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Would you like a MacBook Pro redesign?


  • Total voters
    112

Prodo123

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Nov 18, 2010
2,326
10
Would you rather keep the Unibody design, move to a more Air-like design, or a completely separate and unique design?

If it's a different design, please comment on what you want.
 
Would you rather keep the Unibody design, move to a more Air-like design, or a completely separate and unique design?

If it's a different design, please comment on what you want.

I would like apple to consentrait on performance instead of looks. If people want thin they would buy a MacBook air or iPad. MacBook pro is for heavy computing. I wished that the iPad was twice as fat but twice as powerful. I would like a redesign which is fatter and allows another hard drive, more ram, more CPU cores, better gpu etc... And an option to only use 2 cores for good battery life if needed. I prefer proformance than looks. I would also like white metal. Or the colours like the g3 clamshell. But most of all......TRANSPARENT body!!!!! The internals are the best looking bit!!!!!
 
If Apple were to redesign the Pro line to look more like the Airs they may as well just merge the two lines and be done with it. I agree with MacintoshMaster, it's all about the internals at this point. The only thing I'd like to see move over from Airs to Pros is the hi-res display option (at least as a CTO upgrade) for the 13" Pro models.
 
I don't mind the current design but, sure, a redesign would be neat. However, I only want a redesign that doesn't compromise. I don't care about the optical drive, but I definitely need an ethernet port and I'm stuck with Firewire peripherals so I am not ready to part with FW just yet. A redesign should focus on battery life and bringing better resolution screens across the board. I'd also like a matte display standard, or at least a BTO option that doesn't come at a price premium.
 
I don't mind the current design but, sure, a redesign would be neat. However, I only want a redesign that doesn't compromise. I don't care about the optical drive, but I definitely need an ethernet port and I'm stuck with Firewire peripherals so I am not ready to part with FW just yet. A redesign should focus on battery life and bringing better resolution screens across the board. I'd also like a matte display standard, or at least a BTO option that doesn't come at a price premium.

Yes! I think externalising the clock to an old-school retro thing would be nice (probably impractical lol)

More USB ports please. BTO Optical Drive.

Audio input and output ports MUST remain separate. More USB ports.

I think the ugly power box needs a redesign more than the Mac does to be honest.
 
Yes! I think externalising the clock to an old-school retro thing would be nice (probably impractical lol)

More USB ports please. BTO Optical Drive.

Audio input and output ports MUST remain separate. More USB ports.

I think the ugly power box needs a redesign more than the Mac does to be honest.

They're better looking than most other power bricks I've seen. Especially since you can wrap your cords around it.
And yes. Need moar USB.
 
I don't have any problems with the current design other than I wish it included USB 3 which would be very useful but we all know that will not happen.

I am considering selling my 2010 for the latest base model 2011 because I can use the quad core for my heavy photoshop work. I can easily live with what I have in my 2010 model but I fear that the next refresh will have the 16:9 ratio and possibly offer higher resolution on the base model. I strongly prefer the current golden ratio, 16:10 design and my eyes just hurt if there is higher resolution. Right now they are doing it right with the 15" by offered both regular and high res versions but that may go away like it did with the 17" which makes my eyes bleed. I had a 27" iMac and it gave me headaches until I moved to MBP and quality external monitor. I am concerned with heating of the 2011 designs and suspect all that goes away with Sandy Bridge, less heat and less power. But, rumors of a new case design suggest the time is ripe for the redesign to make it thinner with new chips but thinner may be something just cosmetic as that would have less ability to dissipate (less need to also) and now longer battery life but smaller battery to offer a similar user time. So in the end we may have similar power and performance in a thinner design. I'm a big boy and can handle the extra pound. I just want power, 16:10 ratio screen with the same resolution. Everything does not need to be thinner and lighter - and have anti-glare option for the standard resolution.

I just wish Apple would give some type of roadmap for future products like converging MA and MBP, and also let users know if a MP refresh is expected or being phased out. They are under new management and what that really means is anyones guess at this point.
 
I like the current design but the because the body of the 17" MacBook Pro is so large even with the full size keyboard, the base looks a little "empty" with all that open space.

If only they could add a number pad or something to fill it up a bit.
 
It's fine the way it is. Slightly sharp edges excepted it's a brilliant bit of industrial design. A redesign for the sake of it would be pointless.

I'm buying one quick before they mess it up!
 
it's beautiful as it is, but if apple comes up with another equally comprehensive and deeply considered statement with their design, i'd be thrilled to see it.

the problem with me is that i like my mbp 13", it has more than enough power for me, and i do just about everything on the ipad now. to be honest, i doubt i will upgrade. in fact, it is entirely likely that i never buy another computer again. weird, i know, but jobs might be right about this post pc world.
 
I'm completely satisfied with the design as is, but as long as the internals are good then I wouldn't be against a redesign. If it looks more like the air, then it's still a very nice looking laptop. I'm more concerned about them making RAM non-upgradeable, and making storage the SSD blades. I'm pretty against that, seeing as how I bought a Vertex 3.
 
Redesign ok, why not. But as many here I mostly care about the internal components.

Some things that would be interesting redesigns:

- make the screen a touchscreen + it should fold so that you can use it as tablet and write on it with a pen.
- remove optical drive, make laptop thinner or more battery
- better cooling? Would be nice to have a machine that is comfortable on the lap also in summer
 
Besides my slight issue with where my wrists rest, I really like the design of the MBP. New designs for the sake of it do not appeal to me. Yes, I like how it looks, but I did not buy this computer for how it looked. I'd rather have an ugly computer that does everything I need it to very well than the best looking computer in the world and have it run like a POS.
 
I'm really not sure why everyone is so fiercely hoping for a redesign. In my opinion, the current design already has everything a "pro" user would need. It's really a perfectly sized robust body. Anything you would do to make it thinner would make it worse, in my opinion. Sure, Ivy Bridge is a cooler chip, but even then a thinner body would equal less performance. Something a professional would definitely not want. For the average consumer Facebook/Twitter-type of person, a 15" MacBook Air would be fine. But I genuinely hope Apple will leave the MacBook Pro alone, for it is aimed at exactly what the name suggests: professionals. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
 
I voted for keeping the unibody design. I think it's darn near perfect.

That said, if they do change it, I hope they don't change it too much. I, for one, use an optical drive frequently and would like them to keep it at least as an option - I'm on the road a lot and need to import or burn things for clients. I agree ethernet is a requirement - wifi is OK, but security-wise it's a joke compared to a wired network.

I suppose my ideal would be one that continued to get faster with longer battery life. I'd be opposed to going SSD standard as right now they are just too darn expensive per GB of storage (even with the price spike in HDs caused by the flooding in Thailand). I wouldn't mind seeing a matte screen again, either.
 
I would like apple to consentrait on performance instead of looks. If people want thin they would buy a MacBook air or iPad. MacBook pro is for heavy computing. I wished that the iPad was twice as fat but twice as powerful. I would like a redesign which is fatter and allows another hard drive, more ram, more CPU cores, better gpu etc... And an option to only use 2 cores for good battery life if needed. I prefer proformance than looks. I would also like white metal. Or the colours like the g3 clamshell. But most of all......TRANSPARENT body!!!!! The internals are the best looking bit!!!!!

I'm surprised no one has pointed this out ... but the way you spell concentrate is really bothering me. That can't possibly be the way that you spell that word in the UK.
 
Firstly, let me say that I recognize that what I want and what will sell well to Apple's customers are two different things.

I'd like a user removable/swappable drive bay, with the option to leave it out (for lighter travel weight), swap in an SSD or an optical drive, or install a second battery.

I'd like three USB3 ports and a FireWire 800 port and two Thunderbolt ports.

I'd like the ExpressCard slot back. If Apple didn't want to give up the memory card reader, it could ship them with a card reader pre-installed in the slot.

I'd like the option for a standard-resolution antiglare display. Until Apple can offer resolution independence, the hi-resolution antiglare display is just too small for my pathetic eyesight.

I'd also like a pony and puppy and a new pair of sparkly shoes and infinity cookies. ;)
 
Would you rather keep the Unibody design, move to a more Air-like design, or a completely separate and unique design?

If it's a different design, please comment on what you want.

I want it to be better designed so that the temperatures do not get above 90C, ever. A typical Windows laptop with a comparable CPU, costing around half as much, under full load, gets to ~75C. 90C is way too hot and it will shorten the lifespan of the computer if ran constantly at that temperature. (More conservative use of thermal grease would not hurt as well... http://my2011macbookpro.com/replacing-thermal-paste-on-the-cpu-and-gpu-results/ )

8GB being standard issue would be nice as well for a $2000+ laptop as well.
 
Am I the only person who prefers MBP design opposed to MBA design. I cannot simply get rid of this idea that the sharp front edges of MBA mean when you drop it it is going to shatter, whilst uniform square edges of MBP will be more resistant.

And I really like current design, I wouldn't complain if this was same design for next few years. Nobody in market has a clue how to better something that Apple already achieved years ago. ;)
 
I would like to see a new design. then again the current one seems perfect IMO.
 
Am I the only person who prefers MBP design opposed to MBA design.

No. I don't care for the Air at all - it feels flimsy. The MBP feels considerably more substantial, and I think looks much better due to uniformity.
 
This was the first time I had difficulty answering a poll!

I do want a redesign (at least for the 13inch) that is a little more like the MBA only because I would like just a little more portability without having to sacrifice storage, ports and expandability.

That said I do think the current unibody design is just about perfect. My computer is over 2 years old now and I still have warm fuzzy feelings about it. Certainly never felt that way about my thinkpad and it was no slouch.

I'd personally be fine if apple dropped the optical drive (although I think they should keep a 15 and 17inch model with it because it really wouldn't be that hard and at this point I think apple's portable line is small enough that they can have a few extra models)

-somehow reduce the weight (just a little like 0.5lbs or something)
-Lose the glass - GOD HOW I HATE THE GLASS!
-give me ports on both sides of my computer! This would be really easy without an optical drive so hopefully it happens.
-Keep the ethernet port. For anyone working in an office environment ethernet ports are still ubiquitous and the dongle doesn't seem like a great solution.
-replace the firewire port with an extra thunderbolt port (that isn't millimeters away from the first one) and give us some nice thunderbolt to whatever adapters - why is this taking apple so long?!
-please don't abandon the 13inch MBP - it's a wonderful computer but I get the feeling that Apple sees it as the ugly stepchild...

That's about it really. I know I should probably just get a MBA but I use my computer for work (work in a research lab) everyday and bring this computer back and forth everyday so I'm one of those who would appreciate Pro features in a slightly lighter package.
 
Honestly it doesn't matter to me... I'm still waiting for Ivy Bridge to buy my first MBP :p

But I'd like more USB ports (four, please), a second hard drive, and a higher res screen on the 15 would be nice. Also, more battery if they remove the slot drive :D
 
I do not think a redesign is necesairry. The air and the pro are different.
For people like me who do not need much power but want light and portable they get the air, for people who need a pro level computer they get a "Heavy" pro.
Honestly the design is nice.
If there was a redesign make it different then the air!
Eventually when tech gets better the pro will be more like the air I bet.
 
Am I the only person who prefers MBP design opposed to MBA design. I cannot simply get rid of this idea that the sharp front edges of MBA mean when you drop it it is going to shatter, whilst uniform square edges of MBP will be more resistant.

And I really like current design, I wouldn't complain if this was same design for next few years. Nobody in market has a clue how to better something that Apple already achieved years ago. ;)

I dislike the MBA. Sure, it looks nice as a display piece, but having bad experiences with other brands of stuff... I feel like I could snap it on a bad day. Plus anyone who knows me will know I'm pathetic with very slim objects (Hence why I fatten my phones/ipods/other slim with phat cases)
 
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