Hey everyone,
After the WWDC presentation, does anyone else get the impression that apple is preparing to reposition the consumer level macbook?
By adding a firewire 800 port, built in battery and a SD card reader to a model based on the previous unibody macbook and relabeling it as a "Macbook Pro", it leaves me wondering. Especially since the price difference between the new polycarbonite macbook non-pros and the unibody 13 inch macbook pros is only $200 at this point?
My thoughts are that Apple is going to sell cheaper 13 inch macbook models in the near future, and quite possibly models smaller. Perhaps apple intends to make a "netbook" or other device to fill out the product line between the iphone/ipod touch platform and the current macbook line.
Just a thought 
I was thinking just the same yesterday. Since the last update to the MacBook line to white one and the aluminum one didn't quite go together well but now Apple is well placed to make a small netbook-like thing and put it with the white MacBook.
Not sure exactly what it will look like though - the margins on netbooks are probably too low for Apple so they might come in with something a bit more revolutionary instead of a "me too" netbook.
I thought the inclusion of the SD card reader was interesting.
I like the reintroduction of FireWire (800) to the 13" line, and an SD card slot is nice too, but no ExpressCard slot unless you take out a second mortgage for the 17" MBP. That kinda stinks.
Oh well. Can't build a machine that has everything: you'd need a trailer to haul it around.
I'm just happy firewire is back.
I do agree the line-up looks a bit odd and suggests that something new will be coming on the low end.
Funny how my sub-three-pound HP 2133 Mini-Note has both SD card and ExpressCard slots (and a metal case and as many USB ports as my Macbook Pro) yet doesn't require a trailer.
Anyone else ever come to the conclusion that Apple's designers just arn't as good as they want you to think they are?
--Peace
Hmm. I agree about what you said about profit margins on the standard "netbook". Still I think it may be possible for apple to build an unconventional low cost laptop /iDevice that has higher margins if the focus is on a low-power, high battery life note-taker /email / web device. The concept behind the eMate 300 comes to mind.
If Apple uses low power processors similar to those in the ipod touch and iphones, the cost per unit could be kept down, and tie-ins with mobile broadband service could make it enticing as a communications tool / lite computer.
Or, tell me if you think I am just getting woozy from the fumes from my soldering iron
What really piqued my interest lately has been the so-called Smartbooks, running extremely low-power processors, yet still able to display 720p video.
Can't find it now...I think it was Freescale possibly, showing off one with an ARM processor (speaking of the emate
)that might get up to an 8-hour battery life and still do all those things we normally use laptops for, plus take over some mobile phone duties as well.
edit: No, I'm confusing a couple different news items, and can't find the one claiming 8-hour battery life.
I can see Apple looking in that direction...something like an iPhone with a keyboard, or the ability to add one when needed, but unless they've got some new bells and whistles to build on that premise, other companies have beat them to that market.