Oh trisky Apple, oh so trisky

[andiwm2003]

Or you could get the refurb previous uni 2.53 with 4gb, 6MB cache on the CPU, 320GB hd, 9600 with 512MB VRAM for $1449.

Cheers,

yep, i did something similar with the pre unibody MBP with matte screen for $1449.

right now i'm contemplating a 13"MBP but i either wait for a supwer cheap refurb in 6 month or i take advantage of my employers subsidy and buy a tricked out 13"MBP with SSD. hard choice

anyway, if you can wait and if you don't need the latest greatest refurb previous versions are a fantastic value.

 

[Demosthenes X]

Watch those numbers guy. 95%!!! Any smart consumer would make sure that they purchased a laptop that can handle all of their needs in the present and future. One of previous posters mentioned this was a 4 year investment. You better make sure you have a dedicated video card in that laptop for sure. The only laptop that should have just integrated graphics should be the 13". Purely to make it portable and increase battery time. Apple is offering the 15" with the integrated graphics for the uneducated consumers that want the macbookpro name on their laptop period! In a year when developers start to take advantage of openCL offered in snow leopard these boards are going to be full of annoyed customers. The same people that said go buy a 9400M laptop will be pissed that their computing power is so much less than everyone else.

Elitism much? Anyone that truly needs discrete graphics knows it, and will make their purchases accordingly. For the rest of the computer world, who want to do email, internet, and Office, what purpose do discrete graphics serve? None.

 

[Dwalls90]

Elitism much? Anyone that truly needs discrete graphics knows it, and will make their purchases accordingly. For the rest of the computer world, who want to do email, internet, and Office, what purpose do discrete graphics serve? None.

Exactly.

 

[wankey]

Its sad how in their "pro" machines they still offer integrated graphics.

 

[maflynn]

Its sad how in their "pro" machines they still offer integrated graphics.

Have you used a MacBook or a MacBook Pro with the 9400M? I have, in fact I use my MBP mostly with the 9400m and my pro level Aperture works fine.

If you look at the various threads floating around here, you'll see that the 9400m is more up to task for "pro" level work and I've stated in various threads that I know pros that still use the polycarbonate MBs with their anemic intel integrated GPU.

 

[nored02]

Please never say trisky or hiss ever again, thanks!

 

[ecstasy]

So when Snow Leopard arrives, can the lower-end 13" run it well?

 

[wankey]

Have you used a MacBook or a MacBook Pro with the 9400M? I have, in fact I use my MBP mostly with the 9400m and my pro level Aperture works fine.

If you look at the various threads floating around here, you'll see that the 9400m is more up to task for "pro" level work and I've stated in various threads that I know pros that still use the polycarbonate MBs with their anemic intel integrated GPU.

I had a friend who owned a 9400m macbook and I used it profusely. He also would tout its performance, saying it is close or better to my 8600gt MBP.

But when we played games, it would be quite a different story. He would lag quite a bit whilst mine ran fine. (the 2.4ghz vs 2.0 ghz may also be affecting it too)

The fact of the matter is, this is their pro line. Not their student line and not their cheap line. And you'll a fool if you think you'll buy into their marketing.

And sure, I know people who still use a pentium 4 2ghz to do their professional graphics work. I once did my graphics work on a 800mhz AMD whilst running a webserver. And that was probably the most original era of my artwork (lots of time to think about how to do the graphics because things were so slow to make... I really learned patience)

Anyway, they should be including a 9400m with a 9600GT in all their MBP options, it's pathetic how they are not (I mean, sure, maybe not in a 13incher because of space, but now you're just being a jackass Apple) The space is there, they're merely not putting on in. Adding a better screen and firewire port doesn't make it "pro" in my sense. When i buy a pro laptop in the PC world, wow does it kick the best 17 inch configuration.

If anyone offered a PC laptop with an integrated 9400m and charged 1699 for it, I think the media would chew it to pieces.

 

[Tallest Skil]

They should be including a 9400m with a 9600GT in all their MBP options, it's pathetic how they are not (I mean, sure, maybe not in a 13incher because of space

Bit of a contradiction there.

If it's not what you want, don't buy it. I can assure you that thousands more won't give a crap and buy it anyway.

 

[wankey]

Bit of a contradiction there.

If it's not what you want, don't buy it. I can assure you that thousands more won't give a crap and buy it anyway.

What the hell are you talking about... what contradiction? You completely misread my post/thread and then committed to a completely pointless rebuttal.

And i hate these kind of stupid replies. If its not what you want... don't buy it. Well Mr. Genius, as if I needed your help figuring that out. You Mac users are all masochists, Apple tells you what you want, and you say yay yay! Even when you know you're getting ripped off.

300 bucks for a dedicated laptop video card, 2 gigs of ram ($40 right now btw) and a slightly bigger hard drive (that's a $30 upgrade)? holy **** man.

Thousands of ignorant buyers won't give a crap. If that's what you're trying to say.

 

[harcosparky]

But when we played games, it would be quite a different story.

Maybe I should buy a game so I can see what all the hissing, moaning and crying is all about ! :lol:

Oh wait ..... I am too busy using my computers to work, and yeah to post silly responses on silly thread! :lol:

 

[Tallest Skil]

What the hell are you talking about... what contradiction? You completely misread my post/thread and then committed to a completely pointless rebuttal.

All right, I must not have understood what you meant. Please restate your position in a different way.

Thousands of ignorant buyers won't give a crap. If that's what you're trying to say.

That is, truly, EXACTLY what I mean to say. 85% of computer users don't care and don't NEED to care. They'll buy what they're offered and it will be enough for them.

If you don't want this, don't get it. That is all there is to this argument.

 

[Demosthenes X]

But when we played games, it would be quite a different story.

Oh. Is playing games considered a "Pro" application, now? There are workstation cards that are unparalleled for 3D work but lousy at games - are they not "Pro" because they suck at gaming?

The fact is, insisting a "Pro" machine must have discrete graphics is silly. There are many, many Pro applications that don't need discrete graphics. But I guess those users should have to pay more so that pretentious Mac users like you can be proud of your "Pro" machine with dedicated graphics. Get over yourself.

 

[wankey]

Oh. Is playing games considered a "Pro" application, now? There are workstation cards that are unparalleled for 3D work but lousy at games - are they not "Pro" because they suck at gaming?

The fact is, insisting a "Pro" machine must have discrete graphics is silly. There are many, many Pro applications that don't need discrete graphics. But I guess those users should have to pay more so that pretentious Mac users like you can be proud of your "Pro" machine with dedicated graphics. Get over yourself.

You guys are exactly what Apple want for its customers. Offer less, pay more.

Eventually they'll squeeze you so much and brand the white macbook as a "professional" laptop as well.

I think Apple has succeeded in defining the pro laptops as expensive consumer ones rather than performance and entertainment laptops.

 

[Demosthenes X]

You guys are exactly what Apple want for its customers. Offer less, pay more.

Math was never my strong suite, but I fail to see how adding FireWire 800, an SD card slot, a better display, and a better battery, while lowering the price of the 13" model, fits into your "offer less, pay more" theory. Maybe your math is just to elitist for me?

 

[panzer06]

snip...

anyway, if you can wait and if you don't need the latest greatest refurb previous versions are a fantastic value.

Indeed they are. I am truly enjoying my new refurb 2.53. Just popped my 500GB 7200 out of my now sold 1 month old white MB and put it in the new MBP. Came up immeditately, both OS X and Bootcamp Vista partitions (Had to do the Vista validation nonsense tho) came up and worked properly. The nvidia based MB must use the same chipset and drivers.

Cheers,

 

[ecstasy]

So when Snow Leopard arrives, can the lower-end 13" run it well?

Anyone?

 

[amoda]

Actually I'm really glad that they offer this "hybrid".

Now, three years after buying my first laptop, I have a use for a dedicated graphic card. However, when I bought my 1.83CD MBP it was solely for the 15" screen (plus the keyboard was sweeeeet!)

I would've been more than satisfied with the performance of a Macbook, but I hate anything smaller than 15", just find them unusable. So I was forced to shell over much needed $$$ just to get a 15" screen, while all the other bells and whistles I could've done without.

Nowadays it wouldn't be that big of a problem, and I definitely would've gone for the hybrid 15".

 

[Demosthenes X]

So when Snow Leopard arrives, can the lower-end 13" run it well?

Nope. Apple released a computer that will be completely unable to run the OS they're releasing in three months well.



Of course it'll run SL. Why on earth would they sell a computer today that won't run their new OS properly in three months?

 

[chriszzz]

I'd take your complaint more seriously if you used real words and not ones you made up.

 

[MacLover4491]

since people can get a macbook pro for $1200. I expect to see super low sales of the overpriced 15'' macbook pro from now on. peace... less apple tax for everyone. Im glad apple finally gave-in with the pricing because of the recession =)

 

[nws0291]

Your L2 cache got cut in half.

No it didn't. Both CPUs got a speed bump. The 2.66 with 6mb L2 is now the 2.8. The new 2.66 is the same class as the older base model CPU that only had 3mb L2.

 

[iSavant]

No it didn't. Both CPUs got a speed bump. The 2.66 with 6mb L2 is now the 2.8. The new 2.66 is the same class as the older base model CPU that only had 3mb L2.

^^^
Truth

3MB versions run 25 Watt TDP
6MB versions run 35 Watt TDP

 

[admanimal]

OpenCL in Snow Leopard will allow any supported graphics card, Integrated 9400 included, run faster and more efficient. Thus, it would be like bumping up the specs on your current model of card. Assuming that those apps were written utilizing Open CL.

Not so much...OpenCL doesn't make graphics cards run faster or more efficiently. Nor will it make games or other applications that are already optimized for GPUs run any faster (generally speaking). The purpose of OpenCL is to allow generic applications that have nothing to do with graphics take advantage of the GPU's parallel computing power. As you mention, the apps have to be modified to use OpenCL, it's not something that automatically happens.