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

In 2012 the optical drive is about as useful as a pack of gum taped to the back of the box.
 
i'd like to see:
just the high res displays (1440 for 13" and 1680 for 15"), no need for 'retina' yet. please no more glossy display, it's the worst choice i made when buying my 2010 15"mbp.
discrete graphics on the 13" ?? (otherwise what's the difference between mba and mbp?), would this make the 13pro more expensive than the air?
user replaceable ram, user replaceable HD, i'd love the ssd/hd combo, even with the air-like ssd stick, but it's all about software management, should there be something hidden on snow-lion?
ports: 3x usb3.0 on 15" (maybe even on the 13), FW 3200? no rj45 (too thick, usb3 adapter would be nice).
ports on both side, but TB and magsafe on same side! (i don't get why they switched it on the mba, connecting the TB cinema display is so stupid)
everything lighter, i guess some 1.7 kg and 2.2kg for 13 and 15".
 
0dev said:
Exactly. I don't see where people get the whole "laptops with disc drives are not portable" nonsense from. My 2007 MacBook is thin, fairly light, and has a DVD drive.
Click to expand...

You didn't or don't want to understand what I wrote. I never said that laptops with ODD are not portable. What I mean is, if you have to choose between a laptop with an ODD and one without it, but with an SSD, better GPU and battery life, would you still choose the laptop with the ODD? Just take a look inside the MBP, the ODD takes a lot of space which could be used for better purposes.
 
Internal vs external OD, plus a weird fantasy.

Is there a significant difference in write/read speeds with an internal vs an external optical drive? I have a new 2011 Macbook Pro and bought one because I didn't want to lose the optical drive. I had to use it to install Windows, and I also needed it already to transfer movies, make music CDs for my car(which does not have an aux input), and to install software that I have on physical media that the AppStore doesn't recognize.

This might sound crazy, but what if they started using mini-disc drives? I don't know what it is, but I have always liked the mini-disc format and wish that it had been implemented more. I think a UMD reader/writer would be an awesome addition to a laptop. And yes, i am being serious. Those discs can hold a lot of information and having a much smaller optical drive would decrease weight and allow more room for other components.
 
fs454 said:
This is like arguing to keep a record or 8-track player in your new 2013 Audi. The difference in weight and size is HUGE.

Can we stop for a second and have a look inside the 13" MBP:
Image


The optical drive is in the top left in that photo. IT'S ALMOST THE SIZE OF THE ENTIRE LOGIC BOARD! Plus, it's thicker. It may not be heavier, but the need to make the computer as a whole much bigger causes it to add weight and thickness.

Wouldn't you rather have an all-day MBP? Or one with much more power or better discrete graphics?
Click to expand...

Make the optical drive slimmer or put a mini blueray burner inside:)
 
I do not understand the people who resist dropping the optical drive. I just don't.

The only thing I resist is simply removing it. However, if Apple is going to differentiate the MBP and the MBA they're going to have to fill that space with something.

Really though, how many people need their optical drive while on the go (and by on the go I mean not at a desk)? Incidentally, if you say "to watch movies" then please don't even use the word "Pro."

I would love to simply see the ENTIRE optical drive space filled with a battery. Seriously. Dedicated video on the 13" MBPs would sure be nice too. You know, something I'll use more than once every 60 days.
 
fs454 said:
This is like arguing to keep a record or 8-track player in your new 2013 Audi. The difference in weight and size is HUGE.

Can we stop for a second and have a look inside the 13" MBP:
Image


The optical drive is in the top left in that photo. IT'S ALMOST THE SIZE OF THE ENTIRE LOGIC BOARD! Plus, it's thicker. It may not be heavier, but the need to make the computer as a whole much bigger causes it to add weight and thickness.

Wouldn't you rather have an all-day MBP? Or one with much more power or better discrete graphics?
Click to expand...

this man has it right, with that space you could fit 2xthin SSDs/HDD's (or one of each)

and extend the battery by a decent amount, and expand the logic board

no brainer for something i use what, once per CD i buy else 3-4 times a year tops?
 
Ed A. said:
No optical drive?

I'm a videographer whose clients almost always request a DVD of a video.

I also have a large collection of CDs I'd like to import into iTunes.

No optical drive will make both these points a problem.

Apple gets too far ahead of itself for the sake of a slim design.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry but you may be the minority on this one.

There are external optical drives, you could network an other machines drive... there are solutions to your problem.

Could you import your CD collection now? why does that task have to wait for the new laptop?

I understand that some people will miss the Opitcal Drive but for most this leaving will gain somthing more important.
 
0dev said:
Apple wants to make things thin. Soldering as much of the computer as possible onto one board achieves that. Let's see how long it takes for Apple to turn the MBP into the new MBA, shall we?

I know you can replace the battery even when it's not meant to be user replaceable, but that voids the warranty. If I were to buy a Mac and AppleCare, I'd lose said AppleCare just because I didn't want to go to Apple and give them my computer so they can replace my battery for me. It's like having to give my Android phone back to HTC whenever I need to change my MicroSD card.

As for OS X, Mountain Lion is basically iOS.

This kind of oversimplification is what's driving me away from Apple recently.
Click to expand...

Let's go through the 1000 cycle game. These batteries are rated for 1000 cycles to 70% capacity. Say you buy AppleCare, for total 3 years of coverage. If you used a charge cycle once every single day, it would take 2.8 years to bring it to 70%. If you want to retain your warranty and not replace your battery, you only need to wait out that remaining 2/10ths of a year with a battery at 70% capacity before you can't possibly have a warranty anymore.

If the battery drops sooner than that, it's covered by Apple and is free. All this said, if you pop open your MBP and swap in a new battery and don't be stupid about it, they won't notice when you bring in your MBP for a dead hard drive or logic board, and will use common sense when judging if they do somehow know. Just like you weren't able to upgrade the HDD in the pre-unibody MBPs. I upgraded my 2007 MBP's hard drive and then had to take it in for warranty service. No denial of coverage.

And also, Apple has a ton to gain with removing the ODD. They're not going to go full-stop and make it a large MBA with no upgradeable RAM/HDD. I'd put $1000 on that.
 
xinu said:
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.
Click to expand...

Laptops are a type of computer and computers are for everyone. Apple will try to make the new range as suitable as possible for everyone to make the potential market as big as is possible.

iOS Gamer? ios is (as far as I have experienced) VERY casual gaming, most big gamers play on Xbox or PC, not on iOS.
 
17" waiting continues ... hope they add some better cooling system and a bigger battery.
 
i hope to see the 13inch pro stick around. I love my late 2011 model. I do use the optical drive to burn cd's for friends and family, but if they removed it, I would not mind.

What I would like to see is a 13inch with better resolution, larger battery, and SSD if they do remove the ODD. I myself am a fan of the glossy screen.

I would also like to see it with dedicated GPU vs intergrated

I dont really care if they change the design or not. I think the current gen MB's look awesome. The only way Ill be upgrading is if they incorporate some of those things i mentioned (personal preference). I think the MB can still be called a pro without the ODD. I guess well see. Until then, love my 13" i5
 
Skoopman said:
You didn't or don't want to understand what I wrote. I never said that laptops with ODD are not portable. What I mean is, if you have to choose between a laptop with an ODD and one without it, but with an SSD, better GPU and battery life, would you still choose the laptop with the ODD? Just take a look inside the MBP, the ODD takes a lot of space which could be used for better purposes.
Click to expand...

I'd choose the one with the ODD because I actually use it. SSDs are nice but too expensive at the moment (you can get a 1TB HD for the price of a 256GB SSD, not worth it at all) and I'm sure they can upgrade the rest of the computer without removing a vital component like they've been doing so far.

cult hero said:
Yeah. Once the technology exists to make the drive take up less space than the disc itself, I'll be all over this.
Click to expand...

Talk to this dude:

3SVbV.jpg


;)
 
Ed A. said:
No optical drive?

I'm a videographer whose clients almost always request a DVD of a video.

I also have a large collection of CDs I'd like to import into iTunes.

No optical drive will make both these points a problem.

Apple gets too far ahead of itself for the sake of a slim design.
Click to expand...

Then, you might be upset as well for it not carrying a 3.5 inch floppy drive, or a PCMCIA card slot... :)

And, if you really need to burn a DVD, there are always external USB drives (and external USB floppy DDs for that matter)
 
fs454 said:
This is like arguing to keep a record or 8-track player in your new 2013 Audi. The difference in weight and size is HUGE.

Can we stop for a second and have a look inside the 13" MBP:
Image


The optical drive is in the top left in that photo. IT'S ALMOST THE SIZE OF THE ENTIRE LOGIC BOARD! Plus, it's thicker. It may not be heavier, but the need to make the computer as a whole much bigger causes it to add weight and thickness.

Wouldn't you rather have an all-day MBP? Or one with much more power or better discrete graphics?
Click to expand...

OH MY GOODNESS!! is that how big that useless bit of crap inside my MacBook is!!!!

get that thing out and fill that space with Lithium Ions!!!!!!!
 
fs454 said:
Let's go through the 1000 cycle game. These batteries are rated for 1000 cycles to 70% capacity. Say you buy AppleCare, for total 3 years of coverage. If you used a charge cycle once every single day, it would take 2.8 years to bring it to 70%. If you want to retain your warranty and not replace your battery, you only need to wait out that remaining 2/10ths of a year with a battery at 70% capacity before you can't possibly have a warranty anymore.

If the battery drops sooner than that, it's covered by Apple and is free. All this said, if you pop open your MBP and swap in a new battery and don't be stupid about it, they won't notice when you bring in your MBP for a dead hard drive or logic board, and will use common sense when judging if they do somehow know. Just like you weren't able to upgrade the HDD in the pre-unibody MBPs. I upgraded my 2007 MBP's hard drive and then had to take it in for warranty service. No denial of coverage.

And also, Apple has a ton to gain with removing the ODD. They're not going to go full-stop and make it a large MBA with no upgradeable RAM/HDD. I'd put $1000 on that.
Click to expand...

I'm more worried by the HD/SSD and RAM, that's my main gripe with the MBA too. The only reason I can still use my 2007 MB today without issue is because I've maxed out the RAM (to more than the base MBA in fact) and upgraded my HD. If it was all sealed off the laptop would be of far less use. But then, that's what Apple want, isn't it? They want people to buy new hardware rather than being able to upgrade their current hardware. Makes for better business.

Since Apple's thin obsession has spread to the MBP now too, I'd say they will eventually solder everything to one board.
 
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