PLEASE NOTE: Current MBP is lightyears behind!

[riz78612]

Light years behind- Impossible

It cannot be light years behind...as the term Light year is a unit of distance not time as 1 sec/minute/day/week/month/year/decade.

So your theory is incorrect of MBP being light years behind.

A light-year, also light year or lightyear (symbol: ly) is a unit of length, equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres (1016 metres, 10 petametres or 6 trillion miles). As defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a light-year is the distance that light travels in a vacuum in one Julian year.[1]
The light-year is often used to measure distances to stars and other distances on a galactic scale, especially in non-specialist and popular science publications. The preferred unit in astrometry is the parsec, because it can be more easily derived from, and compared with, observational data. The parsec is defined as the distance at which an object will appear to move one arcsecond of parallax when the observer moves one astronomical unit perpendicular to the line of sight to the observer, and is equal to approximately 3.26 light-years.[1]

 

[-LikesMac-]

Wow.

It cannot be light years behind...as the term Light year is a unit of distance not time as 1 sec/minute/day/week/month/year/decade.

So your theory is incorrect of MBP being light years behind.

A light-year, also light year or lightyear (symbol: ly) is a unit of length, equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres (1016 metres, 10 petametres or 6 trillion miles). As defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a light-year is the distance that light travels in a vacuum in one Julian year.[1]
The light-year is often used to measure distances to stars and other distances on a galactic scale, especially in non-specialist and popular science publications. The preferred unit in astrometry is the parsec, because it can be more easily derived from, and compared with, observational data. The parsec is defined as the distance at which an object will appear to move one arcsecond of parallax when the observer moves one astronomical unit perpendicular to the line of sight to the observer, and is equal to approximately 3.26 light-years.[1]

I can't even express my feelings toward this without being a bunch of "LOL" spam

 

[Dr McKay]

Just what the heck is so amazing about SandyBridge? Seriously... Im starting to feel like I should care.

Did I buy already obsolete tech with my current i7?

 

[jvmxtra]

Without reading any of the previous posts, yes in terms of spec wise mbp is behind.

But from user's perspective, mbp is quite perfect. I think people who are looking for productivity, mbp is best laptop in terms of just getting stuff done. Not to mention making people feel good everytime they get on the laptop(or is it just me?)

 

[8000rpm]

Without reading any of the previous posts, yes in terms of spec wise mbp is behind.

But from user's perspective, mbp is quite perfect. I think people who are looking for productivity, mbp is best laptop in terms of just getting stuff done. Not to mention making people feel good everytime they get on the laptop(or is it just me?)

Yeah i7 is old tech now. Sandybridge is a huge leap forward performance wise for mobile CPUs.

I have to agree with the above post, I did feel good every time I booted my Mac. For some reason the programs like iPhoto and iMovie and iTunes just makes it like there's always something to do. I booted up my pc and I stated at the desktop in boredom and then had to download firefox as we all know ie is pathetic.

 

[wordoflife]

As others have reported, even though the specs on paper are old, it still performs excellently compared to other computers on the market with whatever processor it has.

 

[darkplanets]

It's been said before, but I'll say it again:

1) People buy Macs for OSX, not the hardware.

2) Sandy bridge has it's graphical limitations, especially in relation to some of apple's form factors that don't allow for external graphics due to space or heat constraint.

3) Apple has and always will be behind hardware wise; it's the nature of their product cycle.

Also, kudos to the light-years reference

 

[Inq]

New to Mac

Hey guys I stumbled upon this ever entertaining thread while searching for information on the mpb.

I used to be quite the PC guy, until one of my best friends started working on OSX in Cupertino and introduced to me the osx/unix platforms... I must say how I am really impressed with the stability and flexibility of OSX.

However recently I have found myself doing some basic development which my Windows 7 PC just can't handle correctly. I've been on the market for a MPB and haven't been able to bring myself to pay the $2,000+ for what I agree is 'outdated' components.

After looking around and doing some reading I think part of the delay on Apple's side is not due to their lack of development, but the dispute between Nvidia and Intel. Just recently Intel and Nvidia came to a 1.5 billion $ agreement ending the feud, but apart of that agreement was that nvidia will not be developing chipsets for the Sandy Bridge brand.

I'm no guru in all of this, but I think that has left Apple in somewhat of a temporary conundrum. I would not be surprised to see an AMD chipset in the new mpb, but that means wheeling and dealing with a new company.

However, I still agree with the OP. I cannot bring myself to invest $2,000+ (well I love SSD drives so probably $,2500!) in a 'new' mpb with a chipset that is close to 2 year old technology.

The Sandy Bridge is quite an upgrade from the original 45nm i7s. Running on a 32nm platform, the Sandy Bridge line will not only run INCREDIBLY faster, but cooler and a tad bit smaller, which I'm sure Apple is EAGER to distribute.

Apple seems to me like they are, and always have been, interested in what their customers have to say and more importantly what they WANT.

As soon as a quality graphics option arrives, I'm willing to bet we could see a new mpb within 1-2 months. Which is short enough for me to wait it out.

I'd rather wait 2 months, get an AWESOME computer and be completely excited about owning it, than buy something cheaper and easier today and when that 2 months comes rolling around, kick myself for being impatient.

Again, I'm not an Apple expert and I could be incredibly wrong, but this seemed to make sense to me.

 

[kamil.amersi]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8C148)

Hey guys I stumbled upon this ever entertaining thread while searching for information on the mpb.

I used to be quite the PC guy, until one of my best friends started working on OSX in Cupertino and introduced to me the osx/unix platforms... I must say how I am really impressed with the stability and flexibility of OSX.

However recently I have found myself doing some basic development which my Windows 7 PC just can't handle correctly. I've been on the market for a MPB and haven't been able to bring myself to pay the $2,000+ for what I agree is 'outdated' components.

After looking around and doing some reading I think part of the delay on Apple's side is not due to their lack of development, but the dispute between Nvidia and Intel. Just recently Intel and Nvidia came to a 1.5 billion $ agreement ending the feud, but apart of that agreement was that nvidia will not be developing chipsets for the Sandy Bridge brand.

I'm no guru in all of this, but I think that has left Apple in somewhat of a temporary conundrum. I would not be surprised to see an AMD chipset in the new mpb, but that means wheeling and dealing with a new company.

However, I still agree with the OP. I cannot bring myself to invest $2,000+ (well I love SSD drives so probably $,2500!) in a 'new' mpb with a chipset that is close to 2 year old technology.

The Sandy Bridge is quite an upgrade from the original 45nm i7s. Running on a 32nm platform, the Sandy Bridge line will not only run INCREDIBLY faster, but cooler and a tad bit smaller, which I'm sure Apple is EAGER to distribute.

Apple seems to me like they are, and always have been, interested in what their customers have to say and more importantly what they WANT.

As soon as a quality graphics option arrives, I'm willing to bet we could see a new mpb within 1-2 months. Which is short enough for me to wait it out.

I'd rather wait 2 months, get an AWESOME computer and be completely excited about owning it, than buy something cheaper and easier today and when that 2 months comes rolling around, kick myself for being impatient.

Again, I'm not an Apple expert and I could be incredibly wrong, but this seemed to make sense to me.

Well said

 

[tom vilsack]

Just recently Intel and Nvidia came to a 1.5 billion $ agreement ending the feud, but apart of that agreement was that nvidia will not be developing chipsets for the Sandy Bridge brand.

I'm no guru in all of this, but I think that has left Apple in somewhat of a temporary conundrum.

perhaps apple could convince intel to let nvidia produce chipsets for mac's (only) with sandybridge,as way to get back at ms for now backing arm...

 

[Hellhammer]

I'm no guru in all of this, but I think that has left Apple in somewhat of a temporary conundrum. I would not be surprised to see an AMD chipset in the new mpb, but that means wheeling and dealing with a new company.

AMD's current CPUs are worse than Core 2 Duos. If you don't want outdated technology, then you don't want AMD.

The Sandy Bridge is quite an upgrade from the original 45nm i7s. Running on a 32nm platform, the Sandy Bridge line will not only run INCREDIBLY faster, but cooler and a tad bit smaller, which I'm sure Apple is EAGER to distribute.

The i5s and i7s used by current MBPs are 32nm as well. Sandy Bridge is just a new microarchitecture, not a die shrink

I'd rather wait 2 months, get an AWESOME computer and be completely excited about owning it, than buy something cheaper and easier today and when that 2 months comes rolling around, kick myself for being impatient.

That seems to be what OP is forgetting. He would like Apple to jump on the SB wagon ASAP and then provide a mediocre MBP instead of waiting couple of months to get something much better. Like it has been pointed out, the availability of SB laptops is extremely poor and dual core SBs, which are crucial for Apple, are not even out yet.

perhaps apple could convince intel to let nvidia produce chipsets for mac's (only) with sandybridge,as way to get back at ms for now backing arm...

The agreement is done, it won't change anymore. NVidia is already developing their own ARM based CPU bundled with their graphics.

 

[grahamnp]

Sub-par? When I think of sub-par I think of cheap and nasty , not reliable, not up to the job....

You could be right, to me par = equal and sub = less. A dual core i5 is sub-par compared to a 2nd gen quad i7.

Any way you could link us with that Acer then? I just browsed through Acer's site and I wasn't able to find a laptop with Sandy Bridge CPU. Yes, there were older quads (Clarksfield) for less than 900$ but that is not the same thing as Sandy Bridge. As noted above, the availability of Sandy Bridge laptops appears to be fairly poor. Other OEMs release products even though they know they cannot provide them yet but Apple won't release theirs until they know they can provide them and match the demand.

Yes, not a fan of these paper launches either but when the final product ships, it will still be better value. I saw the ad in the local newspaper so cannot put that here but I found something else.

 

[Inq]

perhaps apple could convince intel to let nvidia produce chipsets for mac's (only) with sandybridge,as way to get back at ms for now backing arm...

Nvidia is refusing to develop chipsets, not the other way around. Perhaps Apple could convince Nvidia to develop exclusively for Apple... To me that would make excellent business sense for both parties.

And in response to Hellhammer's response.. I don't want AMD processors, I agree the Athlon line is sub-par when compared to Intel. What I meant was graphics chips. The largest competitor to nvidia is AMD. Instead of seeing a GeForce XXX, we may see a Radeon XXXX

 

[zorinlynx]

I tend to buy Apple hardware right after a refresh, so I then have the latest technology.

Refreshes happen about once a year or two.

I typically own a laptop for 3-4 years.

I'm not sure how Apple seeming to fall behind mid-product cycle is a problem unless you're an obsessive type who buys a new laptop every six months.

And if you are, you have too much money. Seriously.

 

[alphaod]

I don't really care that it's a bit behind. If you don't believe it's worth paying this much for the technology, don't make the purchase. It's really that simple. It does the job for me and that's all that matters—that makes it good value for me and therefore I'm willing to pay for it.

As for the topic, it's been over discussed. The Mac has almost always been a bit behind on the technology curve in terms of updates, but when the updates do come, most of the time they have welcoming additions.

 

[vipergts2207]

Nvidia is refusing to develop chipsets, not the other way around. Perhaps Apple could convince Nvidia to develop exclusively for Apple... To me that would make excellent business sense for both parties.

No, nvidia was prevented by intel from making chipsets for their iX processors.

http://arstechnica.com/hardware/news/2009/02/intel-sues-nvidia-over-chipset-license-agreement.ars

Nvidia then bowed out of the chipset business.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/end-of-the-line-for-nvidia-chipsets-and-thats-official/5763

Even if nvidia decided to reenter the chipset business tomorrow, they still wouldn't be able to make chipsets for iX processors.

https://www.macrumors.com/2011/01/1...uilding-chipsets-for-newest-intel-processors/

 

[MacSince1990]

This. If the OP really has a problem with Apple waiting for the Sandy Bridge chips to become widely available (2-3 months tops...) before updating the MBPs, then the OP should just get a PC and stop complaining. I, like many others, will be waiting for the Sandy Bridge MBPs patiently. It shouldn't be much longer.

Agreed.

And since when is a half-generation step "light years behind"? That's like saying the PowerPC G3 was "light years behind" the G4, or that the Northwood P4 was light years behind the Prescott (and both of those statements, of course, would be rather amusing for a number of reasons).

 

[shoebobs]

After looking around and doing some reading I think part of the delay on Apple's side is not due to their lack of development, but the dispute between Nvidia and Intel. Just recently Intel and Nvidia came to a 1.5 billion $ agreement ending the feud, but apart of that agreement was that nvidia will not be developing chipsets for the Sandy Bridge brand.

I'm no guru in all of this, but I think that has left Apple in somewhat of a temporary conundrum. I would not be surprised to see an AMD chipset in the new mpb, but that means wheeling and dealing with a new company.

I gotta think that Apple, being a very important partner with Intel/Nvidia, was privy to this info well before the public announcement. You don't make a $1.5 billion agreement overnight; I'm sure the agreement was in place well before the final financial terms were settled and the contracts signed.

I don't think this recent settlement is going to significantly push back the release of the new MBPs. Apple most likely knew about it months ago and had started the make the necessary plans in relation to the MBP updates.

 

[Oz.]

Sony Vaio F - $1564.99

- 16.4" VAIO Full HD Premium Display 1920x1080
- 640GB Hard Disk Drive (7200rpm)
- 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3-SDRAM-1333
- NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 425M GPU (1GB VRAM)
- Intel® Core™ Quad i7-840QM processor (1.86GHz) with Turbo Boost up to 3.20GHz 8MB L3 cache



MacBook Pro 15 - $2,949.00

- 15-inch Hi-Res Glossy Widescreen Display 1680x1050
- 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
- 8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 512MB
- 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 dual-core with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.46GHz 4MB L3 cache

current prices on sonystyle.com and apple.com


this is very annoying

 

[panzer06]

Sony Vaio F - $1564.99

- 16.4" VAIO Full HD Premium Display 1920x1080
- 640GB Hard Disk Drive (7200rpm)
- 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3-SDRAM-1333
- NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 425M GPU (1GB VRAM)
- Intel® Core™ Quad i7-840QM processor (1.86GHz) with Turbo Boost up to 3.20GHz 8MB L3 cache



MacBook Pro 15 - $2,949.00

- 15-inch Hi-Res Glossy Widescreen Display 1680x1050
- 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
- 8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 512MB
- 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 dual-core with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.46GHz 4MB L3 cache

current prices on sonystyle.com and apple.com

this is very annoying

I agree it can be discouraging but you have to factor in OS X and the beautiful design of the MBP. The Sony F series and the MBP are close competitors except the Sony is a bit, bigger and heavier and doesn't have as much battery life. Both are moderate game systems with loud fans when stressing the GPU.

Your comparison is exactly why I only buy the low end Mac Laptop and a separate Windows gaming rig that weighs 8 lbs. You can get a MBP 13 and the new SB version of the ASUS G73 I have for less than the cost of that single MBP 15. The downside is I have to carry two laptops everywhere if I want to watch my Blu-rays and play my games. If I'm flying I just take the Mac but otherwise they both hit the road.

Shouldn't be this way but it is.

Cheers,

 

[baypharm]

Sony Vaio F - $1564.99

- 16.4" VAIO Full HD Premium Display 1920x1080
- 640GB Hard Disk Drive (7200rpm)
- 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3-SDRAM-1333
- NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 425M GPU (1GB VRAM)
- Intel® Core™ Quad i7-840QM processor (1.86GHz) with Turbo Boost up to 3.20GHz 8MB L3 cache



MacBook Pro 15 - $2,949.00

- 15-inch Hi-Res Glossy Widescreen Display 1680x1050
- 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
- 8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 512MB
- 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 dual-core with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.46GHz 4MB L3 cache

current prices on sonystyle.com and apple.com


this is very annoying

Hmmm well from a price point of view - yes very annoying. Apple OS has many advantages over Windows. And I could go on comparing but I do believe the best way to respond here is some people like Apple products - some don't. Some like Windows - some don't. Some people like GM cars, some like Bentleys, some like Alpha Romeo's. But they are all metal boxes with 4 wheels. They will get you to point B from point A the same way but the experience is what you are paying for in high end cars. Apple has set itself apart from the pack and appeals to wealthy buyers. Obviously someone making 10 dollars an hour has no business buying a $3000 computer. Hence Apple has sells the Macbook Air for $999, for those who cannot afford the higher priced machines. I for one, would never go back to a Windows' based computer. I like Apple OS and I like the experience of using it. As the economy continues to worsen in the years to come, that may change.

 

[Dr McKay]

I agree it can be discouraging but you have to factor in OS X and the beautiful design of the MBP. The Sony F series and the MBP are close competitors except the Sony is a bit, bigger and heavier and doesn't have as much battery life. Both are moderate game systems with loud fans when stressing the GPU.

Your comparison is exactly why I only buy the low end Mac Laptop and a separate Windows gaming rig that weighs 8 lbs. You can get a MBP 13 and the new SB version of the ASUS G73 I have for less than the cost of that single MBP 15. The downside is I have to carry two laptops everywhere if I want to watch my Blu-rays and play my games. If I'm flying I just take the Mac but otherwise they both hit the road.

Shouldn't be this way but it is.

Cheers,

The Viao Z I put together cost me £1,400, which compared to the competition here is an amazing price. The main thing putting me off getting a mac was the cost for the specs, and after trying OS X with Tiger and Snow Leopard I don't think the OS justifies the extra cost. Although I have been thinking about flying over to New York and picking up a MBP for mega cheap compared to UK prices.

 

[dime21]

The main thing putting me off getting a mac was the cost for the specs, and after trying OS X with Tiger and Snow Leopard I don't think the OS justifies the extra cost.

i feel exactly the same way about windows. the few dollars you save buying a plastic hp/dell/whatever peecee, is just not worth the hassle of using microsoft windows. i'll gladly pay more, even for less-than-latest technology, if means i'm spared the agony of suffering through a microsoft operating system.

 

[Kpjoslee]

i'll gladly pay more, even for less-than-latest technology, if means i'm spared the agony of suffering through a microsoft operating system.

Please explain what exactly is the agony of suffering you get by using Windows, lol. Try Windows 7, and you will find out it is actually very pleasant to use.

 

[dime21]

Please explain what exactly is the agony of suffering you get by using Windows, lol. Try Windows 7, and you will find out it is actually very pleasant to use.

i have tried seven. same old sh7t with a slightly different flavor. no thanks. i still have that **** taste in my mouth from 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, and Vista, each a more foul tasting turd than the last.