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MacBook Pro Update Due for Launch as Soon as Tomorrow?
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SEE! I'm losing it.
I haven't checked the site in so long because I don't want to browse by the obsolete MBP's =/
Sure, but you wouldn't mind some kind of little glitch when you have the newest and greatest fancy macbook, would you?
Hang in there! iPad releases soon. After that it's aaaall MPB (I hope/in my dreams)OK, I'm going to go out on a limb with some predictions...
I think the new 13" MBP will come with an Intel Core i5-750
The 15" starting with Core i7-750, but also offering the choice of a i7-860. There'll be probably upper end 15" units as well with Core i7-920 and Core i7-940 chips (running on the faster FSB).
The 17" will start with the Core i7-940, but will also offer Core i7-950 and Core i7-960 chips.
Minium RAM will be 4GB, with the upper models featuring 8GB.
I've also given it some thought and I think Apple will feature USB 3.0 ports for future proofing (2 on the 13" and 4 on the 15" and 17" units). FireWire FW800 ports will be offered (1 on all models).
I think there'll also be a blu-ray player/dvd burner combo drive as standard across all models (other than the entry level 13" unit which will be a standard DVD burner).
I also think the entry level 13" MBP and 15" unit will feature standard SATA 300 hard drives, but all other models will feature SSD drives - smaller, lighter and better power consumption. SSD will start at 128GB and work it's way up to 512GB (2 x 256 SSD pieces).
Don't be surprised to see matt screens by default, with glossy ones as an option (opposite to the current setup) and I think there'll be a rounding off along the front end of the unibody as well, to make it a bit more comfortable.
Well, you can wish can't you! I wonder how close I'll be!
Dave
I think the new 13" MBP will come with an Intel Core i5-750
The 15" starting with Core i7-750, but also offering the choice of a i7-860. There'll be probably upper end 15" units as well with Core i7-920 and Core i7-940 chips (running on the faster FSB).
The 17" will start with the Core i7-940, but will also offer Core i7-950 and Core i7-960 chips.
Minium RAM will be 4GB, with the upper models featuring 8GB.
I've also given it some thought and I think Apple will feature USB 3.0 ports for future proofing (2 on the 13" and 4 on the 15" and 17" units). FireWire FW800 ports will be offered (1 on all models).
I think there'll also be a blu-ray player/dvd burner combo drive as standard across all models (other than the entry level 13" unit which will be a standard DVD burner).
I also think the entry level 13" MBP and 15" unit will feature standard SATA 300 hard drives, but all other models will feature SSD drives - smaller, lighter and better power consumption. SSD will start at 128GB and work it's way up to 512GB (2 x 256 SSD pieces).
Don't be surprised to see matt screens by default, with glossy ones as an option (opposite to the current setup) and I think there'll be a rounding off along the front end of the unibody as well, to make it a bit more comfortable.
Well, you can wish can't you! I wonder how close I'll be!
Dave
Where did you see info about a 2 day sale on MBs? Only on the entry MB or MBP too?
Edit: Found it, http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat205300050015&type=category
Looks to include most models... wonder if they'll do the $100 off on top... probably not as it is online...
Hey, it's worth a guess
I doubt that Apple will feature the Intel chips with built in graphics, the Intel graphics are pretty crap by all accounts (probably worse than the 9400m units currently shipping I suspect). I can't see Apple going backwards. Sure, gaming isn't really a big thing for Apple users (more imaging/video editing/general usage I guess), but many people coming from the Microsoft Windows platform want games. If this logic is correct, then that leaves the higher end i5/i7 chips.
As to USB 3.0, after thinking about it, it's backwards compatible with USB 2.0/1.1/1.0, and probably isn't that much more difficult/expensive to implement. Plus, it gives future proofing.
Also, blu-ray has won the hd wars. Many Apple users are wanting blu-ray support too. Prices have come down for the actual hardware, so it is do-able.
As to the screen, glossy is a nightmare for monitor calibration units (do some research and you'll see that I'm right). Any serious photographer will be calibrating their screen, or at least, trying to. Also, the glossiness has been show to give some people headaches, or make long periods of usage not really feasible.
RAM is dirty cheap (Apple must be using gold plated RAM lol with the prices that they charge!) too.
The only thing that might be sus is SSD. Prices are still a bit high, although SSD is starting to become more popular, and more common now, and I don't think it'll go away. Apple likes to be a leader, and an innovative leader at that. Apple knows it can charge higher prices and Apple customers, being the loyal beings that they are, will pay them. Especially if the product is perceived as a leader, or innovative (or both). It's the "coolness" factor. Performance wise, SSD wins, and also with the "Green" factor, which Apple has went to pains to advertise with its current MBP range.
As I said earlier, I'm probably wrong, but I've tried to apply some logic to the process.
Dave
I doubt that Apple will feature the Intel chips with built in graphics, the Intel graphics are pretty crap by all accounts (probably worse than the 9400m units currently shipping I suspect). I can't see Apple going backwards. Sure, gaming isn't really a big thing for Apple users (more imaging/video editing/general usage I guess), but many people coming from the Microsoft Windows platform want games. If this logic is correct, then that leaves the higher end i5/i7 chips.
As to USB 3.0, after thinking about it, it's backwards compatible with USB 2.0/1.1/1.0, and probably isn't that much more difficult/expensive to implement. Plus, it gives future proofing.
Also, blu-ray has won the hd wars. Many Apple users are wanting blu-ray support too. Prices have come down for the actual hardware, so it is do-able.
As to the screen, glossy is a nightmare for monitor calibration units (do some research and you'll see that I'm right). Any serious photographer will be calibrating their screen, or at least, trying to. Also, the glossiness has been show to give some people headaches, or make long periods of usage not really feasible.
RAM is dirty cheap (Apple must be using gold plated RAM lol with the prices that they charge!) too.
The only thing that might be sus is SSD. Prices are still a bit high, although SSD is starting to become more popular, and more common now, and I don't think it'll go away. Apple likes to be a leader, and an innovative leader at that. Apple knows it can charge higher prices and Apple customers, being the loyal beings that they are, will pay them. Especially if the product is perceived as a leader, or innovative (or both). It's the "coolness" factor. Performance wise, SSD wins, and also with the "Green" factor, which Apple has went to pains to advertise with its current MBP range.
As I said earlier, I'm probably wrong, but I've tried to apply some logic to the process.
Dave
Mac Book Pro Hold Up Problem
One can only ask oneself what the hold up is. The babytoy iPad is all fair and dandy, but what about taking back the lead with a power product where you can make HD movies, full sound productions without limitations.
Besides Apple politics and heat issues there's a few other things I can think of - and this has been OVERDUE OVERDUE OVERDUE - making people hold back with purchases, upgrades - doing TACTICS. Well I'm done reading between the lines of Apple's press releases - I am asking for an immediate price drop of all Apple laptops now, and a firm announcement when the new products will be released. Enough of the 'Girlonomics' as California's man in charge would put it. For a less emotional, and more rational analysis on the subject, please read on at my blogpost here.
One can only ask oneself what the hold up is. The babytoy iPad is all fair and dandy, but what about taking back the lead with a power product where you can make HD movies, full sound productions without limitations.
Besides Apple politics and heat issues there's a few other things I can think of - and this has been OVERDUE OVERDUE OVERDUE - making people hold back with purchases, upgrades - doing TACTICS. Well I'm done reading between the lines of Apple's press releases - I am asking for an immediate price drop of all Apple laptops now, and a firm announcement when the new products will be released. Enough of the 'Girlonomics' as California's man in charge would put it. For a less emotional, and more rational analysis on the subject, please read on at my blogpost here.
Agree on chips, ram & USB 3.0, but say no to blu-ray & SSDs (as standard). Is there even enough space for 2xSSDs? I'm not sure.
To throw a bigger spanner in the works....my guess at this stage is that we won't see any pro updates till after iPad launch. Apple won't want to distract from the hype. Especially if, for example, they did have something noteworthy such as blu-ray.
Part of me also wants to say that we might even have to wait till June's apple event when we'll see the latest iPhone. But that's only if they got major revisions to their pro lineups.
Pretty far off IMO. First, Core i7 on the 15" is unlikely. Expect Core i5. Second, SSD won't be standard. It's far too expensive. Third, Blu Ray is at best a 50/50 proposition. Fourth, Apple's proud of their glossy screens and has moved to them across the board, so there's pretty much no way they're going back to matte. And you won't see 8GB of RAM standard on *any* model.
There's no way the 13 or 15" MBP's would have an i7 fitted in them. Apple only just about put them into the iMac 27" purely because they made the unit so much bigger to allow for adequate ventilation. I would guess Apple may find a way to put them into the 17"s, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.
I'm not an expert on processors, but given that sony's Z series Vaio is 13" and thinner than an MBP and can handle an i7 I think apple won't have any trouble with it.
Fact check: Two different processors families in the iMac and the upcoming macbook pro.