Next-gen Apple MacBook Pros to gain multi-touch trackpad

[AppleInsider]

The exclusivity of Apple's new multi-touch trackpad to the company's MacBook Air family of notebooks won't last long, AppleInsider has learned.

In very much the same way that iSight video cams have become commonplace on nearly all of Apple's personal computer systems, the Mac maker will reportedly scale the gesture-based input technology (video) across its notebook lines during the course of the year.

The next models to receive the oversized trackpads will be updated 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models due for an introduction in the next several weeks, people familiar with the company's 2008 product roadmap say.

According to those same people, the new notebooks will also be the first from the Cupertino-based company to employ Penryn-based Core 2 Duo mobile process from Intel Corp., which in their most likely form for the MacBook Pro would range in clock frequency from 2.5GHz to 2.6GHz with 6MB of Level 2 cache.

Although the new professional notebooks had been slated for an introduction at or around Macworld Expo, an executive decision was reportedly made late last year to push out the release by several weeks.

The delay is attributed solely to the need for additional resources and personnel to be placed on the MacBook Air project leading up to its introduction last week, as last minute tweaks to the super-slim 13-inch notebook were still well underway at the time.

More high-quality photos (1, 2) of the new MacBook Air.

Though precise configuration details for the new MacBook Pro models were not available, the streamlined nature of Intel's Penryn-based Core 2 mobile offerings suggests that Apple will standardize retail configurations around 2.5GHz and 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo chips, as the company has not yet elected to offer the faster, more power-hungry Core 2 Extreme mobile processors in its notebook lines.

Early observations have revealed that a 2.6GHz Penryn-based Core 2 Duo processor runs at 1.15V compared to the 1.225V of the similarly-speced Merom chip offered on existing MacBook Pros, which should translate into modest battery improvements for the new 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros.

Current 65nm Merom-based MacBook Pro retail configs compared to potential 45nm Penryn-based retail configs

In a recent test run by technology publication AnandTech, a 2.6GHz Penryn-based notebook lasted an extra 55 minutes, or an increase of almost 16.5 percent in battery life over the identically configured 2.6GHz Merom-based system.

In a similar set of performance test, the Penryn system bested the Merom model by a range of 1 to 8 percent, including a 6.4 percent advantage when running MobileMark's Productivity 2007 test.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[dontlookleft]

i hope no one bought a new MBP today or within the past several days/weeks.

=]

[g3pro]

You should also note that the "multi-touch" trackpads have been in Apple laptops since the PowerBook G4 1.67ghz series. Two-finger scrolling is ubiquitous on Apple these days.

I wonder if Apple will include it on previous laptop generations, or if it will charge a $20 upgrade fee.

[glgluxy]

Now I know why they have hand models.

[Dukeswharf]

Any news of an SSD with these new Mac Pro's?

[kb9uwu]

Slightly off topic, but when should we see a penryn iMac refresh?

[elroth]

Originally Posted by kb9uwu

Slightly off topic, but when should we see a penryn iMac refresh?

Soon, I hope - I've been waiting...

I think it was said recently that the penryn chips will be available in quantity around the end of January, so I'm hoping for that.

[amjustice]

this is awesome! I really hope this turns out to be true because I was very bummed they didn't anounce new MBPs at Macworld. I had my cc in hand all ready to take the leap (Im a PC/New Mac user). I will keep my fingers crossed that they announce this soon.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by g3pro

You should also note that the "multi-touch" trackpads have been in Apple laptops since the PowerBook G4 1.67ghz series. Two-finger scrolling is ubiquitous on Apple these days.

Semantically speaking, we should refer to the two-finger gesturing as "dual-touch" to differentiate between this advanced gesturing.

I wonder if a 3rd-party will be able to give the current lineup the same gesture controls as the MBA through a hack, the way it was possible to give Powerbooks dual-touch gesturing via a hack.

Originally Posted by Dukeswharf

Any news of an SSD with these new Mac Pro's?

Would you want to replace a 200GB HDD with a 64GB or 128GB SSD for one to two thousand dollars more? Unless the prices start falling fast or the MBA's SSDs are a big hit I don't think we'll be seeing the option in the MBP.

[marshall]

Originally Posted by g3pro

You should also note that the "multi-touch" trackpads have been in Apple laptops since the PowerBook G4 1.67ghz series. Two-finger scrolling is ubiquitous on Apple these days.

I wonder if Apple will include it on previous laptop generations, or if it will charge a $20 upgrade fee.

I have been wondering if this would work or not. How much of multi-touch on the Air is hardware and how much is software?

[Bageljoey]

The new MBPs better be under 1 inch thick and weigh less than 3 pounds or I am going to be very angry!!!
Why doesn't Apple listen to their customers?

[Clocknova]

What I really want to know is this:

What are the chances of the new MacBook Pros having a newer, more powerful graphics card than what is currently offered? Because whatever it ships with is what I'm going to be stuck with for as long as I have the machine, which is likely to be at least 4 years.

[rawhead]

Originally Posted by Bageljoey

The new MBPs better be under 1 inch thick and weigh less than 3 pounds or I am going to be very angry!!!
Why doesn't Apple listen to their customers?

You mean why doesn't Apple listen to you.

I'm not saying I don't want something like that myself, but I'm sure Apple has a pretty good idea what the market wants.

[Denton]

Originally Posted by Bageljoey

The new MBPs better be under 1 inch thick and weigh less than 3 pounds or I am going to be very angry!!!
Why doesn't Apple listen to their customers?

You expect that the MBPs will be lighter than the MBAs? What are you smoking?

[jwdawso]

Originally Posted by Denton

You expect that the MBPs will be lighter than the MBAs? What are you smoking?

He's being sarcastic!

[Denton]

Originally Posted by solipsism

Semantically speaking, we should refer to the two-finger gesturing as "dual-touch" to differentiate between this advanced gesturing.

So what you're saying is that the gesturing found on the iPhone is not multi-touch?

If you want semantics, a perfectly acceptable usage of "multi" is to indicate "more than one." Do you understand what "semantic" means?

----------

I think I'm in a petty mood today... sorry all...

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by jwdawso

He's being sarcastic!

Like really. I think people are getting a bit touchy.

Originally Posted by Dukeswharf

Any news of an SSD with these new Mac Pro's?

More sarcasm? If not, why on earth would you want that at current prices? The speed increase is overhyped. If you want data protection, It's cheaper to get an Optibay to mirror the main hard drive, and you get much more storage.

By the way, it's MacBook Pro here, Mac Pro is a different beast.

[dylan3d]

not a big difference between 2.5GHz and 2.6GHz.

[Denton]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

The exclusivity of Apple's new multi-touch trackpad to the company's MacBook Air family of notebooks won't last long, AppleInsider has learned.

When I read the title, I thought that it was strange that anyone would find this news. I guess it is confirmation.

[joekewe]

I'm still dying for a 17" MBP with LED backlighting. C'mon Apple - go green! (with a brighter display and longer battery life).

[Clive At Five]

Personally, I would be more surprized if Apple DIDN'T release multi-touch trackpads in the MBP...

Originally Posted by JeffDM

Like really. I think people are getting a bit touchy.

Pun intended?

-Clive

[Denton]

Originally Posted by JeffDM

Like really. I think people are getting a bit touchy.

You've been here long enough, I'm sure, to have noticed that people really do say absurdly stupid things (the whole xMac business, being disappointed every Macworld because the announcements are underwhelming, and many more). It gets tiresome, does it not?

And as I said, I think I'm in a petty mood today.

[pup975]

When are the Macbooks getting refreshed with new processor speeds, LCD screen, and new multi-touch trackpad?

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Denton

If you want semantics, a perfectly acceptable usage of "multi" is to indicate "more than one." Do you understand what "semantic" means?

I'm well aware of the definitions of multiple and semantic. If one refers to the MB, MBP and MBA as all being multi-touch it may be confusing to many people. Hence the reason I choose dual-touch as an alternative term to help differentiate between the simple multi-touch gesturing of the MB and MBP and the advanced multi-touch gesturing of the MBA. I apologize if I wasn't clear.

[onlooker]

Originally Posted by g3pro

You should also note that the "multi-touch" trackpads have been in Apple laptops since the PowerBook G4 1.67ghz series. Two-finger scrolling is ubiquitous on Apple these days.

I wonder if Apple will include it on previous laptop generations, or if it will charge a $20 upgrade fee.

Hardware wise Is it the same trackpad is the question. Maybe it doesn't work in those older ones, maybe it will.. Who knows?

[MatthewGavin]

Any idea on price? Same as before or a tad higher?

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by Clive At Five

Personally, I would be more surprized if Apple DIDN'T release multi-touch trackpads in the MBP...

Me too. When Apple makes a change like this, it usually spreads to related products on the next revision.

Pun intended?

Not intended, but I can pretend that I did.

[J120387]

Originally Posted by MatthewGavin

Any idea on price? Same as before or a tad higher?

i was wondering the same thing.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by MatthewGavin

Any idea on price? Same as before or a tad higher?

If I recall correctly the Penryn CPUs that are proposed to replace the current Meroms are the exact same pricepoint from Intel in batches of 1000. Typically Apple doesn't raise the price unless the chips cost more or there are other things added, like with the Mac Pro.

[Michael F.]

So Im thinking about buying a Macbook in the next few days, because to me the difference between a midrange Macbook and a 15" Pro is 2 inches of screen space and a better graphics card for an extra 1000 dollars. Since i dont work on/play with video games or produce 3D stuff, paying all that extra money doesnt seem worth it for my personal needs (graphic design, audio, some video stuff). But, with this rumor circulating should I wait to see if the current Pros get a price drop?

I would appreciate some advice

Thanks!

[wolfneuralnet]

Originally Posted by Michael F.

So Im thinking about buying a Macbook in the next few days, because to me the difference between a midrange Macbook and a 15" Pro is 2 inches of screen space and a better graphics card for an extra 1000 dollars. Since i dont work on/play with video games or produce 3D stuff, paying all that extra money doesnt seem worth it for my personal needs (graphic design, audio, some video stuff). But, with this rumor circulating should I wait to see if the current Pros get a price drop?

I would appreciate some advice

Thanks!

When a machine I am currently considering hasn't been updated in over 6 months, I usually wait for the next release so that I can make a decision between the most recent versions. Apple rarely lets models float for that long without some sort of bump. That being said, I doubt the price point of the new MacBook Pros will be much below the current ones, even if you strip them down.

I have both the MBP 15" and the MB Black (don't ask) - they are both great machines, but I absolutely love the LCD on the MBP, and you can tell when the MB is struggling without a dedicated GPU. That being said, you should consider size issues as well. I suggest you go the local retail store and really spend some time with each before you make a decision. They are pretty different in terms of screen real estate and carrying size. I would say for most people who aren't doing production work that requires a GPU, or doing science that requires the faster procs, the MB is a better all around machine for the price. Just make sure to put enough (2GB or more) RAM in it...

[Hansii]

Let's hope they fix the biggest problem with the MBP, the screen resolution

[labelexec]

Originally Posted by dontlookleft

i hope no one bought a new MBP today or within the past several days/weeks.

=]

I just bought one this saturday. Guess I'm going to return it in 14 days and take a 10% hit.

[kb9uwu]

Originally Posted by Michael F.

So Im thinking about buying a Macbook in the next few days, because to me the difference between a midrange Macbook and a 15" Pro is 2 inches of screen space and a better graphics card for an extra 1000 dollars. Since i dont work on/play with video games or produce 3D stuff, paying all that extra money doesnt seem worth it for my personal needs (graphic design, audio, some video stuff). But, with this rumor circulating should I wait to see if the current Pros get a price drop?

I would appreciate some advice

Thanks!

I ordered a refurbished 2.0GHz core 2 duo macbook for $850, spent $100 on memory, and $200 for the fast 2.5" seagate HD. I use logic 8 for recording live performances and it never misses a beat. It boots tiger in 15 seconds! If you don't need the screen real estate or the video card, the macbook is a very capable machine!

This is a biased opinion because I only have the macbook and not the MBP.

[dagreatnate]

i'm glad to read this article. i was waiting for the Expo to swap my Dell for a MBP, hoping Jobs was going to announce a new update. i was disappointed when he did not and am now waiting for a refreshed MBP.

side question - does anyone have any advice about going with a matte or glossy screen? I'll be doing some minor work with final cut (probably express) for my church. it won't be anything super demanding as far as production quality is concerned.

thanks for your help.

[Bancho]

My expectation for the next MBP release is:

- Processor bump
- Touchpad upgrade
- Maybe upgrade the GPU to something new that people will complain about but will beat the holy shot out of my GMA 950 in my Macbook even harder
- Maybe an SSD option, but until some sort of economy of scale can develop to help lower prices it'll be a seldom-selected option for some time to come. I saw another machine released with a 64 GB SSD offered (a Fujitsu I think) and the upgrade cost ~$900 so Apple's not really gouging on that particular technology

The MBP's case design/form factor may be a bit old but it doesn't look dated (not to me at least) and it works well enough.

[Tailpipe]

I think this article is great news. If Apple has allowed details of tjhe refresh to be leaked, then it means they've heard us all griping about the lack of MBPs at Macworld. Thank you Apple.

I am sure these machines are going to be great. i can hardly wait:

• Generous 15" LED screen
• Gesture touchpad
• New keyboard
• Plenty of ports
• A bit thinner
• A bit lighter
• Blue Ray DVD player option
• SSD Flash memory otion
• Longer battery life

It's gonna sell like hot cakes. Way to go Apple. And thanks for listening.

As someone else said: MBP + improved industrial design + new touchpad = purchase.

[WolF_00]

the NEW multi-touch trackpad is awesome; but is it possible to replace my existing touch pad in MBP with the new one

[MsNly]

I might just be getting one of these Apple

I hope you deliver

[J120387]

hmm... im in quite a predicament right now.. i bought a macbook pro about 9 days ago because i needed it for school and i had sold my old macbook before i got my macbook pro. i am still within the 14 day return period and was wondering if i should return my macbook pro and wait computerless until they come out with the new one? i had opened the dvi-vga adaptor from the packaged seal and everything, would they even take macbook pro back even if i opened the packaged stuff it came with(dvi/vga adaptor, front row remote)?