Still the best in class....

[applesupergeek]

After all the crap we've been taking from pc users in these very forums, here come the updates and the pros are still best in class.

I dare anyone to come up with a proprietary graphics switching laptop such as the macbook pro 15" say, with excellent screen resolution options, and a super fast gpu, plus the latest (and greatest in the highest specked model) from intel, that has in that slim design 8-9 battery hours on a single charge.

Now people might understand that sometimes you have to wait a couple of months for a custom built intelligent graphics switch, that allows the battery to work for 9 hours, instead of just sticking everything in with no thought and shipping away.

Any takers?

I didn't think so.

 

[Satori]

Nice to see that there are at least two of us who haven't thrown our toys out of the pram following this update!

 

[applesupergeek]

Nice to see that there are at least two of us who haven't thrown our toys out of the pram following this update!

it is indeed, lol, people always expect far too much from apple, and when they do deliver more than enough they are not satisfied. Case in point the best in class ipad, with 10 hours of battery life, ips screen, super fast, custom arm cpu etc. etc. And yet hp comes out, well not yet, with a be-keyboarded netbook with an atrocious interface and the tired atom, and 5 hours battery life, with a smaller screen, and all of sudden they are competitors. MS comes out with fugly kids phones and everyone starts getting excited. I wonder if it was apple who released the hp slate, with all that crapiness screenwise, os wise, battery wise, applications wise, cpu wise or some joke kid's phones....what would people do, demand S.J's head on a platter and march the streets in protest?

 

[Bibble]

The update was good. The problem is that it was so long in coming that people started expecting that there would be something amazing, just shy of it getting up and <insert sexual act here> when asked.

With all updates, there will be people not getting what they want, and the longer the wait, the more people will expect. The new MBPs are a fair old step ahead of the previous ones, and, if I had had the means before and waited, I would be glad that I had.


The thing about Apple (the point they've been trying to make with this Adobe thing) is that they make both the hardware and software, which means that the software can be written around the hardware, and the hardware selected to compliment the software. This is what people mean when they say that something "just works", MS have to code for all manner of different components, and the manufacturers have to make hardware to cope with anything MS might throw at them, and you have 2 sets of people essentially slinging pies from across a room. Ok, so sometimes, one might catch the pie, and with a lot of effort, they can go out of their way to grab it, but it's hit and miss. In this metaphor, Apple are two sets of people standing next to each other handing pies over. Not as quick as a repeating pie-gun, but, statistically, better.

 

[Cycom]

After all the crap we've been taking from pc users in these very forums, here come the updates and the pros are still best in class.

I dare anyone to come up with a proprietary graphics switching laptop such as the macbook pro 15" say, with excellent screen resolution options, and a super fast gpu, plus the latest (and greatest in the highest specked model) from intel, that has in that slim design 8-9 battery hours on a single charge.

Now people might understand that sometimes you have to wait a couple of months for a custom built intelligent graphics switch, that allows the battery to work for 9 hours, instead of just sticking everything in with no thought and shipping away.

Any takers?

I didn't think so.

I agree with you overall, except where you called the gpu "super fast."

 

[hcmitchellr]

Ill take...but first tell me which MacBook pro has the super fast GPU.

 

[applesupergeek]

I agree with you overall, except where you called the gpu "super fast."

I stand corrected. Very fast, not superfast, not alienware drain your battery in 4 hours and have a backup battery fast. My bad.

But to be fair, for this kind of battery life, I would wager that as the combination battery+gpu it's the most efficient around.

 

[applesupergeek]

The update was good. The problem is that it was so long in coming that people started expecting that there would be something amazing, just shy of it getting up and <insert sexual act here> when asked.

With all updates, there will be people not getting what they want, and the longer the wait, the more people will expect. The new MBPs are a fair old step ahead of the previous ones, and, if I had had the means before and waited, I would be glad that I had.


The thing about Apple (the point they've been trying to make with this Adobe thing) is that they make both the hardware and software, which means that the software can be written around the hardware, and the hardware selected to compliment the software. This is what people mean when they say that something "just works", MS have to code for all manner of different components, and the manufacturers have to make hardware to cope with anything MS might throw at them, and you have 2 sets of people essentially slinging pies from across a room. Ok, so sometimes, one might catch the pie, and with a lot of effort, they can go out of their way to grab it, but it's hit and miss. In this metaphor, Apple are two sets of people standing next to each other handing pies over. Not as quick as a repeating pie-gun, but, statistically, better.

Very eloquent post, thanks for posting this. Lol about the "sexual act", but it's true that's what most expect, which is kinda flattering for apple of course, but it's also not going to happen, so far.

 

[apolloa]

I stand corrected. Very fast, not superfast, not alienware drain your battery in 4 hours and have a backup battery fast. My bad.

But to be fair, for this kind of battery life, I would wager that as the combination battery+gpu it's the most efficient around.

I actually saw all the Alienware laptops at a show I went to on Friday, and let me tell you... FUUUUUUGGGGGLLLLYYYYYY!! That's the first thing I thought of compared to the MacBook Pro. Really not worth all that power for something that offensive to the beauty police.

But I will say I want an Alienware Auora ALX system, now that looks smart. Shame fully loaded it's about twice as much as the fully loaded MB Pro

I agree with what you are saying too, you get good graphics performance, very good battery and powerful processor, automatic everything, in a very durable laptop that's less then an inch thick!

 

[applesupergeek]

I actually saw all the Alienware laptops at a show I went to on Friday, and let me tell you... FUUUUUUGGGGGLLLLYYYYYY!! That's the first thing I thought of compared to the MacBook Pro. Really not worth all that power for something that offensive to the beauty police.

But I will say I want an Alienware Auora ALX system, now that looks smart. Shame fully loaded it's about twice as much as the fully loaded MB Pro

I agree with what you are saying too, you get good graphics performance, very good battery and powerful processor, automatic everything, in a very durable laptop that's less then an inch thick!

That's a very good point, I didn't even go into aesthetics, which to me too, are a prime decision factor (why would anyone want to use a fugly device almost everyday is their lives in the following years is beyond me...), because I was sure to be mocked here by people who based on how tasteless they are think they can dictate that aesthetics are of no importance to others. The unibody aluminum chassis is a real treat, it's stunning, to me it's probably the pinnacle of industrial laptop design and it's unmatched by anyone on the globe, and I can safely say anyone who doesn't think it's great either have an agenda or lack the basic aesthetic functions we all share. And besides the beauty of it, it's easily the most robust, rigid, and solid casing out there, easily...

 

[Cycom]

The unibody aluminum chassis is a real treat, it's stunning, to me it's probably the pinnacle of industrial laptop design and it's unmatched by anyone on the globe, and I can safely say anyone who doesn't think it's great either have an agenda or lack the basic aesthetic functions we all share. And besides the beauty of it, it's easily the most robust, rigid, and solid casing out there, easily...

Spot on. It still boggles my mind how multi-billion dollar pc makers fail to get laptop designs that are 1/2 as awesome as Apple's.

 

[Cali3350]

Spot on. It still boggles my mind how multi-billion dollar pc makers fail to get laptop designs that are 1/2 as awesome as Apple's.

Completely depends on market. For the Audio/Video crowd that Apple caters too its designs are sleek and sexy, but to my parents they find my old plastic Dell to be better looking.

 

[C64]

Most people complaining at this point are/were potential switchers. They clearly never used a Mac or OS X before in a serious way, and can't look past a 1 on 1 comparison of specs, or simply overlook things like LED-display, the aforementioned unibody, the value of OS X and iLife, etc. Like Aristotle said: "The whole is more than the sum of its parts". There's nothing more true when it comes to Apple products. Problem is that it's just hard to quantify, and it simply leads to incorrect and misleading comparisons.

If you're happy with Windows and a plastic laptop with the latest and greatest so you can play games, move your mouse amazingly fast due to USB3 and tell your Mac-friends they've been conned out of their money, that's absolutely fine. Seriously, I'm sure you'll be extremely happy with your machine and OS, and that it was the right choice for you. And that's what it's all about in the end.

If you're a Mac user or are seriously considering switching, you dó have a sense of realism and aren't pulled into this shortsighted parroting that's always going on: look at what you need and pick the model that fits your needs best, endure the excruciating time before it's delivered to your doorstep, and then.. enjoy these exceptional pieces of technology and realize those few bucks were worth it all the way, and then some.

 

[Hydroxs]

nvm. edit

 

[wrightc23]

Most people complaining at this point are/were potential switchers. They clearly never used a Mac or OS X before in a serious way, and can't look past a 1 on 1 comparison of specs, or simply overlook things like LED-display, the aforementioned unibody, the value of OS X and iLife, etc. Like Aristotle said: "The whole is more than the sum of its parts". There's nothing more true when it comes to Apple products. Problem is that it's just hard to quantify, and it simply leads to incorrect and misleading comparisons.

If you're happy with Windows and a plastic laptop with the latest and greatest so you can play games, move your mouse amazingly fast due to USB3 and tell your Mac-friends they've been conned out of their money, that's absolutely fine. Seriously, I'm sure you'll be extremely happy with your machine and OS, and that it was the right choice for you. And that's what it's all about in the end.

If you're a Mac user or are seriously considering switching, you dó have a sense of realism and aren't pulled into this shortsighted parroting that's always going on: look at what you need and pick the model that fits your needs best, endure the excruciating time before it's delivered to your doorstep, and then.. enjoy these exceptional pieces of technology and realize those few bucks were worth it all the way, and then some.

I'm a former Mac owner and was looking to switch back. Whilst the overall experience is great is that really a justification for putting outdated components in your laptops and selling them at a considerable markup? I'm waiting for someone to start spouting off about Apple R&D and special hardware components in the MBP next.

 

[C64]

I'm a former Mac owner and was looking to switch back. Whilst the overall experience is great is that really a justification for putting outdated components in your laptops and selling them at a considerable markup? I'm waiting for someone to start spouting off about Apple R&D and special hardware components in the MBP next.

Apple doesn't make products with the latest tech. They never did before, so there's nothing new here. There's always something else brewing or already available in some other brands.

But they don't care about giving their customers the very latest if it conflicts with other aspects that they find important. Apple gives you more than just a collection of some specs, like I said before. E.g., say, battery life. Sure, throw in a quad core for the same price and wait for the topics to pop up about how ridiculous it is that their MBP only lasts 2 hours. Same goes for the 13" not having the i5 CPU. Steve:

"We chose killer graphics plus 10 hour battery life over a very small CPU speed increase. Users will see far more performance boost from the speedy graphics."

https://www.macrumors.com/2010/04/1...book-pros-use-of-intel-core-2-duo-processors/

If you want a 13" gaming laptop with an i5, or a 13" i5 just for the sake of it being a 13" with a bloody i5; for the love of God, don't buy an Apple laptop but get an Acer for half the price.

Could they have included more stuff, or newer stuff? Sure. Does that make them more expensive? Yes. Even if you calculate in all the extra value? Yes, some. But a lot less than many people here would like you to believe. Apple knows it can charge more for their products because they believe they deliver something that's in its whole superior to laptops of other brands. And they're right, seeing as how they're not out of business yet. If for you personally the price difference is justifiable, buy Apple. If not, don't buy Apple. It's that simple. But people should stop making invalid comparisons, and act like Apple is some non-for profit organization.

 

[dgree03]

After all the crap we've been taking from pc users in these very forums, here come the updates and the pros are still best in class.

I dare anyone to come up with a proprietary graphics switching laptop such as the macbook pro 15" say, with excellent screen resolution options, and a super fast gpu, plus the latest (and greatest in the highest specked model) from intel, that has in that slim design 8-9 battery hours on a single charge.

Now people might understand that sometimes you have to wait a couple of months for a custom built intelligent graphics switch, that allows the battery to work for 9 hours, instead of just sticking everything in with no thought and shipping away.

Any takers?

I didn't think so.

Graphics switching is NOT mac proprietary! Nvidia developed the tech.
Also your 15in wont get CLOSE to 9 hours worth of battery, but i image it would get 6-7.

Look at the Dell XPS 16.
HP Envy 15/13
Asus UL80
Sony Vaio F series/Z series.

There fans with facts, then there is fanbois.... guess which one you are

 

[Cali3350]

Graphics switching is NOT mac proprietary! Nvidia developed the tech.
Also your 15in wont get CLOSE to 9 hours worth of battery, but i image it would get 6-7.

Look at the Dell XPS 16.
HP Envy 15/13
Asus UL80
Sony Vaio F series/Z series.

There fans with facts, then there is fanbois.... guess which one you are

Optimus is based on Nvidia having a large database of applications that it flags as dedicated or integrated. Apple is actually looking at what API's the application are accessing and adjusting on the fly.

Its based on the same tech but Apples implementation is better.

 

[lssmit02]

Graphics switching is NOT mac proprietary! Nvidia developed the tech.

Wrong

 

[hcmitchellr]

Not all of us are switchers.

I use both Mac and PCs. I have even worked for both Apple and IBM. I can probably blame my frustration on my past employment at Apple. Right before I left, the rumors of moving to Intel CPUs was going around. I was never impressed with Apple hardware, but after hearing the rummors were true, I was excited about finally having real hardware running an OS (OSX) I had learned to admire.

Still waiting on the laptops....

Unfortunatly it is still whatever is the best tool for the job. I really wanted a single Apple solution...but oh well.

and by the way...I am typing this on an iPad while my new 15" i5 is transferring all my data from my old MacBook. I am watching SouthPark on my Tv that uses a MacMini as a media server and I am on my second iPhone. That's how much I hate Apple.

 

[andiwm2003]

The updates are actually quite good. Nothing surprising but the overall package is good.

My dilemma is more the pricing. I'm only interested in the 15" or the 13".

The problem is that the 15" with antiglare and apple care, tax, i7 ends up being ~2900 US Dollar.

Alternatively I could get a low end 13" that doesn't need apple care at that price. so I end up with ~1300 bucks and can easily throw in an iPad 3G an still save ~1000 bucks over the tricked out 15".

I guess I have to look at my actual usage and that clearly says to get the low end 13". as much as I would love the high end high res 15" I simply can't justify the $2900 although I could easily afford it (I get it for some reason at half price).

And I doubt you can find that mix of performance, screen quality, trackpad and battery life for much less in the PC world. The often mentioned Sony Vaio Z comes to mind but is then also quite expensive.

 

[drew0020]

Steve:

"We chose killer graphics plus 10 hour battery life over a very small CPU speed increase. Users will see far more performance boost from the speedy graphics."

https://www.macrumors.com/2010/04/1...book-pros-use-of-intel-core-2-duo-processors/

Please. Killer graphics? I don't think so. 3 year old C2D ha. The only one who is laughing is Steve Jobs all the way to the bank. I can only imagine the GM's for Apple on this under powered and over priced machine. I can't even call it a pro it's so terrible.

 

[grahamnp]

The GPU can be switched to save battery life so I would have much rather had a more powerful GPU than this "30% more efficient than it's predecessor" 330m. I'm sure the real reason for the 330m is cost and not efficiency. InNvidia's line up, the 330m is a lower end part than the 9600m GT was in it's time.

 

[therealseebs]

After all the crap we've been taking from pc users in these very forums, here come the updates and the pros are still best in class.

I dare anyone to come up with a proprietary graphics switching laptop such as the macbook pro 15" say, with excellent screen resolution options, and a super fast gpu, plus the latest (and greatest in the highest specked model) from intel, that has in that slim design 8-9 battery hours on a single charge.

Yeah, uhm.

It's also the best computer made by a guy who wears black turtlenecks all the time.

The problem is, if we take your definition of "class", Apple's highest-end computer is in the low end of laptop specs. I can get machines with better CPU and video for a LOT less money -- and no, I don't care at all about "slim design".

If the GPU were "super fast", or even "fast", I'd be more sympathetic to your argument, but it's not; it's a low-end cheapo processor that's slower than the ATI cards that use the same amount of power. It's a mediocre GPU at best.

Basically, yeah, it's best in "class". But that class of laptop isn't really suitable to my goals, and isn't usually worth $2.3k or so.

It used to be that the high-end Apple laptops were actually competitive, at least approximately, with some high-end PC laptops. They seem to have abandoned the high end of the market completely.

 

[applesupergeek]

Graphics switching is NOT mac proprietary! Nvidia developed the tech.
Also your 15in wont get CLOSE to 9 hours worth of battery, but i image it would get 6-7.

Look at the Dell XPS 16.
HP Envy 15/13
Asus UL80
Sony Vaio F series/Z series.

There fans with facts, then there is fanbois.... guess which one you are

Next time you offend someone like myself try not looking like a moron at the same time and talking about "facts" when you are clueless. Apple DO NOT use optimus swithing for graphics (developed by NVIDIA), they are using a custom option that besides having better integration with the OS that allows for best in class battery life, it also has the added advantage of switching off the igfx completely.

Nvidia says new MacBook Pro graphics switching isn't Optimus

Better luck next time with your "facts" and calling other people that are more informed than you fanboys.

And I doubt you can find that mix of performance, screen quality, trackpad and battery life for much less in the PC world. The often mentioned Sony Vaio Z comes to mind but is then also quite expensive.

Exactly. If you do find something similar (which will of course lack the gorgeous unibody aluminium, and a few other features, the least mentioned of which is the best os and hardware integration) it will probably be from sony and it will be at best on par with apple's prices or even more expensive.

Yeah, uhm.
It's also the best computer made by a guy who wears black turtlenecks all the time.
I can get machines with better CPU and video for a LOT less money -- and no, I don't care at all about "slim design".

Then get these bricks instead if you don't care about slim design, but don't mock the guy theat wears turtlenecks and make the greatest notebooks on the globe. I can get great cpu and gpu too when I lug my mac pro around.