, iMac Mini - surely the iBook Mini is the next logical step. With built in iSight to rival the mini vaio's anyone? Thoughts on size and specs?

Sorry, but there is no iMac Mini...There is a Mac Mini...as for an iBook Mini well I see that as possible as a PowerBook lite.

[Atko]

Originally Posted by oldmacfan Sorry, but there is no iMac Mini...There is a Mac Mini...as for an iBook Mini well I see that as possible as a PowerBook lite.

Good point well made, if slightly spikey. Why not though? To the educational consumer, size, or lack of, is everything. The more 'bung-it-in-yer-bag' friendly the better for non-prosumers. Journalists would certainly flip for it as they do the dinky Vaios. Is this really crazy talk?

[Kickaha]

Tres crazy.

Miniaturization is expensive. The smaller something is, the more it costs, given the same feature set. I mean, I can see a *Book mini with no optical drive, a teensy keyboard that you need to type on with toothpicks, no PCCard, maybe one USB and one FireWire, tops, no video out... and who the heck would want it?

[Wickers]

I could see a tablet iBook with no CD, iPod style HDD, G4, OSX 10.4 w/tablet apps.

Oh no. . . now you've got me started.

[Kickaha]

'tablet apps'?? Oh please, that's so MS-think.

A proper pen UI doesn't need *ANYTHING* to change on the back end with the apps. Any app that can be driven with mouse and keyboard can be pen driven.

That's one of the biggest problems with the TabletPC - 'special' apps that are just painful.

[Atko]

Originally Posted by Kickaha Tres crazy. Miniaturization is expensive. The smaller something is, the more it costs, given the same feature set. I mean, I can see a *Book mini with no optical drive, a teensy keyboard that you need to type on with toothpicks, no PCCard, maybe one USB and one FireWire, tops, no video out... and who the heck would want it?

Lose the optical drive, keep the standard full width keyboard, lose one USB, shunt up the front end, shorter widescreen display. Perfect for all iApps and a spot of webbage. What's not to like?

By the way, tablet - shmablet. THAT would never happen.

[chucker]

Actually I think Apple could easily pull this off. At maybe $699, they could release a "Book mini" lacking an optical drive as well as video out. The graphics chip would be very low-end, maybe even without Quartz Extreme support. The screen, keyboard and audio, however, would have to be of decent quality in order to keep Apple's status of a "high quality hardware" company. Like the Mac mini, it would need dual USB as well as a FireWire port. Ethernet, modem, audio out and options for Bluetooth and AirPort are a given. An optical drive can easily be attached externally.

The question is: does it make sense? I'm inclined to think that yes, it does make sense. With maybe a 13 inch screen at 1024x768, the thing would be dirt cheap to produce and, speaking from experience with the German laptop market, be bought in masses.

[Robo]

I think Apple would have called it the Mini Mac if they had any plans for a MiniBook...

Just a thought...

Although I would not be surprised at all if the next iBooks (or the rest of Apple's "consumer" line-up, for that matter) adopts the Mac mini style...with lots of flat surfaces and horizontally-rounded corners (not completely rounded) and silver trim around the edges. I think that'd make the next iBooks look very stylish and high-tech.

[CitizenTony]

Originally Posted by Roboman I think Apple would have called it the Mini Mac if they had any plans for a MiniBook... Just a thought... Although I would not be surprised at all if the next iBooks (or the rest of Apple's "consumer" line-up, for that matter) adopts the Mac mini style...with lots of flat surfaces and horizontally-rounded corners (not completely rounded) and silver trim around the edges. I think that'd make the next iBooks look very stylish and high-tech.

I think, with the brand new stark white iMac's, we'll see the i line staying white. The pro line staying AL, and the Mini line like you described.

At least, that's how I see it as of now.

[Wickers]

Originally Posted by Kickaha 'tablet apps'?? Oh please, that's so MS-think. A proper pen UI doesn't need *ANYTHING* to change on the back end with the apps. Any app that can be driven with mouse and keyboard can be pen driven. That's one of the biggest problems with the TabletPC - 'special' apps that are just painful.

Ok, fine.

But tell me, how do you jot down notes in quick scrible-ish hand writing on a standard OSX install? Err... in photoshop with a paint brush?

Sure 'tablet apps' blow, but ask any PC tablet owner about the software they use with their tablet. . . it won't be what's just provided with a standard install of XP.

Face it. The apps are what make a tablet PC great, not just the tablet hardware.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by \/\/ickes But tell me, how do you jot down notes in quick scrible-ish hand writing on a standard OSX install? Err... in photoshop with a paint brush?

Inkwell (old page here with a better pic)

Been there since 10.2. It works pretty well. I wish I had a video handy...

[Paul]

Yep, the last tech holdout from the Newton project...

If there is a "subnotebook" model (touch/wide-screen, non-optical, full-size keyboard form-factor) released by Apple (which is extremely unlikely), it will have at least a 9", 1152x768 screen, 2 usb2, 1 fwA, bt2, WiFiG(N?), and 6+hrs of battery life. It WILL NOT be cheap--at least the price of a 12" PowerBook. It WILL have (mini)DVI video out and some innovative feature (like a new way to flip the screen around) that none of us have thought of. There also will be a built-in mousing device (smaller then a trackpad, 1" max) below the keyboard in addition to any stylus.

pscates, want to do a quick mock-up? Cut the current 12" PB's "palm rest" in half, add a stylus and that should pretty much do it.

[Frank777]

The iBook is the Powerbook Mini.

That is, a feature-limited, low cost subset of the main portable line.

[rasmits]

I think 12" is small enough. That 12" PowerBook is the perfect size.

[sCreeD]

True about feature-limited, but in fact the iBook is slightly larger and heavier than the 12" Powerbook.

I would see a "*book mini" being thinny-thin-thin. Motorola Razor thin. And really feature limited, perhaps even driveless.

Screed

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by Brad Inkwell (old page here with a better pic) Been there since 10.2. It works pretty well. I wish I had a video handy...

It works well enough that when I had shoulder surgery 18 months ago and unable to move my arm for 8 weeks, I was able to ditch the keyboard and replace it with a Wacom tablet velcroed to a custom platform made for my arm brace.

Mousing, text entry, selection, it all worked beautifully. No problems.

The folks in the UI lab thought it was a new research project. They were a bit floored when I told them it was available with every Mac...

[SonOfSylvanus]

Were is Inkwell located on my Mac? Searching for "inkwell" turns up zero results.

[adam_tj]

Originally Posted by SonOfSylvanus Were is Inkwell located on my Mac? Searching for "inkwell" turns up zero results.

If you attach a tablet, it will appear in System Prefs.