Another Look at Apple's Core 2 Duo Choice for New 13-Inch MacBook Pro

[m85476585]

well thats your opinion but the general user still needs a optical drive like my sister who has no clue how to get stuff on a computer without discs and i'd never pay +2000 $ for a 13 inch laptop either
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and about the glossy screen I LOVE IT i even sold my matte samsung tv just to get a glossy sony, looks a lot better on both my tv and my mac book pro imo and it works just fine in the sun if your not fully blind and know how to take advantage of shadows

They could rename the current 13" MBP a Macbook (basically the aluminum macbook with Firewire), and keep it as-is, then sell a 13" MBP like I described. People like you, your sister, and a lot of Apple's customers could buy the Macbook and Apple would still sell more of them than any other model. Real pro users, power users like me, and people with too much money can buy the 13" MBP, which Apple would have a higher profit margin on (even if they don't sell as many they will still make money off them).

If they would just put an antireflective coating on the glassy screen, I wouldn't have any problem with them.

 

[larq2391]

I'd say remove the DVD drive and use the MBA's external one. This story was based on a ArsTechnica article and the only question that hasn't been answered is:

What happens on the next update? Intel is stopping C2D production this year.

Apple likely just bought time with this update. I expect a larger refresh with an actual case redesign next year. Possibly going with a 16:9 monitor with IPS and a redesigned logic board.

 

[barnettgs]

looks like im in real shiats now...which one should i get.....13" or 15" x_x
this is not a fun choice...

$1500 vs $1700...!!

Thats easy, throw in $200 (13% extra) and you get a lot more (bigger screen, faster cpu etc) for your money?

 

[anthonymoody]

While appealing from a logic standpoint, I can't help but read this explanation as the kind of thing that gets figured out in time and obviated.

IOW, sooner or later they'll figure out how to get the necessary parts on board the 13" without sacrificing features or battery power (e.g. more efficient battery which allows for equal power in a smaller package, or some other solution).

 

[BlizzardBomb]

Well if Intel don't want to get their act together, I'm sure Apple won't just twiddle their fingers for the rest of the year.

 

[Eidorian]

Thats easy, throw in $200 (13% extra) and you get a lot more (bigger screen, faster cpu etc) for your money?

Some of us don't want a bigger notebook.

 

[ippikiokami]

Shoot,

Why not make the battery smaller? If it can get 10 hours like it states I would gladly take a battery that would do 6-7 hours with better graphics card solution. As everyone else mentioned lose the DVD drive too.

and to add in.

I also think intel is making a stupid move by restricting the graphics to their crappy one.

 

[kinless]

Oh no, this computer is only 440% faster than my computer...I really wanted one that was 520% faster!

Ok, dude. I'm glad you like your PowerBook. But what's wrong with saying "I just really like my PowerBook"? At a certain point you just look foolish saying that a 5-year newer chip just isn't good enough when the 6-year newer chip is what you REALLY wanted.

You can just say you like your PowerBook and leave it at that. You don't have to make up reasons to impress us.

Eh? OK, that made zero sense.

I do like my PowerBook G4. It is definitely pudgy at this stage, but I can manage to get by with it. Form factor and matte screen are big wins for me. Would I like something better? Sure. But I have a personal laundry list of currently available features out there (not just the CPU) that I would like to have on my next machine. Did the new MBP 13" come with any of them? Even one? Nope.

Marginal CPU speed differences are not the point here. I'm all about value. Aging C2D processors (and the fact that almost nothing else except the GPU was upgraded) are not worth it to me. I will not pay a premium for outdated technology. Could I afford it? Sure. I'd get the matte-screen 15" if I wanted but it's too big for what I'd use it for.

I don't have any cause to impress anyone. How the hell would I do that with a 6-year-old machine?

 

[theelysium]

Thumbs up for AMD

I think Apple should drop Intel and Nivida! Screw their high price tags!

They should have just bought AMD in the first place and used their silicon!

The AMD chips are just as good at Intel's and they cost less. If they went with AMD we would not have to pay for Intel's high price tags in our Macs!

Plus, AMD owns ATI so there won't ever be a GPU dispute!

 

[Chris F]

I agree with Apple's decision, but I have a much better idea:

REMOVE THAT DVD DRIVE !!!

It will make room to:
- Discrete GPU
- Right side USB ports
- MORE BATTERY
- ExpressCard slot

All current boxed software is sold on optical media. People still burn CDs and DVDs regularly.

Your idea is stupid for a bread and butter model like the 13" MBP.

 

[lilo777]

Excuses, excuses...

Every other manufacturer somehow manages to use i3, i5 and even i7 in 13" notebooks but Apple can not вщ this? Yeah, they can not use ATI graphics because (excuse), they can not use Intel IGP because (excuse). Those who want to serve their customers somehow managed to do this (and at least in case of Sony VAIO Z they did it really great). Battery lifetime can not be sustained with good discrete graphics? What else is new? That's an obvious compromise. Just do what Sony does: VAIO X with 14 hours battery life for those who uses laptops on safari in Africa and VAIO Z with great CPU and GPU for those who runs photo/video editing applications.

 

[PandaOnslaught]

Sure I would have loved en i3 or an i5, but tbh - with a 2,4 core2 cpu, im not sure how much I would feel the difference in the daily work.

I read email, I write, I surf the web, I just my calender, I sort out my music and podcasts, I play a bit of Heroes of Newerth, WoW, Starcraft 2

I dont see the big need for a really fast CPU. Even my WoW is running great in raids, and I use a bunch of addons.

hi could you give me approximate settings for WoW and fps your getting? also hows Heroes of Newerth, thats like Dota/ League of Legends right?

 

[DarkKnightNine]

Buy AMD

All the more reason why Apple should and just might buy AMD. With that purchase I bet they could speed up innovation within the company and forever have their own custom designed AMD CPUs and ATI GPUs. They've done it before with P.A. Semi and who's to say that all of the recent meetings between the top brass of these two companies aren't taking buyout. And let's not forget that Apple actually helped design the PowerPC chip so it's not like they wouldn't have something to offer AMD in respect to chip design.

 

[silentnite]

Unfortunately Apple is kind of neglecting the 13" because they don't make as much money off it. However, I would gladly pay $2000 or more for a 13" if it had the same specs as a larger MBP but in a smaller package. Apple's excuse for not upgrading the 13" (to i5 processors or discrete graphics or giving it an expresscard slot) is that they can't fit everything in and maintain the battery life. The solution is to ditch the optical drive since it is becoming less relevant every day. For as often as I use it, I'd rather buy an external and use the space in the computer for something else. If they could fit discrete graphics, an i5, an expresscard slot (or alternatively USB3, eSATA, or LightPeak), 2 hard drives, and a high res matte display (1440x900 or 1680x1050 or more), that would be the ideal computer for me, and I would pay a lot of money for one.

Apple needs to stop watering down their products to sell to more people, and focus on what real "pro" users want. The macbook is their consumer line.

I totally agree with you on that- I was prepared to spend at least $1500 on a new MBP 13" and give my current one to my younger sister. I'm going to use the money and buy an Apogee Duet instead & give her a gift card.

 

[TennisandMusic]

Maybe I missed something but...how does Sony manage to have such a powerful 13" model with i7 and nice discrete graphics?

 

[Augure]

Hi, do you know where I can find actual objective informations on Apple or Google, and not disguises promotion about things we actually don't care about ?

 

[Poll Smoker]

Apple can use whichever horsesh*t processor they want.

Just don't call it a "Pro" model.

 

[SiPat]

Got the 13" 2.66GHz last Friday after waiting three days for the Apple Store to get stock-in.

First thoughts, compared to a Black Macbook: the new Macbook Pro is much faster, the screen is far better and it runs so much cooler (barely warm after about 5 hours use). Not once, under intense usage, did the cooling fans come on (unless the've been removed), unlike the Black Macbook which sound like a fighter jet taking off.

Both machines had iStat and smcFanControl and Temperature Monitor running. The old Macbook saw temperatures close to 70°C whilst the new one barely went over 45°C.

The aluminium housing is oh! so sexy to the touch, and the backlit keyboard is something else altogether.

Just a FYI: the person whom this Macbook Pro was meant for has been using a Sony Vaio for about two years, and they just got fed up after it's tenth-or-so re-formatting and re-installing of WinXP.

 

[Yvan256]

320M in the next Mac mini?

Given that Apple dropped the 9400M and asked nVidia to make a custom GPU for the 13" MacBook Pro, is there any chances to see that 320M in the upcoming Mac mini update?

And if all we're getting is a faster Core 2 Duo, is there any chance of at least getting a Core 2 Quad option for the high-end model?

 

[AidenShaw]

And the latter meant that Apple would need to find room in an already-cramped 13-inch MacBook Pro body for a discrete graphics chip, a feat that was simply not possible, especially given the effect it would have had on battery life both from increased power consumption and from having to reduce the size of the battery to fit the expanded logic board.

This analysis completely ignores the option of increasing the thickness of the 13" by a millimetre or two. This would allow for the reduction of the length x width of the battery, freeing up space for a larger logic board.

Even so, Apple could maintain or increase the capacity of the battery since the volume of the battery could be larger in the thicker case.

Before you brush me off, remember that the 12" PowerBook was almost 6mm thicker than the 13" MBP. Many people still think that the 12" PB was a wonderful size.

Anorexic cases lead to anorexic laptops. Apparently even the reviewers believe that "thin" trumps "useful features".

 

[steveh]

Along with the lack of matte screen, this is a major reason why I decided not to upgrade my old 12" PowerBook G4 from 2004, even though I waited months for a refresh. Until they get it right, I'll keep using what works best for me. I'm not going to buy a litigation-influenced product.

I owned the 12" G4 (1.5GHz). *Any* current MacBook (Pro) beats it six ways from Sunday, and the 13" is only slightly larger than the old 12".

You're kidding yourself if you don't think there's been a huge amount of improvement.

 

[larq2391]

Given that Apple dropped the 9400M and asked nVidia to make a custom GPU for the 13" MacBook Pro, is there any chances to see that 320M in the upcoming Mac mini update?

And if all we're getting is a faster Core 2 Duo, is there any chance of at least getting a Core 2 Quad option for the high-end model?

Absolutely zero chance.

 

[neteng101]

Apple needs to stop watering down their products to sell to more people, and focus on what real "pro" users want. The macbook is their consumer line.

They are catering to the real "pro" users with the 15" i7 and 17" i7... the rest of the lineup is for everyone else that wants to think they're "pro" too.

If you legitimately need a mobile powerhouse, a usable hi-res screen is almost always a plus/must have too. The 13" form factor is just plain wrong for serious work that Macs are generally catered towards - ie. graphics and video editing.

If you need specs just to "feel good" about something you own, then look elsewhere. Macs don't help enhance the size of your you know whats.

 

[CaptainCannabis]

Typical Apple excuses... and we all fall for them.

 

[kiljoy616]

i7 Nice but video more important

I have a i7 and yes its worth it if your going all out for gaming but is it going to bring the house down, no its not, anyone who has a Core 2 Quad or Core 2 Duo will find very little difference in performance for most work or video related, I go with Steve on this, give me more video power over CPU that most will get little out of it.