Apple Releases New MacBooks

[Mydel]

Then where is the model between the Macbook and the MBP? That is the model im looking for.

Something Small, 13 inch screen (Macbook), Decent Processor speed (MacBook), Nice white sleek design (MacBook), a GPU I can play games on? (Macbook Pro, but really, not even)

So where Do I stand? I want a small decent computer, which the macbook is, but the ability if I so desire, to play games. You cannot play games on a GMA950. I dont want to watch a slide show..... But I dont need the "Pro" of a MBP. Just something decent and current!

Than Apple is not for you! Anyway show me 13" for that kind of money and with the size of MB for 1200$ having GPU suitable for games...Neither MB nor MBP are gaming machines. Is that really that hard to understand. If I waant gaming machine I go XPS or something like that. For my Diablo even MB is far enough. You wanna 3D games?? Need to look somewhere else

 

[sas76]

Apple MacBook: Yesterdays technology at today's prices.


Good work Apple. Idiots.

As someone waiting to buy their first Mac I am FURIOUS with Apple and their continued raping of MB buyers.

The MBs are the line of computers that will benefit most from SR and Apple do THIS? I actually cannot believe it. They are absolute bastards.

I personaly didn't buy a MAC because of the hardware, I first purchased a Mac (12yrs ago) because of the OS and still think it is the strongest sales point for buying one.

I believe the macbooks are good value for money, for what the majority of people use there computer for, email ,photo's ,music and video + + +

So in my opion don't buy your first Mac because of the hardware, buy it because you want the whole package.

Cheers

 

[AidenShaw]

Sure, but SR has just been launched, and it represents close to NOTHING in terms of gains to normal users...the next MBPs will get it, not MBs which were already due for an update some months ago.

Mr. Lawyer, you seem to have some issue with codenames, or is it that you just like the current Napa64 codename?

Santa Rosa brings the greatly improved GMA X3100 graphics engine - which seems to be your big gripe.

SR brings improved power management, so longer battery life. It has a more power-efficient 802.11A/G/pre-N radio, and it has Robson Technology ("Turbo Memory") for higher disk performance and reduced power consumption by the disk.

Plus, there's that support for another GiB of RAM...on a faster bus.

But, if that means next to nothing for you, so be it.
__________________--

By the way, Intel says that over 100 new SR-based laptops launched on 9 May. I wonder how all those other companies, many of them much smaller than Apple, got the economics of upgrading to the current chipset to work out. (Especially in light of the fact that the other companies have more diverse product lines compared to Apple...)

This thought is in response to a post many pages back which out-of-thin air proposed that changing to SR would cost Apple 750M5.

 

[Rocketman]

I think people forget that the MacBook has only been in existence for a year and there have already been two updates since then. How many other computers get updated that often? Frankly, the past update was on a scale that blurred the distinction between Apple's consumer and professional laptop offerings.

Exactly. That date started a 2 YEAR clock until a new set of chips might be available to replace them. Those chips are not likely to change the form factor much, the speed a little, the graphics a little more than that, but the energy savings will be significant. That is 1 YEAR or so from now.

Rocketman

 

[milo]

You idiots expecting more. The MacBook is basically an entry level notebook; therefore, it stands it will use cheaper parts and have less features.

People expecting more aren't "idiots".

The only reason people expect more is because it should deliver more AT THAT PRICE. We'd be content with "entry level" features if it was at an entry level price. As I've said already, I'd be incredibly happy if apple shipped a macbook with stripped down features...and charged $799 for it. And PC makers can even get DVD burners in laptops for that price, why can't apple do it?

Apple doesn't really sell a notebook at an entry level price. They should. But if they don't, the midpriced MB's should have more than just entry level features.

 

[mongoose8p]

Originally Posted by Mydel
I would go and buy, current MBP are really good computers. I'm waiting for update cos have a few at work as well as "work" MBP. But I would not hesitate to get one. Will be sufficient for at least few years down the road.

Originally Posted by dartzorichalcos
Wait, the MacBook Pro might be updated at any time now. It could be tomorrow, next week or before or after WWDC.


Thanks for the advice this is a hard decision.... I really want it by next week cuz this computer is so messed up it turns off all the time so I need to replace it... I will need this comp. for at least 3 years so if that changes anything.... I think I will wait till next Tuesday just to see.. If anyone has anymore ideas get back to me..
Thanks!!!

 

[Modjo]

Please instead of wasting your time, go here https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/250045/
Something you are about to post has probably allready been mentioned over there. Just replace "MacBook Pro" with "Macbook".

 

[iBunny]

Than Apple is not for you! Anyway show me 13" for that kind of money and with the size of MB for 1200$ having GPU suitable for games...Neither MB nor MBP are gaming machines. Is that really that hard to understand. If I waant gaming machine I go XPS or something like that. For my Diablo even MB is far enough. You wanna 3D games?? Need to look somewhere else

The thing is, Apple is for me. It has always been. The Macbook is the perfect computer, perfect! Save for the Graphics.

No reason to buy a 4000$ XPS gaming laptop when the Macbook is just perfect, again except for the GPU. I didnt ask for the New Geforce, or whatever. Not even something dedicated. Just the Current, integrated solution. The Current low end solution. Not last years low end solution.... This years. Which happends to be the GMA x3100.

 

[tristan]

It's also extremely telling that all the really noisy complainers are newbies: trolls waiting in the wings with no posts to their names, just itching to get their crap into the discussion, methinks.

Trolls, if you're not impressed, vote with your feet and go and buy something from the POS beige-box company that's sponsoring you. You and your vitriol won't be missed.

So if I'm an Apple customer since 1997 and a MacRumors member since 2003 I haven't earned the right to complain about a weak update? Sheesh.

 

[Half Glass]

$1424 vs $959 (~$500 cheaper)

Yes, the update is skimpier than anticipated (maybe some shouldn't take "rumors" as facts), being as Mac seems a little behind on some aspects like the DVD Combo on the base version and maybe a better GPU would be nice, but in any case see this:

2.16Ghz (big, better than most pc on the market)
120 GB HD
1G Ram
8xSuperdrive
13.3" glossy lcd
GMA 950 (pretty standard for a 13.3" - most PC's have the same, not all but most)
And (student discount) a warranty of $183.

YOU SHOW ME A PC WITH THESE SPECS, ESPECIALLY 2.16 GHZ CORE 2 DUO,
FOR $1,200, that outweighs even MAC OS X, then I will stay with pc,
But I highly doubt that any Pc has a 2.16 Ghz INTEL duo 2 core processor which is 13.3" for $1200 (student price), and yes I am factoring student discounts into the mix, when it's all said and done, if you go PC then your really going to miss out, have fun with windows.

Ok, 2GHz vs 2.16 woohooo. vs your MacBook, this one has a 160GB HDD and 2 GB RAM. (advantage PC) If you toss in 2GB and a 160HDD to the MacBook AND you have Edu discount (I do) the Apple is $1424.

My only point here is that Apples are more expensive. (But I still love them)
Not that I want one, but you asked...

$959. No discounts applied.

Inspiron 640m Dual Core


Date 5/15/2007 5:45:32 PM Central Standard Time
Catalog Number 4 Retail 04
Catalog Number / Description Product Code SKU Id
Inspiron 640m:
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7200 (2.00GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 667 MHz FSB) BMD2HM [222-4840] 1
Operating System (Office software not included):
Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Basic VHB3E [313-4910][420-5769][420-5924][420-6436][420-6481][420-6553][463-2282] 11
LCD Panel:
14.1 inch Wide Screen XGA TFT Display with TrueLife™(glossy) 14WXGA [320-5285] 2
Memory:
2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHZ, 2 DIMM 2G2D [311-5852] 3
Hard Drive:
160GB 5400 RPM SATA Hard Drive 160GB [341-4225] 8
Combo or DVD+RW Drive:
8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability 8XDVDRW [313-4050][420-6464] 16
Video Card:
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 INTVID [320-4698] 6
Wireless Networking Cards:
Dell Wireless 1390 Mini Card (802.11b/g, 54Mbps) TM1390 [430-1923] 19
Sound Options:
Integrated Audio IS [313-5116] 17
Media Direct:
Media Direct 3.0 MD3 [465-8714] 85
Processor Branding:
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor IC2DNB [310-8319] 749
Labels:
Windows Vista™ Basic VBN [310-8627] 750
Battery:
53 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery 6BAT [312-0412] 27
Office Software (not included in Windows XP):
Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD IWRK [412-0915] 22
Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed):
No Security Subscription (Norton 30-day) VNSNT [412-0940] 25
Adobe Software:
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 7.0 ADOBER [412-0917] 15
Warranty & Service:
1 Yr Ltd Warranty, 1 Yr Mail-in Service, and 1 Yr Tech Support T111YRR [950-9057][960-2780][970-2110][983-8407][986-4238] 29
DIAL-UP INTERNET ACCESS:
6 Months of America Online Membership Included AOLSMB [412-0933][412-0934][412-0934] 37
Purchase Intent:
Purchase is not intended for resale. NOT4SEL [462-4506] 138
Network Card and Modem:
Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem INTNIC [430-1574] 13
Miscellaneous:
Inspiron 640M 640M03 [465-2569] 82

 

[miniConvert]

So if I'm an Apple customer since 1997 and a MacRumors member since 2003 I haven't earned the right to complain about a weak update? Sheesh.

I think you, and a lot of other people, are going to have to recognise that since the Intel switch there are going to be a lot, lot more of these minor incremental changes to products. There was no scheduled announcement today, just a lot of rumour and hype. When Apple actually announces new products you have the right to complain if they're pretty pants, but this just seems to have been a small, but nice, Macbook revision.

I'm not sure why anyone expected the Macbooks to get a big update before the Macbook Pros, especially when the Macbook Pro's haven't even had a case redesign since before the Intel switch.

 

[flopticalcube]

especially when the Macbook Pro's haven't even had a case redesign since before the Intel switch.

or the iMacs, or the mini, or the Mac Pro....

 

[macenforcer]

I think you, and a lot of other people, are going to have to recognise that since the Intel switch there are going to be a lot, lot more of these minor incremental changes to products. There was no scheduled announcement today, just a lot of rumour and hype. When Apple actually announces new products you have the right to complain if they're pretty pants, but this just seems to have been a small, but nice, Macbook revision.

I'm not sure why anyone expected the Macbooks to get a big update before the Macbook Pros, especially when the Macbook Pro's haven't even had a case redesign since before the Intel switch.

And now onto the real problem. Macbook Pro case redesign. WAY OVERDUE!

 

[QCassidy352]

These are indeed words of wisdom...

No, they're really not. those sorts of blanket assumptions about what "the average macbook user" wants are asinine. there's no such thing as an "average user." All sorts of people buy macbooks, and many of them undoubtedly do care about those things, while many others do not.

i am very surprised, i want a 2.16GHz now

you're kidding, right? you wouldn't notice the difference.

 

[iBunny]

HP DV6500t Notebook

Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz / 800MHz FSB
15.4 inch widescreen
1GB DDR2 667
GMA x3100
120GB 5400rpm hdd
8x DL DVDRW
Vista Buinsess

$1104.99

So why couldnt apple do something like this? They will, it willbe called the Macbook pro and cost a whole thousand dollars more.....

 

[Mydel]

And now onto the real problem. Macbook Pro case redesign. WAY OVERDUE!

I love that case. I think its pefect. I would NOT change it just for sake of changing something. New doesn't mean better

 

[kingofkolt]

And now onto the real problem. Macbook Pro case redesign. WAY OVERDUE!

I for one hope they keep the current design. I like it. But of course, if they do redesign it, it'll probably be better (this is Apple after all). But still, I don't see the problem you all have with the current MBP design... I definitely hope they don't make it thicker!!

 

[Chef Medeski]

That's B******. No Santa Rosa, Intel GMA 950, 2GB Ram Max, no standard DVD-Burner. Forget it. This is 100% crap. There goes my first Apple product purchase. They've crippled the entry line with substandard parts in leiu of using the newest available (I'm thinking Intel X3100 here). I'm off now to search out a Windows machine with better specs.

A free bump in CPU speeds? Seems fair.

Me thinks Apple has to many of Socket Ms lying around and want to upgrade their MacBook Pros to Santa Rosa and Socket Ps, so free upgrades for Macbook to wither stock. Then bump them all up to Socket P!

 

[J Radical]

Value

Apple's prices are still higher than the competition, but it's worth pointing out that the student discount makes a macbook amazing value.

I bought mine in Oct/November with all the trimmings for about £1000 (120GB HD & superdrive). Today I could buy the same computer for £635. Thats outstanding value for what is still a very capable computer.

I still want a stand alone graphics chip- even a basic one, for basic 3D and future OS X UIs . My sister is off to uni soon, and we thought there is no way she could afford a mac, but at 600 quid with a life expectancy much longer than any PC its well worth the investment.

Student discounts FTW!

 

[Chef Medeski]

I agree that the Superdrive is missing from the bottom model but then how many people would buy the middle version if the small one had it included? Right, none.
Again, it is a smart business (money) decision but this time I think Apple should go ahead and include it anyway and drop the middle model. I think actually offering some value goes a long way with customers.
And note I said value, not include the bleeding edge technology.

Actually I was interested in buying the bottom one and just upgrading the Combo drive since I really couldnt care for 160Mhz and I'm fine with 80GB. But then I thought about it and really I never burn DVDs with my Superdrive currently, so who cares. Maybe I'll just go for the bottom. Or if I have a bit extra money I'll bump up. I dont think there is games in it at all. Just I think well seperated along value. But BTO option would be nice.

 

[macenforcer]

A free bump in CPU speeds? Seems fair.

Me thinks Apple has to many of Socket Ms lying around and want to upgrade their MacBook Pros to Santa Rosa and Socket Ps, so free upgrades for Macbook to wither stock. Then bump them all up to Socket P!

Lots of people say this. Its a free bump. But its not true. People don't understand.

You see computers depreciate from the day you buy them, and they depreciate fast. They have to upgrade them to keep the value at the asking price. You can't keep charging the same for old hardware. But CPU speed is not the issue.
The platform is old now and so is the gpu. Not to mention its time for Blue-ray and OLED screens. Oh, can some one tell me why they can't put an express card slot and a standard DVI connector on a macbook? Oh let me guess, then what will be the point in buying a macbook pro right? EXACTLY!

 

[sbbruiser]

2.16Ghz (big, better than most pc on the market)
120 GB HD
1G Ram
8xSuperdrive
13.3" glossy lcd
GMA 950 (pretty standard for a 13.3" - most PC's have the same, not all but most)
And (student discount) a warranty of $183.

YOU SHOW ME A PC WITH THESE SPECS, ESPECIALLY 2.16 GHZ CORE 2 DUO,
FOR $1,200, that outweighs even MAC OS X, then I will stay with pc,
But I highly doubt that any Pc has a 2.16 Ghz INTEL duo 2 core processor which is 13.3" for $1200 (student price), and yes I am factoring student discounts into the mix, when it's all said and done, if you go PC then your really going to miss out, have fun with windows.

I hate to burst your bubble, but I just priced out a Lenovo R61 with almost exactly the same specs and it came to $1,239. However, the Lenovo had the new Santa Rosa T7500 2.2GHZ C2D in it. It also has a bigger screen at 14.1", the X3100 GM965 graphics card, media and PC card slots, and weighs in at just 5.1lbs.

No i-Life, i-Sight, OS X or beautiful case design, but at least they won't charge me extra for matte black! (It's been a Think Pad standard since like forever and stuff).

Going back to my earlier post, I just wish that I could chose to upgrade a MB with a few sweet little extras or get the same size in a MBP model with a decent GPU.

Maybe someone should come out with a reverse boot camp for PCs

jp

 

[tristan]

Part of the problem is that the old MacBook is a great machine, and Apple deserves a lot of credit for that. Redesigned case, 13.3" screen, Core 2 Duo, up to 2 gig RAM, etc. It's one of the best reviewed machines around. So part of the problem is that Apple really set the bar very high last time.

But the MacBook has one big weakness - a substandard graphics card. Now there are a lot of good graphics cards available, and updating that should have been at the top of Apple's to do list. I don't understand why that didn't happen, unless its some crazy kind of market segmentation.

I do agree that Santa Rosa got badly overhyped. Over the last two weeks, I have been trying to tell people that it's basically just a slightly faster chipset and that people shouldn't expect significant performance improvements. So no, I don't think we're missing anything there.

 

[Chef Medeski]

Thanks for the quick reply!

Can I get extra GB in my notebook for less money than Apple charges me, after I bought it? Didn't know it was easy to upgrade a laptop!

I'm definately not going for the extra disk space. However, am considering to buy an external huge hard drive. Will I be able to store my iTunes songs and iPhoto library on the external hard disk, and play them from my computer? That would be sweet!

And last but not least, is there a way to copy the hard drive contents from my old G4 iBook to my new MacBook? Need my music and photos and files from that lovely old computer!

Thanks in advance for your answers!

Firstly, its probably cheaper to just buy the BTO option. A lot less hassle plus. 2x1GB is going to be pretty close to $175. You'll probably end up saving maybe $40 max. But is that really worth it for the hassle? In my opinion, not really. The time alone for doing it will probably cost you $40 if you make a reasonable salary.

You can def. put everythig on your external disk and play them. You just cant play them while the disk is not connected (actually I did just that, its quite nice. I just pointed iTunes into that directory and I try not to open it when its not there. But once it is plugged it works fine).

And as for copying: yes. Instructions

 

[volk]

Ok, 2GHz vs 2.16 woohooo. vs your MacBook, this one has a 160GB HDD and 2 GB RAM. (advantage PC) If you toss in 2GB and a 160HDD to the MacBook AND you have Edu discount (I do) the Apple is $1424.

My only point here is that Apples are more expensive. (But I still love them)
Not that I want one, but you asked...

$959. No discounts applied.

Inspiron 640m Dual Core


Date 5/15/2007 5:45:32 PM Central Standard Time
Catalog Number 4 Retail 04
Catalog Number / Description Product Code SKU Id
Inspiron 640m:
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7200 (2.00GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 667 MHz FSB) BMD2HM [222-4840] 1
Operating System (Office software not included):
Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Basic VHB3E [313-4910][420-5769][420-5924][420-6436][420-6481][420-6553][463-2282] 11
LCD Panel:
14.1 inch Wide Screen XGA TFT Display with TrueLife™(glossy) 14WXGA [320-5285] 2
Memory:
2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHZ, 2 DIMM 2G2D [311-5852] 3
Hard Drive:
160GB 5400 RPM SATA Hard Drive 160GB [341-4225] 8
Combo or DVD+RW Drive:
8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability 8XDVDRW [313-4050][420-6464] 16
Video Card:
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 INTVID [320-4698] 6
Wireless Networking Cards:
Dell Wireless 1390 Mini Card (802.11b/g, 54Mbps) TM1390 [430-1923] 19
Sound Options:
Integrated Audio IS [313-5116] 17
Media Direct:
Media Direct 3.0 MD3 [465-8714] 85
Processor Branding:
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor IC2DNB [310-8319] 749
Labels:
Windows Vista™ Basic VBN [310-8627] 750
Battery:
53 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery 6BAT [312-0412] 27
Office Software (not included in Windows XP):
Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD IWRK [412-0915] 22
Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed):
No Security Subscription (Norton 30-day) VNSNT [412-0940] 25
Adobe Software:
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 7.0 ADOBER [412-0917] 15
Warranty & Service:
1 Yr Ltd Warranty, 1 Yr Mail-in Service, and 1 Yr Tech Support T111YRR [950-9057][960-2780][970-2110][983-8407][986-4238] 29
DIAL-UP INTERNET ACCESS:
6 Months of America Online Membership Included AOLSMB [412-0933][412-0934][412-0934] 37
Purchase Intent:
Purchase is not intended for resale. NOT4SEL [462-4506] 138
Network Card and Modem:
Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem INTNIC [430-1574] 13
Miscellaneous:
Inspiron 640M 640M03 [465-2569] 82

The only problem with these equations are OS and applications are rarely ever calculated in. This notebook ships with Vista Home Basic...insufficient for my needs at the OS level. Additionally, you are not receiving any of the iApps, which are tremendous values.

Bottom line, I think the hardware specs are nice on this Windows box, but the OS would need an immediate upgrade ($$$) to be usable to me...something that I never have to worry about with OS X. What good are all the hardware specs in the world if the software that controls functionality is insufficient? Not much.

Any Apple computer to PC price comparison is not accurate unless it looks at the Mac as a software and hardware PACKAGE...not just hardware specs.

BTW, gamers should not be looking at any consumer computer. Fact is, a new Macbook would survive very well in my professional audio environment, and is probably more than enough computer for the majority of users out there.