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Inside Apple's New MacBook Pro

nwcs said:
I've got a Santa Rosa 2007 MBP 17" so I've been waiting for something to really make me want to upgrade. I think the i7 17" answers that one for me. 🙂
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I have one of those, too, but I think I'm going to wait one more round. I figure next time around we have a shot at USB3 and maybe a bd drive, and the SR '07 is holding up speedwise for now (though I've already had the mainboard replaced due to the nVidia issue - if it dies again, that would be sufficient motivation to move on).
 
applesupergeek said:
yes, see above, intel prohibited nvidia igfx and saddled their cpus with anachronistic intel hd, that don't support open cl which is one of the cornerstones of snow leopard. Apple elected to offer a great igfx by invidia and take the 10% hit of the c2ds against the i series. Wise choice. Even if it is an interim choice.
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In other news: "ASUS has today announced a new notebook that is available on Newegg and other online sellers for under $900. The machine is called the ASUS U30Jc and sports a 13.3-inch screen. The machine has NVIDIA Optimus tech inside and uses an Intel Core i3-350M processor.

Graphics include an NVIDIA discrete GPU matched with Intel integrated GPU that change depending on the user workload and needs of the machine at the time. The NVIDIA discrete GPU is the GeForce GT310M."
 
applesupergeek said:
This is a bunch of garbage, utter garbage, and it's insulting to say that any giving a *** about computers doesn't buy apple, I guess we all here don't give a damn about computers....

Plus your technical understanding of the issues involved is (as per most people who delude themselves that they are techies) ridiculous.
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Let me argue with somebody while offering really no argument at all. this is typical apple fanboyism. Good job.

This is core i3:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Core-i3-350M-Notebook-Processor.23752.0.html

these are the processors apple is using:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Core-2-Duo-P8600-Notebook-Processor.23026.0.html
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Core-2-Duo-P9600-Notebook-Processor.25510.0.html

the core i3 350 closely matches the higher end in performance. I realize there is a higher thermal envelope and I have got to wonder why they couldnt' design the 13" logic board to support nvidia's optimus with a higher end configuration on the 13" have an i5 which will blow the current processors out of the water.

If not, I'm wondering why Apple can't hardware shut off the intel integrated graphics? Is this something that is clearly impossible?

"oh, because it'd blur with the 15" well 15" blurs with 17" i don't see anybody complaining.

I'm not an engineer and i realize this is a minor speed bump, but disappointing nevertheless and i realize nothing in your mind can ever taint apple's image

This asus laptop sports an ideal macbook set up:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5591&p=2

and it has low heat and 7.5 hours of battery life. ASUS is known for ATROCIOUS batteries so I can't fathom why Apple won't be able to add another hour or two onto ther.e

anyway enough from me, i'm arguing with a wall.
 
Not in MBP

1- BLU-RAY
2- USB 3
3- option for matte finish which isn't a pricey add on option.
4- no expresscard slot for 15" Models
 
why is there no inertial scrolling for old ones?
i thought inertial scrolling is driver thing not hardware thing.
 
ashjamben said:
im not so sure if im a fan. the one thing i liked about apple was they normally use the newest processors available to them. using an old technology just doesn't seem right. i can understand the reasons why they have, and yes it may be better to keep with the core 2 duo, but im just not sure if im a fan.
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I felt like you to begin with but now that I've read more about it, It's definitely better this way. The new 320M is more powerful yet more energy efficient than the 9400M, and It seems like a compromise between the Intel HD graphics and 330M. Using the 320M certainly helped to extend the 13" battery by an hour over the 15" and 17".

Things could have been far worse, the 13" might have got an i5 or i3 and only had Intel graphics, (in a similar way that last years models all had the basic 9400M and only the 15" and 17" had a 2nd discrete card) But now we have a better integrated graphics card on the 13" that is more suitable for Snow Leopard, at the expense of having to stick with C2D, which actually isn't that much worse than i3
 
Ploki said:
why is there no inertial scrolling for old ones?
i thought inertial scrolling is driver thing not hardware thing.
Click to expand...

They'll bring it eventually.

Like when the new MacBook Air got 4 finger-swipes, yet the original one only had 3. Someone worked out a hack that enabled 4 finger-swipes on the original Air. I think Apple eventually brought 4 finger swipes officially to the original Air.

Wouldn't surprise me if someone found a hack to enable it, and then Apple eventually offered it to older models.
 
I am sure this was brought up before...

I am sorry, this round of updates is nothing but a slap in the face to Apple users. Apple is to damned busy working on iPhone this and iPad that to worry about actual COMPUTER users. I was given a Dell for work - I am by no means a fan of Dell and I would rather use no computer at all than a Windows notebook, with that said the Dell offer full 1080P display on a 15.6" matte screen (or glossy, your choice - I like matte), a 500GB HD, HDMI out and much, much more - for only $1099! That was mid-last year when I ordered it! The new version of this exact computer has the new i5 processor and a new 6 or 8-cell battery for 6-9-hours of battery life - complete with full 1080P output and HDMI out for LESS that last years model! Is it as smooth or integrated as Apple? No - but the hardware kicks ass all over the place and it costs less. No full HD out? No HDMI? No i5 or i7 in the 13" MBP? The 13" is far from a PRO model when they cripple it and basically charge you the same for a bit more RAM and a larger HD - in comparison to other vendors this would be panned left and right as being behind the times and egregiously over-priced. I am disappointed in Apple over this update - flame away if you would like
 
Eidorian said:
While I would like to see Core i5 across the entire Macbook Pro line, the 13" Macbook Pro is sadly backed into a corner based on Apple's design choices. nVidia can't provide chipset solutions for Arrandale/Clarksfield. Core 2 Duo is then the only option.

It is still a Core 2 Duo but you're on a much better platform overall given the utility of the GeForce 320M and the underwhelming Core i3.

It'll be interesting to see what Apple will do in the next update.
Click to expand...

So I am still confused on this whole graphics thing on the 13". Is the reason that they can't do a dedicated graphics solution due to Apple's design not having enough room for it? It seems as though it is not a limitation of the i3, but I am clearly not sure.
 
FrozenDarkness said:
i'd spend the money if i felt like apple cared enough to not slap me around whenever there's a refresh.
upgraded.
Click to expand...

Nobody makes you buy Mac. You can always buy a PC if you think it's a better deal. And the refresh doesn't make any computer that you already have useless.
 
Eidorian said:
While I would like to see Core i5 across the entire Macbook Pro line, the 13" Macbook Pro is sadly backed into a corner based on Apple's design choices. nVidia can't provide chipset solutions for Arrandale/Clarksfield. Core 2 Duo is then the only option.

It is still a Core 2 Duo but you're on a much better platform overall given the utility of the GeForce 320M and the underwhelming Core i3.

It'll be interesting to see what Apple will do in the next update.
Click to expand...

I do kind of wish Apple didn't have to use the price points as differentiating factors between their various models. I imagine some people would love a cheaper 17" model, for example. While I also wouldn't mind payingSony Vaio Z prices for a 13" MBP with a GT330M and a Core i5 (something which Sony sells for around $1899, although on sale for $1699 at MicroCenter right now).
 
mdntcallr said:
Not in MBP

1- BLU-RAY
2- USB 3
3- option for matte finish which isn't a pricey add on option.
4- no expresscard slot for 15" Models
Click to expand...

1. Yeah, that sucks
2. Still a little soon for that, but if it's another year before the next spin, that will be sad
3. vocal minority aside, no one gives a damn if you have to pay more for your matte finish
4. It's not coming back. Buy a 17" if you care.
 
Creatives ditch Apple?

i'm not normally one to chime in on such debates but here it is:

The new top-end 17" MacBook Pro cost £2,458.99 with the i7 dual-core CPU, 8 GB RAM and a 7200 RPM hard drive. A reasonable spec for a mobile photographer / video / audio editor like myself.

The Dell Precision 6500M costs £2,492.00 for a true quad-core i7 with Win 7 64 bit with 8 GB RAM and two 160 hard drives in a RAID 0 or RAID 1 configuration as well as a 1GB nVIDIA FX3800M graphics card. Okay it's uglier, the battery pack is large, the battery life is woeful and it weighs a kilo more - but it's intended to be a luggable desktop replacement with proper power for those that need it - us photo and video guys. Also included is a 3 year warranty! Get Adobe CS5 running on it and you've got a very compelling reason to leave Final Cut Studio for dust.

Even Apple's own 'pro' apps aren't optimised for hyper-threading or multiple CPUs - anyone who's rendered on the timeline in FCP or bounced out of Logic will know what I mean. Barely one core being utilised if you're lucky!

Adobe's Premiere runs 3 times faster for renders on my Mac Pro in Win 7 via Boot Camp than Premiere for OS X. That may change with CS5, but surely Apple is in danger of losing the market that made them way back when - the creative professionals?

I understand that the new 17" MacBook Pro strikes a balance between power consumption and performance - but surely there should be a fully-fledged desktop replacement build-to-order option?
 
IPS Display?

Has anyone seen whether or not the displays are IPS displays? I couldn't find a mention of it anywhere in the Tech Specs page on Apple's site.
 
ddTaylor said:
I am sorry, this round of updates is nothing but a slap in the face to Apple users. Apple is to damned busy working on iPhone this and iPad that to worry about actual COMPUTER users. I was given a Dell for work - I am by no means a fan of Dell and I would rather use no computer at all than a Windows notebook, with that said the Dell offer full 1080P display on a 15.6" matte screen (or glossy, your choice - I like matte), a 500GB HD, HDMI out and much, much more - for only $1099! That was mid-last year when I ordered it! The new version of this exact computer has the new i5 processor and a new 6 or 8-cell battery for 6-9-hours of battery life - complete with full 1080P output and HDMI out for LESS that last years model! Is it as smooth or integrated as Apple? No - but the hardware kicks ass all over the place and it costs less. No full HD out? No HDMI? No i5 or i7 in the 13" MBP? The 13" is far from a PRO model when they cripple it and basically charge you the same for a bit more RAM and a larger HD - in comparison to other vendors this would be panned left and right as being behind the times and egregiously over-priced. I am disappointed in Apple over this update - flame away if you would like
Click to expand...

If it's news to you that Apple doesn't compete on checklists of features, but instead competes on being "smooth and integrated," sorry about that.
 
BORING. Core 2 Duo ? That's all they are offering on the 13" ? That's dismal.
I'll stick with my first gen 13" Unibody Macbook thanks (yeah, the one they hadnt really finished designing - you know - the one they updated 6 months later and gave the "pro" moniker, firewire AND the new battery tech. Basically, the fastest depreciating Apple laptop in history. Cheers Apple. 🙁
 
Overpriced or what???

What a joke...
For what you get for the money you spend on these new updates is preposterous.. aside from the increased battery life, there really is nothing to rave about...

I just bought a Asus G73JH-A2 w/ Core i7-720QM, 8GB, 1TB 7200 RPM drive, DVD+/-RW, 17.3in Full HD, Radeon HD 5870, Win 7 Home Premium 64-bit for just under $1700 Canadian which included a back pack and gaming mouse ... I sold my October 09 Macbook, sick of the slower than windows 7 OS and the heat too ...

My ASUS has a better graphics chip, does not heat up like the Macbook ( I swear I had a waffle iron sitting on my lap at times), it has the heating vents out of the back and Windows 7 does not have the habit of OS X which has the spinning beach ball occur more every-time a new Snow Leopard update comes out.. and the new stealth look of Asus looks great and is a durable rubberized finish...

And Apple still using a Core 2 DUO...WTF is up with that???? Old CPU on a new refresh ..huh??????

My point is that Macbook Pros are way over priced and they need to change their ways as in offer more for the money people are spending if they want to truly got a larger market share for their laptops...
 
HD display

Question, is there any reason I would NOT want to order the "enhanced" high resolution display on the 15" MBP? i.e., would things seem excessively small if viewing in native resolution, and would the display be capable of displaying just as clearly in a lower resolution mode if things were just too undesirably tiny when viewed in high resolution?

thanks!
Mark
 
FrozenDarkness said:
Let me argue with somebody while offering really no argument at all. this is typical apple fanboyism. Good job.

This is core i3:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Core-i3-350M-Notebook-Processor.23752.0.html

these are the processors apple is using:
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Core-2-Duo-P8600-Notebook-Processor.23026.0.html
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Core-2-Duo-P9600-Notebook-Processor.25510.0.html

the core i3 350 closely matches the higher end in performance. I realize there is a higher thermal envelope and I have got to wonder why they couldnt' design the 13" logic board to support nvidia's optimus with a higher end configuration on the 13" have an i5 which will blow the current processors out of the water.

If not, I'm wondering why Apple can't hardware shut off the intel integrated graphics? Is this something that is clearly impossible?

"oh, because it'd blur with the 15" well 15" blurs with 17" i don't see anybody complaining.

I'm not an engineer and i realize this is a minor speed bump, but disappointing nevertheless and i realize nothing in your mind can ever taint apple's image

This asus laptop sports an ideal macbook set up:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5591&p=2

and it has low heat and 7.5 hours of battery life. ASUS is known for ATROCIOUS batteries so I can't fathom why Apple won't be able to add another hour or two onto ther.e

anyway enough from me, i'm arguing with a wall.
Click to expand...

You're arguing to a wall because you're arguing for discrete graphics on the 13" MBP, presumably at the same price as the the previous versions that did not include discrete graphics. i3 with integrated intel graphics isn't necessarily better than a c2d with integrated nvidia graphics. i3 would be the better choice once you add a discreet graphics card into the mix, but again that would increase the cost (see the base 15" mbp that only had integrated graphics prior to this update). A lot of people do seem to want a 13" version with a discrete graphics card, so it would make a nice option, but it shouldn't have been expected since Apple wasn't providing one before, and the i3 doesn't make a lot of sense without discreet graphics.
 
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