Ultra Portable MacBook Pro Around The Corner?
The announcement of Apple’s iPhone and AppleTV, appears to have everyone saving up for the latest in communication and movie streaming. As a result, the focus on upcoming MacBook Pro models has been overshadowed to say the least. Now that the dust has settled, the Mac rumour mill seems to have come alive with activity once again. Throwing Mac buyers into more confusion with the news of an impending ultra portable 12″ MacBook Pro, which, for now has been dubbed the,“MacBookThin (MBT)” and is rumoured to be announced in 10 weeks time.
If its true that a MBT is around the corner, that’s one more thing for Mac buyers to save up for and if you’re already in the market right now for a new Mac portable and can’t decide between a 13″ MacBook and a 15″ MacBook Pro because you were aiming for a 12″ Mac portable – your deliberation just got more complicated – buy now or wait?
Not one to compromise, Apple is said to be packing all the Pro features in the current 15″ MacBook Pro into a 12″ form factor. A prominent Mac rumour site has cited the upcoming MBT to be packed with the following goodies:
- 12-inch widescreen display, 1280×800 resolution. 2.16 or 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors
- 1GB of DDR2-667 memory standard. Max. capacity 3GB.
- Standard “Pro” ports: USB2, Firewire 400 & 800, Gigabit Ethernet, Digital/Analog Audio minijack I/O ports.
- ExpressCard expansion slot (believed to be /34 type)
- Similar storage to “Pro”: 2.5in SATA HDDs at 120GB & up, ‘Combo’ or ‘Super’ optical drive.
- ATi Radeon Mobility X1600 or nVIDIA GeForce GO 7600 graphics systems with 256MB of VRAM.
- Mini-DVI display connector with full second display capabilities
- Built-in iSight, stereo microphone, Airport Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR.
- Battery life is expected to be “best in class” at about 6.5 hours real-world, some reports have suggested up to 8 hours is possible.
Given Apple’s tradition for utmost secrecy its surprising, that Apple appears to be mirroring a predictable development lifecycle based on its past implementation of the Aluminiunm PowerBook G4 series of portables.
During that campagin, the 15″ PowerBook G4 was launched first with 2 specification variants to choose from. Following that, its big brother, the 17″ PowerBook G4 appeared on the scene, followed closely by the petite 12″ PowerBook G4. Which was made memorable by the Apple – Big And Small ad starring NBA-talent Yao Ming and Verne Troyer (famous for his protrayal as “Mini-Me” in Mike Myers Austin Powers movie franchise).
If these current trends prevail, we should be seeing only minor speed bumps to the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines after the launch of the much awaited 12″ MacBook Pro or MBT. At least, until the series’ receives a refresh with another mind blowing re-design.
As for the competition, during a casual cruise of the current portable market offerings, we were very impressed by Lenovo’s ThinkPad X60 ultraportable. Featuring:
- Intel Core™2 Duo Processor T5600 (1.83GHz, 2MB L2 Cache)
- Intel® 945GM Express Chipset
- Intel® PRO/Wireless 802.11a/b/g
- Genuine Windows® XP Professional
- 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
- 80GB SATA HDD (5400rpm)
- USB DVD-RW/CD-RW Multiburner
- 12.1″ XGA TFT display
- Integrated Bluetooth & Fingerprint reader
- Integrated SD Card slot
- 8-cell Lithium-Ion battery (up to 7.8 hours of battery life)
- Travel weight 1.64Kg
- Rescue and Recovery™
- Client Security Solution
- Hard Drive Active Protection System
- Integrated Fingerprint reader
Its also noted that in some countries the X60 retails, bundled with a 3-years international carry-in warranty and 6-months insurance against accidental damage and theft. Making it an awesome deal for the road warrior. If that isn’t enough, the X60 also features a robust magnesium alloy chassis with an integrated spill-proof keyboard that details 2 drainage openings at the bottom of the X60’s chassis. Which work to effectively wick liquids spilled on the keyboard away from its sensitive electronic innards. One of its biggest draw is also its very manageable 1.64Kg travel weight and uber petite footprint, which you really have to experience firsthand to appreciate. The toss up for this comes in the form of an external USB DVD-R/W optical drive. Lenovo has also shrunk the notoriously bulky PC portable power supply to a more acceptable footprint and carrying weight.
All in all; an attractive package, leaving the big question,… with all the hardware troubles that have afflicted the 13″ MacBook implementation, can Steve and Apple Inc beat this?
Failing this, we may see an insurgence of Mac OS X lovers hacking their Thinkpads to run Mac OS X. For now, all we can do is hang on to our cash and wait with abated breath.
