Fair enough, Metryq. However, even if you remove the harddrive completely, I still do not feel there is enough space gained to make a noticeable difference. This is based on my recent disassembling of my iBook to replace my hdd. It just didn't seem like very much space was taken by the hdd compared to the rest of the components.
I would have to both agree and disagree. Yes, flash-based storage is smaller than harddrives, but not /that/ much smaller. The harddrive used in the Powerbook and iBook lines, as well as the Mac Mini is a 9.5mm drive. Figure the flash drive will be around the size of a CF card (at least in the beginning). A CF card is only around 1/4 of the size of one of these slim notebook harddrives. Yes, power consumption will be reduced. However, I do not see the iBook turning into a slim notebook simply due to the reduction in size of the storage device. Perhaps if you take into consideration the reduction in required power and therefore make the battery smaller (keep the battery life the same) then perhaps the overall amount of space needed in the iBook would be reduced enough to make a noticeable difference. I still do not believe, however, it would result in the thinnest laptop ever made.
Win a shuffle (or 5 Reasons a shuffle is Better than a nano)
Flash Based Laptops, Sooner Than You Think
Flash Based Laptops, Sooner Than You Think