Shouldn't apple make another laptop line?

Dude, why you want to try and bring this cell phone/PDA thread back on topic? What's up with that?

You're again trying to create laptop categories where none exist, ie there is no market. Something better than a Powerbook? Like what, a portable Cray? The 17" is already priced out of most normal people's laptop budget. How many more bells and whistles can you pack into a laptop?

An eBook doesn't really add anything either. A low end iBook is already very competitively priced, and what would you take out of it? Smaller HD, less RAM? Those aren't going to drop the price very significantly, and as I said it's a good price already.

You started this thing by commenting that laptops make up 1/2 of Apple's sales now. I would submit that this is so precisely BECAUSE of the limited product line. No dilution of the brand, easy line differentiation, a broad range of options when you consider the full spectrum of both lines. (Man I love sentence fragments, woo hoo!)

And back to the cell phones... it's funny to me that you say flip phones are all the rage now in Europe, because it seems to me that they were very big here in the US a number of years ago, and now are just kind of a take it or leave it thing, whereas GSM and bluetooth is just starting to take hold here. Funny how that happens.
 
Flip phones are big in the US, but the US is very far behind the rest of the world when it comes to cell phones. But now that Motorola seems to be making some inroads in the international market, flips might make a slight impact.
But this thread alone shows that everyone has a different idea of what a sub-notebook should contain (or not contain). No wonder Apple doesn't address this.
Besides, most everyone is calling for a G5 PB yesterday, only a few are calling for a sub-notebook.
 
Another laptop line? Well--what about portable computers? Remember the old Compaq suitcase portable from the 80s? It was bigger than today's eMac and iMac, which are not laptops, but still fall under the "luggable" category. I think that all of Apple's consumer lines of computers are already based on some sort of portability.

I was seriously considering getting the 17" Mac flat panel display (plus DVI adapter) for my PB12, but then realized that a cheapo eMac was almost the same freakin price. And they both run 1280 resolution. Hmmm.....very confusing pricing strategies.

That being said, adding a line of cheaper computers would usurp the more expensive lines of computers. So it'll never happen.
 
I haven't read through the entire thread but I'll respond to the orignal post.

Apple's iBook line competes in the same space as lower-cost Windows laptops. I'm not sure Apple has anything to gain by introducing more hardware. In fact, I feel that Apple improves the image of their "brand" by _not_ offering rock-bottom priced equipment.

Less expensive Apple hardware will not compete for Windows converts. Windows users have no clue why we love our Macs therefore it doesn't matter how inexpensive a new Mac product line might be. Apple, and its user base, must keep on the "Switch" crusade to make any real dent with market share. In fact, I think that Darwin (UNIX) is the real deal to grab Windows converts. Get the techies to convert and it'll trickle down to everyone else.

However, I'll agree that price is what keeps many people with Windows. However, Windows has such lousy integration with the OS, applications, and hardware compared with Mac. If Windows users could experience how well Mac hardware works with the OS they'd be more willing to pay for Apple equipment. Or hopefully more willing.

Linux is getting many Windows techies to switch OS platforms for day-to-day use. However, Linux has many hardware driver issues to deal with compared to Mac. Thus, Mac OS X is an easy to install and operate system. Linux takes some retraining and time to get fluent. Anyway, I've wandered off course on this topic but I think Apple has their laptop product line just right. If anything they should release a G5 powered laptop but that would tip the price scales a little too high if it is even possible due to heat issues.
 
Show me a Mac notebook that can match this:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=34-115-139&depa=3

Acer Aspire 1681WLMi Notebook
CPU: Pentium M 715 - 1.5GHz
Display: 15.4" WXGA TFT
OS: Windows XP Home
Memory: 512MB
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon 9700, 64MB
HD: 60GB
Optical Drive: DVD+/-RW Drive
Communication: 56K Fax/Modem, 10/100 Mbps LAN, Acer SignalUp wireless technology, Bluetooth
Ports: 3xUSB2.0, VGA,S-video,FireWire,FIR, Audio Ports
Average Battery Life: up to 5 hours
Weight: 6.5 lb.

$1,365
 
Sorry, there isn't a Mac notebook that can match that. Macs are all overpriced and underpowered, and I'm sure that the quality of workmanship and ease of use of that Acer notebook far outdo the Mac laptops. Also, I'm sure that the user experience is also far superior.

All in all, you found the one notebook that proves that Intel machines are simply better, cheaper, stronger, faster and more feature-packed than any Apple offering.

I'm sick of this, "Yeah, show me a Mac that matches this! No, wait, show me a Mac that matches THIS!" If that's the notebook you want to be using, then by all means, we're happy you found it. However, if you're willing to spend a little more dough, I can show you a laptop that is better than that one. It may not be 1.5GHz, and it may come with a little less RAM, but the benefits of it would far outweigh what people see as detractions. Plus, if you think you'd get the same long-life and enjoyment from that laptop as you would from an Apple laptop, then again: go for it, and we're happy you found it.
 
kainjow said:
Hardware means *nothing* withouth good software...
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Agreed.

Windows users (myself included) are used to the crap Microsoft dishes out for an OS. We don't know any better.

As for the folks that continually state how much cheaper that Wintel hardware is, well, look at it this way.... Standard car models vs. luxury models. Lexus has been very successful with selling $47K+ cars because they offer more comfort and features that people want in a luxury vehicle. People that don't care or can't afford it buy a Toyota instead. You'll find the comfort and quality of Toyotas are very different than Lexus.

Thus, we have Windows and Macintosh. Toyota and Lexus. If you own a Lexus (or Mac), you know why and you'll never convince your Toyota-owning neighbor otherwise.

Incidentally, I own a VW but I've shopped around for Lexus and Infiniti SUVs for the wife. We got an Infiniti because the Toyota Highlander was junk (sorry if you own one) and we didn't want to spend the extra $$$ for the Lexus. And you know what, the Lexus is a nicer vehicle than the Infiniti. However, I don't go around and slam Lexus for being overpriced.

Sorry for the rant - I've gone way off topic. It's off my chest now.
 
Lycander said:
Show me a Mac notebook that can match this:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=34-115-139&depa=3

Acer Aspire 1681WLMi Notebook
CPU: Pentium M 715 - 1.5GHz
Display: 15.4" WXGA TFT
OS: Windows XP Home
Memory: 512MB
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon 9700, 64MB
HD: 60GB
Optical Drive: DVD+/-RW Drive
Communication: 56K Fax/Modem, 10/100 Mbps LAN, Acer SignalUp wireless technology, Bluetooth
Ports: 3xUSB2.0, VGA,S-video,FireWire,FIR, Audio Ports
Average Battery Life: up to 5 hours
Weight: 6.5 lb.

$1,365
Click to expand...

Well, for about $200 more I got an iBook that has nearly the same specs, weighs less, has a longer battery life, doesn't run on a horrible OS, and for an extra $169 I got a 40GB iPod. Does that match up at all favorably? It's good to be an Apple customer and a student.
 
fryke said:
MP3 players weren't a big hit. And then came Apple. So some might say subnotebooks aren't a big hit... Well?

There _is_ a market for 'second' computers. People, nowadays, have computers. Why not have a second one to go. Optimised for mobile usage. The PowerBooks and iBooks are not very specialised for mobility. They're specialised in compromise in that they try (and manage!) to bring the best of all worlds together. They're feature complete, they have 'good' (but not good enough) battery life, they have good (but not good enough) performance, they have fast (but not fast enough) optical drives, they have big (but never big enough) harddrives. The 17" is a 'desktop replacement', but certainly it's not a dual G5 with an 8x SuperDrive. And not for a 12h day without an electrical outlet either.

A subnotebook could fill a gap very well. Many subnotebooks get that thought of mobility wrong, too. They're optimised in size, but not in 'mobility' as in mobile performance and battery life. Apple has the technology to create a 'second' computer to go with your PowerMac. Perfectly synched to that first computer etc.

Whether Apple will _do_ it is a different thought. But I think IF Apple should do a third line of notebooks, _that_ should be the one. Not an ultra-cheap line, because the 12" iBook already fits that (and Apple just _isn't_ about ultra-cheap).
Click to expand...
In a former life, I owned a VIAO PCG C1.

vaio.gif


In a lot of ways, it was a beautiful machine:

  • Looked great
  • Weighed nothing (even with the additional 19 hour battery)
  • Built in web cam (which I never used, because Sony's software was crap)
  • Built in 4 pin firewire port

It had three big problems:

  • It was too slow (slow memory?). Starting up and launching applications was just ridiculously painful. This was the main reason for getting rid of it.
  • It ran Windows ME (after experiencing OS X, I could never ever go back)
  • No CD drive (nowadays, it'd be "No DVD drive").

I don't think Apple should focus on a cheaper laptop, but one that was more mobile (i.e. Could be carried around in your pocket everywhere) would be extremely welcome.

My little "dream machine" would be a combination of a Treo 650, Sony CLIE PEG UX50 and iPod mini:
  • Mobile phone
  • Camera, that could be rotated (like the one on the CLIE), so it could be used for iChat AV videoconferencing (or just taking pictures)
  • iPod dock connector, for connection to firewire or USB2.0 ports
  • Built in hard drive - minimum of 5 GB free capacity
  • 802.11g and BT
  • A decent built in thumbpad keyboard (and ideally connectable to an Apple BT mouse/keyboard)
  • Connectable to an external projector - via s-video and/or 802.11g (with a mode so that buttons on the thumbpad keyboard could be used to navigate slides)
  • Syncs with iTunes, Address book and iCal
  • Decent Applications (!):
    • Quicktime
    • Preview (for PDF and image viewing)
    • Mail (esp. one that can automatically syncs with the Mail in OS X)
    • iTunes (esp. capable of playing audiobooks from Audible.com)
    • Keynote
    • Safari
    • iCal
    • Address book (although I think the Address Book in OS X is in need of some updating)
    • TextEdit (with capability of opening Word documents)
    • Spotlight

Kap

P.S. I'd still keep my iPod for jogging.
 
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