Our folks in Asia are at it again with some pretty startling news. The 17-inch MacBook Pro is going Unibody, like the 13-inch and 15-inch models. That, in itself isn't really that big of a deal; it was widely expected. The big news is that Apple is making a super slim battery pack for the 17-inch MacBook Pros that will last much longer than current models. However, you won't be able to remove the battery pack. It will be inside the machine, just like iPods and iPhones. How? I've outlined a hypothesis on Apple pioneering Silver-Zinc battery usage here.
Those of us with three year old MacBook Pros can attest that these batteries lose a significant amount of performance over time and need to be replaced. It isn't quite clear how Apple will deal with this issue. They may have new technology that can take more charges, or they may offer a service replacement similar to the replacement of a motherboard or hard drive. Maybe swapping out the battery will be as easy as swapping out RAM.
Obviously, these new 17-inch displays are expected to be revealed at Macworld 2009 and will also likely be outfitted with Apple's high gloss screens. Apple has come under fire from graphics professionals for not offering a matte option to their glossy screen Pro models.
Additionally, the 13-inch Plastic MacBook is widely expected to be phased out which might bring the cost of the Unibody MacBook down closer to the $1000 price point. We can't verify this, however.
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i've read macrumors enough
i've read macrumors enough times to know that more than a few "pro users" will rationalize this as another example of steve's shining genius, and gladly fork over several hundred dollars for the replacement service. the experience will make them feel "special," which is the main reason they bought a mac in the first place.
Go away, troll.
Go away, troll.
.
No need to be mean man just because you have something stuck to far up your ass doesnt mean that you can be mean to others
Well planned not "breaking news"
Apples has a "technology road map" of what it plans, build, develops, and commercializes (I have an old version.) It has a product life-cycle guideline, and it has a New Product framework. We seem to think this is all "shoot from the hip," whimsical, Stevos toyshop. These rumors do a disservice to the determisnistic block buster machine that Apple has transmongerified into under Steve 2.0
Glossy displays show a truer
Glossy displays show a truer image than matte displays.
Matte displays distort the contrast of the image, because of the surface coating which distributes the light over the surface to remove reflections.
Therefore, Apple moving to glossy is good for color professionals, not bad. Anyone who tells you the opposite is basing their knowledge on myth, not fact.
Totally Wrong
What you don't understand is the difference between contrast, saturation and colour accuracy.
Yes, with the glass the colours look more contrasty
Yes, the matt does distribute the light over the surface to remove the reflections and changes the contrast.
BUT what you fail to realise is that THIS IS GOOD for colour accuracy. Printed CMYK colour is NOT high contrast. So infact, the lower contrast matt is more colour accurate.
And I'm not judging from myth, I'm judging from 15 years experience and currently the owner of a design and print company.
AR coating vs. Matte
The details are a bit unclear, but it seems there is confusion between AR (anti-reflection) coating and Matte finish. My Plasma TV has an AR coating, which reduces reflections from light coming from air and hitting the screen. It should not reduce light coming from the panel which is traveling through glass. The coating does impart a tint to reflected light. It will turn a pinpoint of light coming from the room into a less bright purplish pinpoint of light and there is no effect on a pinpoint of light coming from the panel. Now, matte finish is essentially fine ground glass (or plastic). This will refract and smear light coming from the room or from the panel the same. A pinpoint of light from the room or panel will turn into a dull circle. I think the AR coating is a much better way to deal with the situation and that I what I pre-ordered today.
They'd better not do this. I
They'd better not do this. I would much rather have a removable battery than a larger capacity one. Or, even better, two smaller batteries side by side, so I can remove them one at a time and not have to shut down the machine first.
Im cool as long as its not a
Im cool as long as its not a lithium ion battery. Maybe super-capacitor based. That would be great a less than 5 minute charge time...
I'm fine as long as it lasts
I'm fine as long as it lasts long enough. If it lasts > 8 hours, I won't mind.
Ya, the problem with litium
Ya, the problem with litium ion is the battery does not have very many recharge cylces. Super capacitors will be usable longer than you will live. Silver-zinc which is another possibility starts to degrade after 5 years of use. While lithium ion degrades everytime you use it.
The old G4's had a tiny
The old G4's had a tiny battery for backing up RAM (during sleep) for 2 minutes while you changed the main battery. The current pros hibernate to disk, so when you change the battery, it just loads the machine state from disk... so, either way, 2 battery slots are not needed (but my old dell 7000 had 2 and I could use it for almost 8 hours!)
Still, I prefer to carry an extra battery instead of a charger. Two batteries is enough time for me to work, and I don't have to worry about being close to a power outlet.
I have two batteries for my
I have two batteries for my MBP now and I must say it's not all that useful. The second battery is heavier than the power adapter, plus you need to be pretty diligent to charge them both when they are both drained. I guess it would be OK with an external battery charger but as it is I have to charge battery #1, then remember swapping after the 3 hours or so it takes to charge so in the morning they are both charged again.
I suppose it would work for the occasional business flight, but it's just too inconvenient for everyday use. So my second battery goes unused for the most part and I take the charger.
What the hell?????!11
This is going too far! There is no way Apple is going to get away with debuting a 17" professional macbook with a freaking non-removable battery!
Thats insane!
seriously
i thought it was bad enough on the ipod, and then the iphone. i suspect it is very profitable for them.
yes but....
Yes but there is an unofficial rule or line that is not crossed concerning this. A mission critical notebook needs to have a non-removable battery so that you can immediately swap out the battery if it goes dead and there is no time to recharge it. Maybe they can get away with it on the macbook air but thats a sub-notebook.
Actually...
A mission-critical computer has another backup computer next to it, both on UPS. (Non-exploding) battery issues aren't that relevant.
If you do video production
If you do video production and travel around the world shooting on P2 cards. You don't have room for a second computer and a UPS in your luggage. A dead battery can me the shoot's over soon.
I guess you wanted to say
I guess you wanted to say "removable", right? :)
If they do this, I'm buying something else (with REMOVABLE BATTERY and MATTE SCREEN) and make it hackintosh ... fuck this shit, seriously
What's that I smell, manure!
What's that I smell, manure! That is a PRO machine. PROs will not like not being able to replace the battery. Also, I've never ever had an Apple laptop that did not need a new battery after a couple years. Those things are only guaranteed to hold a certain charge for 400 cycles. If you charge and discharge the thing 5 days a week, 2 years is about as long as it'll hold a decent charge.
Yup and guess what......
And guess what Apple is going to want you to do in two years. Yup thats right......UPGRADE!
Oh and that of course means
Oh and that of course means every MBP user drops their current laptops and buys new ones, wow, what an insight!
in case you didn't get it...
In case you didn't get it I was being sarcastic.
RTFA
Pay attention, will you? Silver-Zinc batteries don't start to degrade until about the 5 year mark, whereas lithium ion batteries start degrading almost immediately (which is what you describe). Also, if they really are using the technology described above, the battery will charge faster and last longer.
I carry around a 17" MBP with a battery and a power adapter every day. The only time I even consider bringing a second battery is for a long flight; otherwise, it's not worth the weight. If the newer battery technology lasts significantly longer and recharges faster, I'll be happy with the change.
Now that glossy screen... that's another matter.
How many people travel
How many people travel regularly with a 17" machine? Very few; it's unpractical to a certain degree. Most users buy these large notebooks so they can move freely in an office space or home(which has power outlets).
All pro users that I know have a 15", because 17" is too big.
As a creative pro 15" with
As a creative pro 15" with lame ass resolution is a joke. The only way to go in laptops is 17" with high res display. Non-removable battery sucks big time. Who gives if battery last bit longer or makes the notebook thinner. Pro's want power and flexibility and not some "thin is better" crap.
You'd be surprised at how
You'd be surprised at how many do. I can easily name a few of my friends and colleagues that travel around with a 17". As with the other commenter, its true some people just can't work with the lower resolutions of the 15". 1440x900 is a huge step down from 1920x1200.
The 17 has been great for me,
The 17 has been great for me, bought a lowepro that takes it and all my canon gear. I doubt the new 17 will come with a non remove batt. But you never know...
I especially like my 1920x1200 screen with the new HD footage my 5d shoots.
I Agree with you . Sure there
I Agree with you
.
Sure there is some that likes the 17" better.
But most of the time they use it in one place and then a iMac would do the same trick.
.
But yes I also knows some that have a 17" notebook, to use at home.
Then they can move it around, take it out side on a good summerday and so on.
.
But 17" as one that is on the move. Nah.
I personly wanted a 17" laptop myself. (17" big screen cool to look at stuff)
And then I saw one in the store.
And then I went for the 15"
I can always plug in a bigger screen at home/work if I need that.
But on the move 15" is all I need
Meh. why even post this. this
Meh.
why even post this. this IS an apple news site right??? I'd invite anyone to give me an indian(native american, excuse me.) rug burn if they release such a PRO machine.
If you're leading off of some sort of info based on a non-removable battery in a portable I'd guess it's a tablet or netbook. I don't think they'd shoot themselves in the foot by putting an internal battery into a pro-portable. batteries just aren't that good yet.
and on that note. 2008 was the year that mac rumors/news sites fell to the wayside of non-reliable-informative-interesting-credible. my apple news RSS feeds dwindle. oh crap. maybe steve IS dying!