32GB 600Mhz Video-Capable Next Gen iPhone? MacBook Pro Rebranding?

[MacMini2009]

I agree with Peter Maurer, Apple should just drop the "pro" and stick with the name Macbook. All of them unibody. Each Macbook should be named by their size.

Macbook 13, Macbook 15, and Macbook 17.
Each with 2 configurations.

 

[Val-kyrie]

Anyway, any change for MB / MBP will be good those days, and we all can get what we want for whatever tasks need to be done.

One thing always bother me constantly, which is the cooling system inside MB / MBP.

I guess you guys might have the similar questions too. I do a lot of 3D tasks in my MBP, and she became hotter and hotter in a very short time. I tried smcFanControl, external cooling fans, cooling pad, everything you name it. Finally, by some big and powerful fans blow the air under MBP, she chills down a little bit, which I can stand for (with annoying sound from the fans).

I am sorry to post this here, but all I want to know or all I want Apple to do is delivery a advanced cooling system in the Pro line machine, which can keep the machine cool effectively without extra noise, and that will be Pro done for us.

Maybe liquid cooling system will do some job. So, please surprise us Apple!

Liquid cooling would be unrealistic in their current case design. Besides, given the leaking that happened with some of the Mac Pros, I have no desire for liquid cooling.

 

[Val-kyrie]

I'd like to see something happen along these lines. If all the unibodies became Pros (and hopefully the 13" gets a dedicated GPU), then the plastic MacBooks need to drop to $799.

I would agree and only add that all of the 13" unibody models should hopefully get the backlit keyboard.

 

[zap2]

This rebranding sounds positive!


In the PPC days, Apple had a 12'' and 14'' consumer notebook and a 12'', 15'', 17'' Pro notebook.

With this change to 13'' for all lower end notebook it forced people who want a large notebook to spend more cash(in this cash 2K). I'd love a 10''(or 12'') and 13''(14'') MacBook with a 13''(or 12''), 15'', 17'' MacBook Pro

Ideal this would result in a new pricing with the plastic MacBook reaching lower.

 

[Val-kyrie]

The rebranding makes a lot of sense - that aluminum unibody case is really expensive - you wonder why Apple cant deliver one for less than 1299? Its because its not cheap to start with a solid piece of Aluminum and then mill 90% of it away (even if it is recycled, recycling aluminum isn't too cheap either) to end up with a very sturdy shell.

The plasti-macs are much cheaper to produce, and not everyone needs a unibody mac. I think Apple miscalculated on if they could bring the price down over time and that the consumer would spend extra for it (not in this economy).

Its a few things, DDR3 is now almost at price parity with DDR2 - OWC charges $60 for 4GB DDR2 and $70 for 4GB DDR3. Apple could use a lower price point, even if its only $899 (or $849 edu). A $899 and $1099 plasti-mac using the cheap C2D chips (2.0, 2.26GHz) and a $1499 2.53Ghz UMB (nee MBP 13"?). The question there is do the cheap MBs get that X4500 graphics or stick with the 9400M.

Another question I have is can they fit a discrete graphics chip in the thermal envelope for a 13" laptop, especially considering nvidia's history with questionable chips and their "bump" material failing in environments with large temperature differences between hot and cool. I wonder if the 13" MBP keeps the 9400M. Maybe they stick with just the 9400M and clock it faster? Nvidia is taking forever to move the 9400M form 65nm to 55nm or 40nm.

I don't think Apple will go with the X4500. I think Apple went with NVidia's 9400M for performance reasons and unless the X4500 drivers have improved greatly, I don't see Apple going backwards with graphics. Moreover, wouldn't Apple need to write new drivers for the X4500? I believe they write all of their own graphics drivers. Thus, I think it would be easier for Apple to simply stay with the 9400M in order to limit driver development.

However, Apple will have to introduce discrete graphics with a new lineup that would include the currently named 13" MB in order to justify the change in name. Unless Apple shows the change reflects an improvement, Apple could be lambasted for 'cheapening' its lineup.

 

[iMacmatician]

It would be even more confusing to first time buyers to have almost every machine in Apple's lineup called a Macbook pro. If they are going to change the name at all, they ought to all be MacBooks, for the simple reason that it's easier to say.

I agree, and I think a change to "MacBook Pro" could mean that more "MacBooks" will be introduced.

The three best sources for what  does right now are (when they cite their own source):
-Jon Gruber (Daring Fireball)
-Daniel Eran Dilger (AppleInsider)
-Seth Weintraub (9to5mac)

I think MacRumors's own source(s) is also quite accurate.

Agreed but to be honest there's not much distinction between the two, and there's not really anything "pro" about the MBP; low-res screen, 6GB max, etc. One would hope for a decent i7 when they're available w/ideally a 4750 mobile variant... and 8 GB max (if not 16), and a 1680x1050 standard w/1920x1080 available for the 15" optionally.

Agreed here, although some components can't go in the MacBook Pro due to its thickness (which is another issue…), other specs like the display and maximum RAM are lacking.

MacBooks become "MacBook Pros" forming a larger MacBook Pro range.
MacBook Airs become "MacBooks"
new tablet become "MacBook Airs"

This makes a lot of sense to me. Especially if the tablet is very thin. Also ties in with the "MacBook Air is the new MacBook" speculation.

 

[Val-kyrie]

A 13 inch MacBook Pro? That generates expectations:
- Anti-glare option (including no black keyboard and black display hinge for the matte option)
- Significantly improved display quality
- Display resolution (1440x900 as in the Lenovo x300)
- ExpressCard Slot
- Firewire 800
- Huge battery
- Blu-Ray
- 3G networking (no contract of course)

That's what I call a "minor" update

Price doesn't matter if this comes true.

I am hoping for the antiglare for the 15" too, but I don't think you will see a native resolution of 1440 x 900 because of the pixel pitch. Maybe I'm just getting old, but 1280 x 800 is just fine for me. A higher resolution would only drive my eyes crazy. But perhaps as BTO? - I doubt it.

A 13" MBP would definitely need FW800.
I can imagine a battery in a new 13" MBP like that in the current 17" MBP.
I would like but doubt there is room for an expresscard slot.
I would not expect Blu-Ray until the Nehalem CPUs are released. BR drives are probably still too expensive.
3G is likely, IMO.

 

[ibjoshua]

Headlines ending in question marks.

Yeah, we all noticed it, it’s a rumor and so it’s presented as a question, not a fact.

That statement represents a very limited understanding of the English language.

 

[wizard]

Well the line up doesn't make sense now.

I wouldn't doubt Gruber, but the whole "MacBook vs. MacBook Pro" thing seems off.

Well it can seem off but you have to think a bit about how Apples current line up is structured. Due to the expensive case design, the current Mac Books don't play well against competitive consumer models. There is no way to disconnect the expensive case design from the product positioning. The reality is simple, if Apple wants to compete against the market place at large they need cheaper easier to produce portable computers.

That doesn't mean it has to be injection molded plastics, just that CNCing a computer housing at low cost isn't easy to do.

Apple needs to dump the plastic MacBook entirely. While bringing down the prices of the aluminum MacBooks.

Why dump plastic? You make it sound like a sin to use plastics. It is not but it is only one avenue for then to follow.

Due to the CNC nature of the current chassiss manufacture I don't see huge price drops coming. It is a good technique to build a higher end laptop from but it is just to expensive for the Mac Book lineup.

In anyevent if a redoing of branding does happen at WWDC I will take that as an admission from Apple that they introduced the wrong product at the wrong time. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that as part of this rebtanding that Apple finds itself raising the price on the aluminum models and lowering on the plastic models.

Yet you still need a consumer line and a pro line. Hence, MacBook and MacBook Pro. I can't see this changing.

Niether can I. The problem is the Mac Book line up sits at a very high price point to be considered a competitive consumer model. This has to change as Apples products will quickly become luxury items if the current economic collapse continues.

The problem with Apple is that they went and raised price across a wide array of their products when it least made sense to do so. I suspect this has come back to haunt them. MS certainly took notice with their latest marketing program. While the portables pricing isn't as screwed up as say the iMac it certainly isn't free from negative comment. In any event the second biggest killer with respect to Apples laptops is the lack of features when examined against other platforms.

For example the lack of Firewire and USB ports on the new Mac Book has and will continue to be a sales killer. I'd go so far as to say that what they should have done was to drop the CD drive in the small machines to assure space for ports and internal expansion. In many ways it looks like the focused a little to much on the case instead of having a vision for the future of laptop computing. After you get past the case the Mac Books are a bit of a disappointment considering what you get for the price.



Dave

 

[MrZebra]

Regarding rebranding of the macbook line, here's what I think.

Macbook pro: 13, 15, 17inch models all Alu with GPUs (so what is currently Macbook will get incorporated into this line up)

Macbook air: as currently.

Macbook: IS the tablet - and will do everything rumored, and what's more will be beautiful for reading... wait for it... books.

I'm quite diggin' this.

 

[jb1280]

Niether can I. The problem is the Mac Book line up sits at a very high price point to be considered a competitive consumer model. This has to change as Apples products will quickly become luxury items if the current economic collapse continues.

The problem with Apple is that they went and raised price across a wide array of their products when it least made sense to do so.



Dave

Where did they raise prices on a "wide array of their products"?

Pre-notebook refresh prices were: $1099, $1299, $1499, $1999, $2499, $2799
Post-notebook refresh prices were: $999, $1299, $1599, $1999, $2499, $2799

pre-iMac refresh prices were: $1199, $1499 (20"), $1799
post-iMac refresh prices were: $1199, $1499 (24"), $1799, $2199

We can argue about the perceived "value" relative to price, but to state that prices went up across a "wide array" is demonstrably false.

 

[celtikmind]

Where did they raise prices on a "wide array of their products"?

Pre-notebook refresh prices were: $1099, $1299, $1499, $1999, $2499, $2799
Post-notebook refresh prices were: $999, $1299, $1599, $1999, $2499, $2799

pre-iMac refresh prices were: $1199, $1499 (20"), $1799
post-iMac refresh prices were: $1199, $1499 (24"), $1799, $2199

We can argue about the perceived "value" relative to price, but to state that prices went up across a "wide array" is demonstrably false.

If you're looking at the US market that may be true, even though from what you presented here I would say some went up, a few went down. The thing to have in mind though is that today computers in general still tend to become cheaper and cheaper. By keeping their previous prices Apple could be considered "raising" them without someone being wrong unfortunately.

If you're talking about the european market then you're dead wrong. The prices on Mac's over here have gone up. Some say it's due to the recession only. Personally, and I know some other people who have the same thoughts, Apple took the advantage and bumped their price average. One of the signs for this would be that prices have settled a bit but Apple still keeps theirs claiming pricing policys and whatnot.

Whether Apple thinks they would like to be considered luxury items, I think we all know the answer to that one, no?

EDIT: If they're going to rebrand the Mac line they better update the look of SL so it doesn't look a decennia old. Right now, it does.

 

[jb1280]

If you're looking at the US market that may be true, even though from what you presented here I would say some went up, a few went down. The thing to have in mind though is that today computers in general still tend to become cheaper and cheaper. By keeping their previous prices Apple could be considered "raising" them without someone being wrong unfortunately.

This is the "perceived value" argument. Of course it is value, but when you start to get into spec for spec within size and weight and others, prices are fairly comparable. By the numbers, the price on one computer has gone up (high-end macbook), the entry price on two have gone down (24" iMac and entry white macbook). Everything else has stayed remarkably stable.

If you're talking about the european market then you're dead wrong. The prices on Mac's over here have gone up. Some say it's due to the recession only. Personally, and I know some other people who have the same thoughts, Apple took the advantage and bumped their price average. One of the signs for this would be that prices have settled a bit but Apple still keeps theirs claiming pricing policys and whatnot.

This is all about currency, taxes, and doing business in a country, period.

I spend 1/2 the year in Europe and 1/2 the year in the States so I am intimately familiar with the currency valuation. When the 2008 iMacs were introduced, the dollar was weak relatively speaking to the Euro. As such, iMac prices went down. When the 2009 iMacs were introduced, the dollar was stronger, so prices went back up. The British pound has essentially crashed, so of course British prices will go up, as the pound is worth less than it was.

Is Apple taking advantage of this? Perhaps as they do not regularly change prices based on when a currency is up or down.

Whether Apple thinks they would like to be considered luxury items, I think we all know the answer to that one, no?

As long as Apple Co. can maintain their bottom line vis-a-vis Apple Co. nobody should be concerned.

 

[celtikmind]

This is the "perceived value" argument. Of course it is value, but when you start to get into spec for spec within size and weight and others, prices are fairly comparable. By the numbers, the price on one computer has gone up (high-end macbook), the entry price on two have gone down (24" iMac and entry white macbook). Everything else has stayed remarkably stable.

This is all about currency, taxes, and doing business in a country, period.

I spend 1/2 the year in Europe and 1/2 the year in the States so I am intimately familiar with the currency valuation. When the 2008 iMacs were introduced, the dollar was weak relatively speaking to the Euro. As such, iMac prices went down. When the 2009 iMacs were introduced, the dollar was stronger, so prices went back up. The British pound has essentially crashed, so of course British prices will go up, as the pound is worth less than it was.

Is Apple taking advantage of this? Perhaps as they do not regularly change prices based on when a currency is up or down.

As long as Apple Co. can maintain their bottom line vis-a-vis Apple Co. nobody should be concerned.

Funny how the rest of the computer industry seems to be the one to 'think different-ly' then.

 

[jb1280]

Funny how the rest of the computer industry seems to be the one to 'think different-ly' then.

Again, this can be twisted in a different direction.

It seems as though the entire computer industry is embracing low-cost, low-margin netbooks. This might increase unit market share, but drag on revenue market share.

At the moment, Apple has refused to enter that particular space.

So who is thinking differently?

 

[satchmo]

Hopefully they'll make the MacBook Pro actually look like a 'pro' machine. Currently it looks like way too many cheapo PC notebooks.
Lose the black bezel and make the keyboard silver to match the aluminum unibody.

Keep the MB aluminum and bring in a low end black plastic MB Classic.

 

[iMacmatician]

Where did they raise prices on a "wide array of their products"?

Pre-notebook refresh prices were: $1099, $1299, $1499, $1999, $2499, $2799
Post-notebook refresh prices were: $999, $1299, $1599, $1999, $2499, $2799

pre-iMac refresh prices were: $1199, $1499 (20"), $1799
post-iMac refresh prices were: $1199, $1499 (24"), $1799, $2199

We can argue about the perceived "value" relative to price, but to state that prices went up across a "wide array" is demonstrably false.

I believe there used to be a $2199 (or so) iMac.

 

[blackhand1001]

Can't we just go back to iBook and Powerbook. I liked those names so much better.

Hopefully they'll make the MacBook Pro actually look like a 'pro' machine. Currently it looks like way too many cheapo PC notebooks.
Lose the black bezel and make the keyboard silver to match the aluminum unibody.

Keep the MB aluminum and bring in a low end black plastic MB Classic.

Agreed, the previous generation macbook pro was more professional looking than this new one that shouts HP dv9000 series.

 

[chris200x9]

I hope the new iphone has 4G

 

[SpitzerCR]

I want it all..../ thread

 

[grapefruitx]

Call them what you want the current line up is to expensive even for a premium product, particularly if MS close the gap on OSX with windows 7.
Although the biggest driver i think is exchange rate issues, to pluck a decent laptop from the current line up is well over £1000, and the 15in getting on for 1500, Not really very competitive.

 

[thedarkhorse]

if they call the 13" a pro they better put a FW800 port on it.

 

[DeepIn2U]

False!

I call this info FALSE.

All the info - which is scarce from linked proof - of AMD Neo is based on a cpu that is CISC based just like any other x86 based cpu. Neo is not x86-64 like most other AMD Athlon/Sempron/etc cpu.

A6/A7 Cortex/A8 Cortex cpu's are based on RISC design - very similar to the old G3/G4/G5 cpus in previous Apple computers. By design, companies like TI, Broadcomm, Qualcomm, and Freescale using the licensed ARM reference design in cpu's used in smartphones.

This article is simply based on Apple recruiting an engineer and some blog over emphasing this without a call as to what cpu's will be used is going far.

Most other companies save costs by having the manufacturer's engineers tweak the code of an OS to work with the cpu used. Apple needs to come up with a base cpu reference and make XCode work with future cpu's based off that reference design spec.

As Symbian & WM get further refined, Apple's iPhone will have some serious competition in the coming 12mths.

 

[Topher15]

Note to Apple: NO TABLET!! Ridiculous idea. Netbook please. kthxbai

As for the rebranding idea. I really don't see this being a good idea. Not the rebranding itself, but not having a distinction between the high end and lower end laptops. Apple really need high end and low end conventional laptops, with other laptops (netbooks, tablets etc) being in addition to this, rather that the netbook or tablet being the MacBook line. While they could have one line of laptops (e.g. just MacBooks) which could include consumer level specs and pro level specs, a distinct line make more sense to me.

I'm thinking (similar to a previous suggestion):

MacBook 13"
MacBook 15"
MacBook 17"

Each having a pro and consumer version, except maybe with the 17" being pro only.

And with distinct branding, we would have something like:

MacBook Pro line (13", 15", 17")
MacBook line (13", 15")

If they keep the plastic models (and reintroduce the black) they should call it the MacBook Classic. Amirite?

 

[Topher15]

Just a thought.... maybe an Apple netbook could be part of the MacBook Air branding.... the MacBook Air 2...