MacBook Pro Targeted 2.8GHz Core i7 Processors Due Later This Year

[pinchez]

Surely Apple must be considering geting rid of the optical drive in the 13" MBP, It's the only way forward imo. I reckon if there was no optical drive we might have i5, descrete graphics and 8 hour battery life.

Internal optical drives are old and piontles, please remove them SJ...

 

[commander.data]

I concur. Replace the optical drive in the MBPs with a SSD (40gb or so?) for running the OS on. If people really need to use optical media, give them the option of a USB drive.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/31/hitachi-lg-goes-official-with-hydrive-ssd-equipped-optical-driv/

Why take away the optical drive for a SSD when you can have both? Hitachi's Hydrive integrates an SSD into the optical drive for space savings and by next year will be available in the standard 9.5mm height just in time for a MacBook Pro refresh.

My guess is that the quad-core Core i7 (720QM) will be available for the MacBookPro line right after the WWDC.

That would probably mean an average performance decrease. The Core i7 720QM only runs at 1.6GHz and can only Turbo Boost up to 2.8GHz single core and 2.4GHz dual core compared to up to 3.33GHz single core and 3.06GHz dual core for the current top end Core i7 620M. For the average application which is single or dual threaded you're going to see a performance decrease. The Core i7 620M's max dual core clock speed is almost twice that of the Core i7 720QM's max quad core clock speed anyways, so even for quad threaded applications it'll probably be very close.

 

[Val-kyrie]

There's always MozyHome as a back up solution. I signed up a few weeks ago - still haven't achieved full back up but I've got over 500GB out in the cloud backed up.

Why any laptops these days come standard with an optical drive is beyond me. What a great way to add weight and unnecessary space to a device that doesn't need it. If you do, optional external works for those times you really need one.

External ODDs do NOT work when you are on the road. I prefer to not carry more accessories.

Also, not everyone has access to high speed back-up online. ODDs are still necessary and useful. It sounds like many of you would be fine with a revamped MBAir rather than a MBP.

 

[newdeal]

...

I agree that dropping the optical drive is the best thing to do. The drive takes up probobly a quarter of the case and I don't think I have used it in forever, basically the only time I use it is if something I download is an iso and I have to burn it to disc before installing. Of course if they removed the optical drive I could still use an external for this or do it on a different computer, or maybe people would stop using isos and just put it in a dmg. I can only imagine the things they could put in the 13" if they removed that drive...like a better cpu, better gpu, USB 3.0 and another fan with vent holes...then with the extra space left after that maybe 12 hour battery life.

Blu ray would be cool but would lose its coolness in about 1 hour because watching HD movies on a 13" screen that doesn't even have the correct aspect ratio or 1080P resolution is not something I would do when I could watch them on an actual 1080P 16:9 TV with a "real" sized screen. They could feel free to put the bluray in the imac though. As for using blu-rays for data storage or for backup purposes I prefer just allowing the time capsule to back it up wirelessly in the background without hassle. Sure HDDs aren't forever but the odds of both my laptop HDD and the time capsule giving out on the same day is pretty much nothing so I don't worry about it

 

[ECUpirate44]

probably for those who already have picked up the most recent refresh, but for those of us getting ready to pull the trigger not so much.

surely you don't believe it is coming out at or around WWDC right?

 

[pinchez]

External ODDs do NOT work when you are on the road. I prefer to not carry more accessories.

Also, not everyone has access to high speed back-up online. ODDs are still necessary and useful. It sounds like many of you would be fine with a revamped MBAir rather than a MBP.

Surely people who buy Macbooks and actually use the optical drive away from home are in the extreme minority?

I know 5 other people with Macbooks and when I talk to them about the optical drive they all agree it should go as they don't use it often enough to warrant having one internaly, they and i would be quite happy with an external solution for the handfull of times we will ever want to use it.

 

[abriwin]

upgrades and optical drives

Valid point about getting rid of optical drives as they did with the MacBook Air but remember the fuss it caused then?
As to upgrades I wonder what the odds are for the long overdue upgrade on the Air? USB 3 perhaps, and either and extra usb port or and extra usb port.

I had the chance to compare the iPad and the Air in an airport shop yesterday and considering the lack of any possible expansion on a pad, no usb unless you buy an add on and no sd slot unless you buy an add on, by the time you have bought the iPad with equivalent memory to the Air you might as well have bought an Air which at least has a full OS. One handed the iPad is awkward, it doesn't get my vote. I'll stick with my Touch for the time being (and my AAO).

 

[Val-kyrie]

I agree that dropping the optical drive is the best thing to do. The drive takes up probobly a quarter of the case and I don't think I have used it in forever, basically the only time I use it is if something I download is an iso and I have to burn it to disc before installing. Of course if they removed the optical drive I could still use an external for this or do it on a different computer, or maybe people would stop using isos and just put it in a dmg. I can only imagine the things they could put in the 13" if they removed that drive...like a better cpu, better gpu, USB 3.0 and another fan with vent holes...then with the extra space left after that maybe 12 hour battery life.

Blu ray would be cool but would lose its coolness in about 1 hour because watching HD movies on a 13" screen that doesn't even have the correct aspect ratio or 1080P resolution is not something I would do when I could watch them on an actual 1080P 16:9 TV with a "real" sized screen. They could feel free to put the bluray in the imac though.

EDIT: ADDED QUOTE

Surely people who buy Macbooks and actually use the optical drive away from home are in the extreme minority?

I know 5 other people with Macbooks and when I talk to them about the optical drive they all agree it should go as they don't use it often enough to warrant having one internaly, they and i would be quite happy with an external solution for the handfull of times we will ever want to use it.

To all of you who so long for a notebook sans ODD, do not complain when Apple charges you $100+ for a proprietary external ODD. If Apple drops ODDs, I can see Apple requiring the use of its ODD via chip authentication. Oh Happy Days ....

 

[WilliamLondon]

External ODDs do NOT work when you are on the road. I prefer to not carry more accessories.

You carry it anyway if it's internal.

ODDs are still necessary and useful. It sounds like many of you would be fine with a revamped MBAir rather than a MBP.

They are necessary and useful for *fewer and fewer* people, and an external drive will absolutely suffice for those one or two times you might feel the need for one.

At the very least, more models not including them would seem logical. I can't believe that the majority of people really need them. The MBA is one option. As someone else suggested, at least start omitting them in the 13" - the bigger ones people are already used to lugging around a beast of a machine.

The number of comments on here all saying, "no more optical drives," is certainly interesting (and not new).

 

[Val-kyrie]

The number of comments on here all saying, "no more optical drives," is certainly interesting (and not new).

IMO, the number of comments here simply reflects tech savvy opinions. In my experience, most moms and pops and the general consumer over age 25 still rely on ODD. Only more recent students and tech savvy consumers will be comfortable with online backup and external HDDs[/ODDs]. Even then, I still see students using the ODD quite a bit for backup and ripping CDs/DVDs (hopefully legally owned copies).

 

[pinsrw]

Still no love for the 13"?

Considering that the i5 & i7 are freezing up for many people, maybe it's a good thing the 13 is still C2D based.

 

[Val-kyrie]

You carry it anyway if it's internal.

Yes, but it is in one convenient package. I often carry just my 13" MB in a Radtech sleeve. Needing to carry an ODD as well would be cumbersome.

 

[Lone Deranger]

You're probably right. I can see Apple doing this. But personally I consider $100 a price worth paying if it means the further evolution of the MBP enclosure. 4 CPU cores, better cooling, perhaps two extra SODIMM slots to get an affordable 16GB of Ram in that same sleek Aluminium Unibody. Now there's a laptop worthy of the Pro moniker!

But hey... why argue over it? Apple could make it a BTO. Though I wonder, considering the improvements that could be had, how many people would still go for a boring old internal optical drive.

To all of you who so long for a notebook sans ODD, do not complain when Apple charges you $100+ for a proprietary external ODD. If Apple drops ODDs, I can see Apple requiring the use of its ODD via chip authentication. Oh Happy Days ....

 

[ValSalva]

IMO, the number of comments here simply reflects tech savvy opinions. In my experience, most moms and pops and the general consumer over age 25 still rely on ODD. Only more recent students and tech savvy consumers will be comfortable with online backup and external HDDs[/ODDs]. Even then, I still see students using the ODD quite a bit for backup and ripping CDs/DVDs (hopefully legally owned copies).

I agree. I have a hard time seeing Apple remove the ODD from the 13" MBP. Apple will eventually figure out a solution for getting the Core i3 or i5 in the 13" MBP even if that means working out something custom with Intel. Further, support is much easier for Apple if most of their laptops have ODDs. Techs almost always want you to boot to the ODD for trouble shooting.

 

[Eidorian]

It's the usual tame speed bump. Arrandale isn't going to be live for long.

 

[Val-kyrie]

I agree that dropping the optical drive is the best thing to do. The drive takes up probobly a quarter of the case and I don't think I have used it in forever, basically the only time I use it is if something I download is an iso and I have to burn it to disc before installing. Of course if they removed the optical drive I could still use an external for this or do it on a different computer, or maybe people would stop using isos and just put it in a dmg. . . .

What about tools such as TTP, Drive Genius, and Disk Warrior? I suppose you would suggest USB sticks, but it is much simpler to DL and burn an .iso. Again, I see increasing cost to the consumer for less function with the removal of ODDs--by Apple, by TTP, et al. (to ship a USB stick), etc.

 

[Val-kyrie]

You're probably right. I can see Apple doing this. But personally I consider $100 a price worth paying if it means the further evolution of the MBP enclosure. 4 CPU cores, better cooling, perhaps two extra SODIMM slots to get an affordable 16GB of Ram in that same sleek Aluminium Unibody. Now there's a laptop worthy of the Pro moniker!

But hey... why argue over it? Apple could make it a BTO. Though I wonder, considering the improvements that could be had, how many people would still go for a boring old internal optical drive.

Personally, I am tired of being charged more for less, just like the matte option. Now you also have to purchase a high-resolution display just to get the matte option on the MBP.

I also want to see evolution in MBPs, but if Sony can shoehorn an ODD and discrete graphics into a 13" laptop, why can't Apple? I don't need thinner, I need function.

 

[ouimetnick]

Now all Apple needs to do is give some love to the 13" this year so when I buy one, I get the latest. I personally think that for $1199 I should get the best 25 watt C2D (13" uses 25 watt CPU) and I believe thats the 2.66 GHz one found in the high end 13" MBP.

It would be nice if Intel could play nice with Apple, and make a i3, i5, and i7 and allow graphics companies to put their graphics right on the main CPU chip to replace Intel's crappy chip

 

[Thex1138]

mmmm....

My first juicy MacBook Pro...

 

[WilliamLondon]

IMO, the number of comments here simply reflects tech savvy opinions. In my experience, most moms and pops and the general consumer over age 25 still rely on ODD. Only more recent students and tech savvy consumers will be comfortable with online backup and external HDDs[/ODDs]. Even then, I still see students using the ODD quite a bit for backup and ripping CDs/DVDs (hopefully legally owned copies).

The laptop is not normally the only machine for someone, except for students perhaps, who are a bit more technically savvy than grandma. And grandma's primary machine I would suggest isn't a laptop. I believe that laptops generally are used by the more tech savvy people, and plugging an external drive in to the machine isn't anything that require tech savviness.

I'm not suggesting every laptop model be produced without an optical (yet<smile>), but more models without it (at least to start) would be nice, because as many on here can attest, it's not needed internally. Limited (if any) use of that functionality (with alternate ways to access that functionality) at the expense of space and weight just seems illogical to me.

 

[ouimetnick]

It's the usual tame speed bump. Arrandale isn't going to be live for long.

Why? Is arrendale being replaced by Sandybridge?
Is it like how the Core Duo was soon replaced by the Core 2 Duo?

 

[Val-kyrie]

Proc Updates

... look good, but I am now convinced that waiting for Sandy Bridge is the next best overall update. From the linked Engadget article,

"...All these new dual-cores will have on-die Intel HD Graphics in one form or another, but all are also stopgaps until Intel's 32nm "Huron River" platform debuts in the first quarter of 2011. Then, we'll get WiMAX, WiDi and Intel Bluetooth alongside an intriguing new concept dubbed Zero Power ODD, which promises a power-saving sleep mode for our noisy optical disc drives (see more coverage link) and the promise of enough battery life to play two full Blu-rays on a single charge. "

I envision quad-core goodness with Blu-Ray if this Zero Power ODD proves true.

 

[ouimetnick]

... look good, but I am now convinced that waiting for Sandy Bridge is the next best overall update. From the linked Engadget article,

"...All these new dual-cores will have on-die Intel HD Graphics in one form or another, but all are also stopgaps until Intel's 32nm "Huron River" platform debuts in the first quarter of 2011. Then, we'll get WiMAX, WiDi and Intel Bluetooth alongside an intriguing new concept dubbed Zero Power ODD, which promises a power-saving sleep mode for our noisy optical disc drives (see more coverage link) and the promise of enough battery life to play two full Blu-rays on a single charge. "

I envision quad-core goodness with Blu-Ray if this Zero Power ODD proves true.

But when Sandy Bridge ships, the roadmap will show future plans that are even better. I you keep waiting, you will never get a Mac.

 

[Eidorian]

Why? Is arrendale being replaced by Sandybridge?
Is it like how the Core Duo was soon replaced by the Core 2 Duo?

Sandy Bridge is targeting mainstream dual and quad cores along with mobile parts first.

 

[Val-kyrie]

The laptop is not normally the only machine for someone, except for students perhaps, who are a bit more technically savvy than grandma. And grandma's primary machine I would suggest isn't a laptop. I believe that laptops generally are used by the more tech savvy people, and plugging an external drive in to the machine isn't anything that require tech savviness.

I'm not suggesting every laptop model be produced without an optical (yet<smile>), but more models without it (at least to start) would be nice, because as many on here can attest, it's not needed internally. Limited (if any) use of that functionality (with alternate ways to access that functionality) at the expense of space and weight just seems illogical to me.

I have been witnessing more and more grandmas and grandpas starting to use laptops as their primary and only computer, especially when they are introduced to wireless high-speed internet. This is happening with my parents and others that I know. Certainly there is still a need for desktops such as the iMac among the general public, but I see the desktop marketshare continuing to drop in favor of portables.