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2012 Macbook Pro Redesign
- Thread starter Funkymonk
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Better graphics, better battery life, retina resolution screen, better processor, USB 3.0, better thunderbolt, depending on your last model: better SATA, better webcam etc......If you're waiting for the new model just to show off that you bought a new one, you're buying the computer for the wrong reasons.
Your iPhone 4? No it doesn't
"you're buying the computer for the wrong reasons"
true, but in you list you listed two things that you said you should be wanting in you 1st post? its not that these people don't want all that too, but things like retina are more interesting and ground breaking than a slightly faster sata controller.
Retina was stated by me and does not require a redesign. If the only reason you want a redesign is to differentiate it from older models, then that is a bad reason to want a redesign. Redesigns should serve some functional purpose. If Apple doesn't feel like a redesign is necessary or feels that a redesign will HURT the functionality of their Macbook Pro then they shouldn't redesign it. It's not a bad business decision to not redesign just because you want them to.
Seems to me that if they are going ahead with removing the ODD, they will then move other stuff around inside and probably have enough reason to redesign the case to optimize the changes.
You don't understand how a business works do you?
Customers buy on emotional, rather than rational values. It simply does not matter if the redesign does not serve a functional purpose. It doesn't have to. It does, however, show that the computers are the latest and greatest from Apple, and in turn will drive up sales. The end goal is making a profit, not about functionality. If Apple's marketing guys can put together numbers saying a new look to the computers will increase demand, and in turn revenue, they will redesign, regardless of functionality.
Customers buy on emotional, rather than rational values. It simply does not matter if the redesign does not serve a functional purpose. It doesn't have to. It does, however, show that the computers are the latest and greatest from Apple, and in turn will drive up sales. The end goal is making a profit, not about functionality. If Apple's marketing guys can put together numbers saying a new look to the computers will increase demand, and in turn revenue, they will redesign, regardless of functionality.
The MBP doesn't need a redesign from a functional point of view. However, a redesign may be a good thing even from this perspective: Apple may make it thinner and lighter even without removing functions.
However, the main point in redesigning it is to drive sales. The first unibody MBP was released in Oct 08, and contained a Core 2 Duo "Penryn". After that, Intel released two new generations of processors, and is about to release the shrink of the second generation. A Core 2 Duo is not capable of running OS X Lion as fast as it run Leopard. And people who bought their MBPs in late 2008 or in 2009 may already be thinking of upgrading their laptops. Will these people buy a MBP which looks exactly as they looked three years ago, with the very same screen, just to have higher specs? Are they so rational to see that the MBP doesn't need a redesign? Or will they look at other alternatives (i.e., products by other manufacturers)? Will Apple run this risk? I don't think so. I think a redesign would be a wise business decision.
the latest features
hey check this new features of macbook pro 2012 latest rumors !!!!!
http://macdailynews.com/2012/04/21/...to-make-it-better-than-macbook-pro-late-2011/
that some of the new features :
Pro 2012 will be thinner and slimmer and will follow MacBook Air form factor
Retina Display on the Card for Pro 2012
Intels Core i5 and Core i7 Ivy Bridge chipset
Thunderbolt Port
Full-Surface Trackpad with accidental touching sensing
Surround Sound System
hey check this new features of macbook pro 2012 latest rumors !!!!!
http://macdailynews.com/2012/04/21/...to-make-it-better-than-macbook-pro-late-2011/
that some of the new features :
Pro 2012 will be thinner and slimmer and will follow MacBook Air form factor
Retina Display on the Card for Pro 2012
Intels Core i5 and Core i7 Ivy Bridge chipset
Thunderbolt Port
Full-Surface Trackpad with accidental touching sensing
Surround Sound System
hey check this new features of macbook pro 2012 latest rumors !!!!!
http://macdailynews.com/2012/04/21/...to-make-it-better-than-macbook-pro-late-2011/
that some of the new features :
Pro 2012 will be thinner and slimmer and will follow MacBook Air form factor
Retina Display on the Card for Pro 2012
Intels Core i5 and Core i7 Ivy Bridge chipset
Thunderbolt Port
Full-Surface Trackpad with accidental touching sensing
Surround Sound System
don't get too hopeful, those rumors are based off the international business times article which was based on the digitimes article and just all other rumors compiled together
Agreed. If they remove the ODD, then a redesign should happen. It would be a waste to remove it if that's all they did.
I have no doubts that a redesign could be a good marketing tool. The assertion was that Apple not redesigning the MBP would be a BAD business decision. I disagree. Apple is going to sell laptops regardless. They are not going to suffer some huge loss in sales due to the look of their laptops if they are keeping them competitive. Retina resolution screens is not only keeping them competitive, it's innovating. No one could tell me that if Apple released retina screens on the next MBP in the exact same shell, it wouldn't sell like hotcakes. It will. Design is important, but the MBP has one of the best, and Apple could easily rely on feature set to sell them. In summary, it does not matter if Apple does not redesign the Macbook Pro. All that matters is that they continue making the best laptop around.
Were you under a rock for the iPhone 4s launch? It is essentially a spec-bumbed iPhone 4 and everybody was expecting a redesign. Apple suffer for it? Nope, sold faster than the iPhone before it. I bought one as soon as I could.
I would argue that making them thinner and lighter IS a functional purpose. If they can do it without creating issues of heat dissipation and a loss of performance then it may be good to redesign. However I don't think it's NECESSARY to drive sales. As long as Apple creates reasons to buy, people WILL buy. As for your question about whether people will buy just for updated specs, yes they will. I know people that want a new computer just because they feel like they need more RAM or Hard drive space. That's not rational at all, but they are actively trying to get new computers to alleviate that issue.
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Making the MBPs thinner and lighter is definitely a functional purpose. Perhaps they can pack a quad-core Ivy Bridge and a dedicated GPU inside a thin and light design. I was quite impressed with the design of the iMac - Apple was able to put a high end desktop processor inside a very elegant all-in-one. But perhaps Apple accepts some trade-offs, who knows?
I don't believe that there will be a huge change in design. The MBP is already great, but Apple could make its design even better. I think the change will be subtle, that Apple will not unify its entire line of laptops and that the MBP is not going to be as thin and light as the Air.
People will buy it for better specs. Some people will. But some won't. Some people are just happy with their 2009 MBPs running Leopard or Snow Leopard and they don't see a reason to upgrade. And some other people can't tell the difference between the Penryn and the Ivy Bridge. But they can tell if a laptop is beautifully designed or not. A retina display would certainly drive sales up, but a redesign wouldn't further improve it?
I believe Apple is going to launch a redesign together with the retina for at least one reason: screen size. This is the opportunity for Apple to adopt the 16:9 format (which is widely used by everybody else, including Apple in its iMac line) instead of the current 16:10 format. If Apple adopts retina display first, and then redesigns the MBP, it may have to reduce the display resolution (from 1280x800 to 1280x720, from 1680x1050 to 1600x900, or from 1920x1200 to 1920x1080, for instance) - something it NEVER does.
I generally agree with all of that. I am not opposed to a redesign. If they change screen aspect ratio, good chance of a redesign. If they take out the ODD, good chance of a redesign. Also, I generally agree that redesigning it could move units. But I wouldn't find it surprising if they did not redesign, and I don't think Apple would suffer for it if they didn't redesign it. I don't think redesigning it for the hell of it is necessary.
I hope they don't move to 16:9, it's too vertically cramped. On the iMacs it doesn't matter so much because they are so huge.
I'd rather have a screen with 16:9 ratio, I don't feel cramped whilst using it and to be honest, a 16:9 ratio screen would make viewing modern movies/videos much more comfortable, makes the movie feel fuller and more immersive.
I find the design of current MBPs great. But, looking at the lifecycle of Apple products, one may find out the following:
iMac: released on August 15, 1998, redesigned (1st time) on January 7, 2002 (lifecycle of 1,241 days); redesigned (2nd time) on August 31, 2004 (lifecycle of 967 days); redesigned (3rd time) on January 10, 2006 (lifecycle of 497 days); redesigned (4th time) on August 7, 2007 (lifecycle of 574 days); redesigned (5th time) on October 20, 2009 (lifecycle of 805 days).
iPhone: released on June 29, 2007, redesigned on June 24, 2010 (lifecycle of 1,091 days).
MacBook (white): released on May 16, 2006, redesigned on October 14, 2009 (lifecycle of 1,247 days).
MacBook Pro: released on January 6, 2006, redesigned on October 14, 2008 (lifecycle of 1,012 days).
The design of the current MacBook Pro already has 1,285 days. Its lifecycle is already longer than any of the products mentioned above. Isn't it time to upgrade the design, considering the recent history of updates of Apple products?
While I admit that the iMac has changed a lot, its current design has been around for a while and shows no signs of changing. As for the macbook, it seems that this line suffered from Apple trying to figure out what to do with it. They made it aluminum at one point and then put it back in plastic with a unibody frame. Then discontinued it.
The most important product of your list is the Macbook pro and your assertion is faulty. While the NAME macbook pro was introduced in 2006, the design was not new. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook_G4
The aluminum powerbook G4 was the same design and was introduced in 2003. That's a 5 year lifecycle.
Well, in fact, the PowerBook G4 and the MacBook Pro had a slightly different design. Subtle changes, as noted here: http://www.macworld.com/article/1049555/mbpromain.html. I would expect something like that for the new MBP.
Yeah? I don't:
- no discrete graphics card on MBP 13"
- too many sharp edges
- distance from keyboard to screen is too small: glass gets grease smudges imprints
- lid does not open to a wide enough angle
- USB ports are too close
- screens are glossy by default
- no dock connector
- no user-replaceable battery
I find 16:9 ratio not very good for working. I realize many people watch movies on their laptop but I think it's a minority. Anyway, I doubt Apple will change that. Just look at the iPad: Apple choose 4:3 when all other manufacturers went 16:9. 4:3 is so much better on a tablet imo.
Retina? How if people want more battery life?
I haven't seen anyone raise the issue of increased battery size needed for retina screen to keep same if not more improved battery life as everyone so desires. Ipad was 70% bigger battery.
Sure they might remove the ODD, but they will make it thinner/smaller. Enough for atleast 70% more battery too? Unless ivy bridge completely eliminated this issue due to its greater efficiency, they have to choose between life and screen res?
I haven't seen anyone raise the issue of increased battery size needed for retina screen to keep same if not more improved battery life as everyone so desires. Ipad was 70% bigger battery.
Sure they might remove the ODD, but they will make it thinner/smaller. Enough for atleast 70% more battery too? Unless ivy bridge completely eliminated this issue due to its greater efficiency, they have to choose between life and screen res?
Me too. I find that the Macbook Pros battery life is good now. But the ONE thing you always look at (the screen) is below par....
I would want a great screen, instead of a great battery.