I've thought about Apple graphics and CPU performance for some time and have reached this conclusion: Apple does not make leading edge, state of the art computers. Apple makes extremely well thought out, beautiful and beautifully functioning computers. It's all about balance - literally and figuratively.
Anyone who bemoans Apple's lack of fast graphics cards does not understand what I think Apple's goals are in the laptop market. I really don't believe they care about top level performance. They seem to want something that works well and that meshes with their design concerns (power, size, heat etc). They also don't ever seem to be in a hurry. There is no rush on their part to update a line just because some new faster chip or card has been released. In the movie "Objectified" a designer speaks about how they look not at the specific needs of the demographic the client company is targeting, but rather at the extremes of those needs. If they can make the product meet the needs of the top and bottom, the middle will take care of itself. I'm not so sure Apple does that. I think their products are in fact aimed at the middle and purposely leave out the top and bottom demands of consumer needs. Certainly when it comes to technical performance anyway. I'm not sure I can remember when a Mac was clearly at the utmost top end of technical performance. There always seems to be a PC out there somewhere that dramatically exceeds Apple's offerings.
So don't et your hopes up about the new MBPs and their graphics. I bet they will be squarely in the middle.
starting at $1799?? that could be horrible, this is a rumor that i wish isnt true but watch this be finally right...
Edit: just found out that the prices are for the base 15''. the other prices are for the 17....no word on 13 yet
If you look beyond the $1799 price you see that while the low-end 15" model is more expensive, the mid-range 15" model is priced the same and the hi-end 15" model and 17" model are both cheaper than before. I do wish they were even a little bit cheaper overall but this is pretty good, giving those of us that want the hi-end models more bang for our buck.
The $1,799 price would likely be a virtue of the switch to dedicated graphics that Apple has to make thanks to the Intel/NVIDIA spat.
Apple isn't about to put out a MBP with Intel-only graphics, but it can't use the 9400M anymore, either. Solution: use a low-end dedicated GeForce 300M chip and Optimus to save energy while on battery, albeit by using Intel graphics as the backup. It would cost more, but it keep Apple's battery life and performance claims intact.
Comments
Anyone who bemoans Apple's lack of fast graphics cards does not understand what I think Apple's goals are in the laptop market. I really don't believe they care about top level performance. They seem to want something that works well and that meshes with their design concerns (power, size, heat etc). They also don't ever seem to be in a hurry. There is no rush on their part to update a line just because some new faster chip or card has been released. In the movie "Objectified" a designer speaks about how they look not at the specific needs of the demographic the client company is targeting, but rather at the extremes of those needs. If they can make the product meet the needs of the top and bottom, the middle will take care of itself. I'm not so sure Apple does that. I think their products are in fact aimed at the middle and purposely leave out the top and bottom demands of consumer needs. Certainly when it comes to technical performance anyway. I'm not sure I can remember when a Mac was clearly at the utmost top end of technical performance. There always seems to be a PC out there somewhere that dramatically exceeds Apple's offerings.
So don't et your hopes up about the new MBPs and their graphics. I bet they will be squarely in the middle.
Edit: just found out that the prices are for the base 15''. the other prices are for the 17....no word on 13 yet
http://macsoda.com/2010/04/11/new-fi...nesday-at-nab/
that is some solid proof that something COULD happen....April 14th Baby!!!
http://www.i4u.com/article32912.html
Edit: just found out that the prices are for the base 15''. the other prices are for the 17....no word on 13 yet
If you look beyond the $1799 price you see that while the low-end 15" model is more expensive, the mid-range 15" model is priced the same and the hi-end 15" model and 17" model are both cheaper than before. I do wish they were even a little bit cheaper overall but this is pretty good, giving those of us that want the hi-end models more bang for our buck.
Apple isn't about to put out a MBP with Intel-only graphics, but it can't use the 9400M anymore, either. Solution: use a low-end dedicated GeForce 300M chip and Optimus to save energy while on battery, albeit by using Intel graphics as the backup. It would cost more, but it keep Apple's battery life and performance claims intact.