What're the odds of a 12" MBP coming out?

[zakp0]

I really really want a small portable machine, but one that's powerful.

I very seriously considered getting a Macbook Air, but the price tag I pay and the underpowered POS I get is not worth it.

Anyone know any insider info?

[gerbick]

I seriously think with the advent of the MBA, you're sorta going to be out of luck. The last 12" MBP was a G4 and they're happy with the 13" MB's on the lower end, the 15"/17" MBP's on the higher end, and the MBA being their ultra-portable.

I think the rumors of everything else has been pushed aside because no more SKU's have been found lurking about. But then again... I'm not as steeped in the cult of Mac as some of the others, so feel free to take my comments with a grain of salt.

[asheep_uk]

I have a 12" PowerBook which I paid about £1,200 for - which is how much a MacBook Air is, that is the new 12" PowerBook. I don't think Apple will make anything smaller than 13", 1024x768 is a bit dated.

[zakp0]

Yeah, that's what I feared.

I'm gonna be checking out this guy's 12" Powerbook G4 today to see how well he's kept it and whether I should buy it off him. He's got a $700 price tag on it so it should be interesting.

In terms of power, can I expect the G4 to still be fast? This particular one is 1.33Ghz. I'd be looking to use it for studying (back at uni), some basic C programming, basic MATLAB use and surfing the internet etc.

I'm still considering the MacBook Air, but for some reason I just cant justify spending that amount of money for something that's really nothing more than just portable. Know what I mean? :\

[WannaBe_80z]

Why not just get the mac book pro 15"? comparable price to the air and A LOT faster and really the weight difference is nothing to not buy it for.

[zakp0]

Heh, if I'm gonna spend THAT kinda money on a Mac - something I've never used on a regular basis before, I might as well just fork out that money and buy a really beefy 15" XPS PC laptop instead?

Also, something to lighten up the day -

[jAQUAN]

^hahaha

[hanratty21]

Heh, if I'm gonna spend THAT kinda money on a Mac - something I've never used on a regular basis before, I might as well just fork out that money and buy a really beefy 15" XPS PC laptop instead?

So, I am confused. You are looking for this fictional 12" MBP, but concerned about money? What price point do you think that this magical machine would come in at? Basically it would be the same machine as the current 15" MBP but with a 12" screen, right? Do you think that dropping screen size by 3 inches is going to drop the price of it by that much? I'd say think again...

[silverx2]

have you considered the new lenovo x300?

[zakp0]

So, I am confused. You are looking for this fictional 12" MBP, but concerned about money? What price point do you think that this magical machine would come in at? Basically it would be the same machine as the current 15" MBP but with a 12" screen, right? Do you think that dropping screen size by 3 inches is going to drop the price of it by that much? I'd say think again...

Heh, okay, lemme elaborate.

I dont want anything bigger than 12"-13". That's my biggest peeve here. And the macbook is ugly, IMO (read: I SAID IMO). After seeing a couple that've been used for a few months.. it takes a turn for the worse. Weight doesn't matter because I'm driving up to and from campus. However, size matters because of two things - firstly I don't need something big, I dont need an oversized machine, secondly and more importantly, desks there are tiny as hell. Like, 15" would cover the ENTIRE desk :\

If I could get something that's powerful enough as a MBP, at a 12" size, that's actually worth spending the money for. It's either that, or the Macbook Air, which is a novelty item really, but at it's current pricing and lack of power, it's not worth it yet.. not unless I can get a better price.

[zakp0]

have you considered the new lenovo x300?

I actually haven't. But, only reason to that is because I'm trying not to get another PC. I figured I'd try out a Mac for once.

If I was gonna go PC, I'd consider the XPS 13" machine instead. Really really powerful, and compact too. Except.. its a PC.

[hanratty21]

So...if I understand...you want a cheap, non-ugly MacBook. The iMac now has aluminum case...I'd bet that the macbook would get it at some point too. Good luck with the 12 inch screen though...I think that may be a thing of the past.

[asheep_uk]

Well like I said, I have a 12" PowerBook that I still very much use (sounds the same model, 1.33GHz).

Leopard runs fine, I use Final Cut Pro on it and it copes happily. I mainly use it in university for lectures, which is great. It's nearly five years old, but the battery still gets a good 3 hours of note taking and the occasional web browse. iPhoto '08 whinges a bit and iMovie '08 doesn't work at all, but other than that (and pro apps like Motion) it copes fine. Doing some work in Flash on it a the moment.

[PAlexC]

You can have my Vaio TR for $475.