Bottom of MacBook Pro revealed; more last minute specs
Some new photos reveal even more of Apple's new MacBook Pro casing, including its underside and battery cover. Meanwhile, some last minute specs for the 13-inch MacBook and MacBook Air have hit the web, in addition to confirmation of an $899 24-inch LED Apple display.
Daring Fireball John Gruber has published a lengthy last-minute report from its sources, covering the new MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and new 24-inch Apple display.
MacBook Pro Trackpad
The new 15-inch MacBook Pro has a trackpad similar to the Air?s, in that it is bigger and supports additional multi-touch gestures. Unlike the Air?s, the "new trackpad is made of glass, and is a button itself," according to the report. "You just press and it clicks. This is not like the current software option where you can enable 'Tap to Click' in the trackpad preferences, but instead a glass trackpad that acts as a physical button, with a click you can feel."
MacBook Pro Display
Gruber adds, and AppleInsider can independently confirm, that Apple does not plan to offer a matte-finish display on the new MacBook Pro, meaning customers will be stuck with only one option: glossy.
Separately, AppleInsider has heard that Apple may offer a higher-resolution display on the 15-inch MacBook Pro as a build-to-order option.
MacBook Pro CPU and Graphics
Gruber says CPU clock speeds and prices on the MacBook Pro will remain relatively unchanged at 2.4GHz ($1999) and 2.53GHz ($2499), but confirms Monday evening's report that the systems will employ two NVIDIA graphics chips with Hybrid SLI support. Specifically, each will include a NVIDIA 9400M and a NVIDIA 9600M GT.
MacBook Pro Casing Design
Meanwhile, MacX.cn has posted more photos of the new MacBook Pro's casing, revealing the bottom of the unit with its elongated, latch-release battery cover first detailed by AppleInsider back in July.
17-inch MacBook Pro
The 17-inch MacBook Pro will not see an update at today's event, as was reported by AppleInsider on Monday. Instead, Apple will continue the market the existing 17-inch model until it can fix some issues with a new 17-inch model that has been spotted in its labs.
13-inch MacBook
The new 13-inch MacBooks are said to feature the same trackpad as its larger 15-inch cousins and include NVIDIA's new 9400M graphics chipset. Rumors of a $800 or $900 MacBook are false, however.
Instead, the existing 2.1 GHz white MacBook will remain in Apple's new lineup at a new price of $999. Two new aluminum models will be added:
$1299: 2.0 GHz, 2 GB memory, 160 GB disk
$1499: 2.4 GHz, 2 GB memory, 250 GB disk
Gruber notes that the new $1299 model sports a CPU that is 16 percent slower than existing model, but says Apple will argue that the new NVIDIA graphics chipset will more than make up for the difference.
MacBook Air
Updated MacBook Airs will see no aesthetic or CPU changes, which will remain at 1.6GHz and 1.83GHz. They will, however, include NVIDIA's 9400M graphics chipset and offer larger hard drives: a 120 GB disk in the low-end model and a 128 GB solid-state drive in the high-end model.
A report from Monday suggests the new Airs may not be readily available.
New $899 Apple LED display
In his report, Gruber also confirms a new $899 24-inch Apple LED display, plans of which were first revealed by AppleInsider late Monday evening.
According to our sources, the display resembles the existing aluminum iMacs without the "chin" of aluminum, and features a thinner version of the iMac's stand and black bezel (like the new MacBook Pro and iMac). The display is also said to include a DisplayPort connector and MagSafe adapter.
Live Coverage of Today's Event
AppleInsider will be providing live aggregate coverage of today's announcements. In the meantime, readers can register for the AppleInsider forums (it's quick) and join the discussion.
Daring Fireball John Gruber has published a lengthy last-minute report from its sources, covering the new MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and new 24-inch Apple display.
MacBook Pro Trackpad
The new 15-inch MacBook Pro has a trackpad similar to the Air?s, in that it is bigger and supports additional multi-touch gestures. Unlike the Air?s, the "new trackpad is made of glass, and is a button itself," according to the report. "You just press and it clicks. This is not like the current software option where you can enable 'Tap to Click' in the trackpad preferences, but instead a glass trackpad that acts as a physical button, with a click you can feel."
MacBook Pro Display
Gruber adds, and AppleInsider can independently confirm, that Apple does not plan to offer a matte-finish display on the new MacBook Pro, meaning customers will be stuck with only one option: glossy.
Separately, AppleInsider has heard that Apple may offer a higher-resolution display on the 15-inch MacBook Pro as a build-to-order option.
MacBook Pro CPU and Graphics
Gruber says CPU clock speeds and prices on the MacBook Pro will remain relatively unchanged at 2.4GHz ($1999) and 2.53GHz ($2499), but confirms Monday evening's report that the systems will employ two NVIDIA graphics chips with Hybrid SLI support. Specifically, each will include a NVIDIA 9400M and a NVIDIA 9600M GT.
MacBook Pro Casing Design
Meanwhile, MacX.cn has posted more photos of the new MacBook Pro's casing, revealing the bottom of the unit with its elongated, latch-release battery cover first detailed by AppleInsider back in July.
17-inch MacBook Pro
The 17-inch MacBook Pro will not see an update at today's event, as was reported by AppleInsider on Monday. Instead, Apple will continue the market the existing 17-inch model until it can fix some issues with a new 17-inch model that has been spotted in its labs.
13-inch MacBook
The new 13-inch MacBooks are said to feature the same trackpad as its larger 15-inch cousins and include NVIDIA's new 9400M graphics chipset. Rumors of a $800 or $900 MacBook are false, however.
Instead, the existing 2.1 GHz white MacBook will remain in Apple's new lineup at a new price of $999. Two new aluminum models will be added:
$1299: 2.0 GHz, 2 GB memory, 160 GB disk
$1499: 2.4 GHz, 2 GB memory, 250 GB disk
Gruber notes that the new $1299 model sports a CPU that is 16 percent slower than existing model, but says Apple will argue that the new NVIDIA graphics chipset will more than make up for the difference.
MacBook Air
Updated MacBook Airs will see no aesthetic or CPU changes, which will remain at 1.6GHz and 1.83GHz. They will, however, include NVIDIA's 9400M graphics chipset and offer larger hard drives: a 120 GB disk in the low-end model and a 128 GB solid-state drive in the high-end model.
A report from Monday suggests the new Airs may not be readily available.
New $899 Apple LED display
In his report, Gruber also confirms a new $899 24-inch Apple LED display, plans of which were first revealed by AppleInsider late Monday evening.
According to our sources, the display resembles the existing aluminum iMacs without the "chin" of aluminum, and features a thinner version of the iMac's stand and black bezel (like the new MacBook Pro and iMac). The display is also said to include a DisplayPort connector and MagSafe adapter.
Live Coverage of Today's Event
AppleInsider will be providing live aggregate coverage of today's announcements. In the meantime, readers can register for the AppleInsider forums (it's quick) and join the discussion.
Comments
we'll wait and see, maybe it has AI built in...
I wonder how long it will take them to squash the bugs in the lab...
None of this makes any sense to me, more expensive with lower speed CPU? Is this why I told my neighbour to hold out for 2 months? I'll wait one and a half hours before I believe this but if it's true... It just can't be true this seems like the worst move Apple could make right now...
12 hour battery life and 3g be ok in that package?
/Adrian
12 hour battery life and 3g be ok in that package?
No doubt they'll be amazing machines (they better be at that price) but what Apple needs is an Alu MacBook with simple of the shelf components at $899 or $799. Think the current MacBook but with new case and newer chips. These new machines will make Apple even more niche and exclusive than it already is. No matter how "do-want!" these machines will be, not a lot of people are gonna spend twice as much just to get a Mac.
I'm talking from the point of view of switching people to OSX here, but apparently, that's not a priority for Apple (if the rumours are true)
If the rumor sites nailed it then Apple isn't going to be getting any of my $$$ till the next round
I was waiting for half a year for this event in hope to find a new machine to replace my 2,16 MBP.
All I dreamed of was to get HDMI Output, better battery life, a NON-GLOSSY DISPLAY (as this was the main reason why I switched two years ago). All that wrapped in a timeless alluminium casing.
Not too much dreaming, I though.....*uargh*...now we'll be getting a foldable imac?????
I even planned to purchase a Macbook Air...as I was sure we would get a 160 GB harddrive...
confirms Monday evening's report that the systems will employ two NVIDIA graphics chips with Hybrid SLI support. Specifically, each will include a NVIDIA 9400M and a NVIDIA 9600M GT.
Let's make this clear, because many people are confused by all the bungling. Gruber can be excused, he's not a hardware guy, but you guys cannot.
- The 9600M GT is the discrete GPU. It's a real 9600M GT chip
- There will be no 9400M chip in the macbook pros. Nor in the macbooks by the way.
- But both will be using the MCP79 chip from nvidia, which replaces Intel's north&south bridges, and the MCP79 sports an IGP (Integrated Graphic Processor) rumored to be roughly equivalent to a 9300M or 9400M (note that we won't know if it's for sure until the tests)
This MCP79 would potentially enable the usage of HybridPower on the MBP (shut down the discrete GPU when e.g. on the desktop to reduce system power draw). It probably won't allow the usage of Geforce Boost (SLI between the GPU and the IGP) as the difference in power between a 9600M and something in the 9300M-9400 range is probably too high to allow it, but you never know.All I dreamed of was to get HDMI Output
Video out has a nontrivial (read: high) chance of being DisplayPort.
Think HDMI, except better and created for computer screens instead of stupid TVs (and it handles higher resolutions too, HDMI 1.2 over Type A [regular] or Type C [mini] connectors can only drive screens up to 1920*1200 [~1080p] which is lower than the resolution of Apple's 30" ACD, while DisplayPort works up to 2560x1600/30bpp@60fps)
is it just me, or are these models more expensive? on the existing macbook system, you can spec the White macbook at 2.4GHz, 250G memory and 2GB of RAM, and it comes in below $1399. I love the new look, but I am holding out a hope that these prices are wrong...
Yeah it looks that way. Given the economic backdrop I'm not sure if these things will sell very well as many people are likely to clamp down on spending.
But who knows! Just put it on a credit card!
Apple design has also become more and more like PC's. Look at Leopard, almost square corners all over.
Sigh.
Can someone explain to me why glossy is so popular these days?