Does everyone agree that Apple will *eventually* add the i5/i7 to the 13" MBP? If so, I find it odd they did it for the 15" and 17" and not the 13" if they'll eventually do it anyway, rt???
Part of me still doesn't understand how a similar-wattage i5 (or better yet, a lower wattage i7) would have resulted in significantly reduced battery life.
Thoughts?
Apple MIGHT have an i5 or i7 in future 13" MBPs, but only after the system is redesigned.
The problem is that even the i3 uses more power than the C2D (and the i5 and i7 are worse). In addition, if you choose any of the i3,5,7 series, you have to use the really lousy intel graphics or else have a separate CPU. Apple is not willing to use the lousy intel graphics, so you now have to add a discrete GPU. Now, the extra power for the CPU and GPU add heat - which must be removed, so you need to upgrade the cooling. That takes even more battery power.
Added to all of that is the fact that the insides of the 13" MBP is really cramped, anyway. It would be hard to add a discrete GPU AND extra cooling and even if you did, battery life would drop a lot-which is not a tradeoff Apple is willing to make for a very marginal CPU performance gain.
Thus, it is unlikely that we'll see a major CPU upgrade in the 13" until the next MBP redesign.
I understand the reasoning besides sticking with core2duo, but what about the "average" customer that Apple caters to?
They do not play games besides Flash games or WoW, which are more cpu intensive and they don't do anything that requires a fast GPU.
If you're going to stick with c2d to have better gpu, at least let adobe put cuda accelerated flash on osx, use gpu to accelarate safari, photoshop, quicktime, flash, video encoding, etc. It's a shame that the 13" macbook pros cannot play 1080p MKV files natively through quicktime (plex works though), while netbooks can. A good gpu is meaningless if there aren't apps (besides games) that use them.
You're missing OpenCL which means that ALL apps will benefit from faster GPU. In addition, screen redraws and video will be improved, as well.
Look at the average user you're referring to. Most of them do email, surf the web, etc - so the difference between i3 and C2D would be insignificant, anyway, but would add bulk, weight, and power consumption.
I have been reading all the threads but am hoping someone can help me out. I am looking to buy my first Mac and have been planning on getting a Mac Book Pro.
I am a web & graphic designer and do photography. I currently have a great PC desktop with a large screen - so no problems there. I am looking to get a laptop so when I travel (which is a fair amount of time) I can still get work done. I would be using Photoshop and Lightroom on a regular basis.
I am looking at the 13" since it would be easier to travel with and would fit in my camera bag. I am not worried about not having a lot of screen space because if I am doing a heavy amount of work I can hook it up to my monitor. I am just trying to figure out if the new 13" will run Photoshop and Lightoom okay or if there is a big jump in the 15" performance.
I appreciate any feedback.
I'm going to disagree with the previous poster. If you use it only occasionally, the 13" would be OK. But if you're going to use it much, I'd personally go with the 15". It's only a pound heavier and 1.6" wider, but considerably more powerful - especially if you choose the faster (7200 rpm) hard drive which isn't available on the 13". The vaster video card will help with Photoshop, as well. Personally, I travel with a 17" MBP and it's not a problem (although some smaller bags don't easily carry it). Keep in mind that a 15" MacBook Pro is a lot more portable than a comparable 15" system from some other vendors. The other thing you'll find is that the 15" is enough to be used on a regular basis. It won't replace a desktop machine for heavy lifting, but you might find yourself sitting on the back porch enjoying a peaceful evening while doing work on the 15" or 17", but probably not as much on the 13".