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

[Cubytus]

@KnightWRX: I know that it is almost a "religion" among some computer enthusiasts to buy for less, replace often, but I don't buy into it, pardon the pun. Environmental concern apart, buying a device that will break twice as fast for half the price is the same than buying a good device for more money. But you get the bonus of having it in good shape for longer. Examples abound.

I disagree - a portable device SHOULD have an optical drive. "The web" is not a feasible PORTABLE solution for large files, especially HD Video, when the wireless carriers are capping, throttling and charging excessively for it. In addition, high speed wired network access is not available everywhere, nor is high speed wireless available in every location people want to use their PORTABLE computers, in addition to the cost issues associated with this kind of access.

You put it right. "The Web is not portable". But knowing Apple and its leverage upon carriers, I wouldn't be too much surprised if a next laptop iteration includes both a SIM card slot and an all-new, no-contracts 30GB data plan (let us dream lol )

I want comparable capability now in 2012 for HD BluRay that I had for Standard definition video on DVD when I purchased my 1 Ghz Powerbook G4 17 inch back in 2003. I want the ability to burn an optical disk of the 16 GB of HD video I shoot, right on site. This capability would be on par with capability I had in 2003: burning a dual layer DVD of the Standard Def video I used to shoot.

I would be curious to know what Steve would have answered to that one. When the FireWire port was removed from the consumer line of laptops, he tersely answered that "most consumer video cameras are USB compatible", which was and is, in itself, true.

Unless a satisfying reason comes out, it really seems they are letting down the demographic that supported them even through the dark times.

Also, I have plenty of those PIXAR Bluray disks, and other media titles I own and want to be able to play for my kids, while we're traveling. Satisfying these needs by "ripping" is also not feaible and a waste of the storage on the computer.

I hope you're not expecting to actually run an ODD on battery power alone. That drains power as surely as relying on discrete GPU. Same goes for decoding that motion pic.

 

[shompa]

Funny how people wants to look at bluray movies on their laptops on travels.
You cant even watch a whole move because of battery.

Why not buy an Ipad + 1080P versions of the movies and you have 10 hours of battery?

Blu ray does not exist on macs since it mandates DRM on the file system, something that Steve was against. Blu ray is a mess. Every single blu ray starts its own JAVA Virtual machine as DRM. Takes huge resources and is the reason why it takes long time to start a movie. Ripping blurays is real easy on PC. Just use ANDDVDHD, rip to disc. Convert it using Handbrake to a small H264 file. You can get 95%+ picture quality on a DVD9 file. Burn a million movies and take them with ýou or have them on a hard drive.

BTW. Nothing stops people from replacing the optical disk with a bluray drive and use Bootcamp. But Optical is dead.
---

Parts would leak if the new Macbook pro was in production.
Lets say that the launch window is Mid april to mid May.
My dream is a double density pixel screen. Nvidia kepler is released 22 mars, maybe mobile 28nm parts are ready for Apple. Thunderbolt, USB3, AC wireless with 3 antennas (over gigabith speed). High Speed HDMI to support retina screens that will be released sometime. Flash card slot. Thumb SSD drive + an empty 2.5 hard drive bay. 8 gig low powered DDR3 memory.

 

[KnightWRX]

@KnightWRX: I know that it is almost a "religion" among some computer enthusiasts to buy for less, replace often, but I don't buy into it, pardon the pun. Environmental concern apart, buying a device that will break twice as fast for half the price is the same than buying a good device for more money. But you get the bonus of having it in good shape for longer. Examples abound.

If only Apple branded superdrives lasted longer, you'd have a point. Unfortunately, you don't. Not to mention to lacking features compared to other drives on the market like mecanical opening mecanisms, etc..

More expensive doesn't always mean better. I know it's almost a "religion" amongst hipsters to think so, but I don't buy into it, pardon the pun.

----------

Blu ray does not exist on macs since it mandates DRM on the file system,

No it doesn't. Blu-ray requires 2 things, AACS and HDCP. Macs already support HDCP because it's also required for iTunes content, and AACS can be implemented at the userspace level, like it's done on Windows.

Steve just wanted you to think Blu-ray was a mess so he could push his highly compressed, DRM infested crap.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

Funny how people wants to look at bluray movies on their laptops on travels.
You cant even watch a whole move because of battery.

My mac lasts 5-6 hours, enough time to watch 2-3 movies on a plane, and enough for pretty much any continental flight I want to take in the US.

Not to mention many planes have built in power now.

 

[MacSince1990]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx3yltq8XDM

There you have it. Ivy Bridge can satisfy your gaming needs very well.

No.

Children, try to realize already that it is impossible to put 200+ watts of real gaming power on to those tiny little laptops.

I don't believe anyone's ever attempted to put a 200W video card in a laptop. Given your mid-range mobility graphics chip uses ~30W, it doesn't seem like too much trouble. Especially since you're saving power on the CPU die.

How hard it can be to realize that?

How hard could it be to get a clue? Or a better grasp of English?

Try to put 200w light bulb between your legs and keep it there for 2hrs and then come back telling how nice it feels and how high the FPS is

Possibly the worst analogy I've ever read.

 

[ericrwalker]

How hard could it be to get a clue? Or a better grasp of English?

I am all for making fun of a person's bad English when I know the person is a native English speaker. Xinu's location says Finland, I would be willing to bet that English is not his first language, it may be his third.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

What's wrong with a hub ? Heck, I use exactly 1 port on my MBA most of the time, the one connected to my hub. It's much faster to dock it on my desk than trying to reconnect all my USB devices in one by one. I simply connect the hub in.

There's nothing wrong with a hub when you're "docked". It's when I'm using my notebook for its mobile functions (the whole reason I bought it instead of a desktop) that it's inconvenient to have to carry around a bunch of external crap with me and having to buy a separate external drive definitely qualifies as extra crap, let alone a USB hub just to use an Ethernet port, etc.) I normally carry a power supply and a mouse in my notebook bag and that's it.

You buy the Thunderbolt Display and use the USB ports on that. It's just that easy.

Seriously, there's no way they're dropping USB from the MBP's anytime soon. No need to worry about it just yet.

So I should bring a Thunderbolt Display with me when I travel? Why don't I just bring an iMac with me while I'm at it?

Yes, I know you were kidding, but there are people on here that actually think that way. They buy notebooks and use them as desktops 99% of the time and so it doesn't click that the idea of a portable device is that it contains all the stuff you'd normally have to lug around on it already.

Even if I don't use the DVD drive that often on my MBP (I did need it a LOT when I was ripping/encoding my DVDs to .M4A to use with iTunes), I still often like to burn CDs from my music collection to use in friends' cars that don't have USB ports, etc. yet or to give out demos of my latest songs for feedback, etc. The CD isn't "dead" yet by a long-shot. It may be less important, but it's still a standard format that works on virtually everything (well until Apple removed the drives from their computers in 2012.... ).

On the subject of space for the ODD vrs another storage drive, or a larger battery, there is the definition of a professional device, it is a pointless argument, as no professional user will care about keeping vital data in portable computer for obvious reasons. The problem is that the pro definition is misused, simply because the product in question is effectively becoming either a fashion accessory, or a companion to a starbucks visit rather than a business trip to NAB where some of us go to figure out how to further its life with important to our media work third party components.

That's exactly my problem with the direction Apple is going with the "Mac" products lately. I figured that was what iPhones/iPod Touches and iPads were for, not full blown Macs, which one would think are going to be used more for actual larger scale applications where you want a keyboard/touch-pad and yes, a data DRIVE to burn CDs or input data from another friend's computer, etc.

 

[brdeveloper]

I can definitely live without a built-in superdrive, but I can't get rid of an Ethernet port. Most corporate networks are still wired, so Macbook Pro must support it if it wants to keep a "Pro" on its name.

Also, the next Pro should boot faster. A low-capacity SSD (32GB is fine) only for OS/cache/drivers would improve responsiveness, wake-up time, etc.

 

[Cubytus]

If only Apple branded superdrives lasted longer, you'd have a point. Unfortunately, you don't. Not to mention to lacking features compared to other drives on the market like mecanical opening mecanisms, etc..

I don't know from where you take the assumption that SuperDrives don't last long, really. Since 2008, once on a pre-unibody 15" MBP, I have yet to see, experience or hear about a failed SuperDrive, be it internal or external.

More expensive doesn't always mean better. I know it's almost a "religion" amongst hipsters to think so, but I don't buy into it, pardon the pun.

Not always, but usually, it is.

Steve just wanted you to think Blu-ray was a mess so he could push his highly compressed, DRM infested crap.

Aren't iTunes movies DRM-free, as are iTunes music tracks?

My mac lasts 5-6 hours, enough time to watch 2-3 movies on a plane, and enough for pretty much any continental flight I want to take in the US.

Not to mention many planes have built in power now.

Oh really? Please tell us how you manage to get 5 hours of battery life while watching a high-definition movie. Lots of Mac users are eagerly waiting for your miracle advice.

And no, most planes still don't have power ports in coach class.

Also, the next Pro should boot faster. A low-capacity SSD (32GB is fine) only for OS/cache/drivers would improve responsiveness, wake-up time, etc.

You have an issue if you feel the need to reboot so often that boot time is a concern to you. And wake-up time is instant on the 13" MBP, I assume it's also instant on other models. I don't know how you would make it any faster.

Sleep time is longer, for sure. With 8GB RAM, it takes around 7 seconds to be written to disk. That's unacceptably long, I agree.

(...)as no professional user will care about keeping vital data in portable computer for obvious reasons. The problem is that the pro definition is misused, simply because the product in question is effectively becoming either a fashion accessory, or a companion to a starbucks visit rather than a business trip to NAB where some of us go to figure out how to further its life with important to our media work third party components. Someone here wants to load it with 32GB of RAM (makes me wonder what the hell for) others want it to be thinner than the MBA, yet some want the retina and the latest gadgets the wired magazine feeds their trendy heads while they proudly parade with their $2K disposable toy at barnes and nobles. A true professional laptop needs to be not small, but has to be back compatible, expendable, modular, robust, configurable to order and reliable. Does the current Mac fit he bill? Will the upcoming replacement be the ideal machine? Most likely not, as the pro designation is now nothing more than a marketing inheritance for the crazed masses. The populace where everybody wants to be percepted as a professional.

A pro WILL keep all mission-critical data on his working tool for sure.

What a pro WON'T do is leave home without a proper backup, or two, in geographically distinct places.

But I guess you grabbed the point about the overused "Pro" moniker for nothing more than fashion, losing its real usability in the process. There was a somewhat exclusive flair when common people laid their hands on made-for-pros stuff, but as it became more common, these stuff were eventually lowered to the common hipster real needs.

Was true for the Hummer in the 80's (H2 and H3 are tamed versions of the original), is true for the Canada Goose nowadays (waist-cut coat is nothing but crappy fashion for girls; a real cold-weather coat is cut below the buttocks), and the trend has already began with the unibody MacBook Pro. MagnusVonMagnum highlighted it pretty starkly by comparing the 2008 15" MBP to the current 15", which has obviously less expansion options

 

[mbell1975]

This is terrible news for me. I use my current MBP when I travel. As a professional photographer, I use my disc drive to make DVDs for the client after the photoshoot. Going to force me into buying a Windows laptop now? Really? This plus the news that Apple isn't really dedicated to the iMac anymore completely blows. I know Apple is all hung ho to make everything mobile but I can't edit photos and videos on a tiny ass laptop screen, I need a quality desktop and I need a disc drive on my laptop for when I travel. Very stupid decisions that may force pros such as myself to look elsewhere for their next computer purchases.

 

[throAU]

Oh really? Please tell us how you manage to get 5 hours of battery life while watching a high-definition movie. Lots of Mac users are eagerly waiting for your miracle advice.

gfxcardstatus. set to hd3000 integrated gpu only.

play movie (star wars: jedi)

end of movie: ~50% battery remaining


MBP early 2011.

Thankyou, come again.

 

[LelandHendrix]

There will be only slim MacBookPro as the news said.

No more optical drives.

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.

Laptops are for adults. Not for gaming children.

Apparently an Air would suit you perfectly. But those of us "Pros" who use the MacBook PRO for PROduction, NEED a real GPU--and NOT FOR GAMES!

GPUs do a lot of work beyond creating images for games...they are used in graphics and specifically used for VIDEO PRODUCTION.

By your very same rationale, there should be no GPU in iMac, or even Mac Pro! Because, hey, those owners should just be using their iOS device...right??

(wrong!)

 

[LelandHendrix]

My mac lasts 5-6 hours, enough time to watch 2-3 movies on a plane, and enough for pretty much any continental flight I want to take in the US.

Not to mention many planes have built in power now.

Really? Does your Mac last that long while spinning it's optical disc?

Also, have you compared the in-use constant power requirements of any blu-ray optical drives, and how their power use compares to standard DVD drives?

I haven't seen ANY computer, PC or Mac, get that use time while playing optical media.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

Really? Does your Mac last that long while spinning it's optical disc?

Also, have you compared the in-use constant power requirements of any blu-ray optical drives, and how their power use compares to standard DVD drives?

I haven't seen ANY computer, PC or Mac, get that use time while playing optical media.

I don't play optical media.

Oh really? Please tell us how you manage to get 5 hours of battery life while watching a high-definition movie. Lots of Mac users are eagerly waiting for your miracle advice.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4205/the-macbook-pro-review-13-and-15-inch-2011-brings-sandy-bridge/15

go ahead and scroll down to the section on XviD playback....

15" mbp got 300 minutes (5hrs) playing 720p HD copy of The Dark Knight.

When I'm on a plane watching a movie I don't need the wifi on, brightness set to 100% or audio at almost max. So with no wifi, brightness and volume lowered, yes I easily get 5-6 hours of battery life. Thanks

 

[doobybiggs]

when they say ....

Production for the next-generation MacBook Pro has already begun with shipments to Apple kicking off in March, the sources noted. Monthly shipments will eventually climb to 900,000 units from the 100,000-150,000 units targeted initially, the sources said.

How long will it take to build up enough inventory until they feel comfortable to release the new laptops? If the article is right they should already be getting shipments.

How long do you all think it will be until the release?

 

[zgwortz]

Really? Does your Mac last that long while spinning it's optical disc?

Also, have you compared the in-use constant power requirements of any blu-ray optical drives, and how their power use compares to standard DVD drives?

I haven't seen ANY computer, PC or Mac, get that use time while playing optical media.

Mine doesn't last 5 hours playing a DVD, but I can almost always watch an entire 2+ hour movie off of DVD on my late 2009 MBP and still have time left. I can't give you numbers on Blu-ray drives, because, well, we don't have an internal Blu-ray drive in the MBP, now, do we?

I do have a friend with a Windows laptop with a Blu-ray drive -- and even though his battery doesn't last as long as my MBPs does in normal use, he says he can still play a 2+ hour movie off of Blu-ray with no trouble as well. So I would suspect the Blu-ray drive's power use is roughly comparable to DVD.

(BTW, he uses the Blu-ray as an example as to why "Macs are inferior" -- and it's very difficult to refute that one point, as much as I think Macs are by far superior in every other area. The fact that Apple has deliberately lagged behind the rest of the industry in supporting Blu-ray is my single biggest annoyance with them right now...)

That said, I strongly suspect that any external ODD powered through a USB port is going to have higher power consumption (possibly *much* higher) than any internal ODD would have - simply due to the added power needed for the USB transfer. Not to mention the difficulty in physically using an external ODD on a crowded flight...

 

[Rockoar]

when they say ....



How long will it take to build up enough inventory until they feel comfortable to release the new laptops? If the article is right they should already be getting shipments.

How long do you all think it will be until the release?

This question pop every now and then and the only truthfully response would be to say that (as obvious as it may sound) only Apple knows. It could happen in April as it could happen in June or even later on. I still think there's a chance they will launch them next month or in May. If they don't do it by then, then I think they'll wait to launch them with the release of Mountain Lion which I think will happen in the summer time. So, basically, we can speculate all we wont and just hope for Cupertino to hear our wishes and sell them as soon as possible

 

[timtulip]

no optical... fine with me

I couldn't care less about the optical drive. But I'm really hoping the ethernet port isn't lost.

 

[timtulip]

and the firewire port... that thing is handy as f..k for a dj. USB ports and firewire are a must for dj's who use Macbook Pro's, and there are a lot of us out there. No matter how they control the Mac, USB and firewire is needed a hell of a lot.

 

[Cubytus]

gfxcardstatus. set to hd3000 integrated gpu only.

play movie (star wars: jedi)

end of movie: ~50% battery remaining


MBP early 2011.

Thankyou, come again.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4205/the-macbook-pro-review-13-and-15-inch-2011-brings-sandy-bridge/15

go ahead and scroll down to the section on XviD playback....

15" mbp got 300 minutes (5hrs) playing 720p HD copy of The Dark Knight.

When I'm on a plane watching a movie I don't need the wifi on, brightness set to 100% or audio at almost max. So with no wifi, brightness and volume lowered, yes I easily get 5-6 hours of battery life. Thanks

I don't download 720p versions, usually. Either standard DVD resolution, or 1080p.

I never expect more than 3 hours of playback time from a late 2011 13" MBP. Battery is new, and it sports an integreated Intel HD3000 as well.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

I don't download 720p versions, usually. Either standard DVD resolution, or 1080p.

I never expect more than 3 hours of playback time from a late 2011 13" MBP. Battery is new, and it sports an integreated Intel HD3000 as well.

umm ok.. you told me "everyone is waiting for your miracle advice to watch HD movies for 5+ hours" and I just easily proved it possible..

idk what to tell you... obviously you are doing something wrong because the 13" got almost 6 hours (351 minutes) in the same test.

 

[KnightWRX]

I don't know from where you take the assumption that SuperDrives don't last long, really. Since 2008, once on a pre-unibody 15" MBP, I have yet to see, experience or hear about a failed SuperDrive, be it internal or external.

If you want to use anecdotes to prove a point, my Unibody Macbook's superdrive (from the same 2008) has refused to write any DVD or CDs since early 2009 (wrote like 3 and stopped working) and then started refusing to even read them a few months later.

The fact is, aside from the price tag, there's nothing spectacular about Apple superdrives. Half price samsung/hp/asus drives perform just as well and are just as reliable. Except you get 2 for your same money.

More expensive doesn't mean better. I don't know where you got that mentality from, but it's laughable. Like your sig, there's nothing sacrilegious about running both Linux and OS X.

 

[Cubytus]

umm ok.. you told me "everyone is waiting for your miracle advice to watch HD movies for 5+ hours" and I just easily proved it possible..

idk what to tell you... obviously you are doing something wrong because the 13" got almost 6 hours (351 minutes) in the same test.

I get 6 hours and a half when I'm browsing and typing, which is acceptable, though could be closer to the 10-hour theoretical mark.

If you want to use anecdotes to prove a point, my Unibody Macbook's superdrive (from the same 2008) has refused to write any DVD or CDs since early 2009 (wrote like 3 and stopped working) and then started refusing to even read them a few months later.

The fact is, aside from the price tag, there's nothing spectacular about Apple superdrives. Half price samsung/hp/asus drives perform just as well and are just as reliable. Except you get 2 for your same money.

More expensive doesn't mean better. I don't know where you got that mentality from, but it's laughable. Like your sig, there's nothing sacrilegious about running both Linux and OS X.

Seems you have been very unlucky. I didn't say they should be something "spectacular" about an ODD: its functionality is, after all, well defined and limited, unless it happens to be a slim-line BD burner (which I have yet to see in the wild).

I know LG makes crappy burners, and each and every Asus device or part I owned or touched had a very limited lifetime, most often in the 18 month range. Don't know about HP or Samsung, though.

As a sysadmin, you need to be pragmatic about OSes usage, but when a user requires help, forums are either full of Apple fanboys, or FOSS trolls.

 

[lstone19]

Almost five years ago, I bought a mid-2007 MBP to replace both my desktop and laptop as MBPs had reached a very nice point that made them ideal for the desktop replacement part of the market. Along with it was a 23" Cinema Display. Still works well and when I travel, it's as simple as disconnect the desktop peripherals and go. But a few months ago, I started thinking with the next MBP refresh, it was time to upgrade.

But as I read the rumors, I am left wondering if the next MBP will be suitable for use as a desktop replacement or if Apple is abandoning that market with the continued iOS-ification of the Macintosh. Many of the things rumored to be going away are what let an MBP work as a desktop replacement. And yet, most of the things not present in an MBA (since it seems like the next MBP will be more MBA-like) can be worked around with adapters.

For me, the showstopper will be Firewire. I still have some Firewire only peripherals and Thunderbolt is not all there yet.

The other stuff can be handled via adapters. Ethernet is still a must when traveling but can be handled via an adapter. An open Wi-Fi network is not, IMHO, secure enough for sensitive transactions (e.g. I do not log into bank sites on an open Wi-Fi network) so where Ethernet is available, I use it. Optical disk? For me, rarely needed when traveling. I'd get a portable optical drive but it usually wouldn't travel with me.

My present thinking is if the next version is not suitable for use as a desktop replacement, I'll quickly buy one of the discontinued ones from one of the catalog places, which will then give me more than enough time to plan the migration to Windows when the next upgrade is needed. For better than 20 years, Macintoshes have met my needs but if it gets to a point it doesn't, then it's time to move on.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

Wirelessly posted

^ only things rumored to be taken away are the odd and possibly Ethernet port. You just said Ethernet isn't a big deal if you can use an adapter and that you didnt care about the optical drive so I'm confused, why would you think the next one will not be suitable for your needs?