Slimmer 13-Inch and 15-Inch MacBook Pros Reportedly in Production

[macgeekin]

What I'd like to see

Consider the Pro as being Air++

So MBA (with built-in SSD?)
+
1. Configurable RAM (upto 16GB)
2. Configurable HDD (SSD or HDD)
3. Gig Ethernet
4. GPU

With the removal of the ODD, the Pro simply becomes an Air with RAM on slots instead of on-board, internal disk drive instead of on-board, GigE, and GPU.

I need this to come out soon to upgrade from my 2006 White Macbook - I put in an SSD & 2GB RAM, but I need a processor upgrade, and more RAM (Tiger not supported on this Macbook either). The last two times I used the ODD -upgrade to Snow Leopard, and before that upgrade to Leopard.

 

[mattnotis]

THINNER THINNER THINNER!!!

Apple is the slim girl who's developing bulimia because she feels the need to be thinner, even though it's ultimately detrimental to her. If I want to watch a movie where I don't have internet service, I want to be able to pop in a DVD and watch my goddamn movie! How weak are you people that you can't carry a five pound laptop with you?

 

[iMaconApple]

Slap a retina/LTE/front HD camera/256SSD on it . shut up and take my money

 

[notta]

I have money burning a hole in my pocket. Come on already!

 

[Ryth]

Hey Guys!

I'm very new to the releases of MacBooks, I've actually never followed one. I only have experience from the iPhones and iPads. Now to my question. How do they announce their laptops? Do they do it the same way as they do with the phones or is it just an update in the store?

If it's as big as a change as we expect, then there will most likely be an event like they had for the iPad, iPhone, etc.

Something this big in terms of a slim form factor refresh, Ivy Bridge and possible retina display will allow Apple to show how far they are ahead of the competition.

I really think they'll do an event with Tim Cook and the hardware team.

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Not sure if that wouldn't blow up the unit price.

Newer display technology always has large price increase with panel size increase.

But I guess it would be great to have.

They said the same thing about the iPad and looky...no price increasy.


----------

So you want to carry around a ODD all the time, for the what - once every 6 months installation of a Blizzard game? Why not buy an external, use that for Mists of Pandera, Diablo III and the next Starcraft game, and spend the rest of your life not having to lug it around?

The video/audio production people being upset I understand. But you have to keep the ODD internal because sometimes I install a Blizzard game?

Dear lord where have you been. You don't need a ODD for installation of Blizzard games. They went digital years ago. Got Cataclysm as a digital DL..same with WotLK. D3 also has a digital option. Sure they make hard copies for those collector editions but Blizzard was one of the first to go digital content ages ago.

...You dont need powerful GPU in a laptop. If you are a gamer, you play with iOS or Xbox perhaps even AppleTV will have some games.

Really...don't need a powerful GPU in a MBPro huh? Tell that to the millions of people who do Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, 3D, Final Cut, Avid and so on and are portable with their MBPros.

The new MBPro will have a discrete graphics chip. No brainer by Apple. It's going to be the mother of all laptops when it comes out with the new display and form factor.

 

[eastercat]

Seeing that apple is going to possibly chuck the optical drive has driven home the fact that I'm getting old.
The imac isn't an option for me because of that fugly, glossy screen. They've taken the optical out of the mini already. The 17" is too unwieldy for travel, so I was looking at the 15". Of course, apple'd chuck the optical drive when I'm looking at the 15" for my next computer.
It's like apple doesn't want my money.

 

[space dog]

edit

 

[lpmusix]

I have money burning a hole in my pocket. Come on already!

 

[0186279]

Of course, apple'd chuck the optical drive when I'm looking at the 15" for my next computer.
It's like apple doesn't want my money.

I'm sure a suped up 2011 15" would do much more than you need it to. Why not grab one of those while they've still got a disc drive?

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I'm definitely hopeful for this new slimmer design.

I've been an apple customer my entire life yet I've never had a Mac, so I'm waiting to see what this next refresh of 15" MBP will be like.

I will be happy with no ODD as long as it provides me some benefit other than just thinness. I want dual drives, more battery, something.

Also want an anti-glare matte screen standard, as well as higher resolution standard on the 15" screen.

How old are you? Which Apple device did you have in the 90s? An Apple II?

 

[di1in]

How weak are you people that you can't carry a five pound laptop with you?

The same reason I dont carry a desktop around with me.

 

[Lachlan9383]

My top eight features

1. High definition (Retina) display
2. SSD as standard
3. Slim form factor similar to the Macbook Air
4. Dedicated graphics
5. Improved battery life (all day)
6. Larger track-pad
7. No optical drive; to allow for more powerful internals, bigger battery and thinner unibody.
8. USB 3 support

 

[eastercat]

That'd work if I was planning on getting a computer this year, but that's not the case.

I'm sure a suped up 2011 15" would do much more than you need it to. Why not grab one of those while they've still got a disc drive?

 

[fs454]

Apparently you missed the part where I said I sometimes NEED an optical drive on site when I work on and repair PCs and servers. The vast majority of computers on Earth right now can boot from and use CDs and DVDs. That is a far cry from a record or 8-track.



If you think half an inch and 1.5 pounds is HUGE then perhaps it's time for you to join a gym?

Seriously, there is already a MacBook Air option for those who want a MacBook Air. Why does it have to be shoved down everyone's throat? Apple doesn't need to lose the optical drive, they need to upgrade it to blu-ray.



I already have an all day MBP. And I doubt Apple is going to use the space for more CPU cores or discrete graphics. I could care less about the graphics any way. My MBP is for work, not games.

GRAPHICS are not just for games. Some of us have occupations that rely on the GPU(cg work, 3D work), just like you have your occupation that needs an optical drive. Also, while i'm at it, you CAN keep an 8-track in your 2012 audi, you just shouldn't all the time. The ODD is going, and that's a definite.

I repair computers too and manage IT for a doctor's office, and the vast majority of the computers I repair can be booted from USB. It's so easy to image a $7 8GB USB drive with anything. If you need disc burning on the go, which you said you needed sometimes, then sometimes you'll need to carry an extra accessory. Not a big deal to you and it allows actual advancement instead of unnecessarily keeping technology stagnant.

And anyways, why does the optical drive need to be shoved down everyone's throat? Not all of us want huge blocks of archaic garbage in their portable computer in 2012. Goes both ways.

 

[Fandongo]

1. High definition (Retina) display
2. SSD as standard
3. Slim form factor similar to the Macbook Air
4. Dedicated graphics
5. Improved battery life (all day)
6. Larger track-pad
7. No optical drive; to allow for more powerful internals, bigger battery and thinner unibody.
8. USB 3 support

Larger track pad would be cool.
Actually, they should stick two side by side (or one with virtual separation).
99.2% of programs could have every function handled by gestures.

Operating a computer shouldn't be about finding a specific button (besides typing), clicking specific locations.

I use Swype on my Samsung. It's not perfect, but it's a fun finger (thumb) ballet. Now I cringe every time I see someone staring deeply into their phone trying to punch out simple sentences letter by letter.

Gestures gestures gestures gestures.

No SSD standard. No anything standard. Not from Apple.
Ram and SSD markups are absurd (allowing base computers to be cheaper)... and I don't want to pay for something I'm going to replace anyway.
So people demanding 8GB ram/SSDs standard...Stop it.

Since the 13" and 15" Pro/Air lines seem to be converging, I'd like to see one more thing:

4x ram slots in the 17"

And, if keeping it big, they should offer a 3x Hard drive option w/no optical drive.

A bit of a pipe dream, but they would suck up even more pros seeking desktop replacements.

 

[Lachlan9383]

Larger track pad would be cool.
Actually, they should stick two side by side (or one with virtual separation).
99.2% of programs could have every function handled by gestures.

Operating a computer shouldn't be about finding a specific button (besides typing), clicking specific locations.

I use Swype on my Samsung. It's not perfect, but it's a fun finger (thumb) ballet. Now I cringe every time I see someone staring deeply into their phone trying to punch out simple sentences letter by letter.

Gestures gestures gestures gestures.

What about a trackpad that takes up all the space below the keyboard and can recognise the difference between your palm and finger tips?
This would be truly revolutionary.

 

[cjmillsnun]

You'll always be able to connect an external drive for these uses.

If you're constantly having to connect an external optical drive because your work demands it, then that isn't convenient. Some people at this time still require a built in optical drive.

 

[Ryth]

Some people at this time still require a built in optical drive.

And some people at this time require (insert item here)...it doesn't mean though that the MAJORITY require it and it's already been proven that most no longer use an optical drive.

Look, Apple did the same thing with the floppy drive and people like you said the same thing. This is again phasing out technology that is no longer needed by the masses.

Opticals are dated...even Blu-Ray discs. They just cannot hold data required for a lot of us, hence the use of externals now. Keeping them around for music and movies where everything is moving to digital is just not worth the space requirements on the laptop.

Heck, even our DVD/Blu-Ray department (I work in a large post house) doesn't burn discs anymore for testing..they just test on the machine and then upload the file to the replicator. If they need use of a drive, we have ...wait for it...an external DVD/Blu-Ray drive that we hook up to the Mac Pro.

 

[spyd4r]

MacBook "Pro"

Thanks, I'll keep my CDrom drive.

 

[KnightWRX]

MacBook "Pro"

Thanks, I'll keep my CDrom drive.

It's so funny how much people go on and on about CDrom drives, ODDs, etc.. and yet all fail to realise that a USB attached external DVD burner or Blu-Ray combo drive or good old CD-ROM (why would one want a plain CD-ROM drive in 2012 ?) works wonderfully.

Heck, you don't even need to pay Apple's ridiculously expensive asking price for one, Samsung, Rosewill, Asus plenty of other, cheaper, more functional brands out there.

The best part ? The laptop has reduced weight. You only ever need to carry the ODD if you're going to need it on the road, which I suspect is quite rarely for the vast majority. Most people probably just use it when they're at home or at the office, not in a coffee shop or at a client's.

 

[oksijen]

I am from Turkey and I will be at Miami between 13-21 april. I need a macbook pro, I hope, Apple will start the selling new models at the middle of april. Do you think is it possible?

 

[homeboy]

I’m glad I got my MBP when I did. I wouldn’t buy one without the DVD drive. I have already burned a few DVD’s and CD’s. It is not ready to go away yet. People need to back stuff up for other people and DVD is a hell of a lot cheaper than USB stcks.

You're kidding right? I have about 20 USB sticks and I've not paid for a single one of them. They all have been given to me for free at various industry events and others I've simply found.

They are the chewing gum of this decade. Besides that there is dropbox for quickly sending someone a file.

Backup you said? If you can afford a Macbook Pro then you can certainly afford to pick up a USB harddrive that will cost about the same money as a meal at a decent restaurant.

 

[SPNarwhal]

So there would be a 13" Macbook Air and a 13" Macbook Pro that have the same design?

What would differentiate the two?

 

[jmgregory1]

People shouldn't get all worked up worrying about Apple making the Air's and Pro's "the same". Even if they use the form factor of the Air, which frankly is just about perfect to work with and look at, they will differentiate specs between them. I think the Air's have a design that has real lasting power, like the Mac Pro (I loved my old G5 Mac Pro that to this day still looks great and functions fine for the ex wife, who just had to keep it, along with all of my money).

There are so many things they can and will do to make the Pro's a pro version. I'm pretty sure that one of those things will not be inclusion of the optical drive. I would make bets it won't include an old-school hdd on all but the very cheapest of models, if even then.

And further, that these changes will be decried by those that still use and want cd drives or ginormous hdd's, because that is what they're used to. Go ahead, hang on to what you have, how you're doing things today. Don't look at change as an opportunity, but rather as a problem.

 

[Thares]

If you're constantly having to connect an external optical drive because your work demands it, then that isn't convenient. Some people at this time still require a built in optical drive.

Those people who constantly need an optical drive should probably buy a desktop pc.

Really, who uses optical drives for work? Every modern business is wirelessly connected. You need an optical drive to install software, yes. Therefor is the external optical drive.
Honestly: Nobody uses an optical drive on the bus/train/flight because he/she works often while traveling. My brother is a consultant and travels a lot. But he never uses his optical drive. A friend of mine is a graphics designer - and even he doesn't use an optical drive. I - for instance - am studying psychology+business. And I never used the optical drive in my iMac. Oh, well, I used it: to play Grand Theft Auto.

Maybe you just have to accept that you (= the people who demand optical drives in a portable machine) are the minority. The great minority.

So there would be a 13" Macbook Air and a 13" Macbook Pro that have the same design?

What would differentiate the two?

I think the MacBook Pro will be thicker. Slimmer than now, sure. But still way thicker than the really, really slim MBAir. But yes, there will be probably less to differentiate the two MacBooks.


Have a nice day,

Daniel

 

[blondinet]

Thinner design

Maybe Liquid Metal case? not sure about this since rumors came from last year on this subject,

On the graphic part I think about the GT 640M (above GT 555M) or AMD 7690M

Can't wait !