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February 26, 2006

"MacBook" to Replace iBook name?

A PowerPage reader writes:

Our Apple Rep was here (University deleted) on Friday, and slipped up a bit... He said: "You know that Steve's putting iSight cameras in everything. The MacBook will have it. (Short pause, while he quickly looks at his feet. Then he looks up and resumes.) The MacBook Pro has it now."

From previous rumors it sounds like the new MacBook will ship in a single 13.3-inch widescreen form-factor with a single core Intel Core Solo processor. A machine targeted at the educational market would have to be announced in March and ship in April or risk missing the critical back-to-school buying window for most schools in the United States.

I've heard some rumbling that Apple may drop FireWire from the MacBook in an effort to trim costs and to further differentiate the MacBook Pro. Apple can't drop FireWire from the MacBook unless they add an ExpressCard/34 slot which would allow you to add FireWire via an expansion card. iMovie HD features FireWire importing and has long been bundled with consumer Macs. It would be difficult for Apple to ship a notebook without some way to connect to FireWire devices.

Apple's holding a special media event tomorrow (28 Feb) in Cupertino and there's a 50/50 chance that they'll launch the MacBook then.

What do you think of the name "MacBook?"

Posted by jasonogrady at February 26, 2006 9:54 PM
Category: iBook

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Comments

Why is PowerPage so obsessed with Apple dropping FireWire? To cut costs, it makes sense, but I kind of doubt Apple would abandon consumers from using FireWire in conjunction with iMovie. Those apps in iLife are there for consumers.

Posted by: Scott at February 27, 2006 12:37 AM

At first I hated the new name. However, I'm actually getting more used to it now. iBook, or MacBook, both roll off the tougue. I dare say that pretty soon MacBook will achieve the same iconic status as "Powerbook"/"iBook".

Naming all the laptops the same will also allow Apple to simplify its product line. There will be no need to distigush screen sizes:

MacBook, MacBook Pro,
MacBook Extreme

Sized 13, 15, 17 respectively.

Posted by: Julian Seidenberg at February 27, 2006 6:55 AM

I dislike the name 'MacBook' and kind of takes the polish off the Apple, so to speak.

I mean, if they change the iBook to MacBook - what's next? The "MacPod"? "MacLife"? "MacWork"?

The "i" thing has served Apple well, and shouldn't be retired for laptops.

Posted by: G. Curt Fiedler at February 27, 2006 10:49 AM

I keep seeing articles about the name "MacBook" and don't understand all of the discussion, especially when people get upset. Why is it that so many people think that Apple will change the name? There's nothing wrong with the name "iBook." They didn't change the name "iMac." Steve Jobs just said that they were done with "Power."

Posted by: kingston at February 27, 2006 10:54 AM

Scott, I'm with you on the firewire bit. I don't understand this obsession. I plan on buying a Macbook. If it didnt have firewire, I wouldnt buy one. Period. Trimming costs to the tune of $5-10 on a $1k+ machine is ridiculous and frankly won't happen. Can you say "goodbye iMovie?" I thought so.

Posted by: Lee at February 27, 2006 12:46 PM

I think people have assumed that the ibook will be deamed "macbook" becuase the powerbook is "macbook pro" What makes it "pro" if there isn't a consumer version? If Apple was gonna keep the ibook name.. The macbook pro would just be macbook.

Posted by: Sonya at February 27, 2006 2:29 PM

I'm sure they'll change the name iBook to MacBook, keeping iMac is a temporary abberation due to it being first Intel Mac, the most widely known model identifier in the range and the one with the least industrial design change from it's PPC predecessor. Mac Mini and MacBook Pro are clearly the new naming direction and eventually all Macintoshes will have Mac in their names.

I'm not crazy about MacBook/MacBook Pro but I give thanks that this is Apple not Sony -- then it'd be the NGVFX-1248P or something!

Posted by: dshan at February 27, 2006 3:29 PM

Umm, they didn't change the name "iMac" because it already has "Mac" in it . . . which is what Apple wants to do . . . get "Mac" in all of their computer names, i.e. Mac mini, MacBook.

Posted by: B.J. Abernethy at February 27, 2006 4:58 PM

Apple "reps" don't know anything about unreleased products. They wish they did (for many, many reasons). But, unless the Apple employee is in product marketing, product management, product-specific OS development, a high-security product testing lab, or working with NDA customers they learn about new Apple products the same day the public does. For that matter, information about a new product release (i.e., the press release) usually appears on AppleWeb hours after it appears on the external pages.

Posted by: Stephen Alison at February 27, 2006 5:12 PM

February 26, 2006

"MacBook" to Replace iBook name?

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