First Intel Arrandale (MacBook Pro) Processors Due January 3rd?

[Maserati7200]

Didn't enough people complain when the MBA was released without a superdrive?? Now many of you are suggesting removing it from a MacBook Pro? How does this make any sense. I'm not a professional, but I install software via disks, burn DVD's and watch DVD's all the time. And I'm sure pros do the the first two a lot more than I do. I could understand one's reasoning with the MacBook (though, I don't agree) but not with the Macbook Pro. I would rather not only have access DVD's over the network, because I'm not always in a network where i have access to other computer's optical drives (or have admin privileges to access them, for that matter), or in a network at all. And even if I did always have access to a network with a drive i can access, it would be very slow and inconvenient. And USB drives, ugh why do I have to carry that everywhere? Why can't it be in my computer like it used to be?

 

[gianly1985]

@people mentioning gt2xx gpus

Wait wait wait.....wasn't Apple in a "f*ck you nVidia" phase?? (8600gt anyone?)...I think that the iMac revamp speaks for itself....nVidia is OUT for discrete graphics in apple produtcs....

So I think that Apple is going to use ATI solutions...hopefully 5xxx (Park and Madison), probably 4xxx.....

 

[JTK28]

I'd still wait for quad core. Hopefully that will come later next year.

I agree with you. With quad cores mobile processors slated to be out within the next year or so, the arrandale update seems to be a bit anti-climatic for me.

 

[Lord Lagg]

I have similar quandry..got the base 13"MBP on black friday sales thru amazon. Paid £810 (bout best we can do in the uk)...now should i send that back....hmmm...

 

[J the Ninja]

Didn't enough people complain when the MBA was released without a superdrive?? Now many of you are suggesting removing it from a MacBook Pro? How does this make any sense. I'm not a professional, but I install software via disks, burn DVD's and watch DVD's all the time. And I'm sure pros do the the first two a lot more than I do. I could understand one's reasoning with the MacBook (though, I don't agree) but not with the Macbook Pro. I would rather not access DVD's over the network, because I'm not always in a network where i have access to other computer's optical drives (or have admin privileges to access them, for that matter), or in a network at all. And even if I did always have access to a network with a drive i can access, it would be very slow and inconvenient.

In the Air, it was dumped to make it thinner. On the Pro, it would be dumped in order to put a second HDD in the bay. There are already products that exist for this, like the MCE Optibay. To be honest, I've been tempted to do it myself, and probably would if OWC didn't sell such awesome 2.5" Firewire drives.

Imagine it for a minute: The MBP, as portable as it is now, not all bulky like most PC laptops with dual HDDs...yet...you can stuff dual 640GB HDDs in it! All the iTunes library space you need! Or mix and match. Maybe an X-25 for OS and apps, and and a 500GB 7200rpm HDD as a scratch disk! Combine that with a Core i7M quad core and a GT 240M, and you have a machine that is creeping up on the firepower of the first Mac Pros, all in a 1" notebook! A beautiful, 1" thick Apple notebook. Reaching for your wallet yet?

 

[Eric S.]

How will these new chips be better than the C2D, besides the Turbo Boost? When I look at them all I see is a slightly more efficient C2D. What's the improvement? Why aren't they quad-core? The clock speed surely hasn't changed or has gotten worse, and TB seems more like a tiny boost. I don't get how these dual-core are any different than the C2D.

Dual core, four threads. It will look like four cpus to the OS.

 

[flynz4]

Didn't enough people complain when the MBA was released without a superdrive?? Now many of you are suggesting removing it from a MacBook Pro? How does this make any sense. I'm not a professional, but I install software via disks, burn DVD's and watch DVD's all the time. And I'm sure pros do the the first two a lot more than I do. I could understand one's reasoning with the MacBook (though, I don't agree) but not with the Macbook Pro. I would rather not only have access DVD's over the network, because I'm not always in a network where i have access to other computer's optical drives (or have admin privileges to access them, for that matter), or in a network at all. And even if I did always have access to a network with a drive i can access, it would be very slow and inconvenient. And USB drives, ugh why do I have to carry that everywhere? Why can't it be in my computer like it used to be?

Personally, I think that optical media is nearing end-of-life just as floppies did in the '97 timeframe. Certainly for my usage, I am happy to have a DVD drive in a desktop system... but for a laptop (ie: portable)... I think it is a liability to lug around a machine that is larger than necessary to carry an obsolete technology.

/Jim

 

[JTK28]

I have similar quandry..got the base 13"MBP on black friday sales thru amazon. Paid £810 (bout best we can do in the uk)...now should i send that back....hmmm...

depends what you are going to use it for... But based on your purchase decision, you only use your computer for simple everyday functions. That is, email, web browsing, word processing, etc, etc...

And if that is the case, you will not see any real world noticeable difference in terms of processing speed.

Don't get caught up in keeping up with technology (that is unless you have large amounts of disposable income). Its a no win proposition.

 

[stylewriter]

Mine's not even a C2D, it's just a CoreDuo. Pretty much anything at this point will be a lot faster!

I just went from a CoreDuo macbook to the 13" Macbook Pro. There was some weird short in my old macbook; if I bumped it wrong, it would turn off. It lasted 4 years, so I'm not too miffed.
<br><br>
My new C2D benchmarks ~50% faster than my CoreDuo, and the GPU is ~10000% faster(literally).

 

[Maserati7200]

In the Air, it was dumped to make it thinner. On the Pro, it would be dumped in order to put a second HDD in the bay. There are already products that exist for this, like the MCE Optibay. To be honest, I've been tempted to do it myself, and probably would if OWC didn't sell such awesome 2.5" Firewire drives.

Imagine it for a minute: The MBP, as portable as it is now, not all bulky like most PC laptops with dual HDDs...yet...you can stuff dual 640GB HDDs in it! All the iTunes library space you need! Or mix and match. Maybe an X-25 for OS and apps, and and a 500GB 7200rpm HDD as a scratch disk! Combine that with a Core i7M quad core and a GT 240M, and you have a machine that is creeping up on the firepower of the first Mac Pros, all in a 1" notebook! A beautiful, 1" thick Apple notebook. Reaching for your wallet yet?

Personally, I think that optical media is nearing end-of-life just as floppies did in the '97 timeframe. Certainly for my usage, I am happy to have a DVD drive in a desktop system... but for a laptop (ie: portable)... I think it is a liability to lug around a machine that is larger than necessary to carry an obsolete technology.

/Jim

Unless software and movies will be sold in USB pocket drives, I'm not sold.

 

[gianly1985]

.you can stuff dual 640GB HDDs in it!

The hdd bay in uMBP can take 12mm drives, so you could even stuff 3-platters drives like the 1tb WD Scorpio Blue.

So in your hypotethic situation you could stuff dual 1TB HDDs.

But the best possible setup is the HYBRID (SSD+HDD) SETUP:

- Intel x25-M G2 160gb SSD for OS+Applications

- 1tb WD Scorpio Blue for storage

You get the best of both worlds™.

 

[tw3nty]

depends what you are going to use it for... But based on your purchase decision, you only use your computer for simple everyday functions. That is, email, web browsing, word processing, etc, etc...

And if that is the case, you will not see any real world noticeable difference in terms of processing speed.

Don't get caught up in keeping up with technology (that is unless you have large amounts of disposable income). Its a no win proposition.

I have to agree with this statment, of course everyone would love to have the best and newest tech, but in reality what will you be using it for? If you have gone with the base config, it may really make no difference if you are only web browsing/listening to music/word processing.

I am going to keep the one I just ordered as it is a pretty good deal for the time being and I myself dont do any really heavy processor intensive work such as video editing/converting or any design for that matter.

Thanks for all the help insight in this forum as it has helped me reinforce me decision to buy now, as I do need a computer.

 

[Hemingray]

Personally, I think that optical media is nearing end-of-life just as floppies did in the '97 timeframe. Certainly for my usage, I am happy to have a DVD drive in a desktop system... but for a laptop (ie: portable)... I think it is a liability to lug around a machine that is larger than necessary to carry an obsolete technology.

/Jim

I suppose, as long as we have the option to lug around an external SuperDrive if we need to (like the MBA). Personally, I'd rather have that space filled up by battery and have a 10+hour battery. Forget the dual hard drives.

Edit: Or wait... Apple, maybe you could... have hot swappable bays! (*gasp!*) Or is that too "Dell" for you? I have a Latitude 600 sitting to my left, with a 2nd battery charging in the bay that normally houses the DVD drive. How is it that an old Dell can do something current Macs can't? (I may have opened up a can of worms.)

 

[adder7712]

Nice, I might consider a new i5 15-inch MacBook Pro.

But please don't use Arrandale's integrated GPU, it's like a step back to the GMA X3100. Most likely they will use the Mobility Radeon HD 4670 or Mobility Radeon HD 4830.

And give the mid and high-end 13-inch the GeForce 9600M. But they have to give the iMac better graphics solutions if they bumped out the graphics and processors for the iMacs in order to keep its "superiority",

 

[gianly1985]

Forget the dual hard drives.

Until cheap and large SSDs are available, the dual drive solution is the way to go...

 

[J the Ninja]

Unless software and movies will be sold in USB pocket drives, I'm not sold.

USB ODDs can be put together for under $40, and connected when needed.

In any case, this is something that should be a BTO option, not ditched entirely. Maybe you use your ODD more than the second hard drive. I don't. I use my firewire disk far more than my optical drive, and some days think how wrong it is that my HDD is strung out on a cable and a slower bus, and how nice it would be if they could switch places. I only really use the ODD when I get new software or a new CD. I use it once to get my purchases onto the machine, and that is the end of it until I buy something else. I'm a little put off by the cost and mod-fu required for the Optibay, so I haven't done it (although I doubt it would be too difficult, and the cost isn't much more than a FW800 2.5" enclosure that is the only practical alternative.)

Still, if this was a BTO option? I'd take it in a heartbeat. Less than a heartbeat if the case doesn't have the ODD slot cut in it in the first place, like on the Mac Mini server (i'd pay substantially more if that was the case, actually.)

 

[gianly1985]

Many people use the ODD once a month and an external HDD once a minute, swapping them inside out is the obvious thing to do for those people (including me)...

 

[puckhead193]

this is huge news for me! Now if only there was more rumors on the mac pro... I hope apple puts back the express card slot instead of the SD on the 15 or have it as a *free* option.

 

[JTK28]

I suppose, as long as we have the option to lug around an external SuperDrive if we need to (like the MBA). Personally, I'd rather have that space filled up by battery and have a 10+hour battery. Forget the dual hard drives.

Edit: Or wait... Apple, maybe you could... have hot swappable bays! (*gasp!*) Or is that too "Dell" for you? I have a Latitude 600 sitting to my left, with a 2nd battery charging in the bay that normally houses the DVD drive. How is it that an old Dell can do something current Macs can't? (I may have opened up a can of worms.)

I personally would love a bigger battery! the only time i found myself using the optical drive was to reinstall or upgrade leopard or snow leopard.

Other than that i find the apple optical drive to be very unreliable for burning anything other than cd-rs.

When i do burn any kind of media its on my desktop or on a more reliable optical drive.

 

[Rocketman]

Until cheap and large SSDs are available, the dual drive solution is the way to go...

I told you so.

Need ExpressCard functionality? Ask Apple to put a PCIe plug or a converter from the highest I/O port. I for one feel Apple has always been I/O crippled. LP may lean on that, but in the mean time a PCIe solution or converter is needed.

I use it to add USB2 functionality to a PBTi867. That's crazy to me.

Crippleware.

Rocketman

 

[gianly1985]

the only time i found myself using the optical drive was to reinstall or upgrade leopard or snow leopard.

And even then you could have used a 8gb thumbdrive. (created on another mac with optical drive or from a DMG of Snow Leopard)

 

[nontroppo]

No idea about the form factor (they are MXM boards so would need some other packaging), but for the 17" perhaps the new Quadro FX 2/3800M:

http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_quadro_fx_2800_m_us.html
http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_quadro_fx_3800_m_us.html

Already available for Dell 17" workstations[1], but as the drivers are so much better on Windows, the Quadros have never been as promising a prospect for Mac graphics pros. And I assume they would cook eggs...

----
[1] http://www.dell.com/us/en/business/...500/pd.aspx?refid=precision-m6500&s=bsd&cs=04 ugly as hell, but boy is that a powerful laptop!!! i7 quad core, dual RAIDed storage, great graphics cards. Probably 5mins battery life, but Apple's "pro" laptops are so far behind technologically...

 

[gianly1985]

I told you so.

Need ExpressCard functionality? Ask Apple to put a PCIe plug or a converter from the highest I/O port. I for one feel Apple has always been I/O crippled. LP may lean on that, but in the mean time a PCIe solution or converter is needed.

I use it to add USB2 functionality to a PBTi867. That's crazy to me.

Crippleware.

Rocketman

I don't see the conncection with what I was talking about.

Internal dual drive solutions is not an answer to a matter of connectivity (FW800 would be good enough for the storage HDD), it's a matter of not having a disk hanging from your laptop when you're on the go.

So don't talk like I'm forced to a dual drive solution by the lack of:
- eSata
- USB 3.0
- express card (---> eSata or USB 3.0)

It's a whole different problem. So "I told you so" NOTHING.

 

[Rocketman]

I don't see the conncection with what I was talking about.

Internal dual drive solutions is not an answer to a matter of connectivity (FW800 would be good enough for the storage HDD), it's a matter of not having a disk hanging from your laptop when you're on the go.

So don't talk like I'm forced to a dual drive solution by the lack of:
- eSata
- USB 3.0
- express card (---> eSata or USB 3.0)

It's a whole different problem. So "I told you so" NOTHING.

Let's be clear. I was not talking to you directly. I was going off your post for my monologue. I neither know or care who you are.

My points were:
1. Future Macs, all of them, need SSD+HD. See, I agree with you.
2. Offering Macs with crippled I/O is both expected-Apple, and bad. Stop that. Have at least one maximal I/O option. Please. Be an early adopter of USB3, too. LP is greatness.

Rocketman

 

[flynz4]

Unless software and movies will be sold in USB pocket drives, I'm not sold.

In '97, when the iMac was announced with no floppy drive... Steve Jobs was asked what do you do when you need to move a file from one machine to another... and his response was "email it".

Now in 2010... the internet is plenty fast for delivering software and movies.... and getting faster every day.

/Jim