Apple to Update MacBook Pro and MacBook Air in June 2013 with New Processors, All Retina?

[wbeasley]

OS "dickwaving" war ...

Hahaha. Yeah, we see way too many dick wavers here. Not counting you as one so please dont take it that way. As I said, I do find it weird though that Win8 is so different from Win7 that MacOS really is like the upgrade people wanted.

That's not to say Apple don't have a few niggles that Win users still come across... why, oh why, cant we have a "Print Screen" button? LOL.

iMacs are really good machines. I moved a family from PCs to Macs (iMac and laptop) last Xmas because I was sick of their constant virus attacks and the difficulty in "just working". They had a few initial issues but by and large, it's been a painfree year and a lot less long distance tech support calls for me

That's my biggest gripe with Windows. They keep moving things around but it doesn't make it any easier. I still use XP and have reluctantly got a Win7 laptop (only because the hardware wont let me downgrade to XP). It works but it frustrates the hell out of me when I need to F1 to find out how to do simple things I used to know. It looks a bit friendlier these days when setting up (the language has improved) but it's still a huge thing to do.

I recently upgraded an external boot drive on the Mac. No hassles at all Time Machining the existing drive and copying to a new one. It just feels more consumer friendly.

Anyway, back to the new iMac hardware, they will sell just as well. I don't miss the DVD drive on my Mac mini. I plug one in when I (rarely) need one. Funny enough, the built-in DVD drive is the one thing that wont work properly anymore on my old iMac. Being able to just plug a new external one in is an improvement hardware-wise for me.

No computer company covers all bases for all users. I dont think Apple ever intend to cover everyone. The real tinkerers will always hate companies like Apple for their brick-walled ecosystems. It's just like workplaces that lockdown desktops to stop problems from fiddlers. Walls are there to protect even if you upset a few so the benefits outweigh the inconvenience.

You say using Windows allows you to buy any vendor equipment to upgrade. That's mostly right these days. The days of weird driver interaction is almost gone now. I remember the old "buy this system and you can upgrade later" argument. It never worked. Everytime you wanted a faster processor, they'd changed the motherboard or processor or memory speed. It was always easier to just buy a new machine. With laptops outselling desktops, almost no one upgrades so does it really matter if Windows has more than one vendor?

 

[alohamade]

You got me wrong. The point mentioned in the previous post:

for example, the RAM failure of Retina MBP could only be fixed by replacing the logic board - which could cost $1200,
while, in case of Classic MBP, it could be fixed by replacing the RAM - less than $50.

No matter how old the computer is - 3 or 5 years - if you could fix it for less than $50, that is totally a good thing.

I agree with you, AppleMacFinder. The fact of the matter is that Apple still supports a lot of legacy hardware and it doesn't become "out of date" very easy, and you're damn right that I'd rather pay a smaller, cheaper price to get a perfectly good, working laptop running as opposed to just buying an outright new computer. I make a good living, but being able to tinker and fix my own technology is something I value, very, very much.

 

[Colpeas]

I don't think Air is gonna get a retina display.

but since the rumour comes from DigiTimes, nothing is given.

 

[iMacC2D]

Removed.

 

[Lancer]

I guess Apple will have to maintain a spec difference between the MBP and MBA.

The MBP has a bigger screen and retina option. The Air is design to be lighter and smaller, thus the 11" model. I agree in the short term battery issues might rule out a retina MBA btu I do think the days of built in DVD in the MBP are numbered.

First it was dropped on the Mini, never put in the MBA or MBPr and now dropped from the iMac. I'd say by mid year the old MBP will be gone and the only Mac with built DVD with be the Desktop Pro.

 

[nick_elt]

I wouldn't say 5 years ago (2007), as we still used physical media a fair bit. I think sometime in late 2010, or early/mid 2011 would've been a good time to axe the ODD, as physical media usage dropped a fair bit in 2010, but then plummeted in 2011. (Just my $.02...)

I had an early 2008 macbook with an odd and i only ever used that once and that was for the osx cd when i had a problem (could of just had it on usb so it wasnt needed), even back then usb was a much better opton for storage. If they used bluray back then it might of taken off a bit more, but as others said the fact you could take out the odd and have a second hdd was great for some, but the odd was dated even 5 years ago. It is just too proportionaly big. A larger battery would be much more usefull, use that every day

----------

Ditto.

A laptop's purpose isnt just to look good. Retina on a laptop doesnt impress me one bit.

While i wasnt blown away by retina like on the ipad, of course it is better but for the price premium that they charge i just didnt find it worth it.

 

[Michael Scrip]

With laptops outselling desktops, almost no one upgrades so does it really matter if Windows has more than one vendor?

True about most people not upgrading laptops.... but I can always add an SSD to almost any Windows laptop for a speed thrill. They aren't glued in

And you can choose a laptop from any vendor... HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, ASUS, Samsung, etc... in all shapes and sizes.

Remember how people flipped their **** when the 17" MBP was dropped? That's the danger of a one vendor ecosystem.

But I wasn't really talking about laptops... I actually like Mac laptops.

I've just never been a fan of the all-in-one desktop... which is a Mac staple. The iMac a fine machine... but not for me.

I've got a Windows box with an SSD boot drive, 3 other internal HDDs, and 2 externals for various backups. I do graphics and video production with Adobe CS6. It's 3 years old... but it still chews through HD video with no problem. I shoot with one of these: JVC HM150

I'm not the average consumer

And when I'm ready... I'll drop in a new motherboard, CPU and RAM for about $500... and basically have a brand new system. I couldn't do that with an iMac!!!

I moved my mom to a 15" MBP and iPad 3... and dad is on an iPad Mini.

But for me... I like to tinker!

 

[VTECaddict]

You wouldn't be paying that much. You'd be able to resell that MacBook for more than half what you paid.

I sold my 2008 factory stock aluminum MacBook this last summer for $600 locally. I paid $1450 CAD. if a MacBook can hold almost half it's value in four years, your theoretical MacBook would be worth even more.

Yes, but either way you still have to pay for a new laptop after you sell it. Say you did sell it for $1000, you would still have to pay $1000 on top of it to buy another one. Which would last you what, another 2 years maybe before you need to upgrade again?

Whereas with upgradeable components you can bump up the RAM and HDD for under $200 and squeeze a few more years of useful life out of it.

Planned obsolescence aside, user serviceable parts means you won't be tied to Apple's insane upgrade premiums if you want to max out your specs from the start. Apple wants $200 to upgrade the rMBP from 8gb to 16gb ram. Essentially you're paying $200 for an 8gb ram chip. One 8gb SO-DIMM is less than $50.

 

[n8236]

Unlike most, I think it's a great thing Apple is doing to the entire laptop world (and for themselves).

Pushing all retina across the board will streamline their supply chain and reduce costs. In addition, the Macbook Pro is "pro" for a reason and one of those reasons is the retina display. If a consumer wants a non-retina, then there's the Macbook. Retina will also push the industry to follow their lead, which will eventually spill over to other pc makers, reducing the overall cost. I like the idea of a future standard of retina displays. More choices.

Optical drives? what's that?! Ya, it's a dead end.

 

[AnonMac50]

Come join us in 2012 (almost 2013). Who uses disc drives anymore?

Me.

 

[apfeljonas]

I think the real problem is that they actually increased prices for the iPhone 5 this year. A 16 GB iPhone 4S? €599 last year. A 16 GB iPhone 5? €679, but in most European countries even higher. That's at least a $100 price increase.

It's funny to consider that Apple actually mentioned, during their previous conference calls, that they didn't really see growth in Europe 'because of the economic recession'. I think it has more to do with prices that continue to rise and rise, and bad marketing. I've seen only one single iPhone 5 ad here this year. At night.

I've seen tons of iPhone 5 ads, but I have seen one person (!) with one, while tons had the S3. The biggest factor is the outrageous price of Apple products here in Germany!

The only product really selling like hotcakes for Apple in Germany and Europe, is the reasonably priced iPod touch!

They need to lower their prices here.

 

[MadTester]

That's how I read it, too. Perhaps Apple is close to introducing its own processor. If that happens, I think it would silence those who criticize Tim Cook as not being an innovative CEO.

Well they've already done that with the iPhone? soooo I would hazard a guess at a MBP, MacMini, iMac processor based on the iPhone 5?

 

[Oletros]

Well they've already done that with the iPhone? soooo I would hazard a guess at a MBP, MacMini, iMac processor based on the iPhone 5?

And downgrade the performance to the iPhone 5 one?

 

[tigres]

Who uses windows for work? Its not even secure. I know for my job Windows isnt even considered serious for my profession....and if you mean to simply use some word processing, email, spreadsheet, and slide show type software any iPad can do that already....just sayin...

If your in any financial market field for a living, one must use windows.
I am forced to run 2 programs in a windows environment; no exception. The two programs needed I don't see going to osx ever.
Hell, even most banks back end server for financial professionals still require IE!

Now what?

 

[Konrad]

Also, in Europe due to tender requirements, a proprietary, one source Apple cannot in most cases even be considered. Generally speaking as market goes, Apple has a rather insignificant share in professional market, not to say that it is a inferior product. It has a good home use, educational sector likes it, it looks good with a hipster at Starbucks, in the movies and as an attractive prop in ads for i.e. furniture.

 

[Oletros]

Who uses windows for work? Its not even secure.

Nobody uses Windows for work

I know for my job Windows isnt even considered serious for my profession

What profession is that?

 

[phippsju]

Hope Airs are not Retina personally

Popping a Retina into the Air model will detract from the boost in GPU performance from the Haswell Microarchitecture... This is frankly what excites me most about upgrading my 11" Air, but if it goes Retina it's not going to be so outstanding anymore.

I get a lot of use out of the GPU on my MBPro, but would love to have an 11" Air that can perform a lot of the tasks to make mobility that much easier. I hate lugging around the heavy Pro... The Air is such a perfect on-the-go size and weight.

 

[phippsju]

They're not holding technology back - Apple provides two options for systems, one that is their fastest, most impressive new flagship and one that provides the feature set for users that need it. Nobody is held back.

I don't know what the hell is wrong with Apple fans, but becoming increasingly apparent that the majority of them couldn't tell a computer from a toaster - as long as Apple says it's new, revolutionary and does everything better than the last one, even if they strip functionality out and jack up the prices to boost the already substantial figures of the bottom line. You can't even repair these units for a reasonable cost as the components are heavily integrated - something that a vendor like Lenovo proved is not entirely necessary if Apple were willing to put in the engineering needed to make it work.

Doesn't anyone think for a moment that they can perhaps live with the fact that maybe there can be multiple product lines? That maybe there are customers that have needs that Apple could easily meet without compromising their other product lines and still turn a decent profit?

I mean christ, I work for Apple and even I'm beginning to think this is absolutely ridiculous. (I'm about 30 days off resigning so I don't think there are many consequences that could come of me writing this in the public domain.)

I'd just like to throw in that I'm fine with the removal of the Optical drive. If I need one, I'll pick up a cheap Superdrive. I burned all my CDs and DVDs years ago, and I'm hard pressed if I use this technology even once a year anymore.

I think we're moving to a point where notebooks are a type of disposable technology. There are those who need bleeding edge technology for what they use it for, and there are even more who don't. That's created an outstanding market for used machines (up to 5 years of age), and the value retention on Apple computers is fantastic. Bleeding edge users can trade in or sell their machines for often more than half of what they paid for it, then buy new every 2-3 years, and those who don't need cutting edge can buy 2-3 year old systems that still outperform the cheap PC counterparts from best buy (which often sport the same components as the 2-3 year old Apple models).

 

[gnasher729]

Remember how people flipped their **** when the 17" MBP was dropped? That's the danger of a one vendor ecosystem.

Just saying... You can _still_ buy refurbished 17" MBPs on the UK store; I didn't check the US one. So the amount of complaints is enormous, but the actual demand doesn't seem to be that high.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Really? I was on the road today, and most of the BMWs I saw were early 2000s models. Most cars in Germany are definetly not expensive cars. Ever heard of Dacia?

Apple prices are too high for European customers. The iPhone here has a low marketshare, and that is mainly because of outrageous off contract pricing. Why would anyone get the iPhone 5 for 679 EUROS over the S3 at 399 Euros?

Came could be translated to the mac, raising mac prices in Europe would kill off Apple marketshare in this continent.

I didn't say there were no econo-cars in Germany I said there are a whole lot of high end luxo Bimmers, Audis, Porches, and Mercs lining the streets in Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt. It's no different with other luxo goods like phones. The people that can afford them buy them. Apple products have never been inexpensive.

The the same thing is true in the U.S. A low end Chevy, Ford, or Toyota is $15K, but all the luxury brands still do a heck of business here. The least expensive BMW is more than 2x the price of a entry Toyota.

As to phones, maybe the Euro sales model needs to change to the U.S. where the carrier subsidizes in exchange for a two year lock. Few people in the U.S would pay $700+ for phone.

But this thread is about Macs so why did you insert phones into the conversation?

 

[tbjohn]

Retina? Sounds good!
But, I think it would be better for me to put anti-glare screen and keep the price about same as now. This way Apple might sell more laptops & monitors. IMO, current design of Apple products are already pretty enough and doesn't have to be fancier by putting glare screen which is distracting and annoying.

 

[Oletros]

As to phones, maybe the Euro sales model needs to change to the U.S. where the carrier subsidizes in exchange for a two year lock.

The two year lock is common in Europe

 

[gto55]

Intel Haswell: details on the CPU and GPU performance

The videocard on board is up to 3 times faster than the Intel HD Graphics 4000. What probably could catch up on AMD at this level, the Radeon 7660HD (integrated APU A10-5800K) is 30% faster than the HDG 4000.



http://diy.pconline.com.cn/cpu/study_cpu/1212/3115955_all.html

 

[3282868]

The two year lock is common in Europe

In some cases, yes, but most of EU and UK use pay as you go systems. Being from EU as well, aside from smart phones, most simply use the SIM card to pay for more minutes/data and swap phones.

 

[wickedking94]

I don't want retina. I dont want 60% of my GPU used up just so I can't see pixels. I don't care about seeing pixels I care about performance.