Rumor: 'Ultra-Portable' Flash-Based Mac?


Is this the Next Big Thing? Or, more accurately, something Really Small? According to AppleInsider, Cupertino is prepping a flash-based ultra-portable Mac, to be announced at Macworld San Francisco in January next year.

Partner Intel will reportedly build NAND flash and integrate them into its own PC mobo designs. Whether these are headed for Macintosh is another question though. But initial deliveries of Intel NAND flash for notebooks is scheduled for early 2007.

The reason for flash is obvious: fast-booting devices, virtually 'instant-on', something like a cell phone.

Analysis: Sketchy details at present and, being the rumor mill, there could be reports which conflate the rumored ultra-portable with an iPhone.

Is there a market for a ultra-portable running on flash? Would it run a pocket OS X? Or a new proprietary OS? If this product is for real, we suspect it wouldn't even be branded a Mac. Or are these markets - with Pocket PC or Palm or TabletPC - covered thoroughly already?