YAMBR - Yet Another MacBook Rumor

This is getting tiring...

Go here, and lose all hope.

New MacBooks Comin'?

Hmmm.... Think Secret is reporting that Apple will release updates to its Mac Book line tomorrow. The rumor is that the number of models will expand from THREE (13" MacBook, 15" MacBook Pro, & 17" MacBook Pro) to FIVE.

I would note that the Apple Japan refurb page has had no Mac product for a week or more. Maybe now that supplies have dried up, the refresh is coming.

Perhaps it's too much to hope for a freakin' ultraportable yet...

YASNR - Yet Another Sub Notebook Rumor

This one has more oomph, because it came from Apple Insider. 

Apparently Apple is working on something small and delightful, but like Apple Recon claimed - it won't come out until June. Dohh!

Apple Insider also says it's gonna be really small and use NAND flash and NO internal optical drive (ala the PowerBook 2400 and 100). They also echo what I have been saying here - that this is just what Japan needs, and may pick up sagging sales here.

My take: Much too late! There's no need to put new tech into a subnotebook, when there are plenty of Windoze laptops at ideal size/weight ranges already. One wonders if Apple can recover the sales it's lost in Japan. (And when my 12" G4 dies, which could be anyday, I'll freaking go Windoze if there's nothing.) Also - though I look forward to Apple innovating in a subnote book, it's totally unecessary at this time. Plenty of Windoze Core 2 Duo notebooks that are 1.5 kg and under on the market now with existing tech.

I guess I won't hold my breath for this thing....

Mac Sales Up 28%*

*Except in Japan.

AppleInsider reports for Apple's Q107 report, "Apple Japan accounted for 70,000 Mac sales and $285 million in revenues. These figures are down 14 percent and 20 percent year-over-year. Sequentially, Mac units in Japan were up 13 percent while revenues were flat."

So, they got a bit of a holiday bump in sales, but compared to last year sales are considerably lower. Lower than the already low from a year ago!

WTF. Japan is the second biggest consumer nation after the US. Japanese really like well designed, "cute" products. iPod sales stayed at the same level, but they increased elsewhere. Maybe the shine is off the Apple in Japan, because the current iPods are really not very innovative (and we will not see the phones for a year, if ever) and falling behind. And there's the fact that Japanese like small and compact products - which none of the current laptops are.

Why the hell would anyone buy a 5lb MacBook, when they can get the same speed and size for the same price (or better) in a Windows laptop, but at least a pound lighter? Really, Apple. Without a 12" laptop, most Japanese people aren't going to even blink at your portables. And the rest of the line-up is overweight. Yeah, you got the OS thing down pat. Now get your hardware up to par or start licensing your OS.

Ultrathin 12" MacBook Pro on the way?

MacScoop is reporting the likelihood of a ultrathin form-factor MacBook Pro, perhaps coming in the spring, and in the $1700-1800 price range, featuring Core 2 Duos and optical drives. Woohoo! (Betcha it can't be this cheap though...)

This is pretty cool, but ABOUT FREAKIN' TIME.

What I thought was funny or ludicrous was the negative reaction to such a product from several commentors over at ArsTechnica. Naysayers were claiming that it can't be manufactured. Typical sheep comment from someone who hasn't seen the Windows ultraportables with similar stats already on the market. A couple people even complained about a thin laptop, said they wouldn't want one, and Apple has no business making one. WTF! I guess these guys haven't had the pleasure of hauling their laptops for hours while commuting by train, bus, or bike. Are these the same morons who think that 5 lbs is acceptable for a laptop in a world of Intel laptops much less than that? I just don't understand why these people wouldn't want Apple to expand their product line. Unbelievable MacSheep nonsense.

But it's still only a rumor. Try. Not. To. Hope. Too. Much.

MacBricks 25% Faster, but not any lighter

Apple has ramped up the speed of consumer MacBooks, supposedly 25%, and added a couple of other doodads. Yeah, still relatively cheap.

I'm still sticking with my old 12" G4 until Apple decides to make some laptops that are 20% LIGHTER, like PC vendors.

Let's hope these are also made better than the last crop of Mac Books, or even the 2G Shuffle.

*sigh*

THIS is a laptop

Yo Apple! Pay attention.

In Japan, Sony has announced the Vaio G laptop, with a 12" screen and weighing LESS THAN ONE KG, even with the optical drive in. That's about 2lbs - 2/5 the weight of the MacBrick. Yeah, small screen, and a Core Solo 1.2Ghz processor. And runs the evil empire OS... But still - you'd think Apple could release something similar with a Core Duo that weighs a bit more.

This is one reason why Apple isn't having the success in the Japan market that it enjoys elsewhere...