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Thinner 15-Inch MacBook Pro Coming with Retina Display and USB 3.0?

Basically Apple jumped all over Thunderbolt because they saw where the market is going.

Why have a bunch of legacy ports clogging up the side of the notebook? Typically people use different peripherals when at home versus on the road. Thunderbolt allows us to have a home setup that we can connect with a single or a couple of cables and easily connect to our home setups.

I don't think it'll be just Apple delivering displays with docking capabilities. It'll probably be the norm for upscale displays in a few years.
 
mdgm said:
The thing is USB to ethernet would take us back to 100Mbit ethernet which is too slow. Gigabit ethernet has been available for years. I still want an internal gigabit port. I would like an ODD too but reluctantly I think I'll have to accept that Apple will remove the ODD.

As for those suggesting a Thunderbolt Display that's an expensive option, especially when I already have an external display.
Click to expand...

Simple, Apple's new USB3 to Gb ethernet Adapter.

But I think Apple shouldn't drop the ethernet port yet, still very much used.
 
So... I find this report about as credible as the Digitimes report people were so worked up about a while back. That is to say, not very. Digitimes totally got it's release dates wrong, and now this report is saying they effectively got the design wrong too...

But this report has nothing really to indicate it's got any serious chance of being right, either.

FWIW, you can go back at least 2-3 years for rumors which say the MBP is going to be made thinner, and the optical drive and the Ethernet ports would be dropped, accordingly. ALL of those rumors have proved wrong - and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

People thinking optical drives and ethernet ports will be dropped from the Pro line fail to consider that those features *are* still in fairly widespread use, and if Apple drops them from ALL their laptops, they effectively lose many of their highly loyal long term customers who still need such things, and they also reduce differentiation between the MBA and MBP. It's simply not going to happen. MBPs will likely have both an optical drive and an Ethernet port for years to come.

That said, there's could be a niche in the market for something in-between the MBA and the MBP - a mid-range compromise which doesn't have an optical drive or ethernet, but which has more power and features than the MBA. I think if anything along the lines of what this report is suggesting happens, it'll be a new line, not a replacement for anything current.
 
derickdub said:
I really hope Apple doesn't put ports on both sides like that. It will really clutter up my desk having cables coming out like that. :(
Click to expand...

+1

My early '08 MBP has ports on both sides and it's a pain. I'd much rather they be all on one side.

derickdub said:
since USB adaptors aren't gigabit ethernet speeds.
Click to expand...

But isn't that just because current USB->Ethernet adaptors are USB2 devices? Since the new MBP will, almost certainly, have USB3 then Gigabit speeds will be possible. Who knows, if they do remove the Ethernet port maybe Apple will include a USB->Ethernet adaptor with the MBP :)
 
theNoble1 said:
The Thunderbolt and Magsafe should be on the same side to accommodate the all in one cable on the monitor. I don't believe the cable would stretch to the other side.
Click to expand...

I dont know why they didn't make the thunderbolt port double up as a charging port then the display could charge the laptop from a single cable.
 
zgwortz said:
So... I find this report about as credible as the Digitimes report people were so worked up about a while back. That is to say, not very. Digitimes totally got it's release dates wrong, and now this report is saying they effectively got the design wrong too...

But this report has nothing really to indicate it's got any serious chance of being right, either.

FWIW, you can go back at least 2-3 years for rumors which say the MBP is going to be made thinner, and the optical drive and the Ethernet ports would be dropped, accordingly. ALL of those rumors have proved wrong - and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

People thinking optical drives and ethernet ports will be dropped from the Pro line fail to consider that those features *are* still in fairly widespread use, and if Apple drops them from ALL their laptops, they effectively lose many of their highly loyal long term customers who still need such things, and they also reduce differentiation between the MBA and MBP. It's simply not going to happen. MBPs will likely have both an optical drive and an Ethernet port for years to come.

That said, there's could be a niche in the market for something in-between the MBA and the MBP - a mid-range compromise which doesn't have an optical drive or ethernet, but which has more power and features than the MBA. I think if anything along the lines of what this report is suggesting happens, it'll be a new line, not a replacement for anything current.
Click to expand...

You're gonna be proven wrong relatively quickly.
 
manu chao said:
The taper is needed, otherwise it would much harder to pick up the MBP when it sits on a flat surface.
Click to expand...

Some curvature is needed around the edges more for looks than for ergonomics but not as much as it has now. The previous MBP could be picked up just fine.
 
derickdub said:
I really hope Apple doesn't put ports on both sides like that. It will really clutter up my desk having cables coming out like that. :(
Click to expand...
theNoble1 said:
The Thunderbolt and Magsafe should be on the same side to accommodate the all in one cable on the monitor. I don't believe the cable would stretch to the other side.
Click to expand...

FIXED THIS FOR YOU:

imagecvk.png


And I agree.
 
justperry said:
Simple, Apple's new USB3 to Gb ethernet Adapter.

But I think Apple shouldn't drop the ethernet port yet, still very much used.
Click to expand...

Pardon my ignorance, but I don't really understand why there is so much disdain for removing the ethernet port. Is it really "very much used"? Because certainly not in my experience. I don't doubt it is used, but I'm certain that the number of users is diminishing. I would peg usage around 20% or so at most... and diminishing. It makes sense to get rid of it and let those who still need it, get the adapter.

Maybe my figures are way off, I dunno
 
So instead of having a multi-function pro machine that supports a decent number of industry-standard ports (real ethernet and FW800 being the most important for me), we have to buy and lug around a bunch of stupid dongles (and an external optical drive, if desired). Not only does that mean that people will have to spend several hundred dollars on dongles and external accessories, but any convenience that comes from having a "super thin and light" machine becomes moot.

Come on Apple--don't be stupid: hardware ethernet is an absolute must and without FW800, the era of Mac as an audio and/or video production platform is over. Does Apple really want to lose all of their customers in media production just to shave 2-3 mm off the case thickness? Media production people aren't going to throw out all of their FW-compatible hardware (most of which costs more than the MBP itself) just to have a slightly skinnier machine.
 
zgwortz said:
So... I find this report about as credible as the Digitimes report people were so worked up about a while back. That is to say, not very. Digitimes totally got it's release dates wrong, and now this report is saying they effectively got the design wrong too...

But this report has nothing really to indicate it's got any serious chance of being right, either.

FWIW, you can go back at least 2-3 years for rumors which say the MBP is going to be made thinner, and the optical drive and the Ethernet ports would be dropped, accordingly. ALL of those rumors have proved wrong - and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

People thinking optical drives and ethernet ports will be dropped from the Pro line fail to consider that those features *are* still in fairly widespread use, and if Apple drops them from ALL their laptops, they effectively lose many of their highly loyal long term customers who still need such things, and they also reduce differentiation between the MBA and MBP. It's simply not going to happen. MBPs will likely have both an optical drive and an Ethernet port for years to come.

That said, there's could be a niche in the market for something in-between the MBA and the MBP - a mid-range compromise which doesn't have an optical drive or ethernet, but which has more power and features than the MBA. I think if anything along the lines of what this report is suggesting happens, it'll be a new line, not a replacement for anything current.
Click to expand...

People thinking the optical drives will probably be gone have astutely read that the Macbook Air lineup comprises an estimated 25% of Apple notebook sales. Years ago there wasn't a Mac App Store and online distribution of software wasn't as popular as it is today. Today even Adobe and Microsoft sell digital downloads.

The primary problem with your post is the assumption that an integrated optical drive is a deal breaker for people (it's not for most). Those of us that have been around remember the same bleating about the lack of a floppy drive in the original iMac. The market delivered add on USB floppy drives and the world went on. FF a decade and here's the cavalcade telling us DVD drives are so important. Rinse...lather ...repeat.

----------
Riemann Zeta said:
So instead of having a multi-function pro machine that supports a decent number of industry-standard ports (real ethernet and FW800 being the most important for me), we have to buy and lug around a bunch of stupid dongles (and an external optical drive, if desired). Not only does that mean that people will have to spend several hundred dollars on dongles and external accessories, but any convenience that comes from having a "super thin and light" machine becomes moot.

Come on Apple--don't be stupid: hardware ethernet is an absolute must and without FW800, the era of Mac as an audio and/or video production platform is over. Does Apple really want to lose all of their customers in media production just to shave 2-3 mm off the case thickness?
Click to expand...

NAB 2012 was ALL about Thunderbolt.

Apogee and Universal Audio (Apollo) audio interfaces both have Thunderbolt options. I'm not going to diminish someone's workflow but at some point businesses need to write off purchases and keep moving towards superior solutions.
 
Freeks said:
No Firewire????

All PRO audiointerfaces use FW connection. There is no way that i would take USB audio interface to stage.

Grr! I was waiting next MPB line to update, but now i need to buy current model just to have FW.

I also have 10+ FW hard drives that would become obsolete with this.
Click to expand...

thunderbolt-to-firewire adapters? something's gotta give, FW never took off, and FW800 was DOA. Now even USB is faster.
 
zgwortz said:
So... I find this report about as credible as the Digitimes report people were so worked up about a while back. That is to say, not very. Digitimes totally got it's release dates wrong, and now this report is saying they effectively got the design wrong too...

But this report has nothing really to indicate it's got any serious chance of being right, either.

FWIW, you can go back at least 2-3 years for rumors which say the MBP is going to be made thinner, and the optical drive and the Ethernet ports would be dropped, accordingly. ALL of those rumors have proved wrong - and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

People thinking optical drives and ethernet ports will be dropped from the Pro line fail to consider that those features *are* still in fairly widespread use, and if Apple drops them from ALL their laptops, they effectively lose many of their highly loyal long term customers who still need such things, and they also reduce differentiation between the MBA and MBP. It's simply not going to happen. MBPs will likely have both an optical drive and an Ethernet port for years to come.

That said, there's could be a niche in the market for something in-between the MBA and the MBP - a mid-range compromise which doesn't have an optical drive or ethernet, but which has more power and features than the MBA. I think if anything along the lines of what this report is suggesting happens, it'll be a new line, not a replacement for anything current.
Click to expand...

That scenario does not sound likely. Are optical drives still in use? yes, but they are being used less and less each year. Your (I'm speaking in a generic "you") current MBP is optical drive will still work fine after the refresh, and once your need for optical drive is gone (I give it 2 years max), you can purchase a new MBP. Alternatively for those who need a new mbp now with optical drive, there is still the refurbished store. Apple does not need to hold itself back with dying technologies.

Although I wouldn't be surprised if the 17" model retains the optical drive.
 
Wow.... no ethernet port? If Apple include the $29 USB to ethernet adapter in the box fine, otherwise I'm not so sure on a $2000 and up laptop to not have an ethernet port feature and call itself 'Pro'! It should ditch the that tag as it will be design over functionality.

Then again this IS a rumour. But I can think of a few laptops with no optical drive now, but no ethernet port? Not so easy. And NONE at Apple's price tag.
 
Three Questions

Since we're talking about a "Pro" laptop:

1) Why no Optical Drive? Sure there's still quite a bit of software out there that os not available on the Appstore or for download. (3d render software, architectural software to name just two...)

2) Any ideas where to get more information on retina displays? I'd be interested wether they're able to display the Adobe RGB spectrum with a decent viewing angle

3) Software such as Photoshop & Illustrator: Will they automatically display images & Vectors in retina mode, but palettes in "standard"?
 
apolloa said:
Wow.... no ethernet port? If Apple include the $29 USB to ethernet adapter in the box fine, otherwise I'm not so sure on a $2000 and up laptop to not have an ethernet port feature and call itself 'Pro'! It should ditch the that tag as it will be design over functionality.

Then again this IS a rumour. But I can think of a few laptops with no optical drive now, but no ethernet port? Not so easy. And NONE at Apple's price tag.
Click to expand...

Ethernet was introduced in 1980. I'd say half this message-board may be inhabited by people younger than the protocol itself. It's a pretty large leap to say Ethernet makes a device Professional
 
they cant remove the firewire, how will pro manage to plug their pro soundcards (i paid 3k$ for this RME firewire soundcard, i'm not getting another cheap ass usb card just to upgrade my computer, that's ridiculous)
 
Mad Mac Maniac said:
Pardon my ignorance, but I don't really understand why there is so much disdain for removing the ethernet port. Is it really "very much used"? Because certainly not in my experience. I don't doubt it is used, but I'm certain that the number of users is diminishing. I would peg usage around 20% or so at most... and diminishing. It makes sense to get rid of it and let those who still need it, get the adapter.

Maybe my figures are way off, I dunno
Click to expand...

Simple scenario, your WiFi at home stops working, or you call your ISP up for help, first thing they will say or that you will want to do is......... oh yeah plug in your ethernet cable! Which you can do on every machine bar Apple's $2000 plus machine. Unless they include the dongle with every machine, or you buy one.

If your talking about people who use them for work..... that's a whole different ball game.
 
I really like the idea of a thinner MBP, with thunderbold ethernet, video, firewire USB and audio (for example the belkin device poster earlier (http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/09/belkin-details-thunderbolt-express-dock/). As it is I currently have to plug in everyone of these separately every time I move my laptop. And I could care less about the DVD. What I really do care about is a usable laptop - which to me means high screen resolution, CPU performance and long battery life.

Honestly, if I wanted a giant computer that had all that stuff built in I would use a sony F series Vaio, which destroys the MBP in price (about half) and performance. A 2010 F series includes standard blue ray, express card, magic gate, eSata, a better video card in addition to the MBPs i7, 1080p, 8GB ram, firewire, USB3, optical audio, backlit keyboard etc...
 
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Beliblis said:
Since we're talking about a "Pro" laptop:

1) Why no Optical Drive? Sure there's still quite a bit of software out there that os not available on the Appstore or for download. (3d render software, architectural software to name just two...)

2) Any ideas where to get more information on retina displays? I'd be interested wether they're able to display the Adobe RGB spectrum with a decent viewing angle

3) Software such as Photoshop & Illustrator: Will they automatically display images & Vectors in retina mode, but palettes in "standard"?
Click to expand...

1. Because there becomes a tipping point where the peripheral is still needed, as you adeptly point out, but that it's usage does not required integration into the computer. External drives install just as easily as external but ridding ourselves of the internal drive allows for more components that will benefit far more users (e.g more battery, storage options or cooling)

2. Try DisplayBlog. They may have chatted about the potential Retina screens.

3. Unknown
 
monkeybagel said:
What is there to "get over?" You said yourself "in a few years, we won't be using optical drives at all anymore." Now is not "in a few years."
Click to expand...

That's why there is still an external option. The time to drop internal support for something is just before it becomes obsolete, not after. Otherwise, technology won't move forward, because as long as it is included people won't want to migrate off.

monkeybagel said:
Just because you don't use your computer to its full potential doesn't mean others don't.
Click to expand...

It's more like, just because you use old technology doesn't mean I should have to buy it to get what I do want (e.g. Retina Display, Ivy Bridge, USB 3.0).
 
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