Apple Ramping Up Production of 13" and 15" Next Gen MacBook Pros

[GermanyChris]

I know, but do you think any retailer will know what Apple's plans are several months in advance, so that they can plan their printed ads? And do you think it's logical that a retailer would not want to sell the old stock (or any products what so ever from that company) before the release of a new product?

Yes I think 2 of europes largest retailers know apples plans a few months in advance..

It has been my experience the retailers here do not carry stock like they do in the states, there probably is little stock in the back room and plenty of time to move it.

 

[hafr]

Yes I think 2 of europes largest retailers know apples plans a few months in advance..

Considering there are less (no) verbal leaks from retailers than there are parts leaking out from presumably guarded factories, I would assume the opposite.

 

[Bubba Satori]

There's an obvious solution that should make both the DVD haters and DVD/BD lovers happy - split the MacBook line into three models.

- MacBook Air - 11", 13", 15"

- MacBook Pro - 13", 15" (really MacBook "Semi-Pro" as the previous 2 posts said)

- MacBook Workstation - 15", 17"​

No real change for the MacBook Air - it's all about light and portable.

MacBook Pro - let that be what the rumours about a more "Air-like" have been saying. Drop the optical, slim it down a bit. (I'd argue that the killer feature would be to have an Air-like blade or 1.8" SSD for the system drive, and use some of the optical space for an optional 2.5" drive (fast SSD or huge spinning HD - choose when you BTO). Even with a second drive, you'd still be able to both slim it down and increase the battery capacity.

MacBook Workstation - Tim, break the turtlenecked overlord's shackles and make a real pro system. Big memory, good graphics, BD burner, two 2.5 spindles, ports galore.

Many graphics, video, photo and audio professional want power much more than "thin and light".

Want a starting point, look at the Dell M4600 15.6" portable:

• Intel® Core™ i7-2960XM (Extreme Quad Core 2.70GHz,8M cache)
• up to 32 GiB of RAM
• display choices up to 1920x1080 anti-glare IPS
• graphics up to NVIDIA® Quadro® 2000M with 2GiB GDDR3
• two 2.5" bays, SSD and HDD choices up to 750 GB
• DVD bay, BD option
• internal HSPA-EVDO 3G modem

If you opt for the 17" model, you get three internal 2.5" drive bays and up to an NVIDIA® Quadro® 5010M with 4GiB GDDR5.

Finally some sanity. Thank you.
Can't the most profitable megacorp ever off a few different models?
Match the Precision and Elitebook profiles, slap on an Apple sticker,
charge $300 more and call it a freaking day. Please.

 

[GermanyChris]

Considering there are less (no) verbal leaks from retailers than there are parts leaking out from presumably guarded factories, I would assume the opposite.

Because people aren't talking it's proof that there is no knowledge?

 

[Yebubbleman]

BTW, I should have repeated what I said earlier in that I meant "pro laptop" to mean a high-powered laptop suitable for creative (audio/photo/video) and other (statistics/scientific/development/QA) professionals who need lots of power (CPU&GPU), lots of IO, and lots of storage while on the road or while moving between offices (or between office and home).

Obviously a lawyer or an analyst using an MBA is a "pro" user, but their demands on the laptop are far less.




Two comments:

1. The "MacBook Workstation" should not be a "thin" system. If you want thin, get an MBA or a MacBook Pro. Toss all the ideas about "thin, lightweight, long battery life" out the window when designing a portable workstation. Think CPU, think GPU, think 16-32 GiB of RAM, think 2-4 GiB of VRAM, think TB of disk space, think of the power supply and cooling so that it can run at 100% for long periods without meltdown. Think of the battery as a built-in UPS for minor interruptions - not as a trans-oceanic movie-watching feature.
2. You really can't mention the "pre-existing unreliability of those machines" without links to well-factored studies that demonstrate that "unreliability". Without links, it's just FUD.

Sure. I can only cite experience and heresay when I speak of the unreliability of workstation/gamer laptops. Frankly, given that, as far as the portable lines are concerned, Apple does a good job of not packing in more muscle than the machine can reliably handle given its thermal envelope, though they have thus been terrible with that for the iMac, so who knows.

That being said, unless the machine cannot be run on battery due to how unwieldy it is, it seems somewhat silly to even make such a machine instead of making a thicker, but still easy-to-carry Mac mini that just happens to have the innards of such a mythical laptop.

 

[roomer]

14" screen in 13"body

what I don't get is why one of you experts never has mentioned one of the most important innovations/features:

a 14" screen in a 13" chassis - a 15" screen in a 14" chassis and so on..

Companys such as Samsung came up with good, matte screens with a smaller edge. Result is more comfort due to a bigger screen and it also looks more stylish in my opinion.

Is it been muted on purpose by marketing pros? Are the nerds in to deep in their own universe to realise and acknowledge other smart inventions?

I think this is one of the most important must-haves besides the HD+SSD movement. Nobody can say this is impossible to implement for Apple..

 

[spb3]

^if they sell 14in for the price of 13in that would be cool.

 

[Newyorkjsw]

MBP 13.3 -Geniue Matt Screen-

give me a macbook pro 13.3" with the matt screen option or dont give me
anything!

Owning a 15" high res true matt screen macbrook pro already,
I would never want a macbook pro with a hunk of glass in front of it will EVER do. In fact the only reason I got the 15" for my gf, was for this very reason.

Reflection and screen INSET, one loses some of it .
It is a HUGE visual difference, that effects the entire apple experince!

a 13.3" is the perfect size, where rumors of smaller macbooks are likely
not real. Better HD Facetime camera & MATT screen option and many
people not knowing they want one, will slowing figure this out.

new ipad has poor video playback (I now I bought it and returned it) and so another reason to wait to purchasea June 2012 Macbook Pro.

 

[zap2]

If I understand correctly...make a 15" MBA for the people that don't want an ODD. And leave the ODD in the MBP for those that want that option. But, make the MBP thinner with newer and better guts!

I very much agree, I just think with Intel's line up of Ivy Bridge CPUs, there is room for the MBP and MBA line up as they exist now, possibly with a 15" MBA. Apple should make a point to make sure the MBP all have Quad Core CPUs. Admittedly, it looks like the lowest wattage for Ivy Bridge Quad CPUs is 45 watts in the 3610QM. (According to http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Core-i5-2410M-Notebook-Processor.45317.0.html)

That's 10 more watts then the current 13" MBP, but if Apple wants to make the MBP an attractive machine over the 13" MBA, I think they need to fit it in. I know for some people the optical disk is worth more then a quad CPU, but I think if Apple were to offer the MBP 13" with the choice of a Quad CPU with a 2nd storage disk in place of the optical drive or a MBP 13" with an dual core CPU and optical disk, there would be people who are willing to give up either performance or the optical disk, but not both.

But that's a very non-streamlined line up. The 15" and 17" MBP with their superior CPUs are a no brainers to keep as MBP. If they can shave those machines down a little, great, but I think the current form factor would be with with just Ivy Bridge inside.

The 15" MBA(if it exists) is most likely going to end up a dual core CPU. Not for everyone, but I think there is a large group of people who would be fine with the lower specs, but could use the thinness of the MBA line up.

But if Apple wants to keep their line up simple, I'm think dropping the MBP 13", and keep the MBP 15" and 17" with slimmed down hardware, but still large enough to keep the 45+ wattage CPU and optical disk, is the path to go. I'd say for now, Intel's low power CPUs and graphic cards just don't have enough muscle to replace the 15" MBP.

Not sure what Intel's CPU offerings are looking line post-Ivy Bridge, but that might be the time to bring Apple's laptop line up into all ultraportables. (No doubt people will be upset by this, as regardless of when Apple does this, they'll be missing out on Intel's newest higher wattage CPUs)

Hopefully Apple can offer a full line up a MBAs(11",13" and 15") along with a full line up of MBP(13", 15" and 17") as a long term solution, but knowing Apple, I wouldn't be surprised to seem them stop producing laptops with Intel's top end mobile CPUs with the highest wattage at some point. (Unless Intel brings all of their CPUs into the lower wattage space, which doesn't seem unreasonable considering their push on Ultrabook into the market)