Idea for how to make space in the Powerbooks

[Ceroc Addict]

Get rid of the trackpad (esp. on the 12" PB).

• It would allow Apple to bring the PB's keyboard to the front edge of the
  machine and make typing more comfortable.
• It would make the space behind the keyboard available for speaker grills (or whatever - I'd rather Apple put optical audio out in the new PBs).
• It would free up space inside the machine (don't know how much) for G5 fans (or whatever).
• Users would have a choice of what pointing device to use - something with multiple buttons/scrollwheel, bluetooth, trackball, etc., etc.. (esp. makes sense to me now that Apple makes a BT mouse and has a tool like Expose which is ideal for multiple mouse button usage)

Kap

 

[Zammy-Sam]

1. keyboard in the front edge is the worst idea. Imagine you are typing the book while it is on your lap (that's why they call it laptop ). How would you stabilize the book, when your impositions of hands is not holding the book? A Sony laptop was released this way and everyone complained about the book literally falling off the lap while typing..
2. What would be the benefit if the speakers would be up there? And a plug on the keyboard area is pretty weird. How would you use the lid-closed mode with an optical cable plugged?? Nahhhh, no good idea!
3. It's not like the tackpad is wasting the whole space under itself. The trackpad is just reserving a little tiny area and won't free any space, if you skip it. But without the trackpad, what would be your pointing device?
4. Ahhh, now we have the idea about the pointing device. You should remember that a laptop should be mobile. I don't want to have a bunch of devices with myself, like mouse, keyboard, CD/DVD rom... I want it all to be included so I really just need to pick the book and that's it.

Conclusion: Apple is doing perfect job with their books.

 

[Ceroc Addict]

1. keyboard in the front edge is the worst idea. Imagine you are typing the book while it is on your lap (that's why they call it laptop ). How would you stabilize the book, when your impositions of hands is not holding the book? A Sony laptop was released this way and everyone complained about the book literally falling off the lap while typing..

You shouldn't be resting your hands there, unless you want to develop RSI (trust me, you don't). It's not your hands which hold the laptop there, it's the surface area and distribution of weight in the base (compared to the screen).

2. What would be the benefit if the speakers would be up there?

No particular benefit, given Apple's current design (I only bothered mentioning it at all, because in a VAIO I once owned, the speaker grills were placed exactly under the palms which muffled the sound a little and because with the keyboard at the front there would be a bit of spare room back there).

And a plug on the keyboard area is pretty weird. How would you use the lid-closed mode with an optical cable plugged?? Nahhhh, no good idea!

I didn't mean to suggest a plug on the keyboard. I was just saying that I don't care that much about a bigger speaker grill if the PB has optical audio out so I can connect to external speakers.

3. It's not like the tackpad is wasting the whole space under itself. The trackpad is just reserving a little tiny area and won't free any space, if you skip it.

I'd be interested in knowing how much space it would be though - anyone got a 12" PB cross section or just an inside view?

4. Ahhh, now we have the idea about the pointing device. You should remember that a laptop should be mobile. I don't want to have a bunch of devices with myself, like mouse, keyboard, CD/DVD rom... I want it all to be included so I really just need to pick the book and that's it.

I don't think a mouse (or whatever pointing device you choose to use) is that big a deal to take along (esp if was wireless and optical) in a laptop bag.

Plus, I think most laptop users opt to use an external pointing device, because trackpads suck and because they prefer to have more than one button (esp. with Expose).

Conclusion: Apple is doing perfect job with their books.

Apple is doing a perfect job with their current books (a mugger would have to pry my 15" PB out of my cold dead hands ), but I think they're going to need to get a G5 in there soon if they hope to stay competitive and that might mean finding a little extra space. Plus, I just hate trackpads .

Kap

 

[Viro]

The trackpad is about 3 mm thick. I've taken apart the iBook before, and that is how thick the trackpad is. Width and length wise, it isn't much bigger than what you see on laptop. You're not going to get much space by removing the trackpad and instead you'll be annoying a lot of users.

 

[Zammy-Sam]

The Sony VAIO VGN-X505VP is a very slim pc notebook that has a similar order of keyboard and laptop-"body" as you desire the powerbooks to have. I read reports that due opened lid the laptop gets rather unstable. The weight of the screen and the laptop-"body" is almost equal and during typing it happenes that you cause the laptop to shake and fall off your lap. All testers desired the keyboard to be closer to the screen, so they can hold the laptop with their hands while typing.
I can support this. When I am using my tibook on my lap, I tend to press the book against my lap using my hands. They are comfortably sitting on the space next to the track pad and giving me a great balance even in a shaking train.
The thing about an additional mouse is, that I can't deal with it i.e. in the train. A track ball would make much more sense, but I don't see any differences between a track ball and a touch pad. Of course, if your powerbook becomes used_on_tables_only, then there is no need for a touch pad when you have a mouse around. But as the powerbooks are made for highest mobility, the concept of an implemented touch pad that doesn'T waste any space is very good.

 

[Lycander]

You can't just shlop in cooling fans anywhere. They have to be strategicly placed. Under the trackpad is not a strategic place to put a fan. A better idea is to wait for IBM to move to 65nm process.

 

[JetwingX]

I don't think a mouse (or whatever pointing device you choose to use) is that big a deal to take along (esp if was wireless and optical) in a laptop bag.

Plus, I think most laptop users opt to use an external pointing device, because trackpads suck and because they prefer to have more than one button (esp. with Expose).

you don't always have a laptop bag where ever you go, and using a mouse on you lap looks funny and doesn't always work

and usually laptop users opt to use external mice when they are using it at a desk which isn't always the situation.

(be grateful that they aren't still using a trackball)

 

[DanTekGeek]

beleive me, the people who design the macs spend thousands of dollars and months of research trying to find the best possible balance of form and function.

 

[fryke]

I had to laugh out quite loudly when I read this thread's original post. That's irony, isn't it? It's actually a hidden "hail Apple". Because the text hilariously names the _best_ ergonomic features of the PowerBook and turns them around!