Well here's the thing: it's my problem (as a consumer) to have a need for something that doesn't exist. Yet it's a totally different problem - one of Apple - to not have something to fit my needs when their competition does. This is especially the case when the competition offers a superior product (spec-by-spec) at a better price. Case and point:
You can look at HP and Toshiba and Gateway for similar machine - the biggest "distinguishing" feature being the availability of a dedicated GPU in a 13" notebook package. How it is that Apple doesn't offer this when their competition does - and how it can come across as my problem - is beyond me.
P.S: don't want to come across as a dick either, just as a well-educated consumer.
Well here's the thing: it's my problem (as a consumer) to have a need for something that doesn't exist. Yet it's a totally different problem - one of Apple - to not have something to fit my needs when their competition does. This is especially the case when the competition offers a superior product (spec-by-spec) at a better price. Case and point:
You can look at HP and Toshiba and Gateway for similar machine - the biggest "distinguishing" feature being the availability of a dedicated GPU in a 13" notebook package. How it is that Apple doesn't offer this when their competition does - and how it can come across as my problem - is beyond me.
P.S: don't want to come across as a dick either, just as a well-educated consumer.
Please 'spec' one out then. I opened the link and saw a Dell with a 1.66 ghz C2D cpu and integrated graphics for $999. That doesn't look better to me.
Most people don't need dedicated graphics. The best bang for the buck is to get the best cpu possible. This is what Apple does. The MBs have cpus that many manufacturers use in their pro machines.
The GPUs for the pro machines are limited and could be better. Minderbinder has suggested that as Windows moves to EFI this will get better. Let's hope so.
Well aren't you helpful? Do you think I would be posting in these forums, speculating, voicing my concerns, and in general spending my time this way if I "want a Dell?"
Just to make it clear for you, in the case you don't completely understand: I don't want a Dell but they are making something - hardware-wise - that is just what I'm looking for. Apple might want to address this as it is a big gap in their line-up. Sure, Apple can't serve "every" niche, but a 13" Pro-level notebook isn't a "niche" market.
In general, I want out of Apple what I've come to expect from them: excellent products with great value that work and fit my needs. Stop making excuses for them just because you think they're "perfect". They are missing a key area of the Pro market by not offering a GPU in their 13" notebook. Period.
Please 'spec' one out then. I opened the link and saw a Dell with a 1.66 ghz C2D cpu and integrated graphics for $999. That doesn't look better to me.
Most people don't need dedicated graphics. The best bang for the buck is to get the best cpu possible. This is what Apple does. The MBs have cpus that many manufacturers use in their pro machines.
The GPUs for the pro machines are limited and could be better. Minderbinder has suggested that as Windows moves to EFI this will get better. Let's hope so.
I did spec it out and it came out to $1409 - and that's not even using the $100 coupon floating around on the web.
If you opened the link you would see that you can configure it to exactly the same specs as the mid-tier MacBook (2.4GHZ, 160GB, 2GB RAM, SuperDrive, Bluetooth, 802.11 N, Camera + fingerprint reader) and add an Nvidia 8400GS and it comes out to $1409
So again, why can't Apple offer a dedicated GPU option in the MacBooks for $100. I would gladly pay $150 for it in the MacBook as well, just as a premium for OS X.
Most people don't need dedicated graphics, true. However, it isn't that difficult to offer it as an option.
Quote:
Originally Posted by backtomac
The best bang for the buck is to get the best cpu possible. This is what Apple does. The MBs have cpus that many manufacturers use in their pro machines.
In what I'm looking to do, the GPU is more important than a difference in .2 GHZ. If you want to talk about L2 cache, then yes, it's important. But the trade-off should not be made between a GPU or a CPU, they should both be available.
You can look at HP and Toshiba and Gateway for similar machine - the biggest "distinguishing" feature being the availability of a dedicated GPU in a 13" notebook package. How it is that Apple doesn't offer this when their competition does - and how it can come across as my problem - is beyond me.
P.S: don't want to come across as a dick either, just as a well-educated consumer.
No, you're not coming across as a dick. I see your desire. You want a 13" Mac with a dedicated GPU. The 12" PB had a discrete graphics card, though I think it maxed at 32MB where as the MBs now have 144MB, which isn't saying much.
Apple is apparently happy not offering such an option in even their Black MacBook. That is the machine I often use and I would not have bought if it had a "real" GPU. I just don't need it; I much prefer the additional battery life.
You've fallen through the cracks as an Apple customer. Apple doesn't seem to care about hardcore gamers or selling the MacBook as a graphic's powerhouse in any regard so you have to make the comprise: Go with a MBP, deal with the MB, or go to another OEM. That is why it's your problem.
I did spec it out and it came out to $1409 - and that's not even using the $100 coupon floating around on the web.
If you opened the link you would see that you can configure it to exactly the same specs as the mid-tier MacBook (2.4GHZ, 160GB, 2GB RAM, SuperDrive, Bluetooth, 802.11 N, Camera + fingerprint reader) and add an Nvidia 8400GS and it comes out to $1409
So again, why can't Apple offer a dedicated GPU option in the MacBooks for $100. I would gladly pay $150 for it in the MacBook as well, just as a premium for OS X.
Most people don't need dedicated graphics, true. However, it isn't that difficult to offer it as an option.
That is a good comparison. Apple doesn't even sell the default processor that comes in the Dell for hundred dollars more. And that if after the $500 "instant" savings. haha I hate that kind of marketing. I hat e those convoluted build pages.
I think you are assuming that everything is equal if the main internals are equal, but they aren't. The MacBook is 1.1" tall. How thick is the Dell. the more components you put in there, the more space you need. The more power uses, the more heat it will put out so you need more room to vent. Perhaps Apple wasn't savvy enough to include that option. With chips getting smaller and cooler perhaps that will be an option in the future, but I doubt it as they probably want you to graduate to a MBP instead. Though i do wish there was a smaller MBP for just that reason; 15" is too big for my needs.
I did spec it out and it came out to $1409 - and that's not even using the $100 coupon floating around on the web.
If you opened the link you would see that you can configure it to exactly the same specs as the mid-tier MacBook (2.4GHZ, 160GB, 2GB RAM, SuperDrive, Bluetooth, 802.11 N, Camera + fingerprint reader) and add an Nvidia 8400GS and it comes out to $1409
So again, why can't Apple offer a dedicated GPU option in the MacBooks for $100. I would gladly pay $150 for it in the MacBook as well, just as a premium for OS X.
Most people don't need dedicated graphics, true. However, it isn't that difficult to offer it as an option.
In what I'm looking to do, the GPU is more important than a difference in .2 GHZ. If you want to talk about L2 cache, then yes, it's important. But the trade-off should not be made between a GPU or a CPU, they should both be available.
I configured exact systems and the MB was cheaper, $1299 vs. $1379. Don't forget that the MB uses an LED screen.
The only advantage for Dell is that you have the option of dedicated graphics. And you can pick colors. Feature for feature they are comparable with a slight price advantage for Apple. And that's not including the iLife bundle that come free with the MB and equivalent software must be purchased for the Dell.
I have a three-year-old Al PB G4 that is on its way out. I'm hoping that it will limp along until the next revision, because...
While I find the current form factor timeless and quite acceptable, it's lacking in two ways I personally find very major.
First, the mechanical latch was rendered obsolete by the less expensive MacBook two years ago. Since Apple seems to be making minor changes to the MacBook Pro's case for each revision, I am surprised that they were not able to accommodate the magnetic latch. Judging by the MacBook, the magnets must be very small, and easily placed in a notebook even as thin as the MacBook Pro. I would even say I am bewildered that Apple has let the MacBook Pro's mechanical latch sit next to the MacBook's magnetic latch for this long. It's backwards.
Second, it is too difficult to replace the hard drive in the MacBook Pro. This was also outdated by the MacBook. I can see why modifying the existing case to make the hard drive more accessible would be difficult, and think it's fine that Apple hasn't tried to do it. However, as someone who nearly destroyed his PB while trying to replace his hard drive, this is very important to me.
I suppose, then, that I won't settle for anything less than a redesign. The new Apple job posting for a laptop developer suggests that a redesign is far off. I can't imagine it in June, and even September or October seems a bit early. But that's based on my ignorant assumption about how quickly Apple can develop a new computer.
In any case, ever since the Intel transition, I've found it difficult to keep up with all of the chip names, speeds, and thus, updates. I just want a MacBook Pro that has the same basic new features as the MacBook's case. How long do you think I might have to wait?
That is a good comparison. Apple doesn't even sell the default processor that comes in the Dell for hundred dollars more. And that if after the $500 "instant" savings. haha I hate that kind of marketing. I hat e those convoluted build pages.
I think you are assuming that everything is equal if the main internals are equal, but they aren't. The MacBook is 1.1" tall. How thick is the Dell. the more components you put in there, the more space you need. The more power uses, the more heat it will put out so you need more room to vent. Perhaps Apple wasn't savvy enough to include that option. With chips getting smaller and cooler perhaps that will be an option in the future, but I doubt it as they probably want you to graduate to a MBP instead. Though i do wish there was a smaller MBP for just that reason; 15" is too big for my needs.
Sorry but I don't really get your first paragraph. I'm on the build page and don't see the $500 instant savings. What do you mean about the default proc?
The Dell's "tallness" or thickness is:
.90-1.29"
If Dell can do in such a sleek package AND stuff in:
-ExpressCard slot
-Memory card slot
-HDMI + VGA (both of them!)
then Apple can do it too, given they've got Jonathan Ive and the engineering geniuses.
PS: I don't see why Apple doesn't have memory card slots in Macs. The whole point of the iPhone is that we don't have to carry around a stylus. A stylus = more things to get lost that we depend on, one more thing to carry. Well a memory card reader or a digital camera dock is just another thing I need to carry as well. So why no memory card slots?
Yea, the 15" MBP is way to big for me as well. I hope that next rev Apple will just join the MB and the MBP line-ups and offer them both with the same specs just in different screen sizes. (This also means offering a 15" MBP for about $1000 less than the current model without some high-end features like a dedicated GPU). But maybe that's hoping for way too much.
I configured exact systems and the MB was cheaper, $1299 vs. $1379. Don't forget that the MB uses an LED screen.
The only advantage for Dell is that you have the option of dedicated graphics. And you can pick colors. Feature for feature they are comparable with a slight price advantage for Apple. And that's not including the iLife bundle that come free with the MB and equivalent software must be purchased for the Dell.
1. The MacBook does not use an LED screen, it uses LCD.
2. I don't know what you configured but if you read a few posts up, the Dell came out to be $100 more WITH a GPU. It also has HDMI + VGA, and ExpressCard slot, and a memory card slot.
3. The Dell comes - included in the price - with Adobe's thing for consumers... Elements or something like that.
Sorry but I don't really get your first paragraph. I'm on the build page and don't see the $500 instant savings. What do you mean about the default proc?
Every model at the Dell link has a Starting price and Intant savings.
If you choose the model to the right you will see that it starts with a Intel® Core? 2 Duo T7250 (2MB Cache/2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB). Even the cheapest MB with a COmbo Drive doesn't use that processor. Even the previous revision of MBs didn't use that chip.
Quote:
The Dell's "tallness" or thickness is:
.90-1.29"
If Dell can do in such a sleek package AND stuff in:
-ExpressCard slot
-Memory card slot
-HDMI + VGA (both of them!)
then Apple can do it too, given they've got Jonathan Ive and the engineering geniuses.
That is more volume and a less compact machine. But this all sounds like you think Apple is capable of anything but that they are somehow doing this to you on purpose. The idea of VGA on a Mac escapes me, just as a serial port, parallel port and modem are pointless additions, but you can still find them.[/quote]
It sound like Apple doesn't suit your needs at all. They can't please everyone all the time. They have DVI, though I think they will be changing this to DisplayPort with the next revision.
Apple, just like any other OEM, ha sot make sacrifices and compromises. If you want a certain type of machine then you have to forego certain items. It sounds like Dell is a perfect fit for you HW wise. SWIM says that OSx86 works surprisingly well on many Dell machines.
Quote:
PS: I don't see why Apple doesn't have memory card slots in Macs. The whole point of the iPhone is that we don't have to carry around a stylus. A stylus = more things to get lost that we depend on, one more thing to carry. Well a memory card reader or a digital camera dock is just another thing I need to carry as well. So why no memory card slots?
I have never used a memory card slot and never want to. If you want a 1000-in-1 reader then get a Sony. I much prefer to just tether my camera to my mac via a simple USB cable for the 2 minutes it takes to copy my images and video to iPhoto.
Quote:
Yea, the 15" MBP is way to big for me as well. I hope that next rev Apple will just join the MB and the MBP line-ups and offer them both with the same specs just in different screen sizes. (This also means offering a 15" MBP for about $1000 less than the current model without some high-end features like a dedicated GPU). But maybe that's hoping for way too much.
You want a 15" MBP with EC/34 alot and LED backlight screen, backlit keyboard, Aluminum construction (but now without the GPU you've been wanting in the MB) for less than the current cheapest base-model MB? Does that really make any sense? That isn't Apple as it "complexifies" the product line and makes it difficult for the customer. You really aren't their target market if you want Apple to be like Dell.
1. The MacBook does not use an LED screen, it uses LCD.
2. I don't know what you configured but if you read a few posts up, the Dell came out to be $100 more WITH a GPU. It also has HDMI + VGA, and ExpressCard slot, and a memory card slot.
3. The Dell comes - included in the price - with Adobe's thing for consumers... Elements or something like that.
Started lurking here when the IPhone appeared. Bought one based on great feedback on AI. Thank you, everyone. Couldn't believe how excellent the user experience was, so having been a PC user since 1988, I am now a Mac convert.
Was about to buy my first Mac, a MacBook Pro, then I saw this thread so it made me hesitate.
So Apple is going to update the MacBook Pro line again soon? That seems to be a given. And it looks like it'll have the latest Penryn speed bumped processor with Centrino 2. This should be quite a step-up from what we have already. But here's the million dollar question...
...will there be an enclosure redesign or not?
...will it simply get a revised keyboard?
...will nothing be changed excedpt the guts of the thing?
Does anyone have any real idea, or can anyone provide a bit of well-reasoned speculation.
Now I want Apple because Sony is beginning to charge 2000 for a POS, and I'd rather the MBP over a Vaio for obvious reasons.
As I understand from reading all of your smart-edumucated posts, the NEW case design is coming out in Oct/November of this year.
When does Apple normally upgrade their first generation designs? Didn't it happen like six months after the first case design of the current MBP?
My concern is that I want a computer now, but I want to make sure I can have my MBP for at least a year or two before I have to buy the new MBP to not be one of those "last generation" computer users. Yeah, I'm superficial, f-u.
I just spent way too much time reading this forum, and this thread seems like it has the people to answer my questions. Do your work, people. I have a full day of law school tomorrow and don't have the time!
Now I want Apple because Sony is beginning to charge 2000 for a POS, and I'd rather the MBP over a Vaio for obvious reasons.
As I understand from reading all of your smart-edumucated posts, the NEW case design is coming out in Oct/November of this year.
When does Apple normally upgrade their first generation designs? Didn't it happen like six months after the first case design of the current MBP?
My concern is that I want a computer now, but I want to make sure I can have my MBP for at least a year or two before I have to buy the new MBP to not be one of those "last generation" computer users. Yeah, I'm superficial, f-u.
I just spent way too much time reading this forum, and this thread seems like it has the people to answer my questions. Do your work, people. I have a full day of law school tomorrow and don't have the time!
I've said before, this is the last you'll see of the current MBP body type, and the best the MBP will be for some time. The case redesign is going to require new hardware and with new hardware comes new bugs.
I just bought a new Penryn Macbook Pro, 2.5 GHZ, 200GB 7200rpm and it's going to be sweet. If you need it, buy a Macbook Pro now. In a year and a half, they will be on the first update of the new body type. At that point you should consider if you need a new one. If you care about having the latest greatest body design, wait 6-8 months and see what comes out. But at this point it's only speculation to what will happen and when it will happen. Hell, Tailpipe had people - even me - convinced a redesign was coming Feb 26.
Keeping up with technology is impossible unless you have millions of dollars to waste on the newest piece of crap. If you spend $3000 now on a Macbook Pro that makes you happy, it will continue to make to make you happy. But if you wait and wait and wait, you'll never buy anything and subsequently never be happy.
Ugh! Best show ever yes! I've been watching all three seasons on my iPhone. Back to back episodes makes an hour on the elliptical machine fly by. Of course people look at you funny when they see you burst out in laughter for no apparent reason.
"Maybe YOU'RE the chicken! "Cauk, cauk, cauk......"
Comments
Well here's the thing: it's my problem (as a consumer) to have a need for something that doesn't exist. Yet it's a totally different problem - one of Apple - to not have something to fit my needs when their competition does. This is especially the case when the competition offers a superior product (spec-by-spec) at a better price. Case and point:
Dell XPS specs (Dell's site)
You can look at HP and Toshiba and Gateway for similar machine - the biggest "distinguishing" feature being the availability of a dedicated GPU in a 13" notebook package. How it is that Apple doesn't offer this when their competition does - and how it can come across as my problem - is beyond me.
P.S: don't want to come across as a dick either, just as a well-educated consumer.
So... If you want a Dell, buy a Dell.
(That was easy)
Well here's the thing: it's my problem (as a consumer) to have a need for something that doesn't exist. Yet it's a totally different problem - one of Apple - to not have something to fit my needs when their competition does. This is especially the case when the competition offers a superior product (spec-by-spec) at a better price. Case and point:
Dell XPS specs (Dell's site)
You can look at HP and Toshiba and Gateway for similar machine - the biggest "distinguishing" feature being the availability of a dedicated GPU in a 13" notebook package. How it is that Apple doesn't offer this when their competition does - and how it can come across as my problem - is beyond me.
P.S: don't want to come across as a dick either, just as a well-educated consumer.
Please 'spec' one out then. I opened the link and saw a Dell with a 1.66 ghz C2D cpu and integrated graphics for $999. That doesn't look better to me.
Most people don't need dedicated graphics. The best bang for the buck is to get the best cpu possible. This is what Apple does. The MBs have cpus that many manufacturers use in their pro machines.
The GPUs for the pro machines are limited and could be better. Minderbinder has suggested that as Windows moves to EFI this will get better. Let's hope so.
So... If you want a Dell, buy a Dell.
(That was easy)
Well aren't you helpful? Do you think I would be posting in these forums, speculating, voicing my concerns, and in general spending my time this way if I "want a Dell?"
Just to make it clear for you, in the case you don't completely understand: I don't want a Dell but they are making something - hardware-wise - that is just what I'm looking for. Apple might want to address this as it is a big gap in their line-up. Sure, Apple can't serve "every" niche, but a 13" Pro-level notebook isn't a "niche" market.
In general, I want out of Apple what I've come to expect from them: excellent products with great value that work and fit my needs. Stop making excuses for them just because you think they're "perfect". They are missing a key area of the Pro market by not offering a GPU in their 13" notebook. Period.
Please 'spec' one out then. I opened the link and saw a Dell with a 1.66 ghz C2D cpu and integrated graphics for $999. That doesn't look better to me.
Most people don't need dedicated graphics. The best bang for the buck is to get the best cpu possible. This is what Apple does. The MBs have cpus that many manufacturers use in their pro machines.
The GPUs for the pro machines are limited and could be better. Minderbinder has suggested that as Windows moves to EFI this will get better. Let's hope so.
I did spec it out and it came out to $1409 - and that's not even using the $100 coupon floating around on the web.
If you opened the link you would see that you can configure it to exactly the same specs as the mid-tier MacBook (2.4GHZ, 160GB, 2GB RAM, SuperDrive, Bluetooth, 802.11 N, Camera + fingerprint reader) and add an Nvidia 8400GS and it comes out to $1409
So again, why can't Apple offer a dedicated GPU option in the MacBooks for $100. I would gladly pay $150 for it in the MacBook as well, just as a premium for OS X.
Most people don't need dedicated graphics, true. However, it isn't that difficult to offer it as an option.
The best bang for the buck is to get the best cpu possible. This is what Apple does. The MBs have cpus that many manufacturers use in their pro machines.
In what I'm looking to do, the GPU is more important than a difference in .2 GHZ. If you want to talk about L2 cache, then yes, it's important. But the trade-off should not be made between a GPU or a CPU, they should both be available.
You can look at HP and Toshiba and Gateway for similar machine - the biggest "distinguishing" feature being the availability of a dedicated GPU in a 13" notebook package. How it is that Apple doesn't offer this when their competition does - and how it can come across as my problem - is beyond me.
P.S: don't want to come across as a dick either, just as a well-educated consumer.
No, you're not coming across as a dick. I see your desire. You want a 13" Mac with a dedicated GPU. The 12" PB had a discrete graphics card, though I think it maxed at 32MB where as the MBs now have 144MB, which isn't saying much.
Apple is apparently happy not offering such an option in even their Black MacBook. That is the machine I often use and I would not have bought if it had a "real" GPU. I just don't need it; I much prefer the additional battery life.
You've fallen through the cracks as an Apple customer. Apple doesn't seem to care about hardcore gamers or selling the MacBook as a graphic's powerhouse in any regard so you have to make the comprise: Go with a MBP, deal with the MB, or go to another OEM. That is why it's your problem.
I did spec it out and it came out to $1409 - and that's not even using the $100 coupon floating around on the web.
If you opened the link you would see that you can configure it to exactly the same specs as the mid-tier MacBook (2.4GHZ, 160GB, 2GB RAM, SuperDrive, Bluetooth, 802.11 N, Camera + fingerprint reader) and add an Nvidia 8400GS and it comes out to $1409
So again, why can't Apple offer a dedicated GPU option in the MacBooks for $100. I would gladly pay $150 for it in the MacBook as well, just as a premium for OS X.
Most people don't need dedicated graphics, true. However, it isn't that difficult to offer it as an option.
That is a good comparison. Apple doesn't even sell the default processor that comes in the Dell for hundred dollars more. And that if after the $500 "instant" savings. haha I hate that kind of marketing. I hat e those convoluted build pages.
I think you are assuming that everything is equal if the main internals are equal, but they aren't. The MacBook is 1.1" tall. How thick is the Dell. the more components you put in there, the more space you need. The more power uses, the more heat it will put out so you need more room to vent. Perhaps Apple wasn't savvy enough to include that option. With chips getting smaller and cooler perhaps that will be an option in the future, but I doubt it as they probably want you to graduate to a MBP instead. Though i do wish there was a smaller MBP for just that reason; 15" is too big for my needs.
I did spec it out and it came out to $1409 - and that's not even using the $100 coupon floating around on the web.
If you opened the link you would see that you can configure it to exactly the same specs as the mid-tier MacBook (2.4GHZ, 160GB, 2GB RAM, SuperDrive, Bluetooth, 802.11 N, Camera + fingerprint reader) and add an Nvidia 8400GS and it comes out to $1409
So again, why can't Apple offer a dedicated GPU option in the MacBooks for $100. I would gladly pay $150 for it in the MacBook as well, just as a premium for OS X.
Most people don't need dedicated graphics, true. However, it isn't that difficult to offer it as an option.
In what I'm looking to do, the GPU is more important than a difference in .2 GHZ. If you want to talk about L2 cache, then yes, it's important. But the trade-off should not be made between a GPU or a CPU, they should both be available.
I configured exact systems and the MB was cheaper, $1299 vs. $1379. Don't forget that the MB uses an LED screen.
The only advantage for Dell is that you have the option of dedicated graphics. And you can pick colors. Feature for feature they are comparable with a slight price advantage for Apple. And that's not including the iLife bundle that come free with the MB and equivalent software must be purchased for the Dell.
While I find the current form factor timeless and quite acceptable, it's lacking in two ways I personally find very major.
First, the mechanical latch was rendered obsolete by the less expensive MacBook two years ago. Since Apple seems to be making minor changes to the MacBook Pro's case for each revision, I am surprised that they were not able to accommodate the magnetic latch. Judging by the MacBook, the magnets must be very small, and easily placed in a notebook even as thin as the MacBook Pro. I would even say I am bewildered that Apple has let the MacBook Pro's mechanical latch sit next to the MacBook's magnetic latch for this long. It's backwards.
Second, it is too difficult to replace the hard drive in the MacBook Pro. This was also outdated by the MacBook. I can see why modifying the existing case to make the hard drive more accessible would be difficult, and think it's fine that Apple hasn't tried to do it. However, as someone who nearly destroyed his PB while trying to replace his hard drive, this is very important to me.
I suppose, then, that I won't settle for anything less than a redesign. The new Apple job posting for a laptop developer suggests that a redesign is far off. I can't imagine it in June, and even September or October seems a bit early. But that's based on my ignorant assumption about how quickly Apple can develop a new computer.
In any case, ever since the Intel transition, I've found it difficult to keep up with all of the chip names, speeds, and thus, updates. I just want a MacBook Pro that has the same basic new features as the MacBook's case. How long do you think I might have to wait?
That is a good comparison. Apple doesn't even sell the default processor that comes in the Dell for hundred dollars more. And that if after the $500 "instant" savings. haha I hate that kind of marketing. I hat e those convoluted build pages.
I think you are assuming that everything is equal if the main internals are equal, but they aren't. The MacBook is 1.1" tall. How thick is the Dell. the more components you put in there, the more space you need. The more power uses, the more heat it will put out so you need more room to vent. Perhaps Apple wasn't savvy enough to include that option. With chips getting smaller and cooler perhaps that will be an option in the future, but I doubt it as they probably want you to graduate to a MBP instead. Though i do wish there was a smaller MBP for just that reason; 15" is too big for my needs.
Sorry but I don't really get your first paragraph. I'm on the build page and don't see the $500 instant savings. What do you mean about the default proc?
The Dell's "tallness" or thickness is:
.90-1.29"
If Dell can do in such a sleek package AND stuff in:
-ExpressCard slot
-Memory card slot
-HDMI + VGA (both of them!)
then Apple can do it too, given they've got Jonathan Ive and the engineering geniuses.
PS: I don't see why Apple doesn't have memory card slots in Macs. The whole point of the iPhone is that we don't have to carry around a stylus. A stylus = more things to get lost that we depend on, one more thing to carry. Well a memory card reader or a digital camera dock is just another thing I need to carry as well. So why no memory card slots?
Yea, the 15" MBP is way to big for me as well. I hope that next rev Apple will just join the MB and the MBP line-ups and offer them both with the same specs just in different screen sizes. (This also means offering a 15" MBP for about $1000 less than the current model without some high-end features like a dedicated GPU). But maybe that's hoping for way too much.
I configured exact systems and the MB was cheaper, $1299 vs. $1379. Don't forget that the MB uses an LED screen.
The only advantage for Dell is that you have the option of dedicated graphics. And you can pick colors. Feature for feature they are comparable with a slight price advantage for Apple. And that's not including the iLife bundle that come free with the MB and equivalent software must be purchased for the Dell.
1. The MacBook does not use an LED screen, it uses LCD.
2. I don't know what you configured but if you read a few posts up, the Dell came out to be $100 more WITH a GPU. It also has HDMI + VGA, and ExpressCard slot, and a memory card slot.
3. The Dell comes - included in the price - with Adobe's thing for consumers... Elements or something like that.
Sorry but I don't really get your first paragraph. I'm on the build page and don't see the $500 instant savings. What do you mean about the default proc?
Every model at the Dell link has a Starting price and Intant savings.
If you choose the model to the right you will see that it starts with a Intel® Core? 2 Duo T7250 (2MB Cache/2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB). Even the cheapest MB with a COmbo Drive doesn't use that processor. Even the previous revision of MBs didn't use that chip.
The Dell's "tallness" or thickness is:
.90-1.29"
If Dell can do in such a sleek package AND stuff in:
-ExpressCard slot
-Memory card slot
-HDMI + VGA (both of them!)
then Apple can do it too, given they've got Jonathan Ive and the engineering geniuses.
That is more volume and a less compact machine. But this all sounds like you think Apple is capable of anything but that they are somehow doing this to you on purpose. The idea of VGA on a Mac escapes me, just as a serial port, parallel port and modem are pointless additions, but you can still find them.[/quote]
It sound like Apple doesn't suit your needs at all. They can't please everyone all the time. They have DVI, though I think they will be changing this to DisplayPort with the next revision.
Apple, just like any other OEM, ha sot make sacrifices and compromises. If you want a certain type of machine then you have to forego certain items. It sounds like Dell is a perfect fit for you HW wise. SWIM says that OSx86 works surprisingly well on many Dell machines.
PS: I don't see why Apple doesn't have memory card slots in Macs. The whole point of the iPhone is that we don't have to carry around a stylus. A stylus = more things to get lost that we depend on, one more thing to carry. Well a memory card reader or a digital camera dock is just another thing I need to carry as well. So why no memory card slots?
I have never used a memory card slot and never want to. If you want a 1000-in-1 reader then get a Sony. I much prefer to just tether my camera to my mac via a simple USB cable for the 2 minutes it takes to copy my images and video to iPhoto.
Yea, the 15" MBP is way to big for me as well. I hope that next rev Apple will just join the MB and the MBP line-ups and offer them both with the same specs just in different screen sizes. (This also means offering a 15" MBP for about $1000 less than the current model without some high-end features like a dedicated GPU). But maybe that's hoping for way too much.
You want a 15" MBP with EC/34 alot and LED backlight screen, backlit keyboard, Aluminum construction (but now without the GPU you've been wanting in the MB) for less than the current cheapest base-model MB? Does that really make any sense? That isn't Apple as it "complexifies" the product line and makes it difficult for the customer. You really aren't their target market if you want Apple to be like Dell.
1. The MacBook does not use an LED screen, it uses LCD.
2. I don't know what you configured but if you read a few posts up, the Dell came out to be $100 more WITH a GPU. It also has HDMI + VGA, and ExpressCard slot, and a memory card slot.
3. The Dell comes - included in the price - with Adobe's thing for consumers... Elements or something like that.
You're rigth about the screen. My bad.
Was about to buy my first Mac, a MacBook Pro, then I saw this thread so it made me hesitate.
So Apple is going to update the MacBook Pro line again soon? That seems to be a given. And it looks like it'll have the latest Penryn speed bumped processor with Centrino 2. This should be quite a step-up from what we have already. But here's the million dollar question...
...will there be an enclosure redesign or not?
...will it simply get a revised keyboard?
...will nothing be changed excedpt the guts of the thing?
Does anyone have any real idea, or can anyone provide a bit of well-reasoned speculation.
Normally a Vaio person, but...
Now I want Apple because Sony is beginning to charge 2000 for a POS, and I'd rather the MBP over a Vaio for obvious reasons.
As I understand from reading all of your smart-edumucated posts, the NEW case design is coming out in Oct/November of this year.
When does Apple normally upgrade their first generation designs? Didn't it happen like six months after the first case design of the current MBP?
My concern is that I want a computer now, but I want to make sure I can have my MBP for at least a year or two before I have to buy the new MBP to not be one of those "last generation" computer users. Yeah, I'm superficial, f-u.
I just spent way too much time reading this forum, and this thread seems like it has the people to answer my questions. Do your work, people. I have a full day of law school tomorrow and don't have the time!
Hi.
Normally a Vaio person, but...
Now I want Apple because Sony is beginning to charge 2000 for a POS, and I'd rather the MBP over a Vaio for obvious reasons.
As I understand from reading all of your smart-edumucated posts, the NEW case design is coming out in Oct/November of this year.
When does Apple normally upgrade their first generation designs? Didn't it happen like six months after the first case design of the current MBP?
My concern is that I want a computer now, but I want to make sure I can have my MBP for at least a year or two before I have to buy the new MBP to not be one of those "last generation" computer users. Yeah, I'm superficial, f-u.
I just spent way too much time reading this forum, and this thread seems like it has the people to answer my questions. Do your work, people. I have a full day of law school tomorrow and don't have the time!
I've said before, this is the last you'll see of the current MBP body type, and the best the MBP will be for some time. The case redesign is going to require new hardware and with new hardware comes new bugs.
I just bought a new Penryn Macbook Pro, 2.5 GHZ, 200GB 7200rpm and it's going to be sweet. If you need it, buy a Macbook Pro now. In a year and a half, they will be on the first update of the new body type. At that point you should consider if you need a new one. If you care about having the latest greatest body design, wait 6-8 months and see what comes out. But at this point it's only speculation to what will happen and when it will happen. Hell, Tailpipe had people - even me - convinced a redesign was coming Feb 26.
Keeping up with technology is impossible unless you have millions of dollars to waste on the newest piece of crap. If you spend $3000 now on a Macbook Pro that makes you happy, it will continue to make to make you happy. But if you wait and wait and wait, you'll never buy anything and subsequently never be happy.
Going to get the Base one for 1799 (COLLEGE DISCOUNT OH YEAH) with the 7200 HD and the glossy screen.
Thank you very much.
[CENTER]
OH, COME ON!!![/CENTER]
Where once there was a yacht
NOW THERE IS NOT.
Where once there was a yacht
NOW THERE IS NOT.
Thank you. I was thinking no one here was going to get the Arrested Development reference, even with the photo.
Thank you. I was thinking no one here was going to get the Arrested Development reference, even with the photo.
Best sitcom of all time, natch.
There are some lines that can't be properly quoted without the GOB Inflection. Like:
[with realization] "Michael..." [suddenly growling] "...Michael."
"Maybe YOU'RE the chicken! "Cauk, cauk, cauk......"
.....going through withdrawal.