buy macbook pro 2011 or wait for 2012 design overhaul>

[DudeMartin]

All of you just look at numbers, I don't get it.

HD 3000 graphics by Intel - oh no... they're not dedicated graphics with X amount of VRAM, this computer automatically sucks! Who cares about what's written on the paper, I care about how well this suits my needs. The fact is, even the 'crappy' 2011 13" will do just about anything you throw at it, except maybe 1080p editing (which it could probably pull off, too) and playing the very latest games on every single setting on high.

I guarantee that even the 13" will suit you needs, and if you're thinking about 15/17", then you don't even have to think.

Also, will waiting a whole year or so be worth a slightly different unibody design and maybe at 20% speed increase? I would say no.

 

[Yebubbleman]

All of you just look at numbers, I don't get it.

HD 3000 graphics by Intel - oh no... they're not dedicated graphics with X amount of VRAM, this computer automatically sucks! Who cares about what's written on the paper, I care about how well this suits my needs. The fact is, even the 'crappy' 2011 13" will do just about anything you throw at it, except maybe 1080p editing (which it could probably pull off, too) and playing the very latest games on every single setting on high.

I guarantee that even the 13" will suit you needs, and if you're thinking about 15/17", then you don't even have to think.

Also, will waiting a whole year or so be worth a slightly different unibody design and maybe at 20% speed increase? I would say no.

Here's the thing. The NVIDIA GeForce 320M is also an integrated graphics processor without its own discrete VRAM, and given that, for what it is, it's pretty stellar. It matches low-mid-range graphics that were unveiled a year prior, whereas the Intel integrated graphics processors can barely be twice as current. As it stands, Intel came out with the HD 3000 a year after NVIDIA did the 320M and it is still subpar. If what you're doing doesn't involve gaming or involves the one thing that the HD 3000 beats all others at (namely video encoding and decoding), the HD 3000 is more that enough for a pleasant, if not awesome Mac experience. That said, in most other respects, it is a downgrade from the IGP it replaces.

I was all gung-ho for the 13" Pro until I heard about the Intel graphics and the notion that while the CPU would be drastically upgraded, the graphics would be downgraded, and if money grew on trees, that'd be fine. If 13" MacBook Pros grew on trees, that'd be fine. However, I don't buy computers every refresh, let alone every year. I'm lucky if I'm able to afford a new computer every 5 years. At that, everything better be awesome as I have to live with the thing for at least 5 years and it has to be able to run my software and last that long. With the last 13" Pro, the graphics were rad for what they were, but the CPU, while still capable, probably would show signs of age sooner rather than later, now the opposite is the case. It's not an ideal mix of both given how much you're paying. Yeah, if your needs are basic, the 13" will be more than adequate, but if you do anything system intensive, your experience will always be better going to a 15". I think the 13" Pro is now better suited for mainstream tasks than it was in the recently discontinued Mid 2010 version, but worse on anything demanding more graphical/OpenCL muscle. And really, that's the only beef anyone has with the Intel HD 3000, let alone any Intel graphics.

 

[TheralSadurns]

And you know this for a fact how?



You're wrong here too, I know several professionals who don't have iMacs or Mac Pros at their home (they do at their workplace) but burn things for their profession at both places. It's called convenience, and again, just because you don't use it in that way on your or just because the people you know don't use it like that, doesn't mean that it isn't used in that way nor does it mean that your sampling of people make up the majority of those who own and use a MacBook Pro in a professional application.

Just like you said: AT THEIR HOME. There is no, as in zero, problem to have an external drive hooked up to your book at home. At no loss on convenience. While on the road, however, where you seldom to never need it, the additional weight + size of an internal SuperDrive are almost always a cause of inconvenience.

 

[TheralSadurns]

I was all gung-ho for the 13" Pro until I heard about the Intel graphics and the notion that while the CPU would be drastically upgraded, the graphics would be downgraded, and if money grew on trees, that'd be fine. If 13" MacBook Pros grew on trees, that'd be fine. However, I don't buy computers every refresh, let alone every year. I'm lucky if I'm able to afford a new computer every 5 years. At that, everything better be awesome as I have to live with the thing for at least 5 years and it has to be able to run my software and last that long. With the last 13" Pro, the graphics were rad for what they were, but the CPU, while still capable, probably would show signs of age sooner rather than later, now the opposite is the case. It's not an ideal mix of both given how much you're paying. Yeah, if your needs are basic, the 13" will be more than adequate, but if you do anything system intensive, your experience will always be better going to a 15". I think the 13" Pro is now better suited for mainstream tasks than it was in the recently discontinued Mid 2010 version, but worse on anything demanding more graphical/OpenCL muscle. And really, that's the only beef anyone has with the Intel HD 3000, let alone any Intel graphics.

Pretty true.

Although I have to say, it really depends on what you plan to do with your Book. I mean, if you are the non-gaming, non-3D-rendering, or otherwise graphics guy, you can probably care less about the GPU.
And seriously, who in the name of Jebus, buys a 13" MBP who does the aforementioned things ?!

All this aside, the Intel HD3000, while a step down from the 320m is not THAT terrible. You can even do some light gaming on it, and everything office-related will be a non-issue. Just try to think back to the time before Oct 2008.
When ALL MacBooks solely relied on Intel Graphics GMA 950 or X3100. THESE were REALLY crappy and a long long long shot behind the curve.

I could still do about anything on my 2006 MacBook. Except for gaming of course

 

[Jason Beck]

Apple will get Blu-Ray someday. It's caught on pretty damn good so far.

 

[Ahmahzahn]

Apple will get Blu-Ray someday. It's caught on pretty damn good so far.

HAHA. With Mr. Jobs' current position in the company, and his view on the 'locked down' blu ray, and the fees apple would have to pay sony, it's doubtful that the macbook pros will adopt blu ray. Look at the evidence on Jobs' quotes, iTunes download success, and the new Mac App Store. We're both obviously entitled to our own opinions however, and it's possible that I'm still bitter about accepting Jobs' decision about blu ray because every other piece of media hardware I have uses it.

 

[Kabuki]

Buy Now?

Get what you need now, Apple is always going to be coming out with newer and better models. Unless your rich, you can't keep up. So just get what you need and don't worry about it.

 

[ECUpirate44]

They've put a powerful chip in the laptops, but then crippled it with ****** graphics.

The MBP's graphics cards, even in the 13" are hardly "crippling" the computer.

 

[Cicatrix]

This is EXACTLY what I am talking about. While, yes the 'everyday customer' might heavily rely on the ODD to remain in the machine, the updated MBPs CLEARY show, that they are, first and foremost meant for PROFESSIONALS.

And that is the whole point of my argument. Just because more and more regular consumers (read, not creators) buy 15" and 17" MBPs, doesn't mean that their are not still catering to the Pros.

And to these professionals, there are actually two types. Those who work at a desk in an office, for which they got the Mac Pro, and maybe for some lighter duties iMacs.

And then, there is those, who need to work on the road or in different locations all over the place. Emphasis on WORK. Not play or consume. They don't use their SuperDrive to watch DVDs or to rip Audio CDs into iTunes.

So take your own advice please, before starting to argue: Do not confuse the everyday user with his wantsand needs with Pro users.

This was a good read, thanks for this.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Pretty true.

Although I have to say, it really depends on what you plan to do with your Book. I mean, if you are the non-gaming, non-3D-rendering, or otherwise graphics guy, you can probably care less about the GPU.
And seriously, who in the name of Jebus, buys a 13" MBP who does the aforementioned things ?!

All this aside, the Intel HD3000, while a step down from the 320m is not THAT terrible. You can even do some light gaming on it, and everything office-related will be a non-issue. Just try to think back to the time before Oct 2008.
When ALL MacBooks solely relied on Intel Graphics GMA 950 or X3100. THESE were REALLY crappy and a long long long shot behind the curve.

I could still do about anything on my 2006 MacBook. Except for gaming of course

The Mid 2010 13" MacBook Pro is perfect for playing things like StarCraft II and Source Engine games like Portal or Team Fortress 2. Will it play either game maxed out on highest graphics? No. But with a 13" 1280x800 screen, it performs quite well, and if that's all the gaming you'll be doing, then it's fine for that. The HD 3000 is worse with said games. Granted, only by a hair, but when graphics are more of a bottleneck than CPUs are, and when today's Intel IGP barely matches yesterday's NVIDIA IGP, that's something to negatively remark on, especially at the obscene price point that the 13" MacBook Pro has always been at. It's their biggest rip-off by far as far as Mac sales go. I'm not saying that the HD 3000 is terrible. It is unarguably an upgrade from the GeForce 9400M IGP used two refreshes ago, but the fact that it is a step-down from what I could've gotten two weeks ago for the same price (solely in terms of graphics performance), no thanks. That's the same reason why I won't be buying the lower-end 15" MacBook Pro of current; the 6490M is a downgrade from the GT 330M. If I'm paying over a thousand for a MacBook Pro, whether it's 13", 15" or 17", it better be better than any MacBook Pro before it in every way. Otherwise it seems like I'm being cheated somehow.

Just like you said: AT THEIR HOME. There is no, as in zero, problem to have an external drive hooked up to your book at home. At no loss on convenience. While on the road, however, where you seldom to never need it, the additional weight + size of an internal SuperDrive are almost always a cause of inconvenience.

For one, Superdrives don't add much weight. I've removed them from both MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Hell, I swapped one out of a Mid 2010 13" MacBook Pro just the other week. They don't add much weight at all really. On the road, it makes my Mac a portable DVD player. While I might not need it at home, I usually need it where I'm going, and the point is that having to carry it somewhere or buying another external ODD to keep at my second location in terms of inconvenience far outweighs the one of lugging it around. Having it on the 15" is clearly not preventing us from having quad-core CPUs nor discrete graphics. It is on the 13", but seeing as more people buy that model and more people would rather keep the ODD than not (regardless of how infrequently it is used), I'd say that it won't be removed as there's no reason to. Want a thinner computer? They make the MacBook Air for that, and nowadays it performs just as well (better if you're comparing the current 13" MacBook Air to the Mid 2010 13" MacBook Pro)

Apple will get Blu-Ray someday. It's caught on pretty damn good so far.

I doubt they'll adopt Blu-Ray burning, but a BD-ROM/DVD+/-R DL combo drive wouldn't be an unreasonable thing for them to include. From what I've heard, it's the burning of Blu-Ray discs that is where the "big bag of hurt" comes into play. Stupid Sony.

Get what you need now, Apple is always going to be coming out with newer and better models. Unless your rich, you can't keep up. So just get what you need and don't worry about it.

Well, buying at the beginning of the refresh cycle tends to afford you more time with the machine before it is eventually left out of minimum system requirements (5-6 years down the line), which maximizes the use of the money used to buy the damn thing. But otherwise, waiting for a specific refresh for things you are not aware of yet is silly. There will always be improvements in the next refresh. Granted, this one is more substantial than any MacBook Pro update has ever been.

The MBP's graphics cards, even in the 13" are hardly "crippling" the computer.

They're not crippling. But they're pretty pitiful for a laptop costing anywhere from $1,000 (low-end academic discount) to $1,400 (high end, no academic discount).

 

[SirStrumalot]

Buy the current model if you really need a notebook. To be honest, I think even if they do a design overhaul (which is only speculation at this point) you will still be able to get a good price for your 2011 MBP if it's in decent condition and will be able to get the new one for not too much of a price difference if you choose to. Really, it's a win-win for you either way.

 

[apolloa]

Hi Everyone,
This is my first thread on Macrumours...
I am keen on buying a macbook pro this june but now i am unsure whether i should wait for the 2012 change in the design of macbook pro or not? I mean, will the change is design practically effect the usability of the macbook pro for a common user?
I am desperate to buy macbook pro, but dont want it to be outdated so quick, and i dont want to even wait for another year... I just want that my macbook pro to perform at par with the rest notebooks...

As I would think has already been said. This is an easy one really. If you use the superdrive then buy one before next year. If you don't then wait.
As it is widely expected the model will see a major re-design next year and will loose the superdrive, then again the majority of people on here have been saying that for the last 3 years and have been wrong everytime so far.

So you have to then ask yourself, will it get a re-design next year? Will it loose the superdrive? But I think the people will be proven right next year.

Either way I fully intend to get one this year, add a Sata 3 SSD and fully spec the machine as I personally prefer to have the superdrive built in and at present I loose nothing for doing so.

 

[paolinselva]

BUY!!! you'll love it

BUY!!! you'll love it,

there will always be e better one round the corner.
I got the 15" entry level and 6 days ago and fell in love with it.
I have 7 more macs in my house, starting from the classic, this replaced the first 13" UNIBODY and represents a huge step ahead.
The GP gives anyway much more then I need, but the 8 threads and 8 gb of ram allow you to keep open and jump from one to the other as many app as you whish without missing a beat.
Don't worry with the bto anything you need to replace (hd, ram) you'll do by yourself, Apple provide a small manual to instruct you how to.

Best wishes

 

[thinkinblue613]

Get it now, especially since its fresh off the factory line. I was stuck in this dilemma many times before and it just wasted my time.

I waited a long time to get one and I needed one now since my old one was on its last legs. Like what many others have told me in the past, if you need it now, get it. If not, then wait... It's as simple as that.

 

[Yebubbleman]

As I would think has already been said. This is an easy one really. If you use the superdrive then buy one before next year. If you don't then wait.
As it is widely expected the model will see a major re-design next year and will loose the superdrive, then again the majority of people on here have been saying that for the last 3 years and have been wrong everytime so far.

So you have to then ask yourself, will it get a re-design next year? Will it loose the superdrive? But I think the people will be proven right next year.

Either way I fully intend to get one this year, add a Sata 3 SSD and fully spec the machine as I personally prefer to have the superdrive built in and at present I loose nothing for doing so.

It is widely expected by people who are all just as uninformed as each other. The last design lasted from January 2003 when it was introduced in the first 12" and 17" PowerBooks to January 2009 when the last of the pre-unibody 17" MacBook Pros were redesigned with unibody. Six years. We've been with unibody for just under two and a half years; I think we have some time yet before a major earth-shattering (ODD-removing) redesign comes along. No one really has any data or info to make a strong case for this redesign.

BUY!!! you'll love it,

there will always be e better one round the corner.
I got the 15" entry level and 6 days ago and fell in love with it.
I have 7 more macs in my house, starting from the classic, this replaced the first 13" UNIBODY and represents a huge step ahead.
The GP gives anyway much more then I need, but the 8 threads and 8 gb of ram allow you to keep open and jump from one to the other as many app as you whish without missing a beat.
Don't worry with the bto anything you need to replace (hd, ram) you'll do by yourself, Apple provide a small manual to instruct you how to.

Best wishes

The low-end 15" should be perfect for most. If you do anything with graphics (i.e. intense editing or gaming) I'd say don't bother and go higher up in the line. Most unfortunately, the low-end's GPU is a downgrade from what was in that segment of the line last refresh.

Get it now, especially since its fresh off the factory line. I was stuck in this dilemma many times before and it just wasted my time.

I waited a long time to get one and I needed one now since my old one was on its last legs. Like what many others have told me in the past, if you need it now, get it. If not, then wait... It's as simple as that.

Well, more, wait until all of the reviews and bugs are out and known about, then buy quickly to maximize your time with it until it is refreshed and then on the long (4-6 year) road to being excluded from minimum system requirements.

 

[illian]

If you are a student, why not wait for back to school in a couple of months? Or wait for the new OS! Only Apple knows what is happening 2012.

This is my last year as student, so i will buy my 15 mbp in september (back to school).

 

[adnoh]

if you need now buy now, if you can wait then wait.

 

[di1in]

oled as well?

I found this of google -, seems they'll be using oled logos on the liquid metal body to make it more futuristic. i lik the idea.
Apple MacBook Pro with OLED

 

[kunal2sh]

Optical Drive shouldnt go!

Well As everyone is complaining about the optical drives going,i thought why not put my input as well! For everyone complaining that the ODD should go, have you guys thought about the fact that not all places in world have super internet speeds at cheap rates(forget cheap rates, at AFFORDABLE and REASONABLE rates) for example Africa! There are people there who have macs but internet is not as fast since people pay ridiculous prices for high speeds. So are you guys saying that people have to wait hours to download from mac app store or whatever? Leaving that aside, everyone is saying ODD should be removed since we can use Pen drives and what not but does a average user really want to go through the hassle of accessing a computer with a disc drive, copy contents to the pen drive then bring it to the mac? NO. Simply inserting the disc is a better option. If not in Africa, there are people who live in developed countries but don't have access to the internet due to the standards of living! Oh and people who are saying that external ODD should be there and better battery life,dedicated GPU in the 13", what is the point? Usually people want their laptops to do everything without the hassle of carrying extra cables and devices. id rather have a laptop that can burn a disc for my friend any time he needs it then plugging in the external.
I rather be able to watch a movie from a DVD in my library than plugging in a external to play it.

As for people who fall under professional and business men category who think the ODD should go, you life is already simple. you can buy a macbook air 13" with the ODD. unless the "PRO" really affects!! I dont see a reason to complain that it should go!

NB: This is just my personal opinion. Please do not flame. Each to his own. Just that there are people in other parts of the world who still use DVDs and CDs as mediums of storage!

 

[Ommid]

I found this of google -, seems they'll be using oled logos on the liquid metal body to make it more futuristic. i lik the idea.
Apple MacBook Pro with OLED

Oooh!

 

[adnoh]

Buy now if you need now

 

[thermodynamic]

I would wait. They've put a powerful chip in the laptops, but then crippled it with ****** graphics. Hopefully, next year will bring a new thinner design with the hybrid SSD that contains the OS as was rumored for this update. There are prototypes out there for this design and it's just a matter of time before Apple implements it. I think this last update was put together hurriedly because of supply problems with some components and we didn't see the full intent of what the designers were working on.

****** graphics for the sub-$2199 models. The 6750M performs similarly to a desktop 5770.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-6750M.43958.0.html

http://www.tested.com/news/new-macbook-pro-gpus-compared-gt-330m-vs-hd-6750m/1913/

But the 6490M, with 256MB, definitely is a step in the backwards direction. Still, the high-end models rock.

 

[thermodynamic]

logo only - not the user screen

I found this of google -, seems they'll be using oled logos on the liquid metal body to make it more futuristic. i lik the idea.
Apple MacBook Pro with OLED

Just the logo. Not the whole display panel.

I wonder if prices will go up for the new metal, dedicated SSD (which is a REALLY nice idea), and OLED panel showing the logo.

Still, no IPS panels exist for laptop monitor sizes. The TN panels, when calibrated, are almost passable - or, rather, Apple's ARE better than the competition's panels, with both color gamut and sharpness...

The new look will be GREAT, and OS X rocks, but even this year's MBP, performance-wise, will remain most viable.

 

[CHSeifert]

Just the logo. Not the whole display panel.

I wonder if prices will go up for the new metal, dedicated SSD (which is a REALLY nice idea), and OLED panel showing the logo.

Still, no IPS panels exist for laptop monitor sizes. The TN panels, when calibrated, are almost passable - or, rather, Apple's ARE better than the competition's panels, with both color gamut and sharpness...

The new look will be GREAT, and OS X rocks, but even this year's MBP, performance-wise, will remain most viable.

Have you heard about the new Lenovo X220 ?
Ips comes as an bto option.

 

[mark28]

Hi Everyone,
This is my first thread on Macrumours...
I am keen on buying a macbook pro this june but now i am unsure whether i should wait for the 2012 change in the design of macbook pro or not? I mean, will the change is design practically effect the usability of the macbook pro for a common user?
I am desperate to buy macbook pro, but dont want it to be outdated so quick, and i dont want to even wait for another year... I just want that my macbook pro to perform at par with the rest notebooks...

If you don't got a MBP, then yes.

If you already got an unibody MBP ( like a 2010 MBP in my case ), I would personally wait for a redesign, because the 2011 MBP feels the same as the 2010 MBP in everyday tasks. ( i tested it in the Apple store ). Unless you use your MBP as a game machine and heavy simulations and video editing.