Is the 17-Inch MacBook Rumor Credible?

I've had a good laugh at the rumors, by the way. They're nearly all guesses, IMHO, based on where Apple's product road map should be going. The 17-inch MacBook Pro is the most obvious among them and the most sensible, particularly if one rumored feature of the laptop is right: the fixed battery.

GOT A TIP OR RUMOR?

Apple's "unibody" enclosures are remarkably tough. The new aluminum 13-inch MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro are rugged like I've never seen in laptops of their class. Same can be said of the MacBook Air, which is surprisingly solid for a laptop measuring less than 1 inch thick.

Apple could literally transform the 17-inch notebook category, if the unibody enclosure is done right. The fixed battery suggests that might be so. The Air also has a fixed battery, which let Apple produce an enclosed unit that is thinner and more structurally sound than what would be expected from an ultrathin laptop.

The existing 17-inch MacBook Pro already is thinner and lighter than most—perhaps all—other notebooks in its class. But what if Apple could make the portable thinner still, which would be a huge differentiator among notebooks with the same size screen? I wonder, could Apple be so audacious as to release a 17-inch MacBook Air, or something like it?

Some useful comparisons: The not-so-current 17-inch MacBook Pro measures 15.4 by 10.4 by 1 inches and weighs 6.6 pounds. By comparison, the HP Pavilion dv7-1150us measures 15.59 by 11.22 by 1.31 to 1.66 inches and weighs 7.64 pounds. The Dell Studio 17 measures 15.46 by 11.36 by 1.18 inches and weighs 7.87 pounds.

Apple knows from its own sales data that laptops outsell desktops. For many creative professionals, a 17-inch notebook is large enough, particularly if it's got enough processing power and graphics capability and is svelte enough for travel. The not-so-current 17-inch model measures the aforementioned 1 inch thick compared with .95 inches for the 15-inch MacBook Pro and .16 to .76 inches for the Air. The Air weighs about 3 pounds, the 15-inch Pro 5.5 pounds and the 17-inch model the aforementioned 6.6 pounds. What if Apple could bring the thickness down to, say, .85 inches or .9 inches and trim the weight to 6 pounds, or less? Apple might have to sacrifice the built-in optical drive, as it does with the Air.

But what a computer that would be. A 6-pound 17-incher would be big innovation and demonstrate how valuable Apple's new unibody manufacturing process is. But to get to the specs I suggest, there would have to be sacrifices made—starting with the optical drive, should it be external. Unless Apple also introduces an external Blu-ray drive usable with any Mac. Blu-ray would appeal to creative professionals, if for no other reason than storage capability. I've used the Air without an optical drive and managed to comfortably get by.

The other sacrifice is the fixed battery, which introduces several complications. I assume the target market for the new 17-incher would be the same as for the old, creative professionals. These users are more likely to tap the battery's reserve on the go. Nobody wants to be out in the Brazilian rainforest on a film shoot and have the battery run down. A fixed battery means no swapping.

Batteries do wear out from extended use, too. If the battery goes, that means a laptop swap or return for service; it's a real inconvenience. Who wants to swap out a laptop just to get a fresh battery?

Something else: Battery recalls have become all too common as notebooks proliferate. So what happens if in the future Apple issues a recall of the ultrathin 17-inch Mac laptop battery? Again, there is the probability of having to swap out the laptop just to get another battery—or to go through special service that requires sending away the computer.

Whoa, I just realized. If the battery is fixed, likely so would be the storage. Back in April, the hard drive on my MacBook Air failed (I blogged in not one but two parts). The local Apple Store swapped out for a new Air simply because of a bad hard drive. It was an inconvenience for me and extra cost for Apple.

I don't know that Apple will introduce a new 17-inch MacBook model or if the specs would be anything close to what I suggest. I merely point out what Apple could do to transform the 17-inch laptop genre. All will be revealed tomorrow, right?

[Please send your tips or rumors to watchtips at live.com]

Posted by Joe Wilcox on January 5, 2009 3:59 PM