[Ado]

I find that the current offerings from Apple dont suit any of my needs.
I seek ultra portable with a proper gfx card.

"13 with 8600GT card able to output to external monitor when not travelling and run 3D and motion off it adeequately.

[MacosNerd]

I like the current offerings from apple. I own a 13" MB and I've found the screen to be very limited when working with photoshop. I had purchased the machine as a backup to hold my photographs when I'm offsite and it does a good job as that but for serious design work the screen is too small.

I was offsite last month and I was trying to do some web design and it wasn't really a good fit. I'm now looking to picking up a MBP in its place.

[Ado]

See my view is that "15-"17 are still too small for pro work so why bother spending all that money. Why not buy the system that can push the power then mirror it to a proper "24 LCD in the studio.

[fisherKing]

i started on the 2400c (am amazing mac, for it's day), then a pismo, then 2 12" powerbooks (one AFTER the other).
i WANT small, light, and have been holding my breath for a comparable mbp. (okay, am letting my breath out now..)

holding onto the rumors of a true apple subnotebook (but NOT holding my breath).

[larrinski]

I debate this in my head almost everyday. I have a 1.33Ghz 12" Powerbook, and am thinking about upgrading to the 13" Macbook. A friend of mine has one, and the screen is bright and beautiful. But I love the 12" form factor. I really hope for a new ultra portable from Apple...

[vtgts500kw]

i would dump my 15inch powerbook instantly.

the powerbook is starting to become annoying carrying it around as im doing alot more offsite work. With workmates carrying around their ultra slim and small sony laptops, im getting jealous...

i dream off the day a 13inch or smaller slim, apple tablet comes out. im not sure why they havn't released a tablet, it would be very very useful for me as a graphic designer.

[Ado]

See the deal is that designers think they will actually work off their "15 screen.. This never happens as it gets annoying quick. So whats the point. to browse and hobby a "13 is good enough. When freelancing begins you just mirror it to a "24 for real visuals.

I only can see "15+ being usful for musicians who are doing a gig somewhere remote and wanna use a comp.

[tiger]

A 13 inch MacBook with decent graphics... such as the 7900go? That'll do the job and output to my 23 inch cinemas and also be able to travel.

[JonoMarshall]

i dream off the day a 13inch or smaller slim, apple tablet comes out. im not sure why they havn't released a tablet, it would be very very useful for me as a graphic designer.

You can get your 13inch apple tablet right now, it'll cost you though...

The ModBook

[Ado]

The trend is shifting towards "13 or smaller 3d power lappies...
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2007/06/in...extreme_w.html

[EndlessMac]

For me I wouldn't get anything smaller than a 13" or larger than a 15". I like my current 15". Unless I really need the smaller size, anything under 13" would have too small of a workspace for my like and I'm not talking about just Photoshop work. On the other hand, the 17" is a tank and is basically a desktop with a built in monitor and keyboard. I would hate to lug that thing around. I prefer a larger viewing space(even for general use) without getting to big and heavy like the 17" and I don't think the current 15" are too big or heavy so it hasn't been a problem for me.

[SierraDragon]

For photos or graphics in the field the screen real estate and the extra pixels of the 17" cannot be beat. And after upgrading from a 15" PB G4 to a 17" C2D MBP I don't find it to be like a "tank." Just a much superior field graphics platform, IMO well worth the extra 1.4 pounds heavier than an 15" MBP, 1.7 pounds heavier than the graphics-lame MBs.

Certainly 2-display setups are essential for desktop pro graphics work, but pros do not "mirror" to larger monitors as described above. Instead the larger display is used for main images and the smaller display for palettes and/or thumbnails. In any event, for desktop usage a 15" MBP plus a 23" display is a nice solution if one can tolerate the lesser performance of a laptop. Personally I buy laptops for graphics (primarily Aperture) in the field and want to carry maximum screen real estate; for my desktop I use a tower with two displays.

-Allen Wicks

[cherry su]

I think weight is more of an issue than size for me. This is exactly why I don't bring my 15" MacBook Pro to school every day; 5.6lbs + charger is way too much for me, in addition to textbooks and stuff. If Apple to diet it down to 5lbs then that would be great. I'm planning to do this myself by removing the optical drive, switching to a LED backlit display (preferable a WUXGA panel), and maybe replacing the hard drive with a solid state drive.

Eh, like that will happen any time soon

[bearcatrp]

I'll wait until apple ships an ultra portable. Hopefully a 10 inch and a solid state drive and preferably under 3000 grand.
Randy

[EndlessMac]

Originally Posted by SierraDragon 

IMO well worth the extra 1.4 pounds heavier than an 15" MBP.

For me it's not worth the extra 1.4 pounds but everyone is free to have their own preferences. IMO a 17" is also too wide for a laptop. The only limits on my desktop would be the width of my desk and price of the monitor but for a laptop I want a compromise between compactness and viewing space. For me 15" is a good compromise between the two.

[wilsonng]

i just wished that Apple stopped treating the smaller form factor like the child that nobody wanted....

The 12" PB was neglected and was always underpowered compared to its larger siblings.

I guess I can go either way with the vote....

I'm fairly happy with the current MBs but would love to have an MB with a decent gfx card. or better yet have the MBP that is on par with the 15".

[Ado]

If Apple wants to show how geen they are, they should release a smaller MBP.

[MacosNerd]

I still have not seen a business case to why apple could (or should) produce one. Since I don't work for apple they generally don't listen to me so take my $.02 as a ranting of a lunatic
One huge problem is product cannibalism. They already have a 13" model that is pretty close in specs to the MBP as it is. It [ a 13" mbp] would cannibalize both the 15" MBP and the MB lines. That is Its highly unlikely they'll generate enough sales to make a 13" MBP profitable. Why else do you think they dropped the 12" PB line it wasn't because it was viewed as a "toy" but it wasn't profitable (or profitable enough to continue producing)

Don't forget they're not in business to produce green computers or have a social conscience but rather make money and to do that they need to produce computers that people want in a manner that will be profitable.

[riotge@r]

The only reason to get a 13" MBP is the form factor. Playing a game on a 13" screen just doesn't cut it for me.

I actually do design work on my 15" MBP. I prefer to do work on my 24" LCD, but the 15" works when I am traveling.

[JoshuaZ]

My 1.33 ghz 12in Powerbook is still holding up well after 3 years. While I would agree that apple could stand to have an ultra-portable solid state no optical drive laptop, the current offering is fine the way it is.

MacosNerd hits it right on the head. Offering a 13in "pro" computer would be nothing more than a Macbook with a graphics card. They'd be losing money on all the people buying the black Macbook (I love how people pay $100 more for a black Macbook!), and would lose out on the big money from people buying the 15in.

I'll be switching my 12in for a new MBP in two months. I find that now that I'm out of school I don't carry my laptop around much, and thus, don't to worry about the size.

If nothing else, be happy you're not like several of my co-workers who have MONSTER 17in PC laptops. Those things are gigantic. So much so that my co-workers complain when they take it to work with them. The 15in is fine for Pros. Let those who complain about the size buy Macbooks.

[kilechki]

A 12", 16/10 ratio MacBook Pro, lighter and thinner than the MacBook - with a gfx- would be a godsend. I'm not really begging for an ultraportable, since I don't find 10" or 11" to be so usable. What I want would be more a $1600-$1800 compact and lightweight machine, VAIO style, that can be connected to an external screen. Since MacBooks are so heavy and large, there's a real gap to fill in this category.

As I see it, Apple might be waiting for Leopard and resolution independence to ship such a portable.

[gnomexp]

I would legitimately kill for the opportunity for a pro-level Apple miniportable. I do a little design work here and there, and definitely dabble in Photoshop my fair share, but the big things I work on are biology research (crunching and analyzing long sequences; visualizing and rendering 3D data) and 300dpi 13in x 19in prints, both of which would greatly benefit from a powerful GPU, and possibly an upgraded processor or RAM capacity.

I easily get around the screen problem with my supersexy 23in ACD.

I used to own a used 867MHz G4 12incher, which was absolutely lovely. I miss that machine.

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by tiger 

A 13 inch MacBook with decent graphics... such as the 7900go? That'll do the job and output to my 23 inch cinemas and also be able to travel.

A MacBook can do that, my best friend drives his 23" Cinema HD display with a MacBook. Gorgeous screen.

[ginoledesma]

I want one. I loved my PBG4 12", but it was stolen, and for the price they go nowadays, it makes no sense to buy them, so I went for the MacBook. The MacBook specs are awesome for an entry level laptop (regardless of the graphics card -- even the PBG4 12" didn't cut it), but it's a bit bulky and heavy for my taste. I'm on the go a lot, and when I'm at work or home, there's always a big screen monitor to attach to to get more work done. The 13" is too big for me to use comfortably on the train/bus.

A 12" form factor would be wonderful. Making it really lightweight and have > 4 hour battery life would be astounding.

[rach]

Yes i do want one and if Apple does not bring one out i will have look elsewhere to get one. There are other ultraportables out there that offer dedicated graphics and i would probably get one of those next time i wanted to upgrade if Apple does not bring one out.

[haunebu]

an ultra-portable is long overdue.

[Super Mario]

The 8600M GT is already so underclocked in the current MBPs what's the point of putting it in a 13"? Apple would underclock it even more.

[andreas_g4]

I don't need one. I want one.