My 2006 Black MacBook is still going strong. I quite like the design.
I have the same, I bought this 2.0Gz C2D machine in April of 07 just as it was being replaced with the new models. I got $400 of the original price due to Amazon discounts and rebates. I've upgraded to 3GB of ram and this little baby has proved its worth time and again.
Good call. I have a fancy brand new MBP for work and that aluminum looks real pretty until it gets the inevitable dents and scratches. I take good care of it and always carry it in it's case... but it's still managed to get one bad scratch and one REALLY nasty dent. Aluminum is soft as butter. I'm not sure I would even buy one for personal use. I would probably buy plastic. Much more rugged and thus better suited for the student or road warrior. I'm glad they're keeping it.
I have the early 2008 MacBook Pro (aluminum, needless to say) which I carry around in a standard Targus computer bag.
I have ZERO dents, scratches, etc. It looks as cool and flawless as the day I bought it.
Little more care, perhaps? Some people are simply not careful with their toys.
No more than 600 g or so (the lighter, the better) and as much pocketable as possible. With video-out for Keynote and PowerPoint presentations. The MacBook Air is too heavy, too large and too port crippled!
Anyway, I'm expecting Apple to do something like this to its line-up:
iMacs
20" 2.93GHz Core 2 Duo- $1099
4GB DDR3 RAM
640GB HDD
Nvidia 9600m GT
24" 2.66GHz Core i7 Mobile- $1399
4GB DDR3 RAM
640GB HDD
Nvidia 9600m GT
24" 2.93GHz Core i7 Mobile- $1699
4GB DDR3 RAM
750GB HDD
ATI Radeon 4850
24" 3.06GHz Core i7 Mobile- $1999
4GB DDR3 RAM
1TB HDD
Nvidia GTX285
Apple has pretty much purposefully skipped over Core 2 Quad mobile because of its inherent problems, but the new i7 chips should make it safe to finally jump into quad core for the iMacs.
Its doubtful Apple would put an ATI Radeon 4850 or NVIDIA GTX 285 into an iMac. There's a reason Apple uses mobile graphics processors for iMacs, and I'm not just talking about power consumption. Have you ever seen the size of a 4850 or 285 card? They are bricks, literally, and although most of the heft is due to the heat sink, that's just that much more heat dissipation to deal with, not to mention fan noise too. I own a PC with two ATI 4890s, and believe me when I say it, they are huge, noisy, and power hungry beasts
why would apple redesign and NOT go to Carbon Fiber. lighter, stronger, better.
Apple does not make cheap computers and will not. that's what put Dell in its current situation, as well as packard bell. I don't see Burberry selling polo shirts for $40, and i don't see Apple selling notebooks for $250
Its doubtful Apple would put an ATI Radeon 4850 or NVIDIA GTX 285 into an iMac. There's a reason Apple uses mobile graphics processors for iMacs, and I'm not just talking about power consumption. Have you ever seen the size of a 4850 or 285 card? They are bricks, literally, and although most of the heft is due to the heat sink, that's just that much more heat dissipation to deal with, not to mention fan noise too. I own a PC with two ATI 4890s, and believe me when I say it, they are huge, noisy, and power hungry beasts
You do realize that a 4850 is already a BTO on the two highest end iMacs, right? And yes, I know a 285GTX is being optimistic, it's meant to be since I honestly have no idea where they plan to go after the 4850. The 4850 will fit into the 24" unit, but you're quite right, it's huge and I have no idea how they cool it, but then again, they did have sporadic freezing issues when it was first released.
Typing is obsolete. I am ashamed to be living in the 21st century and STILL banging the digits of my appendages against a primitive rectangular grid of tiny boxes with symbols on them.
Methinks the redesigned MacBook, in say three versions, might reach down into the netbook market. The smallest could be the MacBook Nano. No major reinvestment required, just use the basic design of the existing MB and shrink it down with a 10 or 11 inch screen. That way even if it doesn't become a huge seller, and has a smallish margin, it could still be profitable. More importantly it could be a gateway to bigger and better models once the user who was looking for cheap (relatively) falls in love with Macs and buys a bigger one later.
I've been an Apple Fanatic since 1982, when I bought my first Apple II. Through the years, I've rather enjoyed the elitist snobbery we Apple users have engendered against the droning PC masses.
Now, Apple seems to be beginning to rule the universe in all things electronic, and everybody wants to own one. Is Apple TV the next iPod/iTunes? Time will tell.
At any rate, no matter how mass market Apple has become today, we fanatics have always been able to rely on the fact that, Apple has never made any pretension of trying to compete with the soulless commodities crowding the lower end of the computer price spectrum. That Mac users have historically paid a premium for a computer that is more like your little buddy, than a PC appliance, has been a badge of honor. I used to get all warm inside, whenever a PC user said to me "yeah, but you have to use a mouse to work a computer," or this one "I can get 3 PCs for the price of one Mac."
Oh sweet delight!
So, although I'm overjoyed to see Apple get the respect and admiration those of us long time Apple Evangelists think they're due, I, nonetheless, find it somewhat bittersweet, the possibility that Apple could one day become the cold, faceless, heartless Microsoft we've despised these many years. Hissssss! We all remember the "1984" Mac ad, but now I fear that our side could become "Big Brother."
You do realize that a 4850 is already a BTO on the two highest end iMacs, right? And yes, I know a 285GTX is being optimistic, it's meant to be since I honestly have no idea where they plan to go after the 4850. The 4850 will fit into the 24" unit, but you're quite right, it's huge and I have no idea how they cool it, but then again, they did have sporadic freezing issues when it was first released.
I stand corrected- although I knew they offered one for the Mac Pro, which makes sense, given the Mac Pro is a full fledged tower and is spacious. I'm curious, however, if Apple has NVIDIA specially form the graphics card to fit inside the iMac... I mean, these are admittedly huge cards. But I wouldn't worry about going beyond the 4850 for some time- it's a very good card, and is comparable in performance to its two higher kin, the 4870 and 4890, although I believe the 4850 is DDR3, not DDR5 memory. I'd bet that in the next refresh, Apple would offer something like the NVIDIA GTS 240 or 250, or ATI's 4870/4890 card since there are GDDR5 and have superior cooling methods than NVIDIA's GTX 200 line. Of course, there are technical differences (and pros and cons) to how ATI and NIVIDIA each handle graphics processing, but either of the aforementioned cards would be a good match for the iMac's limited space and cooling capabilities.
If this rumor is true, it would seem to put extreme pricing pressure on two other Apple products. The Mac mini and the rumored tablet. I know the mini isn't a portable computer, but the high-end mini is $800 for roughly the same specs, minus the keyboard, trackpad, and monitor the MacBook would come with. And regardless any revolutionary features a tablet would have, it would be a tough sell when you can get a full Mac laptop for the same price.
Just to be a doomsayer for everyone waiting for the tablet, I wonder if Apple is trying to breath new life into the MacBook line and extend it's longevity a bit more because the tablet isn't ready yet (either for technical or economic reasons). They could use an extremely low-end MacBook in the $800-900 range to fend off the netbook assault until the tablet is ready late next year.
I stand corrected- although I knew they offered one for the Mac Pro, which makes sense, given the Mac Pro is a full fledged tower and is spacious. I'm curious, however, if Apple has NVIDIA specially form the graphics card to fit inside the iMac... I mean, these are admittedly huge cards. But I wouldn't worry about going beyond the 4850 for some time- it's a very good card, and is comparable in performance to its two higher kin, the 4870 and 4890, although I believe the 4850 is DDR3, not DDR5 memory. I'd bet that in the next refresh, Apple would offer something like the NVIDIA GTS 240 or 250, or ATI's 4870/4890 card since there are GDDR5 and have superior cooling methods than NVIDIA's GTX 200 line, and would be a good match for the iMac's limited space and cooling capabilities.
My $.02
That sounds reasonable to me. I was actually originally going to put the 4870 in place of the gtx285 but wasn't really convinced (in my own mind) that it would be different enough to justify. What you say makes alot of sense, though, and it really wouldn't surprise me if they did do so for exactly those reasons (especially given the aforementioned freezing). One way or another, though, I just really hope Nvidia gets its quality control issues under control, they're simply causing too much strife in the industry at large (and obviously giving the company an increasingly bad name).
Rapidly? You are kidding right? With the exception of the $99 iPhone 3G all of their products are still in the premium market. The economy has been in the tank for a year and this refresh won't see the light of day until sometime in 2010. And you call that rapid?
Couldn't agree more, what a lot of bum licking crap !
They have yet to launch ANY cheap products and in fact have transitioned their entire laptop line into Pro models.
Article is interesting but if any die-hard Apple fans want to know why people hate them just re-read this passage a few times ! fawning nonsense about a rumour that has yet to happen !
"I stand corrected- although I knew they offered one for the Mac Pro, which makes sense, given the Mac Pro is a full fledged tower and is spacious. I'm curious, however, if Apple has NVIDIA specially form the graphics card to fit inside the iMac... I mean, these are admittedly huge cards. But I wouldn't worry about going beyond the 4850 for some time- it's a very good card, and is comparable in performance to its two higher kin, the 4870 and 4890, although I believe the 4850 is DDR3, not DDR5 memory. I'd bet that in the next refresh, Apple would offer something like the NVIDIA GTS 240 or 250, or ATI's 4870/4890 card since there are GDDR5 and have superior cooling methods than NVIDIA's GTX 200 line. Of course, there are technical differences (and pros and cons) to how ATI and NIVIDIA each handle graphics processing, but either of the aforementioned cards would be a good match for the iMac's limited space and cooling capabilities.
My $.02"
Sorry to dissapoint you but Nvidia or ATI do not shrink full sized cards down especially for iMacs, iMacs use mobile video cards exactly the same as ones Alienware, Dell etc. use.
A fine example of you imagining how this could be done instead of looking at a teardown. Do you have any idea how much those custom cards would cost ? Apple cards use a custom BIOS to talk to Intel EFI but that is as custom as it gets.
Every Mac uses identical chipsets and boards to PCs. If anyone paid you $.02 for that they overpayed !
Typing is obsolete. I am ashamed to be living in the 21st century and STILL banging the digits of my appendages against a primitive rectangular grid of tiny boxes with symbols on them.
How neolithic.
-Clive
And yet you still have yet to explain your idea to replace it, strange that !
Rapidly? You are kidding right? With the exception of the $99 iPhone 3G all of their products are still in the premium market. The economy has been in the tank for a year and this refresh won't see the light of day until sometime in 2010. And you call that rapid?
People said the Unibody introduction was stupid given the recession, but Apple's holding steady and actually growing a bit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fulldecent
MBA could be cheaper than the MB. Just let it stagnate and keep lowering the price.
The fixed costs have already been paid off for that engineering feat, and the unit cost should be lower than MB. So, a lower price will bring more demand, and no further investment is required.
Also, MBA customers might be more likely to buy additional accessories.
I think the CPU in the MBA uses a different fab process. Most notebooks use "T" series chips with a certain guaranteed thermal profile, MBA uses a chip one or two steps more efficient with a tighter guaranteed thermal profile.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TBell
Fact is Firewire, still is more feature packed then USB and the road map for development looks a lot better as well.
It's a trade-off. Firewire is smarter but doesn't have an HID class and it's more expensive too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zunx
What Apple needs is a light and small MacBook, like the Sony Vaio P Series
Have you actually handled one? I played with one in the Sony Style store, it looks nifty but it feels flimsy, the whole thing flexes way too easily.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clive At Five
lol.
Typing is obsolete. I am ashamed to be living in the 21st century and STILL banging the digits of my appendages against a primitive rectangular grid of tiny boxes with symbols on them.
Nothing is really obsolete until there is something that can actually replace it adequately.
Typing is obsolete. I am ashamed to be living in the 21st century and STILL banging the digits of my appendages against a primitive rectangular grid of tiny boxes with symbols on them.
How neolithic.
-Clive
Nearly a quarter century after I learned to type, my need for said skill has not diminished one bit... and I don't anticipate it ever lessening in my lifetime (save for a mind-reading computer unexpectedly appearing). The difference between dictation and accurate, direct typing is a gulf that will not be bridged with voice recognition software. Heck it can't even be bridged with a skilled secretary.
Though details are few and far between, Apple is expected to achieve these markdowns through largely existing tactics, such as using lower-end components and previous-generation Core 2 Duo chips and architectures from Intel Corp. Battery life should receive a boost from cutting-edge technology that recently found its way into the company's other notebook offerings, while high-end legacy features like FireWire connectivity are likely to be sacrificed in the tradeoff.
Considering that Apple has upgraded the Mac mini to Firewire 800 and how they had to remove the audio input jack in order to bring back the Firewire port (suggesting that the Firewire 400 port was indeed dropped because of the lack of space on the first generation unibody 13in). I don't think Apple views Firewire as a premium feature these days, especially when a lot of their PC competitors in this price tier offer Firewire 400 ports.
I think Apple will likely differentiate its MBP line from its MB line through the use of a lower class of current generation Intel processor (Core i7 Arrandale/Clarksfield instead of Core i5 Arrandale). The differentiating CPU features are likely Hyperthreading, which does provide siginificant performance boost on Nehalem and future CPU designs and to a lesser extent, Turbo Boost ceilings. The target group of the MB line aren't likely to run a lot of applications concurrently, so 2 thread should be enough.
Another point of differentiation would be the quality of the display panel. However, I think Apple will continue to include the same IGP as the lower-tier MBPs. After all, Apple doesn't ship crap and GPGPU can offer significant battery life benefits and allow Apple to include more AI features (such as face detection in iPhoto) in its consumer-grade software. I think face-detection based/two-factor authentication, future revisions of Inkwell and Speech recognition are likely to be use GPGPU for acceleration. Encryption and compression (used in Screen sharing and File Vault) are also likely to be accelerated through GPGPU.
Comments
My 2006 Black MacBook is still going strong. I quite like the design.
I have the same, I bought this 2.0Gz C2D machine in April of 07 just as it was being replaced with the new models. I got $400 of the original price due to Amazon discounts and rebates. I've upgraded to 3GB of ram and this little baby has proved its worth time and again.
Apple should redesign the White MacBook to look more like a plastic MacBook air
drop the screen size to 10-12"
drop the optical drive
drop the price to $799
(one model available in five colors)
Sounds like the Apple NetBook that never happened!
Good call. I have a fancy brand new MBP for work and that aluminum looks real pretty until it gets the inevitable dents and scratches. I take good care of it and always carry it in it's case... but it's still managed to get one bad scratch and one REALLY nasty dent. Aluminum is soft as butter. I'm not sure I would even buy one for personal use. I would probably buy plastic. Much more rugged and thus better suited for the student or road warrior. I'm glad they're keeping it.
I have the early 2008 MacBook Pro (aluminum, needless to say) which I carry around in a standard Targus computer bag.
I have ZERO dents, scratches, etc. It looks as cool and flawless as the day I bought it.
Little more care, perhaps? Some people are simply not careful with their toys.
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921644608896
No more than 600 g or so (the lighter, the better) and as much pocketable as possible. With video-out for Keynote and PowerPoint presentations. The MacBook Air is too heavy, too large and too port crippled!
Anyway, I'm expecting Apple to do something like this to its line-up:
iMacs
20" 2.93GHz Core 2 Duo- $1099
4GB DDR3 RAM
640GB HDD
Nvidia 9600m GT
24" 2.66GHz Core i7 Mobile- $1399
4GB DDR3 RAM
640GB HDD
Nvidia 9600m GT
24" 2.93GHz Core i7 Mobile- $1699
4GB DDR3 RAM
750GB HDD
ATI Radeon 4850
24" 3.06GHz Core i7 Mobile- $1999
4GB DDR3 RAM
1TB HDD
Nvidia GTX285
Apple has pretty much purposefully skipped over Core 2 Quad mobile because of its inherent problems, but the new i7 chips should make it safe to finally jump into quad core for the iMacs.
Its doubtful Apple would put an ATI Radeon 4850 or NVIDIA GTX 285 into an iMac. There's a reason Apple uses mobile graphics processors for iMacs, and I'm not just talking about power consumption. Have you ever seen the size of a 4850 or 285 card? They are bricks, literally, and although most of the heft is due to the heat sink, that's just that much more heat dissipation to deal with, not to mention fan noise too. I own a PC with two ATI 4890s, and believe me when I say it, they are huge, noisy, and power hungry beasts
Apple does not make cheap computers and will not. that's what put Dell in its current situation, as well as packard bell. I don't see Burberry selling polo shirts for $40, and i don't see Apple selling notebooks for $250
Its doubtful Apple would put an ATI Radeon 4850 or NVIDIA GTX 285 into an iMac. There's a reason Apple uses mobile graphics processors for iMacs, and I'm not just talking about power consumption. Have you ever seen the size of a 4850 or 285 card? They are bricks, literally, and although most of the heft is due to the heat sink, that's just that much more heat dissipation to deal with, not to mention fan noise too. I own a PC with two ATI 4890s, and believe me when I say it, they are huge, noisy, and power hungry beasts
You do realize that a 4850 is already a BTO on the two highest end iMacs, right? And yes, I know a 285GTX is being optimistic, it's meant to be since I honestly have no idea where they plan to go after the 4850. The 4850 will fit into the 24" unit, but you're quite right, it's huge and I have no idea how they cool it, but then again, they did have sporadic freezing issues when it was first released.
But how will the children learn to type?
lol.
Typing is obsolete. I am ashamed to be living in the 21st century and STILL banging the digits of my appendages against a primitive rectangular grid of tiny boxes with symbols on them.
How neolithic.
-Clive
Now, Apple seems to be beginning to rule the universe in all things electronic, and everybody wants to own one. Is Apple TV the next iPod/iTunes? Time will tell.
At any rate, no matter how mass market Apple has become today, we fanatics have always been able to rely on the fact that, Apple has never made any pretension of trying to compete with the soulless commodities crowding the lower end of the computer price spectrum. That Mac users have historically paid a premium for a computer that is more like your little buddy, than a PC appliance, has been a badge of honor. I used to get all warm inside, whenever a PC user said to me "yeah, but you have to use a mouse to work a computer," or this one "I can get 3 PCs for the price of one Mac."
Oh sweet delight!
So, although I'm overjoyed to see Apple get the respect and admiration those of us long time Apple Evangelists think they're due, I, nonetheless, find it somewhat bittersweet, the possibility that Apple could one day become the cold, faceless, heartless Microsoft we've despised these many years. Hissssss! We all remember the "1984" Mac ad, but now I fear that our side could become "Big Brother."
C'est la vie
You do realize that a 4850 is already a BTO on the two highest end iMacs, right? And yes, I know a 285GTX is being optimistic, it's meant to be since I honestly have no idea where they plan to go after the 4850. The 4850 will fit into the 24" unit, but you're quite right, it's huge and I have no idea how they cool it, but then again, they did have sporadic freezing issues when it was first released.
I stand corrected- although I knew they offered one for the Mac Pro, which makes sense, given the Mac Pro is a full fledged tower and is spacious. I'm curious, however, if Apple has NVIDIA specially form the graphics card to fit inside the iMac... I mean, these are admittedly huge cards. But I wouldn't worry about going beyond the 4850 for some time- it's a very good card, and is comparable in performance to its two higher kin, the 4870 and 4890, although I believe the 4850 is DDR3, not DDR5 memory. I'd bet that in the next refresh, Apple would offer something like the NVIDIA GTS 240 or 250, or ATI's 4870/4890 card since there are GDDR5 and have superior cooling methods than NVIDIA's GTX 200 line. Of course, there are technical differences (and pros and cons) to how ATI and NIVIDIA each handle graphics processing, but either of the aforementioned cards would be a good match for the iMac's limited space and cooling capabilities.
My $.02
Just to be a doomsayer for everyone waiting for the tablet, I wonder if Apple is trying to breath new life into the MacBook line and extend it's longevity a bit more because the tablet isn't ready yet (either for technical or economic reasons). They could use an extremely low-end MacBook in the $800-900 range to fend off the netbook assault until the tablet is ready late next year.
I stand corrected- although I knew they offered one for the Mac Pro, which makes sense, given the Mac Pro is a full fledged tower and is spacious. I'm curious, however, if Apple has NVIDIA specially form the graphics card to fit inside the iMac... I mean, these are admittedly huge cards. But I wouldn't worry about going beyond the 4850 for some time- it's a very good card, and is comparable in performance to its two higher kin, the 4870 and 4890, although I believe the 4850 is DDR3, not DDR5 memory. I'd bet that in the next refresh, Apple would offer something like the NVIDIA GTS 240 or 250, or ATI's 4870/4890 card since there are GDDR5 and have superior cooling methods than NVIDIA's GTX 200 line, and would be a good match for the iMac's limited space and cooling capabilities.
My $.02
That sounds reasonable to me. I was actually originally going to put the 4870 in place of the gtx285 but wasn't really convinced (in my own mind) that it would be different enough to justify. What you say makes alot of sense, though, and it really wouldn't surprise me if they did do so for exactly those reasons (especially given the aforementioned freezing). One way or another, though, I just really hope Nvidia gets its quality control issues under control, they're simply causing too much strife in the industry at large (and obviously giving the company an increasingly bad name).
Rapidly? You are kidding right? With the exception of the $99 iPhone 3G all of their products are still in the premium market. The economy has been in the tank for a year and this refresh won't see the light of day until sometime in 2010. And you call that rapid?
Couldn't agree more, what a lot of bum licking crap !
They have yet to launch ANY cheap products and in fact have transitioned their entire laptop line into Pro models.
Article is interesting but if any die-hard Apple fans want to know why people hate them just re-read this passage a few times ! fawning nonsense about a rumour that has yet to happen !
My $.02"
Sorry to dissapoint you but Nvidia or ATI do not shrink full sized cards down especially for iMacs, iMacs use mobile video cards exactly the same as ones Alienware, Dell etc. use.
A fine example of you imagining how this could be done instead of looking at a teardown. Do you have any idea how much those custom cards would cost ? Apple cards use a custom BIOS to talk to Intel EFI but that is as custom as it gets.
Every Mac uses identical chipsets and boards to PCs. If anyone paid you $.02 for that they overpayed !
lol.
Typing is obsolete. I am ashamed to be living in the 21st century and STILL banging the digits of my appendages against a primitive rectangular grid of tiny boxes with symbols on them.
How neolithic.
-Clive
And yet you still have yet to explain your idea to replace it, strange that !
Rapidly? You are kidding right? With the exception of the $99 iPhone 3G all of their products are still in the premium market. The economy has been in the tank for a year and this refresh won't see the light of day until sometime in 2010. And you call that rapid?
People said the Unibody introduction was stupid given the recession, but Apple's holding steady and actually growing a bit.
MBA could be cheaper than the MB. Just let it stagnate and keep lowering the price.
The fixed costs have already been paid off for that engineering feat, and the unit cost should be lower than MB. So, a lower price will bring more demand, and no further investment is required.
Also, MBA customers might be more likely to buy additional accessories.
I think the CPU in the MBA uses a different fab process. Most notebooks use "T" series chips with a certain guaranteed thermal profile, MBA uses a chip one or two steps more efficient with a tighter guaranteed thermal profile.
Fact is Firewire, still is more feature packed then USB and the road map for development looks a lot better as well.
It's a trade-off. Firewire is smarter but doesn't have an HID class and it's more expensive too.
What Apple needs is a light and small MacBook, like the Sony Vaio P Series
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921644608896
Have you actually handled one? I played with one in the Sony Style store, it looks nifty but it feels flimsy, the whole thing flexes way too easily.
lol.
Typing is obsolete. I am ashamed to be living in the 21st century and STILL banging the digits of my appendages against a primitive rectangular grid of tiny boxes with symbols on them.
Nothing is really obsolete until there is something that can actually replace it adequately.
lol.
Typing is obsolete. I am ashamed to be living in the 21st century and STILL banging the digits of my appendages against a primitive rectangular grid of tiny boxes with symbols on them.
How neolithic.
-Clive
Nearly a quarter century after I learned to type, my need for said skill has not diminished one bit... and I don't anticipate it ever lessening in my lifetime (save for a mind-reading computer unexpectedly appearing). The difference between dictation and accurate, direct typing is a gulf that will not be bridged with voice recognition software. Heck it can't even be bridged with a skilled secretary.
Though details are few and far between, Apple is expected to achieve these markdowns through largely existing tactics, such as using lower-end components and previous-generation Core 2 Duo chips and architectures from Intel Corp. Battery life should receive a boost from cutting-edge technology that recently found its way into the company's other notebook offerings, while high-end legacy features like FireWire connectivity are likely to be sacrificed in the tradeoff.
Considering that Apple has upgraded the Mac mini to Firewire 800 and how they had to remove the audio input jack in order to bring back the Firewire port (suggesting that the Firewire 400 port was indeed dropped because of the lack of space on the first generation unibody 13in). I don't think Apple views Firewire as a premium feature these days, especially when a lot of their PC competitors in this price tier offer Firewire 400 ports.
I think Apple will likely differentiate its MBP line from its MB line through the use of a lower class of current generation Intel processor (Core i7 Arrandale/Clarksfield instead of Core i5 Arrandale). The differentiating CPU features are likely Hyperthreading, which does provide siginificant performance boost on Nehalem and future CPU designs and to a lesser extent, Turbo Boost ceilings. The target group of the MB line aren't likely to run a lot of applications concurrently, so 2 thread should be enough.
Another point of differentiation would be the quality of the display panel. However, I think Apple will continue to include the same IGP as the lower-tier MBPs. After all, Apple doesn't ship crap and GPGPU can offer significant battery life benefits and allow Apple to include more AI features (such as face detection in iPhoto) in its consumer-grade software. I think face-detection based/two-factor authentication, future revisions of Inkwell and Speech recognition are likely to be use GPGPU for acceleration. Encryption and compression (used in Screen sharing and File Vault) are also likely to be accelerated through GPGPU.
My thoughts too. This "redesigned" MacBook may be redesigned into the Tablet.
Bingo! I'm pretty sure that you can take this one to the bank. It's just too logical NOT to happen.