| by Joe Leo, Columnist | April 10, 2007 |
continued... from: previous page
Mighty Mac mini: The Ultimate Digital Hub
So, what could Apple do to compete, "compete" with HP's ultra-portable and all other tiny ultra-portables currently on the market? Because let's face it, we all have to admit that there have been smaller notebook computers--PCs, mind you--on the market prior to this, and even when the 12-inch PowerBook was a current offering by Apple.
HP labels their tx1000 as an "Entertainment Notebook PC" which is part of the product's whole name. I guess Apple could somehow make that one of the underlying features of its "MacBook Pro mini." Almost an Apple TV substitute--which is a Mac mini of sorts--why it could also be the "Mighty Mac mini," that lets you do all your computing and is a portable Apple TV too.
I even saw someone try to do this already with their first generation 12-inch PowerBook G4. This guy (or gal, couldn't tell) over at MacRecon.com turned his old 867 MHz 12-inch PowerBook into an Apple TV of sorts. How? Well read the article by clicking on the website's name. Why?
They said, "This project is also known as the media center on the cheap, and it was started because of jealousy towards anyone who has a nifty Mac mini media center, or has pre-ordered an Apple TV."
Enough said. Kind of off topic, but kind of makes a point is one reader's comment at the end of the article. "Goes to show again what minimal system requirements OS X puts on a machine to be [and can still make it] fully functional... wouldn't want to try to get the 'magnificent' Windows Media Center running on these specs..."
Another right after that person says, "Good point. I have Front Row running on a sub 1 GHz notebook-- can you do that with Windows Vista's media center?" (and still look good / work good, is what I think they meant to say).
Anyway, a computer is just a computer and if all Apple can do is put everything they offer now into a smaller/thinner package, yes I'd buy it, but will others as well? Maybe. But to make it really cool and drool-worthy, they have to add some spice to the package.
Like make it sort of like an Apple TV, akin to the Windows Media Center that is behind the "Entertainment Notebook PC" behind HP's tx1000. And finally make another group happy-- those who have been looking for a Mac tablet, something that the HP also doubles as, with its flip-over LCD screen, turning it into a nice tablet PC.
I think it's the perfect setup. With the iLife suite making the Mac a person's "digital hub," just think how easy it would be--like HP's tx1000 PC (getting tired of this?)--to share your photos, movies, whatever, just by flipping that screen around and sharing on the fly? Feel free to touch, if you want to. Though, perceptively.
Apple could sell it as the ultimate digital hub, or even, "The Pen-ultimate Digital Hub." (Get it?).
I did mention HP's TX1000 also has a touch-screen LCD, right? If you look at the demo for the product--not the 360-degree views--you can see the lady sharing photos with family, watching movies, etc. Heck, I swear that was Front Row on the screen. [See link to demo video here].
The Final Word
Imagine the possibilities. Before this, we were only talking about underlying technologies-- flash drives, thin form-factor, no optical drives, or, put an optical drive but do it Apple-style (their new patent for an optical drive design), etc.
But now it's time to talk about what Apple's new super ultra-portable machine will actually look like, what it will feature, and what users should be able to do with it. Just do it right, make sure it's innovative, don't copy the competition's mistakes (though do copy the good ones-- it's okay to copy, remember? everyone else copies you!) and get it out soon.
Because right now, everyone seems to be one step ahead of Apple for a change, and it seems HP's got the right pickings for the time being. Plus? It starts at $1099.99, the cost of a refurbished 12-inch PowerBook G4 today, well under the selling price when it was new! (The 2003 model was $1,999, and the high-end model from 2005--the last to roll off the line--was $1,699).
Now there's, "A New Twist..."
NOTE: If, for some wild reason, you're interested in finding more about this HP Pavilion TX1000 Entertainment Notebook PC, click on the previous highlighted link (the name of the computer) for highlights and specs as provided by HP's website.