2011: The year Apple gave up.

[adztaylor]

Or maybe the explanation is much simpler and you're just upset that the new one looks like the 2010 model and now you won't look as cool as you were hoping in front of strangers because your MBP looks the same as everyone else's.

Hit the nail on the head!

 

[rmitchell248]

Have we really run out of ideas to the point that we're just updating token hardware without any real innovation?

Has anything really changed since 2008 beside some hardware upgrades and the occasional modification of the location of some slots.

No, not really. Looks like we're stuck in time.

What's it going to take for Apple before we succumb to hubris entirely?

What have you done this year? I dont like some of apples tactics but if I think about the last year they did 2 pretty big things 1 with the iPad. Sure its just a big ipod (to me) but look what they did to the entire market. You have dozens and dozens of companies scrambling to play catch up.

How about the Thunderbolt system? Do you see anybody else doing this stuff? Sure intel is behind it as well but who else is putting these things out? Who is now going to have to rustle something together to keep up with what you can buy from apple today?

Bash them all you want but you will still buy their stuff because it is good equipment. If they gave you everything you wanted in one package you would not buy their product every year or two. I suppose they have found the line between keeping you hooked on their product by giving you just enough to keep loyal and ahead of the competition but holding back just enough to keep something in the bag to get your money next year.

If you cant recognize good business practice when it hits you and your wallet upside the head then I dont know what to say to you. Maybe thats why your on this end of the discussion?

 

[tom vilsack]

iphone
ipad
11" mba

share price 2008 $100 today $350+ (wallstreet seems to think apple is innovating just fine)

 

[unchecked]

Breaking news: Macs looking like Macs. More at 11.

 

[BluAffiliate]

What's your genius input on a better design then?
Needs wings so you can also fly with it?
Afaik, the 3 year old design is stil widely considered as the most durable, cleanest laptop design, therefore years ahead of the competition, period.
How's that giving up again?

I don't think I'm qualified to think of a better design. Apple is a huge corporation with many design departments that I would think could think of a better design than I can. What's the point of your post? I never claimed to be a better designer than AAPL.

 

[Benjamins]

LOL why feed the troll?

 

[Fubar1977]

I don't think I'm qualified to think of a better design. Apple is a huge corporation with many design departments that I would think could think of a better design than I can. What's the point of your post? I never claimed to be a better designer than AAPL.

Yep.
People much more qualified than you have decided a case redesign is not required at this time.
Here`s an accurate prediction: this thread > wasteland by the end of today.

Now, if you have nothing useful to bring to the table...troll off.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Seeing the highly anticipated but actually underwhelming and forgettable "upgrade" to the Macbook Pro line signals the end of Apple's innovation and ingenuity. Seems to me like they have given up on building the greatest ever product with every upgrade and are following the usual "incremental" upgrade paths that most other boring computer companies go with.

Really Apple?
We went from:

to

to

to

Have we really run out of ideas to the point that we're just updating token hardware without any real innovation?

Has anything really changed since 2008 beside some hardware upgrades and the occasional modification of the location of some slots.

No, not really. Looks like we're stuck in time.

What's it going to take for Apple before we succumb to hubris entirely?

Are you crazy? Between not only Sandy Bridge and it's insane speed compared to last gen MacBook Pros and current iMacs let alone just about every Mac before it (save for the Mac Pro) to quad-core to the AMD Radeon HD 6570M with 1GB of discrete VRAM to the rad video decoding of Intel's IGP, to Thunderbolt, to 1333MHz DDR3 RAM, to the lower price point to everything. It may be the most substantial MacBook Pro update since it switched from the "PowerBook G4" line. It may not look different externally, but it's new and improved where it really counts and frankly, I love the current design and wouldn't change it at all.

Which is why I'm waiting for the next refresh before I think about getting a new MBP - Major design overhaul

If it's not much above the surface, I see no reason to care.

January 2003:

+

September 2003:

+

+

April 2004:

see September 2003​

January 2005:

see September 2003 and April 2004​

October 2005:

+

January 2006:

April 2006:

October 2006:

+

June 2007:

+

February 2008:

+

THIS! I don't see how people figure that suddenly the design cycles last three years where they previously lasted five.

Dude.. I have no problems with this design. In fact, its probably one of the best laptop designs ever made. It's awesome, sleek and beautiful. They changed the insides more than the outside.

This isn't a car, where they add better headlights, fog lamps and a compass on your rear view mirror.

And +1 to "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". The thing I would fix is the glare and that's really it.. Aesthetics wise.

True story, though they do have an anti-glare option.

'nuff said. The upgrades this crop of Macs got is nothing to scoff at. Design or no design revision - it's a laptop I can proudly say how much I paid for it.

It's still way expensive, but it is certainly the first laptop that made me convinced that there may come a time we won't need desktops anymore. And that was a hard thing to be convinced of coming from a long-time desktop owner.

So I guess we shouldn't think of better designs? We've arrived at the end of the product's evolution?

No, we're still two or so years away from the next cycle, be patient. It's not like the current design looks dated at all.

 

[gox81]

I don't think I'm qualified to think of a better design. Apple is a huge corporation with many design departments that I would think could think of a better design than I can. What's the point of your post? I never claimed to be a better designer than AAPL.

You're the one who's complaining about the design, then tell us what you think that the flaws are on the current design..
I only said that it's stil one of the, if not -the- best laptop design in the world we now live in. You disagree?

 

[G4DP]

I'm one of the first to normally slap Apple for carp updates. This is one of the few in recent years that would make a new purchase seem a good idea if we had the money.

For the first time in a decade they have a technology long before the competition. This was a good update to the MacBook Pro. It wasn't just incremental. It was a general shift from one phase to another.

 

[Evil Spoonman]

Seeing the highly anticipated but actually underwhelming and forgettable "upgrade" to the Macbook Pro line signals the end of Apple's innovation and ingenuity. Seems to me like they have give blah *yawn* lalalala, what?

You're really obnoxious. Go away.

 

[ozred]

1) The Envy 15 also has a 1920x1080 screen. Why doesn't the 15" MBP have a higher res option?

2) Yea, I know, the MBP gets more battery life. However, it is most certainly not the first real laptop to have a quad core CPU. I use my Vaio as a laptop: I usually play games while sitting on the sofa on it >>

3) The best part is, I don't get 2nd degree burns from playing Crysis.

1) This is so true !

Look how many YEARS it took Apple to offer anything above the basic low-res, big font, old persons display.

Apple always has had this incessant need to boast about being the first, the best, blah.. blah... blah... They're like the most insecure little kid on the block.

2) Once again you're so right. Not only that, but these other quad core laptops come with well engineered cooling systems. The Mac comes with lip service.

3) I laughed so hard at this TRUE statement

At the end of the day Apple would do itself a great service by acting like a responsible company, not a spoiled little rich kid with no clue... Ha... Ha... Ha ...

Despite it's shortcomings I like my 15" 2010 MBP, but record setting it's not. Oops, let me take that back, it's the the hottest running of all but my first Unibody MBP.

Finally, and the most telling of all, is Apple and their fanboys become so enraged when confronted with the truth! They've lived in Steve Jobs "Reality Distortion Field" for so long, the poor guys are delusional.

But I will say they've been like the guys on bikes in suits, bibles in hand, going door to door. They've sold Apple religion to the masses more successfully than Scientology.

Tom Cruise would be so proud...

 

[wisty]

Yeah, Apple needs to innovate.

They should make the MBP wafer-thin, and either 11" or 13" - make a portable but full powered laptop. They would have to rip out the optical drive, but who uses them these days? Then they could use ULV chips (which are good enough for 99% of what people do), and wield the RAM to the mobo (who upgrades RAM these days).

They should also go SSD by default. Nobody needs 300G storage, and while it's a little more expensive, SSD is much much faster. Even with the ULV chips, it would *seem* faster than anything else on the market, for most uses!

They could rebrand this innovative new laptop. Something like "MacBook Air". Cool, huh?

Of course, some people need a good old-fashioned laptop with a decent amount of power. Perhaps Apple could keep updating their stale old traditional laptop, to keep those people happy?

 

[Evil Spoonman]

1) This is so true !

Look how many YEARS it took Apple to offer anything above the basic low-res, big font, old persons display.

Apple always has had this incessant need to boast abo… look at me, I have no idea what i'm talking about.

You're also really obnoxious. Go away.

 

[Fubar1977]

1) This is so true !

Look how many YEARS it took Apple to offer anything above the basic low-res, big font, old persons display.

Apple always has had this incessant need to boast about being the first, the best, blah.. blah... blah... They're like the most insecure little kid on the block.

2) Once again you're so right. Not only that, but these other quad core laptops come with well engineered cooling systems. The Mac comes with lip service.

3) I laughed so hard at this TRUE statement

At the end of the day Apple would do itself a great service by acting like a responsible company, not a spoiled little rich kid with no clue... Ha... Ha... Ha ...

Despite it's shortcomings I like my 15" 2010 MBP, but record setting it's not. Oops, let me take that back, it's the the hottest running of all but my first Unibody MBP.

Finally, and the most telling of all, is Apple and their fanboys become so enraged when confronted with the truth! They've lived in Steve Jobs "Reality Distortion Field" for so long, the poor guys are delusional.

But I will say they've been like the guys on bikes in suits, bibles in hand, going door to door. They've sold Apple religion to the masses more successfully than Scientology.

Tom Cruise would be so proud...

So, here`s an idea:

You and Bluaffiliate go and buy a couple of Vaio`s and get on with your lives.
Somewhere else.
kthnxbai

 

[wisty]

1) This is so true !

Look how many YEARS it took Apple to offer anything above the basic low-res, big font, old persons display.

Apple always has had this incessant need to boast about being the first, the best, blah.. blah... blah... They're like the most insecure little kid on the block.

2) Once again you're so right. Not only that, but these other quad core laptops come with well engineered cooling systems. The Mac comes with lip service.

3) I laughed so hard at this TRUE statement

At the end of the day Apple would do itself a great service by acting like a responsible company, not a spoiled little rich kid with no clue... Ha... Ha... Ha ...

Despite it's shortcomings I like my 15" 2010 MBP, but record setting it's not. Oops, let me take that back, it's the the hottest running of all but my first Unibody MBP.

Finally, and the most telling of all, is Apple and their fanboys become so enraged when confronted with the truth! They've lived in Steve Jobs "Reality Distortion Field" for so long, the poor guys are delusional.

But I will say they've been like the guys on bikes in suits, bibles in hand, going door to door. They've sold Apple religion to the masses more successfully than Scientology.

Tom Cruise would be so proud...

If you want to play Crysis, you should by an AMD quad-core with a big bad desktop-class GPU. Or maybe an Alienware laptop.

As for the res, no argument. The MBA is OK, but the MBP is obviously lagging.

 

[orfeas0]

It's the first ever quad core laptop. Anywhere. That's significant.

wait, what? you mean first ever sandy bridge quad core laptop, i hope.

 

[ajohnson253]

OP go ahead & show me a laptop that is physically more attractive than the MacBooks. Since the aluminum unibody's have been released in what, 08? Or 09? Eh either way since the unibody has been out I've found it to this date to be the best looking. Keep it up Apple!!

 

[entatlrg]

Seeing the highly anticipated but actually underwhelming and forgettable "upgrade" to the Macbook Pro line signals the end of Apple's innovation and ingenuity. Seems to me like they have given up on building the greatest ever product with every upgrade and are following the usual "incremental" upgrade paths that most other boring computer companies go with.

Have we really run out of ideas to the point that we're just updating token hardware without any real innovation?

Has anything really changed since 2008 beside some hardware upgrades and the occasional modification of the location of some slots.

No, not really. Looks like we're stuck in time.

What's it going to take for Apple before we succumb to hubris entirely?

Strange, very strange.

yup, you're the man, we'll listen to you, Apple doesn't know what they're doing

 

[dsnort]

2011: The Year a MacRumors Noob with No Post History Starts A Thread Dissing Apple

Oh, wait. That could be any year.

 

[dwhynman]

I don't think I'm qualified to think of a better design. Apple is a huge corporation with many design departments that I would think could think of a better design than I can. What's the point of your post? I never claimed to be a better designer than AAPL.

Apple probably spent hundreds of millions developing the unibody process why would they ditch it after only a few years. The Macbook pro is still considered the most beautiful design in a laptop. I am sure you will see a design change before that changes. As for innovation we are seeing the thunderbolt and the fastest laptops on the market. I am waiting for my new macbook and I am extremely happy with this upgrade. I have been through enough of these upgrades to know that only a small percentage of the rumors going around actually end up in the update. To me it sounds like you got caught up in the rumor mongering and were left disappointed and unable to see that thus is a great update especially in the 15" and 17". You sound like a little girl that was hoping for a pony for christmas and only got a barbie.

 

[Newfiejudd]

I don't fully agree with what the OP has said, but we did wait considerably longer to get an upgrade.

I am extremely happy we got better GPU's and finally quad cores. Although with that said I have seen a bunch of fanboys here defending Apple right now for this move.

Apple is Apple you have your haters and LOVERS that will never change. Yes apple is always late to the party, but when they finally show up they usually have something to show off. (Thunderbolt)

I love my apple products, I have actually switched my whole family over. Wife and Kids. Although at the same time I feel apple is putting more effort into thier iPhones and iPads, letting the MBP line slip just a bit. I mean really besides thunderbolt, we ddin't see anything new from apple in a long time when it comes to the MBP line. Some minor upgrades, that over time equal a great improvement but, really nothing that stands out above and beyond what you could buy for $1000 from Dell.

Yes I am an apple user, but I am also a realist. When it comes to bang for buck apple is not the way to go. So if you want bang for buck go with Dell or HP.

 

[bigjobby]

Even if Apple updated the unibody design the OP would just whine about something else. All products are designed and targeted towards particular market segments. If Apple's offering does not satisfy the OP, Apple wouldn't really care as his/her profile would most unlikely be one that falls within their targeted segments... end of!

So quit the whining over something trivial as the unibody design which has not aged one bit over a number of years; a definite attribute of a design classic.

 

[daneoni]

People like the OP make me laugh. Every refresh cycle it's the same thing 'boo, i wanted more' 'i expected more' 'where's the redesign' Like Steve Jobs owes you a redesign every 3 months.

 

[CrackedButter]

And how many people would be doing all that at the same time?

I do. I cheat a little though with my TM drive inside my laptop ;-).