iMac and MacBook Pro Upgrades in First Half of 2011?

[toddybody]

I agree with you 100%.

I very rarely use any of my optical drives.

And reports are saying that RW optical discs only have a three year shelf life. So much for backups.

Folks! There IS something to be said about having a physical copy of software...its not that people are "in love" with discs, its just that DD arent always a viable option (just try downloading an 8/12Gb game with a 1.5mbps connection)...Hell, @ 6mbps I get bored waiting for some large iOS apps to download. IF the software industry moved to releasing products on thumb drives/SD...then go ahead and kill the drive. I cant see that happening anytime soon. PS: Bluray @1080p + 7.1 surround kicks the teeth in, on any 720p Apple download...oh and you can play less/share/rip them as well...

 

[CplBadboy]

OS X doesn't do blu-ray, at least not without too much of a hassle for it to be worth it.

As for your earlier post about optical being archaic, I can see where you're coming from, however, blu-ray is a sight to be seen on a reasonably large screen. But that does make it slightly less useful on a computer, so I really can't argue that it doesn't need to be put in computers.

Love how the mac cant do BluRay. Seriously? And Apple tout OS X as the most advanced OS in the world?? Apple need to put their hands up and say that they where wrong about BluRay. The majority of people still like the good old media disc like DVDs etc and since AppleTV cant deliver things like TruHD sound and the like then Bluray will make an appearance id imagine. They could have easily made the AppleTV accessible to every single person on the planet not just the US if they had incorporated it with a BluRay player. then those BluRayers may just have got the push they needed to get people on the Mac bandwagon. SJ has this thing that he knows what everyone wants but most of the time its what he wants and not whats accessible to everyone.

 

[Meldar]

Good, put in a better GPU. Then make 'em all true quad-cores. That means 8 threads. Put i7s in all the MBPs. Apple wants their laptops to be ahead of the curve? That's a step, then.

Hell, I'd buy one, and I just got a mid-2010 15" model. Well, I'd wait...but my dad's old, old iMac still runs Tiger. He's kinda having an affair with the newest iMacs as it is...I'm seeing late Christmas present...

 

[jwdsail]

My crystal apple says, yes - 4 screen sizes - 11" and 13" MBA will be reclassified as a MB Pros and the MBA svelte form factor will be upscaled to new gen. 15 and 17 inch.

Jobs said as much when unveiling the MBAs - this is the future of all mac laptops...

For the love of ... sigh

Nooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(bangs head on desk)

I HATE the obsession with crippled anorexic laptops... Keep that crap in the "Air" line and stop ruining the *PRO* laptops already...

I want a 15" MacBook PRO with the ExpressCard slot ...

I prefer my laptops to have some meat on their bones.. Anyone that thinks 5 Lbs is too heavy in a PRO laptop needs to crawl out of their basement and hit the fracking gym!

Someone needs to sneak inside Apple and feed the "Pro" laptops a sandwich or 5!

(bangs head on desk)

 

[rodster111]

My crystal apple says, yes - 4 screen sizes - 11" and 13" MBA will be reclassified as a MB Pros and the MBA svelte form factor will be upscaled to new gen. 15 and 17 inch.

Jobs said as much when unveiling the MBAs - this is the future of all mac laptops...

Thats exactly what I was thinking. Based on Jobs statements and the concept of 4 models it makes perfect sense. Processor and storage upgrades on BTO don't qualify as models in my opinion, but 4 sizes of MBP's would.

Hopefully all have the same form factor of current MB Airs, no optical drive, SSD for boot drive and a second platter based drive for storage, plus more robust battery as removing the optical drive would make room for this.

BTO could provide various sizes of boot SSD's and storage drives.

 

[AppleMacFinder]

Another wish list vote for Blu-ray. I'm not willing to let it die. ^_^

If someone else can tell me where I can get lossless audio and 1080p video with high bit rates besides Blu-ray (that is legal) I'm all ears.

Until then, as a loyal customer of Apple (just spent another 3,400 bucks this past week) this will continue to be a source of contention for me.

Internet is very cheap nowadays.
I have 24Mbps unlimited for 20$ monthly fee.

So, where to get the BluRay quality?
One word: Torrents

 

[reallynotnick]

apple updating products a year later? no ****!

My thoughts exactly!

BTW I have on good word that Apple is going to update their iPod line in the second half of 2011, you heard it here first!

 

[Thunderbird]

2011 is going to be a busy year for Apple.

All product lines will be upgraded, including the much anticipated iPad 2, plus the release of the new OS X Lion.

Looking forward to Tuesdays next year.

 

[gorjan]

Are you off the wall?

It isn't the size so much as what is in that frame. The resolution is the key. Besides that point, if you think $899 for a 13" is crazy, all iMacs must seem insane to you. People pay $829 for an iPAD!...an iPad with LESS resolution, LESS screen size, LESS storage, LESS computing power, LESS connections, LESS everything aside from a greater portability. People pay $1000 for a MacMini without a screen!....

Get some perspective.

Calm down.

The resolution is the key, yes, but not for the average consumer. A pro or prosumer wouldn't buy a 13" desktop whatever the resolution might be, and the average consumer cares more about screen size than resolution.

13" is great for a laptop, but I don't see people accepting that size for a desktop. It's even hard to find standalone monitors that size anymore, last time I used a screen below 15" with a desktop PC was in 1996 or so.

People paying USD 829 for an iPad is irrelevant. The iPad is something totally different and it's actually cheaper than the Galaxy Tab. Somebody looking at buying the cheapest iMac would probably never consider the iPad as they would already be short on cash. Prices of iMacs aren't insane to me, and I don't find them expensive considering the whole package. But a 13" iMac? You'd have an impossible time selling that in Scandinavia.

 

[GQB]

Actually 10.10 is code named Hobbes. I have it from an inside source.

ooooh. Much better.
Like that.

Folks! There IS something to be said about having a physical copy of software...its not that people are "in love" with discs, its just that DD arent always a viable option (just try downloading an 8/12Gb game with a 1.5mbps connection)...Hell, @ 6mbps I get bored waiting for some large iOS apps to download. IF the software industry moved to releasing products on thumb drives/SD...then go ahead and kill the drive. I cant see that happening anytime soon. PS: Bluray @1080p + 7.1 surround kicks the teeth in, on any 720p Apple download...oh and you can play less/share/rip them as well...

I think the question isn't 'is physical media necessary?' (you right... its very important.)
The question is, given the infrequency with which most people actually use it, is a built-in mechanical spinning disk reader really necessary? Particularly on portables.

 

[cmaier]

I think the question isn't 'is physical media necessary?' (you right... its very important.)
The question is, given the infrequency with which most people actually use it, is a built-in mechanical spinning disk reader really necessary? Particularly on portables.

Probably, yes. Because for many people now, "portables" are their only (or their main) machine, and there are still enough business users who need DVD drives and don't want to carry a external drive (sort of defeats the purpose of portability) just in order to shave a cm off the thickness of their laptop. Another year or two and the situation will likely be quite different.

 

[OrangeSVTguy]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

I can see Apple finally dropping the white MacBook and the 4 new MBP models will be in the 11", 13", 15" & 17" flavors. They'll also put put core iX CPUs in the 11" and 13" models.

 

[jouster]

I'm going to agree with the removal of plastic MacBooks. I hate them. They're more prone to cracking from being dropped, and they're ugly IMO. They're just about the only product from Apple that i actually HATE.

Mine has done a great job of cracking without ever being dropped. Discoloring too.

I'm not gonna say I hate it, but it's pretty annoying given that laptops are designed to be moved around, which has barely been the case with mine.

Still, and with respect to this thread, I also believe the white plastic is going to disappear. Mine isn't even the unibody. Perhaps it has a better record than the '06 model I have.

You white macbook-killers are going to be gravely disappointed when it doesn't die and continues it's legacy as being Apple's #1 laptop.

Link please.

 

[adnoh]

C2D MB anyone?

and can you really call the 11" air with the specs it has a Pro model?

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Touch-Trackpad

That would be AWESOME. With a nearly 1:1 mapping, so no need for cursor acceleration... that'd be sweet.

...except they'd have to ditch the keyboard or the proportion wouldn't match the screen, & then you'd have really accurate horizontal movement and really fast vertical movement. Course, they could just ditch the keyboard for all I care, and make the glass trackpad be a display that you can either choose to act as a keyboard or a dynamic keyboard/digitizer area...

 

[adnoh]

13", 15", and 17" MacBook Pro models without optical drives, plus one 15" with.

so even though the 17" model is BIGGER than the 15" it wont have an optical drive?

fuh reel?

 

[Yinmay]

Could the 4th model be a 11.6" MBP with
- 16:10 aspect ratio
- 10h battery life
- 4GB (BTO 8GB)
- 128GB SSD (BTO 256GB)
- Sandy Bridge
- no optical drive
- discrete graphics
- squarer and thicker than the MBA11

That would be an awesome ultra-portable! Actually no, I'd take a 13.3" MBP with the same specs over that. Really I can't really imagine what that 4th model could be. Perhaps the 4th "Macbook Pro" referred to in this article is simply the updated (white) Macbook?

 

[kazmac]

now that's interesting

I also though that it was of interest, as of 2009, Apple has continued to sell the white 17" iMac for education at $899. Though this model is several years old, but if Apple introduces a new generation iMac with a smaller screen size, lower storage capacity, and a slower processor (compared to the 20" model configuration) at an $899-$999 entry price point, I can see it selling very well.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/03/21/apple_announces_17_imac_for_899.html

I would definitely buy if a 17" iMac were put back into play. I stupidly sold my 2006" 17" earlier this year because I thought it was dying, actually it was "too slow": for all the troubles and $ I paid out on subsequent replacements...never again will I replace a great machine because it's too slow.

That's really cool that Apple sell the old 17" for education. If the 17" iMac were reintroduced, I would buy another iMac. But if the screens are larger than now (and resolution even more ridiculous), my 2010 will be the last iMac I own.

 

[blue22]

WOW!

What a BOLD prediction! Surely they must have polished crystal ball!

Image that! A refresh after a year! QUALITY rumors!

Spot on.

Apple, please come take my money.. i am ready for mbp refresh in 2011(please let it be jan/feb).......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Jan/Feb refresh would be nice, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's actually released in March.

13", 15", and 17" MacBook Pro models without optical drives, plus one 15" with.

I think this is possible, but only if they introduce a new form factor for these early '11 refreshed MBP's, kinda similar to the MBA design. Otherwise, I really don't see Apple changing the physical design much (if at all) for this next update, but I would expect it to be done once Ivy Bridge is finally ready to be rolled out in either late 2011 or early 2012. If they do take out the OD like you're speculating then one would hope the options for a 2nd internal HD/SSD would be significantly cheaper then they are right now to make that a viable option for losing the OD. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

For the love of ... sigh

Nooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(bangs head on desk)

I HATE the obsession with crippled anorexic laptops... Keep that crap in the "Air" line and stop ruining the *PRO* laptops already...

I want a 15" MacBook PRO with the ExpressCard slot ...

I prefer my laptops to have some meat on their bones.. Anyone that thinks 5 Lbs is too heavy in a PRO laptop needs to crawl out of their basement and hit the fracking gym!

Someone needs to sneak inside Apple and feed the "Pro" laptops a sandwich or 5!

(bangs head on desk)

Hahaha, I too think that people make too much of the 17" "being a monster" in size, but it's really not that much bigger than the 15" so folks either just need to relax a bit about it or hit the gym, or both.

And yes, the *Pro* line should have "some meat on their bones" in comparison to their MB's and MBA's cousins to appeal better to the high end user.

2.2 I agree the plastic MacBook will be discontinued.

5. Final prediction: 3 MacBook 13", 2 MacBook Pro 15", 2 MacBook Pro 17"

I agree with these two points. In fact I'd be shocked if Apple continues with the white MacBook beyond the current (and hopefully last) model. I think the Intel gen-2 iCore roadmap backs up your guess for maintaining the two 15" & 17" MBP models, but offering 3 13" MBP's I'm not so sure about.

2011 is going to be a busy year for Apple.

All product lines will be upgraded, including the much anticipated iPad 2, plus the release of the new OS X Lion.

Looking forward to Tuesdays next year.

Indeed, 2011 is going to be a VERY ACTIVE year for the entire Apple line, can't wait to see it all unfold!

Also, there is no way Apple is going to discontinue their 13" MBP, not when it's a good seller and offers a more powerful system over the 13" MBA. I also think it's wishful thinking on anyone's part if they expect Apple to introduce any size outside of the 11", 13", 15" and 17" model laptops that they already offer, not too mention it would make very little sense for them to do so from a business standpoint.

BTW, a Blu-Ray drive is not ever going to be implemented natively to any Apple computer. I don't know why people keep torturing themselves over this fact, no offense but just let it go already.

 

[D-Love]

I've never understood people's obsession with blueray. Optical disk technology is an archaic remnant: it's slow, it's expensive, it's susceptible to damage, and it's generally less convenient than internal storage. Just let it die man.

It has a role to play, obviously, but it seems so clear to me that it should take 2nd place compared to all of the advantages of shipping a computer without an optical drive at all. Apple is trying to phase this technology out, not bring it back in. Blue Ray just isn't a sensible move for them.

If you want to watch a movie, rip it to your hard disk.

Blu-Ray absolutely still has, and will have for quite a while, a role in households.

However, it is not as a storage device. Its as a medium for watching TRUE 1080p HD movies with a uncompressed soundtrack. That takes over 25GB of space in some instances (try storing the whole LOTR movie trilogy, especially if we are talking the extended cuts on your HD like that). With the cost of large 1080p screens falling lower and lower, home theater is becoming more and more of a priority in people's homes. If you are watching a 37-42 inch HDTV with no surround sound, then that iTunes movie download or Netflix streaming will do just fine. If you have a 50+ screen with a decent surround sound system, that is just begging for the high quality experience that Blu-Ray disks provide.

There is also the fact that not everyone wants their movie collection to be a bunch of digital bits on a hard drive. If one is a big fan a particular movie, especially if it is a classic series such as Star Wars or Back to the Future among others, it is really nice to have the actual movie with packaging and box art to display. I recently obtained the Alien Anthology on Blu-Ray and LOVE it. It is quite cool to be able to see the packaging of all 4 movies plus 2 bonus disks on the making of the series, all with multiple viewing options. When Star Wars comes out next year on Blu-Ray I anticipate simply an epic package that will sell in droves. Much as CD's won't go away in music (I personally buy CD's when on sale and rip into iTunes as much as possible - buying MP3s on Amazon when they do their 2.99-4.99 sales) Blu-Ray will be the medium of choice for the best quality home theater experience for quite a while. Hell, look at records - even vinyl is making a comeback.

All these formats can, and will co-exist. Each has a different purpose and market. I agree that optical media for COMPUTING is going away - and Macs are leading the movement. Have no problem with that either. For anything but a desktop, an optical drive is a clunky and archaic addition to a computer. Takes up a bunch of internal space, sucks power, and is prone to breaking. Flash storage is getting less and less expensive with more and more capacity. Soon a USB flash drive will be as obtainable as a 50GB Blu-Ray disk.

 

[Jaro65]

I think the question isn't 'is physical media necessary?' (you right... its very important.)
The question is, given the infrequency with which most people actually use it, is a built-in mechanical spinning disk reader really necessary? Particularly on portables.

It isn't. And Apple will be the first to ditch it across the line.

 

[alt]

Duh. Hopefully its in the first quarter....

 

[wingzero1285]

Wow, what a bold prediction: updated MBP's and iMacs in the next seven months...

It's almost a certainty for the MBP's.

I wonder about a redesign, though. My guess is that Apple sticks with the current MBP design for a while longer. My guess is the iMac keeps the same design for one more update before getting a somewhat significant redesign.

I've felt this way for years! Apple needs to release "Mac". Allow users to upgrade it. Maybe have it only available with one CPU option instead of dual CPU options like the Mac Pro, and maybe one PCI slot for upgrading GPU and maybe 1 or 2 HD bays and one optical, or these days, no optical. Basically a non "pro" Mac Pro.

I would totally buy one!

 

[gorjan]

Apple needs to release "Mac".

Yeah, you have something there!
Or they should at least rename the iMac to just Mac.

MacBook - MacBook Air - MacBook Pro
Mac - Mac Pro

 

[apolloa]

Reality will say that they will launch either a new smaller iMac but most likely it will be a 30" iMac with some powerful options, the current one has a decent CPU and GPU options plus the SSD and HDD option so it would make sense. Lets hope they can cool it properly? Will this lead to the low end Mac Pro being ditched?

As for the MB's 13" will get core processors using the integrated Intel graphics or some sort of low end discrete card. They will therefore get core i5 and maybe i3 options.
The 15 and 17 will get SB CPU's and new graphics too but who knows where from cause we had the AMD rumour last year and it never happened.
I believe they will ALL change the screen format too as people are stating a SMALL chassis change is going to happen. So that's not ditching the ODD and making it look like an Air, but it would tie in with changing the screen format.