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 didn?t 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 don?t 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 you?re 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.
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. It?s 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?
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. It?s 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logisticaldron
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. It?s 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?
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.
At least 10 TB of SSD is what I need in my MBP and that too at the price of HDD. Unless wireless transfer rate becomes like 10 GB per wink. I am just freaking tired by handling TBs of photos, movies and other data, plugging unplugging of external drives.
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.
Comments
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 didn?t 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 don?t 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 you?re 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.
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. It?s 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?
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. It?s 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.
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.
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
$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.
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.
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.
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.
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. It?s 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?
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.
At least 10 TB of SSD is what I need in my MBP and that too at the price of HDD. Unless wireless transfer rate becomes like 10 GB per wink. I am just freaking tired by handling TBs of photos, movies and other data, plugging unplugging of external drives.
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.
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...