It’s no secret that I work surrounded by laptops and netbooks and can often be seen working off two different machines at the same time. I’m kind of like the Rick Wakeman of laptops just without the cape! It’s a side-effect of reviewing more portables in the last decade than just about anyone else out there. These days, I work off an Apple Mac and a Windows machine at the same time, making sure everything ticks along nicely.
Yup, I work off two machines. That’s not bragging, it’s just that I commute with a netbook and here at Republic Republishing we all use MacBook Pros for the day job! Now, I’ve been using Macs for years as a reviewer but this is the first one I’ve owned and used every day. I’m still in two minds as to whether I’d buy one with my own money.
This has a knock-on effect that I’ve been humming and erring about the upcoming Apple kit. One that I know I’d never buy is the Apple Tablet. I am sure the analysts predicting it’ll sell in its millions are on safe ground, it’s just that I’m not a big fan of tablets in general, so the news that Apple may get involved during 2010 leaves me feeling a little cold.
So, what am I looking forward to in my Mac? Well, it seems that iTunes 9 will be offering Blu-ray movies for download. A MacBook Pro with Blu-ray makes a good deal of sense. That in itself isn’t as big a shock as people would expect but it does have the knock-on effect that Apple will need to update their laptops to handle true HD definitions and even sport Blu-ray drives.
In its most basic essence it means we’re likely to see MacBook Pros move to 17.3-inch and 15.6-inch to deliver true 16:9 aspect ratios. While Steve Jobs previously voiced concerns about loading his machines up with HD and the effects it may have on performance, it seems even Mr Jobs can’t hold back technology creep forever.
It also means that if we are to see an Apple Netbook any time soon, then it’ll no doubt sport a 11.6-inch screen to keep in line with this across the board move. Then again, the latest rumours point to an even smaller 9.7-inch device, which no doubt will be seen more as a super-iPhone Touch rather than a netbook. If they can get the battery life, and more importantly the price, right, then I could well see myself moving solely to an Apple desk and wave the Windows behind… we’ll see!