Apple install guide slips out new MacBook, MacBook Pro
An Apple support file unearthed on the weekend confirms that at least two portables will get an update in short order.
The repair guide (PDF), which instructs technicians how to replace an AirPort Extreme card, is described as applying equally to "Late 2008" MacBook and MacBook Pro systems.
The premature posting found by readers doesn't reveal much of the hardware design. However, it does confirm that both the mainstream and pro notebooks will share the same core platform and that the MacBook Air's design requires a different approach.
It also indicates that Apple will continue to use a discrete AirPort card rather than building it into the mainboard.
Apple is poised to introduce the new systems next week at its notebook event and should bring with them a new NVIDIA-based platform; the similarity in maintenance lends support to beliefs that the change will not only apply to the 13-inch MacBook but to MacBook Pros as well.
The repair guide (PDF), which instructs technicians how to replace an AirPort Extreme card, is described as applying equally to "Late 2008" MacBook and MacBook Pro systems.
The premature posting found by readers doesn't reveal much of the hardware design. However, it does confirm that both the mainstream and pro notebooks will share the same core platform and that the MacBook Air's design requires a different approach.
It also indicates that Apple will continue to use a discrete AirPort card rather than building it into the mainboard.
Apple is poised to introduce the new systems next week at its notebook event and should bring with them a new NVIDIA-based platform; the similarity in maintenance lends support to beliefs that the change will not only apply to the 13-inch MacBook but to MacBook Pros as well.
Comments
It also indicates that Apple will continue to use a discrete AirPort card rather than building it into the mainboard.
I thought the Airport Extreme card has always been on a separate daughter card in the MBP so I don't see how the lack of change is noteworthy. It makes more sense to keep it separate anyways so that a defect Airport Extreme card can be swapped out without having to replace the whole motherboard. It probably reduces electrical interference and propagation too.
Re: "nVIDIA-based platform", I would add that creating public animosity towards Intel or any other hardware manufacturer or rubbing their noses in a lost market opportunity is not helpful or important.
I wish that the author of these articles, Aiden Malley, would stop referring to the new Macbooks as an "Nvidia-based platform". As long as these computers continue to use Intel main processors, it is simply misleading, to the point of asinine absurdity, to refer to the platform as "Nvidia-based", and this observation is true notwithstanding the de facto meaning of the word "chipset". This style of writing, whereby the author displays a gross lack of basic communicative sense, is commonplace among people who write these sorts of articles for Web sites such as this one. But just because it is commonplace does not make it okay. It simply does not make a whit of sense to refer to these computers, which use Intel processors, as "Nvidia-based platforms". Anyone whose communicative skills are as poor as this has no business even writing a personal blog.
I agree. Apple Insider in particular has a general issue with making every article over pretentious. E.g. insisting on using "The Cupertino-based company" repeatedly and making mistakes (like the one here) for the sake of sounding clever. The result is hard to read and overly verbose.
I thought the Airport Extreme card has always been on a separate daughter card in the MBP so I don't see how the lack of change is noteworthy.
If I recall correctly, Apple has never used Intel's Centrino option. But I wonder if this removable WiFi card could mean that you'll have an option to use a proprietary 802.11n with the option to buy a '3G' HSUPA or '3G' CDMA2000 card (and/or perhaps WiMAX) for your next Mac notebook.
I wish that the author of these articles, Aiden Malley, would stop referring to the new Macbooks as an "Nvidia-based platform". As long as these computers continue to use Intel main processors, it is simply misleading, to the point of asinine absurdity, to refer to the platform as "Nvidia-based", and this observation is true notwithstanding the de facto meaning of the word "chipset". This style of writing, whereby the author displays a gross lack of basic communicative sense, is commonplace among people who write these sorts of articles for Web sites such as this one. But just because it is commonplace does not make it okay. It simply does not make a whit of sense to refer to these computers, which use Intel processors, as "Nvidia-based platforms". Anyone whose communicative skills are as poor as this has no business even writing a personal blog.
It is not misleading at all, but quite proper and the common industry term. What rock did you crawl our from under. The chipset is the platform. You can put an AMD processor in an Intel based chipset or a Via Based chipset, etc. It certainly doesn't make it an AMD based platform.
You can crawl back under your rock now...
They go through all this trouble shrinking things. They switch to the nvidia chipset, because it needs only one chip. And then they don't integrate airport onto the logicboard? How odd.
It makes upgrading easier though doesn't it.
I wish that the author of these articles, Aiden Malley, would stop referring to the new Macbooks as an "Nvidia-based platform". As long as these computers continue to use Intel main processors, it is simply misleading, to the point of asinine absurdity, to refer to the platform as "Nvidia-based", and this observation is true notwithstanding the de facto meaning of the word "chipset". This style of writing, whereby the author displays a gross lack of basic communicative sense, is commonplace among people who write these sorts of articles for Web sites such as this one. But just because it is commonplace does not make it okay. It simply does not make a whit of sense to refer to these computers, which use Intel processors, as "Nvidia-based platforms". Anyone whose communicative skills are as poor as this has no business even writing a personal blog.
I didn't realize this was a "computers for dummies" site.
If the Macbooks use an Nvidia chipset, it IS an Nvidia based platform. The most important parts of the computer are supplied by Nvidia. Compared to the chipset, the processor plays only a small part in total reliability and performance of the computer.
They go through all this trouble shrinking things. They switch to the nvidia chipset, because it needs only one chip. And then they don't integrate airport onto the logicboard? How odd.
Better Airport performance, perhaps? Particularly if the LCD unit winds up being plastic encased.
does no one care that the link is dead to the repair manual? is there a mirror please? thanks.
No one cares probably because this is not really news at this point. Yes there are new Macbooks coming this year, which is all the news suggests. It says nothing about what might happen this week anyway.
Adding to the other rubbish in this article the linked repair guide is on how to replace a display and a reminder to add the AirPort antenna.
Not quite. It says to "...install the AirPort card on the display assembly," which is odd. Current AirPort cards are in the lower case. If accurate, this seems to say that the card itself is in the display, perhaps to improve antenna performance.
does no one care that the link is dead to the repair manual? is there a mirror please? thanks.
Tell me about it.
Herein lies the fundamental difference between a PC tweaker, OSX86 Mac builder, over clocker versus your my mac nots working what's the difference between memory and hard drive memory (seriously, I worked for Apple once and you would be surprised at how educated the user is (college) yet very computer illiterate as a PC user would have saved this instantly and it would be mirrored everywhere.
I once had a woman when I was doing Creative work when it used to be PRO USERS (now it's all iLife) and had to show her more than 4 times how to attach a document, others didn't know the difference between a mail client (Mac Mail) or checking online let alone they if they had Charter, Earthlink ISP that they could have 10+ emails.
Not sure why, but Mac users tend to be very non technical whereas your average 12 year old PC user can probably run circles around a Mac Genius as they, for the most part, send out the products do get fixed anyway.
LOL.
Just ribbing, but seriously, know one looked at it and saved it, cached it, FTP it somewhere? Geesh.
Not quite. It says to "...install the AirPort card on the display assembly," which is odd. Current AirPort cards are in the lower case. If accurate, this seems to say that the card itself is in the display, perhaps to improve antenna performance.
Laptop wireless cards have an antenna that runs from the card itself all the way around the rim of the monitor, so putting the card into the screen would not improve antenna performance. I don't think that's what this is suggesting anyway, though.
No one cares probably because this is not really news at this point. Yes there are new Macbooks coming this year, which is all the news suggests. It says nothing about what might happen this week anyway.
If Apple misses the boat again and there is no dedicated GPU on at least mid range, or current macbooks, Apple just doesn't get it and will be hurt in the long run.
Think about this.
Apple had the on-board go from 70% OPEN GL test to 171% with LEOPARD then they crippled it and now its 70% again!
Why?
Why?
Why?
Becuase 1% of the market, the PRO, were buying it and using it for motion.
HELLO! If you release a GPU dedicated you get gamers and therefore more sales that will far out weigh the PRO USER (1%) by 100 FOLD.
Again, Apple's Marketing department needs to grow some and tell Steve like it is and tell him, "look Steve, we know you're paranoid about the Pro using the low end model but we've discovered the Pro will always buy the high end quad/eight core machines and if they buy a low end, so what, the gamer and high school, college crowd will far out sell any Pro user that uses the low end, so the numbers speak for themselves and you have to get over it, okay Steve, Steve, you okay, Steve?"
Really.
I once had a woman when I was doing Creative work when it used to be PRO USERS (now it's all iLife) and had to show her more than 4 times how to attach a document, others didn't know the difference between a mail client (Mac Mail) or checking online let alone they if they had Charter, Earthlink ISP that they could have 10+ emails.
Not sure why, but Mac users tend to be very non technical whereas your average 12 year old PC user can probably run circles around a Mac Genius as they, for the most part, send out the products do get fixed anyway.
Nope, I support these people (Mac and PC) and they're all equally bad. Most don't know what a web browser is, I have to tell them to click the big blue E.
Deliberate leak.
I had the same first impression. Disinformation.