Good news and bad news: MacBook Pros ...any...minute...now...
Fri, 02/01/2008 - 05:10 — Cleve Nettles
 The stars have been further aligning up lately on the new MacBook Pros. If you are thinking about making an Apple laptop purchase hold out for a week or so. MacRumors thinks it will be within two weeks and some new battery specs have hit the interwebs. Also we've been hearing stories from retailers that new SKU's for MacBook Pros are hitting the streets (anyone care to elaborate?)...So our predictions are as follows:
- No big announcement and not released at Macworld so just minor upgrades, not major overhaul (bummer)
- Same basic design/form
- May be packaged with 10.5.2
- Keyboard like MacBook Air
- Most likely bigger multi-touch trackpad that looks much like the MacBook Air's - same functionality
- 45nm Penryn chips will be marginally faster and save 10%ish on battery usage, upgraded graphics cards as well
- Same price points, 3 models - two 15's and a 17 (now LED screened)
- Hopefully, but sadly doubtful 3G or WiMAX (We know we keep saying it but hopefully Apple will listen)
- Possibility being thinner package and of SSD option or hybrid config
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Comments
how about updated graphics?
how about updated graphics? i think the nvidia 8600s are not state of the art anymore, are they? ATI did release some new cards in this field which have not been around during the last update.
cheers,
cip
I don't expect any cosmetic
I don't expect any cosmetic change at all, the new keyboard would be awfully out of place in the current design. I am only expecting Penryns, multitouch trackpad and the typical HDD (and maybe graphic memory) upgrades for the same price.
Standard 256mb minimum would
Standard 256mb minimum would be nice. I think prices have probably come down far enough to permit that.
If Apple wishes to keep the
If Apple wishes to keep the same price point on their Pro laptops (which they probably do considering the cost of the MBA) then this seems like the most reasonable solution.
As it stands, its hard to justify the price of the Pro, but make the video card options 256 and 512 and then the whole break down seems fair.
Oh, and a 200-250 hard drive should be standard as well, with option for 500.
A new keyboard is a must.
A new keyboard is a must. Maybe it won't be exactly like the MBAir, but I would be surprised if it didn't at least get the F1-F4 shortcuts and such that all Apple's new keyboards have.
never ever change the MBP
never ever change the MBP keyboard for the cheap cheap cheap feeling and looking keys of the MB, MBA or the cheap new keyboards, apple NEED to have at leat 1 useable keyboard in their range
and worst than being ugly looking, it types bad, feels bad
I think the opposite of you.
I think the opposite of you. I really like the MB keyboard and HATE the MBP (the machine I now have) keyboard.
I really hope Apple will be fixing this by introducing a single line of keyboards for all products. This will match the graphical orientation of Leopard versus Tiger, where the graphical interface is homogeneous now.
NOOOO! The fact that apple
NOOOO! The fact that apple makes pro machines makes them have to have a difference between the machines, the pros have alluminium and the rest have black and white. Also the black keyboard would look gay on the alluminium machine, come on apple define what "pro" means
...Felt weird the first time
...Felt weird the first time I tried it, but trust me, after a couple of weeks I don't ever want to go back to the previous keyboard.... The new keyboards are just perfect...!
yeah Graphics - that is a
yeah Graphics - that is a given with the Penryn updates...but we added it.
right, the black keyboard
right, the black keyboard isn't comparable to classic pro keyboard. It would be quite a pity to loose it to a black macbook-like one.
I totally disagree...!!!!!
I totally disagree...!!!!! You'll get used to the new keyboards and never want to go back to the old ones...
Bad news? I see no bad news
Bad news? I see no bad news there :P Waiting anxiously. I hope the keyboard stays the same, or at least similar. I don't mind the black - in fact, it will probably make things more legible - but I'm not a fan of the MBA-type keys.
well the keyboard of the
well the keyboard of the first powerbook G4 version, the TiBook, was a black keyboard. Don't mind the color, but the MBA-type keys... don't know...
funny thing is...you're
funny thing is...you're right. The Ti book had a black keyboard and when Apple changed it THE WORLD ENDED!!!! GAAAAAA!!!!
Hang on everyone for the shrieks and shrills of millions of complainers who "can't stand the fugly black keyboard"
Oh wait. That's what everyone was saying about LOSING the "gorgeous black keyboard" on the Al books. ah ha!
problem is not black, it's
problem is not black, it's fugly separated chicklets keys instead of a real keyboard
I currently have a 2.16GHz
I currently have a 2.16GHz MacBook looking to upgrade to the MacBook Pro. I can't wait for the new revision because I have fallen in love with the MacBook style (aka chiclet) keyboard. I find it the best keyboard I have ever used on a notebook. I would rather see it in aluminum instead of black like the MacBook Air. I'll be buying one as soon as soon as the new revisions are released. One thing I do hope they do is get rid of the latches and use the magnetic latch that the MacBook uses. In my opinion, those slots for the latches on the MacBook Pro are ugly.
3G I get - it's been in
3G I get - it's been in laptops for years now, but WiMax? Why the heck would Apple release a laptop with WiMax when 99% of the world (and the US) has no WiMax coverage or carriers? That'd just be silly...
I agree 3G is what you want
I agree 3G is what you want today. But many high end computers are being shipped with WiMax. That is the best of the 4G standards that will be used in the near future. 3G wasnt found in many places 4 years ago but look at where it is today. In less than 3 years 4G will be everywhere (most of 4G is a bump up for 3G standards - HSUPA, EVDO Rev A). For those that like to have the latest and not have to buy a new computer more than every 3-4 years will opt for WiMax when offered. EV-DO and HSDPA are what you want today. EDGE was horrible from the day it was released.
On another note. If anyone bought an EDGE iPhone consider dumping it on eBay while its still worth something. Once 3G iPhone releases in the coming months the DGE versions will be lucky to fetch $100 on eBay. Sorry for being a disgruntled former Apple early adopter. I now wait a year before I buy a new Apple product since their last 5 products have seen major upgrades within the first year screwing the early adopters. I'm first in line for the MacBook Pro since its only an update and not a new product.
Well if you are right guys,
Well if you are right guys, we will have the "perfect mix" between the three MacBook models, something from the base (black Keyboard), something from the Air (kind of keybord, multi-touch, etc...) and of course a line upgrade from the PRO, new graphic chipset and mem, and possibly the mix of SSD+7.2KRPM Disk.
I don't believe they will insert the 3G Support, they will match the "n" in the wireless options with an optimized version. No space where to put your SIM, otherwise there will be "another" iPhone competitor in the arena (the Touch is already doing it's job).
Very new stuff will be for me a new SD port (or better, a compact flash reader port, for the Professional Photografers) and or an LCD based touchpad (which would be very cool!). Cherry on the cake would be a 180° flipping iSight, that's would be the killer feature.
and of course.. New CPUs, New HDD (up to 500Gb), New mem, Up to 16Gb?
That would be the perfect MacBook Pro.
I think Apple will
I think Apple will definitely release the new Macbook Pro in the next decade.
I have a MacBook and I love
I have a MacBook and I love it. It took a few days of use before I appreciated how the keyboard works but now I like it as much if not more then the current MacBook Pro keyboard.
What I'd like on an upgraded MacBook:
- Faster 45nm Penryn chip (Quad processors would be very nice, I know it can't yet be done, but a guy can hope!)
- Much faster Graphics card (dell is using something in a notebook on par with a desktop GPU, put that in the Macbook Pro! 512mb optional)
- 2 Video outputs so you can use 2 external monitors (It's a PRO and it would be very helpful to have)
- Brighter LCD (especially on the 17") LED backlite
- Thinner would be nice, but not required
- Must, must have the new "Touch" trackpad!
- larger (FASTER) hard drive options
I'm waiting on this update
I'm waiting on this update to upgrade my G4PB, but I am still on the fence about the Macbook-style keyboard. I tried the MBA at Macworld but I still prefer the old school narrow-spaced keys.
How about HDMI output? and
How about HDMI output? and blue-ray option?
Blu Ray I agree with, but
Blu Ray I agree with, but why would a MBP need an HDMI? All it is is DVI + Audio. I would much rather them add a standard toslink fiber optic audio output rather than needing that weird miniplug adaptor to get digital than a HDMI and ditch the DVI.
I'm wondering if a
I'm wondering if a replacement keyboard will fit in the new keyboard design. My laptop got stolen 3 weeks back and I'm waiting patiently to move to the fastest lightest laptop - a 15"MBP ... I'd like the old keyboard though. Yeah the black spacing is good, but the clean look of the aluminum is great
If the trackpad is going to
If the trackpad is going to be changed, the design must be changed somewhat to accomadate it. I therefore believe the enclosure will be thineer, the screen may be thinner/wider, and the only reason it wasn't announced last week was to give the air the spotlight.
Imagine if they had done this though... They announced the new Mac Pros, and these new MBPs at Macworld. That would've been a show!
Here's what leads me to believe that these are not just incremental, but fairly substantial. THEY WERE NOT ANNOUNCED WITH THE MAC PROS AFTER INTEL MADE THEIR ANNOUNCEMENT! Onviously, the Mac pros were ready to go, they were just waiting for the go-ahead. They would've done the same with the MBPs! However, this is more substantial, and will receive more attention.
It would be awesome to see a
It would be awesome to see a sturdier design. Everyone I know with the current macbook pro has had problems with keys breaking on their keyboard.
This is what we'll probably
This is what we'll probably see
LED in both 15" and 17"
Same old superdrive no Bluray/HD DVD (I dare Apple to prove me wrong:)
512MB GPU option
Multi touch Trackpad
No SSD (capacity still too small and still way too expansive).
No 3G or WiMax (Apple will wait and see what gets bigger, faster in the USA)
We might see small design changes like a magnetic latch but nothing to big (Again Apple I dare you to prove wrong).
CPU speeds 2.4 and 2.6 Penryn
Keyboard will be the same as the MBA
And all the rest will stay the same.
So to sum it up another boring upgrade!!!
There was a time when there
There was a time when there was no such thing as these boring updates, with the processors and GPU's getting faster. Apple was stuck at around 1 GHz G4 for so long it seemed.
I agree with you on the 3G and wireless, but after the HD drive shakedown at CES, Blu-Ray will be coming to the Mac sometime. I doubt with this revision, but probably the next.
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