Apple to Commission New Vessel in MacBook Pro Fleet?
| by Joe Leo, Columnist | January 3, 2007 |
continued... from: previous page
"Arggh!! Jumping the gun there, are ye matey?" Before we set sail on this voyage, however, let's check our maps for a second to make sure we've got our voyage all mapped out.
Before specific word of the 12" MacBook Pro surfaced on the web in recent weeks, the preliminary rumor basically stated that the "ultra-portable" line of Mac notebooks would be making a return with few details on specifics, if any. It was discussed on various sites, and we discussed it here on two fronts, first in a news article from 9/29, and then in an opinion piece from 10/6.
So let's shift our focus now to that "fact" and that term alone: return of the "ultra-portable" Mac.
This is now where that one "fact" turns into real rumors, and begins to branch out to many possibilities. An "ultra-portable" Mac could be anything. It could be, of course, another Mac notebook. It could also be the upcoming "iPhone," the unofficial name of Apple's predicted (another rumor!) branded cell phone, which is a kind of portable. It could also be...?
"Argghh!!!"
Okay. We're looking at the map again. When we began this voyage, we said that rumors can be just that (totally out there) and rumors can also be based on facts (making them highly plausible, and more likely to surface).
The one rumored product announcement that falls into both of these categories is the speculation on the possibility of the ultra-portable Mac making its return this year, something we're personally dying to see and look forward to it becoming a reality next week-- though in one form more than the other (the one that immediately follows).
In one incarnation, the ultra-portable Mac is smaller and thinner than the original ultra-portable Mac (though it was touted and sold as "ultra-compact"), the 12" PowerBook G4. This predicted 12" MacBook Pro, the likely name for this new product--though some are saying it will be called the "MacBook Thin" as MacOSrumors.com** reports--is not that far off from reality. [**note: not the same as MacRumors.com]
We'd personally like to see it called a MacBook mini, or a MacBook nano (though we like the former better).
This rumor is highly-based on fact more than speculation, because we've discussed the same underlying fact behind it, right here in the aforementioned opinion piece from October of last year. In it, we mentioned a new technology that Intel has forthcoming, an architecture called "Santa Rosa" which utilizes flash-based memory-- which, if incorporated into laptops, allows for a smaller form factor than is currently available.
(Fellow PBCentral.com columnist Charles W. Moore expands on the exact details of this "Santa Rosa" technology in a more recent article, going beyond what we discussed in our opinion piece which was more focused on what Apple could do with their laptops based on Sony's current designs on the market).
And since Apple and Intel have a partnership, why not? Though there are conflicting reports over just how it will be made. ArsTechnica.com doesn't believe it will utilize this flash technology, instead reporting that it will be just a plain old MacBook Pro sporting all the features of its older siblings-- except with a 12-inch screen and the entire unit being lighter and thinner than any notebook Apple has ever produced. (A super ultra-portable!).
Stop the presses though! Hold on to that thought. Don't pull up that ship's anchor just yet. We're not ready to sail just yet. Remember, we're dealing with the rumor mills here, and the fans are only beginning to spin!