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How would YOU improve a MBP in the absence of a DVD tray?

P

phaedarus

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 27, 2008
165
7
The lack of Blu-ray support by Apple is perhaps one among the few design decisions I can agree with in respect to the Macbook Pro.

In fact, I wouldn't mind the company going even further by removing the DVD player as an internal component entirely; opting instead to promote auxiliary storage via USB3/Lightpeak devices.

Factoring in the immediate problems this transition would likely entail, I believe that the design potential for further improving the Macbook Pro by capitalizing on the newly gained space would outweigh the disadvantages of not having a DVD tray.

So, my question to all of you, what design initiatives would you seize to make the Macbook Pro the one to supersede the competition at a reasonable price if Apple decided to remove the DVD tray?

Would you opt for a quad-core CPU? More memory slots? Additional ports? A better discreet GPU? Another enclosure to house more SSD drives?

Let us know :)
 
I'd prefer to keep the DVD drive thanks.

Apple should offer 2nd hard drives or bigger batteries instead of the DVD drive as an option, not as default.
 
I'd rather have a dvd drive. But if they have to remove it then use that space for even more battery.
 
Might as well keep it as there are very capable third party options for replacing the drive with an HDD.

I'm guessing the people who want it are the people who are capable of doing the mod themselves.

I'd personally prefer to keep the DVD drive at the moment, maybe I'l swap it later.
 
My knee jerk reaction would be not to forgo the optical drive, but in reality, I find my using it a rare experience. I'd probably find a second hard drive more useful
 
I hardly ever use an optical drive and even when I do, the software is usually available online also, thus I would be happy to see the option to remove the optical drive and use the space to provide a combination of:

-High Speed Ports (eSATA/LightPeak)
-Expresscard Slot (in absence of aforementioned ports)
-Higher-Spec GPU
-Larger Battery
-Improved CPU/GPU Cooling (dedicated heatsink area)
 
deadparrot said:
I hardly ever use an optical drive and even when I do, the software is usually available online also, thus I would be happy to see the option to remove the optical drive and use the space to provide a combination of:

-High Speed Ports (eSATA/LightPeak)
-Expresscard Slot (in absence of aforementioned ports)
-Higher-Spec GPU
-Larger Battery
-Improved CPU/GPU Cooling (dedicated heatsink area)
Click to expand...

bring on the death of the optical drive! i believe this would be good for apple to grab headlines and incite mass apple hating media attention.

i agree with everything deadparrot has said, though my order of preference would like go:

-Higher-Spec GPU
-Larger Battery
-Improved CPU/GPU Cooling (this could potentially facilitate the use of higher TDP rated processors)
-High Speed Ports (eSATA/LightPeak)
-Expresscard Slot (in absence of aforementioned ports)

finally, it would make the MBP significantly lighter. which would be much welcome. see the HP envy 15 for a good example of a optical drive free machine.
 
hmmm id say a mixture of both better battery and more storage (1.8" SSD anybody lol?).

having taken my dead DVD player out of my laptop more then a year ago, i can safely say that i have no use for it! i have an external drive if need be. toast titanium mounts DVD images for me for playing games/etc.
 
melchior said:
bring on the death of the optical drive! i believe this would be good for apple to grab headlines and incite mass apple hating media attention.

i agree with everything deadparrot has said, though my order of preference would like go:

-Higher-Spec GPU
-Larger Battery
-Improved CPU/GPU Cooling (this could potentially facilitate the use of higher TDP rated processors)
-High Speed Ports (eSATA/LightPeak)
-Expresscard Slot (in absence of aforementioned ports)

finally, it would make the MBP significantly lighter. which would be much welcome. see the HP envy 15 for a good example of a optical drive free machine.
Click to expand...

Replacing the optical drive for more battery/hard drive would actually increase the weight. Optical drives are nothing.
 
Keep it

I disagree with removing the player completely; how would we install software? whereas if it was a removable device we could have the option of a removable hard drive or battery; that would please everyone :D
 
Morrile said:
I disagree with removing the player completely; how would we install software? whereas if it was a removable device we could have the option of a removable hard drive or battery; that would please everyone :D
Click to expand...

I think it would be some kind of separate drive like on the envy from hp. But I don't really like the idea of having to bring that with me all the time.
 
I never use my optical drive anymore. Only when Im reinstalling OSX or iLife etc.

Im sure if they remove the optical drive in the MBP they could add a 2nd HDD, more cooling for quad core processors, better video card, better battery etc.

And im sure apple would sell us a external USB super drive :) im sure it would cost $99

lol, another way to pinch pennies out of us, but still we would get what we want ;)
 
Morrile said:
I disagree with removing the player completely; how would we install software? whereas if it was a removable device we could have the option of a removable hard drive or battery; that would please everyone :D
Click to expand...

95% of software these days is available to download; for the rest you could use an external drive. I could see companies moving towards flash cards as distribution media for the few items that do come only in hard copy -- although prices still have to come down a whole bunch in order to match optical media prices.

I love the idea of better GPU options in the MBP line, and an express card slot and more ports all up and down the line. Apple would never do this, but my dream would be some sort of option or even swappable bay for the rest of the space -- auxiliary battery vs SSD vs. whatever.
 
Yeah, I hate that that I either have to pay/carry around a useless internal drive or I get an Air which has no ports. I'd say add another USB port and an ExpressCard slot. Then, rearrange the internals and extend the battery another 10-20%. 8-10 hours minimal usage, 5-6 hours of heavy usage. A faster quad core and/or discrete graphics would be nice but personally not as necessary for what I do. Where as have the option to add a second FW bus and/or faster external storage through the ExpressCard would be nice.
 
I'd like to keep the DVD drive. I personally don't use it that much, but its something I've just grown accustom to having. Quad core would be nice. As far as more ram slots and second harddrive go: If ram prices went down significantly, I think I'd be fine with 8gb. I just can't afford it right now. I'd also be fine with one SSD if I could grab one with 512gb or more without having to take a loan out from the bank. Neither of these issues are in the hands of Apple though, so I don't fault them. They do a great job at making affordable pro level laptops. I love my MBP as it is now though, I plan on keeping it for a while so maybe eventually I'll be able to upgrade the ram and harddrive.
 
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