Why is Apple getting rid of the Macbook Pro?

[Krazy Bill]

but there is no way they are going to limit people to some non-expandable machine with no ports.

Oh hell no... Not Apple. Never.

 

[nick9191]

Try running CAD applications and video rendering in an Air, and then you'd be qualified to speak on such things. The hardware in the Air doesn't even come close to providing the user the ability to do these things. I could see getting rid of the optical drive MAYBE. and the HDD when they're cheaper - not yet... Getting rid of discreet graphics and only 4 gb of ram MAX and unexpandable?? Not gonna happen. People do use macs for more than Facebook machines and microsoft word ya know.....

I completely agree. The Air is not and will not be a viable replacement for the pro. Not everybody uses their Pro just to surf the web. Even a 256GB SSD is not large enough for me and all I do is some light photo and video editing, I cannot imagine what a graphics or coding professional would use. I hate it when people say that the Air is plenty powerful and should replace the pro, just because their needs are met by the Air doesn't mean everyones are.

Did you guys not read a word I said?

I was referring to getting rid of the optical drive and hard drive in favour of a much faster machine. The current baseline Pro has a dual core i5 and Intel graphics.

 

[/user/me]

Did you not read a word I said?

I was referring to getting rid of the optical drive and hard drive in favour of a much faster machine. The current baseline Pro has a dual core i5 and Intel graphics. Professional? Really?

If you survey people that actually use the pro model for what it's marketed as, you'll find that there's an extremely small minority of them that use the 13 inch. Personal example - I have the upper end 15 inch with 16 gb of ram, and i could still benefit from more RAM and a faster processor. What is it that you use your computer for again?

 

[nick9191]

If you survey people that actually use the pro model for what it's marketed as, you'll find that there's an extremely small minority of them that use the 13 inch. Personal example - I have the upper end 15 inch with 16 gb of ram, and i could still benefit from more RAM and a faster processor. What is it that you use your computer for again?

Again, you're not reading my original post.

I said I was in favour of getting rid of the HDD and DVD in favour of a much faster machine. You quoted me as saying that I thought it would be a great idea to run CAD and video rendering on a MacBook Air. Reading is an essential skill my friend.

And in response to your question, programming for my CS course and dicking around on this place mostly.

 

[Medic278]

Large sad drive ate too expensive to replace a traditional hard drive unless you want a 2500 entry level machine which I don't think many people really want right now get rid of the hard drive when the price of an ssd comes easy down

 

[Delighted]

Rumors have been flying around that Apple is removing the optical drive, the HDD (look, I'm all for SDDs, but how am I supposed to use a computer as my primary device if it's 128GB?), and will make it super-thin (which will jack up the prices). I think this whole "ultrabook" thing is stupid; if it can't fit in my coat pocket it can be as thick as you want granted it won't tear my shoulders off (in my backpack). This will turn the MBP line into glorified MBAs, and, well, some of us don't like that.

I'm a very picky person when it comes to computers. I don't like All-in-Ones (laptop-level hardware at desktop-level portability) and I don't like ultrabooks, and a lot of other people think that way. Apple is an extremely rich company and I don't think they NEED to cut down on all of their products: rumors are going about that they're getting rid of the iPod Classic (800 days without an update?), the Mac Pro (570 days without update), the iPod Shuffle (580 days without update) and now the Macbook Pro? This leaves people like me with only the Mac Mini for a legal OS X experience.

I am also a MBP user, and will definitely miss the MBP line(if Apple does decide to remove it) but the current trend is portability. As technology advances, laptops such as the MBP will be replaced with smaller, more portable counter-parts.

In terms of price, Apple seems to know exactly when it is the right time to make transitions where it wont cost consumers very much(if any at all). Apple tends to always keep their lower end laptop line around the 1000-1200 price mark and maintaining the same(or better) specs. So don't worry too much about pricing and HD size.

 

[LiesForTheLiars]

Pro users aren't going anywhere, but if Apple feels inclined to toss us out, I'm definitely not going to be using their products again. Would be a sad day for me indeed.

 

[trajan2448]

Did you guys not read a word I said?

I was referring to getting rid of the optical drive and hard drive in favour of a much faster machine. The current baseline Pro has a dual core i5 and Intel graphics.

I am a Pro Tools user which is a very important installed base for Apple and we need the optical disc for mixes. It's critical. Power users need DVDs and CDs to keep their work at high resolutions. There is plenty of room for SSD as I have one in mine. Mp3 and MPeG is utter crap for pros.

 

[NASCAR]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Apple isn't getting rid of the Pro, more like merging it with the Air. What you end up with is some garbage laptop that isn't suitable for those of us who require a powerhouse, and at the same time isn't suitable for those who require an ultrabook. But I guess Apple is simply trying to appeal to the masses (who I'd say makes up 75% of Pro/Air users) so they can garner in more net income.

I don't care if the new Ivy bridge processor runs cooler, there is no way a laptop that's any thinner than the current macbook can handle powerhouse components (discrete GPU) without down-clocking it or sacrificing performance in some way.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[mac jones]

Most likely they will dump the optical (good riddance) and slim it down to look more like the air.

Now, as for those built in SSDs, I don't know. If they do that it may just be a good idea, even though on the surface it's a bit difficult to accept.

Why? it will create a large market for them ( those blade thingies) which will reduce prices. After all, SSDs can easily be put in any physicsl shape (it's really only the shape of it). This is another really good thing about Solid State. Hard Drives, on the other hand have to look they way they are.

So in another word: progress. Yes, for some this may be limited, but frankly I don't have much sympathy for people who still use hard drives

 

[BubbaMc]

They're not getting rid of it ffs.

Stupid thread is stupid.

 

[PFKMan23]

Most likely they will dump the optical (good riddance) and slim it down to look more like the air.

So are you just in the camp that says they'll consolidate/combine the 2 product lines into 1?

 

[east85]

Even if they do remove the optical drive it will not be the end of the world. You can just go ahead and use a superdrive or something. Really.

 

[MasterHowl]

Hmmm... maybe there's something in that.

They ditched the "MacBook", and now just have the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. Maybe if they merge, they'll simply become the MacBook again... which will be an ultra thin, high spec machine. Let's face it, the bottom end MacBook Pros aren't really "Pro" machines are they?

I wouldn't mind this, as long as it doesn't bump the price up massively, and the specs on them are as good as they are on the current MacBook Pros. I'd love to take my MacBook Pro to campus with me every day, but it's just too heavy!

 

[anim8or]

One thing that is a possibility is the chance that Apple knows more than we do about the potential of external thunderbolt GPUs and storage.

If the Macbook line was streamlined and directed towards a powerful portable with the ability to become an even more powerful 'desktop' then that would be a great setup for many professionals and powerusers who need the best of both worlds.

Think about it, at home you have a Monitor, External GPU, storage and possibly RAM all daisy chained through thunderbolt, and on the go you caryy a slimline Macbook for on the go work.

At the moment i think it could be a step too soon as the prices of the potential future devices will be top end, but given time i think there could be a lot said about this type of setup.

I had a friend who used to carry his mac mini about in a specially designed carry case... this type of setup would have suit him very well.

 

[throAU]

Oh hell no... Not Apple. Never.

The machines that produce the apps and content for the iPads and iPhones are not.... iPads and iPhones.

----------

One thing that is a possibility is the chance that Apple knows more than we do about the potential of external thunderbolt GPUs and storage.

If the Macbook line was streamlined and directed towards a powerful portable with the ability to become an even more powerful 'desktop' then that would be a great setup for many professionals and powerusers who need the best of both worlds.

This, i think is on the money.

The GPU in the pro is useless when on battery as it just kills battery life.

Thunderbolt is good enough to get decent GPU speed out of (assuming the GPU has plenty of local memory, then it won't need to thrash the PCI-E/thunderbolt bus so much), so maybe building it into a thunderbolt dock, and using the saved space in the chassis for either a smaller form factor or more battery.

So long as they give it plenty of RAM expansion, i would wager than intel HD4000 is "good enough" for when on the move or not docked to a more powerful GPU.

 

[macmastersam]

Rumors have been flying around that Apple is removing the optical drive, the HDD (look, I'm all for SDDs, but how am I supposed to use a computer as my primary device if it's 128GB?), and will make it super-thin (which will jack up the prices). I think this whole "ultrabook" thing is stupid; if it can't fit in my coat pocket it can be as thick as you want granted it won't tear my shoulders off (in my backpack). This will turn the MBP line into glorified MBAs, and, well, some of us don't like that.

I'm a very picky person when it comes to computers. I don't like All-in-Ones (laptop-level hardware at desktop-level portability) and I don't like ultrabooks, and a lot of other people think that way. Apple is an extremely rich company and I don't think they NEED to cut down on all of their products: rumors are going about that they're getting rid of the iPod Classic (800 days without an update?), the Mac Pro (570 days without update), the iPod Shuffle (580 days without update) and now the Macbook Pro? This leaves people like me with only the Mac Mini for a legal OS X experience.

that isnt true. all apple AIOs use desktop-quality hardware and so do all the other pc alternatives at those screen sizes that apple offer + 24" models. i seriously dont know where you got the idea that imac and windows all-in-ones use laptop-quality hardware

I gotta agree with the second part of your post however I don't see a reason as of why ditching the 13inch MBP would make sense, unless you can show me a better or equally good alternative.

ditching the MBP would make some sense, but not enough to actually discontinue it. for example, the benchmark scores between a macbook air and a macbook pro are very near to each other, apparently, but not everyone would like that fact that apple are removing the disk drive for the sake of it's weight and thinness.

i, myself would not like to see apple discontinue the macbook pro as some people need it for for the stuff that the MBA can't handle, like photoshop and adobe. and also some for those that use their MBPs for gaming on a virtual boot of windows 7 on their macs. not to mention that some would need this sort of computer for school work (i am supposed to be doing GSCE through the next couple of years, and IT is definatly one of my options)

and since i might need a macbook in this case, then it would be the macbook pro any day, as i might have to take this computer into school (low chance i wont have to) and i, and others will be absolutely buggered if apple discontinue the macbook in favour of the air.

and my problem with the air: it will be slow with software i mentioned above and lacks the upgradable parts of it, which i fear apple might take away if they ever merged the MBA and the MBP together. my other problem with the air is apple might take away the disk drive of this cross MBA/MBP and we all have to add on a super drive, and believe me, no one wants to carry around a superdrive with them. it will take up more space in someone's bag and there is a chance the cables connecting the superdrive to the computer just broke/snapped because it was bent in someone's bag or it just unplugged itself from the comeputer as you go along, resulting in a broken superdrive and/or a wrecked cable.

now i have had my rant, i shall let you get on with the subject of this rumour-that-got-made-up-through-the-internet-and-someone's-random-thoughts.lol

 

[Jazwire]

Large sad drive ate too expensive to replace a traditional hard drive unless you want a 2500 entry level machine which I don't think many people really want right now get rid of the hard drive when the price of an ssd comes easy down

Auto correct ?

Or did a " large sad drive " "eat" something. Lol.

Made me chuckle.

 

[Medic278]

Oh yeah very auto correct lol

 

[Bogdan Cip]

Wtb

Hey, I want to buy a macbook pro 13'' 2.8 and i want to know if somebody know when it will be a next releaseof macbook pro! thanks

 

[pmz]

Rumors have been flying around that Apple is removing the optical drive, the HDD (look, I'm all for SDDs, but how am I supposed to use a computer as my primary device if it's 128GB?), and will make it super-thin (which will jack up the prices). I think this whole "ultrabook" thing is stupid; if it can't fit in my coat pocket it can be as thick as you want granted it won't tear my shoulders off (in my backpack). This will turn the MBP line into glorified MBAs, and, well, some of us don't like that.

I'm a very picky person when it comes to computers. I don't like All-in-Ones (laptop-level hardware at desktop-level portability) and I don't like ultrabooks, and a lot of other people think that way. Apple is an extremely rich company and I don't think they NEED to cut down on all of their products: rumors are going about that they're getting rid of the iPod Classic (800 days without an update?), the Mac Pro (570 days without update), the iPod Shuffle (580 days without update) and now the Macbook Pro? This leaves people like me with only the Mac Mini for a legal OS X experience.

These posts just suck the life out of me.

Ditching the optical drive, and ditching the slow, antiquated and unreliable HDD, and at the same time, quite a bit of weight, is a MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT TO THE MACBOOK PRO.

How anyone can see a massive improvement to the MBP as instead "getting rid of it" is so beyond embarrassingly insane, that at the moment I can believe I took the time to even point it out to you.

 

[Pentad]

These posts just suck the life out of me.

Ditching the optical drive, and ditching the slow, antiquated and unreliable HDD, and at the same time, quite a bit of weight, is a MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT TO THE MACBOOK PRO.

How anyone can see a massive improvement to the MBP as instead "getting rid of it" is so beyond embarrassingly insane, that at the moment I can believe I took the time to even point it out to you.

I think what is embarrassingly insane is that you posted something like this...

Let's deconstruct your post here...

"Ditching the optical drive, and ditching the slow, antiquated and unreliable HDD, and at the same time, quite a bit of weight, is a MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT TO THE MACBOOK PRO."

Ok, a 'massive improvement' for whom? You? Canada? Ohio? Who are you speaking of?

I know you are not speaking to myself, my colleagues, or most Pro users. That antiquated and unreliable drive you speak of has served me quite well. While I am not opposed to SSD I am opposed to the price of an SSD that I would require. I am currently using 500 Gigs that is augmented with external FW drives both at home and at work.

I would like to put all of my data onto a large drive but that would require about 2 TBs. Do they make a 2TB SSD? If they did what would the RIO be? I know it's fast but is it cost effective? That is a no from my perspective.

I am also fine with moving the ODD to a plugin module via USB 3 or TB.

"...quite a bit of weight...", I'm not sure you actually know how much they weigh.

See, I think the problem here is that you probably don't use your equipment for any real work so you have no idea what others are using their machines for.

I depend on my MBP for work. Like many folks here I mean WORK. Not surfing the web, writing something in Word, using FB, etc... Any computer can do those kinds of tasks.

I think the issue here stirred by this thread is that many Pro users who really push their machines are worried that a MBP Air would not be powerful enough for them. I agree.

I do not want the CPU or GPU hindered by the form size. I want to be able to add memory and use large capacity HDs. I am quite happy with the current form size for MY needs. I know others feel differently and that is fine too.

I also recognize that Apple is a consumer company. That is where they found great success. In days gone by, Apple had a consumer line and a Pro line. There was a clear cut difference and the Pro line was very impressive even outside of the Apple eco-system.

That line has blurred and the Pro line has become less important to Apple and features seem to just drift. I remember a time when Steve Jobs would proudly state how much memory a PowerBook could hold and today they ship computers with only 4 gig. Which is great for consumer based notebooks.

For me, I am OS Agnostic so I can switch between Windows, OS X, and Linux for most of my work. If Apple moves to a more MBP Air form factor than I will probably move to Windows 8 on a new Windows 8 Notebook.

So before you shoot off your thoughts on how this affects you, perhaps you should take a look around and see what others are using. Just because you want to live with a MBP Air running a 128 GB SSD doesn't mean everyone else wants to...

-P

 

[TOMIMOT]

The MBP lineup has been the leading computer for sales for Apple, I doubt they would risk that much money to just get rid of them, that would be stupid on apples part IMO. But i can see Apple slowly integrating SSD into the lineup in the future. Once again it still is a rumour...we just don't know yet

 

[UnixSaysGo]

rumors arent facts

apple wont get rid of the pro,

It's funny, MacRumors. It's all but confirmed; saying they won't be merged is like saying the iPad 3 won't come out. Apple is starting to disappoint me, what with Mountain Lion borrowing features from a mobile OS and putting them on desktop OS (not as disappointing as Windows 8, at least).

I'll probably get 20 thousand downvotes because HOW DARE HE INSULT OUR WONDERFUL APPLE OVERLORDS!!!

 

[Medic278]

I wouldn't say that its confirmed. I would say that its generally accepted that over time and as the price of SSDs comes down and large ones are available that the MBP will move in that direction. But I don't see Apple merging the 2 lines in the immediate future, that being said they have surprised me before and could do so again although I hope not otherwise I will also be looking at a Windows 8 machine when upgrade time comes.