Apple Releases New 15" MacBook Pro, Updates 17" MacBook Pro

[applecultvictim]

Oh dear! Both barrels, both feet I think...

From Digital Photo Review website:

"Eye-Fi creates wireless SDHC card for pro market"

Wednesday, 10 June 2009 12:00 GMT

"MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 10, 2009: Eye-Fi Inc. today unveiled the Eye-Fi Pro, a new wireless SDHC memory card for digital cameras that allows professionals and photo enthusiasts to automatically upload images straight from their camera to their computer and the Web. Available today, the Eye-Fi Pro includes RAW image support and peer-to-peer connectivity for a direct connection between the camera and a computer, no router or Internet connection required (also known as ad hoc)."

Full article at dpreview.com here.

Erm... so why do we need the SD card slot?

I know, a lot of people already have the standard SD cards, but if this is the way forward there's not much future in built-in card readers... You would have thought Apple would have known about this

Cheers - Zaphodz

Good find.

But there are wireless keyboards too, would you suggest apple remove their keyboards from their laptops?

Integrated sd, means you don't have to look around for that reader or remember to take it with you, and it's much less about it being wired or wireless....

 

[lordthistle]

And what about the mighty unibody trackpads? Are they still the LOUDEST trackpads in the world? With this fixed battery, will we be still able to turn the screw to reduce the noise? Or we just need to get used to the clonks and boboclonks of such super-advanced trackpads?

-- thistle

 

[DanBook]

deconstruct60

I too hung with Mac because it was better.. who cares what the stock price of the company is? I'm not buying a VW over a Honda because the stock price of VW might be higher. Pick your tools because they are good tools. Not because the company is printing money in the basement, it is "hot", or other non tool factors. If the company doesn't have enough money to keep the doors open perhaps.



That's not what the Microsoft commercials nor the industry is doing.
The commercials are about there are a number of vendors offering a wide variety of solutions into several demographics. If you only have one hardware vendor you aren't going to get that kind of breadth of offerings.
If anything this move just reinforces those commercials they are not aligned with that message at all.

Different people have different needs.

As for the industry... errr how about the economy? When even had cash to burn folks would pay for stuff they probably won't use. Now, things are a bit different. Apple cannot float above and diverge from the average selling price of the market.




The battery isn't field replaceable. Neither is the screen. I could see if they didn't take any measures to increase the number of cycles the battery useful over, but they did. They also increased the amount of "on battery" time you have, by making it bigger. Every significant design decision comes with a trade-off. Most people want longer portable time out of their battery than a desire to have to do maintenance on it.

Similarly the trackpad is now also a button. So it has more failure modes than just a simple trackpad. It is a trade-off.


The hard drive thing, no easy field replaceable drives is a bit of a pain because hard drives wear out faster than batteries ( if truly mobile and doing stuff while in motion.). However, back in Powerbook era ... just as non field replaceable with few tools by the average user. So while not better, that largely been the case for a long time.





If they are so desirable why would people sell them?
Perhaps it retains its initial selling price longer than many other Macs... but sell fast?

Wow. I really don't know what to say to that. You must be an idiot. Why did you even bother to respond? Isn't there something better you could have been doing than wasting space on this thread? Perhaps mowing someone's lawn? Or watching an episode of Startrek Enterprise? Get a life.

 

[Zaphodz]

Good find.

But there are wireless keyboards too, would you suggest apple remove their keyboards from their laptops?

Integrated sd, means you don't have to look around for that reader or remember to take it with you, and it's much less about it being wired or wireless....

Thanks

The whole point with this card is that you don't need a reader at all wireless or otherwise, it transmits from within the camera, real-time if required, giving you "unteathered" tethered shooting! How cool is that, and how redundant is the slot now? This also makes critical on-location shooting easier, (especially with a matte display laptop ) The comparison would be if there was a device that negated the need for a keyboard altogether.

Cheers - Zaphodz

 

[jwdsail]

Good find.

But there are wireless keyboards too, would you suggest apple remove their keyboards from their laptops?

So many people missing the points trying to be made in so many posts...

The point I believe the OP is trying to make is this... With the Eye-Fi wireless SDHC card what is the *added benefit* to having the SD slot rather than the far more useful ExpressCard slot it's replacing.

Especially when the vast majority of Pro cameras use CF cards or tethering?

Seriously...

There just doesn't seem to be any logic to this what so ever. It's almost as if the SD card was supposed to be added to the white MacBook and someone copied and pasted the SD card info into the wrong email about the wrong MacBook(s) and no one after that had the balls to question the asinine lack of logic needed to replace the ExpressCard slot with this POS SD card slot.

I think the *addition* of a SD slot on the White MacBook and BR playback as an option on the White MacBook would almost make sense if the Pro laptops had kept the ExpressCard slot and had BR Authoring added as an option...

But, again, there's no amount of Kool-aid on Earth that will make me see any logic in *crippling* the Pro laptops with only the SD card slot.

 

[Zaphodz]

So many people missing the points trying to be made in so many posts...

The point I believe the OP is trying to make is this... With the Eye-Fi wireless SDHC card what is the *added benefit* to having the SD slot rather than the far more useful ExpressCard slot it's replacing.

Especially when the vast majority of Pro cameras use CF cards or tethering?

Seriously...

There just doesn't seem to be any logic to this what so ever. It's almost as if the SD card was supposed to be added to the white MacBook and someone copied and pasted the SD card info into the wrong email about the wrong MacBook(s) and no one after that had the balls to question the asinine lack of logic needed to replace the ExpressCard slot with this POS SD card slot.

I think the *addition* of a SD slot on the White MacBook and BR playback as an option on the White MacBook would almost make sense if the Pro laptops had kept the ExpressCard slot and had BR Authoring added as an option...

But, again, there's no amount of Kool-aid on Earth that will make me see any logic in *crippling* the Pro laptops with only the SD card slot.

Exactly

Zaphodz

 

[Red-red]

And what about the mighty unibody trackpads? Are they still the LOUDEST trackpads in the world? With this fixed battery, will we be still able to turn the screw to reduce the noise? Or we just need to get used to the clonks and boboclonks of such super-advanced trackpads?

-- thistle

I've never had a problem with my trackpad. In fact, I hate using every other trackpad around. A lot of the time I don't even click, I just tap it if I want a silent click. It's a none issue when you consider the huge benefit's of it's size and functions.

I really like the MBP, it's a very nicely designed piece of kit. I would have liked a Matte screen but I always knew I would be upgrading again this next year and the g/f who couldn't care about the difference will have the one I'm currently using while it's look more likely I'll go for a 17" this next time round perhaps unless come september they don't offer it for the 15"

I don't think people are asking for wholesale changes here to the MBP's to make them "pro", it's just little things that wouldn't be hard or expensive on apples part to do and it's those little things that distinguish it from a consumer laptop OR at least offering an option for using attachments that doesn't cost a small fortune. ie the mini display port adaptors....

Adding the SD card slot is just ridiculous on so many levels.

 

[highscheme]

Wow, Apple really is dropping the ball for their high-end users. First, the only matte external display that they offer is 30" and $1700. Now, they are forcing people into the 17" MBP in order to get an expresscard slot.

While I don't really mind buying the larger 17", I think that the features on it are kind of weak compared to a loaded 15" (if it had the express card). Personally, I think this is what the computers should be...

15" Mac Book Pro
-Matte or Glossy Option
-ExpressCard Slot
-Optional Internal Bluray Drive
-E-SATA
-FW800


17" Mac Book Pro
-Matte or Glossy Option
-HDMI Out
-Express Card Slot
-Optional Bluray Drive
-E-SATA
-2 Firewire Busses.....(2x800 or 1x800 + 1x400)
-Optional upgraded graphics card over the 15"


I just don't think the extra size and weight bring enough extras compared to the 15". They are basically the same exact computer minus the express card and a bit of screen real estate. You can run it at higher resolution but since it has the same video card as the 15"....it pretty much evens out, and once you get it hooked up to your external display at home, the extra display area is negligible at best.

I will be buying a 17", and I can live with lugging it around. I just feel that there should be more performance options on a bigger format.

 

[filmjeff]

I suggest leaving feedback

Go here and them know how you feel about the express card slot removal.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html

And a friendly reminder, nasty words probably won't be taken better than something more eloquent.

 

[jwdsail]

Go here and them know how you feel about the express card slot removal.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html

And a friendly reminder, nasty words probably won't be taken better than something more eloquent.

Agree 100%

(thought I'd posted that here already, can't find it though so I must have posted it somewhere else and forgotten to add it here, heh)

 

[CmdrLaForge]

No matte option still.

No sale.

Same here. I am very disappointed by that.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

No. Bad squirrel.

"Pro" = function over form.
"Luxurious" = form over function.

Pro.

Not Pro.

Sorry, but I think with Apples latest screen design its clear that they prefer form over function ! How else could it be explained that they use the glossy screens ? Because Ive wants to look the computers like the iPhone. Thats the same he did on the first iMac with the iPod.

Ive chooses form over function and thats why the latest designs are so badly flawed.

 

[Uroboros]

More than a macbook invested

I'd also like to encourage folks to use the feedback link above.

I don't want to go back to Windows.

Really.

But I'm a media professional, and I've got more than the cost of an entry level macbook tied up in express card 34 hardware. There is no longer an option to connect a raid array, get compact flash in quickly, use my att broadband card, etc.

Video and still sizes are moving in one direction only, I have to have fast throughput available in the field, and a 17" won't fit in my carry on camera bag with all the other required gear.

The 15" isn't a pro machine amymore.

As feedback on why bul-ray.

Some of us author blu-ray today in Encore for example, it's just silly to have to go to a PC to output.

Also having a moderately high capacity back up capability built in is a huge advantage when you are going to format the card you just shot your media on in the field

 

[BillyBobBongo]

Not Pro.

Woah Woah Woah!

I've seen the video! That's a 'Pro' if ever I saw one!

 

[chr1s60]

Aside from the loss of the express card slot and the graphics change in the lowest models, I don't see why everyone is making a big deal about these.

I have never used my express card slot, but I am sure there are a lot of people out there that use it all the time. Unfortunately, I am guessing that in reality that is still only a 10-25% group of MBP users that used the express card regularly. I have known about 10 people that owned a MBP and none of them ever used it. When Apple looks and sees the number of users not using it, obviously they are going to replace it with something more common like the SD slot. Is it the right call? To the smaller percentage of real "pro" users, no. However, in appealing to more consumers who already may like the design and some features of the MBP, it is definitely the right call. And the express card is still offered in the 17" even though that computer is more expensive and may not be the size some people are looking for.

I can't really explain the whole graphics situation other than it was a way for Apple to lower the costs some in an attempt to boost sales.

Finally, as far as the built in battery goes, I am unsure. I never really liked the idea of a built in battery, but if these batteries really can get an extra 1.5-2 hours of life and last for two or three years without losing a lot of their capacity, I am all for them. If they don't work as promised then it is a big negative that could cost Apple a lot of money.

 

[celtikmind]

Wow. I really don't know what to say to that. You must be an idiot. Why did you even bother to respond? Isn't there something better you could have been doing than wasting space on this thread? Perhaps mowing someone's lawn? Or watching an episode of Startrek Enterprise? Get a life.

You just told him to go watch Star Trek Enterprise? and then told him to get a life? In a rumors forum on the internet?

Gentlemen, we... have a winner! LMAO!

Can someone find a facepalm picture for this guy? I'm out.

 

[tdmac]

Yeah, it's becoming a bit of a problem. The #1 "pro" factor in my mind is the ability to customize the machine to fit your exact requirements. We normally associate professional Macs with creative professionals who work in video, graphic design, print and audio/music, but there are thousands of professions and they can't possibly all need the same feature set.

As an example, here are your choices when putting together a Dell Precision m6400 17":

- CPU: 5 options (2.53-3.06 Ghz duo, or 2.53 quad)
- Display: 4 options (from 1440x900 CFL to 1920x1200 LED w/ 100% Adobe color gamut)
- RAM: 4 options (from 4 GB to 16 GB DDR3 1066 MHz)
- RAID Controller: 4 options (Mirror, Striped, 1x non-RAID, 2x non-RAID)
- Hard drive: 12 optins (one or two, HDD or SSD etc)
- GPU: 2 options (Quadro 512 MB or 1 GB)
- Optional 3G broadband HSDPA 7.2
- Optional fingerprint reader
- Optional secondary 9-cell battery
- Optional integrated 2 MP webcam
- Optional port replicator + desktop stand combo
- Optional anti-theft measures (ranging from simple engraved asset tags to 3 year ComputraceOne theft recovery service)
- 3 year basic warranty and NBD service included, optional 3 to 5 year ProSupport
- I/O: 4xUSB, 1xFirewire, eSATA, ExpressCard 54, PC Card, SmartCard reader, 8-in-1 memory card reader, WiFi N, Mini DisplayPort, VGA port, 9-pin serial, Gigabit ethernet

Yada yada blah blah... you get the picture. It's a very malleable config. And if the M6400 still doesn't fit the bill, they have 23 other professional laptop models to choose from (each one with a similar list of BTO options), including one with ballistic armor in case you're planning on taking your laptop to war.

"There's just one problem... it doesn't run OS X!" - yeah, but that's an artificial limitation imposed by Apple, not a shortcoming of the Dell laptop.

Then there's Apple's MacBook Pro 17":

CPU: 2 options (2.8 or 3.06)
RAM: 2 options (4 or 8)
Hard drive: 4 options (5400 or 7200 RPM HDD / 128 or 256 GB SSD)
Display: 2 options (glossy or matte)
Warranty: 1 year (free) or 3 years
I/O: 3x USB, 1x firewire, Mini DisplayPort, ExpressCard, Gigabit ethernet, WiFi N, integrated webcam.

And that's it. The rest of the BTO options are just software, display adapters etc. All other properties of the machine have been predetermined for you. If it's a 15", forget the matte/glossy option and the ExpressCard.

The only possible advantage for the customer with Apple's limited range of options is that Apple saves a helluvalot of money by keeping the options down to a minimum. You're ordering from the set menu instead of á la carte. This should result in cost savings that are passed on to the customer, and make the Mac a lot cheaper than the Dell. But it's the other way around.

That's not it at all. What you indicate above, with the plethora of options that one can put in a Dell or other vendors laptops, is why windows is bloated and why MAC OS's are responsive, streamlined and work. Apple just has to write code and drives to get the max performance out a fixed set of hardware.

 

[coolajami]

Let clear up sth

I'm an old pc user and i skipped to mac when I found that a laptop with similar or the same specifications as a mabook pro wasn't that cheaper, so i gave the few extra hudrends bucks in order to be sure that I'm buying the best thing i cant get. Yes I consider that the lack of options in customization is problem but neverthelles you used to get sth that was way too far from the competition.

That was before a year when macbooks pro where introduced.

Now you get the same stuff, with a bit of changes, when the competition (tell me pc laptops) intrducing fx graphic cards,quad cores you name it.

Well I can think that two things that may occur:

Or Apple really rely to the "sexy look" of the Macs in order to continue selling the same stuff with no actuall changes,so he dont have to pay money to development.

Or really soon will introduce a completely new Macbook pro, so just the opportunity the sell some refabs pro's through summer.

I hope the second occurs!

 

[swagi]

Aside from the loss of the express card slot and the graphics change in the lowest models, I don't see why everyone is making a big deal about these.

I have never used my express card slot, but I am sure there are a lot of people out there that use it all the time. Unfortunately, I am guessing that in reality that is still only a 10-25% group of MBP users that used the express card regularly. I have known about 10 people that owned a MBP and none of them ever used it. When Apple looks and sees the number of users not using it, obviously they are going to replace it with something more common like the SD slot. Is it the right call? To the smaller percentage of real "pro" users, no. However, in appealing to more consumers who already may like the design and some features of the MBP, it is definitely the right call. And the express card is still offered in the 17" even though that computer is more expensive and may not be the size some people are looking for.

I can't really explain the whole graphics situation other than it was a way for Apple to lower the costs some in an attempt to boost sales.

Finally, as far as the built in battery goes, I am unsure. I never really liked the idea of a built in battery, but if these batteries really can get an extra 1.5-2 hours of life and last for two or three years without losing a lot of their capacity, I am all for them. If they don't work as promised then it is a big negative that could cost Apple a lot of money.

While I think you are quite right with your assumption, that only a small amount of MBP users actually use the Express Card Slot, I just had a look at these new MBP. I still start questioning myself, why Apple didn't have the balls to refer to the whole line as "MacBook" line.

It was always my plan, to replace my aging Powerbook with a MBP when Nehalem hits the streets on it. Well, here's to hoping, that Apple may actually include some Pro features like:

- BluRay (sic!)
- real HDMI port
- next generation FireWire
- eSATA

and (just to stress that I use my lappy in very varying light conditions)

- a f@*$ing matte screen

 

[tdmac]

The main differences between the MacBook and the MacBook Pro before this refresh (apart from the casing) were, dedicated GPU, ExpressCard slot, FW 800, dual DVI support and larger display. So I'd say that the ExpressCard slot was one of the main selling features of the previous gen of MBPs over the smaller MacBook.

And before that, one of the selling points was the matte option.

I wasn't talk about macbook to macbook pro prior to this refresh. It was comparing 15" macbook pro before the refresh until now. Isn't the only thing then lost an "express card slot"? So they bumped up the processor speed, put in a better screen, and installed an integrated battery w/ more run time.

As other have said quoting Apple, 1% of the pro base that was buying the previous version of the pro was utilizing the express card slot. So 99% of the users have gained useful features. I totally understand that those that use the express card slot on a daily basis feel pain on the removal on the 15". But from Apples point of view, does it makes sense to keep the express card for the 1% of the base when 99% would benefit from other features. Don't go back to the SD slot argument either. Its good for some of the base that may use SD (yes there were many old threads about the lack of SD on a Macbook) and its useless for many others. As I stated before, I think it was just thrown in as an cheap option that fills in the remaining usable space on the machine. But again the trade off was express card slot for other performance enhancements above vs. express card slot for SD.

 

[jwdsail]

As other have said quoting Apple, 1% of the pro base that was buying the previous version of the pro was utilizing the express card slot. .

um hmm, as a wise person once said, "There's lies, damn lies, and statistics."

These are MacBook *Pro*s.... I don't see why Pro MacBooks should be *crippled* to serve consumers... Apple has consumer laptops to serve consumers...

Leave my Pro 'Books the Hell alone thank you very much!

 

[Red-red]

It's funny how people turn around and say the only difference is the express card slot. Completely forgetting the fact that the move to the unibody ( a great machine I may add ) dropped the DVI, FW 400 and the Matte option.

The thing I find most telling is that you find consumers telling the "pro" users that they're wrong.

As I said before, it's only little things that need changing. It wouldn't hurt Apple to offer certain options.

 

[IWantItThatWay]

What does Apple have against video cards? Apple's video card "selection" is the worst. $1700 for a laptop without a dedicated GPU? Wow... and the 9600 is outdated by 2 years... TWO YEARS!!!!!

And no matte option? Glossy screens are garbage - too much reflection and it's like staring into a lightbulb!

OS X is once again stuck on crappy, overpriced hardware.

 

[puliaficoc20]

I love most of the updates on the 15'' macbook pro, besides the switch of the express card slot, but i dont use it anyway right now.

Situation is I ordered the 15'' macbook pro, 2.8ghz (which at the time was special order only), 4gb or ram, and a 300gb hard-drive(which was the fastest biggest one at the time).

I dropped 3,350 on the setup right from apple. and I still have 2,900 to pay now that I am hopefully getting a better job it may go quicker.

So the one thing I hate is charging the battery being stuck to the chord and I do like performance so I keep the graphics running at the performance setting. Then that stupid tray on the bottem of mine comes loose here and there and you need to bend the clips a little bit. So I really want that built in battery because the battery is the issue for me. I dont mind even downgrading my cpu. my trackpad is already messing up you tap to click and you feel the one layer coming up and it doesnt always click, and thats when your not pushing on the pad, so most times I need to push now.

I really want the new one but am wondering if Apple would do a swap for mine or not and do whatever credit on my Juniper account or not.

 

[OldTimey]

Well,
I was holding on onto my Powerbook G4 for five long years and really, really wanted to upgrade this year. Nothing on the new Mac Book Pro lines bothers me, I actually think they're good laptops. Except for one thing and that's the screen.
I just cannot believe that Apple still doesn't offer a matte screen option.
And that is a deal breaker for me. My G4 is getting really slow, cannot even install Snow Leopard on it since it's Power PC but the screen is so important to me that I will (sadly) wait for the next MBP upgrade.
I hope it'll happen one day...

17 inch has anti-glare screen