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Your perfect 2012 MacBook Pro?

This problem is probably unique to me with my big hands, but I wish there was a way to make them easier to open. I have an old rev 3 macbook pro with latches, and a new 2011 macbook pro with the magnet, and they always take a little longer for me to open than I would like.

This is being nitpicky, but the latest rev is an amazing computer.
 
With 2012 being the year I retire my 2007 Macbook Pro, I have some high hopes for the next model...

1) Lighter.
2) HDMI out (though I don't see Apple going for this without some kind of adapter)
3) USB 3.0
4) Removable batteries (though I don't see Apple letting this happen... 🙁)
5) Bluray drive (or this)
6) SSDs as standard, or at least cheaper 512gb models.
 
In order of preference:

* 8GB for high-end models; 4GB these days for a $2000 laptop is not good, especially as 8GB RAM costs roughly $100.
* revamped cooling for the CPU and GPU
* numeric keypad
* IPS display panels (this one is admittedly probably not possible as no laptop vendor uses IPS panels, use more power, and I doubt they exist) - if nothing else, that's why external monitors can be used 😀
* more frequent Bootcamp upgrades (for relevant models that is, nVidia now requires one to download OS X drivers from Apple -- Apple has been slow in the past with Bootcamp updates, but as I'm trying to avoid Bootcamp and use Parallels when possible...* replaceable battery (I usually upgrade MBPs every 2 years)
* Blu-ray compatible drivers for for movies (Blu-ray writing is a non-issue for me but some would probably benefit from it)
.
.
And lowest on the preferences list:
* lower price (e.g. $1999 for 17" model)
 
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This is for the 13" model, as it is the one I'll probably be buying:

•A slight case redesign - Perhaps a wedge sort of shape like the MBA. Not as chunky.

•Get rid of the OD or have an option when purchasing the computer to replace the OD with something else.

•Get rid of the Ethernet port and stick in a 3rd USB port.

•Get USB3.
 
DVD9 said:
Apple does not care what you want. They don't even care about computers anymore. They've said so.

"It's a post PC world".

iPads are now almost the same percentage of Apple's sales as computers. iPhones almost exactly twice all Macs combined. .
Click to expand...

That's ironic as both iPhone and iPad need a computer to backups on, they have no cloud solution (thankfully as I loathe how the cloud is already being warped by certain companies and policies that give them a free helping hand to one's IP), iPhone developers need a Mac for Objective-C (or find a way to break the law to get OS X and relevant software on a Windows PC, assuming it runs stable and no underlying code used to hack OS X to run on said PC acts as a keylogger or anything), and I keep hearing how Mac sales increase while Windows PC makers continue to go down (due to OS X more than just something to tether their iDevice to.)

Not to mention how many companies still use Macs for graphic design needs. Photoshop on a tiny tablet? Or as a terminal session? Not feasible.

More on tablets and the lack of a post-PC anything for now:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20039190-264.html

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10714628

Long-term, general users will be post-PC. But the need won't completely vanish. Especially if there are going to be viable small businesses with their own need for their own intellectual property being protected...
 
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-Update the 13" screen to the higher res on the 13" air. Hell, higher res screens all around

-Ditch the optical drive to make room for graphics in the 13"/blade-style SSD dedicated to OS+apps/fans/whatever. Include external optical drive or at least make one that isn't so heavily apple taxed (Seriously....$80 for such a mediocre drive? **** that) for those who refuse to let optical discs die.

-Update the unibody design by getting rid of harsh edges, slim the bezel, etc.

-Liquid metal or at least different colors or anodized aluminum

-Ivy bridge w/speed bumps and latest gen AMD GPUs

-USB3 & Thunderbolt (obviously)

-External graphics cradles that use Thunderbolt and Desktop GPUs

-Top of the line SSD's (Think sandybridge) stock rather than the POS they ship now
 
1. better cooling, runs quiet under load
2. dedicated gpu
3. no optical drive (make it slimmer,cooler,have a gpu)
4. anti glare option on 13"
5. usb 3.0
6. smooth edges on enclosure
 
Tsuchiya said:
With 2012 being the year I retire my 2007 Macbook Pro, I have some high hopes for the next model...

1) Lighter.
2) HDMI out (though I don't see Apple going for this without some kind of adapter)
3) USB 3.0
4) Removable batteries (though I don't see Apple letting this happen... 🙁)
5) Bluray drive (or this)
6) SSDs as standard, or at least cheaper 512gb models.
Click to expand...

I hate HDMI anyway so it doesn't bother me. One port that can have an adapter to be whatever you need instead of having a HDMI and Display port (For that matter why not have a DVI and VGA as well?). Bluray well meh, not really any point when a TVs maximum resolution is 1920x1080 anyway. My day will be made when i can download all my movies off itunes instead of having to get a DVD/bluray disc, personally in Australia bluray is very expensive and when our NBN is introduced downloaded movies will likely surge. Bluray mah be useful for professionals and for that reason i think Apple should include it as a BTO. Removable batteries well i hope not! removable batteries can never be as good as inbuilt ones so i prefer battery life > removable battery. SSD as standard well i don't see apple putting a Vertex 3 or like in it so i would prefer them to put a cheap 5400RPM drive in it so i can pull it out and replace it 😛
 
thermodynamic said:
* IPS display panels (this one is admittedly probably not possible as no laptop vendor uses IPS panels, use more power, and I doubt they exist) - if nothing else, that's why external monitors can be used 😀
Click to expand...
That is not true. Lenovo uses them for a while now in the last and the new Elitebook workstation series. 8760w for example.
It costs though a lot and more.

At the very least the 2012 refresh will sport 28nm GPUs which means a current chips shrinks to half its size and they would be a lot faster. The CPU will be 22nm which might take away all the heat issues and stuff and return the notebooks to where they have been.

Everything else is wants.
new liquid metal chassis
TMOS display technology. Lower power, posibly better colors as RGB LEDs are a necessity, OLED like contrast.
hybrid SSD/HDD approach as SSDs will be too expensive for many years to come to actually store lots of data.
high res standard
thunderbolt revision that introduces optical in order to have a truly all capable connector for many years to come. the copper version might be fast enough but the cable length is still limited to create a new lasting standard the optical stuff needs to show, only than it stands a chance IMO.
 
Haswell architecture
Better graphic card
1TB 7200rpm standard, upgrade option: 256 SSD +$100
All in a Macbook Air design
With 1920x1200 pixel display stock for 15inch
21xx x 14xx pixel display stock for 17inch

those are never going to happen..
 
I would like the new 13" MBP to:
  • have a black liquidmetal case
  • weigh around 3.7-4.0lb
  • have a 10 hour battery life
  • Low/medium class dedicated AMD graphics
  • two thunderbolt ports
  • 1440 x 900 display with optional anti-glare
 
1. quieter fans on 15"
2. GPU upgrade, keep with Nvidia please
3. Ivy bridge, shouldn't be so powerful though that it cooks omelets.
4. RAM upgrade isn't necessary on base price...
5. adjustable lighting effects like on the alienware
6. more space between USB, USB 3.0
7. same price

pity that apple will never see this thread
 
I'd like a computer that doesn't get hot enough to burn my house down just from watching a movie. Might be a lot to ask but we can dream right. :apple:
 
mrsir2009 said:
This is for the 13" model, as it is the one I'll probably be buying:

•Get rid of the Ethernet port and stick in a 3rd USB port.
Click to expand...

😱
No. I don't know why people would so willingly give up the ethernet port. What about when you need to connect to the wired internet, or do a full backup from a Time Capsule?

Having said that, the ethernet port is actually limiting how thin the MBPs can go.

What I'm realistically expecting from the 2012 refresh:

  • Same design. Apple kept with the non-unibody design for about six years IIRC. (The PowerBook G4s had the same design as the early MBPs)
  • Ivy Bridge
  • More RAM as standard (15" and 17" have 8GB standard; 13" still has 4GB)
  • Cheaper SSDs
  • USB 3.0 (doubtful)
  • BETTER GRAPHICS CARD!!

What I want:
  • 2TB RAM
  • 16TB SSD
  • HVD drive
  • iPad 2 thinness
  • 100 GHz Deca-core Intel Core i29

And that ain't ever going to happen.
 
13" MBP
- Ivy Bridge
- High-res screen
- No optical drive
- Bigger battery
- Boot SSD
- 8GB RAM

Seems realistic.
 
I don't think I've seen this before:

Dual display ports, so you can hook up 2 external displays that are driven by the graphics card.

I use this setup at work, but I need a USB display driver. The issue with that is the display driven by the usb driver can eat up a lot of processor if I put anything substantial on it (i.e. anything other than a text editor or simple web page).

Other than that, it would be nice if there were a general aesthetic refresh. Although it looks pretty sweet now, so I wouldn't be too disappointed if that didn't happen.
 
hvgotcodes said:
Dual display ports, so you can hook up 2 external displays that are driven by the graphics card.
Click to expand...
Displayport 1.2 which is supported by all the newer GPUs already supports daisy chaining as well as thunderbolt if it tunnels DP1.2.
You need the right monitor though as at least one needs a DP out. The last in the chain can remain DP <1.2.
 
dusk007 said:
Displayport 1.2 which is supported by all the newer GPUs already supports daisy chaining as well as thunderbolt if it tunnels DP1.2.
You need the right monitor though as at least one needs a DP out. The last in the chain can remain DP <1.2.
Click to expand...

dusk007, what do you mean 'if it tunnels dp1.2'. And what is the right monitor?

i.e., what do i buy to have 2 external displays driven by the graphics card?
 
13" Air-like design. No optical drive, Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, and 1440x900 display. They could get rid of the ethernet port, I don't think I would care that much. However I don't think they have to if they just get rid of the optical drive and just taper it a bit. I would be happy. Really hoping for 35-watt quad cores though...
 
On the 15 inch, the following. Same basic case design, but using liquidmetal at least on the keyboard top plate and hopefully on the bottom and top as well.

Two Thunderbolt and three USB 3.0 ports. It's a forward looking move, Firewire and Ethernet compatibility can be achieved these days through adapters, and the more slimline Thunderbolt and USB ports remove an extreme weak spot on the left side of the case around the Ethernet and Firewire ports. Eventually, we should see fiber-optic Thunderbolt replace Ethernet altogether.

Switch from paste to Indigo thermal pads to improve cooling performance without complicating assembly

Gigabit speeds on wireless, maybe with the assistance of a better Airport Express?

Intel's Ivy Bridge processor will likely mean a significant reduction in power, heat and battery consumption, as well as a slight speed boost. Ditto with next generation graphics chip.

Enable customers to get two hard drives or SSDs rather than one hard drive and one optical drive

If Lion has decent user-interface scalability, make 1680x1024 the standard resolution in the 15 with 1920x1200 as an option. If not, and Apple instead goes the IOS route of doubling the display resolution, offer a "doubled resolution" Retina-style display of 2880x1800 or so as an option.

Bring back the virtual numeric keypad on laptops.

Make 8GB RAM the standard, 16GB optional.
 
No. I don't know why people would so willingly give up the ethernet port. What about when you need to connect to the wired internet, or do a full backup from a Time Capsule?
Click to expand...

1. Not very many people use a laptop on Ethernet - Sure, they do on desktops, but not on laptops. It defeats the purpose of a laptop.

2. For the time where you need to do a full backup from time machine, there is something called a USB to Ethernet dongle.
 
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