I dont know about the us but in the uk the top model costs the same as the 17inch mbp and comes with 500gb hard drive, 4gb ram, penryn processor and bluray burner. Oh and tv tuner and full hd lcd screen! i personaly much prefer osx and wouldn't mind paying premium for it but the fact is the mpb's aren't as pro as they once were!
I can't believe I'm defending Lundy, but that is a full DTR that's about a pound and a half heavier. Look, Apple's laptops are thin and lights. They're designed to be relatively portable while still be very powerful. The "Pro" in the Macbook Pro isn't the same "Pro" as the MacPro. Its a bit of a flaw in the new Intel naming scheme. There are much more powerful desktop replacement notebooks on the market and a lot of them are also cheaper. How good a deal and how good the feature set is depends on what you're looking for and what you're willing to pay. Apple's one size fits all doesn't work for everyone despite what some around here would like to believe. That being said, just because what they have doesn't fit one user doesn't mean it isn't perfect for someone else.
Thank god I didn't auction my Macbook Pro. I knew there was going to be no case redesign, but ...
Sorry, what exactly is wrong with the case? That seems like the least important aspect about the MBP to me, since it's still pretty hot looking and does what a case should do (keeps the fiddler crabs out). How would you improve on it? Gold plating and encrusted with diamonds, mohagony hand rests and mother-of-perl trim? Yeah, Apple, why don't you offer that as an option, hm? And while you're at it, make me a sandwich.
Does this mean that Apple is not going to support Blu-ray? They surely would have added one by now. Would Blu-Ray cut into their iTunes rentals? Any thoughts?
They should also drop DVD drives since they are cutting into their itunes rentals and movies.
I don't know what the word "presence" is supposed to mean. Resolution is resolution. The only downside I can see is having to convert 720 or 1080 lines to this squirrelly resolution on the MBP (1680x1050 is it?) That means at 720, roundoff error would give you 45 stripes down the screen, whereas 1080 would give you 105. Maybe 105 is narrow enough that it wouldn't wander off far enough in the width of a stripe to be noticeable, but 45 will be. All this is assuming you're using the middle 90% of your 10x16 screen to watch 9x16 video. I don't know if you can chop the ends of the picture off and watch it full height, but if you can, that's 70 and 30 stripes respectively. 30 is going to be very noticeable! In this day and age, if 10x16 screens are the standard, they should be either 1280x800, to display 720p in native resolution, or 1920x1200, to display 1080p in native resolution. Any other gotch-eyed resolution and you're just recreating those cheap 768-line LCD TVs with the 24 broad stripes across every picture due to roundoff error.
Presence = that sense that the image is in the room with you, nearly 3-D. The thing one buys HD for in the first place.
Not talking about raw numbers... I'm talking about perception.
You obviously know your HD well, so you know the 42" at < 10' feet rule. That rule is about perception. I owned a 32" tube HD set before my 42" ED set, and at the distances I used them at, their pictures were indistinguishable. IN fact the Ed actually looks a bit better.
Just saying that small screens (I particularly love it when people call for HD iPhones) don't produce the same 'pop' that makes HD worth the extra $$ that really big screens do.
Too many videophiles get caught up in the "turn it up to 11" syndrome.
You are always hilarious. I'm beginning to get the feeling that Apple could sell you a turd. They really can't do any wrong in your eyes, can they?
Quote:
Originally Posted by lundy
- For those lamenting "no case redesign", specifically what redesign do you want (except the magnetic latch)?
I am lamenting the lack of case redesign, but I'm not mad about it. I was thinking before hand that the chance of the case redesign happening with this refresh was about 50/50. Hopefully they are waiting for Montevina rather than Nehalem for the case redesign.
When people talk about the case redesign, they are talking about at least three things:
Magnetic latch
MacBook (Air) style keyboard
Easier HDD upgrade a-la MacBook
Some people also seem to be hoping for a slightly thinner case, but I don't know if that's likely or even possible. Perhaps Apple can shave a maximum of 2 mm off.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lundy
- The combo drive is for schools, and a normal marketing device to get you to buy the next most expensive model.
Normal for Apple, yes. Take the time to look at every single other computer manufacturer's line-up, and you will find that every laptop over about $599 has a DVD burner in it. A combo drive in $1099 laptop is a seriously unfunny joke. As is forcing people to buy extra CPU power and HDD space they don't necessarily want just so that they can have a DVD burner.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lundy
- No, extra money for 100 mHz is not worth it. Apple always does this to allow those who want "Top Of The Line" to have something to buy. Just realize what the reason is and forget about it.
This is true. Beyond that though, looking at Intel's price difference between the 2.5 and 2.6 GHz chips, Apple's charge isn't anywhere near as outrageous as the cost of its memory upgrades.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lundy
And finally, those claiming that there are "PCs" that have more features and cost less, step forward and show them.
When you restrict your search to just 13" widescreen portables, the MacBook does still compare well (apart from the combo drive stupidity), especially on the processor front now that it has Penryn. A similarly configured Dell M1330 (processor bumped to 2.0 GHz, bluetooth added and battery bumped to 56 WHr) is slightly more expensive at $1149, but it does give the purchaser the option of sacrificing a bit of CPU power in order to shave $100 off (drop the processor to 1.66 GHz and the price is $1049)
So, if you want a 13" laptop with DVD burner, 1 GB RAM and 120 GB HDD, you can get the Dell for $1049. But to get a DVD burner from Apple, you have to pay at least $1299. Yes, you get other stuff thrown in that makes the asking price good value, but if $1049 is already stretching your budget you aren't going to move to $1299.
If you relax the criteria and start comparing with 15.4" widescreen machines, things get really embarrassing for the MacBook. Whilst the 15.4" screen makes the laptops bigger and heavier, in many consumers' eyes, the 15.4" screen is better value, because it's bigger (even though the resolution is the same as the 13.3" screens so you don't get any extra real-estate).
The Dell Inspiron 1525 with 15.4" screen, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB HDD, 2.0 GHz CPU, 802.11a/b/g and bluetooth costs $969 and to most folks, that's going to make the MacBook look like very poor value. All the other major manufacturers (HP, Toshiba, Acer, Asus, Sony, Lenovo) have similar configuration laptops.
So, in conclusion, there are a few things that suck about this update:
Combo drive on entry-level MacBook is taking the piss
Entry-level cost of 15.4" screen Apple laptop is still $1999 (if Apple can do this well with a niche 13.3" MacBook, imagine how much market share it could take if it offered a 15.4" version alongside)
The highest-resolution option on the 15.4" MacBook Pro is 1440 x 900 (other manufacturers offer up to 1680 x 1050). I don't give a stuff about whether such a resolution is necessary for video watching (it isn't) - it gives you more screen real-estate to work with and that's the attraction.
Can you offer good reasons why it needs to have a DVD burner in it? If I could get a MBP with a Combo drive, I would.
Sure I can. Because pretty much every laptop on the market has it. Because for sure every laptop that goes for 1000 and up does and because it adds nothing to the cost. If anything apple is wasting money buying a drive they will only use in two models (macbook and mac mini), instead of just streamlining the process and just giving them all the same drive.
The price difference between the two models is 200 bucks in canada, with that you get double the ram and 40 gigs more hd space, that sensible enough to differentiate the two models.
For example:
My friend wants a new macbook and is a potential switcher. She doesn't want the more expensive one, doesn't need what it has to offer, no matter what model she gets I'm gonna toss the ram and up it to 4 gigs for her. It was already hard to convince her to go mac because she didn't want to spend that much money, but now I gotta convince her to spend 200 more just so she can do the one thing the other one can't do but the 800 dollar toshiba she wanted in the first place can.
Apple has no need to use a 2002 tactic like holding dvd burning over customer's heads to force an upgrade. It just turns people off.
Can you offer good reasons why the MBP needs to have a Combo drive? What can the combo drive do that the superdrive can't? Or do want to save 0-5 dollars off the price of a new MBP?
I am a big hd fan and can't justify splashing 2k on a macine without it atm! The only question now is whether to give in to the vaio or try and hold on till macworld and the chance of a real update!
Personally, I'd wait for the refreshed (or all new) MBP with Penryn/Centrino 2 and perhaps the "UltraDrive" (aka Blu-ray) at the Mac Expo or sooner.
If you settle for the VAIO, then you'll probably always regret you can't get access to the Mac experience and applications. And I am writing this message ON a VAIO! \
My friend wants a new macbook and is a potential switcher. She doesn't want the more expensive one, doesn't need what it has to offer, no matter what model she gets I'm gonna toss the ram and up it to 4 gigs for her. It was already hard to convince her to go mac because she didn't want to spend that much money, but now I gotta convince her to spend 200 more just so she can do the one thing the other one can't do but the 800 dollar toshiba she wanted in the first place can.
Apple has no need to use a 2002 tactic like holding dvd burning over customer's heads to force an upgrade. It just turns people off.
Can you offer good reasons why the MBP needs to have a Combo drive? What can the combo drive do that the superdrive can't? Or do want to save 0-5 dollars off the price of a new MBP?
The Combo drive can read DVDs, but cannot record on DVD media. So, if this is an absolute requirement, then she'll have to consider moving up to the 2.4GHz model.
Now, next thing is to consider the experience of using OS X vs Windows.
The typical qualifiers is what's more important? Productivity or Creativity? Both? Then get the Mac, says I a longtime Windows user. But seriously, if she wants her lifestyle to be productive, the best choice is the Mac. Simply because the included iLife '08 matches most peoples needs and probably more. Indeed, I suspect that $800 Toshiba has plenty of trial-ware, but not much which she can own.
So, my question to her is do you want to buy the $800 that's good technology, but doesn't do much out of the box? Or purchase something that includes one of the best computing experiences in the world and is useful right out of the box?
The Combo drive can read DVDs, but cannot record on DVD media. So, if this is an absolute requirement, then she'll have to consider moving up to the 2.4GHz model.
Now, next thing is to consider the experience of using OS X vs Windows.
The typical qualifiers is what's more important? Productivity or Creativity? Both? Then get the Mac, says I a longtime Windows user. But seriously, if she wants her lifestyle to be productive, the best choice is the Mac. Simply because the included iLife '08 matches most peoples needs and probably more. Indeed, I suspect that $800 Toshiba has plenty of trial-ware, but not much which she can own.
So, my question to her is do you want to buy the $800 that's good technology, but doesn't do much out of the box? Or purchase something that includes one of the best computing experiences in the world and is useful right out of the box?
YipYipYipee
Hey man I agree with you %100 that's why I'm a mac user, but lots of people don't see it what way, money talks.
And she doesn't want the 2.4ghz model, she doesn't care about all the other stuff it has to offer, she just wants to be able to burn a dvd, in 2008 that's not a lot to ask, there is no reason to not have it across the board.
[*]Combo drive on entry-level MacBook is taking the piss[*]Entry-level cost of 15.4" screen Apple laptop is still $1999 (if Apple can do this well with a niche 13.3" MacBook, imagine how much market share it could take if it offered a 15.4" version alongside)[/list]
I think the 13" Macbook's major problem is that it can't decide what kind of laptop it want to be. It has the CPU of fairly high end 13" notebook, but the GPU of an entry level notebook. Things were clearer when Apple had two clearly defined levels of notebook.
Notice how they always "forget" about the weight and thickness when claiming "OMG u can get a PC with more feeeeeeetures for like half the price..."
Heavy and thick is cheaper to make, by far.
It's a nice game to play - challenge them to find a cheaper but comparable PC and they will always bring some 4 kg monster that is 1.5 to 2 inches thick. LOL
Hey man I agree with you %100 that's why I'm a mac user, but lots of people don't see it what way, money talks.
And she doesn't want the 2.4ghz model, she doesn't care about all the other stuff it has to offer, she just wants to be able to burn a dvd, in 2008 that's not a lot to ask, there is no reason to not have it across the board.
I absolutely agree the SuperDrive should be included across the board. I was just trying to help the writer with different views and some ammo to continue considering the Mac, despite the higher cost.
I find the extra $200 to get a SuperDrive on the MacBook annoying, too. You've got to wonder why Combo drives even exist any more; as somebody pointed out, the price differential is about $5.00. Maybe the cheapest MacBook is what a lot of parents are buying for their kids going off to school, and they don't want them downloading a lot of porn and burning it to DVD? They figure the (used to be) 60 GB HD isn't big enough to store much onboard. If that's the market, maybe the -$200.00 could be called an "Educational Discount!"
How do you decide what makes an update good or bad? I think the updates are very good. For the same price as the previous models you get more storage, the VRAM is doubled and that doesn't even include what is new like the Penryn processor (SSE4) and the Multi-Touch track pad.
Based on the ridiculous statements that the update is "disappointing" because there's no magnetic latch ......
You can't tell me that anybody "waited six months" for a magnetic latch that they didn't even know was coming. It's silly. Well, wait another six months and try again.
I find the extra $200 to get a SuperDrive on the MacBook annoying, too. You've got to wonder why Combo drives even exist any more; as somebody pointed out, the price differential is about $5.00. Maybe the cheapest MacBook is what a lot of parents are buying for their kids going off to school, and they don't want them downloading a lot of porn and burning it to DVD? They figure the (used to be) 60 GB HD isn't big enough to store much onboard. If that's the market, maybe the -$200.00 could be called an "Educational Discount!"
If the $1099 had the Superdrive, then there would be almost no upsell incentive to the $1299 model. They want you to buy the more expensive model.
Corporations are not in business to let you buy the cheapest thing - standard business 101 is to sell you exactly the maximum that you will pay.
Once you are in the store, and asking what the difference is, a lot of customers will cough up the $200 for the burner. Some won't, and that is why the $1099 model is there.
That, and the fact that schools do not want DVD burners, are the answers to the question.
I was wondering is the 2.6 a Penryn also? I know its an upcharge...but wanted to make sure since it says nothing on the spec sheet about the 6 mb cache with the 2.6?
If I had the money, what would be the difference between the 2.5 and 2.6?
Thanks for your help
GB
As I recall, there really isn't any difference other than clock speed.
For now, the 2.5GHz MBP configuration is the best value for money in my opinion.
If the $1099 had the Superdrive, then there would be almost no upsell incentive to the $1299 model. They want you to buy the more expensive model.
Almost no upsell? Nonsense. There's the faster processor, 1 GiB of additional RAM and 40 GB of HDD.
You have to weigh the number of people who will be up-sold to the $1299 model against the number who are just thinking "fuck it, I'm buying a PC".
Go on Lundy, I know you want to say something "bad" about Apple; all these attempts to defend the indefensible must be tiring. Go on. It won't hurt. A combo drive in a $1099 laptop is ridiculous and you know it.
Comments
Penryn isn't a revolutionary processor - it's just a die shrink
No, it's not just a die shrink. It also adds SSE4.1, and that is revolutionary for video processing algorithms (40% faster at the same clock speed).
How about the sony vaio ar series?
(https://www.sonystyle.co.uk:443/Sony...02BC29B74)/.do)
I dont know about the us but in the uk the top model costs the same as the 17inch mbp and comes with 500gb hard drive, 4gb ram, penryn processor and bluray burner. Oh and tv tuner and full hd lcd screen! i personaly much prefer osx and wouldn't mind paying premium for it but the fact is the mpb's aren't as pro as they once were!
I can't believe I'm defending Lundy, but that is a full DTR that's about a pound and a half heavier. Look, Apple's laptops are thin and lights. They're designed to be relatively portable while still be very powerful. The "Pro" in the Macbook Pro isn't the same "Pro" as the MacPro. Its a bit of a flaw in the new Intel naming scheme. There are much more powerful desktop replacement notebooks on the market and a lot of them are also cheaper. How good a deal and how good the feature set is depends on what you're looking for and what you're willing to pay. Apple's one size fits all doesn't work for everyone despite what some around here would like to believe. That being said, just because what they have doesn't fit one user doesn't mean it isn't perfect for someone else.
Thank god I didn't auction my Macbook Pro. I knew there was going to be no case redesign, but ...
Sorry, what exactly is wrong with the case? That seems like the least important aspect about the MBP to me, since it's still pretty hot looking and does what a case should do (keeps the fiddler crabs out). How would you improve on it? Gold plating and encrusted with diamonds, mohagony hand rests and mother-of-perl trim? Yeah, Apple, why don't you offer that as an option, hm? And while you're at it, make me a sandwich.
Does this mean that Apple is not going to support Blu-ray? They surely would have added one by now. Would Blu-Ray cut into their iTunes rentals? Any thoughts?
They should also drop DVD drives since they are cutting into their itunes rentals and movies.
I don't know what the word "presence" is supposed to mean. Resolution is resolution. The only downside I can see is having to convert 720 or 1080 lines to this squirrelly resolution on the MBP (1680x1050 is it?) That means at 720, roundoff error would give you 45 stripes down the screen, whereas 1080 would give you 105. Maybe 105 is narrow enough that it wouldn't wander off far enough in the width of a stripe to be noticeable, but 45 will be. All this is assuming you're using the middle 90% of your 10x16 screen to watch 9x16 video. I don't know if you can chop the ends of the picture off and watch it full height, but if you can, that's 70 and 30 stripes respectively. 30 is going to be very noticeable! In this day and age, if 10x16 screens are the standard, they should be either 1280x800, to display 720p in native resolution, or 1920x1200, to display 1080p in native resolution. Any other gotch-eyed resolution and you're just recreating those cheap 768-line LCD TVs with the 24 broad stripes across every picture due to roundoff error.
Presence = that sense that the image is in the room with you, nearly 3-D. The thing one buys HD for in the first place.
Not talking about raw numbers... I'm talking about perception.
You obviously know your HD well, so you know the 42" at < 10' feet rule. That rule is about perception. I owned a 32" tube HD set before my 42" ED set, and at the distances I used them at, their pictures were indistinguishable. IN fact the Ed actually looks a bit better.
Just saying that small screens (I particularly love it when people call for HD iPhones) don't produce the same 'pop' that makes HD worth the extra $$ that really big screens do.
Too many videophiles get caught up in the "turn it up to 11" syndrome.
These threads are always hilarious.
You are always hilarious. I'm beginning to get the feeling that Apple could sell you a turd. They really can't do any wrong in your eyes, can they?
- For those lamenting "no case redesign", specifically what redesign do you want (except the magnetic latch)?
I am lamenting the lack of case redesign, but I'm not mad about it. I was thinking before hand that the chance of the case redesign happening with this refresh was about 50/50. Hopefully they are waiting for Montevina rather than Nehalem for the case redesign.
When people talk about the case redesign, they are talking about at least three things:
- Magnetic latch
- MacBook (Air) style keyboard
- Easier HDD upgrade a-la MacBook
Some people also seem to be hoping for a slightly thinner case, but I don't know if that's likely or even possible. Perhaps Apple can shave a maximum of 2 mm off.- The combo drive is for schools, and a normal marketing device to get you to buy the next most expensive model.
Normal for Apple, yes. Take the time to look at every single other computer manufacturer's line-up, and you will find that every laptop over about $599 has a DVD burner in it. A combo drive in $1099 laptop is a seriously unfunny joke. As is forcing people to buy extra CPU power and HDD space they don't necessarily want just so that they can have a DVD burner.
- No, extra money for 100 mHz is not worth it. Apple always does this to allow those who want "Top Of The Line" to have something to buy. Just realize what the reason is and forget about it.
This is true. Beyond that though, looking at Intel's price difference between the 2.5 and 2.6 GHz chips, Apple's charge isn't anywhere near as outrageous as the cost of its memory upgrades.
And finally, those claiming that there are "PCs" that have more features and cost less, step forward and show them.
When you restrict your search to just 13" widescreen portables, the MacBook does still compare well (apart from the combo drive stupidity), especially on the processor front now that it has Penryn. A similarly configured Dell M1330 (processor bumped to 2.0 GHz, bluetooth added and battery bumped to 56 WHr) is slightly more expensive at $1149, but it does give the purchaser the option of sacrificing a bit of CPU power in order to shave $100 off (drop the processor to 1.66 GHz and the price is $1049)
So, if you want a 13" laptop with DVD burner, 1 GB RAM and 120 GB HDD, you can get the Dell for $1049. But to get a DVD burner from Apple, you have to pay at least $1299. Yes, you get other stuff thrown in that makes the asking price good value, but if $1049 is already stretching your budget you aren't going to move to $1299.
If you relax the criteria and start comparing with 15.4" widescreen machines, things get really embarrassing for the MacBook. Whilst the 15.4" screen makes the laptops bigger and heavier, in many consumers' eyes, the 15.4" screen is better value, because it's bigger (even though the resolution is the same as the 13.3" screens so you don't get any extra real-estate).
The Dell Inspiron 1525 with 15.4" screen, 3 GB RAM, 250 GB HDD, 2.0 GHz CPU, 802.11a/b/g and bluetooth costs $969 and to most folks, that's going to make the MacBook look like very poor value. All the other major manufacturers (HP, Toshiba, Acer, Asus, Sony, Lenovo) have similar configuration laptops.
So, in conclusion, there are a few things that suck about this update:
Talk about disappointed. I could cry.
You're weird.
Can you offer good reasons why it needs to have a DVD burner in it? If I could get a MBP with a Combo drive, I would.
Sure I can. Because pretty much every laptop on the market has it. Because for sure every laptop that goes for 1000 and up does and because it adds nothing to the cost. If anything apple is wasting money buying a drive they will only use in two models (macbook and mac mini), instead of just streamlining the process and just giving them all the same drive.
The price difference between the two models is 200 bucks in canada, with that you get double the ram and 40 gigs more hd space, that sensible enough to differentiate the two models.
For example:
My friend wants a new macbook and is a potential switcher. She doesn't want the more expensive one, doesn't need what it has to offer, no matter what model she gets I'm gonna toss the ram and up it to 4 gigs for her. It was already hard to convince her to go mac because she didn't want to spend that much money, but now I gotta convince her to spend 200 more just so she can do the one thing the other one can't do but the 800 dollar toshiba she wanted in the first place can.
Apple has no need to use a 2002 tactic like holding dvd burning over customer's heads to force an upgrade. It just turns people off.
Can you offer good reasons why the MBP needs to have a Combo drive? What can the combo drive do that the superdrive can't? Or do want to save 0-5 dollars off the price of a new MBP?
I am a big hd fan and can't justify splashing 2k on a macine without it atm! The only question now is whether to give in to the vaio or try and hold on till macworld and the chance of a real update!
Personally, I'd wait for the refreshed (or all new) MBP with Penryn/Centrino 2 and perhaps the "UltraDrive" (aka Blu-ray) at the Mac Expo or sooner.
If you settle for the VAIO, then you'll probably always regret you can't get access to the Mac experience and applications. And I am writing this message ON a VAIO!
YipYipYipee
For example:
My friend wants a new macbook and is a potential switcher. She doesn't want the more expensive one, doesn't need what it has to offer, no matter what model she gets I'm gonna toss the ram and up it to 4 gigs for her. It was already hard to convince her to go mac because she didn't want to spend that much money, but now I gotta convince her to spend 200 more just so she can do the one thing the other one can't do but the 800 dollar toshiba she wanted in the first place can.
Apple has no need to use a 2002 tactic like holding dvd burning over customer's heads to force an upgrade. It just turns people off.
Can you offer good reasons why the MBP needs to have a Combo drive? What can the combo drive do that the superdrive can't? Or do want to save 0-5 dollars off the price of a new MBP?
The Combo drive can read DVDs, but cannot record on DVD media. So, if this is an absolute requirement, then she'll have to consider moving up to the 2.4GHz model.
Now, next thing is to consider the experience of using OS X vs Windows.
The typical qualifiers is what's more important? Productivity or Creativity? Both? Then get the Mac, says I a longtime Windows user. But seriously, if she wants her lifestyle to be productive, the best choice is the Mac. Simply because the included iLife '08 matches most peoples needs and probably more. Indeed, I suspect that $800 Toshiba has plenty of trial-ware, but not much which she can own.
So, my question to her is do you want to buy the $800 that's good technology, but doesn't do much out of the box? Or purchase something that includes one of the best computing experiences in the world and is useful right out of the box?
YipYipYipee
The Combo drive can read DVDs, but cannot record on DVD media. So, if this is an absolute requirement, then she'll have to consider moving up to the 2.4GHz model.
Now, next thing is to consider the experience of using OS X vs Windows.
The typical qualifiers is what's more important? Productivity or Creativity? Both? Then get the Mac, says I a longtime Windows user. But seriously, if she wants her lifestyle to be productive, the best choice is the Mac. Simply because the included iLife '08 matches most peoples needs and probably more. Indeed, I suspect that $800 Toshiba has plenty of trial-ware, but not much which she can own.
So, my question to her is do you want to buy the $800 that's good technology, but doesn't do much out of the box? Or purchase something that includes one of the best computing experiences in the world and is useful right out of the box?
YipYipYipee
Hey man I agree with you %100 that's why I'm a mac user, but lots of people don't see it what way, money talks.
And she doesn't want the 2.4ghz model, she doesn't care about all the other stuff it has to offer, she just wants to be able to burn a dvd, in 2008 that's not a lot to ask, there is no reason to not have it across the board.
[*]Combo drive on entry-level MacBook is taking the piss[*]Entry-level cost of 15.4" screen Apple laptop is still $1999 (if Apple can do this well with a niche 13.3" MacBook, imagine how much market share it could take if it offered a 15.4" version alongside)[/list]
I think the 13" Macbook's major problem is that it can't decide what kind of laptop it want to be. It has the CPU of fairly high end 13" notebook, but the GPU of an entry level notebook. Things were clearer when Apple had two clearly defined levels of notebook.
The estimated weight is also 3.9 KG
Notice how they always "forget" about the weight and thickness when claiming "OMG u can get a PC with more feeeeeeetures for like half the price..."
Heavy and thick is cheaper to make, by far.
It's a nice game to play - challenge them to find a cheaper but comparable PC and they will always bring some 4 kg monster that is 1.5 to 2 inches thick. LOL
Hey man I agree with you %100 that's why I'm a mac user, but lots of people don't see it what way, money talks.
And she doesn't want the 2.4ghz model, she doesn't care about all the other stuff it has to offer, she just wants to be able to burn a dvd, in 2008 that's not a lot to ask, there is no reason to not have it across the board.
I absolutely agree the SuperDrive should be included across the board. I was just trying to help the writer with different views and some ammo to continue considering the Mac, despite the higher cost.
YipYipYipee
How do you decide what makes an update good or bad? I think the updates are very good. For the same price as the previous models you get more storage, the VRAM is doubled and that doesn't even include what is new like the Penryn processor (SSE4) and the Multi-Touch track pad.
Based on the ridiculous statements that the update is "disappointing" because there's no magnetic latch ......
You can't tell me that anybody "waited six months" for a magnetic latch that they didn't even know was coming. It's silly. Well, wait another six months and try again.
I find the extra $200 to get a SuperDrive on the MacBook annoying, too. You've got to wonder why Combo drives even exist any more; as somebody pointed out, the price differential is about $5.00. Maybe the cheapest MacBook is what a lot of parents are buying for their kids going off to school, and they don't want them downloading a lot of porn and burning it to DVD? They figure the (used to be) 60 GB HD isn't big enough to store much onboard. If that's the market, maybe the -$200.00 could be called an "Educational Discount!"
If the $1099 had the Superdrive, then there would be almost no upsell incentive to the $1299 model. They want you to buy the more expensive model.
Corporations are not in business to let you buy the cheapest thing - standard business 101 is to sell you exactly the maximum that you will pay.
Once you are in the store, and asking what the difference is, a lot of customers will cough up the $200 for the burner. Some won't, and that is why the $1099 model is there.
That, and the fact that schools do not want DVD burners, are the answers to the question.
I was wondering is the 2.6 a Penryn also? I know its an upcharge...but wanted to make sure since it says nothing on the spec sheet about the 6 mb cache with the 2.6?
If I had the money, what would be the difference between the 2.5 and 2.6?
Thanks for your help
GB
As I recall, there really isn't any difference other than clock speed.
For now, the 2.5GHz MBP configuration is the best value for money in my opinion.
YipYipYipee
If the $1099 had the Superdrive, then there would be almost no upsell incentive to the $1299 model. They want you to buy the more expensive model.
Almost no upsell? Nonsense. There's the faster processor, 1 GiB of additional RAM and 40 GB of HDD.
You have to weigh the number of people who will be up-sold to the $1299 model against the number who are just thinking "fuck it, I'm buying a PC".
Go on Lundy, I know you want to say something "bad" about Apple; all these attempts to defend the indefensible must be tiring. Go on. It won't hurt. A combo drive in a $1099 laptop is ridiculous and you know it.