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Mac updates- Thank you Sweet Baby Jesus
- Thread starter Skydiver32
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Why is it complaining to point out that Apple arbitrarily leaves off usefull ports on it's Macbook "Pros" ?
Most of the HP laptops I sell have eSATA, Firewire, 3 USB, a card reader and and an HDMI port. How's that for think different.
All in all though, this is a very good upgrade, but why does Apple insist on using last generation Nvidia graphics ?
After the 8800 fiasco I would think they would at least offer customers the choice of an ATI mobility 4000 series card that would crush the Nvidia. Oh well, somethings never change. 
Not griping here, just to make sure the labelers don't get too excited... but, I just don't see the benefit of the SD slot? I've already got a very small SD reader, so it's a no-gain there. But, there goes my 3G modem (expresscard slot.) I guess I'll be keeping my MBP Classic a bit longer. Sure, I could get a USB modem, but it's a waste of money replacing something I already have, and I lose a USB port.
I guess simpler is the idea, but even as a photographer, I use several types of cards - all of which I have small USB readers for. CF, Memorystick Pro, SD. I just don't quite get it.
I guess simpler is the idea, but even as a photographer, I use several types of cards - all of which I have small USB readers for. CF, Memorystick Pro, SD. I just don't quite get it.
I wonder how the heat signature of the MBPs affects the battery life. No matter how much Apple wants to, they can't escape the basic chemical properties of batteries. With the amount of heat reported on the newer models, I'd be very surprised if the batteries lasted as long as advertised.
Well I have to say that I'm extremely happy that I got my 2.53 uMBP last week...even though there is a little price drop...its awesome! And I can replace my battery if it starts to die! I know I know...but I'm excited that I still have my express card slot as well...I'm not that big of a fan of the updates...that being said...the price drops are awesome! Its about time! That's all I can say!
The sweet spot here in terms of updates is the new 13" 'MBP'- $100 price drop, and you get Firewire, backlit keyboard, and a free SD slot (didn't cost you a ExpressCard port.) Oh and a better screen and better battery life as well.
The 15" MBP updates are fine but adding an integrated graphics model at $1699 isn't really a price drop, it's adding a new model. The previous price points do get spec bumps which is nice. The addition of a SD slot but subtraction of ExpressCard port is somewhat questionable IMO, but that will depend on your specific needs.
The MBA price cut was very big and of course great for MBA buyers (if not owners!)
The 15" MBP updates are fine but adding an integrated graphics model at $1699 isn't really a price drop, it's adding a new model. The previous price points do get spec bumps which is nice. The addition of a SD slot but subtraction of ExpressCard port is somewhat questionable IMO, but that will depend on your specific needs.
The MBA price cut was very big and of course great for MBA buyers (if not owners!)
So I just bought my 15" MacBook Pro on Friday, thinking there would be no updates as I was assured by many people on these forums it would be "impossible."
I bought it from the UCF Authorized Apple Computer Store... am I eligable to switch the computers? It doesn't really matter to me about the other laptop... it's just the price drop that gets me.
I bought it from the UCF Authorized Apple Computer Store... am I eligable to switch the computers? It doesn't really matter to me about the other laptop... it's just the price drop that gets me.
I've been waiting for the next MacBook Pro update to upgrade form my first-generation Intel iMac, and it has come.
Very unexpected, I'm very pleased with Apple. I was hoping the keynote would focus a bit more on the Mac than usual, and I got my wish!
Whose buying today? I'm going to pick up either a 2.66GHz MacBook Pro or a 2.8GHz.
Very unexpected, I'm very pleased with Apple. I was hoping the keynote would focus a bit more on the Mac than usual, and I got my wish!
Whose buying today? I'm going to pick up either a 2.66GHz MacBook Pro or a 2.8GHz.
Quick question, will the base MBP for 1699 play games similar to the 13" MBPs? Or will the 15" play a bit better?
ChrisN
ChrisN
I've never looked, but there must be ExpressCards that let you read SD cards already. If not, there are already USB ones (although the ExpressCard one could remain completely internal).
Why is it complaining to point out that Apple arbitrarily leaves off usefull ports on it's Macbook "Pros" ?
Most of the HP laptops I sell have eSATA, Firewire, 3 USB, a card reader and and an HDMI port. How's that for think different.
All in all though, this is a very good upgrade, but why does Apple insist on using last generation Nvidia graphics ?
On the plus side, the 13" MBP has fixed the missing FireWire port issue
Very questionable, actually. You lose flexibility, and gain virtually nothing. Who doesn't have SD card readers these days? My 5 yr old SD reader is slightly bigger than the SD card and plugs right in to usb whenever needed. I keep it in my laptop bag - works fine. No gain for me. I guess all those people who for some reason just now need an SD card reader it's a great boon, but who are these folks? Maybe my dad (he's in his 80s) or my ex-wife who just got her first digital camera because I bought it for her... this would be a neato feature for them... but every printer made is full of card slots. It's just not that important. It shows me that the only Pro model is the 17" because it retains the flexibility that someone would need for peripherals and displays.
I guess the one good thing is I could just get rid of my $5.00 usb card reader now - whew! Finally!
Oh, and of course I now can buy a new mobile modem to replace my expresscard one - love spending money I don't need to spend!
I would definitely like the 13" form factor though if the resolution at least goes to 1440X900 and a non-glare option was ever available.
The same for the most part. In fact, you may get higher frames on the macbook because of the lower resolution. Not really sure, but I doubt you'd notice a difference.
Anybody else not care at all about having an SD card slot? I heard that and just sighed a little at how consumer-y the "pro" line has become. Granted, fitting a CF card slot would be harder, but it would have been a hell of a lot more useful. At least on the 15" and up.
Overall though, sweet updates. And Firewire's back!
*edit* reading through this thread a bit, it would seem that others don't care about SD either, lol
Overall though, sweet updates. And Firewire's back!
*edit* reading through this thread a bit, it would seem that others don't care about SD either, lol
Yeah, kudos to Apple for bringing Firewire back... that somewhat makes up for the trading of expresscard for SD slot.. still scratching my head on that one. But firewire is a big, big plus.
I wonder what the thinking actually was on replacing the expresscard slot. For like $20-30 you can just pop a reader card in the slot if needed. Plus now you can't put in an eSATA card or an SSD card.
It was questionable whether I should upgrade my early 08 MBP now anyhow, but the loss of the expresscard just tells me to wait longer.
I'm guessing that they figured that most 13" and some 15" MBP users have Point and shoots, or smaller DSLRs which mostly use SD slots. It's a selling point for people who would be like "well, the Dell has a card reader so I can upload my gigapixels for optimum qualities."
Nice to see a bit of a CPU bump and a lower-priced 15", AND finally SD drive added (about time...) but honestly what the hell... when are they going to upgrade to 1680x1050? That's actually a pretty big deal... like 36% area.
Thought about the SD thing some more, maybe they have plans to move towards SDXC in the future (granted a longer term likely expensive future). With possibilities of 2 TB cards the size of a quarter transferring at 300 MB/s, that certainly would change things. I wonder how fast the transfer rates are on the card slot they added now?
I would assume so, at least for storage. I really don't know a lot about it.
I just remembered reading something about this a couple of months ago. I think they only had a card at 32GB then with transfers of 104 MB/s but the max was 2 TB at 300 - eventually.
I have no idea what the cost was or even if it was available in a retail situation - or, more importantly, anything about the readers other than it looked like SD and SDHC readers would not be able to read SDXC but SDXC was backwards compatible.