So ZDNet have got themselves a MacBook Pro and are unpacking it. And, whilst the lovely, slim packaging is very nice, there are some worrying signs – signs that suggest why a 12″ (or even 13″ widescreen) Macbook Pro is a way off yet.

Namely, the insatiable hunger for power.

The two important lines are “notice the larger 17-inch-style battery” and “the MagSafe adapter is about 25% larger, about the size of the Airport Express.

The larger battery and larger charger are clearly necessary to support the higher power draw of the Core Duo, and the new battery size goes some way to explaining why they need a thinner optical drive in there.

If that’s all necessary for the 15″, then I’m not sure how they’ll cram it any smaller without affecting battery life or power. The MacBook (iBook as was) might be better off with the Core Solo, which could have a lower power draw. But a smaller Core Duo machine seems difficult, right now.

Joining the dots

20 February 2006

This joins to this.

Which, to be honest, all sounds very exciting. Let’s see just how it turns out – and if they can keep it up. On the Guardian‘s past form, I’d say yes.

Rather exciting.

Frictionless

18 February 2006

The whole thing is frictionless – and frictionless tools are what I want this year.

New job

18 February 2006

All good things come to an end.

I’d been meaning to write this for a while, and then I saw Alex’s post on his leaving-bash, and decided now was as probably a good a time as ever.

So: I’m leaving the New Statesman after nearly two years there. It’s been a great two years, and a fantastic first job. I’ve had a lot of great opportunities, learned a vast amount, and been given the space to put that learning to use. I’ve also worked with some lovely people, who I’m not planning on losing contact with anytime soon. I’ve developed a great deal – as a designer, as a developer, as a writer, and most importantly as a person – in those two years, and enjoyed them hugely.

But, you know, first jobs come to an end, and we move on. And so I’m soon going to be starting work at the Nature Publishing Group, publishers of Nature and a whole host of other journals, to work as a CSS Developer. It’s a slightly bigger operation than the Statesman, which will be an interesting experience for me, and I’m looking forward to the new challenges it’ll bring.

I’ve got two weeks left at the Statesman; then it’s off to Etech, and when I return from there, I’ll be starting at Nature. Then, 2006 can really begin.

Maoschuticon

15 February 2006

Masochuticon. It becomes easier and easier to type.

New collaborative creative-writing site, again from Matt, and much like Upsideclown before it. New line-up, though, which is exciting, and love the heavy-type (or is that type-heavy?) design.