Clues that suggest new Macbook Pros are coming this week! - Page 4

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I'm due for a new iPod soon too, but if I have to go with another company's laptop because of all this, you bet your ass I'm never buying an iPod again either. Not that something like that means jack to a company as big as Apple anyway lol.

Because I never need all those extras while on the road. And I prefer a larger screen than that. (Since I've owned a Wallstreet too, I know how awful a lack of screen estate is. And no: squeezing in more pixels per inch isn't a solution as far as I'm concerned.)

I just checked out the Z on the Sony website. Meh. I prefer the more european/German esthetic of the Apple products over the typical Sony Japanese vaguely Pagoda-esque style. It's too busy, too many angles and protuberances. I prefer Audi over Lexus.

The technical features are nice, but none of them are enough to get me to switch to Windows. Apple may not be cutting edge on a every single feature (or any features for that matter) but the entire package is so nicely designed and the components work so harmoniously that it overcomes the shortcomings of individual components. Add OS X to that FTW.

As far as Sony respecting customers - come on. They are a giant, impersonal mega corporation. They want to sell product, not respect customers. Their highly skilled marketing department effectively has convinced you that they give respect. This is what big companies do, including Apple. The difference is that Sony designs their products to be marketed instead of designing them to be really good. Ive and Jobs design products to be great first and then they figure out how to market them. That makes a big difference.

The "new MacBook Pros are coming this week!" thread is about to enter its second month. Just sayin'.

Ya, I'm thinking the June rumors have to be true

They've had their share of decisions that came out badly for consumers certainly like the launch price of the PS3, the memory stick issues and various others. But they know that their bread and butter clients want new tech regularly and they constantly deliver in all their chosen fields.

With Apple it's like 'well maybe there'll be a new MBP this year, maybe not it's a secret. Doesn't matter 'cos we've got a new iPad. Don't want one well, no MBPs until you at least look at it and in the mean time, your only choice is year old hardware at the launch price'.

I feel it's not a respectful attitude to have to your customers. I really didn't expect Apple to hold back their flagship models for anything. The laptop line makes up close to 40% of their revenue and is a huge boost for Apple's status with students.

Looking at it rationally, although the lineup hasn't been updated for nearly a year, viable updates only really came out the start of February so it's a couple of months overdue and maybe they want to triple check NVidia's chips for manufacturing defects. It could coincide with the Mac Pro update and the Mini could use a bit of TLC too if new GPUs are coming.


True but next week is also called 'next week' so there's a chance updates can be next week. Maybe the week after though.

There is no way Apple will release an update to the macbook pro's for at least another two weeks, if not another month or so. The iPad will be their focus for now and until that calms down, people will just have to wait.

I don't see what the problem is though. I'm wanting to get a new Macbook Pro (jumping ship from Windows) and while my current laptop is pretty stone-age, its working for now and it will last a while longer so that's all good.

So all these people with the 'Apple Hate' just because they're not releasing a new update when they want it, are acting lke spoiled kids throwing a tantrum in the supermarket

You try using a work issued laptop with no ability to download or update anything, print, go to Youtube, or anything fun. Some people like me, need the new mbp to come out asap. I am not a spoiled kid...sorry dude.

I never said you were a spoiled kid but if you are able to reply to my mesage then you must be able to at least type on it or have some kind of net access But again, what's a few months? I'd rather have a decent machine at the end of it all. My laptop is an old HP compaq that`s almost 8 years old. Does the job for now.

To me it's that 1) my CrapBook is dying. 2) the current price is DOUBLE what it should be. it's a computer introduced a year ago with tech that was already a year old, for TWICE what PCs are selling for. Period. Usually Apple quality and TCO negates this. But the equation has tipped as the tech has gotten ridiculously outdated. It's insulting to their base. Marvin made a good point: their laptops a BIG piece of revenue, probably profit too, and the biggest piece of mindshare outside iPhone/iPod. At least for now...they ARE more important, in both mindshare and revenue, than the friggin iPad. They are 3-4 months late as of right now. I'm fully expecting MBPs next Tues or the Tues after. When I get the new MBP I'll be pretty happy overall too I think. I really don't think they would wait until June. And they don't wait until events like WWDC to announce stuff anymore. They just release it when it's ready. I just don't know what the holdup was. Technical reasons? Supplies? Politics (NVIDIA/Intel?) Or are they just milking us customers. I think it's the last one, based on spending probably way too much time reading about this crap. Well, see ya'll here Tues. Hopefully we'll be talking about the new models we're ordering!

Obviously, we're getting very close to new MacBook Pro models. Now that the iPad is out, we may see them this week. The question I wonder about is other than the processor, which we all know will be the new Intel stuff, what will Apple change?

Will Apple shift the display to the 16:9 ratio like they did last time around with the iMacs? The industry sure seems to be standardizing on 16:9 displays.

Will Apple use IPS display technology in the new MacBook Pros like they have in the iMacs and now the iPad?

Will Apple incorporate 3G WWAN cards into the MacBook Pros like they have on the iPad?

HDMI replacing mini DisplayPort?

Will Apple eliminate that /34 card slot on the 17" model? Or will they put it back on the 15" model?

Will Apple offer an anti-glare option on the 13" MacBook Pro this time around?

Shouldn't 7,200 rpm drives be standard fare at this point?

I don't think Apple will change them all that much cosmetically outside of the slight change to accommodate 16:9 ratio panels, so anyone thinking there will be any major design changes will be disappointed.

I don't think Apple will change the pricing at all. If anything, I think Apple will make improvements to components (like the IPS displays).

Visited a Sony Style store at the mall while on vacation and played with some of the laptops. Of course one machine had a dialogue box open with a message from Norton that it had detected security threats but aside from that the Nehalem CPUs in them friggin rocked. Very, very fast. Even the i3 was very fast. A Z series laptop had the i5 and a SSD and was the fastest laptop I think I've ever used.

Apple needs to get the Nehalem MBPs out. My experience with the Sony machines leads me to beleive they'll be worth the wait

I agree, they have focused too much on the iPad to the detriment of the Macbook Pro and their other models such as the MacPro. I personally couldn't care less about the iPad.

(first post yeah)

so what IF apple announces the new MBP tomórrow... how long would it take to get to stores in Europe? They are way too busy with producing enough iPads, no?

btw, isn't it probably the SSD that makes the sony so Z fast??

The iPads and notebooks are produced at different factories. Production of one won't interfere with the other.

As for the Z, yes, the SSD (or in some cases SSD RAID... I didn't opt for that) makes it very fast, but everything about it is a full generation ahead of Apple's notebooks. The graphics, CPU, optical drive, everything is faster and more current than the Macbook Pro. That, plus the fact that it actually has an expresscard slot for expansion for firewire, esata, or USB 3 cards makes it even more compelling.

The 17" MacBook Pro has an expresscard slot, and the 15" damn well should have had one. I can see Apple compromising for the 13", but they should have given us a multiple format card-reader, and one where you can fully insert the card.

Light at the end of the tunnel?

"Next Media's Chinese Language Taiwan Apple Daily today reports that New MacBook Pros are going into production this month"

One can only hope.

iphone 4.0 on thrusday.... One can only hope theres a "One more thing, New macbook pros" ))

Hopefully Macbook and Mini too. It's probably time to drop Core 2 altogether now including the lowest iMacs. The Core i3 handles multi-thread processing better.

Can't wait to see what they do GPU-wise. If they use Optimus or the Radeon to replace the 9400M, it's a big performance boost. If they stick with the Intel IGP alone, well it's going to be pretty sad.

Thursdays are the new Tuesdays!

They may announce them Thursday, but they may not for fear it will detract from all things iPhonePadTouchPodOS.

Even if they do announce them Thursday, I'll bet they won't really ship until May.

Yes the SSD undoubtably helps the z series performance wise. But the i3 that I played with had a platter drive and it too was quite sappy.

Them Arrandales look mighty tasty in the time I tried them.

Apple historically does not mix and match product-line announcements when they have specific announcement invitations. Do not expect MBP coverage in the iPhone 4 OS event (unless the MBP will now be running it, which it won't). Expect new laptops to just come out the next or following Tuesday on the web site and store without any public events.

Why don't you guys take this to SONY Z FORUM.

I offer this as a point of reference to those who await new MBPs.

You do know there is a good chance that they'll have Nehalem cpus, don't you?

They almost certainly will. The problem is when? These things are a third of a year over due and as of late they haven't earned the benefit of the doubt to keep waiting. Rumors have the price of the entire line going up several hundred bucks. Add to that with new interfaces coming out, I want an expansion slot. Apple isn't likely to give me one on even a 15" model now. I also want a BluRay drive, also something they aren't likely to give. Add to that (and I say this as a former Apple employee and Kool-Aid drinker) that imho, Windows 7 is finally a good enough approximation of OS X, and you have a bunch of people contemplating jumping ship.

Please do not get my hopes up AGAIN

I observe all these threads on new MBPs since earlier this year. Obviously so many people (like me too) are waiting with their investment in a new computer. One should mean sales of Apple notebooks dropped dramatically over the past weeks but to my best knowledge this is not the case. Unfortunately because money normally is the only language companies understand.
Complaints about Apples deficiency in responding to their customer base won't help. Dropping sales would.
Who bought all those MBPs over the past months?

Normal people who don't come here to get information about computers. People who are just as unconcerned and uninformed about what is inside their laptop as they are about what is under the hood of their car. There are millions of them.

More information about MBP shortages:

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/09/1...ed-refresh-re/

Only seems to be the 15" model though. While it would be good to get i5/i7 + good GPU, it would be nice to see some i3s in the lower end of the lineup with better GPUs too.

I guess due to shortages in the chips, they'll focus on the MBP first, then roll out the Mac Pro update, then it will be the Macbook, Mini and low-end iMac.

Hey I'm not defending Apple here. And I have NO idea when Apple will release new MBPs.

I'm just saying that, based on my limited experience in playing around with a Sony laptop that has components that are likely to be present in new the MBPs that the updated MBPS are probably going to be fast machines.

That's all FWIW.

I figured I'd stop by and crush your spirits.

"Update: There is some ambiguity as to whether the MacBook Pro will actually ship in April. Even our Chinese readers are having a difficult time understanding the verbiage. As near as we can tell the release will start in April but orders may not catch up to demand until June?"

http://9to5mac.com/new-macbook-pros-june-34589529

In other words, production != shipping. Boo hiss.

I was at my local Apple Authorized Reseller (we don't have an Apple Store here in HK yet) yesterday and I told him I was planning on getting a MacBook for my daughter this Summer. He immediately said, "Don't buy it now! All the laptops are being updated." I assured him that I was aware of the situation, but was surprised at his candidness considering the possibility of lost sales leading up to the update. Of course, I'm a "special" customer, so perhaps he was more honest to me. I asked him if they have been selling many laptops lately and he said, "Sure. People need them now."

And there it is. If you need it now, buy it. Don't waste your time waiting for a small improvement or price cut.

If it's something you "want" but don't "need", then you're better off waiting, and not complaining about it.

But switching platforms seems like a pretty stupid third alternative.

It would be nice if the Macbooks were updated too as it means the Mini and low-end iMac should follow. The Macbook Pros were the only ones mentioned as being out of stock but they all need a refresh.

What's interesting is that the numbers could well match up:

Core i3 = 13"
Core i5 = 15"
Core i7 = 17"

I imagine if they used the i7, they'd put it in as an option on the 15" though. Some manufacturers are sticking with the Intel HD graphics on the low end with Core i3 but others are going with the i3 + Geforce 310M (Optimus).

The 310M is better than Intel and 9400M but still sucks for computation at 73GFlops.

I'd much rather have a Radeon 5650 across the whole lineup. I don't really see why they can't use one good graphics chip in every laptop. It makes support issues less for a start as they only have one driver to deal with.

When you say computation, do you mean 3D performance or GPGPU performance? Have we seen any significant use of GPGPU yet?

GPGPU performance but it impacts 3D too because GLSL shaders are computations as is PhysX (hardware physics acceleration). This impacts modern games that use nice lighting effects as well as 3D applications that can show GLSL previews in the viewport. The biggest one that would matter to Apple users would be Motion:

http://http.developer.nvidia.com/GPU...chapter25.html

Even Final Cut uses the GPU:

http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/...ansitions.html

"Dozens of leading developers support the FxPlug standard to offer hundreds of real-time GPU-accelerated plug-ins at 32-bit float quality."

More VRAM helps when dealing with lots of layers. The MBP really needs a big jump in the GPU performance. As I've said before, there are PC manufacturers selling the Radeon 5650 with 1GB VRAM in laptops under $1000. This chip is about 3x faster than the 9600M GT for computation.

I know Apple doesn't do the whole spec matching thing but when you are paying nearly double the amount of a PC laptop, you kind of expect the performance to come close, especially when the 5650 doesn't draw any more power than the 9600M GT.

Given that the low-end products are also more expensive than the PC laptops, they should have decent GPUs too. I fully expect the NVidia 310M on the low-end though and the NVidia 330M on the high-end. This is simply because they use NVidia Optimus tech which actually shuts the GPU off entirely and drops to the Intel HD chip inside the CPU (even the i3 has this).

The 10.6.3 update had some mentions of being able to switch graphics contexts without any glitches.

Current CPUs take about 35W in a laptop and the GPU 20-25W. The Core i mobile series does 35W with the GPU so even something like the 9400M with dynamic clocking would still draw a few watts - it only has a maximum draw of 12-13W so say 5W on low usage.

This means that on average use, you save around 12% battery life. This means Apple can change the battery life estimates from 7 hours on a MBP to 8 hours (9 hour on the 17").