15/17-Inch MacBook Pro Specs: AMD GPU, Quad Core i7

[glimp7]

Lp?

No Lightpeak?

 

[ItsAllSticky]

In response to the exclusion of the express card slot, for those of you that do audio and are familiar with UAD dsp cards, you'll note that this past name introduced new "satellite" versions which use firewire and are only compatible with mac. Makes me wonder if Apple clued UAD in the coming absence of the express card slot...

 

[FFTT]

If these machines offer Quad Core, the wait has been well worth it for me.

I'm hoping the 15" will at least offer the Quad Core upgrade.

 

[torach]

Hi everybody!

Longtime reader, first time poster. Just wanted to win the "oldest mac being replaced" contest. My last computer I purchased was a Dell C2D desktop from like 4 years ago cause I was still a student and couldn't afford a new Mac. My current laptop is a PowerBook G4 with something like 768Mb Ram (maxed out, ha) and 1.13Ghz (or something close to that) G4 processor. The PB is still my daily use computer (I just use the Dell for audio recording) and the ONLY thing that doesn't work anymore is the optical drive!!!! I've been selling old music gear on eBay to get a new MBP and I'm so glad I found you guys and waited for this update!!! Anyway, I enjoy reading your posts, and BTW, did you see the Apple store was down? Haha, jk.

-Ian

Might not be considered as an "upgrade" but I'm going from my old Apple II Plus with dual 5.25". I might have had one or two computers in between but that is my latest Apple computer.

 

[arn]

No Lightpeak?

Thunderbolt is listed on the boxes.

arn

 

[iBunny]

No Lightpeak?

Nope.

But we get Thunderbolt instead

 

[Mattsasa]

45 more minutes and we'll know for sure

 

[GadgetAddict]

I agree with all posters saying this is a minor or major (depends how you see it) spec bump. It's easy to get carried away in the hype...

Perhaps we will get a complete redesign next year.

 

[xper]

Do you even realize how big it'd be?

It wouldnt be bigger......

 

[Cicatrix]

No Lightpeak?

They're calling it Thunderbolt.

 

[Hwaet]

LOL @ "you raped the elipses"...guess that means I raped the parenthetical phrase ; )

I don't live near an apple store as I'm in Mississippi. Can I expect Best Buy to have these in the morning?

I was referring to your overuse of the ellipsis, or the 'dot-dot-dot', to borrow the common vernacular. But it's cool. I forgive you.

Oh dear god, go back up, Store! I need you! *rocks back and forth spamming the Refresh button* I need a fix, man, just one more fix, then I'll quit. I'll quit for good! I swear! *manic giggle*

...

*goes back to refreshing*

 

[ECUpirate44]

45 more minutes and we'll know for sure

What makes you say 45 more min?

 

[Tears Apart]

Seriously, Apple is annoying with this wait-for-next-gen..

And regarding screen, what is Retina? You mean 300+ ppi screen? Do you even realize how big it'd be?

So true that. If this specs are true this is a fantastic update.

Only drawback, I am afraid, will be the price range, but then again maybe we are in for a surprise?

 

[vow]

If you can wait until the redesign, do it. This one is viewed internally as a minor refresh, all hands are on deck for the redesign

When is that supposed to come? 2012?

 

[billgates99]

2.2Ghz Quad Core i7

So that would mean either
the i7-2620QM for the 17"
http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=50067&processor=i7-2720QM&spec-codes=SR00W,SR014

and the i7-2655LE for the 15"
http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=54642&processor=i7-2655LE&spec-codes=SR078

does that sound right?

 

[Mattsasa]

will there be less battery power in the 15/17 since there are quad cores?

 

[ItsAllSticky]

Might not be considered as an "upgrade" but I'm going from my old Apple II Plus with dual 5.25". I might have had one or two computers in between but that is my latest Apple computer.

Wow, 5.25"??? That's what I learned math on in elementary school (my first use of an Apple computer). That's impressive man, makes me wish we still had our old Tandy 2000 so I could play Dig-Dug!!!!!!!

 

[Cicatrix]

Does anybody know if there are ANY design changes at all?

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

...but now that Nvidia has terminated that range of GPU Apple has had to move to intel internal GPU which aren't compatible with OpenCL right now...

Wrong!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20024079-64.html

 

[SimonTheSoundMa]

In response to the exclusion of the express card slot, for those of you that do audio and are familiar with UAD dsp cards, you'll note that this past name introduced new "satellite" versions which use firewire and are only compatible with mac. Makes me wonder if Apple clued UAD in the coming absence of the express card slot...

Let's hope Light Peak comes soon. Firewire is ok, but it is easy to max out the bus, especially when you have other outboard equipment.

Avid are developing Light Peak products. Then again, Pro Tools HD isn't really portable.

 

[ezekielrage_99]

FAR better in what? XPS 14" is also discontinued and will not be replaced...

In Aussieland they'll still selling them, discontinued or not they do have a very nice higher resolution (1366x768) display. It was one of the few Dell laptops I've actually been given at work where it's a good little laptop after putting RedHat on it, furthermore it has a 2GB nVidia 425M GT compared to the paltry amount that is "stock apple".

If you look at business class laptops, they come with even worse graphics. I think it needs to be accepted that MBP are not gaming machines, and hardware acceleration in normal software is at the beginning of the road or problematic (lik in Photoshop CS5...)

Business, yes you can work on GMA950 without issue too many issue. However there are users out there who need portability AND power which 256MB just doesn't cut it. Multimedia, broadcast, geospatial and design all need decent GPU.

I think the heat and battery usage are more important than noise.

It depends on the drive, the newer Seagate and WD "green" performance drives are pretty low on juice and heat output. Though with that said I recently replaced the drive in my Early 08 MBP with a Seagate Momentus XT, yes it's fast, it's eating up the juice but runs cooler (@ 42°) than the original Hitachi Deskstar that came with my MBP.

 

[johnalan]

I do wonder why they dont embrace a serious graphics card, I mean I know power requirements, but with the automatic graphics switching it would only be on when really required.

I have an i5 with the 330mgt a decent card, I'm tempted by the quad core / LP but we defo wait till next year as it's not a big enough jump for me.

but for anyone with an older machine I think this is a big jump.

but really why dont they wanna stick in blazing Gcards?

 

[Cicatrix]

Let's hope Light Peak comes soon. Firewire is ok, but it is easy to max out the bus, especially when you have other outboard equipment.

Avid are developing Light Peak products. Then again, Pro Tools HD isn't really portable.

I would pick up an RME LightPeak interface in an instant. More lightPeak please!!!

 

[Heilage]

I must say, I am not opposed to a Quad Core in the new MacBook Pro I'm going to buy.

 

[Twizz91]

Let's hope Light Peak comes soon. Firewire is ok, but it is easy to max out the bus, especially when you have other outboard equipment.

Avid are developing Light Peak products. Then again, Pro Tools HD isn't really portable.

Dude, light peak is integrated?? Read the specs. It clearly states thunderbolt!