Apple bumps MacBooks to Santa Rosa; offers 2.6GHz MacBook Pro

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  • Reply 141 of 162
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Clive At Five View Post


    Q'what? Excuse me?! I have no fashion sense because I fail to see the worth in plopping down an extra $125 for the color black? Because I choose not to pay for a status symbol? It automatically means I don't have fashion sense?



    Exactly!



    Perhaps you forget that people pay much more for "fashionable" products, even when they are no better than cheaper ones. Look at designer jeans. They might, or might not, be slightly better than other good quality jeans, but they command prices that are often three or four times as much.



    I saw a story on one of the Tv news shows a couple of years ago about Gucci handbags, and their copies. It turned out that some of the copies were made every bit as well, but cost 10% of the Gucci price.



    You can find similar examples everywhere you look.



    I'm certainly not saying that YOU should spend the extra money, but to fail to recognize that the color is a fashion statement is something else.



    If you understand that, and just say that YOU don't think it's important enough for YOU to pay for, then that ends the argument.



    Quote:

    I bought a freaking Cube a couple weeks ago for my media center. I'm arduously rebuilding a Mac Mini inside. Why didn't I just save myself time and money and just use a Mac Mini? Because it's bland. Before you cry "hypocrite," just listen: the Cube is Art. It's not a status symbol (anymore). It's just very nice to look at, has more space inside than a Mini (which I will use for extra storage space and fanless operation), and better fits the aesthetic of my TV unit (IKEA EXPEDIT). Its appearance and form serves a purpose and is worth the few extra dollars and time. Good fashion sense isn't just glitz for glitz's sake. It's where function and form intertwine to create a beautiful object.



    Black is a color and alone it does not enhance the beauty of the MacBook. It's premium price point, which implies "glitz for glitz's sake," is not fashion. It's vanity.



    I hate to tell you this, but glitz for glitz's sake is EXACTLY what fashion is all about. Fashion trends and fads are very close in concept.



    One year it will be matte black, the next, it's gloss black, then it's titanium grey, then it's white, then it's ...?



    Quote:

    Vanity is something that I work hard at to have very little of. That does not exclude me from having fashion sense, thank you.



    -Clive



    We all have vanity. But there is something called reverse snobbism. I'm not calling you that, so don't get mad.



    But, I remember in the late '60's, when the Volkswagen Bug was becoming popular. There were doctors and lawyers who were selling their Caddies, and Mercedes, and buying them instead. Their nose up in the air reason was that it got you their just like their more expensive cars?so there!



    Of course, after the madness abated a short while later, they went back to their luxury models, they really couldn't take driving those crappy things. After all, they weren't poor college students anymore.
  • Reply 142 of 162
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by polvadis View Post


    So this morning I got my father a cheap Acer AS5315 from Walmart for $348 dollars.

    What surprised me the most is that it has X3100 graphics on it.



    If a $348 dollar laptop has this graphic card, how can an $1,100 dollar laptop call it an upgrade



    Well, let's see.



    If it didn't have it, and now it does, then it's an upgrade.
  • Reply 143 of 162
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by vinea View Post


    So you turned a functioning "work of art" computer into parts. So glad you're going to turn a profit.



    This is going to be one of the times I agree with Mel.



    Maybe we can have a rapprochement?
  • Reply 144 of 162
    I believe that the matte black color for the MB uses a seperate process, as gloss is easer to make thn an ultra-fine matte finish.



    This has been floating around my mind for a day or two now:

    Since Santa Rosa supports Penyn already, could you just drop in a Penryn into a MacBook once they hit the parts market?



    also, does anyone know of any way at all to modify firmware (or hardware if necessary) to increase the shared video memory?



    These may seem like obvious questions to some, but the only dumb question i the one you never bother to ask.
  • Reply 145 of 162
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by waffle911 View Post


    I believe that the matte black color for the MB uses a seperate process, as gloss is easer to make thn an ultra-fine matte finish.



    Possibly



    Quote:

    This has been floating around my mind for a day or two now:

    Since Santa Rosa supports Penyn already, could you just drop in a Penryn into a MacBook once they hit the parts market?



    Yes, if the chip isn't soldered in.



    Quote:

    also, does anyone know of any way at all to modify firmware (or hardware if necessary) to increase the shared video memory?



    Not yet



    Quote:

    These may seem like obvious questions to some, but the only dumb question i the one you never bother to ask.



    Totally!



    I always used to tell my employees that the only dumb thing is to make a mistake because you didn't ask the question that would have resulted in the answer that could have prevented it.
  • Reply 146 of 162
    If they're using an 800 MHz front bus... why are they still using 667 MHz RAM on both MB and MBP?



    MB: 1GB (two 512MB SO-DIMMs) of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300); two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB



    MBP: 2GB (two SO-DIMMs) of PC2-5300 (667MHz) DDR2 memory; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB
  • Reply 147 of 162
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by heffeque View Post


    If they're using an 800 MHz front bus... why are they still using 667 MHz RAM on both MB and MBP?



    MB: 1GB (two 512MB SO-DIMMs) of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300); two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB



    MBP: 2GB (two SO-DIMMs) of PC2-5300 (667MHz) DDR2 memory; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB



    It's been covered several times. The memory controller doesn't go any faster than 667.
  • Reply 148 of 162
    I've decided to put off my purchase of the macbook pro, so hopefully with this update being so low-key apple is trying to play down the 'upgrade,' so as not to annoy anyone who decides to buy now, thinking there wont be anything new for a while. Well, a guy can hope
  • Reply 149 of 162
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    It's been covered several times. The memory controller doesn't go any faster than 667.



    Hmm... than I guess that the speed increase with the 800 MHz is minor and it's basically a graphics and power management upgrade. Too bad they still have the ridiculous combo drive on the basic configuration. I bet that they only keep it that way so that you always feel on the obligation of purchasing the medium level configuration :-/
  • Reply 150 of 162
    iposteriposter Posts: 1,560member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by heffeque View Post


    Hmm... than I guess that the speed increase with the 800 MHz is minor and it's basically a graphics and power management upgrade. Too bad they still have the ridiculous combo drive on the basic configuration. I bet that they only keep it that way so that you always feel on the obligation of purchasing the medium level configuration :-/



    True, when did Apple stop allowing you to upgrade the base model to the Superdrive?



    I know a few years back when I bought my Mac you could do it.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mrtotes View Post


    128MB + 16MB overhead



    Just like the GMA950 MacBooks took 80MB of RAM to provide 64MB of VRAM.



    Don't ask me what the overhead is for though...



    Ah, thanks! I'm not sure about the overhead either, is that just in OS X? Because I have a Windoze laptop with shared RAM, and it just takes what it needs. Older system though.



    128MB? Not bad but 256 is getting to be min-spec for many games today. Of course, you shouldn't be playing modern games on an integrated chip anyway, but that is a different argument.



    C'mon Apple and put Santa Rosa in the Mini...make my day!
  • Reply 151 of 162
    iposteriposter Posts: 1,560member
    Edit - double post!
  • Reply 152 of 162
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    At this point in time, we're at the very end of the 65 nm process.



    We should be expecting new Penyrn machines at the latest, by MacWorld.



    If this doesn't seem to be enough of an upgrade, it's late enough in the year for most people to simply wait it out. It's only two more months, and we might even see something earlier.



    I don't think the MB will be redone that quickly, as we've just gotten this update, but it does pay to wait awhile, unless you really do need something right now.



    Remember the RULE. Don't buy something too close to a major show. The longer you wait, and therefore the closer you get, the more likely you will be unhappy when the show opens. Particularly when major change is around the corner.
  • Reply 153 of 162
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by vinea View Post


    So you turned a functioning "work of art" computer into parts. So glad you're going to turn a profit.



    This is going to be one of the times I agree with Mel.



    And I am replacing those parts with other working parts so that I still have an Apple Computer in a Cube work-of-art case. What's the problem in that?



    In some ways, the ingenuity going into my new Cube will put it at a level that no cube has ever seen before. I will literally have the fastest Cube on the planet. How is that something to be ashamed of?



    I see it as the difference between a Salisbury Steak mass-produced by a food service versus one that is home-cooked with love. Which do you think will taste better? Likewise, I've taken just an old Cube, added love, and turned it into a new masterpiece.



    -Clive
  • Reply 154 of 162
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Clive At Five View Post


    And I am replacing those parts with other working parts so that I still have an Apple Computer in a Cube work-of-art case. What's the problem in that?



    In some ways, the ingenuity going into my new Cube will put it at a level that no cube has every seen before. I will literally have the fastest Cube on the planet. How is that something to be ashamed of?



    -Clive



    It's not that it's something to be ashamed about. It's just that it won't be a Cube anymore. The case is not the computer.
  • Reply 155 of 162
    Hey guys back again.......



    Hmmm ya, no one really answered my question from my previous post, not sure if its b/c 1.just being ignored\ , 2. no one can really answer , or 3. b/c it was on the previous page. Anyways I'll just repost..........



    So I lifted this from another web page, where a poster wrote;



    "it's STILL not the Santa Rosa platform.



    The Santa Rosa platform requires THREE Intel components - the chipset, the processor, AND THE WIRELESS CARD.



    Apple upgraded their laptops to the Crestline chipset. It's not Santa Rosa if it doesn't have an Intel-branded wireless card in it. Apple's Airport Extreme cards are NOT Intel, and therefore these are NOT Santa Rosa.

    I so, so wish that at least one tech news site would get this right for once.



    Ref link:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrin...orm_.282007.29



    This is why with, for instance, Dell laptops, which put the little stickers for Windows and Intel on the palm rest, models ordered with Dell's TrueMobile wireless cards just have the Intel Core 2 Duo logo on them, NOT the Centrino logo on them. You can't call it Centrino (or any of the names referring to each revision of Centrino) if it doesn't have an Intel card in it"




    Just wondering if this is true....thats all.







    ***Also I was wondering how much of a difference would the Penyrn machines be compared to what is out now. Obviously faster, but specs wise how much faster, anybody really know...or can make any guesses?***









    Sorry for the questions, but I'm currently a pc user (using an old P4) looking to upgrade and makeing a switch to the Mac, so I'm pretty much a noob when it comes to all of this.



    I know that many poster here seem knowledgable about Mac's some names that stand out are Mr. H, iPoster and melgross (as I'm sure there are many more) but if you guys can help that we would be much appreciated.





    And like many other posters here, I too am Canadian, and do think it sucks that the Apple hasn't changed the prices for Canadians.....but luckily I live on a bordered part to the U.S (and go to school there), therefore I'll be crossing soon to get the Student discount and at a cheaper rate, another plus is that our dollar is starting to soar (I heard an Analyst on CBC the other day saying that she wouldn't be surprised that it could even make it too a 1.20) oh well.



    Anyways guys please and thx.
  • Reply 156 of 162
    The Penryn upgrade wil primarily bring the advantages of a smaller chip to the laptop, i.e. less heat and less energy usage. Speed increases could be anywhere from a little (current speeds) to alot (4GHz!)
  • Reply 157 of 162
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jaromir View Post


    Hey guys back again.......



    Hmmm ya, no one really answered my question from my previous post, not sure if its b/c 1.just being ignored\ , 2. no one can really answer , or 3. b/c it was on the previous page. Anyways I'll just repost..........



    So I lifted this from another web page, where a poster wrote;



    "it's STILL not the Santa Rosa platform.



    The Santa Rosa platform requires THREE Intel components - the chipset, the processor, AND THE WIRELESS CARD.



    Apple upgraded their laptops to the Crestline chipset. It's not Santa Rosa if it doesn't have an Intel-branded wireless card in it. Apple's Airport Extreme cards are NOT Intel, and therefore these are NOT Santa Rosa.

    I so, so wish that at least one tech news site would get this right for once.



    Ref link:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrin...orm_.282007.29



    This is why with, for instance, Dell laptops, which put the little stickers for Windows and Intel on the palm rest, models ordered with Dell's TrueMobile wireless cards just have the Intel Core 2 Duo logo on them, NOT the Centrino logo on them. You can't call it Centrino (or any of the names referring to each revision of Centrino) if it doesn't have an Intel card in it"




    Just wondering if this is true....thats all.







    ***Also I was wondering how much of a difference would the Penyrn machines be compared to what is out now. Obviously faster, but specs wise how much faster, anybody really know...or can make any guesses?***









    Sorry for the questions, but I'm currently a pc user (using an old P4) looking to upgrade and makeing a switch to the Mac, so I'm pretty much a noob when it comes to all of this.



    I know that many poster here seem knowledgable about Mac's some names that stand out are Mr. H, iPoster and melgross (as I'm sure there are many more) but if you guys can help that we would be much appreciated.





    And like many other posters here, I too am Canadian, and do think it sucks that the Apple hasn't changed the prices for Canadians.....but luckily I live on a bordered part to the U.S (and go to school there), therefore I'll be crossing soon to get the Student discount and at a cheaper rate, another plus is that our dollar is starting to soar (I heard an Analyst on CBC the other day saying that she wouldn't be surprised that it could even make it too a 1.20) oh well.



    Anyways guys please and thx.



    This has already been discussed. Look through earlier posts.
  • Reply 158 of 162
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jaromir View Post


    "it's STILL not the Santa Rosa platform.



    The Santa Rosa platform requires THREE Intel components - the chipset, the processor, AND THE WIRELESS CARD.



    Apple upgraded their laptops to the Crestline chipset. It's not Santa Rosa if it doesn't have an Intel-branded wireless card in it. Apple's Airport Extreme cards are NOT Intel, and therefore these are NOT Santa Rosa.

    I so, so wish that at least one tech news site would get this right for once.



    Ref link:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrin...orm_.282007.29



    This is why with, for instance, Dell laptops, which put the little stickers for Windows and Intel on the palm rest, models ordered with Dell's TrueMobile wireless cards just have the Intel Core 2 Duo logo on them, NOT the Centrino logo on them. You can't call it Centrino (or any of the names referring to each revision of Centrino) if it doesn't have an Intel card in it"




    Just wondering if this is true....thats all.



    Yes, it is true. Performance-wise though, it doesn't matter.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jaromir View Post


    ***Also I was wondering how much of a difference would the Penyrn machines be compared to what is out now. Obviously faster, but specs wise how much faster, anybody really know...or can make any guesses?***



    Whilst predominantly the same architecture as Merom (the current CPU), Penryn will have a few advantages:



    Lower power/heat at the same clock speed

    Faster floating-point divide

    Larger level II cache

    SSE4



    The last one will give a significant speed-boost to multimedia applications, but said applications will have to be recompiled especially for it.



    I guess here might be a good place to start if you want to read more.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jaromir View Post


    Sorry for the questions, but I'm currently a pc user (using an old P4) looking to upgrade and makeing a switch to the Mac, so I'm pretty much a noob when it comes to all of this.



    Except all your questions are about hardware which is now common to both (Intel) PCs and Macs.
  • Reply 159 of 162
    Thanks Mr.H and waffle911



    take care.
  • Reply 160 of 162
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ouragan View Post


    Contrary to what AppleInsider states, the MacBook memory is still a slow 667MHz. It's another example of how the Apple CEO and VPs are more concerned about filling their own pockets with insane, demented, out of this world, lucrative stock option grants than offering a competitive laptop for the same price and features found in a Windows laptop.



    These features include a 15 inch screen and a lower overall price. But, then, Windows customers don't have to pay for a despotic CEO and his puppet, hand picked VPs.





    Quoting from Apple U.S.store:



    "The MacBook uses one of the fastest memory technologies available today ? 667MHz, Double Data Rate (DDR2), synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM). It ensures high performance and reliability by synchronizing memory speed with the speed of the central processor so that data can be delivered continuously and more rapidly to the processor. And if both slots are loaded with an equal amount of RAM ? which is strongly recommended ? you can take advantage of the system's dual-channel memory architecture for an additional performance boost. With a dual-channel memory interface, both banks of SDRAM can be addressed at the same time, enabling MacBook to reach a memory throughput of up to 10.7 GBps."







    HA HA HA HA HA AH AH AH ... HAHAHAHAHAH

    damn RAP MUSIC!!!! -make 8th graders So Angryy!!!



    -Nope, Absolutely No Despotic CEOs hand picking VPs involved with Windows; I'm sure everyone who's worked for Ballmer or Gates (aka: the worst boss in world history (exc. maybe for the early DeBeers guys or Andrew Carnegie)) approved that phrase b4 you posted it.



    Pure. Comedy. Gold. my friend. Dang, I needed a laugh!
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