MacKozer

Is Apple’s Netbook real? Yes, but it depends on the point of view.

Posted on April 25, 2009 by admin

World of Apple is – let me say – rumor friendly. Every couple of months new rumors show off, and after another two or three they die, usually after the official Apple’s statement.

Source: Gizmodo

In the beginning of this year, many people were talking about iPhone nano, but finally Tim Cook explained that Apple is not going to deliver any low end product. However, at least one rumor has been alive and on topic for the last couple of months – the possible Apple’s netbook. People are wondering, is it going to be a kind of a typical netbook, or just a tablet like oversized iPhone. Additional rumors – like the one about the possible Apple’s order of 10 inch touch-screens – just make those expectations turning into eager.  But we still don’t know if Apple is going to offer a netbook-like machine. Even now, after the official statement of Tim, who pointed out cons of netbooks, there are even more questions are we going to see a netbook competitor machine and when. My question is slightly different: do we need one, if there are at least two old one Apple laptops that can be roughly regarded as a netbooks. They are not new models, available as a second hand products, but who cares…

What exactly is a netbook. In my opinion its definition depends on point of view. In example, for me – the netbook computer is a relatively small machine, smaller than 13 inches MacBook, very cheap, whit a functionality limited to the basic functions, like wordprocessing, spreadsheets, webbrowsing, e-mail. For those I don’t need neither super fast processor and graphic card nor a efficient and high capacity hard drive. Let me say, 500 or 800 MHz processor is enough. If we look at the netbook sector we can see that usually those machines are powered with 800 MHz or 1GHz processors, 512 or 1GB of RAM and 40 or 60 GB hard disks. Of course there are “high end” netbooks in the market as well, but I really don’t need a regular laptop replacement. The weight of the laptop is not so important to me. Of course it can not be heavier than my MacBook White. One of the most important factors is the price of the machine. It must be very low. I mean as low to make me not to hesitate to pull out my netbook off the bag and work on it in the almost every possible condition and place without a fear of loosing it. Netbook must be a machine  I don’t care much about it. I mean if I had loosen it I wouldn’t cry after.

Is Apple able to deliver such kind of product – a new one? I am sure of that it is not. At least one important condition wouldn’t be accomplished – the price. Apple products are relatively expensive, especially here in Poland.

Apple PowerBook G4 12′, Source: CNET Networks

However, there are old models available that suits my own netbook specification. Those are old 12 inches PowerBooks and – even better suited – 12 inches iBooks. Both of them are smaller that MacBook White. Both of them are available with the 500 – 800 and 1 GHz processors (at least the PoweBook). Usually they are equipped with at least 500 MB  – 700 MB of RAM (PowerBook up to 1GB). Their functionality is even better that small PC netbooks, though the old PowerBooks don’t have built-in iSight cameras. They are of course much heavier than typical netbook, but many people just take out the dvd drives out of them to make them lighter than MacBook White. On both Powerbook and iBook you can install OS X Leopard, but staying with Tiger would be OK for the netbook-like task (c’mon it’s not so long ago when both machines and Tiger were at the desks of the professionals). In the end, the most important factor – their price is very low and is comparable with the low end netbooks. Here in Poland, you can get 12 inches PowerBook for 250 – 350 Euro and iBook for 120 – 200 Euro (depends on processor’s speed and RAM). You can get both machines with new batteries that let you work on them for 3 – 5 hours roughly. Of course, both of them are available as a second hand, so you have to spend some time on hunting on eBay.

Having iBook with no dvd-drive, thus lighter, for 150 Euro is not a big deal even here in Poland and the price is not a psychological barrier to take it out of the bag on the street or in the pub without fear of loosing it.

I know that there are people who find this solution to big and not attractive, but I am of the opinion that the turning back towards the older Apple laptops is a effective netbook solution, and we can give them a second life instead of letting them end on the piles of the landfils.