Updated MacBook Pro to See Significant Performance Boost with Ivy Bridge

[the read]

Get a PC.

You'll never get anything more than mediocre performance on a laptop, and it costs way more. Well, some manufacturers cram desktop components into laptops, but Apple won't.

You can buy a MacBook Air or Macbook Pro (whatever fits your needs), and splash out $1000 on a game PC that will probably beat a MacPro (due to more choice of cards, and better 3D drivers).

Or you can buy a top-end Mac which does everything badly.

Apple doesn't make a cheap desktop, which is the best form factor for gaming.

I disagree, yes as a rule laptops are slower than desktops, but that doesn't mean we should accept slower components in an expensive computer like the MacBook pro.

Would you accept an ugly hooker on the basis that most hookers are ugly. No! We have standards and have the right to demand this quality to be met.
Especially when we are paying.

 

[barnettebw]

I also hope they remove the FireWire port. It's legacy, I don't need it, it's ugly, takes up space, and removing it will help push Thunderbolt forward.

Firewire drives are SOOOO much cheaper, though. I'd like to keep FW until thunderbolt is widespread enough to be useful and affordable.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

The problem with big graphics improvements that still aren't big enough to equal discrete chips is that Apple is just that more likely to skip the discrete options and pocket the savings for themselves rather than offer users a choice (a word that seems to be foreign to Apple). This is particularly likely in the case of the Mac-Mini. I highly doubt they will bother to offer a discrete graphics chip option this time around. But then they botched it last time anyway for those that wanted the quad-core MacMini, you had to take the crappy integrated Intel graphics.

Personally, I want an Ivy Bridge Mac Mini to replace my whole house audio/video server (which usually gets used for Internet as well since it's already on 24/7) so the more cores for simultaneous functions without slow-downs elsewhere, the better. I need USB3 to make the server complete for the next several years. But it'd still be nice to be able to play Diablo III on it or whatever when it comes out and it's hard to say offhand whether this Intel 4000HD is going to be good enough even for games coming out this year, let alone in a couple of years. I don't replace servers very often by their very nature so the lack of a way to swap out the graphics card means I will likely need to replace my dedicated PC game rig as well within the next year.

 

[Spadoinkles]

Likely an approximately fivefold increase in overall performance for you.

I came out of an almost-base 2006 Whitebook 2.0C2D, into a late-2011 high-end 15" with SSD+optibay, 16GB RAM and high-res antiglare. I'd say the results are more like hundredfold to be honest. No more overnight renders for 30-second 720p clips.

----------

Firewire drives are SOOOO much cheaper, though. I'd like to keep FW until thunderbolt is widespread enough to be useful and affordable.

I'd kind of like ExpressCard to be offered back. Or at least different options to port different slots. They don't need the SD card IMO, an ExpressCard would open for more possibilities (Apple completely missed CF).

Firewire is a must even if it's via expresscard + adapter.

----------

I disagree, yes as a rule laptops are slower than desktops, but that doesn't mean we should accept slower components in an expensive computer like the MacBook pro.

Would you accept an ugly hooker on the basis that most hookers are ugly. No! We have standards and have the right to demand this quality to be met.
Especially when we are paying.

Avid to the rescue m'dear.

 

[Virtualball]

Why does everyone hate the 13" MBP?

Oh, I don't hate the 13" MBP at all! I meant that it's obvious to anyone who's been on this site for more than 20 minutes that Ivy Bridge laptops are coming out extremely soon.

 

[Spadoinkles]

The problem with big graphics improvements that still aren't big enough to equal discrete chips is that Apple is just that more likely to skip the discrete options and pocket the savings for themselves rather than offer users a choice (a word that seems to be foreign to Apple). This is particularly likely in the case of the Mac-Mini. I highly doubt they will bother to offer a discrete graphics chip option this time around. But then they botched it last time anyway for those that wanted the quad-core MacMini, you had to take the crappy integrated Intel graphics.

Personally, I want an Ivy Bridge Mac Mini to replace my whole house audio/video server (which usually gets used for Internet as well since it's already on 24/7) so the more cores for simultaneous functions without slow-downs elsewhere, the better. I need USB3 to make the server complete for the next several years. But it'd still be nice to be able to play Diablo III on it or whatever when it comes out and it's hard to say offhand whether this Intel 4000HD is going to be good enough even for games coming out this year, let alone in a couple of years. I don't replace servers very often by their very nature so the lack of a way to swap out the graphics card means I will likely need to replace my dedicated PC game rig as well within the next year.

You never know, we might just get the odd possibility of graphics expansion via thunderbolt.

 

[lssmit02]

USB.... 3?

If they have an Ivy Bridge sans USB 3 ports, it would be such a cheap blow.

Ivy Bridge is the first process where Intel supplies a mother board with USB 3 on it.

 

[I8P'CS]

Oh man i just bought a 13" MacBook Pro.

Your mac will burn as soon as the new ones are released and the Sandy Bridge chip will stop functioning. Seriously be happy with your product, I'm sure this will not be your one nd only Mac!! Chill out its a computer dude.

 

[lssmit02]

USB.... 3?

If they have an Ivy Bridge sans USB 3 ports, it would be such a cheap blow.

Ivy Bridge is the first processor where Intel supplies a mother board with USB 3 on it.

 

[aloshka]

USB 3.0 would be so nice. I know thunderbolt rocks and it really does. It's super fast, but there are so many drives I have that are all USB 3.. Plus other peripherals are coming out USB 3.0 as well. Or at least an adapter thunderbolt => usb 3

 

[Cyrilmtl]

Looks like I'll finally be making the jump from my C2D Macbook Pro!

Me too, I like my 2006 MBP but it start to show it's age !
Waiting to see wha Mac Mini and MBP 15" is coming out !
(or MBA 15" ).

I am not against the HD4000 but I want something that can drive a 27" screen when playing WOW.

C.

 

[rovex]

If the 13 inch remains a 720p screen that would be a massive downer certainly if it gets shafted dual core CPU on top.

 

[globalhemp]

The "New" Mac mini

The Apple Store has a section in the right-hand column of the home page for "New to the Store"

The Mac mini is in this column and the store page for this product is titled "The New Mac mini."

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/mac_mini

However, according to Apple, the Mac mini was last updated in July 2011. So, that's not new -- especially by Apple's standards! That was 266 days ago according to MacRumors Buyers Guide at the following URL: https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//#Mac_Mini

 

[TheMirrorsTruth]

nm

 

[heisenberg123]

The Apple Store has a section in the right-hand column of the home page for "New to the Store"

The Mac mini is in this column and the store page for this product is titled "The New Mac mini."

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/mac_mini

However, according to Apple, the Mac mini was last updated in July 2011. So, that's not new -- especially by Apple's standards! That was 266 days ago according to MacRumors Buyers Guide at the following URL:
https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//#Mac_Mini

and the MBP page has alway said the New Macbook Pro, not sure the point of this

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/

 

[andrezuppe]

i know you said "I can dream" but why wait to June if the 13 will use the quad available at the end of April?

Maybe they put:

i7 dual core on the 13" base model
i7 Quad core on 13" top

... and so they have decided to wait dual cores availability in order to launch the "complete" 13" line in june????

Bye...

Andrea

 

[pandamonia]

This will just be another boring update from apple on a notebook that hasn't changed for about 5 years.

Quad core on a notebook... Great more heat and less battery.. who has 8 threaded apps and not a few minutes to spare. - Pointless

i wish they had stuck with the dual core chips as they were less hot and battery lasted longer.

Will also be bundled with some crap GPU that will have some moniker like GT (which makes it sound fast) or something but will find it hard to run any native resolution game on high detail.

Probably have a 10% price increase also just to rape us a bit more.

 

[guzhogi]

I also hope they remove the FireWire port. It's legacy, I don't need it, it's ugly, takes up space, and removing it will help push Thunderbolt forward.

Honest question (sorry if I sound like I'm trolling; not trying to): how about they get rid of all cords and do everything wirelessly? Have an induction pad and charge your computer, keyboard, mouse & external screen all on one pad.

 

[miceblue425]

Interesting, I can't wait to see the new processors in action.

I'm not much of a computer person, but can someone explain what the difference is between integrated graphics and a dedicated graphics card? (ie. when will the computer use integrated graphics vs the dedicated card?) What would be the advantage to only having the integrated graphics....other than cost?

Only having integrated graphics seems unreasonable, I think, unless the integrated card performs just as well as a dedicated card, which I highly doubt.

I'm still using a 2008 unibody aluminum Macbook with an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M 256MB graphics card. How would the integrated graphics of the Ivy Bridge processor compare to my dedicated graphics card?

 

[kkqd1337]

That's based on cycle averages, the Previous update was a silent minor spec update in October of last year and was in no way a significant update. Realistically there hasn't been a proper update since Feb 2011.

That's not the impression the guide gives:

Buyer's Guide
This page provides a product summary for each Apple model. The intent is to provide our best recommendations regarding current product cycles, and to provide a summary of currently available rumors for each model.

This page is based on rumors and speculation and we provide no guarantee to its accuracy.

 

[kingtj]

Not the solution ....

"Get a PC" is really not much of an answer. Why do you think I paid a premium to get AWAY from Windows laptops in the first place? I happen to vastly prefer the OS X operating system, and don't want to have multiple computers for different tasks that the SAME machine should be able to handle.

I'm not a "gamer" who has that as my primary concern.... I'm a small business owner and I.T. professional who does all sorts of different things with my computer(s). I do enjoy playing a few games though, occasionally -- and would be more likely to do so when I've got free time to kill, such as when I'm on a trip someplace and stuck in a hotel room with my laptop.

The other half on my argument is seemingly completely lost on some people here, too. Good graphics performance isn't JUST for gaming! It matters when you want to use large external displays (28" monitor like I have at home, for example?). It matter when you want to do video editing and have preview windows viewable at full screen size without any slowdown or choppiness. It matters if you're editing 3D graphics for said video using software like Motion.

To me, the bottom line is -- I'm spending the $'s for Apple's "high end" portable (designated by them traditionally with a "Pro" in the name) because I want my portable to do all manner of tasks as well as possible. Will it beat a nicely configured tower under my desk? No! I don't expect that either. I just want respectable, well balanced performance so it's at least a suitable "desktop replacement" compared to a basic desktop system.

Get a PC.

You'll never get anything more than mediocre performance on a laptop, and it costs way more. Well, some manufacturers cram desktop components into laptops, but Apple won't.

You can buy a MacBook Air or Macbook Pro (whatever fits your needs), and splash out $1000 on a game PC that will probably beat a MacPro (due to more choice of cards, and better 3D drivers).

Or you can buy a top-end Mac which does everything badly.

Apple doesn't make a cheap desktop, which is the best form factor for gaming.

 

[robvas]

i thought that thunderbolt devices have thunderbolt ports on them so you can always add more thunderbold devices off the first 1?

Not all of them.

 

[bushido]

i just upgraded my mid 2009 mbp with an SSD; i feel like i own a terminator already

 

[Speedrope]

Not sure how reliable these are but here is some gaming benchmarks comparing 2011 HD3000 vs the rumored 2012 HD4000 that should be showing up in the 13in models ...

http://compare-processors.com/forum/hd-graphics-3000-vs-hd-graphics-4000-benchmark-t319.html


I'm still hoping the entry 15in model has a good discrete gpu ...

 

[iScott428]

Ok, got it. Thanks. I haven't really looked at the specs. It seems that the 13" MBP isn't really as "Pro" as its 15" and 17" counterparts.

Precisely, but do not get me wrong the 13" MBP is a great machine for most anyone and a HUGE improvement over what used to be the 13" macbook for $100 more.