MacBook, MacBook Pro and Ultra-Portable Updates

[Wolfpup]

Anyone know how long it takes after the release of a new model for it to be available in Apple stores? Is it immediately? I need to pay in store because I need to split it between two credit cards, and if I take all the time to go down to the apple store I would LIKE to come home with a Mac

Can't you do that on Apple's site? Or maybe by placing an order over the phone with them? I think you can do that with Amazon...I think (maybe I'm getting mixed up).

 

[Manic Mouse]

The problem there is that most laptops in the MacBook's price range and target don't traditionally include dedicated graphics (the most comparable model, for example, the Sony C series, generally only uses Intel GMA950)

Are you talking about the base MacBook or the top end model? I see no reason why the base can't be integrated and the high-end have a dedicated GPU. It is meant to be the 12" PowerBook replacement after all.

 

[Maccus Aurelius]

A blackbook with a dedicated card sounds pretty excellent, but how would one want the power to compare between it and the macbook pro's? A macbook with a dedicated card is pretty much a pro model, since one could then hook up a display larger than 23", and be able to do heavier graphic work.

 

[Vidd]

Why are some people convinced that they'll include higher resolution displays and LED screens?
Do they even offer LED screens with such high resolutions?

 

[Manic Mouse]

A blackbook with a dedicated card sounds pretty excellent, but how would one want the power to compare between it and the macbook pro's? A macbook with a dedicated card is pretty much a pro model, since one could then hook up a display larger than 23", and be able to do heavier graphic work.

Believe it or not, all graphics cards aren't created equal! Apple could put a 512Mb 8600 in the MBP while having a 265Mb 8400 in the BlackBook (with a BTO on the top whitebook). Leave the integrated for the 1.8 or if you want it on the 2.0.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Can't you do that on Apple's site? Or maybe by placing an order over the phone with them? I think you can do that with Amazon...I think (maybe I'm getting mixed up).

I dunno - I've never needed to split a payment over two credit cards so I've never looked to hard, but I've never seen an obvious option to pay with more than one card on an online store...

Anyone know for sure if you can order off apple.com and pay with multiple cards?

 

[JFreak]

Why are some people convinced that they'll include higher resolution displays and LED screens?
Do they even offer LED screens with such high resolutions?

LED backlighting has nothing to do with resolution. It's just another technique for making light. Higher resolutions are coming, but it may be wishful thinking to expect them to arrive rather sooner than later. It may still take a while to get a 160dpi laptop, but one can always hope.

 

[Tom B.]

It is meant to be the 12" PowerBook replacement after all.

I think an Apple ultra portable will be the 12" PowerBook replacement.
The MacBook is more of a iBook replacement.

 

[unexploded]

*tears hair out!*

Because it's ULTRA-portable. It'd be designed for travelling light. You wouldn't need to carry the external drive around with you.

Yes, you need some sort of optical drive to restore from original OS X disks or to import your CD collection to iTunes or whatever but these are not all-day everyday tasks. If you purchase a new CD one day, surely you can wait til you get home in the evening to import it onto your computer? And if you're the sort of person who imports/burns CDs all day long everyday then no, an ultra-portable computer probably isn't for you.

(btw when I say 'you' I'm not having a personal dig; I just still think some people are missing the point of the 'ultra-portable' market!)



Again... why would you need extra ports on an ultra-portable notebook? It's not gonna be a desktop replacement where you'd plug external monitor/keyboard/mouse/hard drives/EyeTV/etc into it!


For me an ultra-portable computer would be something like this:

- Thin & lightweight (under 2kg)
- Latest or as close to latest chipset but doesn't have to match the same speed as the top of the range Pro machines
- 1GB RAM as standard but could be upgraded to 2GB, don't think you need any more than that for a 'travel' machine
- 10" to 12" screen with as high a resolution as is possible. Any more than 12" is portable but not ultra-portable IMHO and <10" doesn't make for a very easy to use keyboard. Screen should be easy to read outdoors.
- Built in iSight for keeping in touch with people when travelling
- Decent Airport reception like the iBook/MacBook, not like the PowerBook/MacBook Pro
- Good battery life and a smaller power brick
- Integrated GPU like the MacBooks would be fine; it doesn't need anything fancy as someone who does heavy-duty Photoshopping or video editing etc won't be the target customer for an ultra-portable machine.
- USB 2 and/or FW400 port just for connecting a backup drive - or if it's possible have one of those Port Replicator things as an optional extra (I had one of those with my very old Sony Vaio)


I bought a 12" PowerBook for its portability but very rarely take it outside the house because for me it's still just that little bit too big/heavy (I mean I need an extra bag to carry it in), which is a hassle, plus the Airport reception on it is pretty crap. I've been longing for something a little smaller/thinner with better wifi and battery life for so long now! One of these plus a MacBook Pro would be my ideal setup.

*dreams*

Don't get pulling your hair out!

Actually it will be a desktop replacement and laptop rolled in to one- I'm moving to university in September and will need a powerful computer that I can take with me to lectures and bring back with me to work in my room. Unfortunately I don't have the money to buy a Mac Pro and MacBook Pro.

I do quite a bit of work with CD's because my work is in the music field...

 

[cube]

And what do you base that insightful observation on?

I've noticed that you seem to love to make blanket statement (SSDs suck, the Asus U1F sucks, etc.) with no support behind it (or in the case of your insights about SSD's, completely incorrect information).

For starters, the U1F uses a 1.8" hard disk, so it's slow.

Look it up for yourself on the web if you don't believe flash (not dynamic RAM) SSDs are slower for writing than hard disks.

 

[jayb2000]

Plus, it makes the laptop clumsy because of how it must be built. I have also seen such toys, but IMO the more streamlined the design the better.

Currently, the Macbook Pro is very simple and elegant. Design-wise, close to the only thing to be done is adding the magnetic latch thus eliminating few stupid holes from the case.

Anything you can remove from the case will eventually break.

Streamlined how? With no optical drive for the people that want a real ultra-portable or with one for people who want a lightweight desktop replacement?

One way or another a large group of people won't like your solution. Besides, I would bet Apple could design it to NOT be clumsy, this is Apple after all.

 

[JFreak]

Streamlined how? With no optical drive for the people that want a real ultra-portable or with one for people who want a lightweight desktop replacement?

One way or another a large group of people won't like your solution. Besides, I would bet Apple could design it to NOT be clumsy, this is Apple after all.

I was commenting the idea of *removable* optical drive bay that could optionally be filled with 2nd battery or something else. Removable components make it clumsy; even the removable battery will not be tight after being used for few years.

But it's just that I so much love locking connectors and that nothing could be removed from the laptop without tools.

 

[boobooq88]

Soo may be bad and good news

I just got back home from goin to my local Apple store (Mission Viejo, CA) and..... they were closed!!!!! AHHH!!! however the sign on the store said that they were "making the store better" and that they will reopen on May 19 (aka this saturday). So I think this may bust the rumor for new Macbooks/Pros on Tuesday (aka tomorrow)... but then that also might be showing that Apple is working on something.

Though I don't want to get my hopes up.... I have a feeling Apple is working on something "Huge" (as SJ would say )

What do you guys make of this???

 

[Chris Bangle]

Soo may be bad and good news

I just got back home from goin to my local Apple store (Mission Viejo, CA) and..... they were closed!!!!! AHHH!!! however the sign on the store said that they were "making the store better" and that they will reopen on May 19 (aka this saturday). So I think this may bust the rumor for new Macbooks/Pros on Tuesday (aka tomorrow)... but then that also might be showing that Apple is working on something.

Though I don't want to get my hopes up.... I have a feeling Apple is working on something "Huge" (as SJ would say )

What do you guys make of this???

I think that if its only this store then there probably replacing a flor tile, iff its a few stores then something will happen but i doubt it.

 

[ajhaji]

What do you guys make of this???

It could just be an isolated issue with your store. Maybe they had to close to do emergency renovations to the store? Apple likes releasing things on Tuesdays, not Saturdays, but I guess it's not completely out of the question.

I can't see Apple closing even a handful of their stores for 5 entire days.

 

[boobooq88]

I think that if its only this store then there probably replacing a flor tile, iff its a few stores then something will happen but i doubt it.

I understand that it pretty much only means something if it is that one store... but I doubt they'd be closed for over a week (they closed the store on Friday or something like that) just to replace something as simple as a floor tile

Anyone know if there other Apple stores that are closed to be made better?

 

[scrambledwonder]

Soo may be bad and good news

I just got back home from goin to my local Apple store (Mission Viejo, CA) and..... they were closed!!!!! AHHH!!! however the sign on the store said that they were "making the store better" and that they will reopen on May 19 (aka this saturday). So I think this may bust the rumor for new Macbooks/Pros on Tuesday (aka tomorrow)... but then that also might be showing that Apple is working on something.

Though I don't want to get my hopes up.... I have a feeling Apple is working on something "Huge" (as SJ would say )

What do you guys make of this???

Well, stores don't know about product releases until the day of the release. So managers plan remodels on their own schedules. There is absolutely no way Apple HQ would call a store and say "don't be closed, we're releasing a product that week." That info would leak faster than a torpedoed frigate.

 

[DeaconGraves]

I understand that it pretty much only means something if it is that one store... but I doubt they'd be closed for over a week (they closed the store on Friday or something like that) just to replace something as simple as a floor tile

Anyone know if there other Apple stores that are closed to be made better?

Maybe they're remodeling some space for the iPhone?

Any of the other rumored launches wouldn't need a closing to get ready for. New MBs and MBPs would just replace the old ones on the floor, same with the Imacs. And with the Leopard beta being held for WWDC, we can probably cross that off the list to.

My guess is it's just some spring cleaning. None of the stores near me (Dallas) are closed.

 

[zub3qin]

There will be NO hardware released before WWDC

No offense, but these rumor sites get infuriating. There will be NO hardware released before the WWDC. NADA.

They won't just release a new Macbook- they need some sort of invitation event. Do people really think that the Apple website magically shows some brand new piece of hardware? Of course not.
And I doubt Apple is going to invite the world's journalists to an event with less than 24hrs notice.

So all things stand as is. WWDC. Press is there. And that is the EARLIEST time we will see new hardware. Pray all you want folks. It ain't happening on any upcoming Tuesday....

And screw you AppleInsider and Looprumors!

 

[Wolfpup]

No offense, but these rumor sites get infuriating. There will be NO hardware released before the WWDC. NADA.

They won't just release a new Macbook- they need some sort of invitation event. Do people really think that the Apple website magically shows some brand new piece of hardware? Of course not.
And I doubt Apple is going to invite the world's journalists to an event with less than 24hrs notice.

So all things stand as is. WWDC. Press is there. And that is the EARLIEST time we will see new hardware. Pray all you want folks. It ain't happening on any upcoming Tuesday....

And screw you AppleInsider and Looprumors!

Why do you say that? Apple frequently updates hardware without any special event. I think all the previous Macbooks except the original 15" Macbook Pro all launched with no event.

 

[DeaconGraves]

No offense, but these rumor sites get infuriating. There will be NO hardware released before the WWDC. NADA.

They won't just release a new Macbook- they need some sort of invitation event. Do people really think that the Apple website magically shows some brand new piece of hardware? Of course not.
And I doubt Apple is going to invite the world's journalists to an event with less than 24hrs notice.

So all things stand as is. WWDC. Press is there. And that is the EARLIEST time we will see new hardware. Pray all you want folks. It ain't happening on any upcoming Tuesday....

And screw you AppleInsider and Looprumors!

Might I introduce you to the 8-core Mac Pro?

 

[kajitox]

No offense, but these rumor sites get infuriating. There will be NO hardware released before the WWDC. NADA.

They won't just release a new Macbook- they need some sort of invitation event. Do people really think that the Apple website magically shows some brand new piece of hardware? Of course not.
And I doubt Apple is going to invite the world's journalists to an event with less than 24hrs notice.

So all things stand as is. WWDC. Press is there. And that is the EARLIEST time we will see new hardware. Pray all you want folks. It ain't happening on any upcoming Tuesday....

And screw you AppleInsider and Looprumors!

I have to agree with the two people above me. Also, this isn't going to be a huge update, it's just getting blown out of proportion by people like myself who have been waiting for months for some sort of update because by Murphy's law, once we give up on waiting, the next day something new will come out. Back to what I was saying, though; this isn't a big enough update to publicize unless they add LCD screens, but even then...

 

[AidenShaw]

FUD alert

Removable components make it clumsy; even the removable battery will not be tight after being used for few years.

I call FUD on this one.

My Dell D600 will be 4 years old in July, and its module bay is fine after many, many exchanges of the DVD for a battery for a second hard drive for a battery for a DVD-RW for a battery for a hard drive for a DVD for a battery...

It is tremendously useful to decide when you leave in the morning whether you want 8 hours of battery (or 12 or 16 or 24 hours), or an optical, or a second 160 GB internal hard drive. (Or maybe you carry the stuff in your bag to change on the fly.)

To say "it'll wear out" is just spouting FUD.

But it's just that I so much love locking connectors and that nothing could be removed from the laptop without tools.

Dell has a torx screw on the module bay and accessories. You can make them a bit more tamper-proof if you want.

 

[Chromako]

Plus, it makes the laptop clumsy because of how it must be built. I have also seen such toys, but IMO the more streamlined the design the better.

Currently, the Macbook Pro is very simple and elegant. Design-wise, close to the only thing to be done is adding the magnetic latch thus eliminating few stupid holes from the case.

Anything you can remove from the case will eventually break.

What about the Lenovo T series, if they still make them? (I had experience with the IBM T42). Great machine, and wonderful implementation of the removable bay design. I'd love to have an extra battery, for example...

 

[Evangelion]

No offense, but these rumor sites get infuriating. There will be NO hardware released before the WWDC. NADA.

They won't just release a new Macbook- they need some sort of invitation event. Do people really think that the Apple website magically shows some brand new piece of hardware? Of course not.

If Apple releases new laptops 25 minutes from now, I'm going to come back to this thread, point at you and laugh .

EDIT: Ha-Ha!