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2011 Mac Book Pro 13" - predictions?

B

belltree

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 17, 2008
395
60
Tokyo, Japan
Anyone care to take a poke at what we will see for the next MBP 13" refresh? I don't believe we will be seeing a fall refresh for any of the MBP line up, nothing until spring 2011.

My guess for the 13":

CPU: Core i5 (I don't imagine we'll be seeing anymore Core 2 Duo's in future models)
GPU: ATI mobility discrete
RAM: no change from current
HDD: 320GB default (up from current 250GB)
Connectivity: USB 3.0
Chassis: no major change
Battery: improved


One thing I'm wondering about is if the thermals will improve at all? By this, I mean with the drop to 32nm from the current 45nm for the Core 2 Duo will we see less heat generated by the 13" MBP? I have read some threads by users complaining it gets quite warm and this has me holding off on buying one now. Anyway, hope to hear your predictions.
 
Well unless they use Sandy Bridge, I don't think it will happen. You need two-4 chips at the current offers. Well 3. The 15 inch MBP has a Intel Core i5 or i7. And a Nvidia GPU. The Intel chip dies take up quit a bit of room becAuse of it's design. Then there is anther chip (not connected to the heatsink) it looks like a CPU, but it's a graphics hub intel Thingy. With the correct arrendale design to add USB 3, you need another chip. So unless they chuck the disk drive, and can make all these chips REALLY energy efficient, I don't see it happening. I think Intel's SandyBridge will fix that though as I think it will have USB 3 built in and the CPU and GPU will be on one die, so it saves space.
 
Quite right. Giving it a second thought, I don't think we'll be seeing a discrete GPU in the 13" without a chassis change. Looking over things more I don't think we'll see a big change in heat output until we get to the 22nm process for the CPU (2012 for the desktop) so I may as well jump in now and get the MBP 13".
 
Intel has confirmed they will no longer produce Core 2 Duo from fall. So I think Apple would update the MBP 13 before X'mas
 
I think, that after a year, we will see I3 processors maybe or possible 15 processors. From a marketing standpoint, if they offer the I5 in the 13" the only benefit would be the size for the cost. There gonna leave a significant difference in processors so that it is easier to justify spending 500 bucks or so more for the 15". With that being said, I believe I3s will be seen. That is just me.
 
From what i've read Intel is supposedly phasing out the Core 2 Duo's this late fall. Therefore it can't really have a C2D. And with the Nvidia & Intel lawsuit, Apple might have to switch back to the Intel GMA.

IMO, the biggest improvement they could make is use a dedicated graphics card. I would buy one the second they came out.

I wish it could be more like the 12" PB. Dedicated graphics, and still really small.
 
New CPU/integrated GPU, that's all. Maybe, and that's a pretty small maybe, there will be a BTO option to delete the superdrive and use a dedicated graphics chip. As long as that superdrive is there, it will be integrated graphics only. I'm perfectly ok with that, because I have no need for amazing graphics performance. People will always whine about graphics chips in notebooks, but that's because anything really good is a power-hungry, heat-producing beast. No matter for me anyhow, I will be keeping my current computer for quite a while to come. Maybe adding some older PPC Macs just to mess around with though.
 
Hmmmm.........

I can't help but wonder if we'll see the likes of the Retina display in new MBP's. Apple does seem to have a habit of employing a technology in a given product and then spreading it across the wider product range where it can.

USB3.......I'm not so sure yet, but it's a maybe.

Definitely improvements in battery life

More SSD options as they get cheaper to implement. I see the day approaching where Apple only uses SSD's and not mechanical hard disks

I'm sure that internal DVD drive's days are numbered........and I wouldn't put it past Apple to utilize the bay for other things such as the above mentioned space required for discrete graphics etc etc. So I can see them charging customers to purchase it as an optional extra as they have done with the Macbook Air. The OS comes pre-installed and you can buy it on media if you're willing to pay the extra price.

RAM would probably remain the same, although an upper limit of 8Gb might be extended - I suspect that would happen on the higher-spec'd machines though.

HDMI maybe............don't really know on that one, but they've already done it on the mini so anything's possible and it could be assumed that a lot of 'home consumers' may make the most of it with their TV etc etc.

.....just my 2c worth.......
 
I suppose the 13" MBP update will be largely contingent upon the levels of Core 2 Duo stock in Apple's possession. With the discontinuation of The Core 2 Duo chipsets later this year, it remains to be seen whether it is possible for Apple to continue milking the Core 2's well into 2011 or whether we'll see an update in November/December due to depleted stock. Maybe Apple would only update the 13" at that time. They would update it to the i5's (even the average consumer knows that an i3 should not be in a "pro" laptop) and god knows what they'll do regarding the graphics issue. They would then have to suffer the short period in which the 13" MBP's would cannibalize sales of the 15" and 17". It seems more plausible however, that Apple may stock up large on Core 2's to avoid all that but hey what do I know. The way Apple are going lately I wouldn't be surprised if they sealed a deal with Intel to continue the production of Core 2's for 4 more years!!
 
Given the issue with discrete graphics and lack of space on the 13" logic board, I suspect we may see a deletion of the internal CD drive on the next model + discrete graphics and the i3/i5 processors.

HDMI is probably a given, and probably USB 3.0 as well.
 
diablo2112 said:
Given the issue with discrete graphics and lack of space on the 13" logic board, I suspect we may see a deletion of the internal CD drive on the next model + discrete graphics and the i3/i5 processors.

HDMI is probably a given, and probably USB 3.0 as well.
Click to expand...

No optical drive would be amazing. One can only pray (to the apple gods)
 
belltree said:
My guess for the 13":

CPU: Core i5 (I don't imagine we'll be seeing anymore Core 2 Duo's in future models)
GPU: ATI mobility discrete
RAM: no change from current
HDD: 320GB default (up from current 250GB)
Connectivity: USB 3.0
Chassis: no major change
Battery: improved
Click to expand...

CPU i3 on lower end and a higher end i5.
GPU ATI agreed
RAM no change
HDD small increase
Connectivity none (apple are supporting light peak).
Chassis none
Battery very little.
 
weenerdog said:
No optical drive would be amazing. One can only pray (to the apple gods)
Click to expand...

By no optical drive, do you mean complete inability to read CDs and DVDs ?

Also, I'm not familiar with the "dedicated graphic" issue. What is it all about?
 
2011 macbook pros Huron River mobile platform, Sandy Bridge processors(1 chip<processor 32nm & IGP intel hd 32nm>), SATA III(6Gbps), not usb3.0(huron river,mobile sandy bridge not supported usb3.0, thats why)
 
Look if this another "should I get the 13" now or wait for an upgraded CPU + GPU" thread then just get it. I mean I was in this boat a week ago and finally just decided to get it. I was really wanting the 13" vs the 15" because of size and portability but wanted the new CPU of the 15". I'm glad I went ahead and got the 13" even with the C2D because it really is a great computer nevertheless. I think now that I would have regretted getting the bigger laptop size because of how much I carry this thing around with me for work and school. The 320M is a really nice graphics chip and the C2D is still a great CPU plus because of the maturity of these parts and design considerations by Apple...you get the best possible battery life that you can't get anywhere else!
 
Why ATI? Why not NVIDIA?

Also, I doubt a retina display because OS X is not resolution independent. And the power and GPU power required to run the display is simply too much.

But I do want to see a Core i3 or i5 in there. But aren't the Core i3s less powerful relative to the Core 2 Duos?
 
CPU: Dual core Sandy Bridge, specifications are still unknown but possibly an i3
GPU: Intel IGP (Sandy Bridge's IGP isn't that bad, should be great improvement). Possibly NVidia GF 1xx based GPU
RAM: Same as current
HD: 320GB in low-end, 500GB in high-end. Possibly option for 640GB, 750GB and/or 1TB
Connectivity: No changes, no USB 3.0 yet as Intel ain't adopting it yet (=would need a discrete chip
Design: No major changes
Battery: Improved if IGP is used, if discrete chip is used, stays the same.
 
Blues003 said:
By no optical drive, do you mean complete inability to read CDs and DVDs ?

Also, I'm not familiar with the "dedicated graphic" issue. What is it all about?
Click to expand...

Yes the optical drive takes up a considerable portion of space inside the machine and considering how often one uses cd's or dvd's these days it would be a welcome compromise to lose it entirely in favor of an external optical drive and more space for dedicated graphics. The graphics issue is this: Apple cannot use Core 2 Duo next update because their production is being discontinued therefore Apple will have to us Core i5's, however Apple cannot use the current Nvidia integrated graphics due to licensing disagreements and all sorts of trivial disputes between Intel and Nvidia. Anyway long story short, they have 3 options:

1. Use current Core i5 chips and settle for the intel graphics. This would be a considerable downgrade from the 320m so it is unlikely.

2. Use current Core i5 chips and dedicated graphics card. Basically impossible unless the optical drive is removed as there simply isn't enough room. This option, however, would produce best graphics results.

3. Maybe the Sandy Bridge core i5 chip will have Intel graphics that are equal to or better than the 320m in which case they will use that and there is no problem.
 
Give us a High Res screen option (1440x900 would be good) along with a Matte option (Hate 1280x800/glossy).
 
AMD 12-Core, 1Gb Radeon 6750, 1080p matte screen option, OLED 1280x800 optional too.
 
weenerdog said:
Yes the optical drive takes up a considerable portion of space inside the machine and considering how often one uses cd's or dvd's these days it would be a welcome compromise to lose it entirely in favor of an external optical drive and more space for dedicated graphics. The graphics issue is this: Apple cannot use Core 2 Duo next update because their production is being discontinued therefore Apple will have to us Core i5's, however Apple cannot use the current Nvidia integrated graphics due to licensing disagreements and all sorts of trivial disputes between Intel and Nvidia. Anyway long story short, they have 3 options:

1. Use current Core i5 chips and settle for the intel graphics. This would be a considerable downgrade from the 320m so it is unlikely.

2. Use current Core i5 chips and dedicated graphics card. Basically impossible unless the optical drive is removed as there simply isn't enough room. This option, however, would produce best graphics results.

3. Maybe the Sandy Bridge core i5 chip will have Intel graphics that are equal to or better than the 320m in which case they will use that and there is no problem.
Click to expand...


Thanks for your detailed reply. :)

Well, I dunno about losing the optical drive. Apple is all about going digital, but I still think CDs and DVDs are useful sometimes. For example, when needing to install a piece of hardware (i.e. printer) which comes with CDs or DVDs. I doubt most of the common users would know how to get around that problem.

BTW, 4th option: wait until Intel comes with an i3/i5 chip with graphics at least as good as 320m? :p xD
 
Blues003 said:
For example, when needing to install a piece of hardware (i.e. printer) which comes with CDs or DVDs.
Click to expand...

Should never use those CDs/DVDs anyways, as the drivers on them are (9 chances out of 10) way out of date when you purchase the item anyway.
 
DesmoPilot said:
Should never use those CDs/DVDs anyways, as the drivers on them are (9 chances out of 10) way out of date when you purchase the item anyway.
Click to expand...

True, but the CDs don't bring just the drivers. They bring extra programs, troubleshooting guides... and I doubt the manufacturers are going to put all of that on their websites.

I dunno, I just feel it's a risky move to do that, on Apple's part. (supposing it happens, of course)
 
Blues003 said:
True, but the CDs don't bring just the drivers. They bring extra programs, troubleshooting guides... and I doubt the manufacturers are going to put all of that on their websites.

I dunno, I just feel it's a risky move to do that, on Apple's part. (supposing it happens, of course)
Click to expand...

They do put all kinds of guides to their websites but I think it's a law that demands them to include them in the actual box as well, not everyone has access for internet. DVD drives can't go yet as they are crucial for troubleshooting. When software starts to come in USB stocks or SD cards, DVD drives can go
 
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