Apple Releases Penryn-Based MacBook Pros with Multitouch

[mwarner]

Optional remote = no loss

I don't understand the uproar on the remote being optional. In my mind it is absolutely useless for giving presentations. Since it has such a limited line-of-sight range, one cannot walk around the room and use it, and most podiums block the IR port anyway. My MBP remote is collecting dust.

This is a great example of lazy design. Sure it works if you are sitting directly in front of your computer and using it like a TV, but otherwise, just go with one of the much better 3rd party remotes.

 

[natejohnstone@g]

That's my blu-ray player. I like it.

Thing is, there's a next gen victor now and so long as we have optical drives, there's no real reason to continue with dvd. For those of us who enjoy working in digital photo & video, it would be convenient for us to have the option to burn large files and collections onto a single (30 gb - 50 gb) scratch-resistant disc. With the megapixel wars commencing in the digital photo world, those file sizes just keep getting bigger and bigger.

Plus, as we replace our old optical media or supplement it with new high def optical media, we want to be able to play it wherever we go (or at least we want the option), and we don't have that option with a standard drive.

Blu-ray isn't a necessary feature for most users, but it would be a very, very nice option for several of us.

Ditto for me. So I'm hoping the next update will include the redesign AND a Blu-ray burner.

So can you stream media from a Mac to a PS3? I know you can from a PC, but I just got my PS3 and haven't figured out how to do it from my Mac.

 

[ajx22]

*sigh* --- I'm too impatient...

Don't want to wait for the shipping - so need to wait till 9am (3 more hours) to head to the Apple store(s) too see if they have a 2.6GHz 17" with the LED screen in-stock. If neither have one in stock that I can buy - I'll be returning home to send off the order.

(fingers crossed)

 

[Digital Skunk]

What bugs me the most is that Intel is now getting away with half multipliers again. 100 MHz increments for the next processor model up when it was 200 MHz on 65nm Core 2.

It was nice when it was 2.0 -> 2.2 -> 2.4 -> 2.6.

The same issue is cropping up on the desktops as well. Past 266 to 333 MHz jumps are now cut in half.

Apple never got the 3 GHz G5 so I guess they're obsessed with having the most expensive processors while skimping on other features.

Amen... I could have understood paying $300 for a 2.4-2.6 jump, but not $250 for a 2.5-2.6 jump.... WTF?!?!?!

But I would see being able to SAVE $300 for a 2.5-2.1 jump down.

I'm sorry, but i dont understand. Why is everyone so worked up about the magnetic latch. I thought thats what a MagSafe Power Adapter was...

The mag latch from the MacBook is the mechanism for opening the laptop. If you got a defective MacBook Pro like I did, with case deformities, then opening the book is kinda hard to do with the current latch.

And by the way... I pray that the build construction and LCD construction of this new model is much better than the last ones.... on par with the MacBook Air's at if not surpassing it. I had to put my current MBP in the shop because the top case was literally falling apart.

 

[Lazernet]

I'm sorry, but i dont understand. Why is everyone so worked up about the magnetic latch. I thought thats what a MagSafe Power Adapter was...

The magnetic latch has moving parts... a little magnetic piece of metal flips down and holds the lid closed... its flimsy at best, yet has never once failed in my 4+ yr old 12" Powerbook.... My 1.33 is really dogging along lately, but these macbook pro updates are really "bleah" in my eyes. If they had come out with a 15" with the macbook air keyboard... black and backlit with LED backlit screen I probably would have ordered one today.

Wake me up when they either speed bump the air, or backlight the macbook's keyboard.

- Eric

 

[akac]

Or no manufacturer has created a slot-loading Blu-Ray drive with the dimensions required to fit inside of a MB/MBP. Do you not remember the deal with dual-layer drives not fitting into the first MBP?

http://fastmac.com/slim_bluray.php

 

[RHD]

I just phoned Crucial and they can do me 4 GIG for £62. Apple want £240.01 (I especially like the 1p - nice touch) Plus, as some sensible person here pointed out, you can always try and sell the old RAM.

 

[IlluminatedSage]

The thing is that they DON'T max out at 320GB at the Apple store. The biggest you can get is 250GB. Why on earth wouldn't you offer the biggest HD available at least as a BTO?
Considering that the 500GB HDs are just about a month away, this is ridiculous.

You are right, but at this rate Apple will make the 500 gb available as BTO option in 2009

Very Lame

 

[bryanzak]

2 years.

And to those who aren't satisfied with the update, there were twice as many things updated as predicted, does someone always have to complain? We just expected processor upgrades and multi-touch but also got HD and VRAM updates; as well as an updated MacBook.

Not having the new keyboard design is a deal killer for my wife. She LOVES the new keyboards on the MacBooks.

I'm STUNNED that Apple waits this long to update the MacBook Pro but changes NOTHING about the case. Not even the new keyboard they're using everywhere else.

 

[diamond.g]

What bugs me the most is that Intel is now getting away with half multipliers again. 100 MHz increments for the next processor model up when it was 200 MHz on 65nm Core 2.

It was nice when it was 2.0 -> 2.2 -> 2.4 -> 2.6.

The same issue is cropping up on the desktops as well. Past 266 to 333 MHz jumps are now cut in half.

Apple never got the 3 GHz G5 so I guess they're obsessed with having the most expensive processors while skimping on other features.

Most likely they are getting crappy yeilds from the 45nm parts right now. Plus AMD really isn't giving a whole lot of competition right now. So there is no need to stretch the speeds. I mean it is pretty well known in OC space that most of the currently shipping chips can run at near 4Ghz pretty easily.

 

[jonhaxor]

hmm, do you know in what kinda situations the 4200rpm could become a problem?

RPM is generally a problem for IOP intensive workloads - think manipulation of lots of frames or small files - at some point your overall throughput is affected as well depending on how many reads or writes you're getting per revolution - effectively:

rate = (block_size_xfer) * IOPs

your IOPs (I/O operations per second) can be calculated a number of different ways .. but an easy off the cuff calculation is to simply divide by 60 (assuming a single operation per rotation on average) to get a pretty good theoretical number .. so a 7200RPM drive would get you 120 IOPs vs 70 IOPs for a 4200RPM .. multiply that out by your transfer size and you'll see what your attainable max is to the drive .. (now some of this is obviously masked by the memory buffer cache and other filesystem optimizations to get higher or lower numbers)

.. (btw - i work with a lot of high end storage systems and filesystems) .. fwiw, HFS+ should optimize by reorganizing data blocks on the drives, but SATA and ATA suffer from poor optimization protocols (SATA-II introduced NCQ to mimic SCSI command queueing - but implementation is kinda sketchy)

.je

 

[marioalexander]

Thanks guys, i appreciate it.

 

[Digital Skunk]

The magnetic latch has moving parts... a little magnetic piece of metal flips down and holds the lid closed... its flimsy at best, yet has never once failed in my 4+ yr old 12" Powerbook.... My 1.33 is really dogging along lately, but these macbook pro updates are really "bleah" in my eyes. If they had come out with a 15" with the macbook air keyboard... black and backlit with LED backlit screen I probably would have ordered one today.

Wake me up when they either speed bump the air, or backlight the macbook's keyboard.

- Eric

Wrong about the magnetic latch that we are talking about putting in the MBP... we mean the one from the MacBook

Correct about "bleah" or "meh" if you like. Not inspiring, but as usual, we (I) have been waiting far too long for an updated machine. It's not even close to a desktop replacement, (not even an iMac in my opinion) but it will do.

 

[Pees330]

I just ordered mine this morning and I can't wait for the upgrade from my G4 iBook. Next week can't come fast enough.

 

[RHD]

I don't understand why everybody is so obsessed with this magnetic latch thing.
My old TiBook has the button and hook and there has never been a problem with it. You push the button; the catch opens. It's not that technical.

I'm going to sleep on it and order mine tomorrow I think.

 

[jonhaxor]

incidentally does anyone know why the remote is now a BTO option for an extra $20?

 

[GCY]

I wonder how long till release another update. In 2-3 months??
I hate having to shell 2G on a laptop only to be outdated in a few months.

 

[jmous]

200 euros less for pro! We are finally going to profit from bad dollars here


And one more USB port, 3 total. That is a nice win

 

[wwwchrisde]

ordered mine

ordered the 2.5 GHz 15" edition some hours ago - can't wait for next week

 

[goldenkidx]

Nice deals on refurbs

There are some nice deals on refurbs on the site now 35% off the previous generation 2.4ghz 15in. $1649.00

 

[IlluminatedSage]

For those of you who are bitching about no blu-ray...
Apple has got something better.

Douple-Layer for the 17 incher

Wow, i heard that Douple-Layer drives are the future. The tech is based on the Doppler Radar.

Finally you can microwave your lap the way you want to... and get medical results back quick.

 

[Digital Skunk]

I don't understand why everybody is so obsessed with this magnetic latch thing.
My old TiBook has the button and hook and there has never been a problem with it. You push the button; the catch opens. It's not that technical.

I'm going to sleep on it and order mine tomorrow I think.

Use a Macbook and Macbook Air and call me in the morning.

I wonder how long till release another update. In 2-3 months??
I hate having to shell 2G on a laptop only to be outdated in a few months.

About a year or less as it seems.... maybe 7-8 months. Order now or wait forever.

p.s. would have been nice if Apple gave users the option of putting the backlit MBA keyboard in the Macbook as BTO.

 

[7even]

omg! so happy! getting the matte high-end 15" model as soon as I can get to the store..

 

[Digital Skunk]

200 euros less for pro! We are finally going to profit from bad dollars here


And one more USB port, 3 total. That is a nice win

Um...... what?

There's been 3 USB ports on the 17" for a while now

As well as a double layer DVD burner for the other guy. That stuff isn't new

The only update Apple did was with the HDDs, Processors, GFX cards, and MT. A nice list compared to other updates like Santa Rosa, but nothing outside of the case and nothing extensive.

 

[PeterC-7]

We're paying $500 for 256mb+ of vram?

You're also paying for double the CPU L2 cache. (T8300 to T9300 Penryn).