[freudling]

Right, ultra-portable, whatever that means.

Here is my desired Spec hit list:

SSD Memory (128 GB)
Expandable to at least 2 GB RAM
Intel Penryn Dual Core
NO OPTICAL DRIVE
14.x" widescreen
.5" thin
New iMac style keyboard
Pivot screen that will twist and fold onto the keyboard, to be used as tablet
Multi-touch screen for tablet funtionality
2 USB, 1 Firewire 400/800
1 express card slot
Video out
Ethernet
802.11n wifi built-in
Hi-res screen, 1440x900, billions of colors
iSight built-in
Good sound!
Backlit keyboard
Huge battery: 8 hour real world battery life
Ac adapter inside computer where optical drive used to be

This would be sleek with very little screws. Mostly one shell for the screen and one seemless shell for the body. Charging time for battery 1 hour. Available in black and white. Edges must be very soft and smooth, to make it comfortable to use as a tablet, and it must be very light as well.

[Simon]

The following is more realistic IMHO:
- 64 GB SSD max
- Intel ULV C2D (yeah, you betcha it's gonna be slow)
- 13" (if not 12" actually)
- no pivot, no tablet, nada
- no multi-touch
- no express card slot (obviously)
- 1280x800
- crap sound (due to tiny crap speakers)
- no backlit KB
- 4h battery max (due to tiny and light battery)
- AC adapter where it has always been: outside

Not that I don't like your suggestions, but I know Apple and its market all to well to believe something like that would actually happen.

[freudling]

These are my desires, not my expectations.

[Gee4orce]

Wow - and maybe it also makes coffee, does the shopping, and collects the kids from school ?

Simons specs are on the mark, although I think it will use the latest CPUs from Intel. I was looking at some of the Sony subnotebooks today, and these machines are not cheap. You're paying for miniaturisation. I think this will be a pro level machine, so I expect to see a backlit keyboard (I think it's time that trickled down to the Macbook anyway now). I don't think you'll see a card slot, because of space constraints. Same goes for USB and firewire - I expect one of each maximum.

Is it usual for this class of machines to have video out ? That would make all the difference for me.

[slugslugslug]

I don't know, I think it'd be possible to take some of the space gained by excluding the optical drive and use it for an ExpressCard slot. Also, I think it'd be cool to use the 1.8" hard drives that are in iPod Classics. Big space (and I think power) savings over standard laptop HDs, and lower price/GB than flash. But I imagine "no moving parts" sounds too cool to pass up in the marketing..

[Wiskedjak]

My wants:
Fastest CPU available
Fastest video card available
Most RAM possible
Weighs next to nothing
As thin as the iPod Touch
Interface that allows text input as fast as a keyboard but without the bulk
Less than $1000

My expectations:
no thinner than half that of the Macbook
no lighter than 2/3 that of the Macbook
slightly faster CPU than the Macbook
slightly slower graphics than the Macbook
no touch functionality (thank god)
twice as expensive as the Macbook

[imitchellg5]

SSD=Not affordable=no body buys=next Cube/Newton

[Simon]

Originally Posted by freudling 

These are my desires, not my expectations.

I see. In that case you should probably get prepared to wait for quite a while.

[freudling]

SSD=emerging tech+everyone wants=prices to be reduced.

[PaperNotes]

Here be the specs:

1.8-2Ghz Core 2 Duo
2GB RAM
64GB SSD
12 inch touschscreen with glass coating
Swivel screen
iPod touch style case design
1.9cm thin
Leopard

[mduell]

1.8GHz LV (17W) C2D and 1.2Ghz ULV (10W) C2D are about the same price... hard to say which way Apple will go, but I'd guess the latter.
32GB SSD stock, 64 and 128 (delayed shipping) options.
2GB RAM, no way to upgrade
2.5 pounds
Starts at $1599