15MBP 2011 or 2012?

[nitromac]

I think it's obvious that Thunderbolt is not going to go very far. Look at the USB 3 market, and then look at the Thunderbolt market. Anything sold using thunderbolt costs like $400 and up, and even a 6 foot cable is $60. Seriously?

Just go for the 2012 if you plan on keeping it for two or more years. USB 3 is going to become mainstream, so why ruin it for yourself? Also, Ivy Bridge is quicker and cooler than Sandy Bridge from 2011. And when the next OSX (or OS11?) upgrade comes around, you might be cut short from all its features if you have the 2011 model, much like the whole AirPlay in Mountain Lion situation.

 

[Ledgem]

I think it's obvious that Thunderbolt is not going to go very far. Look at the USB 3 market, and then look at the Thunderbolt market. Anything sold using thunderbolt costs like $400 and up, and even a 6 foot cable is $60. Seriously?

As long as they don't change their plug design, USB will always have an advantage. I can buy a USB 3 device today and use it, even though I don't have a computer that can access its full speed potential. Similarly, someone with a computer that supports it can still use all of their USB 2.0 and 1.0 devices. The consumer doesn't need to think about what version of USB their ports and devices are. USB is just USB; over time people will find themselves with USB 3 devices and they won't even realize that anything has changed (aside from faster speeds).

Thunderbolt, using a completely different connector, doesn't have that advantage.

Thunderbolt was first put into products in February 2011, and hasn't received widespread adoption by PC makers just yet. Since Intel is backing the technology, there's a better chance that it will happen compared with Firewire. It needs to be in more products and to be used by more people for the prices to come down, and for more devices to be made.

I like the idea of a single port connector that can be daisy-chained and that can run all sorts of different devices. I hope Thunderbolt succeeds.

 

[thekev]

Speaking purely for myself, I'm not too put out over it. That's because we have Thunderbolt, which I view as the successor to Firewire (which I use extensively). Granted, we need more peripherals that support Thunderbolt, and the prices need to come down...

The 2011s had one thunderbolt port. If you wanted to dock to a display other than Apple's, that consumed it. Overall there are many more usb peripherals out there, which is why I tend to favor it.

 

[Ledgem]

The 2011s had one thunderbolt port. If you wanted to dock to a display other than Apple's, that consumed it. Overall there are many more usb peripherals out there, which is why I tend to favor it.

True. I'm holding out hope that we'll see more hubs similar to what Belkin and Matrox will be delivering soon, and priced at a lower cost. I don't expect to see them for a few years, though - not at the lower cost, anyway!

 

[sofianito]

I think I know my answer already, but I decided I would ask the experts before I made the jump.

I am in the market for a non retina 15" MBP. I have seen a few great deals for the 2011 version (about $300-400 difference).

From what I gather, other than the moderate speed boost in some areas and the added USB 3 port, There doesn't seem to be a HUGE difference between the models. is it worth it for a non-power user (photoshop and the occasional game are the most intensive things I do) to just go with the 2011?

I think I am going to, unless someone here can offer me some insight into what I might be missing out on that I can't really see.

Thanks in advance!

You can get a Mid-2012 Refurbished Maxed MacBook Pro 2.7GHz Quad-core Intel i7 with Hi-Res antiglare widescreen display for $2,249.00!!!. Don't think it twice!

 

[thekev]

True. I'm holding out hope that we'll see more hubs similar to what Belkin and Matrox will be delivering soon, and priced at a lower cost. I don't expect to see them for a few years, though - not at the lower cost, anyway!

The problem there is that it's easy for them to drift into the realm of low margin, poorly made peripherals. I'd really like to see these things built into devices that can move in higher volume the way Apple has done with the thunderbolt display. Dedicated docking stations are just the newest usb hubs.