Next-gen Apple MacBook Pros to gain multi-touch trackpad
The exclusivity of Apple's new multi-touch trackpad to the company's MacBook Air family of notebooks won't last long, AppleInsider has learned.
In very much the same way that iSight video cams have become commonplace on nearly all of Apple's personal computer systems, the Mac maker will reportedly scale the gesture-based input technology (video) across its notebook lines during the course of the year.
The next models to receive the oversized trackpads will be updated 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models due for an introduction in the next several weeks, people familiar with the company's 2008 product roadmap say.
According to those same people, the new notebooks will also be the first from the Cupertino-based company to employ Penryn-based Core 2 Duo mobile process from Intel Corp., which in their most likely form for the MacBook Pro would range in clock frequency from 2.5GHz to 2.6GHz with 6MB of Level 2 cache.
Although the new professional notebooks had been slated for an introduction at or around Macworld Expo, an executive decision was reportedly made late last year to push out the release by several weeks.
The delay is attributed solely to the need for additional resources and personnel to be placed on the MacBook Air project leading up to its introduction last week, as last minute tweaks to the super-slim 13-inch notebook were still well underway at the time.
More high-quality photos (1, 2) of the new MacBook Air.
Though precise configuration details for the new MacBook Pro models were not available, the streamlined nature of Intel's Penryn-based Core 2 mobile offerings suggests that Apple will standardize retail configurations around 2.5GHz and 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo chips, as the company has not yet elected to offer the faster, more power-hungry Core 2 Extreme mobile processors in its notebook lines.
Early observations have revealed that a 2.6GHz Penryn-based Core 2 Duo processor runs at 1.15V compared to the 1.225V of the similarly-speced Merom chip offered on existing MacBook Pros, which should translate into modest battery improvements for the new 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros.
Current 65nm Merom-based MacBook Pro retail configs compared to potential 45nm Penryn-based retail configs
In a recent test run by technology publication AnandTech, a 2.6GHz Penryn-based notebook lasted an extra 55 minutes, or an increase of almost 16.5 percent in battery life over the identically configured 2.6GHz Merom-based system.
In a similar set of performance test, the Penryn system bested the Merom model by a range of 1 to 8 percent, including a 6.4 percent advantage when running MobileMark's Productivity 2007 test.
In very much the same way that iSight video cams have become commonplace on nearly all of Apple's personal computer systems, the Mac maker will reportedly scale the gesture-based input technology (video) across its notebook lines during the course of the year.
The next models to receive the oversized trackpads will be updated 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models due for an introduction in the next several weeks, people familiar with the company's 2008 product roadmap say.
According to those same people, the new notebooks will also be the first from the Cupertino-based company to employ Penryn-based Core 2 Duo mobile process from Intel Corp., which in their most likely form for the MacBook Pro would range in clock frequency from 2.5GHz to 2.6GHz with 6MB of Level 2 cache.
Although the new professional notebooks had been slated for an introduction at or around Macworld Expo, an executive decision was reportedly made late last year to push out the release by several weeks.
The delay is attributed solely to the need for additional resources and personnel to be placed on the MacBook Air project leading up to its introduction last week, as last minute tweaks to the super-slim 13-inch notebook were still well underway at the time.
More high-quality photos (1, 2) of the new MacBook Air.
Though precise configuration details for the new MacBook Pro models were not available, the streamlined nature of Intel's Penryn-based Core 2 mobile offerings suggests that Apple will standardize retail configurations around 2.5GHz and 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo chips, as the company has not yet elected to offer the faster, more power-hungry Core 2 Extreme mobile processors in its notebook lines.
Early observations have revealed that a 2.6GHz Penryn-based Core 2 Duo processor runs at 1.15V compared to the 1.225V of the similarly-speced Merom chip offered on existing MacBook Pros, which should translate into modest battery improvements for the new 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros.
Current 65nm Merom-based MacBook Pro retail configs compared to potential 45nm Penryn-based retail configs
In a recent test run by technology publication AnandTech, a 2.6GHz Penryn-based notebook lasted an extra 55 minutes, or an increase of almost 16.5 percent in battery life over the identically configured 2.6GHz Merom-based system.
In a similar set of performance test, the Penryn system bested the Merom model by a range of 1 to 8 percent, including a 6.4 percent advantage when running MobileMark's Productivity 2007 test.
Comments
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I wonder if Apple will include it on previous laptop generations, or if it will charge a $20 upgrade fee.
Slightly off topic, but when should we see a penryn iMac refresh?
Soon, I hope - I've been waiting...
I think it was said recently that the penryn chips will be available in quantity around the end of January, so I'm hoping for that.
You should also note that the "multi-touch" trackpads have been in Apple laptops since the PowerBook G4 1.67ghz series. Two-finger scrolling is ubiquitous on Apple these days.
Semantically speaking, we should refer to the two-finger gesturing as "dual-touch" to differentiate between this advanced gesturing.
I wonder if a 3rd-party will be able to give the current lineup the same gesture controls as the MBA through a hack, the way it was possible to give Powerbooks dual-touch gesturing via a hack.
Any news of an SSD with these new Mac Pro's?
Would you want to replace a 200GB HDD with a 64GB or 128GB SSD for one to two thousand dollars more? Unless the prices start falling fast or the MBA's SSDs are a big hit I don't think we'll be seeing the option in the MBP.
You should also note that the "multi-touch" trackpads have been in Apple laptops since the PowerBook G4 1.67ghz series. Two-finger scrolling is ubiquitous on Apple these days.
I wonder if Apple will include it on previous laptop generations, or if it will charge a $20 upgrade fee.
I have been wondering if this would work or not. How much of multi-touch on the Air is hardware and how much is software?
Why doesn't Apple listen to their customers?
What are the chances of the new MacBook Pros having a newer, more powerful graphics card than what is currently offered? Because whatever it ships with is what I'm going to be stuck with for as long as I have the machine, which is likely to be at least 4 years.
The new MBPs better be under 1 inch thick and weigh less than 3 pounds or I am going to be very angry!!!
Why doesn't Apple listen to their customers?
You mean why doesn't Apple listen to you.
I'm not saying I don't want something like that myself, but I'm sure Apple has a pretty good idea what the market wants.
The new MBPs better be under 1 inch thick and weigh less than 3 pounds or I am going to be very angry!!!
Why doesn't Apple listen to their customers?
He's being sarcastic!
Semantically speaking, we should refer to the two-finger gesturing as "dual-touch" to differentiate between this advanced gesturing.
So what you're saying is that the gesturing found on the iPhone is not multi-touch?
If you want semantics, a perfectly acceptable usage of "multi" is to indicate "more than one." Do you understand what "semantic" means?
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I think I'm in a petty mood today... sorry all...
He's being sarcastic!
Like really. I think people are getting a bit touchy.
Any news of an SSD with these new Mac Pro's?
More sarcasm? If not, why on earth would you want that at current prices? The speed increase is overhyped. If you want data protection, It's cheaper to get an Optibay to mirror the main hard drive, and you get much more storage.
By the way, it's MacBook Pro here, Mac Pro is a different beast.
The exclusivity of Apple's new multi-touch trackpad to the company's MacBook Air family of notebooks won't last long, AppleInsider has learned.
When I read the title, I thought that it was strange that anyone would find this news. I guess it is confirmation.
Like really. I think people are getting a bit touchy.
Pun intended?
-Clive