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MacWorld rumblings: Expect a 11- to 13-inch screen on Apple ultra-portable

Summary: With Apple expected to deliver a new ultra-portable Mac at its Macworld conference Jan. 15 prognosticators are busy handicapping the device's features.

Larry Dignan

By for Between the Lines |

With Apple expected to deliver a new ultra-portable Mac at its Macworld conference Jan. 15 prognosticators are busy handicapping the device's features.

In a research note Monday, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said that it's likely that Apple's ultra-portable Mac will carry a screen of 11 inches to 13 inches. Munster had anticipated a screen of 8 inches to 11 inches.

Munster said:

Although we were anticipating an "ultra-portable" device with an 8"-11" screen, our checks indicate the screen will likely be 11"-13." That said, we continue to expect the "ultra-portable" MacBook to be Apple's thinnest and lightest ever. It will likely be priced between the $1,099 consumer level MacBook and the $1,999 MacBook Pro. One contributor to the smaller form factor could be the use of NAND-based solid state storage. In Nov. Samsung introduced a 64GB drive, which we believe Apple would consider large enough to include in a new portable.

Munster also noted that the new portable could include touch technology similar to what can be found in the iPhone and iPod touch.

[Also see Jason O'Grady's analysis of Apple's notebook strategy.]

Other odds and ends leading up to Macworld (all posts):

Munster doesn't expect a 3G iPhone. Why? The second generation iPhone is likely to arrive in May or June. Macworld, however, could be used to up the current iPhone's storage capacity. UBS analyst Ben Reitzes, however, indicated that an iPhone announcement is quite possible.

Macworld is likely to be focused on Macs. Expect upgrades such as faster processors and increased storage on the current Mac lineup. Reitzes wrote in his preview:

We believe that momentum for Macs can continue especially as Apple releases more model upgrades and introduces new ultra-portable form factors. The Mac phenomenon should have a positive impact not only on CPU revenue, but also peripherals, software and overall company gross margins.

Reitzes upped his price target to $235 from $220 largely based on the Mac product cycle. Reitzes added that his checks show that Mac has largely skated through a consumer slowdown unscathed.

iTunes movie rentals are a jump ball. Munster puts the odds of Apple announcing movie rentals at 50 percent with a 90 percent chance by mid-2008.

Topics: Storage, Apple, Hardware, iPhone, Mobility

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30 comments
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  • Apple may again trump CES

    Those Apple guys really set the stage of things coming in 2008. If it wasn't for HDTV, CES would be quite a bust.
    Prognosticator
    Reply Vote

  • "NAND-based solid state storage"...

    This would be a BRILLIANT move!

    Anyone remember the old OLD, but wonderful, Tandy TRS-100's ? These things were, and still remain, a great tool for reporters, etc... There is an entire market still around this wonderful little machine that's going on 25 years old now!

    If this is true, and it has near-instant boot, this thing will sell like hotcakes.
    BitTwiddler
    Reply Vote

  • Since when does a 13" qualify as ....

    an ultra-portable? Is this another Apple innovation where they take something designed to be small and make it bigger?
    ShadeTree
    Reply Vote

    • Quick to blame?

      This is merely idle speculation at this point, Apple has not come out with an "ultraportable" nor given any credible indication that they might. Blaming Apple for imagined features on a rumored product seems like a bit of a stretch. While I can understand reasons why a 13" screen might not be a good idea on a small laptop, let's discuss the item on its own merits. These may be the very reasons Apple WON'T come out with this rumored product. Will or won't, but don't talk like they already did. Get a grip.
      MarcB_z
      Reply Vote

      • Too thin skinned!

        I merely asked some questions that were meant to provoke some thought. I blamed noone. It is you who appears to be thin skinned.
        ShadeTree
        Reply Vote

        • Not much thought

          [i]"Is this another Apple innovation where they take something designed to be small and make it bigger?"[/i]

          You "blamed" Apple for doing something they haven't done.

          What have they made something designed to be small "bigger"? The iPhone? The Mac Mini? iPod? iMac? Doesn't take much thought to hate.
          MarcB_z
          Reply Vote

          • Weel certainly the iPhone.

            Try sticking one in your pocket like their recent adds touts.
            ShadeTree
            Reply Vote

          • Show me one product

            with anything vaguely resembling the feature-set of the iPhone that is smaller.
            MarcB_z
            Reply Vote

          • Almost every flip phone on the market.

            Every feature but touch and context dialing which is replaced by voice dialing.
            ShadeTree
            Reply Vote

          • So, in other words you can't

            NT
            Tigertank
            Reply Vote

          • Easy...

            The Motorola A1200 Ming.

            It has:

            Touch screen
            Runs Linux
            Removable battery
            Swappable transflash slot
            Business card scanner
            an MP3 player
            FM radio
            a photo editor

            It doesn't have:

            The fancy multitouch feature
            the glitzy UI.
            iTunes lock-in.
            The exhorbiant AT&T contract

            Check one out on eBay...
            [url]http://cell-phones.search.ebay.com/A1200-Ming_Cell-Phones_W0QQcatrefZC11QQsacatZ146487[/url]
            Wolfie2K3
            Reply Vote

          • Smaller screen, fatter dimensions

            X! Try again
            MarcB_z
            Reply Vote

    • LOL (nt)

      :)
      GuidingLight
      Reply Vote

  • RE: MacWorld rumblings: Expect a 11- to 13-inch screen on Apple ultra-porta

    Having bought a MacBook Pro lately I think that an ultraportable is a great idea. However, it will be interesting to see if I would have bought it rather than a full function MBPro. While expensive, it's been the best laptop I've used to date, and being able to run Windows through Parallels or boot camp is a bonus.

    However, I really only needed a ultraportable, and really upsold myself into this one.
    8string
    Reply Vote

  • I'm betting on the 13" version

    I think we'll see a MacBook Pro at 13". The old, smallest
    PowerBook was 12", just like the iBook and I think Aple
    will bring out a MacBook Pro the same size as the
    MacBook today - 13". While a smaller notebook would
    be welcome by many the 13' gives the user more display
    space and that can be important for many users when
    working with pictures, large documents or spreadsheets.

    Steve Jobs has set aside a fair amouint of time for his
    Keynote and will have about an hour and a half left after
    giving an update on various performance reports. That's
    a lot of time for new hardware as iLife and iWork 08 are
    already on the market. It looks like it will be an
    interesting Keynote on the hardware side.
    Ken_z
    Reply Vote

  • Apple has already introduced its ultraportable

    They call it the iPhone. I suspect the biggest event will be the intro of the iPhone SDK and probably some serious iPhone apps that have already been developed. And maybe a seriously overdue Mac Pro update....

    And maybe movie rentals.
    MarcB_z
    Reply Vote

    • Don't look now but the iPhone ....

      ... made PC World's list of most disappointing technology of 2007.
      ShadeTree
      Reply Vote

      • Well...

        In an effort to deVole you, you do realize that PC World's most annoying tech of 2007 was Vista, and if you bothered to read the major beef they had with the iPhone was with AT&T.

        Clearly you still have the "wow" running around your brain.
        ego.sum.stig
        Reply Vote

      • And PC World made the list

        of 10 lamest list articles of 2007.

        With disappointments like the iPhone (number 1 smartphone in the US right now, and
        Symbian paid for the study!!!) who needs successes?
        MarcB_z
        Reply Vote

        • Number 1? How do you gauge sucsess?

          at .02 percent of the market, how does that make it number 1?
          GuidingLight
          Reply Vote
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