17" MacBook Pro to be Updated "In a Few Months"?

[bDoc]

Please listen

All I want is for Apple to Listen. A numerous amount of people just don't like the design period. To me it looks like a HP from 2 years ago. If apple does anything do the following.

1. Don't make the keyboards black on the 17' or a least give an option of keyboard color. Silver or Black
2. Add the firewire ports
3. Make the Matte finish an option (I do heavy design and matte is needed)
4.Blu-Ray if possible.

Although I still don't like the black border (personal opinion) I might be able to deal with it. Other than that. Are those things much to ask for on a development machine?

 

[Eric S.]

If these wait until MWSF, then there's got to be something bigger than just 17" MBP's in January, doesn't there?

New mini !

 

[Lershac]

Why Can't

Every day be an opportunity to release new products... not to be nitpicky (yeah this is nitpicky) but poor choice of words.

 

[mBox]

Exactly...

I'd rather have 2 firewire 800 ports. You can just get the adapter cable anyways.

I havent tried this but someone suggested to daisy-chain the units. We went ahead and ordered the 15". Ill test it with an XDCAM and GRAID2. Ill do a sniff test first
LOL

 

[grue]

I don't know about "pointless" but I have 2 Canon XH A1 HDV cameras and a few external HD's here that wouldn't mind being hooked up without an adaptor.

Honestly, the standard itself is completely backwards compatible and the 800-400 cables are readily available. It'd be ludicrous to hold back the people who can use 2 800 ports just to appease the people who don't want to spend $25 on a cable. Then again, Apple hates professional users now apparently, so maybe they'll go back to ADB and serial.

 

[Rocketman]

The MBP 17 is the "luggable" of the Apple portable line (think Kaypro ).

The features added to the 15" suit professionals who need a capable machine for content ingestion and editing in the field and in most cases, except the most remote or portable, can actually use the new external display as well.

The 17" is lower priority, but when it is updated, how many graphics processors will it have and will Snow Leopard support?

Let's poll, with an eye to encouraging Apple to make it 3-4!

Rocketman

Apple should make a .n/USB/FW case that takes Blue-Ray from a third party supplier to solve the Blu-Ray whining. BTW is the new FW connector software upgradable to 3200? USB connector to USB3? I am curious.

 

[unity]

Dear Jobs,

I have only one request for the forthcoming notebook display:

MATTE

I AM A DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER, DO NOT MAKE ME LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR A PRO LAPTOP. GLOSSY IS UNACCEPTABLE IN THE FIELD, PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

Michael

Well seeing that you can buy a matte sheet to put over it, whats the big deal? Not inly will it be a screen protector it will inaccurately render the colors just like you are used to!

www.photodon.com/lcdprotect-sheet.htm


But for us REAL photographers, the gloss screen is nice for the dirty work then brining it to our dark lab for color accuracy.

 

[electricfiddle]

since many video pros use the 17inch I could see Apple removing firewire altogether so they can spite the video crowd that has supported them all these years that way apple can hang out with cool iPod kids instead.

Please add the Audio crowd to that group...

 

[grue]

All I want is for Apple to Listen. A numerous amount of people just don't like the design period. To me it looks like a HP from 2 years ago. If apple does anything do the following.

1. Don't make the keyboards black on the 17' or a least give an option of keyboard color. Silver or Black
2. Add the firewire ports
3. Make the Matte finish an option (I do heavy design and matte is needed)
4.Blu-Ray if possible.

Although I still don't like the black border (personal opinion) I might be able to deal with it. Other than that. Are those things much to ask for on a development machine?

Honestly, that one is. Why have two different parts just for vanity reasons?

2 & 3 are mandatory if they're not completely retarded.

4… that's been addressed.

 

[MattInOz]

That's not quite true. Apple does release new machines at special events or on 'normal tuesdays'. I think it is possible for a 17" MacBook Pro to be introduced with a store update. Especially since it probably won't spot any exciting new features, just the same new case but in a larger size. I don't think Steve would want to say 'Look, everything you already know and love in a 15" MacBook Pro, but with two more inches, and you only had to wait four months for it'.

Yep they could throw on the front page in about a month.
You have to keep new stuff coming the front page to keep the eyes coming back.
Randomely dropping new stuff keeps you in peoples minds.

Mac Mini & MacBook Pro 17 updates would make an interesting pairing.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

If there is no option but glossy for the 17" then I will not be updating my hardware until Apple smartens up and offers options again.

Besides OS 10.6, OS 10.7 and possible OS 10.8 will still run on this SR MBP for a while. Until that time the notebook line will be overhauled again.

Conclusion, I will have a bigger savings account.

 

[miketcool]

Well seeing that you can buy a matte sheet to put over it, whats the big deal? Not inly will it be a screen protector it will inaccurately render the colors just like you are used to!

www.photodon.com/lcdprotect-sheet.htm


But for us REAL photographers, the gloss screen is nice for the dirty work then brining it to our dark lab for color accuracy.

I think I mentioned FIELD, you photo journalist/blogger hater.

 

[macffooky]

In that case are we to assume that NVidia really have changed their manufacturing process or are Apple really going to continue offering a product they know and have publicly admitted to be defective ?

 

[KilljoyPBN]

Apple's HD Laptop, it's regular Cinema Display line, the Mac Pro and DVD Studio Pro will ALL be updated once Apple's and Sony's dispute over Apple's refusal to include Kernel-level AACS Blu-Ray protection are resolved.

If the rumors of 10.5.6 including Blu-Ray support are true, this has already happened.

Haha what? Where exactly did you hear this?

 

[grue]

In that case are we to assume that NVidia really have changed their manufacturing process or are Apple really going to continue offering a product they know and have publicly admitted to be defective ?

the new units do not use the G92 chipset that was failing…

 

[Eidorian]

Time to hunker down with my Macbook then.

 

[NT1440]

with the recent economic down turn, they might just have a surplus of the current 17 inch form-factor.

I think it has to do more with manufacturing the screens at 17" all that big rounded glass....


Your idea deffinatly holds ground tho.

Maybe the new 17" will actually be better than the 15 in some new way? (mehbe bluray?)

 

[gifford]

My bets they release a cheapo macbook at the same time

 

[Stridder44]

Touchscreen, Blue-ray, and GPS or no deal Jobso!

You're kidding right? Why do you need a touchscreen? Blu-ray on a notebook? GPS? What industry do you work in again?

Will Apple remove the FW800 port from the 17" version since they seem to going backwards here??? Just like deciding to exclude the FW400 from the Macbook which the previous version offered. There are still MANY Audio/Visual customers who rely on FW based products!

Audio/visual customers aren't buy Macbooks. And no, they won't take FW800 away (I know you were just being a smart ass though). FW800, if I remember correctly, is the same port FW3200 will use (and is backwards compatible). You can always get a cheap little FW400 to FW800 adapter.

 

[polar-blair]

If it does take that long for the update to be drawn out to MWSF blu-ray really should be included in the 17" but I dont see why apple has to have a special event for bring the 17" models up to date with the 15"s

Now October 14th has happened I wonder what rumours will start up now for MWSF

 

[drachir24]

i wait

Dear Steve

I wait for 17 but I want fw 3200.If you did'nt give eSATA give me fw 3200 please.

 

[apple2E]

Honestly, the standard itself is completely backwards compatible and the 800-400 cables are readily available. It'd be ludicrous to hold back the people who can use 2 800 ports just to appease the people who don't want to spend $25 on a cable. Then again, Apple hates professional users now apparently, so maybe they'll go back to ADB and serial.

very true...Of course I'm going to end up buying tons of cables but my camera crew and editors swap cables and borrow things all the time. At fast times of need...ease of use or accessibility counts a lot for professionals on the go. Why not have both?

 

[Chaos123x]

Since apple hates creative pros nowdays I could see them killing the 17 inch altogether. Maybe even kill the Mac Pro tower while there at it.

 

[Sesshi]

As much as I hate contributing in any way to the drooling Applezombie rumour mill, it could well be that they are waiting for wider availability of suitable RGBLED displays. I'm having to wait for Dell to ship the Precision M6400 with the 17" RGBLED display.

And those of you wishing for silver keys, you've never used a backlit black key vs a silver one, have you? The penny might drop if you do. I've been wanting them to change it for two years. (And of course, they have to do it when I'm ridding myself of my Macs).

 

[agbot]

Dear Jobs,

I have only one request for the forthcoming notebook display:

MATTE

I AM A DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER, DO NOT MAKE ME LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR A PRO LAPTOP. GLOSSY IS UNACCEPTABLE IN THE FIELD, PLEASE TAKE NOTE.

Michael

I've seen posts by other "digital photographers" who says they can't see jack on a matte screen in the field but have much better experience with glossy. It's not quite a universal truth that matte is required for digital media pros. Personally, it's nearly impossible for me to see anything at all on my matte display outside at any angle. With glossy, as long as I'm not reflecting the sun into my face I can see what I'm doing.

I'm sure Apple crunched the numbers and knows that of the (apparent) minority that preferred matte over glossy, an even small number of those would actually go buy a Windows laptop for that sole reason. Will you? Perhaps. However, there seem to be a decent number people who say they're "in the business" and are perfectly pleased with their correctly calibrated glossy displays. Regardless, would have been nice of them not to kill the matte option.