Your Opinions on the "Rebranding"

It won't make much difference in sales IMO...

It's just a model name, as pro hasn't meant a whole lot for a while...there are tons of threads on this already dude.

It wouldn't have been such a big deal if the didn't already release alum. MBs. It would have been easier to distinguish MBs = Plastic, MBPs = Alum, but oh well, the unibody is where Apple wants to go.

At the end of the day, it's still just a name.

Well, having so many "pro" based computers and only one consumer computer might turn some people off, but I think it was a smart move. I think by making the macbook that we all know and love a "pro," it might make the whole pro line a little less intimidating to some. The name change was definitely made to change the way people think about the macbook. As I see it, these aluminum macbooks are just as powerful as last years (before the new aluminum unibody) macbook pros. I find it funny that when I brought this UMB home, my roommate (who owns a MBP) said, might as well call it a macbook pro!

I don't think your typical Mac user will care one way or the other. They only bought a Mac in the first place because it's perceived as the hipster thing to do.

Quillz said:

I don't think your typical Mac user will care one way or the other. They only bought a Mac in the first place because it's perceived as the hipster thing to do.

Click to expand...

Seriously? FAIL!

i would be willing to bet the new 13" 2.53 GHZ 4gb ram MBP becomes there best selling unit very quickly.

TwinCities Dan said:

Seriously? FAIL!

Click to expand...

Most people start off buying iPods and then eventually buy Macs because all their friends have one. Apple's entire culture is based on being cool, hip and popular.

Some buy Macs because they like them. Others buy them because it's simply the cool thing to do. That and Microsoft bashing.

Quillz said:

Most people start off buying iPods and then eventually buy Macs because all their friends have one. Apple's entire culture is based on being cool, hip and popular.

Some buy Macs because they like them. Others buy them because it's simply the cool thing to do. That and Microsoft bashing.

Click to expand...

Hmmm...

Well, you know what they say about stereo-typing...

Quillz said:

Most people start off buying iPods and then eventually buy Macs because all their friends have one. Apple's entire culture is based on being cool, hip and popular.

Some buy Macs because they like them. Others buy them because it's simply the cool thing to do. That and Microsoft bashing.

Click to expand...

For many people it might be true, but there are other people who buy macs because they know that it'll last for 5 years, and they need to do graphics/programming/photo editing/etc on a mac which they can't do very well (sometimes) in pc's.

Nobita said:

For many people it might be true, but there are other people who buy macs because they know that it'll last for 5 years, and they need to do graphics/programming/photo editing/etc on a mac which they can't do very well (sometimes) in pc's.

Click to expand...

Absolutely. But I don't think there's any denying that a lot of new customers using Macs today are only using them because their friends have them and they find the commercials appealing.

That's not a bad thing, by the way. It's a good way to attract new customers.

TheSpecialist08 said:

As I see it, these aluminum macbooks are just as powerful as last years (before the new aluminum unibody) macbook pros.

Click to expand...

Just as long as you don't run any applications that use the gpu.


I don't really care, but imho it would have been better to drop the "pro" name from the 15" and 17" models and just make one macbook line.

People will go running around now telling all their friends that they have Pro machines, but when in actual fact, they're just the same MacBooks that everyone else has?

conch575 said:

People will go running around now telling all their friends that they have Pro machines, but when in actual fact, they're just the same MacBooks that everyone else has?

Click to expand...

What do you mean? The UMBs are the best MBs ever made.

Quillz said:

Most people start off buying iPods and then eventually buy Macs because all their friends have one. Apple's entire culture is based on being cool, hip and popular.

Some buy Macs because they like them. Others buy them because it's simply the cool thing to do. That and Microsoft bashing.

Click to expand...

I don't know anyone else that owns a Mac, I remembered using one that ran System 8 many years ago at school, and out of interest one day a few years ago, went onto Apple's website. That's the moment I became really interested in Macs - I just wanted to try something different, and they looked so elegant. I got my first iPod a few months later, it was a birthday present because my parents realised I was getting sick of having to haul CDs around on trips (and I looove my music )

Buuuut, I'm not really trying to argue, I'm letting you off because of the "most" at the start of your post...the most important word

There are other things “pro” users do besides heavy graphics applications.

Excel anyone? Audio producers? Photography?

In fact, the only users who need a lot of graphics performance are the ones who game or do intensive CAD type work….in which case, why are you buying a 13” laptop?

I think it's a good thing if you think about why they may have done it.

Also I do not know why people make it seem as if it's the same old macbooks except they tack "pro" on it there are a lot of differences between the mb and mbp

12" Powerbook users have been begging for years for the return of a smaller pb/mbp finally it came.

TheSpecialist08 said:

snip
I find it funny that when I brought this UMB home, my roommate (who owns a MBP) said, might as well call it a macbook pro!

Click to expand...

haha, My roommate said the exact same thing! I thought so as well, cause it is basically a pro without the pro name. Collector's Edition for life! lol

The problem i think will appear is people buying this UMBP 13" thinking it is a super powerful computer (like the other UMBPs), and then be disappointed with the inferior power to that of an UMBP.

I too could see that the 2.53 Ghz 13'' Macbook Pro becomes Apple's top selling computer. I always thought that the uMB's were basically a pro anyway. The only difference between the 2.4 Ghz 13'' and the 15'' was the jump in price. Now they lowered the difference in price and made the line up much better. Now you can get a 15'' for well under $2000.

I was watching a Microsoft laptop hunters commercial where the girl was looking for a laptop but ruled out the apple because her budget was $1700. She ended up buying a $1000 dell. If she had waited she could have bought the 15" MBP, which is what she actually wanted.

Who cares? It's only a name.

TwinCities Dan said:

It wouldn't have been such a big deal if the didn't already release alum. MBs. It would have been easier to distinguish MBs = Plastic, MBPs = Alum, but oh well, the unibody is where Apple wants to go.

At the end of the day, it's still just a name.

Click to expand...

you hit the nail on the head...it would not be a big deal if they didn't release alu uni MBs. For me, I don't know if my alu uni MB is a 'stupid' collectors item as some say, or an extinct model. I see the potential in resale of some Apple enthusiast wanting 'my so called Collectors Edition uni MB,' but for me I am upset. Mainly because, what happens if something fails. They discontinued the model, so where does that leave me. I had a BlackBook fail on me(early 09), so they couldn't give me a new one because there was none left(discontinued), so they gave me a uni MB. That was nice, Apple's policy is to either replace your defective model, or giving you something better if they do not have your previous version in stock. That is a great policy, it really is. I got something better...but I still want consitency with the products, so I can make decisions now based on future predictions from people like Apple who use to be somewhat consistent....

Apple has lost me. I truly do not know what is coming next, and if anyone says they know full circle of what Apple is doing next, you must be Steve Jobs

But overall, like you said, it's still just a name...

CrackBookPro

Understanding that "Pro" is just a marketing term, i am quite pleased with the rebranding. More features, less money. What sane person would complain about that?

Couldn't care less really!