August PowerBooks
My predictions for the August PB:
-Bye, bye Yonah, hello Merom
-Click pad instead of a seperate button and trackpad
-LED backlit LCD, no more florescent backlighting
-Firewire 800 and Dual layer DVD burning support return to 15" model.
-nVidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX (or ATI Mobility Radeon X1800 if Apple keeps them)
-Bye, bye Yonah, hello Merom
-Click pad instead of a seperate button and trackpad
-LED backlit LCD, no more florescent backlighting
-Firewire 800 and Dual layer DVD burning support return to 15" model.
-nVidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX (or ATI Mobility Radeon X1800 if Apple keeps them)
Comments
August: Probably not. WWDC is almost certainly the exclusive domain of the Mac Pro. Apple rarely releases new systems immediately following a major conference, either.
Click pad instead of a seperate button and trackpad: No. It limits your input choices and will annoy the large number of people who immediately turn trackpad tapping off as soon as they get a new system (mainly because it's far too easy to accidentally trigger something).
LED-backlit LCD: nice idea, but it's yet to be seen on a laptop and there's no reason to believe Apple has such a display ready to use.
nVidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX (or ATI Mobility Radeon X1800: Neither is especially realistic in the MacBook Pro, because they both draw too much power and emit too much heat. Barring new graphics chipsets between now and the MacBook Pro refresh, the best you'll get is a Go 7900 GS or an underclocked Mobility Radeon X1800. It'd almost make more sense for Apple to wait for a mobile X1700.
Oh, and for reference: ATI still has a license to interface with Intel chipsets, so they're staying.
Originally posted by Commodus
LED-backlit LCD: nice idea, but it's yet to be seen on a laptop and there's no reason to believe Apple has such a display ready to use.[/B]
Sony has LED backlight:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/articl...ge=7620&head=0
Originally posted by ngmapple
My predictions for the August PB:
-Bye, bye Yonah, hello Merom
-Click pad instead of a seperate button and trackpad
-LED backlit LCD, no more florescent backlighting
-Firewire 800 and Dual layer DVD burning support return to 15" model.
-nVidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX (or ATI Mobility Radeon X1800 if Apple keeps them)
Could as well be a September or October introduction of the next generation MBP.
- Yes
- What? you are already able to "click" with your trackpad.
- Don't know, don't care, actually.
- Yes, they should do that, because it's a shame for a pro notebook not to have FW800.
- We'll see what a AMD-ATI merger has to do with Apple. I like ATI though for no special reason
Originally posted by BJNY
Sony has LED backlight:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/articl...ge=7620&head=0
Y'know, I always fancied getting one of those but now that I compare the spec with a Macbook, it looks seriously bad value for money. The Macbook is not that much bigger at 13" compared to 11 and it has a better GPU I think (GMA950 vs 945), it has dual processors @ 1.66GHz vs single processor @ 1.2Ghz and is nearly half the price. Plus the Macbook looks nicer with a unified color scheme.
- What? you are already able to "click" with your trackpad.
You're able to tap virutually, however you're not able to physically "click" the trackpad like you can on the iPod. That is what I'm suggesting. It just seems like an obvious idea.
And in terms of hotter, more power thirsty GPU's:
1- Using an LED backlit LCD would free up some extra juice to run the GPU.
2- These can be auto speed steped (underclocked when on battery and graphics demand is low, fully clocked when on AC and gpu demand is high)
Originally posted by MovieCutter
$10 says they'll be called MacBook Pros too...
I agree completely.
Originally posted by ngmapple
And in terms of hotter, more power thirsty GPU's:
1- Using an LED backlit LCD would free up some extra juice to run the GPU.
2- These can be auto speed steped (underclocked when on battery and graphics demand is low, fully clocked when on AC and gpu demand is high)
You're missing the point. Higher-end GPUs can't be used due to power consumption, but due to resulting heat output. Yes, you can underclock them (and in fact the X1600 in the MacBook Pro is already underclocked), but then you don't end up with much, if any, benefit from using higher-end (and thus more expensive) components to begin with.
Originally posted by Myst
I really don't understand the thinking behind the strong held believes that Apple will still lag behind the rest of the PC market...There's really no way Apple can afford the luxury of lagging behind the industry in their updates...if Apple doesn't keep up they will keep their "slow" monicker.
This is double-true for laptops. Apple is a much bigger laptop player than a desktop player. Apple laptops are what's going to be making the big money on the Mac side, and they can't afford to have them be last-gen.
Originally posted by ZachPruckowski
(snip) and they can't afford to have them be last-gen.
Let's hope so. It would be nice, for a change.
that will save power, less heat, better graphix card.
Or, for that matter, that there is an nForce chipset for the Merom at all?
Originally posted by Saud
if the dedicated graphix card produces lots of heat, why not go with an nforce baced motherboards?
that will save power, less heat, better graphix card.
It's not possible, the Centrino brand consist of an Intel motherboard, Intel CPU, and Intel WLAN. I don't think there is an Nforce-based laptop motherboard for Pentium M, Core Duo or Core 2 Duo.
And LOL, you should really see some benchmarks to compare the performance of a dedicated X1600 to any integrated card. The X1600 must be at least 10x faster.
Originally posted by gar
- Don't know, don't care, actually.
Maybe you should. LEDs use less power, generate less heat, and last longer than flourescent bulbs.
Granted, the backlight in my 4 year old TiBook doesn't get particularly hot and it hasn't burned out yet, but those are just nice things to know... the power savings are the big benefit in my opinion.
Originally posted by elron
Maybe you should. LEDs use less power, generate less heat, and last longer than flourescent bulbs.
Ah, that would be nice, though.
that would be a solution for the macbook's poor graphics card without adding much heat.
it's just a thought.
although i hope there will be a 13" Macbook pro that would compete with sony's SZ-Serries.
I think you're suggesting that they put geforce graphics into the macbook.