So who else is totally happy with the -old- MBP?

[fireball87]

What does the "SR" in "SR MBP" stand for?

Santa Rosa, though I'll let someone who's a bit more experienced with mac hardware explain the oddities of the naming.

When referred to here its probably safe to say its referring to the 2007 MBPs.


(Its an internal reference to the 2007 MBPs because they had the new chipset from the Santa Rosa platform (and the regular SR Macbooks had the x3100 (and even then its not a true Santa Rosa laptop because it doesn't have the intel wireless card)) While the early 2008s used the same chipset they are often called Penryn MBPs, and are not generally referred to when people say SR MBP. The newest MBPs use the Penryn processor, but are generally refered to just as the New MBP or unibody MBP.) (someone will have to correct me if i missed something/misinformed, I'm more of a software/coder type then a hardware type.)

--edit-- added the quote block --/edit--

 

[killerwhack]

SR= Santa Rosa and is the chip set from intel

The chip sets have a code name and a marketing name. (to add more confusion)

I have a personal policy of keeping a machine for at least two years and this one is only 1 year old so.... I will wait for another year and I think the new machines are cool but that does not trump my personal goal to keep machines for two years.

Besides, switching to a new machine takes a day of effort and I don't want to afford such a hit on my productivity.

 

[fireball87]

Besides, switching to a new machine takes a day of effort and I don't want to afford such a hit on my productivity.

A day? Recreating my preferred environment (on any various operating system, I have a different preferred setup for every OS) can take 3-5 days to properly accomplish (what with all the various OS tweaks, software installations and so forth)... thats not even counting that I often find minor things weeks after the OS install (like registry modifications to change some odd stuff in windows that I only notice when it gets on my nerves). I like to highly personalize my systems... and give em a good deal of use too. Luckily its in many ways a hobby so I can afford to put some of my kill time into it.

 

[Denarius]

I don't really like the new ones TBH.

I'd rather have kept this design, the matt and added the changeable HD.

Gloss sucks hardcore

Still, next year when a quad appears in the lineup i'll be getting one

Do the new ones have a user changeable hard drive? Well that is a positive step!

Shame about the screen, but I was surprised that someone on here doesn't like the chicklet keyboards: we have one on the G5 tower downstairs and I love it: nice low fast action and keys don't squeak like some of them do on my SRMBP

 

[r88my]

I'm more than happy with my first gen MBP but completely frustrated with the 2GB max ram limit. Aperture and lots of apps running together arent as fast as I'd like them to be.

 

[Phrasikleia]

Do the new ones have a user changeable hard drive? Well that is a positive step!

Yeah, at long last.

Shame about the screen, but I was surprised that someone on here doesn't like the chicklet keyboards: we have one on the G5 tower downstairs and I love it: nice low fast action and keys don't squeak like some of them do on my SRMBP

I have the external extended chicklet keyboard and loathe the thing. I'm a female with moderately long nails, and there is just no place for them to go on this keyboard. The keys are too low. I also don't like the way they look. The aesthetic is too industrial and stark--not enough subtlety and sophistication for my taste. I think they look cheap.

 

[skymastr16]

This thread should be re-Titled "A Rant of Pre-Late '08 MBP Owners Trying to Convince Themselves That They Don't Want A Better Laptop"

I admit that everyone is simply stating their opinion which everyone has a right to. But it's clear that everyone is simply taking the handful of shortcomings of the new MBP's and blowing them out of proportion and intentionally forgetting to mention the new MBP's superiorities. I understand how much it flat out sucks that Apple has refreshed this line about every 7 months and that you can never truly stay ahead of the curve for long, but I have yet to hear someone admit that in terms of GPU power, clock speed and RAM capabilities the new MBP is superior albeit at a hefty cost especially when lined up side by side with the previous MBP release which are still available on the "Clearance" and "Refurb" sections of the Apple Store.

Don't get me wrong, if I owned the previous version of this line I too could not justify purchasing the newest version however I would still recognize where it surpasses my system instead of simply listing a bunch of less pertinent reasons as to why your old MBP is better. I make this statement with the following in mind, and if you disagree then in my opinion you have your computer spec priorities a bit mixed up:

Computer Hardware Importance:
GPU/CPU Clock Speed/RAM Capabilities>Firewire400/DVI Ommissions/Glossy Screen

*Plus, all of those "issues can be remedied if truly need be with some sort of add-on - admittedly at an extra expense which does suck.

Don't get me wrong! I own a 1st Gen iPhone 8GB, so when 3G came out I indeed was envious of the improvements yet had and still have no desire to upgrade. Of course there are many things about my phone I like better (Or maybe I've convinced myself that I like them better so I don't have to shell out another $299 and sign another contract), but when engaged in that conversation I will always admit that the 3G has some superiority to mine.

Bottom line, give credit where credit is due, there should be no shame in admitting that it isn't financially feasible for most people to upgrade their laptops every 6.6 months (the average time for the MBP line to get a refresh per MacRumors' "Buyer's Guide"). Luckily you purchased an Apple product and they are meant to outlast practically every other Laptop on the market with similar specifications. All I ask is for people to be fair in their complaints.

 

[Coldwater]

This thread should be re-Titled "A Rant of Pre-Late '08 MBP Owners Trying to Convince Themselves That They Don't Want A Better Laptop"

I admit that everyone is simply stating their opinion which everyone has a right to. But it's clear that everyone is simply taking the handful of shortcomings of the new MBP's and blowing them out of proportion and intentionally forgetting to mention the new MBP's superiorities. I understand how much it flat out sucks that Apple has refreshed this line about every 7 months and that you can never truly stay ahead of the curve for long, but I have yet to hear someone admit that in terms of GPU power, clock speed and RAM capabilities the new MBP is superior albeit at a hefty cost especially when lined up side by side with the previous MBP release which are still available on the "Clearance" and "Refurb" sections of the Apple Store.

Don't get me wrong, if I owned the previous version of this line I too could not justify purchasing the newest version however I would still recognize where it surpasses my system instead of simply listing a bunch of less pertinent reasons as to why your old MBP is better. I make this statement with the following in mind, and if you disagree then in my opinion you have your computer spec priorities a bit mixed up:

Computer Hardware Importance:
GPU/CPU Clock Speed/RAM Capabilities>Firewire400/DVI Ommissions/Glossy Screen

*Plus, all of those "issues can be remedied if truly need be with some sort of add-on - admittedly at an extra expense which does suck.

Don't get me wrong! I own a 1st Gen iPhone 8GB, so when 3G came out I indeed was envious of the improvements yet had and still have no desire to upgrade. Of course there are many things about my phone I like better (Or maybe I've convinced myself that I like them better so I don't have to shell out another $299 and sign another contract), but when engaged in that conversation I will always admit that the 3G has some superiority to mine.

Bottom line, give credit where credit is due, there should be no shame in admitting that it isn't financially feasible for most people to upgrade their laptops every 6.6 months (the average time for the MBP line to get a refresh per MacRumors' "Buyer's Guide"). Luckily you purchased an Apple product and they are meant to outlast practically every other Laptop on the market with similar specifications. All I ask is for people to be fair in their complaints.

You deserve some sort of "Poster with common sense" medal.

Seriously, people. Who are you attempting to convince? Yourselves? .1 pounds heavier? You're kidding me. All of the so called "reasons" I've seen has amounted to: "I don't like how it looks, therefore the old one was better", "The screen is glossy and I'm either too lazy to attach an antiglare filter or I'm foolish enough to do color work on a laptop screen", or "I tried a chicklet keyboard once and I have some sort of irrational hatred towards them."

Personally I'm waiting for the people to start saying "I'm not going to buy it because the CPU is better" or "I hate it because the graphics card isn't going to fry in a year." Those arguments are just as irrational. Let the people who bought a new MBP enjoy their purchases, or at LEAST stop making threads proclaiming the superiority of the old model when it clearly fails in many areas.

It's just a computer, people.

 

[skymastr16]

You deserve some sort of "Poster with common sense" medal.

Seriously, people. Who are you attempting to convince? Yourselves? .1 pounds heavier? You're kidding me. All of the so called "reasons" I've seen has amounted to: "I don't like how it looks, therefore the old one was better", "The screen is glossy and I'm either too lazy to attach an antiglare filter or I'm foolish enough to do color work on a laptop screen", or "I tried a chicklet keyboard once and I have some sort of irrational hatred towards them."

Personally I'm waiting for the people to start saying "I'm not going to buy it because the CPU is better" or "I hate it because the graphics card isn't going to fry in a year." Those arguments are just as irrational. Let the people who bought a new MBP enjoy their purchases, or at LEAST stop making threads proclaiming the superiority of the old model when it clearly fails in many areas.

It's just a computer, people.

Cheers Coldwater, I appreciate the support because I expect an onslaught of hate replies to my post but I couldn't leave the thread until I said my peace. BTW - based on your signature it looks like you picked up the 2.8 with the exact config I'm researching, if you could PM me with as detailed a review as possible I'd really appreciate it. Unfortunately all the tech review sites are only going as high as the 2.53 because they probably don't wanna splurge on the 2.8. Thanks in advance.

PS - I am not from the UK, but I thoroughly enjoy trying to incorporate "Cheers" whenever applicable =)

 

[Coldwater]

Cheers Coldwater, I appreciate the support because I expect an onslaught of hate replies to my post but I couldn't leave the thread until I said my peace. BTW - based on your signature it looks like you picked up the 2.8 with the exact config I'm researching, if you could PM me with as detailed a review as possible I'd really appreciate it. Unfortunately all the tech review sites are only going as high as the 2.53 because they probably don't wanna splurge on the 2.8. Thanks in advance.

PS - I am not from the UK, but I thoroughly enjoy trying to incorporate "Cheers" whenever applicable =)

I will be more then happy to post as detailed of a review as possible, once I get it. It's currently in Shanghai, so if you can stand to wait a little while (the end of the week max), I'll be more then happy to give you (and most likely it will just be a full topic, as I haven't seen many/any detailed reviews of the 2.8 yet) a in-depth and objective look at it as I, unlike a lot of people it seems, have no trouble pointing out the faults of their machines instead of blindly trying to convince themselves otherwise.

Ignore the hate. You can't be jealous and rational at the same time.

 

[StevieMooey]

My 2.6 Penryn [April 08] MBP is an absolute beast I can't praise it enough. I'm really glad I ponied up for the custom 2.6 CPU now - just adds that extra edge of performance that will keep me happy with it for a little longer.

The glossy and firewire issues on the new MBP are not problems for me - My plan is to upgrade whenever the nehalem architecture reaches the MBP's.

Based on my experiences with MBP's over the past few years, here's some buying advice:

- Unless the MBP is right at the end of a product cycle, don't ever play the waiting game. It's soul destroying. I bought my current MBP as soon as I needed it. I knew that I could have waited 4-5 months and got a redesigned MBP - but instead I got it straight away and have had the joy of working on a cutting edge computer for 5 months, instead of chugging away on my 1st gen 2.0 Yonah MBP. Its often said - but if you need - BUY.

- But the very best you can afford. Those custom chips don't seem like good "value" - but value is more than a function of cost/ specs. The extra I paid for a .1 ghz bump has a huge psychological impact, and future proofs my machine for longer.

- Be aware that buyers of 1st gen products are in effect, beta-testers. Not everyone will have issues - but there are higher instances of problems in 1st gen machines. I had many problems with my Yonah MBP.

Hope that's useful to some...

- Mooey

 

[marvel2]

totally satisfied with my SR MBP with matte screen. Even more so now that I have seen what the new MBPs are.

 

[Atomic Ed]

This thread should be re-Titled "A Rant of Pre-Late '08 MBP Owners Trying to Convince Themselves That They Don't Want A Better Laptop"

I admit that everyone is simply stating their opinion which everyone has a right to. But it's clear that everyone is simply taking the handful of shortcomings of the new MBP's and blowing them out of proportion and intentionally forgetting to mention the new MBP's superiorities. I understand how much it flat out sucks that Apple has refreshed this line about every 7 months and that you can never truly stay ahead of the curve for long, but I have yet to hear someone admit that in terms of GPU power, clock speed and RAM capabilities the new MBP is superior albeit at a hefty cost especially when lined up side by side with the previous MBP release which are still available on the "Clearance" and "Refurb" sections of the Apple Store.

Don't get me wrong, if I owned the previous version of this line I too could not justify purchasing the newest version however I would still recognize where it surpasses my system instead of simply listing a bunch of less pertinent reasons as to why your old MBP is better. I make this statement with the following in mind, and if you disagree then in my opinion you have your computer spec priorities a bit mixed up:

Computer Hardware Importance:
GPU/CPU Clock Speed/RAM Capabilities>Firewire400/DVI Ommissions/Glossy Screen

*Plus, all of those "issues can be remedied if truly need be with some sort of add-on - admittedly at an extra expense which does suck.

Don't get me wrong! I own a 1st Gen iPhone 8GB, so when 3G came out I indeed was envious of the improvements yet had and still have no desire to upgrade. Of course there are many things about my phone I like better (Or maybe I've convinced myself that I like them better so I don't have to shell out another $299 and sign another contract), but when engaged in that conversation I will always admit that the 3G has some superiority to mine.

Bottom line, give credit where credit is due, there should be no shame in admitting that it isn't financially feasible for most people to upgrade their laptops every 6.6 months (the average time for the MBP line to get a refresh per MacRumors' "Buyer's Guide"). Luckily you purchased an Apple product and they are meant to outlast practically every other Laptop on the market with similar specifications. All I ask is for people to be fair in their complaints.

With no intent to be contrary to your opinions, I respectfully think you missed the point as to why so many dislike the new models. There may be some validity to your claims as to why some people are condemning the new design but that doesn't mean everyone dislikes it for that reason. Thats just simply a bias towards your theory. The fact the design does not appeal to so many isn't 100% because everyone can't afford one, thats really just silly. I for one have the money to buy anything I want from the Apple store without question and I dislike the new design immensely. I choose not to buy a new MBP until Apple changes to design again to something less appalling to my taste. Do think my old MBP design is superior? You bet and not because I want to feel better or can't afford a new one.

You know the same argument you raise can easily be said in reverse to justify buyers remorse for those that ran out and grabbed a new MBP before realizing the new design's short comings over the old one, but that would only be some of the people's reasons.

Anyway the key to this IMO is simply that people have various reasons for liking or disliking anything. Whether it is a car a food a color or a computer. Everyone has different tastes and some designs may simply appeal to a wider range of people than others, which IMO is the case with the new MBP.

To be honest I actually wanted to like the new design but to me it is so ridiculous compared to the previous generation that even spending great amounts of time at the Apple store playing with them, I just disliked them even more. So for me this is a NO SALE and it is not because I can't afford it.

As for the upgraded spec components, well that is always a pro for any machine to receive more power parts, but to me it is equivalent to putting a high performance engine in a Yugo. It just doesn't offset what it is regardless of its speed.

Anyhow thats just my respectful opinion of your comments and I personally think this current design will last about as long as the previous Nano one did. Time and sales numbers will tell the tale and opinions won't matter when it comes to the bottom line.

 

[MowingDevil]

My 2.6 Penryn [April 08] MBP is an absolute beast I can't praise it enough. I'm really glad I ponied up for the custom 2.6 CPU now - just adds that extra edge of performance that will keep me happy with it for a little longer.

The glossy and firewire issues on the new MBP are not problems for me - My plan is to upgrade whenever the nehalem architecture reaches the MBP's.

Based on my experiences with MBP's over the past few years, here's some buying advice:

- Unless the MBP is right at the end of a product cycle, don't ever play the waiting game. It's soul destroying. I bought my current MBP as soon as I needed it. I knew that I could have waited 4-5 months and got a redesigned MBP - but instead I got it straight away and have had the joy of working on a cutting edge computer for 5 months, instead of chugging away on my 1st gen 2.0 Yonah MBP. Its often said - but if you need - BUY.

- But the very best you can afford. Those custom chips don't seem like good "value" - but value is more than a function of cost/ specs. The extra I paid for a .1 ghz bump has a huge psychological impact, and future proofs my machine for longer.

Everything you said is fine and personal preference...except for the "future proofing" bit, thats a myth. I used to think the same thing and its been proven false. By the time these machines are getting obsolete in any way, that 270mhz difference is going to mean squat. Same thing with your 100mhz difference on your current version.

I don't begrudge anyone upgrading the processor its just money better spent elsewhere. If you really want the 2.8 thats great, I'd want it myself to be honest but just don't kid yourself into thinking its futureproofing anything.

 

[GGJstudios]

I'm completely satisfied with my MBP. There's nothing that the new model has that I want. I'm hoping to see some improvements in design and performance by the time the Nehalem/Clarksville platform is released.

 

[Phrasikleia]

I have yet to hear someone admit that in terms of GPU power, clock speed and RAM capabilities the new MBP is superior...

Maybe that's because it's only marginally true. The new MBP is slightly better in those categories. Here's a quote from Page 1:

"The findings show very little improvements in both processor and memory performance in the new laptops. Processor performance was unlikely to be greatly impacted as the processors remained much the same between the revisions."

Also, the battery in the new MBP has a reduced capacity:

http://gizmodo.com/5065549/new-macbook-pro-battery-has-less-battery-power-than-old-one

Again, a minor difference, but one that favors the older model. As the Gizmodo article states, you can expect to have to replace the battery in the new MBP sooner than you would with the old one.

 

[johnsy]

Also what is good that you probably will be able to get some discounted accessories for your "classic" mbp. That ranges from sleeves to keyboard covers to batteries.

 

[skymastr16]

With no intent to be contrary to your opinions, I respectfully think you missed the point as to why so many dislike the new models. There may be some validity to your claims as to why some people are condemning the new design but that doesn't mean everyone dislikes it for that reason. Thats just simply a bias towards your theory. The fact the design does not appeal to so many isn't 100% because everyone can't afford one, thats really just silly. I for one have the money to buy anything I want from the Apple store without question and I dislike the new design immensely. I choose not to buy a new MBP until Apple changes to design again to something less appalling to my taste. Do think my old MBP design is superior? You bet and not because I want to feel better or can't afford a new one.

You know the same argument you raise can easily be said in reverse to justify buyers remorse for those that ran out and grabbed a new MBP before realizing the new design's short comings over the old one, but that would only be some of the people's reasons.

Anyway the key to this IMO is simply that people have various reasons for liking or disliking anything. Whether it is a car a food a color or a computer. Everyone has different tastes and some designs may simply appeal to a wider range of people than others, which IMO is the case with the new MBP.

To be honest I actually wanted to like the new design but to me it is so ridiculous compared to the previous generation that even spending great amounts of time at the Apple store playing with them, I just disliked them even more. So for me this is a NO SALE and it is not because I can't afford it.

As for the upgraded spec components, well that is always a pro for any machine to receive more power parts, but to me it is equivalent to putting a high performance engine in a Yugo. It just doesn't offset what it is regardless of its speed.

Anyhow thats just my respectful opinion of your comments and I personally think this current design will last about as long as the previous Nano one did. Time and sales numbers will tell the tale and opinions won't matter when it comes to the bottom line.

*Let's out sigh of relief* -- To start, thank you Atomic Ed and Phrasikleia for both your respectful and mature responses. You both make very reasonable rebuttals filled with fact and educated predictions. As with all opinions it's important to keep in mind the perspective of the one giving the opinion which is something I've learned from reading your posts and going back over the ones previous to my initial response to the thread.

For me, my perspective on the situation is I have been waiting years to take the plunge and buy a Mac and am finally seriously considering this newest iteration of the MBP so I guess in my case, since I don't currently own one I do not have the thousands of hours of MBP experience to compare the new one to like just about everyone else who has participated in this thread does have. Because of this it is easy for me to discount the negative opinions which is probably wrong and I apologize for initially devaluing all of your comments. I do still believe a lot of you are not giving the new refresh it's due credit but regardless I do appreciate reading your opinions since it is partially based on these that I will use to make an ultimate buying decision because I currently am having an internal argument with myself:

In actuality the current issue I have is I know buying a previous generation from the "Clearance" section of the Apple Store site is the best bang for your buck deal - they come in at about $1000 cheaper than the high end new MBP.

So in reality I appreciate everyone's honest opinion.

And now i've taken this thread in a completely different direction and for that i apologize to those who are probably rolling your eyes at me for disrespecting the thread. Sorry, that is all.

 

[grahamnp]

Quite happy with my early 2008 MBP which I plan to keep for a few more years. Hopefully, when it's time for a replacement, Apple would have updated the current MBP, taking into account all of our complaints.

 

[DoNoHarm]

$500

People, we can quantify the difference very readily. It's $500.

If you think a prettier design, DDR3 ram, slightly better GFX, and a chiclet keyboard are worth it, then you get the new one.

I didn't think it was - I wanted a "real" keyboard, matte screen, normal trackpad, and no adaptors for my monitor. When I also considered a MB for the same price as the penryn MBP, the choice is even more obvious...

Lets not forget that a few days ago the penryn MBP was the most beautiful design for any laptop you could purchase.

In the end though, it's all upto personal preference... I understand those who are unaffected by the economic crisis, or those who really, really like the cool design...

Me, I'll just turn my $500 into $1000 by investing in some apple stock!

 

[djellison]

This is what I wanted to see in the new MBP's

1) Better build quality ( got it, it seems )
2) Mag latch ( got it )
3) Higher res screen (fail)
4) User replaceable HDD ( got it )
5) BluRay (fail)
6) Price drop ( EPIC fail in the UK - )

Things I never wanted but have to put up with
1) Ports all on one side ( epic fail)
2) Drop FW400 (epic fail)
3) £100 of adaptors to use a projector and my 30" LCD ( EPIC EPIC fail combined with 6 from above)
4) And sorry....the glossy screen ( beyond epic fail )

And truthfully - I don't really like the look very much. the whole iMac on wheels effect doesn't appeal.

I think I may end up grabbing the last MBP-Classic from the refurb store as a last hurrah. Currently on a 2.2 MBP.

 

[Pcambo86]

Can any one explain, i have a mabook pro 15 2.4 bought about a month before the new ones. And iv installed xp via boot camp and my graphics on xp says its 512mb and on osx it says 256mb. Iv installed the boot camp drivers and any updates so can any one understand why this is. Also quite gutted the fact that i could of waited about 26 days and got the new mbp. but i needed it when i did and all i can say great machine!

 

[crazydiamonds]

Can any one explain, i have a mabook pro 15 2.4 bought about a month before the new ones. And iv installed xp via boot camp and my graphics on xp says its 512mb and on osx it says 256mb. Iv installed the boot camp drivers and any updates so can any one understand why this is. Also quite gutted the fact that i could of waited about 26 days and got the new mbp. but i needed it when i did and all i can say great machine!

Nvidia drivers under XP will borrow some of your ram to the video card.

 

[Pcambo86]

Nvidia drivers under XP will borrow some of your ram to the video card.

So using xp iv got a better graphics cards for games etc? Well hope so because thats all i'l use it 4 now and then.

 

[Teej guy]

I would be if it wasn't for the 8600 issue.