Apple updates MacBook Pro with Ivy Bridge CPUs and Nvidia graphics

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
The legacy MacBook Pro lineup was given a refresh on Monday, as Apple unveiled updated notebooks featuring Intel's latest Ivy Bridge processors, as well as dedicated Nvidia GeForce GT 650M graphics on the 15-inch model.

The updated MacBook Pro is different from the next-generation MacBook Pro Apple unveiled on Monday, as the legacy model maintains the design of its predecessor, as well as the optical disc drive. But the hardware has been updated with new processors and better performance.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro has a 1,280 by 800 display with options for a 2.5 gigahertz dual-core i5 processor, or a 2.9 gigahertz dual-core i7. The low-end model has a 500 gigabyte hard drive and 4 gigabytes of RAM for $1,199, while the high-end model sports 8 gigabyte of RAM and a 750 gigabyte hard drive for $1,499.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro has a 1,440 by 900 pixel display, and both models feature Nvidia GeForce GT 650M graphics. The low-end model has 512 megabytes of graphics memory, 4 gigabytes of RAM, and a 500 gigabyte hard drive for $1,799. The high-end model has 1 gigabyte of graphics memory, 8 gigabytes of RAM, and a 750 gigabyte hard drive for $2,199.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 29
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Frigging optical drives.


     


    But at least the redesign is absolutely GORGEOUS and doesn't have one.

  • Reply 2 of 29
    isheldonisheldon Posts: 570member
    Love a built in optical drive.
    What's not to like?
    By far the easiest way to swap files.
  • Reply 3 of 29
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by iSheldon View Post

    By far the easiest way to swap files.


     


    *snort*


     


    It's only funny because you're actually serious.

  • Reply 4 of 29
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,822member
    So the Mac Pro is for another day. Still waiting on Intel I guess.
  • Reply 5 of 29
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post

    So the Mac Pro is for another day. Still waiting on Intel I guess.


     


    But it was updated… 


     


    The price, that is! THIRTY SEVEN NINETY NINE.

  • Reply 6 of 29
    applecationapplecation Posts: 147member
    So, the 17 is really dead, then.
    Although I love my 17, I would not care that the model dies, as long as there is some sort of inexpensive expansion with the 15. I had huge hopes for Thunderbolt, but $200 expansion boxes and $50 cables is going to kill it. Thankfully, there is USB3. Unfortunately, all my drives are USB2/eSATA?.
    Compare for my Macs:
    eSATA card for MacBook Pro17, 2 ports = $50
    eSATA card for PowerMac G5, 2 ports = $30
    eSATA box for Thunderbolt, 2 ports = $200

    Have to include a Thunderbolt cable, so add another $50
  • Reply 7 of 29
    sc_marktsc_markt Posts: 1,402member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Frigging optical drives.


     


    But at least the redesign is absolutely GORGEOUS and doesn't have one.



    What's wrong with optical drives? And what happens if you have to reboot off a CD? 

  • Reply 8 of 29
    sc_marktsc_markt Posts: 1,402member


    So, are the new processors in the 15 inch MBPs the same as the old ones (with speed bumps)?

  • Reply 9 of 29
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sc_markt View Post

    So, are the new processors in the 15 inch MBPs the same as the old ones (with speed bumps)?


     


    It's a new processor family. It's a process shrink from Sandy Bridge.




    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sc_markt View Post

    What's wrong with optical drives?



     


    They're last century's tech. They're the bottleneck for the entire computer.


     


    Quote:


    And what happens if you have to reboot off a CD? 



     


    That cannot happen anymore, so nothing.

  • Reply 10 of 29
    spiffy1spiffy1 Posts: 35member


    Wow!  Some stupid comments here already.


    When was the last time anyone had to boot off a CD on a Mac??  A common action in the PC world of course. 


     


    And as for an optical drive being the best way to swap files, that is the dumbest of many dumb comments ever posted on AI.  It really is funny.


     


    Now for a real question... why the **** should I get a retina display if as Apple says the pixels are so small I can't even see them with my eye?  Seems I should save myself a few bucks and upgrade on memory, disk space or other useful things, and if I want better video I can hook up an external display.  Ya?  No?

  • Reply 11 of 29
    hudson1hudson1 Posts: 800member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Spiffy1 View Post



    ...


     


    Last, the upgrades for 17 inchers usually come a few weeks after the 15ers come out, so keep your panties on for now.


     


    ...



    Upgrade from what?  The 17" MBP is no longer offered for sale on Apple's website.

  • Reply 12 of 29
    sc_marktsc_markt Posts: 1,402member

    Quote:


    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     


     


    They're last century's tech. They're the bottleneck for the entire computer.


     


     


    That cannot happen anymore, so nothing.



    I agree that they are old tech. What and how do they "bottleneck" the computer?


     


    As to not being able to boot of a CD anymore, that's news to me. So, what happens if you want to erase your HD and do a clean install?


     


    And what happens if you buy a brand new HD and pop it into your computer? How would you start up your system and load OS X on it? 

  • Reply 13 of 29
    bahhumbugbahhumbug Posts: 8member


    The real question is -- are there are 17" a MBP available.


     


    Yes, but almost everyone from was built in early 2011! That's 18 months ago!


     


    Didn't the MBP get full refresh in early 2012 to the REAL quad-core i7s?


     


    And, amazingly most of both the old and new machines shipped with 5400rpm drives -- in 2012!

  • Reply 14 of 29
    macman13macman13 Posts: 2member


    you install new OS using a thumb drive... that how

  • Reply 15 of 29
    macman13macman13 Posts: 2member


    actually, the last update for 17" MBP was in Oct of 2011.... not 18 months ago

  • Reply 16 of 29
    ghostface147ghostface147 Posts: 1,629member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sc_markt View Post


    As to not being able to boot of a CD anymore, that's news to me. So, what happens if you want to erase your HD and do a clean install?


     


    And what happens if you buy a brand new HD and pop it into your computer? How would you start up your system and load OS X on it? 



    Bootable USB.  There are plenty of instructions.  

  • Reply 17 of 29
    chabigchabig Posts: 641member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sc_markt View Post


    As to not being able to boot of a CD anymore, that's news to me. So, what happens if you want to erase your HD and do a clean install?


     


    And what happens if you buy a brand new HD and pop it into your computer? How would you start up your system and load OS X on it? 



     


    http://www.apple.com/osx/recovery/

  • Reply 18 of 29
    amtiamti Posts: 19member


    Very disappointed the MBP 13" did not get a screen res upgrade (to 1440 x 900, same as the 13" Air). I can understand that Apple might have made a hard business decision to limit competition with the Air. But it would have been nice to at least have a BTO option for a 1440 x 900 screen. Get one in a heartbeat if they did.


     


    So it looks like an Air for me, in about a month.


     


    Would have also been nice if the BTO option hi-res screen for the (non-retina) 15" MBP was 1080 instead of 1050.


     


    Glad Apple have gone to USB 3 (like they had a choice?). I held off buying until this round of hardware upgrades partly so I can get USB 3. 

  • Reply 19 of 29
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Spiffy1 View Post

    Now for a real question... why the **** should I get a retina display if as Apple says the pixels are so small I can't even see them with my eye?  Seems I should save myself a few bucks and upgrade on memory, disk space or other useful things, and if I want better video I can hook up an external display.  Ya?  No?


     


    A fine question, but the purpose of the retina display is not to see the pixels. The purpose of the retina display is to not see the pixels.


     


    Look around you. At anything you choose. What do you see? You see the material out of which the object is made. Get closer. You see more detail, yes? How far could you go before you stop seeing new details? Grab a desktop microscope and break off a piece of whatever the thing is (don't… don't actually do this… image). Take another look. More detail, yeah? You can see details down to the six quark types, and that's only as far as we know.


     


    But look at your computer screen. You can see the pixels. That breaks your vision. There's a fundamental difference there. The retina display's purpose is to lessen that difference. Eventually displays where subdivisions that truly cannot be perceived by the human eye will be released, and that's when the virtual… can stop being virtual.


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sc_markt View Post

    What and how do they "bottleneck" the computer?


     


    The ODD's throughput is pathetic. It's slow to write and it's painfully slow to read. It's noisy, it's power-hungry, and there aren't going to ever be any more improvements to it. It's time to die.


     


    Quote:


    So, what happens if you want to erase your HD and do a clean install? And what happens if you buy a brand new HD and pop it into your computer? How would you start up your system and load OS X on it? 



     


    The newest computers come with a restore partition built into the computer. If you get a new, blank hard drive, you can still boot to that partition and download Lion and have it install. If you don't want to use the Internet, you can make a backup installable version of Lion from a USB stick.


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by BahHumbug View Post

    The real question is -- are there are 17" a MBP available.


     


    Nope. Well, sure, in the refurb store.

  • Reply 20 of 29
    amtiamti Posts: 19member

    Quote:


    The ODD's throughput is pathetic. It's slow to write and it's painfully slow to read. It's noisy, it's power-hungry,...



     


    And takes up a ship load of space.

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