Next MacBook Pro to Get New Case Design

[strwrsfrk]

Can't Wait

Current thickness isn't a problem for me. Neither is the design aesthetic overall (though I would love to see what Ives comes up with).

What I want from this redesign has been mostly said before. I want to replace my 2010 15" Hi-Res Glossy 2.4GHz i5 MacBook Pro with something fairly personalized.

A switch to Blade SSDs would be spectacular, but it seems impractical that they would replace the HDDs as the primary drives. Size and cost/GB just are not right yet. However, a blade/HDD BTO option would be good as well, particularly if they were able to get the SSD past 256GB (I want at least 380GB). The question is how that particular option would be implemented. In a perfect world, I would like the blade and HDD options at the expense of the optical drive, which would allow the battery to be even larger. It seems like keeping the 2.5" HDD standard would preclude that from being standardized across the lineup, though, which means Apple will probably not pursue that course.

Plus, if the OD is removed, there does not need to be an opening on that size the enclosure.

I agree that it's high time we got a third USB port, even if we're stuck at 2.0. A second Thunderbolt port seems like it might be excessive for now, but even a single USB 3 port (along with two USB 2.0) would really make for an awesome upgrade.

My guess is that Ethernet is here to stay for a while, unless the fears that MacBook Pro 2012 will be MacBook Pro Air 2012 are indeed accurate.

I hope the bezel on the monitor slims down by a millimeter (or several) on either side and the top. Squeezing a 15" screen into a laptop with width/depth closer to that of a 14" machine would be more valuable than shaving a millimeter off of the bottom, if you ask me.

Oh, and a bump to a 16" screen at 1920x1080 would be ever so magical, I don't know what I'd do with myself.

 

[Full of Win]

Then show me a single modern GPU displaying more than 2560x1600 on a single display. I'd love to see it.

You mean this one, a single card, running FarCry at 3840 X 2160 almost two years ago. Since this was almost two years ago, I'm sure its a little dated.

http://gizmodo.com/#!5277116/asus-mars-gtx-295-smoothly-running-far-cry-at-3840-x-2160-pixels

 

[macjonny1]

In the market for a 17" to replace my 2007 version. Not interested in getting rid of the optical drive as I still use it to watch DVDs on it (have Netflix and the streaming content is far from being complete). The current one seems to have everything that I'm looking for. I'd like a SSD but they are just too much $$$ now.

 

[aiqw9182]

You mean this one, a single card, running FarCry at 3840 X 2160 almost two years ago. Since this was almost two years ago, I'm sure its a little dated.

http://gizmodo.com/#!5277116/asus-mars-gtx-295-smoothly-running-far-cry-at-3840-x-2160-pixels

Single card? Do you even know what SLI is? Did you even read the article?

I'm still waiting.

 

[herecomestreble]

Great, i hope the first thing to go is the razor sharp edge on the wrist palm edge, for long fingered fellas this thing has been a nightmare.

 

[motulist]

Good. The unibody design was never great, it was just so-so. The AlBook powerbook that preceded it had a MUCH better design.

 

[Mattsasa]

last three macbook pro updates were:

june of 2009
april of 2010
february of 2011
so... next is december of 2012... or if it takes even longer it would be jan-feb 2012

though i don't think that it will take longer than 10 months

because before the last three updates they were updated even more often than 10 months.

getting the back to school deal with a free ipod touch is really tempting... but.... so is a redesign

 

[digiphantom]

The superdrive will probably be dropped.

I think Apple will use both SSD for the boot drive and the standard notebook HD for data storage.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

No keyboard, no trackpad. iPad built-in as horiz touch-surface for configurable keyboard & trackpad area, and instant-access to data on the mac thru iOS + apps. BAM! Crazytime.

Man o man would the typists be pissed.

...just like they were when the iPhone came out.

 

[FuNGi]

Agreed. I've never understood why macs have such large bezel's. The 11" MBA is a notable offender in particular, since because the laptop is so small, the wide bezel looks even more immense compared to the rest of the laptop.

I think it has allot to do with the need to make the edges of the case thicker for stability. Look at the Air's internals from Apple's video. It clearly shows thicker edges that likely preclude the LCD from reaching all the way over. For Apple to reduce the Bezel entirely, the case would need to be thicker overall to maintain comparable rigidity - unless they built it of something stronger than aluminum...

what is the point of an IPS screen with a low resolution? IPS is good for viewing angles but people rarely look at a laptop from extreme viewing angles. the color and contrast on the current mbp screen are pretty good right now.

I'm sorry, the IPS is very useful if you happen to be three people wide watching a movie on your monitor. I know, it's sad, but many of us do not have televisions. That being said, I notice very little difference in viewing angle fidelity from my 24" ACD with IPS and my 2008 MBP, which presumably is a TN.

Wow, I'm really impressed by all these people hoping for Liquid Metal. I'm wondering what they think that is, this "Liquid Metal". I bet they think it's something really cool, something that is completely different from anything that humankind has ever used in manufacturing (I mean, I read something like "Black Liquidmetal" in this thread. Wtf?). But truth is, if you held something in your hands made of Liquid Metal you wouldn't even notice the difference between that and anything made of aluminium, steel or any other shiny metal. It may be a very exciting new material for metallurgists or chemists but the consumer will probably just notice that it is a bit more durable and scratch resistant than aluminium (if at all, more likely in direct comparison only). It's the same thing as carbon. When I bought my first bike with carbon forks I was like "Holy crap this is real carbon, I bet this will change my life forever". In fact, it was just the same. Neither did it have a special feel to it. It felt like plastic, not very trustworthy. I liked how it reduced the weight (it was 15% lighter than my old bike all in all), but seriously, it wasn't a big deal after I got used to it. It will be the same with liquid metal. It has a fancy name and everything but for the enormous price of the material it has no use for the consumer whatsoever. It will also have traces of fingerprints on it, it will also get scratchy after some time and so on. Sure, it will take a longer time till it looks used, but nobody will think "This Notebook looks really bad. But hey, if it was made of aluminium it would have looked this way like two months ago. God, I'm so glad it's made of Liquid Metal instead".

Do you honestly think people can't tell the difference between aluminum and steel. The metals are very different. The benefit of the liquidmetal is not in the feel per se but the strength to weight ratio. Like titanium. It is a premium for outdoor cookware because its as strong a steel but light as aluminum. If the MBP's are going to get much smaller then they need less of a body - liquidmetal would help. Also, if you've every dropped your laptop then having it bounce back would be nice.

 

[mrsir2009]

Those having glossy screens sure will need an automated screen wiper to go with their new laptops. They've got no touch screens and we take care to not touch them, but eventually the screens get dusted and/or fingerprinted all over.

Look at this iPad. Isn't it disgusting?

Image

Sure it's not how it looks in ads. It's a real thing in real use.

I also expect a screen wiper in iPad 3, by the way. Screw the liquid metal and gimme the ol' good wiper, please. Or make it matte/Pixel Qi, for heaven's sake.

Meh. Both my MacBook Pro's and Samsung touchscreen cellphone's screens look like that when they're turned off and being viewed in the light from that angle. But you don't notice it when the device is turned on and you are looking directly at it

 

[Yebubbleman]

Hilarious to all those people who jumped on the THUNDERBOLT bandwagon. No thunderbolt devices yet and they have the hideous old case design.

Like that Alienware you've been eying has a prettier design. Where are you going to find a better design?

Great, I've been hungering for a new Macbook Pro for quite some time, and was hoping I could hold out long enough to get a non-ugly model

I can't stand the UB look.

Again, I challenge you to find a better looking, better designed laptop chassis on the market.

Thinner, no optical...perhaps SSD only?

I'd prefer a smaller bezel the same color as the MBA. Say, 1/4" or a little smaller? Larger trackpad for more gestures?

It's called the MacBook Air. Go buy one now. Meanwhile us MacBook Pro customers will be happy actually having features.

There is your answer, people think it should be thinner

It's true. And they are the rare few that want only a MacBook Air with a larger screen and a discrete GPU. Good thing those people are in the minority.

Nice. My 17 MBP (Early 2009) will be getting close to the end of its life cycle by then, allowing me to easily slide into a new MBP.

End of its life-cycle? Is there an app you can't run on that thing? Or are you one of those people on here that can't be out of date? An Early 2009 17" MacBook Pro wasn't something to shake a stick at last I checked. Through true, it is older than a week.

Wow, you people...

+1

Let me clarify, i made my decision before this news was posted here. I really dont see nothing wrong with waiting on this refresh especially if it will be a huge step forward(which i believe it will be).

The "step forward" of which you speak, of which is the basis of this article, is only in regards to the exterior design, nothing else. Sure if they improve upon the durability and the ease of servicing, that'll be a decent step forward, otherwise, we're talking about cosmetics, and again while most of the people who lurk these forums care about form over function, function is all that matters and it won't be that different next rev, redesign or not.

They already have that product...it's called the MacBook Air.

This.

Translated: Next macbook pro will be a macbook air. MBA will cease to exist as a discrete product line. Happening late fall 2011 (if we're lucky).

You have a very bass-ackwards definition of luck.

I think it's almost a given that they'll do away with the superdrive. There's no need for it. And if they move to flash storage, they could make it a bit thinner and lighter. It would be like a Macbook air, but with powerful mobile processors.

Right, because I get high-speed internet everywhere! Because my MacBook Pro has 4G (and because 4G, itself, is ubiquitous). Because with a "MacBook Pro", I enjoy the inconvenience of having to have an external optical drive (because after all, the MacBook PRO line is all about conservation of space). Most people with the anti-superdrive arguments don't realize how very selfish and ridiculous their stances are. Luckily for them, there's an app for that, namely the MacBook Air.

This, if it and Ivy Bridge, lower SSD prices/larger capacities come to fruition solidify my decision to stay with my 2010 and wait for the 2012 refresh.

Your computer is only one year old; at that point it'll only be two, maybe two and a half years old. Will you REALLY NEED a new computer at that point?

please get rid of the bezel. make it as small as possible.

please do not make it thinner. rather reduce footprint and keep battery life up.

Laptop design doesn't work that way. They won't make it thicker and if they reduced the footprint, they'd reduce the size (and therefore capacity) of the battery. Nice idea though.

SSD + HD - Optical Drive = Sold

SSD + HD - Optical Drive =! MacBook Pro

Sorry.

Or just get a USB optical drive and have the best of both worlds ... you won't be forced to lug around something you only use once in a while

If the ODD is integrated, I'm not forced to lug around an extra part when I need to use it. Or is your definition of inconvenience backwards?

Ehrrrm, a superdrive is what invariably fails first and gives your laptop almost an extra kilogram of weight you need to carry around. Because taking it off means losing warranty.

A superdrive is not a trait of a "Pro" laptop. The speed and reliability are. Imagine a RAID array of SSDs packed together in a package the size of a superdrive. Imagine a pico projector in that slot — this is what Toshiba is going to do real soon now.

A Kilogram? Have you ever held a bare slot-load drive before? They're barely suitable for paperweights. I'll grant you that the slot-load models Apple uses are disgustingly failure proned, but the solution is to design a better one, not throw the bloody baby out with the bath water. A Pro laptop is like a swiss-army knife, equipped with any tool ANY professional could possibly need. Hence why the "MacBook Pro" of any Apple laptop should have the optical drive. Again, if you absolutely can't have one, the MacBook Air is a decent alternative.

The optical drive doesn't make it "Pro" it makes it "outdated" and "unnecessary." If you need an optical drive by an external one, there is no need to hold up the majority that never use them.

Contrastingly, if you need to not have one, you can always buy a MacBook Air. I don't use my FireWire 800 port often, but when I do, I'm thankful it's there. The same goes for the optical drive. Again, if you don't want it, Apple makes the MacBook Air which comes without it for the truly space-concious.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

In the market for a 17" to replace my 2007 version. Not interested in getting rid of the optical drive as I still use it to watch DVDs on it (have Netflix and the streaming content is far from being complete). The current one seems to have everything that I'm looking for. I'd like a SSD but they are just too much $$$ now.

DiY SSD, works great and love the performance gains. Ditch the Optical Drive already its 2011. remember the Floppy ditch with the original Bondi Blue iMac, make it happen with the 2011 iMac and SuperDrive.

 

[stefmesman]

hoping for apple te thin the screen bezel. Also hope the main build will have no optical drive. but will make it optional. I do not need one, some do.

for all those crying for an optical drive. buy an external one. i bet most of you guys will benefit more of having an SSD+HDD instead of one of either with an optical drive.

next year i expect, slight resolution bump. hi-res option becomes standard. Lighter/ not thinner design. A better ventilation. hopefully 2 thunderbolt ports (instead of FW800) but only if we have advanced enough with converters from TB.

I do not expect usb3 i think apple will never, as they do with bluray. And as most of you are already very unpleased with this. The future is digital. Within 5 years 2K movies can be downloaded in minutes and also streamed. as far as usb3 apple will sell thier special Thunderbolt to USB3 converter for $30.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

Good. The unibody design was never great, it was just so-so. The AlBook powerbook that preceded it had a MUCH better design.

The TiBooks where probably my fav of all PowerBook/MacBook Pro finish and design.

 

[Skika]

The "step forward" of which you speak, of which is the basis of this article, is only in regards to the exterior design, nothing else. Sure if they improve upon the durability and the ease of servicing, that'll be a decent step forward, otherwise, we're talking about cosmetics, and again while most of the people who lurk these forums care about form over function, function is all that matters and it won't be that different next rev, redesign or not.

Herp derp. Im pretty sure there will be a minor spec bump as well, and exterior design in a laptop is a pretty important feature or a "function and should be taken in consideration just as well (or not even more) than a new "ixy procesor" and a "8650 gt mx" graphics card, which in most cases just serve as a hard on for spec geeks.

why am i even responding you are clearly bitter and are writing purely from that bitterness.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

hoping for apple te thin the screen bezel. Also hope the main build will have no optical drive. but will make it optional. I do not need one, some do.

for all those crying for an optical drive. buy an external one. i bet most of you guys will benefit more of having an SSD+HDD instead of one of either with an optical drive.

next year i expect, slight resolution bump. hi-res option becomes standard. Lighter/ not thinner design. A better ventilation. hopefully 2 thunderbolt ports (instead of FW800) but only if we have advanced enough with converters from TB.

I do not expect usb3 i think apple will never, as they do with bluray. And as most of you are already very unpleased with this. The future is digital. Within 5 years 2K movies can be downloaded in minutes and also streamed. as far as usb3 apple will sell thier special Thunderbolt to USB3 converter for $30.

People crying for an Optical Driver where the same ones crying when the Floppy was removed from the original iMac and cried that it would fail. Sometimes these people just need a push in the direction or the vision of Apple. Knowing the PC industry they will still have Floppy and Optical Drivers when Apple moves to something else in the future.

 

[Fast Shadow]

I really can't say enough good things about my new MBP 17. If next year brings a redesign then it will need to be one hell of an improvement to get me to switch, because this thing has impressed me so much more than I expected.

 

[SgtPepper12]

Do you honestly think people can't tell the difference between aluminum and steel. The metals are very different. The benefit of the liquidmetal is not in the feel per se but the strength to weight ratio. Like titanium. It is a premium for outdoor cookware because its as strong a steel but light as aluminum. If the MBP's are going to get much smaller then they need less of a body - liquidmetal would help. Also, if you've every dropped your laptop then having it bounce back would be nice.

No, I don't think people can spontaneously tell the difference between aluminium and (stainless) steel. I'm talking about people with no knowledge about metallurgy whatsoever. Believe me, they have no idea. They don't know what is lighter and what is more durable. If I told people that my macbook is made out of silver they would believe me.
And I don't doubt that Liquid Metal will offer new possibilities in matters of manufacturing, so that the macbook's body can be made thinner while keeping it's durability. But my point really is, that people here are expecting it to be some kind of magic material that will completely change the experience of using their macbook. They think it will be different from aluminium as aluminium is from plastic. It's just another kind of metal, almost indistinguishable from any other metal. I hope you understand what I mean.

 

[vsighi]

Most people bought the current model for the SB CPU's, nothing to do with thunderbolt. Hideous? Erm subjectively the best looking laptops in production. Go troll somewhere else.

...agree

 

[Michael73]

The unibody was already a giant leap forward. How much better can Apple get?

I'm more interested in the specifications, and hardware (electronics) not so much the casing.

+1. Why I upgraded from my early 2009 15" MBP to my new 2011 15" MBP. Form was already awesome but I wanted a machine that was on par speed-wise with my 2008 MP.

Thinner, no optical...perhaps SSD only?

SSD on a per GB basis is still way too expensive. For those of us doing media work big hard drives are still needed. Now, a good solution are the current line-up of Seagate Momentus XT hybrid drives.

Oh boo hoo. No new case since 2008?

We Mac-Pro user are so very sad for you.

Amen! Although, I'm less interested in a show horse and more interested in a workhorse. For me it comes down to speed of encoding, rendering, working with large files, multi-tasking, opening/closing tons of applications and overall efficiency.

 

[GyroFX]

carbon fiber?

 

[thleeal]

what i want

call me crazy but this is what i want, i know it aint happening but boo i want to let it out.

battery life that lasts for months not hours.

(realistic?) instead of ports using a small wifi independent network to copy
data

(realistic.) Wireless display.

(expensive) ssd.

no optical drive, but a cheap (£30) that you can use wirelessly.

(totally unrealistic) i want it to find my brother a woman.

and then i want it to transform and automatically gun down my enemies.

seriously why r we actually still using cables?

edit. looking at my mbp 13inch rght now i think f they really tried hard they could get a 15 inch screen in here and keep the form factor. imagine that a 15inch macbook pro with the footprint of the 13inch. what would the 13 look like. ooo

discuss.

 

[danielwsmithee]

Contrastingly, if you need to not have one, you can always buy a MacBook Air. I don't use my FireWire 800 port often, but when I do, I'm thankful it's there. The same goes for the optical drive. Again, if you don't want it, Apple makes the MacBook Air which comes without it for the truly space-concious.

No I can't just get an Air. Not if I want a quad-core i7 dedicated graphics, an SSD boot drive and a 1TB HD for data. That sounds awfully "Pro" to me.

 

[Full of Win]

Single card? Do you even know what SLI is? Did you even read the article?

I'm still waiting.

Reading is so fundamental. It said "Quad-SLI-capable". Where in the article did it say it was in an SLI configuration?