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My credit card is ready! So is my late-2006 MacBook. It's on its last legs and needs to retire.

Just upgraded my early 2006 Rev. 1.1 to a late 2011 i7...the difference is pretty amazing.
 
I just want apple to stop using massively binned parts. The 256mb vram gpu upgrade on the mini is embarassing. (75% of vram failed tests) Every other manufacturer has that part with 1gb. Even my friends old dell zino has a hd 4330 that has a 1gb of ram. The lack of ram on the minis gpu really kills its performance especially at higher resolutions. Same goes for the macbook pro with the 6750M 512mb. This is an 1800 dollar machine. Buying up amd's cards that have failed ram and using them is unacceptable. Even budget machines don't do this.

Unfortunately Apples quality has dropped significantly in recent years as they have become more popular and they try to make the largest margin possible on products.

I've had to return 14 iMacs in a row for a variety of quality issues. Majority of those had yellow screen issues, constant loud buzzing from the power supply, dead out of he box.

I'm hoping the new iMac range will fix a lot of these issues on the current design. The yellow screen issue has been there since 2009 and yet they still continue to use the same cheap LG screens on the 27 inch. They should spend some of the $100 billion in reserve on actually buying decent parts for their machines instead of always going for the cheapest option.

They charge a premium for their products so premium parts should be used.

Also the majority of their stock when you buy online is refurbished in my opinion. When I had a replacement iMac sent to me the screen had fingerprints and smudge marks all over the inside and outside of he glass panel. This happened on at least 3-4 occasions but they still insisted the machine was brand new.

I still continue to use Apple for Mac OS X, but their hardware quality really sucks these days.
 
I think they will be 1mm thinner, without ODD, with Ivy bridge (dual core on 13" low end, and quad core on 13" high-end), USB3, probably no ethernet port but a second thunderbolt to put in adapters for gigabit ethernet (but this can be done even with the USB3). I hope for SSD blade like Air and a 2,5" normal hdd, but dedicated graphics on 13" is unlikely, the difference from base and better model should be the quad core cpu.
Same things on 15" but obviously with quad core and discrete gpu on all models, 17" will go on the new design some months later.
I think retina display is too expensive for now, and needs too gpu power.
 
Not sure if they would put USB 3 on Macs, just like how they never supported eSATA and BluRay. Isn't TB twice as fast as USB3?

Ridiculous. Intel is integrating USB 3.0 into the chipset with IvyBridge, so Apple really won't have the choice not to use it, unless they decide to drop USB altogether, which they would never do.
 
So, what if they did 11, 14 and 17" to reduce the number of SKU's and also comport with Chinese preferences? The current 15" which is popular here might be fine at 14 inch with 4x resolution.

I would be willing to switch from 15" to 14" if it were nearly quad resolution, solid state standard and have some means of running older software such as Windblows and G4 stuff under Rosetta+.

Rocketman

Why would we have to conform to Chinese preferences? I like my 15" thank you very much.
 
hmmm

if theres no ODD im not buying a 2012 ima stick with my early 13"2011 model and buy a 16 gig mem kit and continue my video editing on there why do people hate the odd so much?? do ya all really like sitting at ya macs for 1hour or less to download and install ya software?? if u have the dcd for it download and install faster
"i think" but to also comment on another users post apple has fallen off with the manufacturing quality it once had alof glitches and flaws showing up lately, as i posted b4 if they make the new macbook pro's small and keep the odd and even add more gpu power and usb 3 im all for but if not then im staying where im at and besides Lion and Mountain Lion dont have iDVD anymore so how can i rip a dvd withoout goin to get some 3rd party osftware im not used too??
 
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BTW - I have download speeds of 42Mbs and Protools still took an hour to download off of their site. Normal people don't have 42Mbps download speed. I imagine it would take hours to download and install, instead of 30 minutes from the disc. It's just more convenient.
Your comparison is incomplete.

First - Installation itself is not slower from HDD compared to optical media - at worst its the same speed, though probably it's faster, because optical media read speed is slower than that of a HDD.

Actually getting the installation data is a different story. If you decide right now to acquire new software, with optical installation media you would either have to drive to your next software store (if there is one near you offering the required software) and come back - hopefully it did not run out of stock while you were driving there! Depending on the package size you have to download, you may be faster or slower with physical media.

If you purchase via mail-order, you'll probably be faster with downloads in 95% of all cases as you can purchase and download immediately (over night if necessary), while the mail probably won't be at your doorstep before next day. For me that is much more convenient than having to wait for the mailman! Admitted - that assumes you have at least some kind of broadband access and are not limited to a 56kBps modem...

A backup should be made irrespective of the media the software is originally stored on. With downloaded software it could even be easier to make that backup (ideally automatically e.g. via TimeMachine), as physical media can be copy-protected.

Finally - the documentation. I do agree that it seems nicer to have the documentation in printed form, especially while you are new to a software. However - once you are used to a software you probably will start to increasingly use the inbuilt online-help over the printed manual (for syntax details etc). Even more so, if the printed documentation slowly becomes outdated due to software updates etc.

Therefore i expect that printed documentation will soon generally become a convenience addon you have to pay for separately. Just think of the trend towards eBook readers and tablets, which are ideally for storing huge texts, even offering powerful search functions etc.

Companies already try to save on printed documentation, as that is an enormous cost factor - especially for an international company that has to support a multitude of languages, so it has to supply a variety of languages with its products to cover at least the main markets. This is done much easier (and cheaper) if done in digital form only.

Not to mention the shortened development cycles nowadays: Printed documentation packaged with physical media is prone to become outdated while being stored - digital documentation can easily be updated during installation.

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Better waiting for retina display ... it will come next year.
... or even this year! ;)

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I think retina display is too expensive for now, and needs too gpu power.
That's what people said about a retina display in the iPad... :D
 
Finally some Mac news!!!!

I am using my PowerBook G4 from Dec. 2005 and going back to school for my PhD this fall. It's dang time to buy a new computer!!! :D:D
I'm still on my PowerBook G4 since 2004 :D I'm looking for the right price and the specs that I want in the refurbished section for a 2011 MBP.

Nope, removing super drive will save 1/3 of space in 13" MBP! Optical must die!
The ODD doesn't need to die. I still use mine and I would be fine if it isn't included/built in in upcoming MBP refresh. Not including it will hopefully free up some space for more ports.
 
if theres no ODD im not buying a 2012 ima stick with my early 13"2011 model and buy a 16 gig mem kit and continue my video editing on there why do people hate the odd so much?? do ya all really like sitting at ya macs for 1hour or less to download and install ya software?? if u have the dcd for it download and install faster
"i think" but to also comment on another users post apple has fallen off with the manufacturing quality it once had alof glitches and flaws showing up lately, as i posted b4 if they make the new macbook pro's small and keep the odd and even add more gpu power and usb 3 im all for but if not then im staying where im at and besides Lion and Mountain Lion dont have iDVD anymore so how can i rip a dvd withoout goin to get some 3rd party osftware im not used too??

Most people don't hate the ODD, they just don't need it anymore. External drives are available pretty cheaply and work just fine for the few times a year most people need them. The rest of the time the ODD is just a waste of space that could better be used by adding an SSD or an additional HDD. Downloading software takes a bit of time, sure. So does driving to a store and finding what you want, or ordering it online and waiting for it to ship.

As for iDVD, I guess your choice is to get used to new software or never upgrade your OS again. I know what choice I would make, but you have to decide for yourself which is the more practical solution.
 
Keeping it pro

I don't understand why anyone would be upset about losing the optical drive. It's taking up the most space for the least utility and the external one is cheap and portable itself if you really care. Given that optical drive has tended to be the most problematic component in a string of 10 or so laptops I've owned, externalizing it seems like a feature.

But as many others have said, Apple needs to maintain differentiation for the pro line. For my money, a 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD would be the killer pro laptop feature. Ivy bridge may make it possible to shrink it a bit while still maintaining features and raw power, so that's what I'm hoping for.
 
I don't understand why anyone would be upset about losing the optical drive. It's taking up the most space for the least utility and the external one is cheap and portable itself if you really care. Given that optical drive has tended to be the most problematic component in a string of 10 or so laptops I've owned, externalizing it seems like a feature.

But as many others have said, Apple needs to maintain differentiation for the pro line. For my money, a 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD would be the killer pro laptop feature. Ivy bridge may make it possible to shrink it a bit while still maintaining features and raw power, so that's what I'm hoping for.
I'm interested in buying the 17" MBP. Why does this article not mention the 17"?
 
My 2009 C2D MBP with 256 mb of vram is sweating as it slowly renders After Effects compositions.

..And I have just enough left over money in my college fund to purchase a new machine.

To hell with the ODD, I have a real DVD drive that handles all my burning/lightscribe needs. Give me a quad core with nice hard drive space, 1gb of discrete graphics, and a matte screen... and i'll be one happy worm
 
The iMacs are due for an update as well, but since they will likely be using similar components and ultrabooks are the new (3 year old) cool kid on the block, they might be the priority release.

For what it's worth, a 15" slim MBP with SSD+HD would be pretty sweet. Again, I'm not expecting it to be quite as trim as the MBA, but a sleek package for the important performance type hardware you will actually use can't be a bad thing.
 
The rumour about the 14" Macbook is making me think

Prediction: 11", 14", and 17" MacBooks... They will all be slim like an Air, lacking optical drives. Tim Cook will say that these "are all Pro", with higher resolution "retina" screens. New external SuperDrives are offered that connect via Thunderbolt.

Explanation: The new higher resolution 14" Macbook kills off the 13" Air, the 13" Macbook Pro, and the 15" Macbook Pro, and caters to the Asian market that prefers 14" to 15" notebooks. It also reduces the number of products that Apple needs to manufacture... and fewer SKUs are good for business.
 
Prediction: 11", 14", and 17" MacBooks... They will all be slim like an Air, lacking optical drives. Tim Cook will say that these "are all Pro", with higher resolution "retina" screens. New external SuperDrives are offered that connect via Thunderbolt.

Explanation: The new higher resolution 14" Macbook kills off the 13" Air, the 13" Macbook Pro, and the 15" Macbook Pro, and caters to the Asian market that prefers 14" to 15" notebooks. It also reduces the number of products that Apple needs to manufacture... and fewer SKUs are good for business.
The 14" rumor is for Asian markets only http://www.appleinsider.com/article..._a_14_inch_macbook_air_for_asian_markets.html

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I'm interested in buying the 17" MBP. Why does this article not mention the 17"?
Probably as it was with the last major refresh the 17" was not refreshed at the same time. It was many months later they introduced the refreshed 17". My guess is that it is not as popular so all manufacturing resources went to make the initial batches of 13 & 15 inchers first. Then as initial demand slowed up the 17" was introduced. Just a guess.
 
I looking forward to 15in thin model - likely pro if they can do it
Here is some things I personally hopeful

1. Minimal moving parts like the MacBook Air, this means no Optical Drive, SSD
2. Thunderbolt - and USB 3.0 but to replace USB 2.0 ports
3. More memory hopefully 8G
4. Good GPU - but not ATI - I hope they go back NVidia
5. Larger SSD

and hopefully at good price - I am hoping for above around $1700.

I love the main thing I like about it is that it always available and durable. That is why I desired no moving parts - I had it for 2 years and no problems at all.
 
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For those people upset over the pending extinction of the optical drive, losing that will probably be the very least of your problems (or mine) in the coming years.
 
Calling any computer a "Pro" is really nonsense.

One person can do everything their job asks them to do with an MBA with 64 GB of hard drive space. That's a professional using a computer for professional purposes. Another person puts two 1TB drives into an MacBook Pro to store their complete video collection. That's a hobbyist with a completely unprofessional use of the computer. I can use the quad core processor in the MBP 24/7 to analyse data looking for aliens, that's about as amateurish as it comes. My private Mac at home holds about 20 times more data than the Mac at work.

Can you run AutoCad on your Air Mr. Pro ? :rolleyes:
 
How often do you use your superdrive, and out of curiosity what do you use it for?

What about the 17" model. Surely they could easily make that one thinner too.

Sometimes, I make archival backups, and I watch tons of DVD's on my macbook. The external one is S***... The external apple superdrive. I also always install my software with disc, because it's faster.
 
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