Up until a few years ago, I had a 12" PowerBook G4 that I absolutely loved. It was truly portable (although the screen was a bit on the small side for me), relatively fast, and lightweight. Many of my consulting clients have asked if Apple had plans to replace the 12" PowerBook with a MacBook or MacBook Pro in the same form factor, but I've pointed them towards the 13" MacBook or MacBook Air instead.There's still a vocal group of former PowerBook G4 users who would like to see Apple come out with a new MacBook Pro -- complete with SuperDrive, Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and Multi-Touch trackpad -- in that tiny 12" PowerBook case. If you're in their camp, visit and participate in the MBP12.com forum and add your voice to the people clamoring for a small, powerful MacBook Pro.
Do you think a 12" MacBook Pro would be a winner in the market? Take our poll!
[Via christopherprice.net]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
5-14-2008 @ 8:15AM
Fernando said...
I don't see any options, but SO yes.
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5-14-2008 @ 8:16AM
JKT said...
I'd love to vote, if there were choices and not just a lone "Vote" button.....
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5-14-2008 @ 8:16AM
BTaylor said...
Personally no. Unless they added an extra .2 of an inch to make it widescreen. It'll be difficult to go back from being a macbook user for so long.
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5-14-2008 @ 8:18AM
Facundo said...
Something like the Asus eee or the MSI, but Apple, yes! I would buy for sure for mi wife who needs light weight, small screen, she wants an asus, but I want Apple ;-) !!!
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5-14-2008 @ 8:19AM
mentalsticks said...
If it's widescreen YES!
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5-14-2008 @ 8:19AM
tamas said...
cannot see the options, but a 13inch MBP would interest me a lot!
cheers
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5-14-2008 @ 8:19AM
Chris said...
It was painful for me to go from my 12" PowerBook to my 15" MacBook Pro this March, but now, I would not go back. I *love* the extra screen real estate, and only slightly miss the bump in portability. If I wanted the portability at this point, I would have bought a MacBook Air instead. Maybe there's room for a MacBook Air Pro in the line-up though...
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5-14-2008 @ 9:53AM
DistortedLoop said...
There's a lot of demand for a small, like 10" laptop amongst my friends and co-workers. Personally, I can't imagine using something like that, but they all keep looking at the little Sonys being offered. Price is the only thing keeping them from getting the Sony.
Knowing Apple's tendency to go for the premium price market, I doubt they'll offer anything more competitively priced in that market (if they even enter it), but it will definitely look better and be a better experience to use.
5-14-2008 @ 8:23AM
Corey at the Iconfactory said...
Reduce the bezel on the MacBook, make it thinner and make it aluminum. 13" MacBook Pro! How hard could that be? Of course that might seriously bite sales of the Air...
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5-14-2008 @ 9:01AM
eric f. said...
I agree on all points.
5-14-2008 @ 12:47PM
kylemurphey+tuaw said...
Needs a dedicated videocard too!
5-14-2008 @ 8:28AM
robogobo said...
Unequivocally YES. It's exactly what we need, a small but powerful portable. With a high resolution screen, good graphic processing, alot of ram and storage space, it would provide perfect redundancy for those who primarily work on a desktop but need to be able to work in the field too.
YES! (but where do we vote?)
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5-14-2008 @ 8:45AM
robogobo said...
proto mock-up(?)
http://mbp12.com/
$1599 would be way too cheap. It has to be in line with the other MBPs and not compete w the Air. Otherwise, that's the idea.
5-14-2008 @ 8:29AM
Jesse Hogue said...
It might bite into the sales of the Air, but Apple needs to add an optical drive and everything else that is missing. I have a Lenovo X300 in my hands this very moment, and let me tell ya, its a beautiful thing.
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5-14-2008 @ 8:30AM
Jono said...
Hell to the no, unless they can design them as well as the 13in Macbooks are designed. As an Apple technician, I welcomed the demise of the 12in models. They are absolute hell to open up and tinker with.
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5-14-2008 @ 9:38AM
anon said...
So are the current MBPs ... and I suspect the MBA isn't exactly opening mail.
I miss my 12" PowerBook -- it was a great price, too, that's missing from the pro lineup still. I'd definitely buy a 12" MacBook Pro, widescreen, as a full computer, that's sub-5 lb.
Sigh. I'm among those that do not think MBA is a good value. However, the MSI Wind is looking like my companion machine to my MP and MBP. No OS X, but for the price difference between the MBA and the Wind, I'm more than happy to return to Linux.
5-14-2008 @ 8:35AM
Luigi193 said...
I know a lot of people that WOULD.
But I want to get rid of my 13'' MacBook and upgrade to a 15 or 17 MBP... its much easier to do web work and junk with a bigger screen!!! My dad on the other hand, would LOVE it just to use as a second computer to use for Web/Email and the occasional Keynote Presentation.
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5-14-2008 @ 8:37AM
Nek Derk said...
It's called the Macbook Air.
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5-14-2008 @ 8:38AM
robogobo said...
no, it's not. are you high?
5-14-2008 @ 8:51AM
SRG said...
The MacBook Air has the exact same footprint as the standard MacBook. Who gives a damn if it's thinner?