Apple's slimmer 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros in production - report

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014


The 13- and 15-inch varieties of Apple's next-generation MacBook Pro, which will drop the optical disc drive for a thinner profile, are said to now be in production.



Initial monthly shipments of the notebooks will be between 100,000 and 150,000, sources at Apple's overseas partners told DigiTimes. Though the new MacBook Pros will ditch the optical drive, the updated notebooks will feature "more advanced specs" than the MacBook Air, suggesting that the 13- and 15-inch Pro models will continue to exist alongside the Air.



The new MacBook Pros are said to feature stronger CPU performance and larger storage capacity than their MacBook Air counterparts. Shipments of the new notebooks to Apple will begin this month, the report said.



As suppliers ramp up production of the new MacBook Pro, monthly shipments are expected to eventually reach 900,000 units, well up from the current numbers in limited production.



Supply chain sources suggested that the new MacBook Pro models might arrive around the same time as new Windows Ultrabooks also based on Intel's latest-generation Ivy Bridge processors.



This week, a pair of reports suggested that Apple will debut a new MacBook lineup in April based on Intel's Ivy Bridge processors. In particular, Much attention has been paid to a new 15-inch notebook model. Reports have differed on whether it will be a 15-inch MacBook Air, expanding the thin-and-light product line to a new form factor, or if it will simply be a new MacBook Pro with a thinner profile.











One report on Thursday claimed that Apple will debut a new, thinner 15-inch MacBook Pro based on Intel's latest Ivy Bridge Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs. It was said that the new MacBook Pro would still be thinner than the different MacBook Air lineup.



That was somewhat in contrast to a separate report issued on Wednesday that claimed Apple was to launch a new 15-inch MacBook Air in April, "effectively killing the Pro." It was suggested that the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models could even completely replace their MacBook Pro counterparts in the same screen sizes, leaving only the 17-inch MacBook Pro as the only "Pro" laptop from Apple.



Whether Apple's new 15-inch notebook is known as a "Pro" or an Air," the model has been rumored since last year. Like the MacBook Air, it is expected to lack a built-in optical drive and Ethernet port, as Apple continues its push for digital distribution of software through the Mac App Store.



AppleInsider reported in February that Apple is gearing up to introduce radically redesigned MacBook Pro models this year, borrowing the super-thin design the company has pioneered with its MacBook Air. One person familiar with the new MacBook Pro designs said "they're all going to look like MacBook Airs."



[ View article on AppleInsider ]

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 109
    I am not talking about dual boot (or may be). But somehow, either windowed or just seamless integration between Mac Apps and IOS Apps.



    It is not a necessity but seems to be a natural evolution.
  • Reply 2 of 109
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by uguysrnuts View Post


    I am not talking about dual boot (or may be). But somehow, either windowed or just seamless integration between Mac Apps and IOS Apps.



    It is not a necessity but seems to be a natural evolution.



    Parallels

    Fusion





    ETA:

    Sorry, I read it too fast and thought you were suggesting seamless integration with Windows apps.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Initial monthly shipments of the notebooks will be between 100,000 and 150,000, sources at Apple's overseas partners told DigiTimes.



    Even a stopped clock is right twice a day (or once for those of you using 24 hour time). I wonder when Digitimes will finally get one right:

    http://stupidapplerumors.com/news/20...h-rumor-Report
  • Reply 3 of 109
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    I'm really excited about this.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by uguysrnuts View Post


    I am not talking about dual boot (or may be). But somehow, either windowed or just seamless integration between Mac Apps and IOS Apps.



    It is not a necessity but seems to be a natural evolution.



    I don't see that happening at all since having your Mac's display be a touchscreen is far from ideal.



    What I would like to see happen with Apple's new move to a yearly OS X release is to make their Mac OS a free update. This will not only be a value add to each Mac purchase but allow Apple to lower support costs by having a lot more users on the same OS. Over all I would expect this move to increase Mac adoption which in turn increases their total profit.
  • Reply 4 of 109
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    I'm really excited about this.









    I don't see that happening at all since having your Mac's display be a touchscreen is far from ideal.



    What I would like to see happen with Apple's new move to a yearly OS X release is to make their Mac OS a free update. This will not only be a value add to each Mac purchase but allow Apple to lower support costs by having a lot more users on the same OS. Over all I would expect this move to increase Mac adoption which in turn increases their total profit.



    Meh.. It's cheap enough as is. Who's complaining about spending $29.99 to upgrade their entire freaking OS?
  • Reply 5 of 109
    neilmneilm Posts: 985member
    I wonder whether Apple will really drop the ethernet port on a Pro model? I hope not.



    Yes, WiFi is pretty fast these days, and yes, the Thunderbolt port can provide wired ethernet. But in office environments WiFi is by no means universally available, and the T'bolt options are very limited.



    As an example of the latter, I've recently installed an Apple 27" T'bolt display connected to a user's MacBook Pro. It's a terrific setup, with the single T'bolt connection providing wired gigabit ethernet (as well as video, FW and USB). But this is a one thousand dollar monitor. That's not unreasonable for the features it provides, but at a price level that's going to limit its adoption. Belkin has announced a T'bolt hub that would include ethernet. But at an announced price of $299 it makes that 27" Apple display look like a pretty good deal.



    It seems to me that retaining a gigabit ethernet port of the Pro models would make sense.
  • Reply 6 of 109
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NeilM View Post


    I wonder whether Apple will really drop the ethernet port on a Pro model? I hope not.



    I have no need for ethernet, video out, or FW ports on my Mac and have not used any of them in years yet I think all three have a place today, which FW being the weakest argument for retention.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rydewnd2 View Post


    Meh.. It's cheap enough as is. Who's complaining about spending $29.99 to upgrade their entire freaking OS?



    That doesn't address my points. Nowhere did I state the cost was holding back users from updating. I'm talking about increasing Apple's bottom line, hence something that would benefit them.
  • Reply 7 of 109
    postulantpostulant Posts: 1,272member
    Does Apple not see the competition as competition? When everyone else is championing blu ray, Apple is ditching optical drives altogether.



    While Acer and others were betting the house on net books, Apple was cooking up tablets in its labs.



    Why follow when you can lead, eh?
  • Reply 8 of 109
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    I have no need for ethernet, video out, or FW ports on my Mac and have not used any of them in years yet I think all three have a place today, which FW being the weakest argument for retention.



    I think the retention of Firewire is related to a lot of fixed peripherals. I have an 800 dollar video camera that only connects via firewire, and a 10x10 audio interface that is firewire only. Without the ability to connect those devices I'd find myself not upgrading, because I like them a hell of a lot and everything I do with them I can do on my current machine. If they can keep the firewire port, they probably will, at least for one model on the line. A lot of people have expensive fixed hardware that relies on that interface, and not everyone has a grand to spend on a new monitor.
  • Reply 9 of 109
    dunksdunks Posts: 1,254member
    Decent GPU + Retina display. Please don't undercook this Apple.
  • Reply 10 of 109
    mcarlingmcarling Posts: 1,106member
    My guess is that the 2012 MacBook Pro will keep the Ethernet port and drop the Firewire port. If they drop the Ethernet port, it would be to achieve a thinner profile.
  • Reply 11 of 109
    You're right.



    I was thinking smaller scale. Screw touch for now. This is more sort of an extension to Boot Camp, meaning providing a one stop for switching between OSes. May be this is the perfect opportunity and niche for VMWare, Parallels or another company to fill in.



    OS X, for all its glory, still relies on the legacy desktop metaphor, and its inherent weaknesses.



    Yeah I know it is not the desktop paradigm itself that is the problem, but there is definitely baggage from earlier expectations on how desktop based OSes should work.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    I'm really excited about this.





    I don't see that happening at all since having your Mac's display be a touchscreen is far from ideal.



    What I would like to see happen with Apple's new move to a yearly OS X release is to make their Mac OS a free update. This will not only be a value add to each Mac purchase but allow Apple to lower support costs by having a lot more users on the same OS. Over all I would expect this move to increase Mac adoption which in turn increases their total profit.



  • Reply 12 of 109
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Iandanger View Post


    I think the retention of Firewire is related to a lot of fixed peripherals. I have an 800 dollar video camera that only connects via firewire, and a 10x10 audio interface that is firewire only. Without the ability to connect those devices I'd find myself not upgrading, because I like them a hell of a lot and everything I do with them I can do on my current machine. If they can keep the firewire port, they probably will, at least for one model on the line. A lot of people have expensive fixed hardware that relies on that interface, and not everyone has a grand to spend on a new monitor.



    I have no doubt they will retain FW, as I stated in my post, I just think it's the weakest argument of all three port types. My reasoning is this: Video out has tobe maintained for external displays, even though very few customers use them. Ethernet needs to be retained for security and connectivity for very few customers (though more than for video out) that use them. FW needs to be maintained for the reasons you state but its functionality is being replaced by Thunderbolt so it's not unlikely that future peripherals could use Thunderbolt over FW in future products.



    On top of that, the FW1600/3200 spec has been finished for awhile and we've not seen Apple show interest in future proofing the tech which leads me to believe they are just going to let it wallow until the solution for those with antiquated devices that use FW is to buy a Thunderbolt hub or adapter with a FW interface.
  • Reply 13 of 109
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mcarling View Post


    My guess is that the 2012 MacBook Pro will keep the Ethernet port and drop the Firewire port. If they drop the Ethernet port, it would be to achieve a thinner profile.



    And if they add USB 3.0 they can still allow gigabit ethernet with an adapter but I think that is less than ideal, even if they do add another USB port.
  • Reply 14 of 109
    It really is too bad gigabit Wi-Fi is still at least a year away. Yeah, there are rumors Apple is working to deploy later this year, but rumors are, well we already know the cliche.



    http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/20...f-schedule.ars



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    And if they add USB 3.0 they can still allow gigabit ethernet with an adapter but I think that is less than ideal, even if they do add another USB port.



  • Reply 15 of 109
    I think it's unlikely these will have a retina display but I'd really love it if they at least bumped up the resolution a bit. The 13 inch Air has a 1440x900 screen and the 13 inch pro doesn't. With the programs I use I'd really benefit from the increase. Does anyone know how quickly they tend to release their new laptops after announcing them?
  • Reply 16 of 109
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by uguysrnuts View Post


    It really is too bad gigabit Wi-Fi is still at least a year away. Yeah, there are rumors Apple is working to deploy later this year, but rumors are, well we already know the cliche.



    http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/20...f-schedule.ars



    1) That's a complete ratification. I will be surprised if Apple isn't supporting 802.11ac in the next MBPs. Note that Apple supported 802.11n years before it was ratified and that 802.11ac is progressing much more competently and smoothly than 802.11n



    2) Even once we get gigabit WiFi it'll still have less security, use more power and be slower due to more overhead than ethernet which makes it a less than ideal solution for those that need a wired connection.
  • Reply 17 of 109
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    I would still like to see an ethernet port on the MacBook Pro models. Things like FW, Ethernet, and maybe 1 extra USB port (and make it USB 3) would differentiate them from the Air models. WiFi, while nice isn't always a good option. Its not where near as fast as gigabit ethernet and wired is always more reliable than wireless.



    What I'm wondering is...will they just add a thunderbolt port and have a docking station type thing using the thunderbolt port...which can handle everything with little or no slowdown.



    Gigabit WiFi while nice is useless until it comes mainstream. Even if Apple put it on their new MBP's, its useless until you get wireless access points/routers using the same technology. No doubt, the AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and Time Capsule's would get the upgrade, but not everyone has those for wireless access.
  • Reply 18 of 109
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MusicComposer View Post


    The 13 inch Air has a 1440x900 screen and the 13 inch pro doesn't.



    As it's likely being killed off, that works out.



    Quote:

    Does anyone know how quickly they tend to release their new laptops after announcing them?



    The day of announcement. Since they've not announced them yet, they can't be late.
  • Reply 19 of 109
    misamisa Posts: 827member
    In my opinion we're going to see mild redesigns.



    The Firewire port, TB/HDMI for video,Ethernet and USB ports are all necessary, but you have to consider the reasons why a port should be removed.



    For example, the firewire port can be dropped when something replaces it. Is TB going to replace it? No. Is USB3? Possibly. Firewire is more likely to be replaced by a wireless form of Ethernet than TB. The design issue with TB is that it's one port, when that port needs to be used by no less than two devices. (Eg Video camera and a Storage array.)



    If every Apple device instead came with two TB ports and three USB3 ports, and then axed the Ethernet and Firewire ports. We'd be ok, because either Wireless Ethernet can replace it, or one of the ports can be used for Ethernet. But it's one more thing to break, lose, or have to remember to pack.



    But I think it steps away from Apple's design philosophy in wanting to make things easier and one-step. Accessories (and drivers) are the thorn in PC designs, and we'd be much better off the physical accessories had their own firmware "drivers" that the host device can just initialize and make it work. Things like the iPad don't need all the complexity because the deign philosophy for them is to have "just one" connector with nothing to break.



    We are likely to see the optical drives removed, as the Macmini already shows Apple is moving in this direction. We won't see the Macbook Pro get that much thinner, as most of the thickness in a laptop is the heatsinks. You might see it become tapered like the Air without the optical drive however.



    I'd like to see "retina display" upgrades for the laptops, but I'm not sure we'll see it in anything but the 15" model, as 1920x1200 displays for 15" laptops have been available since 2004, so I'm certain a modest bump up is possible.
  • Reply 20 of 109
    jcsegenmdjcsegenmd Posts: 105member
    They're going to drop the AIr and Pro names completely and if you want a notebook, the choice is based only on size 11, 13, 15, and eventually 17. In the long run, it makes life easier?
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