Apple's new MacBook Pros in production, due by early March - sources - Page 2

Totally agree. All HP, Dell, and Lenovo BUSINESS laptops are extremely modular. If Apple came out with another docking station (PowerBook Duo anyone?!) I'd cream myself! That would be freakin' awesome! The only reason why I don't recommend MBP's to clients is because the lack of a docking station (they love the fact that they can have a desktop when they want one and a laptop when they don't). And don't give me that BS where you can already do that - have you ever seen a computer illiterate person try to plug in power and ethernet, let alone a monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, etc?

Will the new macbook have the new upcoming OS X Lion? If not, will it be free when it comes out?

It most likely will not have Lion. Lion will most likely not be free for it.

No and no. Buy a MacBook from the Winter 2011 refresh and you'll get it free.

I don't see Apple coming out with another docking laptop (despite the fact that they pretty much invented, or at least popularised the concept with the Duo). It looks like their answer to the dock may be something like this.

I don't know about you guys but I'm seriously worried about what GPU they decide to use in the new 15/17'' models. The GT 330M was a total joke (considering the price of the laptop) \

I heard somewhere a rumor about a Radeon 6870m, which would be insane has it would mean MBP would have top gaming performance.

but I think its going to be a Radeon something...

I could live with 6870m. Although I'm not too sure how i feel about Apple leaving NVIDIA in favor of AMD.
Why not GTX 485M?

Amen! I've long wished to go back to using a Mac but the current state of how Apple seems to want to decide what's best for me is unacceptable. I'm even considering the Android platform for my next phone.

I like BMW's too. Lexuses are nice, the dashboard looks amazing but the performance is not quite there.

me too. Apple has become The Man.

1. Most rational people don't even want an optical in their portables.
2. USB is hardly pressing and frankly it will be implemented when it is in an AMD or Intel chipset. The potential is there for a PCI-Express connected adapter but Tuesday's just becoming practical for low power design.
3. Apple has already indicated that they are not going to block third party installs. Frankly it would be extremely stupid if they did. On the other hand I'm really into app store as it greatly simplifies keeping a Mac up to date.

Please do and while you are at it stay away from this forum. A bit of trolling is one thing but this venting goes beyond that. You need to chill out and recognize the good from the bad and weigh one against the other.

1. Apple needs policies in place that helps them cover the expenses of running an app store. All those downloads, each and every one, cost Apple money. Their 30% cut might be a bit stiff but it is hard to imagine the store lasting long without the expenses being covered. In effect Apple is just taking away the free ride. As to the whinning developers, screw them, honestly if it is a huge problem charge a $1.99 instead of $0.99.
2. So if the local super market doesn't sell your precious porn, do you run into the managers office demanding that they sell Penthouse or your preferred crap? It just amazes me that people have this double standard here in demanding that Apple sells something they wouldn't demand of the local super market. On top of that one is pretty inept if they can't find porn with their Apple hardware.

Yes Apple makes a ton of cash but does the App Store. Especially when in app purchases are being used to circumvent Apples cut. Apple needs to keep App Store profitable or at least break even, they can't do that if nobody is paying for the bandwidth and server farms.

In the end all this recent whinning about App Store is knee jerk reactionary. If Apples cut becomes a problem, the natural solution is to tack another buck onto your price. In the end many developers would actually make more money. From the standpoint of the consummer things might be slightly more expensive but long term it prevents the App Store from becoming a Ghetto.

I hope they keep the optical drive. Most "pro" mac users, like myself, who use their MBP to install and run many large adobe programs, etc would rather not wait hours and hours to download huge installation packages. It's so much easier just to stick in the disc. And sometimes I have to burn dvds of files on the go, i'd rather not have to have another peripheral to plug in.

I would like a blu-ray drive as well for burning high def video after i edit it, but that seems unlikely.

Wrong. Having a USB optical drive sucks and having none is worse.


So, everyone that disagrees with you should stay away? Nice...

I'm torn with this. If I had my druthers (chr*st, I sound like my grandfather now), I would be with everyone else, dumping the optical in favor of a bigger battery, a primary OS SSD, built-in espresso maker, anything.

Something funny has happened the last few years tho and that's been my entire workflow has transitioned to my MBP, which I thought would never happen. My latests 'kick' is audio recording/engineering, and many of the software packages I've been buying are multi-DVD install monsters. Spectrasonic's Omnisphere was a 6 DVD install, and their Trilian module was 5 DVD. 90GB of data ain't downloadable in these parts.

I guess if it came down to it, these multi-DVD behemoth installs are pretty rare, maybe 1-2x a year. I'd probably skip the optical drive in favor of more practical day-to-day features that could use that extra space. If/when another monster install comes along, I'd just have to factor in an extra $100 for an ext. drive.

One gotcha is recording/mixing in the field and burning discs for clients/bands. Schlepping an additional external drive is a hassle but I'd do it. As much as I bellyache about possible scenarios where I need an optical, there are workarounds (ie, dropboxing files to clients), and the practical day-to-day benefits can't be denied.

Apple are usually the first to 'dump the buggy whips', so maybe we'll see them make some forward-thinking changes in the new lineup.

My 17" 2006 MBP has been my longest-serving Mac and it's hanging by a thread. The LCD is fading fast, and it no runs on battery power after having to replace the internal left I/O board. It's not a matter of wanting to get another MBP, I have to get one soon, so the rumored March refresh can't come soon enough.

An 8GB i7 SSD/HDD? Yeah, I'll sell a kidney, my Mamiya and maybe my Fender Jazz.

OK, seriously? Do you really think you are going to notice anything in performance by striping SSD drives or are you planning this simply for having a 1TB single logical drive?

Honestly I think the best option for Apple is to offer options. For those who are really attached to the internal optical drive, leave that as an option. I think the majority of folks though would prefer to cannibalize the optical drive space for more battery and/or a second HDD. Personally, I like the option of say a 128GB SSD for the OS and then todd in a 512GB or 1TB HHD in place of the optical. There should even be some leftover room to expand the battery into the former optical drive space gaining you both SSD speed for the OS, ample storage for most users, AND significantly extended battery life. Of course an external optical drive option would be an absolute must at that point.

I also like the dock idea. Be really sweet if you could have an internal hard drive in the dock too. I really don't see myself booting the MBP into Windoze to play games unless I'm on the big screen anyway.

Don't worry. After a year of Microsoft, he'll come crawling back.

So buy one and put it in yourself. You'd just complain that Apple's offering would be $500 extra, anyway.

Glad to hear the new machines may be out soon. I am waiting for it to purchase my first Mac after years of Win PCs (had to have compatibility with work).
A solid state drive would be nice, however, unlike like some I do not want to see the optical drive go away. If I want to watch a movie on a plane or otherwise use something I have on an existing optical disk at a remote location - an external drive is very impractical. One does not always have space (as in a lap or airplace tray) to set it up. And if you need to move your laptop (picture plane and letting the window seat person out) having an external drive hanging off it is an accident waiting to happen. So my vote is to keep the optical drive in place. Get an Mac Air if you want to go without. Maybe that should be one of the differentiating items between the Pro and the Air. Or perhaps and option optical drive or 2 SSDs.

Just for the sake of argument, let's say that the problem with the four unused ports (or some other similar problem) is eventually found to also affect the two ports used in MBPs. What exactly is the downside? Data loss? Slower HD read/write times? Something else?

I'm way overdue for a new machine, so I'll probably break with my custom and buy almost as soon as the next MBPs are shipping. This little hiccup with Sandy Bridge likely won't change that, but I'm curious what the possible long-term implications might be if it turns out the problem is worse than currently believed/reported. Thanks.

So you want an optical drive that will take up 25% of the internal space just in case you are on a plane and want to watch a DVD because you decided you didnt want to take 5 minutes to copy the DVD to your HDD or stick the external optical drive into the seatback or on your lap because you think that is more inconvenient than planning ahead a couple minutes or having 25% of laptop being a complete waste of space for most users almost all of the time. Soooo glad you are not running Apple. The future is the removable of the optical drive, just like Apple lead the way in removing all the floppy drives, serial ports and parallel ports from their machines. If you dont like the future there will be plenty of PC makers that will be selling older HW for many years. You can still get parallel ports on notebooks, so youre in luck.

You know - not everyone has the same requirements as to what they want/need on their computer and because someone's opinion is different than yours is no reason to be sarcastic and rude. The point of the forum is to discuss possibilities.
There are valid reasons why many people want an optical drive in their laptop. Planning ahead has nothing to do with it. I travel a lot and often get handed disks I need to read right then and there. Not having an optical drive is a handicap at this point in time, maybe in a year or 2 it will be different. That's why there should be options - if you want more storage, great, use that slot for an extra SSD, more power to you. If someone else wants an optical drive then that's good too. Its all about having a machine that lets you work or play they way YOU want, not how someone else wants.

There are valid reasons, which is why I said there will be computers that suit your atypical needs after the world at large has moved on. Face it, your desire to use an optical drive to run a movie on a plane is old world thinking. Its noisier than a hard drive and uses a lot more power. Many airlines now offer WiFI, but how many offer power plugs to every seat?

You obviously don't get the point. Movies were an example, perhaps a poor one, but not all reasons. Perhaps for your circle of experience, my needs may seem to be atypical, but to others they are not. As I said before, not everyone needs the same things in a computer. Not needing an optical drive would be great, I certainly don't miss 5.25 floppies or 3.5 inch ones either, was glad to see them go away. I'd love to not have to have a dvd handy. BUT in my current existence it is a necessity. Telling a client that I cannot read their presentation or burn them a copy of mine is just not an option. I'm just glad it has gotten to the point where I can move to the better computer platform of the Apple and not be tied to Winblows any longer.
Anyway - what anyone here says is pure speculation, Apple has yet to announce anything and all rumors that I have seen (and I have been all over the web), are just that, rumors - nothing has been released from a recognizably credible source like the Wall Street Journal.

What's the fuss with the optical drive?

Just plug it in and watch your movie on the plane if you like. You were carrying a DVD case anyway. So, you wouldn't mind to carry Apple's portable external optical drive, would you?!

I love the tilted keyboard of the Macbook air. Wish it would make it to the new Macbook pro. For that reason alone I want Apple to leave the optical drive out. Other (more obvious) reasons are more storage capacity and longer battery life.

Sure there are people that have good reasons to want an ODD integrated, but that's certainly not a "pro" option/feature.

Given the state of the 13" MB/MBP (very similar in terms of performance), I wouldn't mind if the 13" MB keeps the same features, while the 13" MBP move to an ODD-less layout in order to raise the performance level to the one of the other MBPs.

This way those who need an integrated ODD have the 13" MB (updated) and those who don't, can get a 13" MBP with Core ix cpu and dedicated graphics.

If Apple chooses to keep those two models the same, then I guess we will still have two very similar models, with little improvements, one in white plastic and one in a shiny enclosure. I'm not sure that makes much sense, when there's also a 13" MBA in the picture, with similar perceived performances...

Given the size of the 17" MBP, this model can keep the ODD integrated, Apple can find room for an additional SSD blade if they want to.

Then there's the question of the 15" model. Apple offers 3 retail models right now, that are mainly separated by 0.13GHz, and with SB cpus this will go down to 0.10GHz. I'd rather have only 2 retail models, one with ODD integrated and one without (SSD+HDD) with BTO cpu upgrades. In any case, the new 2.50GHz Core i5-2520 is as fast (and more efficient) as the "old" 2.66 Core i7-620M in the high-end model.

If people can still get 13/15/17" notebooks with integrated ODD, I don't see the harm in offering 13/15" models without ODD, focused on performance (Core ix + dedicated gpu, SSD,...). Taking into account rumors of lower prices on certain models:

$999 13" MB 2.xx C2D 320M HDD+ODD, either in alu (current $1199 MBP) or white plastic
$1199 13" MB 2.66 C2D 320M HDD+ODD, either in alu (current $1499 MBP) or white plastic
$1599 15" MB "classic" Core i5 dedicated gpu HDD+ODD, similar to the current $1799 15" MBP
$1999 17" MB "classic" Core i5 dedicated gpu HDD+ODD (+SSD), similar to the current $2299 17" MBP

$1399 13" MBP 2.50GHz Core i5-2520M dedicated gpu SSD (+HDD) no ODD
$1799 15" MBP 2.50GHz Core i5-2520M dedicated gpu SSD (+HDD) no ODD

There is no way Apple is going to drop prices this much. The 17" MBP starts at $2300 right now. The 11" MBA sells for the same as the current white Macbook. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple decided to cancel the white Macbook, figuring that that market is well covered by the MBA and the iPad, and they'd probably be right. I think they'll go ahead and remove ODDs from all laptops and use the space for more battery. SSDs across the board allow Apple to reduce moving parts, which reduces mechanical errors and thus lowers the chance of people needing to make use of their AppleCare.

I'm undecided what will happen as far as dedicated GPUs in the MBPs. If they keep the white MacBook and kick it up to SB I think it would stay on integrated graphics, which could also be the case for the 13" MBP, altho with no ODD, there would be room for the GPU and fan. The 15 and 17 would likely have dedicated GPUs tho.

Personally, what makes the "Pro" model for me is the dedicated graphics, not whether it has an optical drive or not. I need the graphics so the MB is not an option. For me, an integrated optical drive just works better, even if I am carrying around dvds. (And isn't that the point of Apple they work better). Having an add on is clumsy and in some case not practical.
I hope there are options - those that want additional storage can get it, those that want the drive will be happy too.

I used to think carrying an external dvd drive would be a pain before I saw the one Apple did for the Air. Its pretty small and slim. Imo giving the need of "most" of the users it would be better to remove it on smaller models of MBP. On 17' MBP its already so heavy that its a better idea to leave it in and have a "full" feature top of the line model.

and BTW I predicting they will discontinued MB soon (maybe not in this refresh) and replace it by the Air.

I personally don't see Apple offering ODD as an option. It'll be internal or offered as an external. Apple's never offered this sort of choice, at least not since the return of Jobs.


While I use my MBP's optical drive about once every four months, I believe his point was valid - there's no reason to be hostile just because his needs are different than yours. I agree with you - I'd love to see the ODD go away as an internal component with a move to usb distribution of heavy software products. It'll happen soon enough, if not with this refresh.

That's why I recently bought the Airport Extreme. All my TB HDDs are wirelessly connected via *self-powered USB hub. Macbook is in my living room and printer plus 3 2TB HDs are in my office. Only thing I don't like is they are noticeably slower than when I'm connected directly via USB. I lose about 1/2 the speed.

I would like to see Apple integrate flash storage onto the logic board of the new MacBook Pro's the same way it's integrated into the new MBA, and keep the 2.5 HDD for storage. That's the best of both worlds.

As far as the optical drive, I don't see the need in getting rid of it if they integrate the flash memory onto the logic board, except to make the machine thinner and lighter. And they may need to, they may not. If they redesign the interior layout, they may be able to have the new MacBook Pro's shaped more like the MBA (wedge) and have the optical drive stick around. It wouldn't be as thin as the MBA, but if you need a machine that's that thin, go buy a MacBook Air.

I don't think Apple will blur the lines between the models of their portables THAT much. I think the Air will remain the only machine w/o an optical drive. I DO think they will make the new MBP look more like the Air with regards to the enclosure, but they aren't going to make what would amount to being a 15 or 17 inch MacBook Air.

That's the way I see it, anyway...