What's your dream MBP?
While sitting here patiently waiting for the new MBP i was thinking:
with the technology currently available what would I want in a MBP(and still have a reasonable price)? here it is...
13.3 in. screen
3 usb ports
hdmi
blu ray
core i7
nvidia optimus gpu
weighs 4 pounds
250 GB hard drive
4gb ram
$1499.99 (along with all the other things that come standard on a mbp)
...take out blu ray for dvd, 2 usb, no hdmi for $1199 and that'll be fine with me too
So what are you guys (and girls) list??
with the technology currently available what would I want in a MBP(and still have a reasonable price)? here it is...
13.3 in. screen
3 usb ports
hdmi
blu ray
core i7
nvidia optimus gpu
weighs 4 pounds
250 GB hard drive
4gb ram
$1499.99 (along with all the other things that come standard on a mbp)
...take out blu ray for dvd, 2 usb, no hdmi for $1199 and that'll be fine with me too
So what are you guys (and girls) list??
Comments
While sitting here patiently waiting for the new MBP i was thinking:
with the technology currently available what would I want in a MBP(and still have a reasonable price)? here it is...
13.3 in. screen
3 usb ports
hdmi
blu ray
core i7
nvidia optimus gpu
weighs 4 pounds
250 GB hard drive
4gb ram
$1499.99 (along with all the other things that come standard on a mbp)
...take out blu ray for dvd, 2 usb, no hdmi for $1199 and that'll be fine with me too
So what are you guys (and girls) list??
A Release date
Other then that ill take a 15" screen and a video card thats not already 5 years old
Nobody mentions a full size keyboard with number pad. How hard is that? Notebooks are replacing desktop machines. I want to be as productive as desktop pcs. The only reason we won't get it is because it offends Steve's sense of aesthetics. It's these minor yet essential things that apple has no clue.
Drop the support of internal optical drives completely. I want a pro machine that supports an array of storage devices. I say array of "devices" because I'd like to see Apple move beyound SATA to PCI-Express connected storage devices. So in this case a laptop would have "slots" for multiple PC cards that plug in as storage devices. What this does is make for very thin laptops with widely configurable storage capacities. Done right a laptop should end up with space for four or five such cards. About the only bad thing here is the current high flash prices and the slow ramp up of competitive processes.
NO INTEL INTEGRATED GPUS!!!!
What ever GPU they do adopt it should support threading in such a way that long running OpenCL kernels don't coop the video system completely.
4GB of RAM ought to be considered minimal these days, pro notebooks should be beyound that.
Lightpeak would be cool. Especially if Apple came out with a disk array / hub / breakout box, to plug your laptop into.
An alternate power input. This to support charging from solar cells and the like. The idea here is that people could adhere a panel to the back of the lid of their MBPs.
Dave
- 1920x1600 res
- resolution independence
- Bluray
- HDMI
- LightPeak x2
- Nvidia GPU
- matte screen
- Core i7 quad-core (8 threads)
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- preferably a price lower than US$ 8,000
I'd like an IPS matte display
I used to think the higher resolution on the display the better but 1440 x 900 is fine on the 15"
no optical drive, just an option for a second hard drive so you can get a cheap 40GB Intel SSD for the boot drive and a large HDD for files - the optical drive removal drops the weight by about 1lb
4GB RAM default up to 8GB support (reality is it'll have 2 slots)
weight 4.5lbs
NVidia Optimus or low power ATI card - performance would be about 1.5-2x the 9600M GT
3 x USB 3.0 ports, possibly more without the optical, FW800, ethernet, SD slot
processor-wise, probably Core i5, dual CPU, 4 thread. It has the integrated GPU so NVidia Optimus can shut off and use it and would be 35W vs 45W for Core i7 and cheaper.
Core i5 540M 2.53GHz - about 75% of the performance of the most likely Core i7, which can be in more expensive models
As for price, the 13" and 15" with the same spec are separated by $200 and the display cost doesn't seem like it would be that much plus removing the optical should lower the price and all 15" means common inventory so I'd say $1499 for the above spec. They could even make the $1199 a 15" with slightly lower spec even if it's still the old 9400M + low clock Core 2 Duo. Just scrap 13" from the MBP line given that the weight would be the same on the 15".
Leave 13" for the white Macbook.
Also, ensure that the base can be taken off easily to switch the drives
If we're talking about fantasy MBP, I'd say quad 5GHz with 8GB RAM, dual 512GB SSD, NVidia Fermi mobile GPU, wireless peripherals at the speed of USB 3, capacitive touch display, 12 hour battery on full load, $1499. Maybe next year.
I'd prefer a 15" display model cheaper - it's just the weight that has to come down. There's only 1lb between the 13" and 15".
I'd like an IPS matte display
After using a matte 15" incher form early 2008 I honestly think that I'd be better off with a glossy.
I used to think the higher resolution on the display the better but 1440 x 900 is fine on the 15"
no optical drive, just an option for a second hard drive so you can get a cheap 40GB Intel SSD for the boot drive and a large HDD for files - the optical drive removal drops the weight by about 1lb
I see you are real concerned about weight. That is one of the reasons I'd like to se Apple transition to storage on PCI-Express modules. Your storage then becomes nothing more than another PC board in the machine.
Of course another big side effect is a much thinner MBP.
4GB RAM default up to 8GB support (reality is it'll have 2 slots)
weight 4.5lbs
NVidia Optimus or low power ATI card - performance would be about 1.5-2x the 9600M GT
I suspect performance could be better than 2X. More importantly need as much OpenCl goodness as is possible.
3 x USB 3.0 ports, possibly more without the optical, FW800, ethernet, SD slot
I like ports myself but USB 3.0 ups the allowed current that the port can supply. Obviously if the ports are used the potential is there to drain the battery.
processor-wise, probably Core i5, dual CPU, 4 thread. It has the integrated GPU so NVidia Optimus can shut off and use it and would be 35W vs 45W for Core i7 and cheaper.
Core i5 540M 2.53GHz - about 75% of the performance of the most likely Core i7, which can be in more expensive models
As for price, the 13" and 15" with the same spec are separated by $200 and the display cost doesn't seem like it would be that much plus removing the optical should lower the price and all 15" means common inventory so I'd say $1499 for the above spec. They could even make the $1199 a 15" with slightly lower spec even if it's still the old 9400M + low clock Core 2 Duo. Just scrap 13" from the MBP line given that the weight would be the same on the 15".
Leave 13" for the white Macbook.
Also, ensure that the base can be taken off easily to switch the drives
If we're talking about fantasy MBP, I'd say quad 5GHz with 8GB RAM, dual 512GB SSD, NVidia Fermi mobile GPU, wireless peripherals at the speed of USB 3, capacitive touch display, 12 hour battery on full load, $1499. Maybe next year.
Actually Apple should consider building in more RF reception. This would include AM/FM and TV. Wild you say, not really I'd reply as some chips already have FM built in as an extra. TV tuners are now single chip affairs. It is just a way to add more capability in a reliable way. The biggest issue is the antenna solution, which could be un mac like.
Dave
After using a matte 15" incher form early 2008 I honestly think that I'd be better off with a glossy.
They changed the display quality since then though. A 2009 MBP glossy next to a matte are identical - the matte one just has no glare. It's obviously more vulnerable to damage though as there's no glass panel in front of it.
I see you are real concerned about weight. That is one of the reasons I'd like to se Apple transition to storage on PCI-Express modules. Your storage then becomes nothing more than another PC board in the machine.
Of course another big side effect is a much thinner MBP.
Once SSDs get down to an affordable level and proven to be more reliable, it would be a good idea but they'd really have to push 250GB minimum. It helps cut down the noise too.
I suspect performance could be better than 2X. More importantly need as much OpenCl goodness as is possible.
If they go with the 5650, it would be great because it's listed at over 360GFlops. The NVidia 230M is only listed at 158GFlops.
9400M is a paltry 54GFlops and 9600M GT 120GFlops. Only the GTS 250M matches it.
Manufacturers already have the 5650 with 1GB VRAM in base models under $1000. Apple seriously needs to get with the program here.
Actually Apple should consider building in more RF reception. This would include AM/FM and TV. Wild you say, not really I'd reply as some chips already have FM built in as an extra. TV tuners are now single chip affairs. It is just a way to add more capability in a reliable way. The biggest issue is the antenna solution, which could be un mac like.
TV would be nice but it would force some people to get a TV license in some countries. Mainly UK students living at university, which is probably quite a lot of people - around 5,000 per university and maybe 1/3 Mac users times about 100 institutions. Not a huge amount relatively but significant.
Core i7
Dedicated GPU with >2x performance of 9600M GT w/ 1 GB of GDDR5 VRAM.
8 GB DDR3 RAM
$1500 Price tag
Make a tiny external Blu-ray drive.
Put an SSD where the optical drive was but keep the traditional hard drive as well (until such time as 300~500GB SSDs are cheap and have similar MTBF as hard drives).
Would be nice, but IPS screens in laptops weren't cost effective.
Appropriate use of the past-tense. You can pick up a 22" IPS for $230 now:
http://accessories.dell.com/sna/prod...1&sku=320-7825
The 32GB iPad is $599 ($359 costs) and the 32GB iPod Touch is $299 ($179 costs) so I reckon worst case is that the 10" IPS is $180. The iPad has a faster CPU, a bigger battery and more casing so the display is probably under $130.
If Dell can ship a 22" IPS for $230 and Apple can put a 10" IPS in the iPad for under $130, I reckon they can find some IPS tech in that price region. It seems very much like this is what the LG deal was about. After it was announced, we get the 21.5" iMac with an IPS, we get an affordable 27" IPS, the iPad has an IPS. Obviously the Cinema display is IPS. All that's left are the mobile devices and laptops and they could benefit from the tech for the viewing angles.
Core i7 920xm mobile
16 gigs of RAM (2x8GB modules; supposedly these are coming soon to laptops)
2 gig video card (nvidia 340m or something related with power usage not exceeding 21 watts) with low power card that works in both Mac and Windows for light usage needs
2 hard drive slots with external optical drive
1 hard drive would be 512 meg SSD (fastest model possible)
1 hard drive would be 1 TB 5200 RPM
18.4" screen
Numeric keypad
Blu-Ray External drive for the optical drive
4xUSB3 ports
1 FW800 port
802.11N
Bluetooth
4g wireless
price tag not to exceed $3000
Also they should add one or two more battery cells into the remaining space.
Really unnecessary and doubtful to show up is a quad core i7. The unibody MBP are simply not built for such hot Powerhungry CPUs. They would divide the max batterylife by half. Dual Core 32nm is the only reasonable CPU for these Notebooks.
What I really dread is if Apple could make the switch to 16:9. Only idiots prefer this ratio. An 13.3" 16:9 looks like a 12,1" 16:10 but is still as wide and difficult to store as an 13" 16:10. Same goes for 15,6" which is in usability closer to 14" 16:10.
I hope they stick with the current 16:10 unibodies. The 15" is almost perfect. I'd only wish they made the border arround the screen smaller or the screen bigger. I want maximum screensize and define portability by the width * length of the notebook. Thin is nice but not necessary. The bigger the screen the more productive you are and other than that it has to fit in a bag. 13,3" is imo unusable small and only works for minor tasks you can use netbooks for.
I am confident they stick with the current unibodies though as a redesign would have created some rumors (and there are zero) and it also would reduce space for the battery, which they might have shrunken if the new Arrendales would save enough power but they don't.
4G LTE modul would be nice in the 15" and smaller as there is no easy way to add it later. 3G would be okay too.
IPS would be cool and a little more resolution althought the later should be optional but 1440x900 is fine, only for some tasks more is always nice.
They changed the display quality since then though. A 2009 MBP glossy next to a matte are identical - the matte one just has no glare. It's obviously more vulnerable to damage though as there's no glass panel in front of it.
Maybe I will take a more indepth look the next time I stop by the Apple store but I seem to remember a huge difference. Especially with respect to crispness and viewability.
Once SSDs get down to an affordable level and proven to be more reliable, it would be a good idea but they'd really have to push 250GB minimum. It helps cut down the noise too.
In a portable application it appears that SSD are already more reliable. The lack of capacity is a real issue though. My hope is that the use of a PC card that plugs into a socket would lead to lower costs as you get rid of the legacy mechanics. Puls theses days with surface mount devices the cards can be extremely thin.
I know an all solid state machine is pushing it, thus I would not object to a hybrid approach with bulk storage on a magnetic disk. When I make reference to solid state I'm not thinking just about flash either, phase change is coming on strong too. What I think we need from Apple is the conviction or silliness to set a new standard here for solid state storage in portable equipment for the future. It seems to be about the optimal time to do so.
As to reliability and hybrid systems, flash might be less than ideal anyways. If apple implemented a phase change solid state storage device for the boot/applications drive we would likely have even faster machines with even more reliable storage than flash. The problem here of course is density, phase change just isn't competitive at the moment. Putting /bin and the other files required to boot the kernel on such storage might be acceptable though.
If they go with the 5650, it would be great because it's listed at over 360GFlops. The NVidia 230M is only listed at 158GFlops.
9400M is a paltry 54GFlops and 9600M GT 120GFlops. Only the GTS 250M matches it.
While I didn't have the numbers off the top of my head my thinking was that 2X performance increase would have been a piece of cake. Your numbers indicate that those are conservative numbers.
Whatever they choose I want to see a GPU that can run the graphics code and OpenCL programs at the same time. That is independant threads of execution so that long running OpenCL code can happen without impacting the display.
Manufacturers already have the 5650 with 1GB VRAM in base models under $1000. Apple seriously needs to get with the program here.
Yes I agree 100%. This is one reason not to buy an Apple laptop right now, because any GPU they go with should be much faster. More so the jump in performance should be much more than what is seen in the CPU. In many ways the CPU upgrade is a non event compared to other considerations.
TV would be nice but it would force some people to get a TV license in some countries.
I've never understood that concept!!!!!!
Mainly UK students living at university, which is probably quite a lot of people - around 5,000 per university and maybe 1/3 Mac users times about 100 institutions. Not a huge amount relatively but significant.
Then go to college in another country.
In any event let's say we limit the reception to FM radio. It is a big benefit for many service providers that are trying to supply RF networking to portable computers. It could be 3G/4G or something else but the point is there is not enough bandwidth for each and every individual to have his own streaming connection. There never will be either. What having a radio installed does is provide for another way to enjoy broadcast on your PC that simply use an older format. The good thing is that these older formats don't lead to congestion of the airwaves the way trying to support millions of streaming channels do.
I bring this up in the context of laptops because it is common for such platforms to use RF networking of some sort often to stream media. A desktop with a hardwired connection is far less of a problem. The samething applies to the iPhone, here it is not uncommon for people to stream LOCAL radio stations. This is a waste of bandwidth in my mind, especially when FM can be added to the device with little effort.
Dave
- 13" OLED screen
- 1920x1600 res
- resolution independence
- Bluray
- HDMI
- LightPeak x2
- Nvidia GPU
- matte screen
- Core i7 quad-core (8 threads)
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- preferably a price lower than US$ 8,000
That's more like it. If I'm going to Dream ..it's gonna big big.
Would be nice, but IPS screens in laptops weren't cost effective.
Really just look at iPad.