Apple made a prototype cellular MacBook in 2007 – should it finally sell one? [Poll]

Apple actually built a working cellular MacBook as a prototype all the way back in 2007, and Bloomberg reports that the company may finally release one using its own radio chip.

Steve Jobs was not sold on the idea at the time, for two reasons, but neither of those would apply today. So 18 years later, is it finally time … ?

Apple made a prototype cellular MacBook

Asked about a cellular MacBook back in 2008, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said that the company had “considered” it, but rejected it for two reasons.

Jobs told me last week that Apple considered it but that adding the capability would take up room and restrict consumers to a particular carrier.

What he didn’t reveal was that the company had gotten as far as building a working prototype the previous year. That surfaced much later when it was sold on Craigslist by someone who didn’t seem to know what they had.

The seller originally bought it from a Craigslist ad as a non working machine for parts. Upon opening it, he realized that this was no ordinary MacBook Pro (if the huge antenna didn’t give it away!). He got the machine into working order (though 3G is not tested) and is selling it as-is, “no guarantees”.

Steve’s two problems no longer apply

With Apple’s own modem chip destined for the next iPhone SE, it would clearly be small enough to be easily accommodated inside a MacBook casing.

There’s also no need today to lock anyone in to a specific carrier, since radio chips can support all of the necessary frequencies, and eSIMs make it particularly easy to choose and change your carrier on demand.

I wanted one for years, but no longer

For many years, I really wanted a cellular MacBook.

There have long been ways to indirectly get a laptop online. Indeed, the first time I ever did this was in 1983, using an acoustic coupler with a Tandy 100! The first time I tethered a device to a cellphone was using an infrared link between a Psion 5mx and a Nokia banana phone in 1996. The first neat solution for Mac laptops was a radio card which fitted into an ExpressCard slot on a Powerbook.

But in those early days, I would have loved the convenience of an always-online cellular Mac.

Since then, however, two things have changed. First, public wifi hotspots are ubiquitous, found in every coffee shop, restaurant, public building, and transit station. We can even find them in places where no mobile signal is available, like underground metro trains and airliners.

Second, Personal Hotspot on iPhones. This was a little clunky when it first launched in 2010, and in those days I’d still have preferred on-board cellular, but these days it’s really very seamless. The iPhone always shows up as an available wifi network, and it takes seconds to connect. This is often faster and more reliable than public wifi.

For me personally, then, I no longer wish for a cellular MacBook, and wouldn’t pay for it as an option – how about you? Please take our poll, and share your thoughts in the comments.

Photo by Parker Byrd on Unsplash