Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Intel Announces Centrino 2 (Montevina)
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I personally would consider it. If the new ones are actually metal they would probably have much more durability- great for a student who needs a lot of life from it. A slightly bigger hard drive might be nice too, and new ones probably would have it.
Besides, if you don't like the new ones, buy an older one back at a reduced clearance price.... XD
For many of Intel's updates, Apple has been slow (months) to adopt the new chips. In large part, this may be due to the usual case that it takes a number of weeks for Intel's volumes to ramp up. (Consider also that HP/Lenovo/Dell can introduce a couple of new models with the latest chip, but that Apple replaces an entire product segment at once. Apple has to wait until supplies are good.)
Also, the MBP usually gets new parts before the MB.
So, IMO it's pretty unlikely that you'll see a new MB in the next 5 weeks. Keep the MB that you have.
My guess is he was asking that because aiden just said "Also, the MBP usually gets new parts before the MB."
Wednesday, May 09, 2007 Santa Rosa Business Notebooks Debut
MacRumors: Apple Releases New MacBook Pros With Santa Rosa & LED Displays (June 05, 2007)
MacRumors: Apple Updates MacBooks to Santa Rosa, GMA X3100; 2.6GHz MacBook Pro (November 01, 2007)
MacRumors: Apple Releases New MacBook Pros With Santa Rosa & LED Displays (June 05, 2007)
MacRumors: Apple Updates MacBooks to Santa Rosa, GMA X3100; 2.6GHz MacBook Pro (November 01, 2007)
MBP released a month after Intel announcement, MacBook updated to Santa Rosa almost 5 months after the MacBook Pro.
MacRumors: Intel Core 2 Duo Chips Announced (July 27, 2006)
MacRumors: Apple Releases Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro (October 24, 2006)
MacRumors: Core 2 Duo MacBooks Released (November 08, 2006)
MacRumors: Apple Releases Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro (October 24, 2006)
MacRumors: Core 2 Duo MacBooks Released (November 08, 2006)
MBP announced 3 months after Intel's announcement, MacBook 15 days later....
The spot prices I have seen for slot-load Blu-Ray readers that would fit in a current MB(P) are $300 and the burners are $1000. So they can't be standard without significant price hikes and even as BTO options, they're going to be very pricey.
Same with the quad-core CPU. Expect a minimum of $500 more then the current top-end CPU option price.
Intel claims the X4500HD IGPU will decode 1080p.
Where's the evidence for new MBP designs?
I have no idea why people are thinking that there will be new designs. The entire evidence (as far as I know) is *one* photo circulating of a casing which looks slightly different than the current MBP. It could be something Apple has been experimenting with years ago, but dropped eventually, or it could be something that they're currently experimenting with which will be coming out in a year or two, who knows.
It also appears unlikely that they would have such huge news in the middle of the year without any scheduled speeches of Steve. Just replace the entire MBP on the website without any major announcements? No way.
It would be nice, but this is definitely the least grounded rumor that has been circulating on macrumors since I know it.
My bet is they will stuff the Montevina chips in the same casing they've been using since 2003. Which was not really superior to the titanium one they've been using since 2001.
I have no idea why people are thinking that there will be new designs. The entire evidence (as far as I know) is *one* photo circulating of a casing which looks slightly different than the current MBP. It could be something Apple has been experimenting with years ago, but dropped eventually, or it could be something that they're currently experimenting with which will be coming out in a year or two, who knows.
It also appears unlikely that they would have such huge news in the middle of the year without any scheduled speeches of Steve. Just replace the entire MBP on the website without any major announcements? No way.
It would be nice, but this is definitely the least grounded rumor that has been circulating on macrumors since I know it.
My bet is they will stuff the Montevina chips in the same casing they've been using since 2003. Which was not really superior to the titanium one they've been using since 2001.
That is with the move to nehalem i believe
wag:
MBP 04.08.2008
MB 16.09.2008
i hope not, as i literally need a MB when school starts (and i have the money) but i dont want to miss out on the update, and i would like the free ipod touch! I hope it is within the next month
In my experience, the plastic case of the macbook is much more durable than the metal of the mbp. Alas, it's also much heavier.
I'm actually waiting for a montevia macmini, but I expect I'll be waiting for a while. (Maybe it will have an 8MB RAM ceiling when it finally arrives, though. I'd probably even be willing to accept a santa rosa mini with a 4GB ceiling. The current minis are pretty darn old.)
Indeed. Within the next month sounds wonderful. But for some reason, I doubt it. I'm still thinking late August - early September.
Some Nehalems will support the new memory fabric interconnect, others will plug into existing FSB chipsets.
The roadmaps haven't been clearly defined yet, but you should expect to see FSB-based systems on current chipsets initially, then "extreme" and multi-socket workstation systems with the new interconnect, and eventually the new interconnect moving down into the desktop and mobile space.
It's really highly unlikely that any update will happen in time for you. Apple is historically slow at updating to Intel's latest, and even slower for the MacBook. (https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/5830750/)
Begins.
When people were arguing about new MPBs I was just like meh, wait until Intel says when we get the chip. Everything else is moot. But gee if that thread didn't go rampaging on even without the Intel announcement.
Bizarre.
So now we have a chip announcement. Do we know when Apple gets a decent allotment? That will determine the final product release.
Alright, let's get back to ignoring the Montevina chip and speculate on when the new laptops will be out with Blu-Ray, laser beams, etc. Oh and which Tuesday in July they will be out.
From DT
"Sony is among to adopters leading the biggest Centrino 2 charge. It is debuting 4 new laptops ranging from petit to powerful. The new models are named VAIO Z, FW, SR and BZ and all feature Centrino 2. Perhaps most impressive is the Vaio Z which has a 1-inch thick, 3.4 pound, 13.1-inch 16:9 form factor, but manages to pack in Blu-Ray, HDMI, Nvidia 9300M discrete graphics, a full size hard drive bay, and the pricey option for dual SSD drives in Raid 0. It retails for $1,800, or $2,300 with dual SSDs."
Blu-Ray and HDMI are possibilities, but I am not even sure if I want them. BR drives use more battery than DVD-RWs and I still prefer DisplayPort to HDMI. (Put HDMI in the MacMini or Apple TV.)
How many televisions and monitors support DisplayPort vs. HDMI?
Thought so....
DisplayPort may be the future, but if you want to connect today, DisplayPort is *very* limited compared to the more established alternatives (especially since a simple dongle will connect HDMI to DVI if you don't have HDCP to worry about).
Do they use more battery even when using standard cdrom or dvd media?
If the only time they require more battery than a typical DVD player is when they are burning Blu-ray disks then I would think that they are worth having.
No, never. MBP first, MB second. Before that it was PB first, ibook second.
I'm not saying I agree or disagree, but the reasons floated around for why there may be a case design with Montevina are:
1) Montevina chipset supposedly has a smaller footprint than Santa Rosa, leaving room in the case for either smaller form factor or other features (e.g., user changeable hard drive)
2) Keyboard update a la MacBook Air -- likely inevitable though some may not like it
3) Other design cues from MacBook Air -- though it is a niche product, not likely that Apple will let their flagship portable be completely outshined from a design standpoint
4) Though a brilliant design, the current design is getting incredibly long in the tooth by computer design standards. 4+ years is an eternity, and other manufacturers are beginning to catch up
Can't vouch for any or all of these per se -- but none are completely unreasonable that a case design wouldn't happen with Montevina vs. waiting another year for Nehalem.
Apple's CPU Options
Here's a suggestion based on real processors IF Apple buys Centrino 2 CPUs which cost the same amount as the Centrino 1 at introduction:
Current Lineup (Centrino 1)
MB 2.10GHz/800MHz FSB/3MB L2/35W/$209
MB 2.40GHz/800MHz FSB/3MB L2/35W/$241
MBP 2.40GHz/800MHz FSB/3MB L2/35W/$241
MBP 2.50GHz/800MHz FSB/6MB L2/35W/$316
MBP 2.60GHz/800MHz FSB/6MB L2/35W/$530 (Optional)
Possible Lineup (Centrino 2)
MB 2.26GHz/1066MHz FSB/3MB L2/25W/$209
MB 2.40GHz/1066MHz FSB/3MB L2/25W/$241
MBP 2.40GHz/1066MHz FSB/3MB L2/25W/$241 (Low End?)
MBP 2.53GHz/1066MHz FSB/3MB L2/25W/$348 (Low/Mid MBP or upper MB?)
MBP 2.53GHz/1066MHz FSB/6MB L2/35W/$316 (Mid?)
MBP 2.80GHz/1066MHz FSB/6MB L2/35W/$530 (Optional)
*A similar chart may be found here.
The chart raises some interesting questions:
Will Apple use the 25W 2.53GHz and/or the 35W 2.53GHz?
What is the gain of battery life for the lower wattage 2.53GHz?
What is the performance gain of the 35W 2.53GHz with 6MB L2 cache? Note: the 25W 2.53GHz only has 3MB of L2 cache.
I would only expect the low-end MB to see a speed improvement in the next revision. (Here come the whiners about what Apple should include vs. what is really available.) However, Apple could shock us and put the 25W 2.53GHz CPU in the MB, but this is highly unlikely given the cost of the CPU.
Here's a suggestion based on real processors IF Apple buys Centrino 2 CPUs which cost the same amount as the Centrino 1 at introduction:
Current Lineup (Centrino 1)
MB 2.10GHz/800MHz FSB/3MB L2/35W/$209
MB 2.40GHz/800MHz FSB/3MB L2/35W/$241
MBP 2.40GHz/800MHz FSB/3MB L2/35W/$241
MBP 2.50GHz/800MHz FSB/6MB L2/35W/$316
MBP 2.60GHz/800MHz FSB/6MB L2/35W/$530 (Optional)
Possible Lineup (Centrino 2)
MB 2.26GHz/1066MHz FSB/3MB L2/25W/$209
MB 2.40GHz/1066MHz FSB/3MB L2/25W/$241
MBP 2.40GHz/1066MHz FSB/3MB L2/25W/$241 (Low End?)
MBP 2.53GHz/1066MHz FSB/3MB L2/25W/$348 (Low/Mid MBP or upper MB?)
MBP 2.53GHz/1066MHz FSB/6MB L2/35W/$316 (Mid?)
MBP 2.80GHz/1066MHz FSB/6MB L2/35W/$530 (Optional)
*A similar chart may be found here.
The chart raises some interesting questions:
Will Apple use the 25W 2.53GHz and/or the 35W 2.53GHz?
What is the gain of battery life for the lower wattage 2.53GHz?
What is the performance gain of the 35W 2.53GHz with 6MB L2 cache? Note: the 25W 2.53GHz only has 3MB of L2 cache.
I would only expect the low-end MB to see a speed improvement in the next revision. (Here come the whiners about what Apple should include vs. what is really available.) However, Apple could shock us and put the 25W 2.53GHz CPU in the MB, but this is highly unlikely given the cost of the CPU.
Integrated Graphics Delay May Delay MBP Release
Actually, I think the delay in Intel's integrated gfx could affect the MBP. According to DT
"One interesting feature of the GM45 chipset is the ability to dynamically switch between integrated and discrete graphics, similar in nature to features announced by AMD and NVIDIA (e.g. NVIDIA's Hybrid Power)....
"We were told that OEMs will either implement a hardware or a software switch to allow you to enable/disable discrete graphics, but we have no idea how it'll work. NVIDIA's implementation of a similar technology copies the frame buffer to main memory, using the integrated graphics core to output it to your display - Intel told us that its version doesn't work this way. Unfortunately we aren't sure if that means switching between integrated and discrete graphics will require a hardware reboot, or if it'll be possible to do so on the fly. We have more questions than answers here so it's better that we leave speculation alone and wait until it's something we can test ourselves."
A hardware switch to enable/disable discrete graphics could be one reason for a case redesign, but I am more inclined to think that Apple will do this only in software instead.
Actually, I think the delay in Intel's integrated gfx could affect the MBP. According to DT
"One interesting feature of the GM45 chipset is the ability to dynamically switch between integrated and discrete graphics, similar in nature to features announced by AMD and NVIDIA (e.g. NVIDIA's Hybrid Power)....
"We were told that OEMs will either implement a hardware or a software switch to allow you to enable/disable discrete graphics, but we have no idea how it'll work. NVIDIA's implementation of a similar technology copies the frame buffer to main memory, using the integrated graphics core to output it to your display - Intel told us that its version doesn't work this way. Unfortunately we aren't sure if that means switching between integrated and discrete graphics will require a hardware reboot, or if it'll be possible to do so on the fly. We have more questions than answers here so it's better that we leave speculation alone and wait until it's something we can test ourselves."
A hardware switch to enable/disable discrete graphics could be one reason for a case redesign, but I am more inclined to think that Apple will do this only in software instead.