1. It will give us the option to attach a seperate BluRay drive afterwards whenever we like!
2. It will bring the cost down as the seperate drive will be an option.
3. It might extend the battery life.
4. And as Solipsism mentions, it will give us a cooler Macbook Pro
Yes! I haven't used my optical drive in months, and I would gladly buy a separte one to avoid the troubles of having it- heat, power and ha noisy startup sound.
What this does is (as with the iMac) allow for a wider case, and better cooling by spreading the CPU/GPU apart a little bit more. I think this better cooling will allow for Apple to get away with a mobile Core i5 (I think it's called Arrandale) and a Radeon 4670 (if they choose to use it over an equivalent Nvidia GPU)
Arrandale will likely arrive running cooler than todays processors so I'm not sure the above juditifies your position. The big question in my mind is this, does Apple go with the Arrandale variant that has the built in GPU? If NOT Arrandale could significantly lower the power profile of the laptops and would make for one excellent 13" MBP for example.
As to displays I see Apple eventually going 16:9 simply because that is where mass production seems to be moving. For the smaller machines it probably doesn't make much difference, on a 15 or 17 inch class machine it does. Even here my opinion is changing as I better adapt to wider screens.
Oh and one important thing Arrandale is more like i7 in that it has SMT. A dual core Arrandale should be able to handle four threads of execution in hardware. I have this suspicion that people will be very pleased with Arrandale when it is actually delivered in notebooks.
I'm switching to a mac when the new MBPs come out (in January hopefully). Do you guys think the prices will hold at $1200, $1700, and $2500? Or are price increases typical when MBPs are updated. I noticed the macbook maintained its $1000 price point with its update. Just wondering if pros have followed this same pattern in the past. Thanks.
I'm switching to a mac when the new MBPs come out (in January hopefully). Do you guys think the prices will hold at $1200, $1700, and $2500? Or are price increases typical when MBPs are updated. I noticed the macbook maintained its $1000 price point with its update. Just wondering if pros have followed this same pattern in the past. Thanks.
The prices will either drop $100 or (more likely) remain the same.
Yes! I haven't used my optical drive in months, and I would gladly buy a separte one to avoid the troubles of having it- heat, power and ha noisy startup sound.
Another reason for dropping the internal optical drive is that I buy a new laptop about once a year, but an external optical drive can sometimes last a decade.
Another reason for dropping the internal optical drive is that I buy a new laptop about once a year, but an external optical drive can sometimes last a decade.
Yet, the one in my machine never seems to work when I finally need it. I am rough with my machines and waiting a year before i may need it doesn?t serve it well.
Wait, but you'll be waiting until January. Apart from the supposed comment from Apple saying there won't be any more new products in '09, January is almost always the update cycle for MBPs. Apple will try to milk the current ageing 15 and 17" configurations over the holiday season, which is typically their iMac and iPod boom period anyway.
I personally can't wait even though I have the current model. The 9600m GT is really starting to show its age. I might try to offload it before Christmas.
Speculation on the new graphics cards? Seems certain they'll switch to ATI but which one?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisMc73
So, then, for someone who has been saving up to buy a high end 17" and is ready to buy, what do you suggest I do? Buy now or wait?
Wait, but you'll be waiting until January. Apart from the supposed comment from Apple saying there won't be any more new products in '09, January is almost always the update cycle for MBPs. Apple will try to milk the current ageing 15 and 17" configurations over the holiday season, which is typically their iMac and iPod boom period anyway.
I personally can't wait even though I have the current model. The 9600m GT is really starting to show its age. I might try to offload it before Christmas.
Speculation on the new graphics cards? Seems certain they'll switch to ATI but which one?
They could go to ATI but they are just as likely to also include some NVIDIA 200M or 300M series. Maybe the GTS 250M or 260M for the midrange, the 210M for the Low-end.
Yeah this is a tough one. Really need a new mbp asap - and waiting that extra 2-3 months is difficult. Plus the exchange rate here in aus is really good at the moment - mbp's have never been cheaper.
Though this is one of those very rare cases where people on this forum are actually saying that the hardware update is worth the wait.
... Apple will try to milk the current ageing 15 and 17" configurations over the holiday season..
So you think the next MBP model will have a new case? My MacBook is really aging. Might not be able to wait. The screen has been flickering for a year and it's now getting really bad. Of course the case is chipping everywhere. And since a few weeks ago, sometimes the arrow keys don't work. Sometimes they do. I took the keys off and cleaned even. It seems to be software. No rhyme or reason. The quality between their pro and consumer laptop lines has always been distinct but in the past few years I really feel like the consumer laptops are low quality. I remember my PBG4 was a tank. In people's experience here, how is the quality of the MBP, the case etc.?
So you think the next MBP model will have a new case? My MacBook is really aging. Might not be able to wait. The screen has been flickering for a year and it's now getting really bad. Of course the case is chipping everywhere. And since a few weeks ago, sometimes the arrow keys don't work. Sometimes they do. I took the keys off and cleaned even. It seems to be software. No rhyme or reason. The quality between their pro and consumer laptop lines has always been distinct but in the past few years I really feel like the consumer laptops are low quality. I remember my PBG4 was a tank. In people's experience here, how is the quality of the MBP, the case etc.?
Here is a video of the aluminium MBP case. Nothing else compares in build quality. Even the poly-carb MB is now a rigid unibody design. No flex whatsoever.
Here is an AnandTech article from yesterday detailing the pros and cons of the MBP lineup. He compares and tests against other notebooks and older MBPs. If you aren?t familiar with the site below,it?s not an Apple-centric and can be quite in-depth.
S.Metcal stated that "Apple will try to milk the current ageing 15 and 17" configurations over the holiday season?. I?m not sure what this means. There is no try and there is no update until next year. The lineup is set. Apple has told us that much. Arrandale (Core i5 and i7) are ramping up production and Apple will be releasing them in their notebooks in Jan/Feb. These are 32nm dual-core chips. That much is certain. Don?t expect Clarkdale, the 45nm quad-core mobile chips. The TDP is likely too high for Apple?s svelte design, unless they do a radical change.
If you decide you can't wait, I can give you a good deal on a current gen 17" in perfect condition. Might as well save 6 or 7 hundred off retail (current retail that is after the price cuts). ie approx $2700-2800 AU Pvt me if interested... PS I'm in Sydney.
Spec: June 2009 2.8GHz 17" 4Gb 500Gb 7200RPM Glossy version.
Quote:
Originally Posted by quamb
Yeah this is a tough one. Really need a new mbp asap - and waiting that extra 2-3 months is difficult. Plus the exchange rate here in aus is really good at the moment - mbp's have never been cheaper.
Though this is one of those very rare cases where people on this forum are actually saying that the hardware update is worth the wait.
It's increasingly looking like we'll need to wait for January for the next MBP speedbump. I remain skeptical about the idea of Apple putting Clarkdale CPUs into MBPs. Arrandale makes a lot more sense. The next dramatic performance increase might come in about a year when Intel start shipping quad-core 32nm laptop CPUs with the GPU and northbridge on-die.
Yeah this is a tough one. Really need a new mbp asap - and waiting that extra 2-3 months is difficult. Plus the exchange rate here in aus is really good at the moment - mbp's have never been cheaper.
If you know you're going to buying a laptop soon, why not buy an apple gift card today, and lock in the price of your laptop regardless of when you purchase it?
Whether it happens in November or January, the next MacBook Pro speedbump really needs to see minimum RAM increased to 4GB. Even the iMac has 4GB minimum RAM now. 2GB is arguably tolerable for the base MacBook and Mac Mini -- but not for much longer.
Unfortunately, I don't think there is much more we can guess about the next MBP speedbump.
The move to Arrandale CPUs is nearly too obvious to mention.
I think max ram will remain at 8GB because it only recently rose to 8GB and to go higher would require 8GB SO-DIMMs which are not available and will be extremely expensive when they become available. 4GB SO-SIMMs still cost more than double per GB what 2GB SO-DIMMs cost. When we see rough parity in the price per GB of 2GB and 4GB SO-DIMMs, then we can expect to see very expensive 8GB SO-DIMMs.
I don't expect to see any changes to ports or the case. A switch to 16:9 would surprise me because the MacBook just got a complete case redesign which kept the 16:10 aspect ratio.
HDDs and SSDs will of course continue to drop in price per GB, the latter faster than the former.
The only really exciting thing about the expected speedbump is the Arrandale CPUs. Faster performance with low power consumption. :-)
Comments
That'll be great:
Yes! I haven't used my optical drive in months, and I would gladly buy a separte one to avoid the troubles of having it- heat, power and ha noisy startup sound.
.........
What this does is (as with the iMac) allow for a wider case, and better cooling by spreading the CPU/GPU apart a little bit more. I think this better cooling will allow for Apple to get away with a mobile Core i5 (I think it's called Arrandale) and a Radeon 4670 (if they choose to use it over an equivalent Nvidia GPU)
Arrandale will likely arrive running cooler than todays processors so I'm not sure the above juditifies your position. The big question in my mind is this, does Apple go with the Arrandale variant that has the built in GPU? If NOT Arrandale could significantly lower the power profile of the laptops and would make for one excellent 13" MBP for example.
As to displays I see Apple eventually going 16:9 simply because that is where mass production seems to be moving. For the smaller machines it probably doesn't make much difference, on a 15 or 17 inch class machine it does. Even here my opinion is changing as I better adapt to wider screens.
Oh and one important thing Arrandale is more like i7 in that it has SMT. A dual core Arrandale should be able to handle four threads of execution in hardware. I have this suspicion that people will be very pleased with Arrandale when it is actually delivered in notebooks.
Dave
I'm switching to a mac when the new MBPs come out (in January hopefully). Do you guys think the prices will hold at $1200, $1700, and $2500? Or are price increases typical when MBPs are updated. I noticed the macbook maintained its $1000 price point with its update. Just wondering if pros have followed this same pattern in the past. Thanks.
The prices will either drop $100 or (more likely) remain the same.
Yes! I haven't used my optical drive in months, and I would gladly buy a separte one to avoid the troubles of having it- heat, power and ha noisy startup sound.
Another reason for dropping the internal optical drive is that I buy a new laptop about once a year, but an external optical drive can sometimes last a decade.
Another reason for dropping the internal optical drive is that I buy a new laptop about once a year, but an external optical drive can sometimes last a decade.
Yet, the one in my machine never seems to work when I finally need it. I am rough with my machines and waiting a year before i may need it doesn?t serve it well.
I personally can't wait even though I have the current model. The 9600m GT is really starting to show its age. I might try to offload it before Christmas.
Speculation on the new graphics cards? Seems certain they'll switch to ATI but which one?
So, then, for someone who has been saving up to buy a high end 17" and is ready to buy, what do you suggest I do? Buy now or wait?
Wait, but you'll be waiting until January. Apart from the supposed comment from Apple saying there won't be any more new products in '09, January is almost always the update cycle for MBPs. Apple will try to milk the current ageing 15 and 17" configurations over the holiday season, which is typically their iMac and iPod boom period anyway.
I personally can't wait even though I have the current model. The 9600m GT is really starting to show its age. I might try to offload it before Christmas.
Speculation on the new graphics cards? Seems certain they'll switch to ATI but which one?
They could go to ATI but they are just as likely to also include some NVIDIA 200M or 300M series. Maybe the GTS 250M or 260M for the midrange, the 210M for the Low-end.
Though this is one of those very rare cases where people on this forum are actually saying that the hardware update is worth the wait.
What to do... what to do...
The only very small possibility of an update is tomorrow. Otherwise I think new MBP's are a lock for the January timeframe.
I'm afraid our right. I was hoping to purchase a new MBP for work before the end of the year. Hopefully it won't be too long into the new year.
... Apple will try to milk the current ageing 15 and 17" configurations over the holiday season..
So you think the next MBP model will have a new case? My MacBook is really aging. Might not be able to wait. The screen has been flickering for a year and it's now getting really bad. Of course the case is chipping everywhere. And since a few weeks ago, sometimes the arrow keys don't work. Sometimes they do. I took the keys off and cleaned even. It seems to be software. No rhyme or reason. The quality between their pro and consumer laptop lines has always been distinct but in the past few years I really feel like the consumer laptops are low quality. I remember my PBG4 was a tank. In people's experience here, how is the quality of the MBP, the case etc.?
So you think the next MBP model will have a new case? My MacBook is really aging. Might not be able to wait. The screen has been flickering for a year and it's now getting really bad. Of course the case is chipping everywhere. And since a few weeks ago, sometimes the arrow keys don't work. Sometimes they do. I took the keys off and cleaned even. It seems to be software. No rhyme or reason. The quality between their pro and consumer laptop lines has always been distinct but in the past few years I really feel like the consumer laptops are low quality. I remember my PBG4 was a tank. In people's experience here, how is the quality of the MBP, the case etc.?
Here is a video of the aluminium MBP case. Nothing else compares in build quality. Even the poly-carb MB is now a rigid unibody design. No flex whatsoever.Here is an AnandTech article from yesterday detailing the pros and cons of the MBP lineup. He compares and tests against other notebooks and older MBPs. If you aren?t familiar with the site below,it?s not an Apple-centric and can be quite in-depth.S.Metcal stated that "Apple will try to milk the current ageing 15 and 17" configurations over the holiday season?. I?m not sure what this means. There is no try and there is no update until next year. The lineup is set. Apple has told us that much. Arrandale (Core i5 and i7) are ramping up production and Apple will be releasing them in their notebooks in Jan/Feb. These are 32nm dual-core chips. That much is certain. Don?t expect Clarkdale, the 45nm quad-core mobile chips. The TDP is likely too high for Apple?s svelte design, unless they do a radical change.
Spec: June 2009 2.8GHz 17" 4Gb 500Gb 7200RPM Glossy version.
Yeah this is a tough one. Really need a new mbp asap - and waiting that extra 2-3 months is difficult. Plus the exchange rate here in aus is really good at the moment - mbp's have never been cheaper.
Though this is one of those very rare cases where people on this forum are actually saying that the hardware update is worth the wait.
What to do... what to do...
Too bad Nvidia and Intel didn't make nice with each other. Now we're back to Intel chipsets.
huh
huh
Nvidia have 5 or 6 cross agreements that without them both companies would fail.
Intel went to kill off Nvidia for ever with a double GPU chipset .
Meanwhile Nvidia went out and sold millions of their own chipsets cpu/gpu/gpu . Making intels low power sets unsellable
These guys are ruthless and play for keeps
hate is too mild a word.
Yeah this is a tough one. Really need a new mbp asap - and waiting that extra 2-3 months is difficult. Plus the exchange rate here in aus is really good at the moment - mbp's have never been cheaper.
If you know you're going to buying a laptop soon, why not buy an apple gift card today, and lock in the price of your laptop regardless of when you purchase it?
Whether it happens in November or January, the next MacBook Pro speedbump really needs to see minimum RAM increased to 4GB. Even the iMac has 4GB minimum RAM now. 2GB is arguably tolerable for the base MacBook and Mac Mini -- but not for much longer.
Agreed.
Agreed.
Unfortunately, I don't think there is much more we can guess about the next MBP speedbump.
The move to Arrandale CPUs is nearly too obvious to mention.
I think max ram will remain at 8GB because it only recently rose to 8GB and to go higher would require 8GB SO-DIMMs which are not available and will be extremely expensive when they become available. 4GB SO-SIMMs still cost more than double per GB what 2GB SO-DIMMs cost. When we see rough parity in the price per GB of 2GB and 4GB SO-DIMMs, then we can expect to see very expensive 8GB SO-DIMMs.
I don't expect to see any changes to ports or the case. A switch to 16:9 would surprise me because the MacBook just got a complete case redesign which kept the 16:10 aspect ratio.
HDDs and SSDs will of course continue to drop in price per GB, the latter faster than the former.
The only really exciting thing about the expected speedbump is the Arrandale CPUs. Faster performance with low power consumption. :-)