The MacBook’s are pretty and awesome. From the Pro to the Air they all set examples that other hardware manufacturers can only follow. Still, my ideal MacBook Pro looks different from what I can buy today. One can dream though so here is my perfect MacBook pro:
1: Remove the DVD player
It is true, I still have a few hundred DVDs stacked away somewhere. But with iTunes, BitTorrent and Mac OS X Lion available in the App Store soon I just don’t see the need for a DVD player anymore. In my current MacBook i have already taken the DVD player out and replaced it with an SSD Hard Disk. Which brings me to the next point…
2: Add a 265gb SSD Drive
You can order a MacBook Pro with a whopping 512 GB SDD Disk in it. But you will pay dearly for it (€1100 in Europe) and it really isn’t necessary. I need the SSD disk for my Applications, the System and some documents. The really big files I can keep on a regular hardisk.
3: give me a 1 Terabyte Disk
And that other hard disk needs to be huge. At least 1 terabyte. I need that much space to store my photos, music and movies. Especially movies take up a lot of space and although I mainly rent them these days I still have an old archive of movies I would rather not throw away.
4: 15-inch Hi-Res Antiglare Widescreen Display
I don’t really understand why all MacBooks aren’t Antiglare to begin with. They are less sensitive to fingerprints and the screen doesn’t reflects everything in front of it. Why not just make this the standard option?
5: MacBook Air form-factor for Pro
It makes sense to just move all MacBooks to the MacBook Air form-factor, right? I love the MacBook Pro look and feel but once you get rid of the DVD player and want to make it smaller you seem to end up with a MacBook Air really. So lets do it.
6: Remove the chip reader
Chip readers are convenient if you have a digital camera and want to transfer files. But isn’t that a bit oldskool? Haven’t you heard that the iPhone is now the most popular camera on Flickr? I haven’t even used my Leica in a year or two. Why carry this extra baggage with you everywhere when the future is wireless?
7: Remove the Ethernet port
Mine broke a year ago and I haven’t missed it since. Wi-Fi works well and it is clear that Apple is betting on it for the future. Ethernet is about as futureproof as the RJ11 plug.
8: Retractable iPhone connector
So many people carry iPhones and iPad these days that the iPhone connector plug is a standard item in most laptop bags. Why not build one into the MacBook so you can pull it out when needed? I admit that I wouldn’t know how to do that stylishly but I’m sure Apple can.
9: NFC chip
How cool would it be if my MacBook would communicate with my iPhone so it would automatically lock itself as soon as I am more than a few feet away from it? Would be so much more convenient than a password.
10: Non click mouse pad
The iPhone doesn’t have any moving parts and that is great. Can we do the same for the mousepad on the MacBook? No moving parts so less weight and less breakable parts.
Free bonus point: Sim Card slot
As soon as we all move to the iCloud it becomes imperative that we are always online. My iPhone is and so is my iPad 3G. My MacBook Pro? As soon as I leave my comfortable Wi-Fi zone it turns into a disconnected brick without access to anything. I need a SimCard slot in my MacBook pro so it is just as connected as my other portable gadgets.
Conclusion
The MacBook Pro is a beautiful machine but it is ready for an overhaul and the next step. Make it lighter, smaller and more connected and take out all the stuff we don’t need. Oh, and add some stuff we don’t even know we need yet.
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