Filed under: Macworld, Rumors, Apple
Is this Apple's ultraportable?
Wired's Gadget Lab blog has posted a mockup of the rumored MacBook Air. They based their mockups on what inside sources had to tell them. The big points are that this thing is supposedly very, very thin and lacks both an optical drive and an Ethernet port. I can see omitting networking ports and an optical drive if there is a docking station involved, but I would be hard pressed to buy any computer that didn't have a dedicated networking port.What say you, does this look like something out of Cupertino or something out of the Macworld addled brain of a Photoshop guru with a little too much time on their hands?
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
mcg said 9:06PM on 1-14-2008
I'd be OK with no Ethernet port as long as it had a full-speed docking station. But I'm not giving up Gigabit Ethernet!
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Ryan Schmidt said 9:08PM on 1-14-2008
I'm starting school tomorrow. I hope to be ordering this by the end of the week... with my luck though, it won't be available till "June" like the iPhone was. :(
As a programmer, I am hoping this isn't TOO small... yea, I said it.
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ProudWiiOwner said 8:50AM on 1-15-2008
the iPhone had to go thru the fcc. thats why they HAD to announce it early. This will not so either today, this week, or the end of the month.
Matthew Ansbro said 9:08PM on 1-14-2008
I would buy that thing in a heartbeat. Completely wireless and ultra-thin is a perfect complement to my iMac. Plus, if that thing actually does have a touch screen on it, well.....
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Ryan Schmidt said 9:09PM on 1-14-2008
Oh and no ethernet port, yikes... that could be a problem unless I can buy like a USB to Ethernet adapter.
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Robert said 9:13PM on 1-14-2008
As I write this, my MacBook is warming my lap. I cannot think of how they could dissipate the heat in something that small. Having said that, I hope wired has it at least mostly correct.
http://www.mac-air.com/
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Chris said 2:09AM on 1-15-2008
VERY good point, as my lap is also being warmed by a MacBook. But you know those brilliant apple engineers :-)
diulei said 9:20PM on 1-14-2008
Why would it run Tiger?
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Chris said 2:06AM on 1-15-2008
Why would it? All the other computers are Leopard standard....there'd be no point in selling an old OS on it.
diulei said 3:32AM on 1-15-2008
What I'm saying is that I whoever mocked this up should have used Leopard instead of Tiger since this is supposed to be the "new Mac", and Leopard has been out for some time now. Makes no sense to put in Tiger screenshots.
Sam said 9:25PM on 1-14-2008
I hate to say it, but .... I fear they're making a Mac Foleo.
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Rafe H. said 9:28PM on 1-14-2008
"I would be hard pressed to buy any computer that didn't have a dedicated networking port."
I disagree. I can't remember the last time I plugged my MacBook into an ethernet port, and I get along just fine with my iPhone.
Let go.
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Simon Arch said 12:24AM on 1-15-2008
Mine is plugged in 99.999% of the time. It wouldn't be the end of the world if I didn't have a NIC, but I'd be hard pressed to justify buying a laptop without one. What if the wireless goes out, or if you're someplace without wireless access?
In any event this is all pointless speculation. Apple hasn't announced this device and wishful thinking aside it isn't at all clear they will. If tomorrow morning St. Jobs reveals this beast, I'll be right back here to eat my hat, but until then...colour me skeptical.
Simon Arch said 2:11PM on 1-15-2008
Well, there it is: a super-thin MacBook Air. No ethernet port. I still don't see the attraction of a Mac without a NIC. That thing's seriously hamstrung. It's $1800 and if you want to be able to use the restore/install DVDs (or ever install a new version of the OS) you'll need to spend $100 more on the optional USB DVD. Cute.
Overall, a pretty disappointing Macworld. At least there was more substance than last year's.
Tyrannous said 9:31PM on 1-14-2008
i just dont think the name is relevant to their products, i cant see them starting a line of elemental products...
i think its more of a concept or feature of a product.
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tk2k said 9:35PM on 1-14-2008
are the pictures on apple's site photos or photoshops? I'm confused on that part
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krye said 9:33PM on 1-14-2008
No big deal. It's supposed to be an on-the-go laptop. You'll utilize wifi 99% of the time. If you want gigabit ethernet, just plug in a USB dongle.
Anyway, so much pumped up hype over a laptop we don't even know is real. All the Apple sites are talking about it as if it's already been announced. What a let-down it will be when we're proven tomorrow that there is no new laptop.
The biggest let down in Mac rumor history!
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edolecki said 9:51PM on 1-14-2008
Remember that Apple patent a while back for a collapsible network jack? its hinged in the middle and opens up to accept a connection, ie. Ethernet. This would be why that patent was filed ;)
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jeremy said 9:51PM on 1-14-2008
well i think to upgrade the macbook is a good idea and they need to fix the battery on the current macbook. It runs out way to fast other than that i love my macbook. But how much is this new macbook going to cost??? (give a guess) but ya the 1.1.3 firmware will be cool will it be worth giving up the jailbreak? because i know you cant downgrade after you upgrade (from what I hear).
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Davis Collins said 9:51PM on 1-14-2008
If that is close to the actual design, that would be amazing!
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