Hi guys/gals, I think the Spicy one is the closest IMHO, except it won't be as "squarish" as the current MBP. It will be angled somewhat like the lines of the MacBook Air.
By the way, excellent work by all in the mockup community. 9secondko keep it coming...
BTW my prediction the next MBP update will be around the 8800M GTS - 512mb for the upper range. For the entry level it will be 8600M GT 512mb.
Okay so among the whole Montevina/Centrino 2 line up
These are the Processors that fall under the Penryn Refresh codename...
The QX9300 is bound to be a 2.53GHz part (two P9500/25W "glued" together).
There will be a Q9100 in Q4, probably a 2.26GHz quad-core at 35W (this could be used in a MacBook Pro).
I don't think we will see FW3200 this year (the specs have not been ratified yet), possibly FW1600 (specs have been ratified and controller chips are being manufactured).
Q3 MacBook Pro 2.53/2.80GHz (or a 2.66GHz custom part Ã* la iMac and the 2.80GHz as an option)
Q3 MacBook 2.26/2.40GHz (eventually a 2.53GHz option if the black model is gone)
Q4 iMac 2.53/2.80/3.06/Q2.53GHz
Q4 MacBook Air 1.86GHz
Q1 Q2.26GHz option for the iMac (20/24") and the MBP (15/17")
Thanks for the info on the chips. Of course, you're right, we don't know which chips Apple will specify, but it is probably fair to assume that the Core 2 Duo T9600 will be one of the options. The ability to harness the power of 4 Gb of RAM with certainly move things along a bit, but it is the switch to a 1066 MHz front-side bus versus the existing 800 MHz that should most make the difference in performance. Care to comment on this?
I just checked my notes and was unaware that there had been any change in Montevina launch dates since February 27th when the Centrino 2 nomenclature was announced.
Am busily trying to find out info on whether Firewire 3200 will be included. I doubt it. in fact, i wonder whether Apple will abandon Firewire in favour of USB 3.0. in preparation for that, Apple may include 3 USB ports and no firewire instead of two USB ports and one firewire port. That is likely to irritate quite a few people.
i doubt apple will abandon Firewire (mostly because Firewire 3200 is a minor change, same plug as Firewire 800 and has been ratified and is in production or so say the industry group IEEE 1394 and that they expect products that this year, check source at Engadget, and same source as for the chips), and so many people use it and also you can daisy chain things together
As for USB 3.0 its atleast 2 years away from being inside a computer
As for the ram, i dont know (i waiting on a dying dell inspiron 6000, worst buy ever, and its only 3 years - 3 fatal crashes (needed to reinstall everything) - many virus infections and i may even have one now (something to do with usb keys))
and the two key features i'm waiting for (and will not buy if not included, i know im pretty desparate, but this beggar is a chooser ) are
BLU-RAY DISC burner (dual layer 50 gigs bring it on baby)
&
DISPLAYPORT (or HDMI) plus support for DTS HD MA and Dolby True-HD and PCM and full HD output in hardware and software (and OS)
Thanks for the info on the chips. Of course, you're right, we don't know which chips Apple will specify, but it is probably fair to assume that the Core 2 Duo T9600 will be one of the options. The ability to harness the power of 4 Gb of RAM with certainly move things along a bit, but it is the switch to a 1066 MHz front-side bus versus the existing 800 MHz that should most make the difference in performance. Care to comment on this?
Two comments:
The current processors/chipset are perfectly capable of using 4GB of RAM
The FSB speed increase, in and of itself, is a negligible performance improvement for almost all applications
i doubt apple will abandon Firewire (mostly because Firewire 3200 is a minor change, same plug as Firewire 800 and has been ratified and is in production or so say the industry group IEEE 1394 and that they expect products that this year, check source at Engadget, and same source as for the chips), and so many people use it and also you can daisy chain things together...
You're right and wrong.
FW3200 has indeed been ratified earlier this year, but controllers are not in production yet.
FW1600 have just been made available from Symwave:
Quote:
The 1394 Trade Association gathered in Shenzhen, China, April 7-10 for its second quarter meetings, highlighted by host Symwave?s introduction of its new 1.6 Gig per second PHY IC and a crowded product seminar that closed the week.
Symwave?s ?FirePHY-1600? PHY solution is the latest product based on the company?s high speed SERDES technology, a core competency required for most next-generation connectivity standards, including the proposed USB3.0 standard. The FirePHY-1600 runs at 2GHz clock speed and complies with the IEEE 1394b S1600 standard, enabling data transfer rates up to 1.6 Gig/second.
Your contributions to this forum are great. Always interesting. Always informative. And never full of justified speculation. Thank you.
There is a lot of hype going around about Centrino 2. Will you please tell us what you think it means for the end user and for Apple and the MacBook Pro. Everything I've heard suggests that it will be a quantum leap. You don't seem to share this view. Please tell us more.
Your contributions to this forum are great. Always interesting. Always informative. And never full of justified speculation. Thank you.
There is a lot of hype going around about Centrino 2. Will you please tell us what you think it means for the end user and for Apple and the MacBook Pro. Everything I've heard suggests that it will be a quantum leap. You don't seem to share this view. Please tell us more.
N
Hey Tail,
Thanks for you comments.
About Centrino 2, I think you're getting me wrong. I've been saying for a long time that Montevina will be the real update for the MBP/iMac/MB/Mac mini vs the penryn-on-Santa Rosa refresh. It will bring more everything (faster clocks, faster fsb, faster RAM and more efficient cpus and chipsets). But that doesn't mean the performances will double, I try to keep it "real".
For the MBP, Montevina will bring the same kind of improvements you can see on the new iMac. Instead of .1GHz differences between models, we may get 2.53/2.66/2.80GHz options (the 2.66GHz part being a custom one). If you take in account all the other improvements, the MBP will be more attractive than ever. I'll not pull numbers out of nowhere and tell you that the Montevina MBP will be XX% faster than the previous model, however.
In fact, I think that Montevina is the first Intel platform that has both the notebooks and hybrid desktops covered (which is good for Apple's lineup), specially with faster fsb, RAM and the introduction of quad-core cpus later this year.
Apple has surprised me in using custom montevina-like parts for the new iMac. I think they are taking this segment very seriously. I hope they do the same for the other models.
I also think that lower-end computers will also benefit a lot from Montevina with the enhanced X4500 GPU. Now, it also depends on what Apple (and other manufacturers) will choose as chipset. Like I said earlier, if the Mac mini/MacBook uses the GM47 chipset along with the 25W cpus, they will become very attractive computers (or even more attractive, for the MacBook). Remember the GM4X chipset is almost the same as the PM45 chipset for higher-end computers (same FSB, same RAM support, etc.).
If Apple's wants to do economy of scale (again), it's the right time:
GM47 chipset for both the Mac mini and the MacBook with 2.26/2.40/2.53GHz 25W cpus.
PM45 chipset for both the iMac and the MBP with 2.53/2.66/2.80GHz 25/35W cpus on base models and optional 3.06GHz and quad cpus.
As of today, Apple uses 4 different chipsets and 10 different cpus (custom or regular) for the Mac mini/iMac/MB/MBP.
As far as design is concerned, I'll let your imagination flow, but I don't think we will see a lot of changes in the number/type of ports this year on both the MB and the MBP. I agree however that the MB may turn aluminium in the next iteration. If something happens to FW this year, it will be FW1600 replacing FW800 (same connector) on the MBP/iMac.
The Investment Community is extremely well plugged-in to what's going on. I happen to follow the Tech Sector very closely. Apple is very good at talking to analysts and analysts are very good at talking to people who buy stocks through their brokerage houses. The industry is smaller than you think. Of course, Apple never spills the beans, but with a tidbbit here and a tidbit there, it is easy to fill in the blanks. What I offer is a little more than informed speculation as opposed to wishful thinking. Take it or leave it.
I told people that a brand new MacBook Pro was coming in this year, although I thought it was coming in January not July.
If you follow chip development, you'll know all about Centrino 2/ Montevina. There are dedicated forums that follow processor development and the universal consensus is that Montevina will be a quantum leap in mobile computing because all six notebook processors will incorporate a 1066 MHz front-side bus and should run from 2.26 GHz to 3.06 GHz which is a big step-up compared to what's on the market right now: 800MHz FSB processors running at 2.6 GHz. Centrino 2 will also offer DDR3 memory support, and the option for a WiMAX long-range wireless chipset in addition to the X4500. In particular, Centrino 2 will improve video playback. Versus existing Centrino platforms, we should expect a doubling in performance. In my mind, that is significant.
The two features that will cause upset are the type and number of ports and the keyboard. I also understand that the hinge holding the screen has been changed.
Wait and see.
mjteix,
You're right, Centrino 2 was slated for a May release. I noted that intel had said Q2, which June technically is. Everyone realised it would be delayed after Penryn was late. By comparison, Centrino 2 is well on track.
My belief is that the new MBP is going to turbocharge Apple sales this year. What I also 'know' is that there is some unexpected surprise in store. I think this may be a three model MacBook Pro Range or a single new line-up of 13, 15 and 17 inch MacBooks. I've said elsewhere, it may be that the distinction between MBs and MBPs becomes redundant. No one anywhere outside Apple knows the truth of this. Don't take this as gospel, but for sure, a great new MBP or equivalent is now days away.
TailPipe:
Thanks for the detailed response! Well, your info cinches my decision to wait and see what is announced rather than going ahead and buying a refurbished 15" mbp.
Well, it seems I spoke too soon about waiting, lol. Montevina, delayed?! Ugh. I think I'm going to buy now. It will be a huge step up for me regardless (I'm currently on a 1.07 Ghz iBook with a 133 mHz bus speed). I don't want to wait until August, because then I would just want to wait until Nehelem, and THEN I would just want to wait until .... well, you get the picture. It's not the last computer I'll ever get, so I might as well go ahead, get a sweet machine, and enjoy it. 2.4 ghz with maxed out RAM will serve me fine.
Don't forget that there has been no official announcement from Apple or Intel about forthcoming MacBooks or delayed processors. While the rumours reported here and elsewhere suggest a delay, we don't really know how significant it is yet. My advice is do nothing until after WWDC, because it will become clear by that time what the situation is.
I don't see too much of a delay. Apple HAS to get new machines out buy August for fear of losing out during the key college buying season. Without a new machine, its sales will be disappointing. You can bet your bottom dollar that Intel is whipping its tech dev boys into a frenzy to get these chips out as near to on-time as possible.
Besides, never buy within a month of release. Wait until the launch gremlins are gone.
if you need a computer now, how about a MacBook Air? You can retrofit a larger hard drive in January.
Thanks for the advice, but I'm done waiting. Even if there was no delay, it would still be nearly two months before a release, and I just don't want to wait anymore. I will be served just fine with what I have ordered, and frankly, as I have been doing great on such an old ibook for so long, I really doubt I would notice a difference in performance. I don't really care about any of the case redesign features; I'm fine with the current trackpad and keyboard, and don't need blu-ray or anything like that. If however I for some reason have horrible horrible regret, I'll sell it and buy a different one. If something huge is revealed at WWDC, perhaps Apple would honor the two week guarantee. If not that's cool. I mean, I would be thrilled with this computer if there were no rumors of an update, so why shouldn't I be thrilled anyway? It isn't any less amazing. Plus the refurb is cheaper than even with an education discount. I mean I know it isn't a big difference considering the overall price, but as a recent college graduate all those dollars add up.
i was just reading Engadget.com and found that my Macbook Pro Mockup was really a prophecy about the ultra secret, but just release VooDoo PC Notebook.
Comments
By the way, excellent work by all in the mockup community. 9secondko keep it coming...
BTW my prediction the next MBP update will be around the 8800M GTS - 512mb for the upper range. For the entry level it will be 8600M GT 512mb.
These are the Processors that fall under the Penryn Refresh codename
35-mm package size with 1,066MHz FSB:
* Core 2 Extreme QX9300 with 12MB L2 cache and TDP of 45W (unknown clock)
* Core 2 Extreme X9100 (3.06GHz, 6MB L2 cache and TDP of 44W)
* Core 2 Duo T9600 (2.8GHz, 6MB and 35W)
* T9400 (2.53GHz, 6MB and 35W)
* P9500 (2.53GHz, 6MB and 25W)
* P8600 (2.4GHz, 3MB and 25W)
* P8400 (2.26GHz, 3MB and 25W)
22-mm package size:
* SP9400 (2.4GHz, 6MB, 25W, 1,066MHz FSB)
* SP9300 (2.26GHz, 6MB, 25W, 1,066MHz FSB)
* SL9400 (1.86GHz, 6MB, 17W, 1,066MHz FSB)
* SL9300 (1.6GHz, 6MB, 17W, 1,066MHz FSB)
* SU9400 (1.4GHz, 3MB, 10W, 800MHz FSB)
* SU9300 (1.2GHz, 3MB, 10W, 800MHz FSB)
* U3300 (1.2GHz, 3MB, 5.5W, 800MHz FSB)
* Celeron 723 (1.2GHz, 1MB, 10W, 800MHz FSB)
The ones in bold are the ones i think apple will use
Now as of now, one can get 500GB 5400rpm and 320 GB 7200rpm drives, i dont know if apple would include them though
Lastly for the specs, would apple jump to 4GB of ram or stick to 2GB (its only a cheap upgrade at this point) (im hoping for DDR3 1066MHz)
Any ideas for the graphics card to finish the package.
As for ports i think apple may announce FireWire 3200 in actual use and DisplayPort (as the DualLink DVI is the biggest thing holding them back)
Okay so among the whole Montevina/Centrino 2 line up
These are the Processors that fall under the Penryn Refresh codename...
The QX9300 is bound to be a 2.53GHz part (two P9500/25W "glued" together).
There will be a Q9100 in Q4, probably a 2.26GHz quad-core at 35W (this could be used in a MacBook Pro).
I don't think we will see FW3200 this year (the specs have not been ratified yet), possibly FW1600 (specs have been ratified and controller chips are being manufactured).
Q3 MacBook Pro 2.53/2.80GHz (or a 2.66GHz custom part Ã* la iMac and the 2.80GHz as an option)
Q3 MacBook 2.26/2.40GHz (eventually a 2.53GHz option if the black model is gone)
Q4 iMac 2.53/2.80/3.06/Q2.53GHz
Q4 MacBook Air 1.86GHz
Q1 Q2.26GHz option for the iMac (20/24") and the MBP (15/17")
Thanks for the info on the chips. Of course, you're right, we don't know which chips Apple will specify, but it is probably fair to assume that the Core 2 Duo T9600 will be one of the options. The ability to harness the power of 4 Gb of RAM with certainly move things along a bit, but it is the switch to a 1066 MHz front-side bus versus the existing 800 MHz that should most make the difference in performance. Care to comment on this?
I just checked my notes and was unaware that there had been any change in Montevina launch dates since February 27th when the Centrino 2 nomenclature was announced.
Am busily trying to find out info on whether Firewire 3200 will be included. I doubt it. in fact, i wonder whether Apple will abandon Firewire in favour of USB 3.0. in preparation for that, Apple may include 3 USB ports and no firewire instead of two USB ports and one firewire port. That is likely to irritate quite a few people.
As for USB 3.0 its atleast 2 years away from being inside a computer
As for the ram, i dont know (i waiting on a dying dell inspiron 6000, worst buy ever, and its only 3 years - 3 fatal crashes (needed to reinstall everything) - many virus infections and i may even have one now (something to do with usb keys))
and the two key features i'm waiting for (and will not buy if not included, i know im pretty desparate, but this beggar is a chooser
BLU-RAY DISC burner (dual layer 50 gigs bring it on baby)
&
DISPLAYPORT (or HDMI) plus support for DTS HD MA and Dolby True-HD and PCM and full HD output in hardware and software (and OS)
Thanks for the info on the chips. Of course, you're right, we don't know which chips Apple will specify, but it is probably fair to assume that the Core 2 Duo T9600 will be one of the options. The ability to harness the power of 4 Gb of RAM with certainly move things along a bit, but it is the switch to a 1066 MHz front-side bus versus the existing 800 MHz that should most make the difference in performance. Care to comment on this?
Two comments:
The current processors/chipset are perfectly capable of using 4GB of RAM
The FSB speed increase, in and of itself, is a negligible performance improvement for almost all applications
lose the caps lock!
totally agree. it's time to retire that nuisance of a relic.
i doubt apple will abandon Firewire (mostly because Firewire 3200 is a minor change, same plug as Firewire 800 and has been ratified and is in production or so say the industry group IEEE 1394 and that they expect products that this year, check source at Engadget, and same source as for the chips), and so many people use it and also you can daisy chain things together...
You're right and wrong.
FW3200 has indeed been ratified earlier this year, but controllers are not in production yet.
FW1600 have just been made available from Symwave:
The 1394 Trade Association gathered in Shenzhen, China, April 7-10 for its second quarter meetings, highlighted by host Symwave?s introduction of its new 1.6 Gig per second PHY IC and a crowded product seminar that closed the week.
Symwave?s ?FirePHY-1600? PHY solution is the latest product based on the company?s high speed SERDES technology, a core competency required for most next-generation connectivity standards, including the proposed USB3.0 standard. The FirePHY-1600 runs at 2GHz clock speed and complies with the IEEE 1394b S1600 standard, enabling data transfer rates up to 1.6 Gig/second.
http://www.1394ta.org/index.html
You're right and wrong.
FW3200 has indeed been ratified earlier this year, but controllers are not in production yet.
FW1600 have just been made available from Symwave:
http://www.1394ta.org/index.html
mjteix
Your contributions to this forum are great. Always interesting. Always informative. And never full of justified speculation. Thank you.
There is a lot of hype going around about Centrino 2. Will you please tell us what you think it means for the end user and for Apple and the MacBook Pro. Everything I've heard suggests that it will be a quantum leap. You don't seem to share this view. Please tell us more.
N
mjteix
Your contributions to this forum are great. Always interesting. Always informative. And never full of justified speculation. Thank you.
There is a lot of hype going around about Centrino 2. Will you please tell us what you think it means for the end user and for Apple and the MacBook Pro. Everything I've heard suggests that it will be a quantum leap. You don't seem to share this view. Please tell us more.
N
Hey Tail,
Thanks for you comments.
About Centrino 2, I think you're getting me wrong. I've been saying for a long time that Montevina will be the real update for the MBP/iMac/MB/Mac mini vs the penryn-on-Santa Rosa refresh. It will bring more everything (faster clocks, faster fsb, faster RAM and more efficient cpus and chipsets). But that doesn't mean the performances will double, I try to keep it "real".
For the MBP, Montevina will bring the same kind of improvements you can see on the new iMac. Instead of .1GHz differences between models, we may get 2.53/2.66/2.80GHz options (the 2.66GHz part being a custom one). If you take in account all the other improvements, the MBP will be more attractive than ever. I'll not pull numbers out of nowhere and tell you that the Montevina MBP will be XX% faster than the previous model, however.
In fact, I think that Montevina is the first Intel platform that has both the notebooks and hybrid desktops covered (which is good for Apple's lineup), specially with faster fsb, RAM and the introduction of quad-core cpus later this year.
Apple has surprised me in using custom montevina-like parts for the new iMac. I think they are taking this segment very seriously. I hope they do the same for the other models.
I also think that lower-end computers will also benefit a lot from Montevina with the enhanced X4500 GPU. Now, it also depends on what Apple (and other manufacturers) will choose as chipset. Like I said earlier, if the Mac mini/MacBook uses the GM47 chipset along with the 25W cpus, they will become very attractive computers (or even more attractive, for the MacBook). Remember the GM4X chipset is almost the same as the PM45 chipset for higher-end computers (same FSB, same RAM support, etc.).
If Apple's wants to do economy of scale (again), it's the right time:
GM47 chipset for both the Mac mini and the MacBook with 2.26/2.40/2.53GHz 25W cpus.
PM45 chipset for both the iMac and the MBP with 2.53/2.66/2.80GHz 25/35W cpus on base models and optional 3.06GHz and quad cpus.
As of today, Apple uses 4 different chipsets and 10 different cpus (custom or regular) for the Mac mini/iMac/MB/MBP.
As far as design is concerned, I'll let your imagination flow, but I don't think we will see a lot of changes in the number/type of ports this year on both the MB and the MBP. I agree however that the MB may turn aluminium in the next iteration. If something happens to FW this year, it will be FW1600 replacing FW800 (same connector) on the MBP/iMac.
Tech Girl,
The Investment Community is extremely well plugged-in to what's going on. I happen to follow the Tech Sector very closely. Apple is very good at talking to analysts and analysts are very good at talking to people who buy stocks through their brokerage houses. The industry is smaller than you think. Of course, Apple never spills the beans, but with a tidbbit here and a tidbit there, it is easy to fill in the blanks. What I offer is a little more than informed speculation as opposed to wishful thinking. Take it or leave it.
I told people that a brand new MacBook Pro was coming in this year, although I thought it was coming in January not July.
If you follow chip development, you'll know all about Centrino 2/ Montevina. There are dedicated forums that follow processor development and the universal consensus is that Montevina will be a quantum leap in mobile computing because all six notebook processors will incorporate a 1066 MHz front-side bus and should run from 2.26 GHz to 3.06 GHz which is a big step-up compared to what's on the market right now: 800MHz FSB processors running at 2.6 GHz. Centrino 2 will also offer DDR3 memory support, and the option for a WiMAX long-range wireless chipset in addition to the X4500. In particular, Centrino 2 will improve video playback. Versus existing Centrino platforms, we should expect a doubling in performance. In my mind, that is significant.
The two features that will cause upset are the type and number of ports and the keyboard. I also understand that the hinge holding the screen has been changed.
Wait and see.
mjteix,
You're right, Centrino 2 was slated for a May release. I noted that intel had said Q2, which June technically is. Everyone realised it would be delayed after Penryn was late. By comparison, Centrino 2 is well on track.
My belief is that the new MBP is going to turbocharge Apple sales this year. What I also 'know' is that there is some unexpected surprise in store. I think this may be a three model MacBook Pro Range or a single new line-up of 13, 15 and 17 inch MacBooks. I've said elsewhere, it may be that the distinction between MBs and MBPs becomes redundant. No one anywhere outside Apple knows the truth of this. Don't take this as gospel, but for sure, a great new MBP or equivalent is now days away.
TailPipe:
Thanks for the detailed response! Well, your info cinches my decision to wait and see what is announced rather than going ahead and buying a refurbished 15" mbp.
Don't forget that there has been no official announcement from Apple or Intel about forthcoming MacBooks or delayed processors. While the rumours reported here and elsewhere suggest a delay, we don't really know how significant it is yet. My advice is do nothing until after WWDC, because it will become clear by that time what the situation is.
I don't see too much of a delay. Apple HAS to get new machines out buy August for fear of losing out during the key college buying season. Without a new machine, its sales will be disappointing. You can bet your bottom dollar that Intel is whipping its tech dev boys into a frenzy to get these chips out as near to on-time as possible.
Besides, never buy within a month of release. Wait until the launch gremlins are gone.
if you need a computer now, how about a MacBook Air? You can retrofit a larger hard drive in January.
Thanks for the advice, but I'm done waiting. Even if there was no delay, it would still be nearly two months before a release, and I just don't want to wait anymore. I will be served just fine with what I have ordered, and frankly, as I have been doing great on such an old ibook for so long, I really doubt I would notice a difference in performance. I don't really care about any of the case redesign features; I'm fine with the current trackpad and keyboard, and don't need blu-ray or anything like that. If however I for some reason have horrible horrible regret, I'll sell it and buy a different one. If something huge is revealed at WWDC, perhaps Apple would honor the two week guarantee. If not that's cool. I mean, I would be thrilled with this computer if there were no rumors of an update, so why shouldn't I be thrilled anyway? It isn't any less amazing. Plus the refurb is cheaper than even with an education discount. I mean I know it isn't a big difference considering the overall price, but as a recent college graduate all those dollars add up.
I am hoping that the next MacBook Pro update includes a card reader as one of its improvements.
It won't. But you can get an Expresscard card reader for most formats.
Seriously; map something useful to it and change the name. Make capslock a Function-something key combo so that ACCIDENTAL CAPS-LOCKING doesn't occur.
Lamest. Key. Ever.
As a Maya (3D) user, I heartily third the call for the abandonment of the useless, annoying CAPS LOCK KEY.
Seriously; map something useful to it and change the name. Make capslock a Function-something key combo so that ACCIDENTAL CAPS-LOCKING doesn't occur.
Lamest. Key. Ever.
I think the old 'Scroll" key was the lamest. On occasion, I still use the Caps lock key. Of course, my computer is a desktop.
i was just reading Engadget.com and found that my Macbook Pro Mockup was really a prophecy about the ultra secret, but just release VooDoo PC Notebook.
check it out:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/10/v...-shots-galore/
Voodoo notebook:
My Mockup:
man, voodoo needs to pay up.
Feel the power of the white keys!