Apple Releases New 15" MacBook Pro, Updates 17" MacBook Pro

[MacRumors]

Apple today released a revamped version of the 15" MacBook Pro. The new model incorporates the same non-user-replaceable battery found in the 17" MacBook Pro and offers up to seven hours of runtime and up to 1000 charge cycles. Apple has also replaced the ExpressCard slot found in the previous model with an SD card slot and improved the display quality. Pricing starts at $1699, a $300 reduction from the previous entry-level model, and the new models are shipping today.

Three standard 15" MacBook Pro configurations are offered:

- $1699. 2.53 GHz, 4 GB RAM. NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, 250GB HD. Firewire.
- $1999. 2.66 GHz, 4 GB RAM. NVIDIA GeForce GT. 320GB HD. Firewire.
- $2299. 2.8 GHz, 4 GB RAM. NVIDIA GeForce GT . 500 GB HD. Firewire.

Additional options include:

- Up to 3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo
- Up to 8 GB RAM
- Up to 500 GB HDD or 256 GB SSD

Apple also announced minor spec updates to the 17" MacBook Pro today and dropped the entry-level price to $2499 from $2799. The new entry-level 17" MacBook Pro offers 2.8 GHz processor and a 500 GB hard drive. The new 17" model also retains the ExpressCard slot and begins shipping today.

Article Link: Apple Releases New 15" MacBook Pro, Updates 17" MacBook Pro

[Eidorian]

The lack of a dedicated GPU in the base 15" model means that it's really nothing more than a 15" MacBook.

It's tough to get a discrete graphics solution out of Apple no matter how good the 9400M G is.

[brisully]

8gb ?? Whoa!!!!

[celtikmind]

And the base model lost the 9600GT.

Great way of adding value to my previous model, Apple!

[Brien]

Originally Posted by Eidorian

The lack of a dedicated GPU in the base 15" model means that it's really nothing more than a 15" MacBook.

It's tough to get a discrete graphics solution out of Apple no matter how good the 9400M G is.

Agreed. But we already saw the writing on the wall.

[mattcube64]

Originally Posted by Eidorian

The lack of a dedicated GPU in the base 15" model means that it's really nothing more than a 15" MacBook.

It's tough to get a discrete graphics solution out of Apple no matter how good the 9400M G is.

Yeah, I agree. I'm really disappointed to see that one flaw in an otherwise exceptional package.

But, considering I'd have to spend $2000 for a MBP with a marginally better video card, I think I'll just save EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS and get the baseline MBP.

[Eidorian]

Originally Posted by Brien

Agreed. But we already saw the writing on the wall.

I can imagine that the previous base 15" model is going to be much more desirable at discount and refurbished. Refurbished Apple notebooks never stay in stock for long.

[Willis]

Originally Posted by Eidorian

The lack of a dedicated GPU in the base 15" model means that it's really nothing more than a 15" MacBook.

It's tough to get a discrete graphics solution out of Apple no matter how good the 9400M G is.

Ah but it's 2 inches smaller

[twoodcc]

i'm glad they have a cheaper mbp, but the next one up is basically the same price. still, the mbps are cheaper than before, and that's a good thing

[Eidorian]

Originally Posted by Willis

Ah but it's 2 inches smaller

When did the 15" MacBook Pro lose 2 inches?

[celtikmind]

Originally Posted by mattcube64

But, considering I'd have to spend $2000 for a MBP with a marginally better video card, I think I'll just save EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS and get the baseline MBP.

Guess we'll see that when the benchmarks for Snow shows up...

Originally Posted by Eidorian

When did the 15" MacBook Pro lose 2 inches?

It's amazing how much the word "Pro" matters to some people, wouldn't you say?

[celtikmind]

^^

[nagromme]

Sorry to see the card slot gone on the 15"--on principle--but all I've ever used those slots for is an SD reader anyway. And there are other ways to attach most hardware.

[jcshas]

Overall, I'm really pleased with the revisions to the MacBook Pro line. I ordered the 2.53 GHz base MPB 15", right away. I'm glad I held out until WWDC to buy one! $1,599 (education discount) + free iPod Touch is a great deal! The lack of dedicated GPU doesn't bother me at all. I can't wait until mine arrives!

[balamw]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5H11 Safari/525.20)

So is the RAM and HDD still user replacable?

B

[yojitani]

Originally Posted by Eidorian

The lack of a dedicated GPU in the base 15" model means that it's really nothing more than a 15" MacBook.

It's tough to get a discrete graphics solution out of Apple no matter how good the 9400M G is.

I just realized this and am a little disappointed. I am thinking of getting a new MBP beginning of fall semester time, but I may just sniff around for the last gen. with the discrete graphics.

[Eidorian]

Originally Posted by yojitani

I just realized this and am a little disappointed. I am thinking of getting a new MBP beginning of fall semester time, but I may just sniff around for the last gen. with the discrete graphics.

The refurbished 15" MacBook with the 9600M GT is going to be a very popular item.

[mdntcallr]

Apple needs to start offering Blu-Ray on their laptops and desktops. this is freaking ridiculous how long it is taking them to support the format.

They don't even have to offer models which burn BD discs, they can offer BD reading superdrives, and offer BD burning as an option.

Especially on the MBP 15" & 17" models. definitely on desktops. And yes.... I do heavily prefer MATTE finish displays. which is crazy Apple did away with

[Marion]

Still no "matte" display version for the 15"

No blue Ray at whatever the cost is also a joke...

[Willis]

Originally Posted by Eidorian

When did the 15" MacBook Pro lose 2 inches?

Ah you're first post confused me a little it seems.

My point is that the 15" MBP is just a 13" MBP with 2 more inches...

Going to the next model up, you get more CPU, HDD and graphics. Reminds me of the Powerbook days

[Lock51]

Where did ExpressCard go on MacBook Pro 15"? How am I supposed to stick my ExpressCards in this SDCard reader? What's next, they will remove USBs and replace them with eSATA. May be they have some slot count limitation - if they add one slot then they have to remove some other.
Why there is no SD card reader on 17" MacBook Pro. They couldn't find a place on this tiny machine?
I think that people that designed these machines are retarded! Not less than that.

[rorober]

would be much more useful that SD.

[The Captain]

Not good again. Basically apple decided to shaft the video "pro" market once again by making a beefed up consumer model their "pro" line. So they got firewire back on the smaller one, but the 15-inch lost the express slot and now has just 1 firewire slot and no way possible to expand that now. I was just on a conference call this morning about a shoot next week, and we need to take a fw400 cable from a camera, to the mac, and write off to a a firewire 800 drive. Well thanks apple for making sure that the new way of production being done on set must be done with a laptop 2 generations old. Oh I mean sure I guess I could lug around the 17-inch, but that's a desktop replacement, not a true laptop, and not nearly as convenient to use as my old 15 that has all the connection I need. Looks like no new laptop for ma again!

[michael.lauden]

Originally Posted by Marion

Still no "matte" display version for the 15"

No blue Ray at whatever the cost is also a joke...

blue ray is fail.. why does everyone want it so badly you can still use blueray data right?

[Torajima]

Not happy about the loss of firewire 400 & loss of the ExpressCard slot.

It makes these less useful for at least one "pro" application... digital audio.

We need two firewire busses, and we've lost the option to add one via the expresscard slot.

For performance reasons, our firewire audio interface needs to be on a separate bus than the external firewire drives.