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New MacBook Pros Likely to Launch on Thursday
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Well, that's good news! I personally wont be buying one because I have a 2010 MBP but I'm excited to see what improvements they make. It will also be cool to see what physical changes they make too. The best part is that all these MacBook Pro rumor threads will stop for a few days
I'm not in the market either, I bought mine last april and this is hands down the best laptp I have ever had. now I am just waiting for the iMac from what I heard t's just gonna be a speed bump so I am probably gonna by the current one, and an iPad2 when it comes out and as per usual the iphone in june.
Than they better get the invitations for the media event out ... without media event this will only a minor MBP upgrade. Major update and/or iPad2 wouldn't go without media event.
btw: what happend to tuesdays??? Seems they no longer like tuesdays for announcements
In the 6 months of owning my 2010 13" I didn't once need the 3d graphics capability from the discrete gpu.
It would be nice, but not a must have for what I'm using it for.
Besides, isn't the sandy bridge graphics tech a major step up from previous generation intel integrated graphics?
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Good you didn't need, you got none
Your 320m is onboard, not discrete.Major step from bad to poor. Its weaker than the actual onboard 320m.
To sum up:
1 year gone, probably -5 to 10% less graphics power.
Rumours...
Considering my aluminium MacBook was stolen, I got back into the Book market. Surprisingly, there's relatively not much that can be done to re-track a computer. The anti-theft software requires access to the internet before the hard drive gets pulled out. Mac doesn't register stolen computers, there's no G3, G4, or GPS built into them, so good-bye.
My old (aluminium... yes, it was back when MB were also available in alu) MacBook had the same config as the new low-model MBP. It had a dual-core Intel 2.4 with 4G memory. The only difference was the FireWire (I don't use it) and MemoryCard slot (I got a USB multi-memory card reader/writer for less than US $ 10). My old model, being the top MB back then, even had a lit-up keyboard. Going back to the shop after about 2 years was a disappointment. The only advantage I would get from forking out almost the same amount of money would have been being able to use Snow Leopard at 64 bits (name change.... my top MB was blocked due to it not being on a MBP) and having more holes on the side of the computer, most of which I wouldn't use (I only use USB).
I simply will not purchase an old MBP nor will I go for white, plastic MB. I'd bump up to a 15", but would NEVER buy an old model. Before I succumb to buying old, even the current top 15" having a i7 processor, I'll go with a Win machine (and regret it, but use Linux and Win - half as bad). The new tablets (slates) are looking quite appetising (they too could use Sandy Bridge though).
Please, let the MBP rumours be true! As to the new iPads, well, see my comment concerning the new slates. iPads are, for me, toys. My old mobile phone doesn't have 10000000 aps, but I can surf, check my mails, and listen to podcasts, internet radio, mp3s, normal radio, as well as navigate (maps, directions, etc), write text messages and make phone calls! Oh, and it only cost about 50 € (over two years ago). If I really want to use the internet though, I do so via a computer.
In Germany, shipments of the top 13" are also delayed (supporting the update possibility). I fear, however, that only the 13-MBP might be getting an i-something-or-another processor to get old dual-cores out of the box. All of the other great options mentioned - SandyBridge, more battery life, LiquidMetal, might be pushed off until a later date (there's already talk of another new Air coming out - without the OLD dual-core). If so, it's bye-bye for me.
Considering my aluminium MacBook was stolen, I got back into the Book market. Surprisingly, there's relatively not much that can be done to re-track a computer. The anti-theft software requires access to the internet before the hard drive gets pulled out. Mac doesn't register stolen computers, there's no G3, G4, or GPS built into them, so good-bye.
My old (aluminium... yes, it was back when MB were also available in alu) MacBook had the same config as the new low-model MBP. It had a dual-core Intel 2.4 with 4G memory. The only difference was the FireWire (I don't use it) and MemoryCard slot (I got a USB multi-memory card reader/writer for less than US $ 10). My old model, being the top MB back then, even had a lit-up keyboard. Going back to the shop after about 2 years was a disappointment. The only advantage I would get from forking out almost the same amount of money would have been being able to use Snow Leopard at 64 bits (name change.... my top MB was blocked due to it not being on a MBP) and having more holes on the side of the computer, most of which I wouldn't use (I only use USB).
I simply will not purchase an old MBP nor will I go for white, plastic MB. I'd bump up to a 15", but would NEVER buy an old model. Before I succumb to buying old, even the current top 15" having a i7 processor, I'll go with a Win machine (and regret it, but use Linux and Win - half as bad). The new tablets (slates) are looking quite appetising (they too could use Sandy Bridge though).
Please, let the MBP rumours be true! As to the new iPads, well, see my comment concerning the new slates. iPads are, for me, toys. My old mobile phone doesn't have 10000000 aps, but I can surf, check my mails, and listen to podcasts, internet radio, mp3s, normal radio, as well as navigate (maps, directions, etc), write text messages and make phone calls! Oh, and it only cost about 50 € (over two years ago). If I really want to use the internet though, I do so via a computer.
In Germany, shipments of the top 13" are also delayed (supporting the update possibility). I fear, however, that only the 13-MBP might be getting an i-something-or-another processor to get old dual-cores out of the box. All of the other great options mentioned - SandyBridge, more battery life, LiquidMetal, might be pushed off until a later date (there's already talk of another new Air coming out - without the OLD dual-core). If so, it's bye-bye for me.
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Onboard means its just a graphic chip on your logic board, uses the normal memory of your macbook.
Discrete means its an seperate card with own memory. Discrete sollutions are way faster than onboard.
Yeah, hoping for a redesign here, but even with a sizeable spec bump here, I'll upgrade.
Thanks for clarifying.
Any chance the 13" would have the HD 3000 graphics? If so the SB would have the edge over 320m;
http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-320M.28701.0.html
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-HD-Graphics-3000.37948.0.html
I'm afraid that either one or neither of the MacBook Pro 13" inch will get Sandy Bridge. And if one of them gets it, it will probably be the most expensive one... ;-) I think they may leave the basis 13 inch MacBook Pro the same with a slight spec bum, possibly...
based on what!? they have already left it out of a cpu upgrade, they surely cannot charge £1000 for a core 2 duo 'pro' laptop!!
If 13" get Sandy Bridge CPU then they get the HD 3000 as well, its bundled.
The question is, will they get a second discrete graphics sollution like the 15" or not.
I'm actually pretty confused by the benchmarks posted there (I'm in no way tech savvy).
Some seemingly show the 320m performing better than the Intel HD 3000 graphics, and vice versa.
It seems at gaming performance, the HD3000 is somewhat slower than the nvidia. Another point they mentioned is that intels drivers are not that good.
Hi killjoys,
My brother is the owner of notebookcheck.com so naturally I´m a bit involved:
The two have about the same potential with a slight advantage for the Intel HD 3000. My concerns with the HD 3000 in the new Macbook Pros are driver support - especially in Windows for games - and very probably a lower clock than in the tested examples.
The power of the HD 3000 varies between different processors and we can expect the smaller Macbooks to get lower clocked cards.
Maybe they surprise us with dedicated cards in the 13" as well? ;-)
I hope that they finally make the step to a dedicated card, even if it is a low-powered one. The HD3000 just doesn't go into a macbook pro, i mean they can't sell us a "pro" notebook with the cheapest intel processor and an IGP card, that would be ridiciulous.
Here's the deal in terms of gaming, which is a great way to bench a graphics card. Anyway from anandtech on low gfx HD3000 bested the 320m but at low settings bc of the much more superior sb cpu can make up a lot of frames vs the c2d. At medium gfx the 320m pulls ahead. This is telling bc medium settings actually stresses graphic rendering. Now pair a sb Cpu with a decent discrete option and I will be a happy camper..
Sorry for any typos sent from droid lol
"integrated" vs. "discrete" - "onboard" is ambiguous
That's not quite right.
"onboard" doesn't really describe the technology, just the method of mounting.
"Integrated" is a better word for what you call "onboard". The GPU is part of a multi-function chip - integrated with other components. For the 320M and older Intel chipsets - the GPU is part of the northbridge - the traditional memory and hi-speed PCIe controller. The northbridge is usually soldered to the motherboard, so it's "onboard" as well.
With Nehalem, Intel moved the memory controller into the CPU package, along with the integrated GPU and most other northbridge functions. With the northbridge gone, NVIDIA's northbridge solution had no future after the C2D.
In the integrated chipsets used by Apple, there is no dedicated VRAM (Video RAM) in the chipset - the GPU shares system memory.
"Discrete", on the other hand, uses a separate single-purpose chip for the GPU. This separate GPU can be soldered to the motherboard ("onboard") or soldered to a separate removeable card.
Apple doesn't use removeable graphics cards in its notebooks, so even the discrete GPUs are "onboard". "onboard" is much more compact than putting the GPU and VRAM on a separate card.
Mac Pros use PCIe cards with the GPUs, and some Imac models use a smaller form factor graphics card called MXM.
Discrete GPUs are usually given dedicated VRAM memory for higher speed access with less memory contention with the CPU. (A GPU with dedicated VRAM can also use shared memory - my desktop reports that it has 3579 MiB graphics memory - 512 MiB dedicated and 3067 MiB shared.)
So, all Apple notebooks have "onboard" graphics - some have "integrated" GPUs and others have "discrete" GPUs. None of them have graphics "cards".
That's not quite right.
"onboard" doesn't really describe the technology, just the method of mounting.
"Integrated" is a better word for what you call "onboard". The GPU is part of a multi-function chip - integrated with other components. For the 320M and older Intel chipsets - the GPU is part of the northbridge - the traditional memory and hi-speed PCIe controller. The northbridge is usually soldered to the motherboard, so it's "onboard" as well.
With Nehalem, Intel moved the memory controller into the CPU package, along with the integrated GPU and most other northbridge functions. With the northbridge gone, NVIDIA's northbridge solution had no future after the C2D.
In the integrated chipsets used by Apple, there is no dedicated VRAM (Video RAM) in the chipset - the GPU shares system memory.
"Discrete", on the other hand, uses a separate single-purpose chip for the GPU. This separate GPU can be soldered to the motherboard ("onboard") or soldered to a separate removeable card.
Apple doesn't use removeable graphics cards in its notebooks, so even the discrete GPUs are "onboard". "onboard" is much more compact than putting the GPU and VRAM on a separate card.
Mac Pros use PCIe cards with the GPUs, and some Imac models use a smaller form factor graphics card called MXM.
Discrete GPUs are usually given dedicated VRAM memory for higher speed access with less memory contention with the CPU. (A GPU with dedicated VRAM can also use shared memory - my desktop reports that it has 3579 MiB graphics memory - 512 MiB dedicated and 3067 MiB shared.)
So, all Apple notebooks have "onboard" graphics - some have "integrated" GPUs and others have "discrete" GPUs. None of them have graphics "cards".
I still don't feel the need to upgrade my 2009 MBP. I honestly can't say it feels sluggish against my Core i5 iMac in anything I do. And I use many of the high-end creative applications.