2012 Macbook Pro Redesign

[zgwortz]

Why do you need the optical disk on a daily basis? Netflix offers streaming service now...

Sigh. You seem to forget there are MANY uses for ODDs other than watching movies. Even if internet were always available (it isn't), or always unlimited (it definitely isn't -- I'm using my phone's tethering right now and if I was streaming video, I'd run into my monthly limits in a couple hours...), the ODD has many more uses then just watching video, both professional and non-professional.

- Installing software (much of which is still ONLY available on optical media)
- Ripping CDs/DVDs/Blu-rays
- Burning CDs/DVDs/Blu-rays of your own stuff
- Backups
- Distributing installation disks
- Snapshots of project code
- Providing disks with content (photographs/graphics/music/PDFs) you've created to clients
- Long term data archival
- Data encapsulation and isolation
- Playing games which need the CD in drive
- Sneakernet
- Booting/installing alternate OSes.

...and probably plenty more reasons I can't think of off the top of my head. I use the drive for many of those things -- and have used it for ALL of those at some point over the last two years. Sometimes as little as once a week, sometimes (during development cycles on certain projects, such as a project where I needed to burn bootable test disks) many times a day.

Just because many of you here don't use your optical drive for much anymore, don't think for a moment that there aren't just as many people who use it frequently. And there are many many more people who use it less frequently, but for who, when they *do* want to use it, would find it frustrating if they had to go out, buy an external drive, and lug it around with them for the few times they needed it.

As I pointed out in the other thread, this isn't like when floppy discs were phased out. At that point in time, floppies had already been relegated to mostly sneakernet and boot disks -- virtually nothing was being distributed on them anymore, and sufficient alternatives for them existed.

Optical discs, on the other hand are *everywhere*. Media and software is still *primarily* distributed through them. USB flash memory isn't a sufficient alternative for many of the uses of optical discs, nor is the Internet. It's simply wrong right now to consider removing Optical discs from the Pro line. Make them an option, sure -- but removing them completely is a terrible mistake on Apple's part.

 

[rneglia]

Sigh....It's simply wrong right now to consider removing Optical discs from the Pro line. Make them an option, sure -- but removing them completely is a terrible mistake on Apple's part.

If only 1 out of 100 people need one, can't they get one of these and everybody else can have more space for a second HDD or SSD?

 

[Zakoth]

The only way I'd need a ODD is to watch a film on a plane or something; but I can use a external or just download onto the HDD/SSD

 

[Razzz]

well what happens to the hdd sdd odd whatever the heck they throw in there, i think the speculation everyone is saying the mbp os gonna be the new air is total rubbish.

The 13" macbook pro i think is a goner,
there will be a 15" macbook air,
but also a 15" and 17" macbook PRO with gpu hdd with add option maybbeeee hybrid, doubt it, and if anything a half inch taken away making it a little bit thinner alike the new Razor gaming laptop, thin.
Retina display? HA, not happening this gen if it does ill gladly accept it, but cmon there is no company out there making these displays, Samsung? I'm pretty sure they've spent there time on the new iPad and the speculated iPhone 5 screen, possible next year thou,

what i would like to see apart from the norm would be for the 17" to use up some of that room for a bigger track pad or something, the 17" might be the only one left with an disk drive since apple DID get a patent for super small disk drives about a year ago

those are my few cents however i do think we will be getting an announcement about the mac's in early MAY, and released in mid may - early june, the 17" may be out in late june.

 

[StuLax18]

Wirelessly posted

A half inch taken off is only a little bit thinner? They aren't even 1 inch thick.

 

[The Mercurian]

Retina display? HA, not happening this gen if it does ill gladly accept it, but cmon there is no company out there making these displays, Samsung? I'm pretty sure they've spent there time on the new iPad and the speculated iPhone 5 screen, possible next year thou,

I imagine, just maybe, they've put a little effort into the S3 and the next gen galaxy tablet. Like maybe

 

[Rockoar]

I don't see the point in making them thinner as they are pretty slim already. Why no use the extra space for a bigger battery and better heat dissipation? if you want slimmer and + portability, go with an Air. Just my two cents.

 

[Investor27]

Hear hear!

I don't see the point in making them thinner as they are pretty slim already. Why no use the extra space for a bigger battery and better heat dissipation? if you want slimmer and + portability, go with an Air. Just my two cents.

 

[Razzz]

Wirelessly posted

A half inch taken off is only a little bit thinner? They aren't even 1 inch thick.

sorry, maybe a cm or 2, haha


and well the retina display would have to be so big ! i just don't see it happening yet,
please apple prove me wrong?

 

[Rennir]

It's funny... I'm looking here daily now too for news on the MBP refresh - for a very different reason. My current MBP is a bit over 2 years old, and I've started looking at buying a new MBP to replace it. With a refresh in the works "soon", it makes sense for me to wait for that to happen and get the new one when it comes out.

But I'm one of those users who many of you seem to be forgetting - the ones who actively use and NEED that optical drive on a daily basis. When the rumor mill started flying about Apple going to a thinner format and eliminating the internal ODD completely, it's gotten me worried. I personally suspect it won't happen -- if they get rid of the internal ODD at all, it'll only be on *some* models of MBP, and it should still be possible to get it either as a build to order option, or perhaps only on the 17" (and maybe 15"). If that happens, I'm fine, and just get the model with the internal ODD and I'm good for the next few years.

If that *doesn't* happen, and Apple actually does as rumor suggests - eliminating the internal ODD completely (a stupid move right now, IMHO -- but I've argued that point in another thread already...) without even an option, then I'll have to go buy the current MBP model before they stop being produced.

Unfortunately, I believe I'm not the only one who will be rushing such plans forward -- and I think the price for current MBPs will therefore actually go *up* during their end of cycle rather than the usual reverse.

And *that* is why I'm anxiously waiting for Apple to release *some* news about the next MBP update - because the sooner I can react to it, the more likely I won't get hammered, price-wise. Or can relax, because the rumor was false -- I'd prefer that.

Actually these were my plans to. I figured if I didn't like the new design, I could buy the current one for a cheaper price. But you could be right that the price could actually go up. Just depends on how many people want to have the ODD and the availability of late 2011 MBPs after the new one had been announced/released.

By the way, do you know if Apple immediately stops selling the current model once the new one gets announced? Would I be able to buy a refurbished one or one from Amazon?

 

[Investor27]

For those of you who wanted longer battery life AND a retina screen on the next Macbook Pro, you can forget about it for now.

The new Iphone just came out with the Retina display, and in order to keep the battery life the SAME rating as before, Apple had to double the capacity size of the battery in the Retina Iphone. DOUBLE!

Like everyone else, I'm hoping for a 10-hour Macbook Pro, but I just don't see how Apple can accomplish that even with all the space savings from getting rid of the legacy drives.

An increase in battery life has to be the main focal point and priority here, and they could use all of that empty space to do it. A faster CPU is a given, and is next inline. And finally, we have the screen resolution, which hopefully will be better than the current one - even if it's only a marginally.

 

[axu539]

sorry, maybe a cm or 2, haha


and well the retina display would have to be so big ! i just don't see it happening yet,
please apple prove me wrong?

an inch is 2.54 cm, so 2 cm is MORE than half an inch.

 

[Ohrstrom]

For those of you who wanted longer battery life AND a retina screen on the next Macbook Pro, you can forget about it for now.

The new Iphone just came out with the Retina display, and in order to keep the battery life the SAME rating as before, Apple had to double the capacity size of the battery in the Retina Iphone. DOUBLE!

Like everyone else, I'm hoping for a 10-hour Macbook Pro, but I just don't see how Apple can accomplish that even with all the space savings from getting rid of the legacy drives.

An increase in battery life has to be the main focal point and priority here, and they could use all of that empty space to do it. A faster CPU is a given, and is next inline. And finally, we have the screen resolution, which hopefully will be better than the current one - even if it's only a marginally.

1680x1050 as standard for the 15" with the "high res and high res+antiglare" as the higher option should be nice. Ive been contemplating wether to stick to standard or go for the higher res on my future 15" but it depends what apple does with the next release ofc.

 

[jonathanbruce]

I remember when I upgraded from the Macbook (2008) to the MBP, i did it just after Christmas 2010 before the VAT rise in the UK. I thought I got a bargain.
I still have it know, although i have now 8gb ram and 120gb ssd instead of the default 4gb and 250gb. Could someone then please tell me that when Tim Cook joined the Directors of Apple why hasn't he kept his promise to lower prices..instead the price has gone up. That was in his original manifesto.. what a two-timing ...!!!!!

I'm still considering a new MBP this year but all this talk of the redesign isn't helping since Apple won't reduce the price for the UK market. check it out for yourself http://store.apple.com/uk
Always a price hike for the UK... TIM COOK "Get a grip"

Ivybridge is rumoured to come out on April 8.... So MBPs are then capable of having usb3 swell as TB. Thats the way forward... Period... any other data transfer port like firewire400/800, esata, sata II & III needs killing off.
There seems to be too much bitching about between Intel and AMD and motherboard competitors for each different chipset.
.Start from scratch with just TB on ALL Platforms... SSD drives will love that configuration , unless you have a Revodrive (Which in my opinion is a complete waste of money) .. This is easy to implement on Ivybridge anyway, so what's the fuss about... Really .. I.T (Idiots Together)

 

[grrrz]

ok, I don't really understand what people here mean by "retina", but it probably doesn't make any sense to apply this to actual computer. If it's "not being able to distinguish the pixels", then If I lay back and type from an external keyboard I already can't. I also couldn't on an old 640*480 monitor from across the room.
If it's doubling the resolution using the "hidpi" setting or whatever and keeping the interface same size it won't happen, that's science fiction for now
(for the 13" 1280*800 would mean 2560*1600; a resolution you only find on 30" monitor for now, it would be ultra expensive, power consuming, need better graphics, and make no sense anyway).
What probably will happen is a little bump in resolution (getting what's standard on the air models for the 13", what's in option for the 15") and the ability to display more information, at what's a still big enough size to read. And they probably should also be working on a truly scalable interface if people find it too small (thought it was vector based so it shouldn't be a problem at first sight). I personally find the standard UI size a little too big on my 13" monitor and could benefit for a better resolution and more space to work.
For the storage, and even if it would be cool, they probably won't put two drives by default or the option to do it, because it'll go against their dumbing down policy,
and probably no flash or ssd on the default configuration, there, possibly maybe a 128 gb (unless they switch from classic HDD format to a AIR-like sata or pci-e flash format. A flash/HDD hybrid solution (sata or pci-e) would be a good idea but i don't really see it happening.
something like this:
http://www.ocztechnology.com/ocz-revodrive-hybrid-pci-express-solid-state-drive.html
So realistic pronostics are, a little aesthetic change, no more superdrive (that we know), little bump in CPU and GPU, little bump in screen resolution.
SSD probably will become standard in further refresh, maybe not in the traditional sata 2,5" format, and a very little chance to see hybrid storage and/or flash pci-e storage; or dual drives.
is there a bet section here?

 

[GNSquacker]

Nvidia just announced some epicness, that seems right up Apple's alley.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/22/2892273/nvidia-geforce-600m-kepler-fermi-mobile-specs

Dang bro that ultra book itself looked pretty nice
COME ON APPLE <3 <3

----------

sorry, maybe a cm or 2, haha


and well the retina display would have to be so big ! i just don't see it happening yet,
please apple prove me wrong?

An inch is 2.54 centimeters.......

 

[StuLax18]

For those of you who wanted longer battery life AND a retina screen on the next Macbook Pro, you can forget about it for now.

The new Iphone just came out with the Retina display, and in order to keep the battery life the SAME rating as before, Apple had to double the capacity size of the battery in the Retina Iphone. DOUBLE!

Like everyone else, I'm hoping for a 10-hour Macbook Pro, but I just don't see how Apple can accomplish that even with all the space savings from getting rid of the legacy drives.

An increase in battery life has to be the main focal point and priority here, and they could use all of that empty space to do it. A faster CPU is a given, and is next inline. And finally, we have the screen resolution, which hopefully will be better than the current one - even if it's only a marginally.

I've had my iPhone with retina display for almost 2 years now.

I assume you are talking about the iPad though. In that case, the battery is 70% bigger, but it not only powers the new display, it also runs the new processor, quad-core GPU, and LTE. Can't really compare battery usage between the new iPad and iPad 2.

 

[InTheUnion]

With all of the hints in OS X of a retina display (which would come to fruition at the earliest with Mountain Lion) wouldn't it make sense that the new software would need to be released before the new hardware? In other words, if we're expecting retina display macs, shouldn't we be expecting a longer wait?

 

[thundersteele]

I assume you are talking about the iPad though. In that case, the battery is 70% bigger, but it not only powers the new display, it also runs the new processor, quad-core GPU, and LTE. Can't really compare battery usage between the new iPad and iPad 2.

I would claim that you can compare them pretty well. LTE is off for most battery comparisons (even for the official 10 hour estimate by Apple), the processor is the same except for the additional GPU cores. The GPUs power usage is increased because it needs to control 4x as many pixels. So all the extra power goes into enabling retina, nothing else.

Btw, even with LTE off, and 70% more battery, the 2012 iPad has slightly shorter battery life compared to the iPad 2.

 

[chilly7]

I don't see the point in making them thinner as they are pretty slim already. Why no use the extra space for a bigger battery and better heat dissipation? if you want slimmer and + portability, go with an Air. Just my two cents.

Totaly agree !!!

 

[stevey69]

just bought me a 17" mbp 5 days ago from macmall for the same price as a stock 15" MBP from apple. couldn't be more happier. sucks for the new comers to be without their ODD, but i hope apple won't pull em out like mba just to make them thinner... thats a hefty compromise to a person who uses their ODD on a daily basis.

 

[that1guyy]

just bought me a 17" mbp 5 days ago from macmall for the same price as a stock 15" MBP from apple. couldn't be more happier. sucks for the new comers to be without their ODD, but i hope apple won't pull em out like mba just to make them thinner... thats a hefty compromise to a person who uses their ODD on a daily basis.

If Apple makes good use of the lack of the ODD by adding a larger battery, or possibly an SSD + HDD combo, I'd welcome it. I can buy a cheap external to burn the occasional CD.

 

[soundman414]

I don't think it would be hard for Apple to procure "Retina" quality screens at many different sizes. I think the New iPad serves as a great example of what is achievable with high volume, low power display production.

Also what I think may lend to this rumor is that itunes' 1080P support is going to be a big push for Apple to be a serious contender with the likes of other service providers like Netflix, Vudu, etc. For that to become a reality they would want a majority of their devices to support such resolutions.

With that in mind, the MBP line would be a great introduction point for at least 1080P support on all MBP models. This would indicate, if this logic applies, that the 13" MBP would have need to support 1920x1080. To maintain the current aspect ratio you could obtain the horizontal 1920px but would have to increase the vertical by 10 percent which would be 108px taller, so essentially 1188 or round up to 1200. My guess would be, just like the current MBP 17", put a 1920x1200 screen on the 13" to achieve a DPI of approximately 170 DPI which is almost 100 DPI less than the New iPad.

As for the 15" and 17" MBP, you could reference other industry standard resolutions like (2048x1536 QXGA, 2560x1440 WQHD, 2560x1600 WQXGA, 3840x2160 QFHD, 3840x2400 WQUXGA). Again, assuming aspect ratios don't change or change very little; the 15" would most likely come with 2048x1536 QXGA at ~166DPI and the 17" would most likely get 2560x1440 WQHD or 2560x1600 WQXGA for ~172DPI or ~177DPI respectively.

All of these are well within the manufacturing capabilities of suppliers and since the volume would be less than what the iPad is currently selling, I think they could boast significant qualities that would really put the "Pro" in Macbook pro.

 

[stevey69]

If Apple makes good use of the lack of the ODD by adding a larger battery, or possibly an SSD + HDD combo, I'd welcome it. I can buy a cheap external to burn the occasional CD.

i already have that. 48gb express card 34 slot ssd. osx boots from ssd, 750gb hd stays as backup AND i get to keep my ODD

 

[grahamnp]

The new Iphone just came out with the Retina display, and in order to keep the battery life the SAME rating as before, Apple had to double the capacity size of the battery in the Retina Iphone. DOUBLE!

The battery increase is not caused by the extra pixels. Apple had to put an double the level of backlighting in the new iPad which consumes power and the doubled GPU power and added LTE, both of which increase power drain.

The MBP's GPU has enough power to put out as many pixels as is needed for normal purposes and the backlighting problem may not be present on a laptop. The MBP also does not need LTE.