Early 2008 MacBook Pro Whispers

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

We've heard more whispers about the upcoming MacBook Pro updates.

- Multi-touch Trackpad
- 17" model to incorporate LED screen
- Penryn processors
- To be released in the next 2 weeks (so, this Tuesday or next)

Exact release dates are always difficult to pinpoint as they can change, but the information is believed to be accurate at this time.

Article Link (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/01/27/early-2008-macbook-pro-whispers/)

[bigandy]

Sounds good. The more LED displays the better :)

It'll be interesting to see how Penryn pushes the performance bar, and, of course, which graphics cards will be coming.. :rolleyes:

[jade]

I am hoping for some minor cosmetic improvements to bring it inline with the macbook.

[JDR]

Can't wait.

I wonder how Apple will announce it on their site (the main page):

Replace the large MBA image with the new MBP?
Replace one of the smaller images at the bottom and keep the large MBA?
Rotate the large image between the MBA and the new MBP?

-JDR

[Doctor Q]

Warning to shoppers: heed the MacRumors Buyer's Guide (http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/)!Product - MacBook Pro
Recommendation: - Don't Buy - Updates soon

[BWhaler]

My speculations: I think they're coming in June. Either that, or it'll be multi-touch keyboards for desktops.

Maybe change of plans came from this terrible US economy. Or perhaps it is inspiration for developers to get fired-up about multi-touch pre-WWDC. (Where this is going to be a huge theme.)

Personally, I hope it is sooner. But I have my doubts...

[bigandy]

I am hoping for some minor cosmetic improvements to bring it inline with the macbook.

You mean the other way around, right? ;)

[Zwhaler]

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Sounds good... Hopefully there won't be problems with this GeV like there were with last June's Mbp (yellowing screen)

[Calsef]

please please pleeeeeeeease be right!
and please have a magnetic latch!

[melchior]

Credit card, at the ready!

[Plymouthbreezer]

Not that I'll be getting one, but things I'd like to see:

Magnetic latch.
LED Screen's across the range.
Multi-touch (duh).
Improved battery life, not that it's bad now.
Better quality control and fixes to the many physical issues with the MBP.

Lower the price by $100 across the line as well, since Apple can do this without any profit loss.

[jnc]

Hope it's this Tuesday, then I'll still be eligible for 180 day same-as-cash. Else I'll have to wait until April :(

I just bought the new MP but I want something portable too :D will go for a low end 15" asap - I'd even go for a 2.2 refurb if the prices get pushed down as a result of a new model

[dt1611]

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Hope it's this Tuesday, then I'll still be eligible for 180 day same-as-cash. Else I'll have to wait until April :(

I just bought the new MP but I want something portable too :D will go for a low end 15" asap - I'd even go for a 2.2 refurb if the prices get pushed down as a result of a new model

I just got a MacBook pro last week... What does that 180 same as cash mean? If they release a new one next week can I take it back and get a new one?

[AaRdVarK]

You mean the other way around, right? ;)

I have two complaints about the MacBook Pro, and they are both resolved in the MacBook. As one poster mention, I really, really hope they finally retire that POS latch. I've owned two powerbooks and two macbook pros, and those I've had half of them go bad. The magnetic latch is a no brainer.

Second, I'd really like to see a user replaceable hard drive. Unfortunately, I think the probability of that happening is much lower.

[mr.light]

Can't wait.

I wonder how Apple will announce it on their site (the main page):

Replace the large MBA image with the new MBP?
Replace one of the smaller images at the bottom and keep the large MBA?
Rotate the large image between the MBA and the new MBP?

-JDR

They will put them side by side. I am willing to bet the new MBP will look a lot like the MBA only thicker and with all the requisite peripheral plug ins and such. I hope they don't change the keyboard though. :(

[melchior]

<snip>
Second, I'd really like to see a user replaceable hard drive. Unfortunately, I think the probability of that happening is much lower.

All computers have a user-replaceable HD, if you are so inclined! ;-)

[forafireescape]

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I just got a MacBook pro last week... What does that 180 same as cash mean? If they release a new one next week can I take it back and get a new one?

Yeah, I got mine in late November - does this mean I'll be able to get a new one for free?

[IEatApples]

Please make it THIS (29th) Tuesday!!! … I don't think I can wait much longer then that… :(

[gothamm]

why does everyone wish for a magnetic latch? I personally feel that the hook thing is better, since its a more secure mechanism.

[mintram]

No matter what they update I will be picking one up, and will be thankful that the waiting is over! You can bet I will bet that a lot of people will be checking their computer in hopes of an upgrade every Tuesday until it comes. Hopefully the new rumor is correct and we can sleep peacefully for a few Monday nights!:rolleyes:

[QCassidy352]

Yeah, I got mine in late November - does this mean I'll be able to get a new one for free?

No. Returns must be within 14 days, and even then, there is a 10% restocking fee if it's been opened.

[will]

The current Mac Book Pros are good laptops, but I'd like to see the following improvements (other than Penryn CPU and Multi-touch trackpad, which seem to be a given, or at least I hope so):


Better latch (the MacBook already has a better closure mechanism)
User serviceable hard disk - it doesn't have to be trivial to remove, just simple and non warranty voiding.
Higher resolution option on the 15" screen - would be good to have the option of a 1680x1050 screen in the 15" model.
160GB HD as standard on low end model
Boost to graphics card and 256MB graphic memory as standard with option of 512MB
Cheaper RAM upgrades - I know Apple usually charge a premium, but the current pricing is ridiculous. I looked on Crucial yesterday and found that 4GB (2x2GB) RAM for MacBook Pro is under £60 and that still leaves you with 2x1GB chips. If you upgrade on apple.com from 2GB to 4GB it costs over £400!
More USB ports - 2 on the 15" model is rather stingy
LED backlighting on 17" model

[Boika]

Oh great i just got my MBP last week =[

[jnc]

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I just got a MacBook pro last week... What does that 180 same as cash mean? If they release a new one next week can I take it back and get a new one?

In the UK, you have 14 days to return the model, no questions asked. In the US I think they take 10% unless the machine is faulty.


180 same as cash is just 0% financing... As long as you pay in full within 6 months, you pay no interest. There isn't even a deposit!

[Leehro]

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I just got a MacBook pro last week... What does that 180 same as cash mean? If they release a new one next week can I take it back and get a new one?

180 same as cash is a financing promotion. If you sign up for a juniper visa card during the checkout process, you can get 0% interest for 180 days on the purchase (with approval).

It's got nothing to do with the return policy.

[MacFly123]

They will put them side by side. I am willing to bet the new MBP will look a lot like the MBA only thicker and with all the requisite peripheral plug ins and such. I hope they don't change the keyboard though. :(

I promise you if anything changes esthetically it will be the keyboard that the MBA has. I like it, but I don't know about the black yet. I would have liked to see the glossy black border like the iMac around the screen like some of those concepts. I think without it the black keyboard looks kind of out of place :rolleyes:

[elppa]

I think it is almost certain the keyboard on the MacBook Pro will be updated to match that of the MacBook, MacBook Air and Apple Keyboard. You only have to look along the hardware line and spot the odd one out.

If it's not done this time round it will only be a matter of time.

I also think it will take design cues from the Air and MacBook, such as the magnetic latch (already mentioned) and a thicker bevel around the screen.

Also they may do a black version, which (if done nicely) could look really good.

The ultimate irony would be for Apple to introduce a 13" pro model. That would totally enrage lots of Air pre-order customers! I would buy it though without a seconds thought. I don't think this will happen, because it will be too confusing for customers.

My ideal Notebook range would be:

Consumer
- 13"
- 15"

Pro
- 13"
- 15"
- 17"

Ultra Portable
- Air

[mr.light]

Also they may do a black version, which (if done nicely) could look really good.

That just might be worth having a look at. i think that would be awesome idea.

I wonder if the MB will also go aluminum soon? They could bring back the colours... matching ipods!

Well maybe not...:o

[hithere]

Well, if it's only about the processor and the trackpad (isn't it just software?)... how disappointing!

I'd love Apple to incorporate some of the innovations developed for the MBA into their "flagship" line of machines.

MBP's are already 0.08 inches thinner than MB's, so shaving 0.1 or 0.2 inches would make them almost as thin as the MBA (0.76 at maximum).

Can you imagine how a 17 inches MBP would look if it was 0.8 inches thin?

I don't know if that would be possible, but the 15' and the 17' provide more volume for components than the 13' base of the MBA, so maybe some features that are lost with the MBA could be kept in the MBP's.

[MacFly123]

That just might be worth having a look at. i think that would be awesome idea.

I wonder if the MB will also go aluminum soon? They could bring back the colours... matching ipods!

Well maybe not...:o

I'll bet you anything the MacBook will go aluminum. The iMac which was the midrange went, and Steve never stops talking about the quality, design, recycling, etc. of aluminum, so I don't doubt it.

Now if they do a black MacBook Pro it better not be an ugly dull black like the MacBook or some anodized aluminum. It might be really cool if they kept the gray aluminum exterior and made the entire interior glossy black (kind of like that thin intel concept laptop but without the ugly gold lol) :)

[harrisone23]

Ive been waiting since August for new MBPs. Im going to the apple store the day they come out to pick one up. I hope they have...

- HiRes screen option
- 3GB RAM standard
- Multi-touch
- (at least) 2.6 GHz
- Magnetic Lock
- Thinner
- Better battery life
- Firewire 800

[Tom B.]

Any 'whispers' about the 13" MacBook?
LED backlit screens anytime soon? Aluminum casing? Multi-touch trackpads?

[notjustjay]

I think it is almost certain the keyboard on the MacBook Pro will be updated to match that of the MacBook, MacBook Air and Apple Keyboard. You only have to look along the hardware line and spot the odd one out.

Am I the only one that LIKES the keyboard better on the old PowerBooks and MacBook Pros than on the MacBooks and new wired/wireless keyboards?

I can't stand the feel of the new keyboards. I actually put away the one that came with my iMac and I'm using my old Apple keyboard instead.

[elppa]

That just might be worth having a look at. i think that would be awesome idea.

I wonder if the MB will also go aluminum soon? They could bring back the colours... matching ipods!

Well maybe not...:o

I think the whole line will go aluminium (or use some other metal) eventually. The iPod Classic and Nanos are metal, along with the new iMac. The theory that metal is used to distinguish pro from consumer offerings is now pretty much bunk.

Again, if this doesn't happen with the MacBooks at the next revision it is only delaying the inevitable.

[FULL-DUPLEX]

Ive been waiting since August for new MBPs. Im going to the apple store the day they come out to pick one up. I hope they have...

- HiRes screen option
- 3GB RAM standard
- Multi-touch
- (at least) 2.6 GHz
- Magnetic Lock
- Thinner
- Better battery life
- Firewire 800

Make this a major refresh and they will sell asap. I've also had my eye on this since last fall, when they made the minor changes. I'd like to see the 17 led backlighting too !!

[Yixian]

Not many expectations of a boost to the GPU?

If there's a case redesign, I'm buying.

[RoDe]

Not that I'll be getting one, but things I'd like to see:

Magnetic latch.
LED Screen's across the range.
Multi-touch (duh).
Improved battery life, not that it's bad now.
Better quality control and fixes to the many physical issues with the MBP.

Lower the price by $100 across the line as well, since Apple can do this without any profit loss.

You forgot one thing. A better graphics card. I use Aperture a lot and found the GPU to be strong but not strong enough.

And yeah they need to loose the crappy aluminium casing. Either change the material or incorporate some of the MBA design features. Like no plastic edge. I've seen a lot of MBP's where the sides start to bulge outward. On the MBA they have changed the design, just look at the edge and you'll see what I mean.
The main problem I have with the MBP casing is that bends to easily. I carry it around in my backpack all the time. And even though I'm really careful and have a special backpack. I found that after owning it for about to months, the bottom started to get uneven, it wasn't standing on all fours :(.

As for the price, if they don't change the design alongside the specs they need to lower the price. If they do they can keep the prices like they are.

PS.: Would love to see blu-ray and a High def. screen on the 15".

[SimonTheSoundMa]

In the UK, you have 14 days to return the model, no questions asked. In the US I think they take 10% unless the machine is faulty.


180 same as cash is just 0% financing... As long as you pay in full within 6 months, you pay no interest. There isn't even a deposit!

Nope, it is defined as a reasonable time. It depends on what the shop defines as 'reasonable'. Nice to see another brummie here though.

[joseph2166]

Am I the only one that LIKES the keyboard better on the old PowerBooks and MacBook Pros than on the MacBooks and new wired/wireless keyboards?

I can't stand the feel of the new keyboards. I actually put away the one that came with my iMac and I'm using my old Apple keyboard instead.

It took me a while to get used to it - but now I don't notice any weirdness. That and the size of the wireless one is brilliant.
Dya remember the original iMac keyboards? wuhhh annoying as hell - nearly as bad as the mice!

[Chronocento]

You forgot one thing. A better graphics card.

There's also another thing: Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. The MBA has it.

I hope that all this new features come true! ;)

[mr.light]

Has anyone photoshopped any predictions as to what it will look like? I don't think I've seen any.

[deathshrub]

Ive been waiting since August for new MBPs. Im going to the apple store the day they come out to pick one up. I hope they have...

<snip>
- 3GB RAM standard
<snip>

I can say with 100% certainty this will not happen.

[elppa]

Am I the only one that LIKES the keyboard better on the old PowerBooks and MacBook Pros than on the MacBooks and new wired/wireless keyboards?

I can't stand the feel of the new keyboards. I actually put away the one that came with my iMac and I'm using my old Apple keyboard instead.

Generally prefer MacBook keyboard to the pro, I guess others will have their own preferences. Uniformity across the line I imagine is seen as more important though than user preference, so I doubt the “old style” will be a build-to-order option either, no matter how many people tell Apple they prefer it. Sorry to disappoint.

Whilst were on the subject of BTO — who reckons SSD will be a (pricey) option, as with the air, or will the whole line have the standard 2.5" hard disk drives.

[mr.light]

Generally prefer MacBook keyboard to the pro, I guess others will have their own preferences. Uniformity across the line I imagine is seen as more important though than user preference, so I doubt the “old style” will be a build-to-order option either, no matter how many people tell Apple they prefer it. Sorry to disappoint.

I am afraid you are correct. I don't really have a preference in terms of how each feels when I use them.... I just like the look of the current MBP keyboard. It just looks more..... professional? Does that make sense?

[gazfocus]

I went to John Lewis' today and they normally have a selection of Macbook Pro's (at least one of every model), but they only had 2 15" models and the one was on sale due to being an ex display 2.4GHz model.

Maybe these retailers are waiting to receive updated models?

[Paix247]

I like my macbook keyboard as well, but if they are going to use it on the Pro, I hope they make it silver. The black reminds me too much of the TiBook.
If they are out this Tuesday, I wonder if they were shipped to the stores with the air...

[jragosta]

Lower the price by $100 across the line as well, since Apple can do this without any profit loss.

ROTFLMAO. I sure wish they'd teach basic math and economics in our school systems.

Care to explain (in as much detail as you can), how you reduce the selling price by $100 per unit across the line without any profit loss?

[RHD]

I'm worried about the LED screen on the 17".
I want a 17" but according to posts elsewhere on this forum there have been a lot of complaints about the LED screens: yellow, black areas, etc, with some people having to send their laptops back time after time and just getting another one with the same problem.

Thoughts anyone?

[jnc]

180 same as cash is a financing promotion. If you sign up for a juniper visa card during the checkout process, you can get 0% interest for 180 days on the purchase (with approval).

It's got nothing to do with the return policy.

Oh.. it has nothing to do with a credit card over here. :)

[hithere]

ROTFLMAO. I sure wish they'd teach basic math and economics in our school systems.

Care to explain (in as much detail as you can), how you reduce the selling price by $100 per unit across the line without any profit loss?

Total profits can go up if the smaller profit on each unit is offset by an increase in sales.

How can one be sure this will happen is another question...

[pavelbure]

i think it may be odd of them to release such a drastic change so close to the macbook air's release. i'm hoping for a macbook revision soon. aluminum case and led screens, backlit kb's would be nice too.

[gazfocus]

I think the Macbook Pro is priced well (although, as anyone, I would love for the prices to come down).

Not sure about the problems mentioned previously with the LED displays, but I think the problems are a fairly low percentage.

i think it may be odd of them to release such a drastic change so close to the macbook air's release. i'm hoping for a macbook revision soon. aluminum case and led screens, backlit kb's would be nice too.

The macbook isn't due to be updated for a while yet. Although many will disagree, I can see Apple using an Aluminium casing to keep inline with the green issues and the fact that Aluminium is a cheaper material.

An LED display is a given considering Steve Jobs has committed to using LED screens in all portables by the end of this year.

However, I don't think Apple will offer a backlit keyboard in the macbook as this is one of the few features that seperates the Macbook to the macbook pro

[errol]

I'd like to see higher resolution on the 15" model and the ability to change the hard drive as easily as you can on the macbook.

[Yixian]

Is there a GPU they can upgrade to? Or are we just talking bumping the vram on the low end and leaving it at that?

[moonzilla]

ROTFLMAO. I sure wish they'd teach basic math and economics in our school systems.

Care to explain (in as much detail as you can), how you reduce the selling price by $100 per unit across the line without any profit loss?

not sure what he's getting at, but maybe he thinks production costs have decreased $100 since the last model? who knows

anyone else think it most likely will be next tuesday, instead of this tuesday? im just thinking that apple wouldnt want to detract attention from the "now-available" mba

[gazfocus]

Is there a GPU they can upgrade to? Or are we just talking bumping the vram on the low end and leaving it at that?

I think it's unlikely that Apple will change the GPU this time round other than boosting the VRAM. IF the GPU is changed, it will probably be the nVidia 8700GT but then in my opinion, this wouldn't be a particular boost.

[Paix247]

I'd like to see higher resolution on the 15" model and the ability to change the hard drive as easily as you can on the macbook.

Yes! Me too. :) I think the last 15" PB even had a higher res, didnt it?

[joshwest]

just wanted to double check with everyone but it looks like the refurb macbook pro's just dropped a 2.2 c2d at 1699$ is that different from last week?????

[bayol05]

I really hope Apple has SOME kind of redesign. If they add the new keyboard then there has to be at least a minimal amount of changes.

[BklynKid]

Yes!!! I will be waiting with cash in hand!! :D

[Glueeater]

Is there a reason it can only be a Tuesday?

I've been waiting a few months now and I waited for Penryn. I'm borrowing a 13" Macbook right now, but I really want a MBP. Hoping for an update within a month or two :)

[jameskohn]

I have been watching every MBP Update thread nonstop for months now. Originally I was hoping for a 13" MBP to replace my 12" PowerBook, but that seems highly unlikely by now. So I ordered a 15" MBP about three months ago, then cancelled the order based on rumors of an imminent update. MWSF came and went, and now the latest is this Tuesday or next Tuesday.

But here's the rub: My laptop is my second (actually third) Mac, which I use primarily when I'm on the road, or sometimes on the couch at home. I've just returned from (another) trip, and the more I think about it the more I think a MBA might be perfect for me. I would love the extra 1"+ of screen real estate (vs. my 12" PowerBook), and I would really love to reduce (instead of increase) the weight I have to lug around airports, etc.

Initial reservations about power and lost features seem to be fading fast. For what I do on the road (web, spreadsheets, word processing, email, iPhoto & iWeb) there seems to be ample processing power. I can't remember the last time I used the optical drive or ethernet port. I do use a thumb drive regularly, so as long as I have a usb port I'm good with that.

I generally like to get as much horsepower as possible, but I'm now reconsidering the MBA. I think Apple had (people like) me in mind when they
weighed the trade offs between form factor vs. features. I'm now thinking they may have really nailed it! The people who have reviewed the MBA have all said that it need's to be seen/touched in person to be fully appreciated. I now think I'll wait until I can play with one in the Apple Store before I order a new MBP, even if they come out this week.

Anybody else going through the same thought process?

[BklynKid]

Oh great i just got my MBP last week =[

That's what you get for going against all the rumors and everyones advise.

[gazfocus]

Is there a reason it can only be a Tuesday?

I've been waiting a few months now and I waited for Penryn. I'm borrowing a 13" Macbook right now, but I really want a MBP. Hoping for an update within a month or two :)

Apple have a track record of releasing updates on a Tuesday and they very rarely break this trend.

[moonzilla]

I have been watching every MBP Update thread nonstop for months now. Originally I was hoping for a 13" MBP to replace my 12" PowerBook, but that seems highly unlikely by now. So I ordered a 15" MBP about three months ago, then cancelled the order based on rumors of an imminent update. MWSF came and went, and now the latest is this Tuesday or next Tuesday.

But here's the rub: My laptop is my second (actually third) Mac, which I use primarily when I'm on the road, or sometimes on the couch at home. I've just returned from (another) trip, and the more I think about it the more I think a MBA might be perfect for me. I would love the extra 1"+ of screen real estate (vs. my 12" PowerBook), and I would really love to reduce (instead of increase) the weight I have to lug around airports, etc.

Initial reservations about power and lost features seem to be fading fast. For what I do on the road (web, spreadsheets, word processing, email, iPhoto & iWeb) there seems to be ample processing power. I can't remember the last time I used the optical drive or ethernet port. I do use a thumb drive regularly, so as long as I have a usb port I'm good with that.

I generally like to get as much horsepower as possible, but I'm now reconsidering the MBA. I think Apple had (people like) me in mind when they
weighed the trade offs between form factor vs. features. I'm now thinking they may have really nailed it! The people who have reviewed the MBA have all said that it need's to be seen/touched in person to be fully appreciated. I now think I'll wait until I can play with one in the Apple Store before I order a new MBP, even if they come out this week.

Anybody else going through the same thought process?


to each his own, but not really. i demand more from my computer(s) than the mba offers. id find it hard to drop 1800+ on something im not completely sold on

[ewulls01]

I went into a store today to dream a little and noticed that the low end 15" MBP wasn't on the shelf (and the mid level was selling for $2200, closeout if you ask me). After asking a clerk about backroom stock she told me that they were sold out...

I had her check the computer and sure enough they were out of stock and she said they had quit placing orders on them a couple weeks ago. Looks like it is immanent but just what it is will still be in question.

I don't know about everyone else but I'm looking to get in on a heavily discounted MBP of the current line. Whatever the update is...I'll be ok with the current, I would just like to save a little $$$$. Hoping to pick up one for $1500 or less!

Here's to wishing and waiting...hope the best for all of us!!

[sporkland]

just wanted to double check with everyone but it looks like the refurb macbook pro's just dropped a 2.2 c2d at 1699$ is that different from last week?????

I've been watching the 2.4 c2d refurbs and their price hasn't budged.

[elppa]

I do use a thumb drive regularly, so as long as I have a usb port I'm good with that.

When you go to look at the machine, take your thumb drive with you, because there is a small chance it may not fit. Some USB 3G modems won't fit in.

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2008/01/macbook-air-ev-do-test-03.jpg

[gazfocus]

I went into a store today to dream a little and noticed that the low end 15" MBP wasn't on the shelf (and the mid level was selling for $2200, closeout if you ask me). After asking a clerk about backroom stock she told me that they were sold out...

I had her check the computer and sure enough they were out of stock and she said they had quit placing orders on them a couple weeks ago. Looks like it is immanent but just what it is will still be in question.

I don't know about everyone else but I'm looking to get in on a heavily discounted MBP of the current line. Whatever the update is...I'll be ok with the current, I would just like to save a little $$$$. Hoping to pick up one for $1500 or less!

Here's to wishing and waiting...hope the best for all of us!!

Sounds promising but I can't imagine them telling a customer that they'd quit ordering new stocl a couple of weeks ago :rolleyes:

[paul17win]

wow the wait since last June has been gruelingly long but it finally looks like its going to pay off!!!!

[Glueeater]

Sounds promising but I can't imagine them telling a customer that they'd quit ordering new stocl a couple of weeks ago :rolleyes:

Haha. That would be an odd situation.

"Where are you macbook pros?"
"We stopped ordering them."

We stopped ordering Macbook Pros for weeks. People freaked.

[jmingin]

Am I the only one that LIKES the keyboard better on the old PowerBooks and MacBook Pros than on the MacBooks and new wired/wireless keyboards?

I can't stand the feel of the new keyboards. I actually put away the one that came with my iMac and I'm using my old Apple keyboard instead.

I am with you. I hate the new keyboards. They look really cool but are an example of form above function that sometimes happens with Apple products. There is no tactile feeling. I bought one as soon as they came out and suffered with it for about 1 month hoping I would get used to it. I actually then tracked down a new black Pro model (circa 2001). It is so much better. I didn't try the MBA keyboard at MacWorld. I can't imagine that they won't bring this over the the MBP since it is so highly touted on the site.

[MacSamurai]

keyboard and latch please...and maybe even get a bit curvier like the MBA

[gazfocus]

I am with you. I hate the new keyboards. They look really cool but are an example of form above function that sometimes happens with Apple products. There is no tactile feeling. I bought one as soon as they came out and suffered with it for about 1 month hoping I would get used to it. I actually then tracked down a new black Pro model (circa 2001). It is so much better.

I too am with you guys. I love the keyboards on the current MBP's but I think it's an obvious move for Apple to replace the keyboards with the new style in order to make all the notebooks in keeping with each other.

Not sure how I'll like it though. Especially if the keys are black :(

[thebeat]

THE WAIT IS ALMOST OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TOMORROW IS LIKELY. If not tomorrow, then next Tuesday is pretty much SEALED.

Also I see a lot of people have been saying "We won't see a major update till June".......... hey dudes, read the topic, we are waiting for the silent Penryn Update. Not the case re-design with Motevina.

[jnc]

Nope, it is defined as a reasonable time. It depends on what the shop defines as 'reasonable'. Nice to see another brummie here though.

Oh, I mean just generally the return policy is 14 days. If a new model comes out I guess the policy is different.

Birmingham's my home, in Uni up in Sheffield at the mo :)

THE WAIT IS ALMOST OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TOMORROW IS LIKELY. If not tomorrow, then next Tuesday is pretty much SEALED.

Also I see a lot of people have been saying "We won't see a major update till June".......... hey dudes, read the topic, we are waiting for the silent Penryn Update. Not the case re-design with Motevina.

We've had something new every week this year, think Apple are going to keep that up or something? :p

[freitas]

I just canceled my order for the MacBook pro 15. I am switching back to the mac after a 9 year hiatus. My current laptop is a Vaio SZ160 with LED backlight. I don't mind giving up 1.4 lbs for the 15 in led screen and all things Macintosh. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let the rumor be true. I don't think I could hold out for much longer.

[tothelimit]

Credit card, at the ready!

you and me both...

this post made my night. i have been hoping the release of the updated MBPs would lean more towards SOON and less towards WWDC.

[deathshrub]

That's what you get for going against all the rumors and everyones advise.

How rude.

[tcador]

This is the first time I've waited for a big Apple release, been waiting since September.

I would have to say that it will be sad once the wait and anticipation for something new is over, but then again I'm sure my wife will be happy to know i'm done obsessing - at least for a while! :p

[gazfocus]

We've had something new every week this year, think Apple are going to keep that up or something? :p

Would be interesting if they could keep it up, wouldn't it? Not sure how much of it I could afford after my MBP, MP, and ACD though :p

How rude.

Lol

[McGiord]

The current Mac Book Pros are good laptops, but I'd like to see the following improvements (other than Penryn CPU and Multi-touch trackpad, which seem to be a given, or at least I hope so):


Higher resolution option on the 15" screen - would be good to have the option of a 1680x1050 screen in the 15" model.


Why not 1080 vertical resolution so we can watch native full HD videos?
I'll add to your list a Blue Ray Disc Player.
________
how to roll joints (http://howtorollajoint.net/)

[gazfocus]

Why not 1080 vertical resolution so we can watch native full HD videos?
I'll add to your list a Blue Ray Disc Player.

I think Apple will wait until the industry standard HD media is decided. With the industry still fighting over HD DVD and Blueray, I think it would be mad for Apple to adopt either at the moment.

[Neo110503]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A93 Safari/419.3)



I just got a MacBook pro last week... What does that 180 same as cash mean? If they release a new one next week can I take it back and get a new one?

I think Obama has the right idea, pay attention to number 4 (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5988197993049806473&q=barack+top+ten+david+letterman&total=6&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0)

[paul17win]

haha i salute you mr. senator

[McGiord]

I think Apple will wait until the industry standard HD media is decided. With the industry still fighting over HD DVD and Blueray, I think it would be mad for Apple to adopt either at the moment.

I personally believe Blue Ray has won also, just go to any video store and see the proportion of Blue Ray discs available vs HD-DVD, almost 3 to 1.

This is Steve Jobs's opinion on the subject:
http://digg.com/apple/Steve_Jobs_Blu_ray_won_the_format_war_but_again_who_cares

Anyway, I think :apple: will prefer to not offer it to try to make us buy the 720p HD content that will be available in the iTunes Store.
________
herbalaire (http://vaporizers.net/herbalaire-vaporizer)

[beisball28]

Lets say that they do indeed do a silent (or somewhat silent) update to Peryn on tuesday.
Is anyone going to buy buy it, or pre-order right then?

Personally I'd want to want and see some bench's before I dropped +2k becasue if performance increase is ~4% I think I'm going to wait until montevina and a possible case redesign in June, August or whenever for a more substantial update.

Just curious who will buy/pre-order tuesday with a peryn

[forrest368]

I WILL no questions asked

[paul17win]

i have been waiting since june....i am buying whether the update is worth it or not. i will either be purchasing a 2.4refurb or a brand new MBP

[bayol05]

I will. No questions asked.

[gazfocus]

Lets say that they do indeed do a silent (or somewhat silent) update to Peryn on tuesday.
Is anyone going to buy buy it, or pre-order right then?

Personally I'd want to want and see some bench's before I dropped +2k becasue if performance increase is ~4% I think I'm going to wait until montevina and a possible case redesign in June, August or whenever for a more substantial update.

Just curious who will buy/pre-order tuesday with a peryn

I will be ordering one as soon as the store comes live if the MBP is updated. For me, it's not about the benchmarks etc. It's just I refuse to buy a MBP now when an updated one is due to be released, therefore, as soon as the update is here, I'll decide which model to buy, go to uni, and order it (HE students have to order either over the phone or online via the university network).

[lukoson]

If its updated with Penryn, magnetic latch, macbook style keyboard, and multi-touch I'll be ordering a 15" ASAP.

[bayol05]

I WILL no questions asked

dammit, you stole my mind for a second...

[Wallace86]

Sounds good. The more LED displays the better :)

It'll be interesting to see how Penryn pushes the performance bar, and, of course, which graphics cards will be coming.. :rolleyes:

...is it really a question of which graphics cards are coming or if new graphics cards are even coming at all? if not, i may be tempted to build a hacintash, as big of a pain in the butt as that might be.

[gazfocus]

...is it really a question of which graphics cards are coming or if new graphics cards are even coming at all? if not, i may be tempted to build a hacintash, as big of a pain in the butt as that might be.

Hackintosh's are ok if you get the right hardware, however, I wouldn't go with this idea because first of all, it's illegal.

I doubt graphics cards will be replaced with new ones but the VRAM is likely to be increased to 256 in the low end and 512 in the high end.

[Wallace86]

The current Mac Book Pros are good laptops, but I'd like to see the following improvements (other than Penryn CPU and Multi-touch trackpad, which seem to be a given, or at least I hope so):


Better latch (the MacBook already has a better closure mechanism)
User serviceable hard disk - it doesn't have to be trivial to remove, just simple and non warranty voiding.
Higher resolution option on the 15" screen - would be good to have the option of a 1680x1050 screen in the 15" model.
160GB HD as standard on low end model
Boost to graphics card and 256MB graphic memory as standard with option of 512MB
Cheaper RAM upgrades - I know Apple usually charge a premium, but the current pricing is ridiculous. I looked on Crucial yesterday and found that 4GB (2x2GB) RAM for MacBook Pro is under £60 and that still leaves you with 2x1GB chips. If you upgrade on apple.com from 2GB to 4GB it costs over £400!
More USB ports - 2 on the 15" model is rather stingy
LED backlighting on 17" model


i agree with all of this, although i think they should make all hard drives at 7200 rpms. these are pro machines for poo sake.....

and they should upgrade all MBPs to LCD until they learn how to make LEDs! i hope this rumor isnt true, cause the only reason i was going to get the 17" instead of the 15" is so i don't get a screen that looks like my sisters cat "dinker" pisssed all over it.

...ohh, and the 1680x1050 15" is an absoute must!! soo much more important to me than penyron or the trackpad....

[Kyttlin]

Hmm, I know government employees can get discounts from the online store. However does anyone know if they will give the discount in the retail stores as well? Assuming you show them proof that you are a government employee.

If they do release a refreshed MBP, I'd like to get it asap. :)

[gazfocus]

i agree with all of this, although i think they should make all hard drives at 7200 rpms. these are pro machines for poo sake.....

and they should upgrade all MBPs to LCD until they learn how to make LEDs! i hope this rumor isnt true, cause the only reason i was going to get the 17" instead of the 15" is so i don't get a screen that looks like my sisters cat "dinker" pisssed all over it.

...ohh, and the 1680x1050 15" is an absoute must!! soo much more important to me than penyron or the trackpad....

Why is the 1680x1050 15" an absolute must and more important to you than penryn and trackpad if you're planning on buying the 17"???

I've honestly not seen the MBP's with the LED backlight but it can't be any worse than my G4 Powerbook (that's what I'll be comparing it to).

[Wallace86]

Hackintosh's are ok if you get the right hardware, however, I wouldn't go with this idea because first of all, it's illegal.

I doubt graphics cards will be replaced with new ones but the VRAM is likely to be increased to 256 in the low end and 512 in the high end.

LoL, i would break aloot of laws if i could just get my hands on a MBP with all of the features i've mentioned above.

[gazfocus]

Hmm, I know government employees can get discounts from the online store. However does anyone know if they will give the discount in the retail stores as well? Assuming you show them proof that you are a government employee.

If they do release a refreshed MBP, I'd like to get it asap. :)

Not sure but I've been told you can get education discount in store if you show proof so it might be worth giving them a call and asking.

[bayol05]

Hmm, I know government employees can get discounts from the online store. However does anyone know if they will give the discount in the retail stores as well? Assuming you show them proof that you are a government employee.

If they do release a refreshed MBP, I'd like to get it asap. :)

Yes they do give the government discount in retail stores.

[Wallace86]

Why is the 1680x1050 15" an absolute must and more important to you than penryn and trackpad if you're planning on buying the 17"???

I've honestly not seen the MBP's with the LED backlight but it can't be any worse than my G4 Powerbook (that's what I'll be comparing it to).

if both machines have LED, the 17" will just look like a bigger puddle of cat pisss, in which case i will opt for the littler puddle......fcs, i hope they fix that yellowing bs....

yea, good point about the LED. it can't look any worse than my cracked crt from 1996, so it must be worth spending $2500 on.

[a1016neo]

Thanks apple. I'm looking into buying a new macbook pro

[Wallace86]

Thanks apple. I'm looking into buying a new macbook pro

thank them when they update them and they update them generously.

[twoodcc]

well hopefully it'll be this tuesday. we'll see though. might be next if the macbook air appears in stores.

[gazfocus]

if both machines have LED, the 17" will just look like a bigger puddle of cat pisss, in which case i will opt for the littler puddle......fcs, i hope they fix that yellowing bs....

yea, good point about the LED. it look any worse than my cracked crt from 1996, so it must be worth spending $2500 on.

Lol that made me laugh.

[jnc]

wow the wait since last June has been gruelingly long but it finally looks like its going to pay off!!!!

:confused::confused::confused: The current MBPs came out in June. Why didn't you buy then??!

[gazfocus]

:confused::confused::confused: The current MBPs came out in June. Why didn't you buy then??!

Maybe it wasn't a significant enough update for him?

[Wallace86]

my new sig. pretty much sums it up

[Wallace86]

oops

[gazfocus]

my new sig. pretty much sums it up

Sounds like wishful thinking :rolleyes:

[Kyttlin]

wallace86... whats a M60 MG? Machine gun? o_O

[Orng]

I'm a-hoping that there's a G5 ticking in that baby. Boo-yah! :cool:

Anyways, It's a shame that the MBA dashed any chance of a 12 or 13 inch pro model. :(

I say that because such a MBP would surely fall in roughly the same price bracket as the MBA, maybe a little more, and why would anyone buy an MBA if they could buy a 13" MBP for not much more?

I am, of course, not talking about under-informed impulse buyers, 'cause for them, I have right here a shweet matte black top-of-the-line "Wallstreet" Powerbook, running the latest and greatest version of OS9, it's got ethernet, VGA, S-Video, and some other ports I don't even recognize... Holy cripes will you command a lot of attention when you slap this bad boy down on the boardroom table and it cracks the marble. Only 300 hundred Canadian dollah, just for you... I'll throw in the amazing yo-yo power adaptor.

[Paix247]

Sounds like wishful thinking :rolleyes:

Those wishful thinkers will be the first to post the "You call THAT an update?! I hate Apple!" threads.

That said... I'm hoping for a 12" MBP with 512MB graphics. :p

[gazfocus]

Those wishful thinkers will be the first to post the "You call THAT an update?! I hate Apple!" threads.

That said... I'm hoping for a 12" MBP with 512MB graphics. :p

All I'm hoping for is a speed bump to 2.4GHz/2.5GHz in the low price model and 256MB Graphics.

That's all I'm looking for

[puckhead193]

cool. Would like a case update but hey its a great design.

[MacFly123]

I'm worried about the LED screen on the 17".
I want a 17" but according to posts elsewhere on this forum there have been a lot of complaints about the LED screens: yellow, black areas, etc, with some people having to send their laptops back time after time and just getting another one with the same problem.

Thoughts anyone?

Never had a problem with mine for 4-6 months, and I have never even heard of those problems.

[Wallace86]

wallace86... whats a M60 MG? Machine gun? o_O

an essential part of the complete mobile solution. :)

[theLimit]

I'm sure that I am in the minority, but I don't want a redesign. All I want is an update to Penryn. A VRAM upgrade would be nice, as would the MBA's trackpad, but not really necessary for me to make a purchase. The new keyboards are some of the ugliest tech ever invented, IMHO, and I don't like the fact that they changed all the function key shortcuts.

[Paix247]

I'm sure that I am in the minority, but I don't want a redesign. All I want is an update to Penryn. A VRAM upgrade would be nice, as would the MBA's trackpad, but not really necessary for me to make a purchase. The new keyboards are some of the ugliest tech ever invented, IMHO, and I don't like the fact that they changed all the function key shortcuts.

You don't even want a magnetic latch? :eek:

[Flyer0815]

I'm sure that I am in the minority, but I don't want a redesign. All I want is an update to Penryn. A VRAM upgrade would be nice, as would the MBA's trackpad, but not really necessary for me to make a purchase. The new keyboards are some of the ugliest tech ever invented, IMHO, and I don't like the fact that they changed all the function key shortcuts.

I think i'm one of the few individuals that actually like the MBP keyboard over the MB. Ive always been a fan of the unique feel you get when typing on the MBP.

[gazfocus]

I'm sure that I am in the minority, but I don't want a redesign. All I want is an update to Penryn. A VRAM upgrade would be nice, as would the MBA's trackpad, but not really necessary for me to make a purchase. The new keyboards are some of the ugliest tech ever invented, IMHO, and I don't like the fact that they changed all the function key shortcuts.

exactly my thoughts. I absolutely love the current design. A change would be a real shame.

[Fossie]

No redesign! Please no redesign! The current design is great. I get the feeling 10.5.2 will be released at the same time.

[BioChron]

Not that I'll be getting one, but things I'd like to see:

Magnetic latch.
LED Screen's across the range.
Multi-touch (duh).
Improved battery life, not that it's bad now.
Better quality control and fixes to the many physical issues with the MBP.

Lower the price by $100 across the line as well, since Apple can do this without any profit loss.

I don't know if they will drop the price, but I'd like to see these features on the new MBP as well. I'd also like to see the MB keyboard to replace the MBP one.

[akadmon]

Lets say that they do indeed do a silent (or somewhat silent) update to Peryn on tuesday.
Is anyone going to buy buy it, or pre-order right then?



I think pre-ordering is waaay over-rated. Nine times out of ten the product shows up in stores before it is received by those anxious souls who've pre-ordered and then spend weeks posting to "shipping status" threads. So no, I'm not pre-ordering. What I am doing, though, as soon as the announcement is made, is calling my local (well, kind of) Apple store in the beautifully tax free state of New Hampshire and adding my name to the waiting list.

If I were a betting man, I'd say that of this Tuesday, next Tuesday and tomorrow, the most likely date the machines will be announced is tomorrow (Monday). Given how quickly the stock has been sliding, I think Apple would be wise to try to avoid another day of heavy losses (which is typically more likely to happen on a Monday). Not sure how much fanfare will accompany the announcement, but I doubt it will be a silent one. Also, expect to see a barrage of TV adds in the US for both the MBA and the new MBPs over the next few weeks.

I will be buying the low-end model for my college bound daughter.

[bayol05]

Anyone else think it could happen tomorrow??

[gazfocus]

Anyone else think it could happen tomorrow??

Not on a Monday!

[akadmon]

Not on a Monday!

These are special circumstances.

[thebeat]

I think pre-ordering is waaay over-rated. Nine times out of ten the product shows up in stores before it is received by those anxious souls who've pre-ordered and then spend weeks posting to "shipping status" threads. So no, I'm not pre-ordering. What I am doing, though, as soon as the announcement is made, is calling my local (well, kind of) Apple store in the beautifully tax free state of New Hampshire and adding my name to the waiting list.

If I were a betting man, I'd say that of this Tuesday, next Tuesday and tomorrow, the most likely date the machines will be announced is tomorrow (Monday). Given how quickly the stock has been sliding, I think Apple would be wise to try to avoid another day of heavy losses (which is typically more likely to happen on a Monday). Not sure how much fanfare will accompany the announcement, but I doubt it will be a silent one. Also, expect to see a barrage of TV adds in the US for both the MBA and the new MBPs over the next few weeks.

I will be buying the low-end model for my college bound daughter.

Anyone else think it could happen tomorrow??

akadman is right, it wouldn't look good for more heavy losses. And it probably can happen tomorrow, but I really think this or next Tuesday will be the call.

[tothelimit]

sort of a combination of thoughts from a few earlier posts...

i agree with those that think a COMPLETE redesign is not really necessary. i like the current design - i am more looking forward to performance/graphics/display updates.
but... i would love to see the aluminum casing available in black. it would make the purchase all that much easier.

[gazfocus]

These are special circumstances.

I would love for it to be released Monday and I agree it's extra special circumstances, but I doubt it'll happen.

[theLimit]

You don't even want a magnetic latch? :eek:

I've never had a problem with the magnetic button latch on either of the two PowerBook G4s I've owned. They are quick and easy to open and there is no chance of the laptop flopping open on it's own.

[jholzner]

Not that I'll be getting one, but things I'd like to see:

Magnetic latch.
LED Screen's across the range.
Multi-touch (duh).
Improved battery life, not that it's bad now.
Better quality control and fixes to the many physical issues with the MBP.

Lower the price by $100 across the line as well, since Apple can do this without any profit loss.

I'm pretty sure that that would result in a loss of $100.00 of profit. Can someone check my math?

[Martin C]

13'' MBP + New Cinema Displays w/ HDMI input = Card flies out of wallet

[MacSamurai]

I'm pretty sure that that would result in a loss of $100.00 of profit. Can someone check my math?

*pulls out calculator*:D

[akadmon]

akadman is right, it wouldn't look good for more heavy losses. And it probably can happen tomorrow, but I really think this or next Tuesday will be the call.


I already said why I think tomorrow is likely. However, if for some reason the machinery has been set in place for something other than tomorrow (which is already here in Boston), then: it will be this coming Tuesday if AAPL takes another big hit to..day, otherwise next Tuesday will be the day. Of course, if arn's sources are full of hogwash, it will be some other Tuesday after that :)

[Chopper9]

I'm not buying the rumor.

If it was being released this month... why wouldnt they introduce it at macworld?

Makes no sense.

[gazfocus]

I already said why I think tomorrow is likely. However, if for some reason the machinery has been set in place for something other than tomorrow (which is already here in Boston), then: it will be this coming Tuesday if AAPL takes another big hit to..day, otherwise next Tuesday will be the day. Of course, if arn's sources are full of hogwash, it will be some other Tuesday after that :)

I really hope you're right about tomorrow (today here too)

[gazfocus]

I'm not buying the rumor.

If it was being released this month... why wouldnt they introduce it at macworld?

Makes no sense.

2 words:

Macbook AIR

[bayol05]

Guys,

I am getting this thing right when it comes out, and I am getting 4GB 3rd party ram for it to install. My question is, should I order this RAM now, or is there a chance they can put in a new type of RAM in which the stuff I buy now would be incompatible?

[ntrigue]

We know that it will not be a redesign. MacWorld just occurred, a redesign would have been announced. That's exactly why the 'not redesigned' Mac Pro was released before.

[gazfocus]

Guys,

I am getting this thing right when it comes out, and I am getting 4GB 3rd party ram for it to install. My question is, should I order this RAM now, or is there a chance they can put in a new type of RAM in which the stuff I buy now would be incompatible?

I made the same enquiry and from what I was told, the limitations in the RAM come from the chipset used and the chipset isn't changing, so the RAM they use will remain the same.

Buy your RAM now :)

I got mine from Crucial while it was cheap.

[akadmon]

Guys,

I am getting this thing right when it comes out, and I am getting 4GB 3rd party ram for it to install. My question is, should I order this RAM now, or is there a chance they can put in a new type of RAM in which the stuff I buy now would be incompatible?

Wait. There is absolutely no way you'll be able to get your hands on the new MBP before you can get the RAM.

[r00]

Anyone else notice that there's no longer a "New" tag above the Mac Pro on the Apple store? Come on MBP, steal that "New" tag!

[paul17win]

:confused::confused::confused: The current MBPs came out in June. Why didn't you buy then??!

i didnt have the money...

[thebeat]

Anyone else notice that there's no longer a "New" tag above the Mac Pro on the Apple store? Come on MBP, steal that "New" tag!

lol i'm surprised so many people pick up these small things. It actually makes sense too.

[gazfocus]

Anyone else notice that there's no longer a "New" tag above the Mac Pro on the Apple store? Come on MBP, steal that "New" tag!

Same in the UK store :)

[Coolou424]

Anyone else notice that there's no longer a "New" tag above the Mac Pro on the Apple store? Come on MBP, steal that "New" tag!

I hate to bring that down since I want a MBP refresh as soon as the next guy, but if you click on one of the Mac models to configure and buy the 'new' tag is still on the MP model... =/

It's definitely coming, I just don't think Apple would overshadow the MBA so quickly. They might lose all those potential MBA buyers that are on the fence about whether they really need all the ports, power, and weight of the MBP by refreshing it now.

[Stridder44]

How rude.

LOL

People complain the forums are littered with rumors that new MBPs are coming, and then when someone buys one they're suddenly caught off guard by the news that a new MBP is coming.

*HEAD ASPLODE*

Also I cannot for the life of me understand why people wouldn't want a redesign. That latch is a joke, the keyboard is kinda clunky. To each their own I suppose.

I'm not buying the rumor.

If it was being released this month... why wouldnt they introduce it at macworld?

Makes no sense.

And it would make even less sense to buy one now.

[MacFly123]

I've never had a problem with the magnetic button latch on either of the two PowerBook G4s I've owned. They are quick and easy to open and there is no chance of the laptop flopping open on it's own.

I have. My MBP I'm on right now (the current model) the latch is sketchy, and I don't know how you treat your laptops or what you are doing that would cause the magnetic closings to fly open lol :rolleyes:

[marclapierre13]

I am very excited!
I think I am going to wait until the 2nd revision of the Penryn MBP's. It should only be 2 months after change to penryn

[Lyshen]

I hope that rumor pans out. Can't wait for refresh models!

[GregorBehr]

Hmm, I know government employees can get discounts from the online store. However does anyone know if they will give the discount in the retail stores as well? Assuming you show them proof that you are a government employee.

If they do release a refreshed MBP, I'd like to get it asap. :)


I get a discount via my employer as well. While I've price searched on the EPP website, I've always gone into the Apple stores to do my purchasing (instant gratification). I just show them my ID and they apply the discount.

But I have heard from some of the Apple employees that some employers get a bigger discount online vers. in store. So go armed with the online pricing info to make sure it matches the in store price... not sure if they'll price match in store, but better to know a head of time rather than getting yourself caught up in the moment and paying more in store.

[senorfrog97]

If they're actually ready to release the new cases that'd be cool to see them run an ad for them on the Superbowl if it was nicely done.

And the day after the Superbowl this year is Tuesday.

[DJ88]

If they're actually ready to release the new cases that'd be cool to see them run an ad for them on the Superbowl if it was nicely done.

And the day after the Superbowl this year is Tuesday.

What do you mean 'this year'? The Superbowl is on a Sunday every year and a Tuesday follows shortly.

[Vanilla]

I've never had a problem with the magnetic button latch on either of the two PowerBook G4s I've owned. They are quick and easy to open and there is no chance of the laptop flopping open on it's own.

The magnetic latch on my old G4 Powerbook (1.67) doesn't work that well now. I used to be able to press the button in and have the screen pop up a notch, now it wont 'pop-up' at times, which results in a bit of a flaff to get it open. It's not critical by any means but it IS irritating. The current solution on the macbook is very attractive in comparison.

Vanilla

[J.K.]

ROTFLMAO. I sure wish they'd teach basic math and economics in our school systems.

Care to explain (in as much detail as you can), how you reduce the selling price by $100 per unit across the line without any profit loss?

He is actually correct. It is simple high school economics (at least where I come from). It has to do with price elasticity of demand. MacBook Pros are price elastic in nature. This means quantity demanded is responsive to changes in price. If price reduces, quantity demanded will increase. While the markup on each MacBook Pro will be less, the increase in sales will mean that profits will remain the same, if not increase.

[leehericks]

No redesign! Please no redesign! The current design is great. I get the feeling 10.5.2 will be released at the same time.

I think you are right on the OS update. Anyone remember the rumors that this HUGE 10.5.2 upgrade maybe be due to Apple updating many areas of Leopard to use SSE4? If you recall, Intel said Penryn processors show modest performance gains for existing systems, but the real gain comes for software utilizing SSE4.

And with the new seeds coming out to developers often, I think they are about ready for a release. That and the update will give remote CD support to all Leopard clients so they can work with the MBA.

[senorfrog97]

What do you mean 'this year'? The Superbowl is on a Sunday every year and a Tuesday follows shortly.

eek don't know what I was thinking.. I had the 4th stuck in my head for some reason.

[leehericks]

I'm not buying the rumor.

If it was being released this month... why wouldnt they introduce it at macworld?

Makes no sense.

Don't you think there would be some collision from introducing an updated MBP and the new MBA in the same keynote? The MBA is going to get priority because it is a new product, and they needed something to TRY to compare to last years MacWorld with the iPhone.

[Macula]

What I would like to see:

Better quality control
Better quality control
Better quality control
Better quality control
Better quality control
Better quality control
...
repeated ad nauseam

[Brewhaus]

I'm returning to the Apple world after a long time. IMO SuperBowl Sunday would be a good target if not this week. MBA had to be at MacWorld. I don't think MBP will be a HUGE update, but i'll be waiting for it.

[RoDe]

No redesign! Please no redesign! The current design is great. I get the feeling 10.5.2 will be released at the same time.

Man, if you'd have seen my MBP, you'd scream redesign. I had a 15" MBP 2.4. Just above the slot drive, where the bottom case meets the topcase it was starting to bend outwards. And this didn't just happen on my lappie I've seen it on dozens of MBP's. And my middle name is careful.

[Erichaas]

Could there be a update of the Macbook together with the update of the MBP?

[johnnyjibbs]

oh thank you Apple.

Bonus should be paid in on Thursday so this week or next would suit me fine. Please please please make sure the 15" doesn't suck!

[StefanK]

LOL
Also I cannot for the life of me understand why people wouldn't want a redesign.


I really hope the case design will not be changed to something resembling the MBA.
I don't like the curved design, the current MBP form just perfectly fits the OS X screen design with straight lines, right angles and rounded corners.
OK, minor changes regarding function (latch, keyboard) may be OK, but hopefully they won't change the basic form.

Also, I hope matte screens will continue to be available.

[kite]

Please Apple, give the next gen MBP a option with Quadro FX or FireGL.

I do want that soo bad. I'll hate to get a ugly M90 or similar joy-killer.

[turlehe]

hehe, my mate just bought his first mac yesterday (macbook pro)..

[batistuta]

Personally I'd want to want and see some bench's before I dropped +2k becasue if performance increase is ~4% I think I'm going to wait until montevina and a possible case redesign in June, August or whenever for a more substantial update.
Just curious who will buy/pre-order tuesday with a peryn

I might not pre-order, but buy - very likely.
Sure I would like Montevina, but I can't wait forever - there's always something better on the horizon.
The performance increase of the Penryn is not what interests me most, but the longer batterylife (easily 5-10% according to Anandtech http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/intel/showdoc.aspx?i=3195&p=2) sure does. 10% of 5 hours is half an hour...
Also the SSE4 support is nice, even if only a few programs takes advantage of it yet. But here the performance increase might be 30-40%

[willcodejavafor]

Anyone happens to know when the next generation of GPUs for laptops will be available?

[ATG]

Am I the only one that LIKES the keyboard better on the old PowerBooks and MacBook Pros than on the MacBooks and new wired/wireless keyboards?

I can't stand the feel of the new keyboards. I actually put away the one that came with my iMac and I'm using my old Apple keyboard instead.
I like them both equally. The new keyboard (iMac and MacBook) is easy to clean and quiet. The old keyboard (MBP) has the indents on each key so it's quite comfortable.

[elberggreno]

Money on the bank.. check
Will to buy... check

bring it on, i just want the penryns and nothing else, ok maybe a magnetic latch but thats it, I really hope they keep the current keyboard - I love it!

stuff that i would like but won't happen:

higher res screen, new gpu..

[skemmuni]

I've been waiting 6 mth for the MBP :)

I am a board Windows user - and I CAN'T wait to get stated with OSX 10.5!!

-----------------------
MBP Very Soon!!

[jnc]

Actually, I just wanna see some new ACDs. It's been two years... I'd kill for a do-it-all Apple display like the Dell 08s. Might hold off on an MBP until Fall's free iPod Edu promotion, even.

Don't update MBPs until I want to buy one, Apple! Leave it another six months! :D

[forrest368]

Actually, I just wanna see some new ACDs. It's been two years... I'd kill for a do-it-all Apple display like the Dell 08s. Might hold off on an MBP until Fall's free iPod Edu promotion, even.

Don't update MBPs until I want to buy one, Apple! Leave it another six months! :D

DONT you dare say that!!! They might hear you!!:eek:

[johnnyjibbs]

Don't update MBPs until I want to buy one, Apple! Leave it another six months! :D
Actually, it is beneficial for you that an update comes now as it will ensure another (even better) update in 6 months, prior to your purchase. Unless you've got itchy credit card fingers of course... :eek:

[Orng]

These are special circumstances.

??

Special circumstances... did I miss something? Is it Mac-on-a-monday week or something?

I'm pretty sure I read the whole thread :confused:

[jragosta]

not sure what he's getting at, but maybe he thinks production costs have decreased $100 since the last model? who knows

Even if production costs have decreased, reducing price would not leave profits unchanged.

If production costs TODAY are $100 lower than last year, then the profits TODAY are some amount. Dropping the price by $100 TODAY would lower your profits by $100. Comparing today's costs to last year's is irrelevant.

He is actually correct. It is simple high school economics (at least where I come from). It has to do with price elasticity of demand. MacBook Pros are price elastic in nature. This means quantity demanded is responsive to changes in price. If price reduces, quantity demanded will increase. While the markup on each MacBook Pro will be less, the increase in sales will mean that profits will remain the same, if not increase.

Wow. Economics education is worse than I thought. Even people who think they've had a course in economics don't know what they're talking about.

First, what makes you think the MBP has a high level of price elasticity? Mac users tend to be LESS price sensitive than other computer buyers.

Second, even if there is some price elasticity (I'm sure there's some), what makes you think that the volume would increase enough to make up for the loss in profit?

Third, let's say there IS price elasticity and it's enough to more than make up for the drop in margin. Why isn't Apple doing that today? After all, they probably know more about their costs and margins than you do.

Bottom line is that Apple believes that the current price optimizes profit - so lowering price would NOT provide an increase in profits. So your price elasticity argument is nothing more than wishful thinking.

[djellison]

Maybe related, maybe not.

There have been no 15" MBP's on the Apple Refurb site in the UK for a week or more.

Doug

[koalition]

Crunchgear says March 17... just upgrades and no major overhaul... I'm depressed..

http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/26/rumor-new-macbook-pros-on-st-patricks-day/

[TPALTony]

Wow. Economics education is worse than I thought. Even people who think they've had a course in economics don't know what they're talking about.

First, what makes you think the MBP has a high level of price elasticity? Mac users tend to be LESS price sensitive than other computer buyers.

Second, even if there is some price elasticity (I'm sure there's some), what makes you think that the volume would increase enough to make up for the loss in profit?

Third, let's say there IS price elasticity and it's enough to more than make up for the drop in margin. Why isn't Apple doing that today? After all, they probably know more about their costs and margins than you do.

Bottom line is that Apple believes that the current price optimizes profit - so lowering price would NOT provide an increase in profits. So your price elasticity argument is nothing more than wishful thinking.

There is a flaw in that reasoning.... "Mac users tend to be LESS price sensitive than other computer buyers..."

Mac users are < 50% of the purchasers of new macs. The rest are switchers. Switchers are not the same purchaser as an existing mac user at all. I am a stalwart Mac user so I know I am not that price elastic (I have an iPhone from launch day!)

But my girlfriend, who was really interested in a Mac after using mine, was somewhat put off by the price, compared to PCs. And before we get into the debate about how comparably specced PCs cost more, remember that people buying a computer, don't look at comparable spec, they look at price. It's an expensive purchase, and any device that costs over $1,000 for the base model (Entry level MacBook) is relatively price elastic (I did a study on this in my economics masters degree so I know.) THe entry level for a MacBook Pro is double that price, so I think it's a fair statement that they are price elastic. A fairly high spec Dell XPS is available for around $1000 right now, and it is not a badly specced machine at all. That gets peoples attention.

And ultimately the explanation given as to how Mac profits would react under a price elastic scenario was valid. You seemed to be more disagreeing that they were price elastic. I happen to agree with the original poster, they are price elastic products. Price elasticity is defined in terms of people's disposable income. And unless you're talking about the uber wealthy, in the current market, $2K+ for a laptop computer makes people think twice. $1.8K would make less people think twice, quite a lot less people in my opinion.

t

[John Purple]

Crunchgear says March 17... just upgrades and no major overhaul... I'm depressed..

http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/26/rumor-new-macbook-pros-on-st-patricks-day/

Yes, and it will be made of green aluminium in the shape of a shamrock :p

[Aguero]

I already said why I think tomorrow is likely. However, if for some reason the machinery has been set in place for something other than tomorrow (which is already here in Boston), then: it will be this coming Tuesday if AAPL takes another big hit to..day, otherwise next Tuesday will be the day. Of course, if arn's sources are full of hogwash, it will be some other Tuesday after that :)

I don't think announcing refreshed MBPs is going to temper a potential stock drop that much. It's all about expectations and right now, the majority seems to agree that the update will incorporate penryn and multi-touch (and perhaps a keyboard re-design/magnetic latch). So unless Apple will come up with a more significant update than that, I don't think an announcement of new MBPs will have that much of an impact.

But of course I would be delighted with an update this or next week, I've been waiting for a very long time to get one and I'm eager to able to work with OS X :)

[Orng]

Yes, and it will be made of green aluminium in the shape of a shamrock :p

I'd buy that so fast it would make your head spin

[applecake]

Oh great i just got my MBP last week =[

aw, im sorry, you should've done some research before you buy ! it says allover mac forums that the MBP is about to be updated :-/

[BklynKid]

Crunchgear says March 17... just upgrades and no major overhaul... I'm depressed..

http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/26/rumor-new-macbook-pros-on-st-patricks-day/

Why??! Why must they put a damper on my excitement?!

[MacSamurai]

Why??! Why must they put a damper on my excitement?!

dont worry, Crunch Gear is a bunch of crap

[rjtedge]

Crunchgear says March 17... just upgrades and no major overhaul... I'm depressed..

http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/26/rumor-new-macbook-pros-on-st-patricks-day/

Not going to happen.... not even a tuesday.

[jnc]

Crunchgear says March 17... just upgrades and no major overhaul... I'm depressed..

http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/26/rumor-new-macbook-pros-on-st-patricks-day/

Sweet! Take your time Apple, no rush :p

Realistically, that's what.. 6 weeks away? I'd say that sounded about right, as I don't expect them soon if there was a shortage/delay on mobile Penryn as rumoured.

[propropro]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

We've heard more whispers about the upcoming MacBook Pro updates.

- Multi-touch Trackpad
- 17" model to incorporate LED screen
- Penryn processors
- To be released in the next 2 weeks (so, this Tuesday or next)

Exact release dates are always difficult to pinpoint as they can change, but the information is believed to be accurate at this time.

Article Link (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/01/27/early-2008-macbook-pro-whispers/)

doesn't sound exciting at all, but I will be buying soon anyway (I can't wait till summer for montevina)

[airfang]

Sounds good to all the potential buyers :)

A little jealous, honestly speaking...but anyway :apple:

[kingtj]

IMHO, this really *shouldn't* sound exciting. It's a case of Apple refreshing the product to keep it "current" and in-line with their competitors. This isn't a big redesign or product change.

On the other hand, that's not saying it's not a very GOOD update. I still have the original Macbook Pro model (2.0Ghz Core Duo 15") and I'm just starting to consider reselling it and getting something newer. (Mostly because after using my friend's newer Core 2 Duo 15" model with the LED backlit screen, I found the battery life is much improved AND it seems noticeably faster running applications.)

A long time ago, I had the 17" Powerbook G4, and I'm still tossing around the idea of making my next MB Pro a 17" model.... They're not too usable on airline flights (at least in coach seating!), but I probably only fly once every 2-3 years on average. I usually just use my portable in situations where I have some kind of table or desk I can set it up on, and the bigger screen with better display resolution is really useful.

As soon as LED backlit displays were announced though, I decided I'd hold off until the 17" model got one. That adds a good hour to your battery life.


doesn't sound exciting at all, but I will be buying soon anyway (I can't wait till summer for montevina)

[propropro]

IMHO, this really *shouldn't* sound exciting. It's a case of Apple refreshing the product to keep it "current" and in-line with their competitors. This isn't a big redesign or product change.

On the other hand, that's not saying it's not a very GOOD update. I still have the original Macbook Pro model (2.0Ghz Core Duo 15") and I'm just starting to consider reselling it and getting something newer. (Mostly because after using my friend's newer Core 2 Duo 15" model with the LED backlit screen, I found the battery life is much improved AND it seems noticeably faster running applications.)

A long time ago, I had the 17" Powerbook G4, and I'm still tossing around the idea of making my next MB Pro a 17" model.... They're not too usable on airline flights (at least in coach seating!), but I probably only fly once every 2-3 years on average. I usually just use my portable in situations where I have some kind of table or desk I can set it up on, and the bigger screen with better display resolution is really useful.

As soon as LED backlit displays were announced though, I decided I'd hold off until the 17" model got one. That adds a good hour to your battery life.

Maybe the problem is that deep inside of me I wanted a case redesign and some more surprising extra... somehow I have the sensation of going to buy a machine that's many years old :p :D
Anyway, I suppose it's a really good machine that hopefully will be competent some years

[Wolfpup]

I'll buy one if it finally has a user replaceable hard drive.

In my dream system it would also be designed to be able to run the CPUs at full blast, and have an 8800GTX available :)

[nnkd]

I'm caught between buy a new MBP when this Penryn model comes out or waiting until the Montevina model comes out. I know it's a guessing game but is Montevina still scheduled for summer 2008?

I think my 12" PB has a little life left in her.

[Wolfpup]

I'm caught between buy a new MBP when this Penryn model comes out or waiting until the Montevina model comes out. I know it's a guessing game but is Montevina still scheduled for summer 2008?

I think my 12" PB has a little life left in her.

It sounds like the only thing that adds is 1066MHz FSB support up from 800. That doesn't seem like it's worth waiting for at all. Now Apple might do something else neat with it-like putting in a much better GPU, or using a better design, or whatever, but that would be separate from the new platform.

[Wallace86]

i think there is little else to speak of until we get more & reliable info....although i could sit here and randomly speculate all day.

[johnnyjibbs]

I think my 12" PB has a little life left in her.
Hell yeah - mine is the 1GHz version, which was bought in September 2003 when it was first released. I've loved it but, short of anything else being wrong after 4 and a half years, I just need more disk space - 80GB (max available at the time) was not enough for photos and iTunes...

Obviously the Air doesn't fit the bill, so I'm moving up to the 15" model and giving my lovely 12" PB to my sister.

Thing is, even the current MacBook Pros will seem like such a whole new world of speed to me compared to my 1GHz G4 PB, that I won't really notice the difference whether it has Penryn or that new one in Summer. The one thing I'm praying for most is the multi-touch pad.

Come on Apple! Deliver something sweet tomorrow - the money's waiting... :p

[gazfocus]

No-one's forcing anyone to buy an updated macbook pro, but there are alot of people that are wanting to.

[johnnyjibbs]

i think there is little else to speak of until we get more & reliable info....although i could sit here and randomly speculate all day.
Yes but the MacBook Air rumours were spot on.

[jnc]

I'll buy one if it finally has a user replaceable hard drive.

In my dream system it would also be designed to be able to run the CPUs at full blast, and have an 8800GTX available :)

Would your dream system also be two inches thick, 8lb and with 3 hours battery? :D

[wwwdotcomdotnet]

With all these rumors of the MBP being updated this week or next, what are the chances that the iMacs will be updated as well?

[nnkd]

I'm kind of scared that Apple updates the MBP with a hideous design. I've imagined in my head what I think Apple could do with the new keyboard... and I hate the thoughts. Then I see mock-ups that are just the pits and I get more scared! :(

Hell yeah - mine is the 1GHz version, which was bought in September 2003 when it was first released. I've loved it but, short of anything else being wrong after 4 and a half years, I just need more disk space - 80GB (max available at the time) was not enough for photos and iTunes...

Obviously the Air doesn't fit the bill, so I'm moving up to the 15" model and giving my lovely 12" PB to my sister.

Passing the PB on 'cause it's out of space too, eh? I'm in the exact same boat.

[Derbus]

Passing the PB on 'cause it's out of space too, eh? I'm in the exact same boat.
Me a couple of years ago: "40GB is enough, I'm just going to use it for documents"

*Palm to head*

[Wolfpup]

Thing is, even the current MacBook Pros will seem like such a whole new world of speed to me compared to my 1GHz G4 PB, that I won't really notice the difference whether it has Penryn or that new one in Summer.

Anything this summer would be using the same CPUs that this update has. There's nothing new being released.

Would your dream system also be two inches thick, 8lb and with 3 hours battery? :D

Yeah, that's fine with me. I want a system I can actually use, not one that sounds like it's going to explode if I actually run the CPUs at full blast.

[theLimit]

I'm still betting on a silent refresh in the next couple of weeks, that would give Apple almost 5 months until the next update. The Santa Rosa platform was released in May 2007, and SR MBPs were released in June. The Montevina platform is set for release in May 2008, so a fully redesigned MBP could be ready for WWDC, and as the Mac Pros were just updated, maybe we'll see a total redesign of the Pro line, with new ACDs as well. Here's to hoping!

[meigo1234]

Updates soon. :)

I still bet on an option for black MBPs. as they did it with the macbooks

byebye
have a nice day - and I wish you exciting wet mac dreams :eek:
mike

[Wolfpup]

I'm still betting on a silent refresh in the next couple of weeks, that would give Apple almost 5 months until the next update. The Santa Rosa platform was released in May 2007, and SR MBPs were released in June. The Montevina platform is set for release in May 2008, so a fully redesigned MBP could be ready for WWDC, and as the Mac Pros were just updated, maybe we'll see a total redesign of the Pro line, with new ACDs as well. Here's to hoping!

There's nothing special about Montevina though. There's a bigger hardware change for notebooks this month than there will be this May.

[naaronne]

Does anyone have any speculation on what the price point of the updated MBP might be?

Will they be the same and just get an updated model at the same cost, or will there be an alteration in price based on the processor?

[Wolfpup]

Does anyone have any speculation on what the price point of the updated MBP might be?

Will they be the same and just get an updated model at the same cost, or will there be an alteration in price based on the processor?

It'll be the same as it always is. Same as it's been through countless updates at this point.

[Koolio27]

Updates soon. :)

I still bet on an option for black MBPs. as they did it with the macbooks

byebye
have a nice day - and I wish you exciting wet mac dreams :eek:
mike

Do you know something we don't? ;)

Anyways, long time lurker and I finally registered today...I need some way to voice my frustrations in waiting for the MBP update!

[ewxlt]

I'm still betting on a silent refresh in the next couple of weeks, that would give Apple almost 5 months until the next update. The Santa Rosa platform was released in May 2007, and SR MBPs were released in June. The Montevina platform is set for release in May 2008, so a fully redesigned MBP could be ready for WWDC, and as the Mac Pros were just updated, maybe we'll see a total redesign of the Pro line, with new ACDs as well. Here's to hoping!

Cheers!

[meigo1234]

Do you know something we don't? ;)

Anyways, long time lurker and I finally registered today...I need some way to voice my frustrations in waiting for the MBP update!

frustration > that's the point

[Hendel]

Besides the Penryn processors, the only thing I want in a New MBPro
is an Nvidia 8800m Gt(x) as a BTO

I love my macs and I love gaming, you can game fine on a mac as long as they have decent GPUs in them.
However the Macbook Pros NEVER ever have good GPU's in them..., sure the ones they put in them are decent, but if you want to game readily they should have a BTO option or offer replaceable Videocards in their laptops. They should come with 8700m Gts and an 8800m gtx as a BTO
THIS IS THE ONLY THING THEY NEED TO ADD to Get people who love games to play on a Mac Laptop (add the Video Card as a BTO option... i don't care, just freaking offer it)

[danhig123]

Passing the PB on 'cause it's out of space too, eh? I'm in the exact same boat.

Ditto. My 12inch, 1Ghz Powerbook is still very much alive and kicking, it just doesn't hold even half of my music/photos/documents anymore.... oh and it doesn't run windows, or have an iSight!

It will be passed on to my Dad though!

Danny

[puckhead193]

can someone enlighten me or pave a path as to why Penryn is much better then the current other then a speed bump? :confused:
What comes after penryn?

[lukoson]

I find it interesting that in addition to the Penryn and 17" LED screens these "whispers" mention the possibility of multi-touch capability but do not mention the possibility that the updated mbp could include the new keyboard style and magnetic latch. Is it likely that we would see the multi-touch on a new mbp but not the new keyboard style and magnetic latch?

[Wolfpup]

Besides the Penryn processors, the only thing I want in a New MBPro
is an Nvidia 8800m Gt(x) as a BTO

I love my macs and I love gaming, you can game fine on a mac as long as they have decent GPUs in them.
However the Macbook Pros NEVER ever have good GPU's in them..., sure the ones they put in them are decent, but if you want to game readily they should have a BTO option or offer replaceable Videocards in their laptops. They should come with 8700m Gts and an 8800m gtx as a BTO

Yeah, that would be fantastic, although they need to redesign them so they can actually RUN all that stuff without exploding. I mean maybe the current design is okay, but the fan has to go nuts if you actually use the CPUs or GPU, and I'd worry that it would wear out or it's not really designed for it.

I have to kind of disagree about the bad GPU thing. That was true up until the last update, but the 8600GT they used in the last update is a solid mid range gaming card (FINALLY!) that's pretty close to as good as it gets for notebooks (until now). The 7950GTX was probably all around better, but actually about the same or even a tiny bit worse on some newer games, and the 8700GT is just an 8600GTS.

can someone enlighten me or pave a path as to why Penryn is much better then the current other then a speed bump? :confused:
What comes after penryn?

It's roughly 10-15% faster on general code, and down the line can be 40%+ faster on certain types of media encoding, if the programs are rewritten for SSE4.

It's not a HUGE thing, but they are a bit more powerful while drawing even less power, so it's a good thing all around.

The next CPUs won't be until late this year at the earliest. That's why I've said there's nothing in the middle of this year worth getting excited about, at least that we know of. That next mobile platform update Intel's doing apparently allows the use of 1066MHz FSB, but other than that it'll be the same hardware that's available now.

[Yixian]

Besides the Penryn processors, the only thing I want in a New MBPro
is an Nvidia 8800m Gt(x) as a BTO

I love my macs and I love gaming, you can game fine on a mac as long as they have decent GPUs in them.
However the Macbook Pros NEVER ever have good GPU's in them..., sure the ones they put in them are decent, but if you want to game readily they should have a BTO option or offer replaceable Videocards in their laptops. They should come with 8700m Gts and an 8800m gtx as a BTO
THIS IS THE ONLY THING THEY NEED TO ADD to Get people who love games to play on a Mac Laptop (add the Video Card as a BTO option... i don't care, just freaking offer it)

LISTEN TO THIS MAN STEVE!!!!

[liberty4all]

I want a 3.5G/4G Wireless BTO option and Blu-Ray BTO option at the minimum. A broadband wireless radio should be STANDARD Apple! You can make one that does HSPA/EV-DO/WiMax and cover all bases, with backwards compatibility to like Edge, for instance...

I thought Apple was an innovation leader?!

[RHD]

LISTEN TO THIS MAN STEVE!!!!

God yes!

It's the graphics card I'm holding out for. I'm worried about the LED screens as a lot of people have had bad ones.
A user upgradable graphics card would be the dream.

If the new top spec MBP's come out and still have the same cards in as now I'm going to give up and buy a refurb.

[BlizzardBomb]

Very interested to see what Apple pulls out of the bag for the new MBP. LED for the 17" was basically a given and coupled with the ever so slightly more efficient Penryn (likely to be clocked at 2.5 GHz and 2.6 GHz, 6 MB L2 cache) and maybe even a (painfully expensive) SSD option, we should see a healthy boost in battery life.

I hope they realign the prices too:
$1,999 - 2.2 GHz, 128 MB VRAM
$2,499 - 2.4 GHz, 256 MB VRAM
The high-end 15" is just too much for what you get compared to the low-end. Giving the equivalent hard drive only adds $75 to the low-end.

Also, it would be nice if Apple put 256 MB cards along the line and bumped the graphics cards up to 8700M GTs. 8800M GTXs are unlikely as they:

a) Generate too much heat
b) Destroy battery life
c) Increases noise from fans

So unless they come up with a desktop replacement model which is thicker, then I doubt the GTX will find a home in an MBP.

[greenmeanie]

I to hate the yellow screen and missing keystroke problem.
I hope they fixed those issues.

I'm worried about the LED screen on the 17".
I want a 17" but according to posts elsewhere on this forum there have been a lot of complaints about the LED screens: yellow, black areas, etc, with some people having to send their laptops back time after time and just getting another one with the same problem.

Thoughts anyone?

[jaydub]

Hmm, I might actually consider replacing my CD MBP with one. I love my machine though, so we'll see IRL if it's worth the upgrade.

[freitas]

What time of day does Apple usually update their website. If I don't know I have a feeling that I will be checking it all day every Tuesday.

Very excited to finally be getting a MBP!

[BlizzardBomb]

I to hate the yellow screen and missing keystroke problem.
I hope they fixed those issues.

You shouldn't worry too much about it. They should have fixed most of the problems by now and remember, people mostly post on forums to complain. If there was a post for everyone who had an MBP saying "My screen is fine"...

If you do get a bad one, AppleCare will sort you out. The pros for LED screens outweigh the possible consequences IMO.

[EagerDragon]

I hope they keep the silver keyboard, I don't care for the black color of the Air keyboard against all the silver.

[Koolio27]

can someone enlighten me or pave a path as to why Penryn is much better then the current other then a speed bump? :confused:
What comes after penryn?

AnandTech did a good performance benchmark of the Penryn vs. Merom processor (which is the current C2D processor): http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/intel/showdoc.aspx?i=3195&p=2

[Wolfpup]

You shouldn't worry too much about it. They should have fixed most of the problems by now and remember, people mostly post on forums to complain. If there was a post for everyone who had an MBP saying "My screen is fine"...

If you do get a bad one, AppleCare will sort you out. The pros for LED screens outweigh the possible consequences IMO.


LED backlighting is awesome. After seeing it on the 15.4" Macbook Pro I definitely think it's the way forward. I can't wait until all LCD screens can have LED lighting. It'll be a while though....maybe in 5 years...

[EagerDragon]

Total profits can go up if the smaller profit on each unit is offset by an increase in sales.

How can one be sure this will happen is another question...

With the economy going down the tube, getting more sales maybe harder than some think.

Apple coulld price lower due to cheaper components, but Apple prefers instead to keep the price the same and instead give you more for the same ammount or for a little more. Rarely Apple lowers prices unless it wants to reach a different buyer type.

[EagerDragon]

I guess G6 PowerBook next Tuesday (don't like odd numbers).

[propropro]

after reading this (http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/intel/showdoc.aspx?i=3195&p=4) I REALLY hope Apple adds SSE4 optimizations to Leopard (at least in Quikctime)... :D

[voyagerd]

I really need a laptop. I sold my 12" PowerBook with all the buzz about a subnotebook and now and notebookless. I really hope it comes out tomorrow or next Tuesday. Waiting 6 days for a task to complete on my old PPC is giving me a headache.

[vaxt]

PowerBook G5 on tuesday?

[ProzacJM]

Hey guys, is the Montevina platform the one who has wimax support? becuase that could be a good reason to wait, especially if the may release rumor is true.

[voyagerd]

Hey guys, is the Montevina platform the one who has wimax support? becuase that could be a good reason to wait, especially if the may release rumor is true.

There is always a good reason to wait.

[Wolfpup]

Hey guys, is the Montevina platform the one who has wimax support? becuase that could be a good reason to wait, especially if the may release rumor is true.

That type of thing can be added after the fact, and most people aren't going to want it. Even if you do want some cell phone based networking, there are 90 bajillion different options for that (and none of them very mature right now).

[swagi]

why does everyone wish for a magnetic latch? I personally feel that the hook thing is better, since its a more secure mechanism.

Well, basically because it usually wears out the week after your three year Apple Care warranty expires...

at least that's the case with my latch :o

[d-bone]

I just noticed the 17" macbook pro (high-res screen) on the canadian refurbished site dropped from $2859 to $2599. a sign of things to come? :)

[abijnk]

What time of day does Apple usually update their website. If I don't know I have a feeling that I will be checking it all day every Tuesday.

Very excited to finally be getting a MBP!

Ditto this, if its a silent update will it be up first thing in the morning?

Also, if its a 'non-silent' update, what will that entail? A press conference? and if its that type of thing, does Apple tend to announce it a little ahead of time?

If you can't tell, I haven't been around for many product releases...

[gazfocus]

In the UK, the store usually goes down around 1PM for updates.

[matthuds]

why does everyone wish for a magnetic latch? I personally feel that the hook thing is better, since its a more secure mechanism.

Totally agree!!

[BlizzardBomb]

Ditto this, if its a silent update will it be up first thing in the morning?

Also, if its a 'non-silent' update, what will that entail? A press conference? and if its that type of thing, does Apple tend to announce it a little ahead of time?

If you can't tell, I haven't been around for many product releases...

If it's going to be released in a couple of weeks, possibly even tomorrow, then it would be highly likely to be a "silent" update, which happens around lunchtime. Press conferences are normally for big releases e.g. big iPod announcement, a Mac getting a redesign etc.

[J.K.]

Wow. Economics education is worse than I thought. Even people who think they've had a course in economics don't know what they're talking about.

First, what makes you think the MBP has a high level of price elasticity? Mac users tend to be LESS price sensitive than other computer buyers.

Second, even if there is some price elasticity (I'm sure there's some), what makes you think that the volume would increase enough to make up for the loss in profit?

Third, let's say there IS price elasticity and it's enough to more than make up for the drop in margin. Why isn't Apple doing that today? After all, they probably know more about their costs and margins than you do.

Bottom line is that Apple believes that the current price optimizes profit - so lowering price would NOT provide an increase in profits. So your price elasticity argument is nothing more than wishful thinking.


Calm down. No need to get all emotional about it. I am not here for an argument. Nor am I saying the price will be reduced.

If your opinion differs to someone else, you do not need to go insulting their education. Others opinions do not by any means need to be the same as yours.

FYI: take a look at the impact the $200 price cut of the iPhone on sales. Both the Macbook pro and iPhone are fairly price elastic as they are considered luxury goods.

[tennisplaayer11]

I know its a little off topic, but I was browsing google and I found this website:
http://www.colorwarepc.com/p-57-macbook-pro.aspx
If you don't mind shelling out close to 500 bucks, there are loads of colors to choose from that you can have on ur macbook pro.

and for the people who really want to be extravagant:

http://www.computer-choppers.com/

That's right: a 24K GOLD PLATED mbp with diamonds on the apple logo! Found the cost online: $1,500:eek:

Quoting whoever asked if people have made photoshops of the new ones, I found this mockup of a new mbp:

Edit: whoops! i accidentally deleted the attachment, also, i don't think it was a mbp...maybe, but idk.

[Calsef]

why does everyone wish for a magnetic latch? I personally feel that the hook thing is better, since its a more secure mechanism.

You are right, the mechanical latch is a more secure device, but the MBP (or any other notebook) doesnt need anything more secure than the magnetic latch. The magnet doesnt just come open. It takes a conscious effort to open the latch. The mechanical latch is a hastle to dig your finger in there just to open your computer.

come one TOMORROW!

[dmb3886]

For everyone waiting for the Montevina, that's pretty ridiculous if it updates now. I understand people who didn't want to buy in june were waiting for leopard, but seriously? This new laptop will kick ass...although if it's a complete redeisgnz with montevina then thats a different story but no information supports that

and i have till SATURDAY to return mine! Let's see it update tomorrowwww, im tired of life ******** on me all the time. I'd probably return it anyway though considering theupdate is imminent. Im estatic, it will be so nice :). Be like the laptop i have now (sawweeet), but with a faster processor, better graphics memory, bigger hard drive, and more overall sexyness

and black aluminum macbook pro would make me **** MY PANTS. Apple, if you do this, i will be your best friend in the world and ill have the :apple: sign next to everything in my life..ITLL BE IN MY CREDIT CARD SIG even!

PLEASEEEE

[m1stake]

Montevina is worth waiting for, not because of WiMax, but because it's supposed to be significantly smaller. In addition, intel's "turbo memory" (Actually a small amount of NAND flash memory on an expansion card would be cool, and possible. Most mid and high end PC laptops have an option for it, so it's just a matter of time.

The next update (If they update soon) will put in a multi touch track pad, magnetic lock, and of course the penryn processors.

I wouldn't complain if they went up to the 8700GT, but I just don't think it's going to happen.

[jragosta]

Calm down. No need to get all emotional about it. I am not here for an argument. Nor am I saying the price will be reduced.

Stop being an arrogant prick and show some respect to other people. If your opinion differs to someone else, you do not need to go insulting their education. Others opinions do not by any means need to be the same as yours.

FYI: take a look at the impact the $200 price cut of the iPhone on sales. Both the Macbook pro and iPhone are fairly price elastic as they are considered luxury goods.

Funny, I'm not the one being emotional or arrogant. What has you so incensed (other than the fact that you were wrong)?

You can hardly compare a $200 price cut on a $600 item to a $100 price cut on a $2,500 item. But I'll ask again - if the price elasticity is such that a $100 price cut on the MBP would cause Apple to sell enough additional units for the profit to increase, why haven't they done it?

[blimeyoriley]

Really hoping a Blu-Ray drive will make its appearance = should take advantage of the 1080 17"