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Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

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Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#31

Post by wheels »

cletus wrote: post #11
m3koval wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The author mentions the new CPUs in a footnote: "Except new CPUs, but who cares? CPUs are the least exciting (and usually least relevant) upgrades in modern mass-market personal computers." For the vast majority of users, including many power users, moving from a "very fast" processor to an "extremely fast" processor is much less of a performance gain than moving from a HDD to a SDD. That's not to say that I don't wi…

Compilation is notoriously singlethreaded, generally speaking. I believe Apple has made a deliberate choice that quad core offers little benefit over dual core with unjustifiably higher power usage. So I wouldn't be surprised if the next gen is also dual core only. I don't expect the MBP to die in the next gen either. Performance is much better than the Ars.

Compilation is notoriously singlethreaded, generally speaking.

  make -j 2
There, now it needs multiple processes. Actually, default builds on OS X often do since it's building for the 2-4 architectures that OS X supports (ppc, ppc64, i386, x86_64).

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#32

Post by Samuel_Michon »

qq66 wrote: post #25
Samuel_Michon wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"1920x1080 would be nice. But I doubt that'll happen..." Actually, I think that is a real possibility. With the last MacBook Air refresh, screen resolution went up from 1280x800 to 1440x900. The current MacBook Pro 15" has a resolution of 1440x900, based on past refreshes I think it's safe to assume that the new MBP 15" will have a higher resolution than the current MBA. Most likely 1680x1050 but 1920x1080 isn't impo…

Dell has been selling 1920x1080 15" screens for close to 2 years.

Right, the panels exist, that's why I said it wouldn't be impossible for Apple to use them in a new MacBook Pro.

However, the DELL notebook in question is a monstrosity in comparison with Apple's MacBook Pro. The DELL XPS 15 is all plastic, while it's half an inch thicker and a pound heavier.

http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-15/pd

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#33

Post by hrktb »

whakojacko wrote: post #3

Maybe its just me, but I have no issue with the size and weight of the 15" MBP (again, this could be because I came from previous larger 15" laptops). But I would love to see the optical drive dropped in place of more battery life.... Oh, and 1920x1080 would be nice. But I doubt that'll happen...

Same here. Using it mostly as a tabletop machine, compromising ethernet or firewire performance for a few mm of thickness would be a no-no. Apart from the screen resolution, though the actual model is already nice, an increased trackpad area or basic layout improvement would be great.

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#34

Post by ugh »

toadi wrote: post #7

Waiting for the 15" upgrade too. But don't want to loose the optical drive, don't use it that often but don't want to shell out a lot of money for an external one. Also I need a ethernet cable slot. In some companies I work they have flaky wireless lan's so I prefer to use cable. At home I also use cable to transfer big files. But I could upgrade my old G wireless lan ;)

Well, don’t force us all to lug around an optical drive just because you need it!

I occasionally need to rip rare CDs with music I can’t get online, maybe twice a year or so. I’m probably just going to keep my old MBP around for that. I don’t think such a special problem deserves a built-in solution.

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#35

Post by jackvalentine »

ugh wrote: post #30
Samuel_Michon wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"1920x1080 would be nice. But I doubt that'll happen..." Actually, I think that is a real possibility. With the last MacBook Air refresh, screen resolution went up from 1280x800 to 1440x900. The current MacBook Pro 15" has a resolution of 1440x900, based on past refreshes I think it's safe to assume that the new MBP 15" will have a higher resolution than the current MBA. Most likely 1680x1050 but 1920x1080 isn't impo…

You already can get the 15" MBP with a resolution of 1680x1050. If they make that the standard I would bet that you can also get it with some higher resolution. (I hope that it’s not going to be 1920x1080 because that’s 16:9. I don’t know what the 16:10 equivalent is.) The problem is that resolution independence is nowhere near finished and the new MBPs will likely arrive before OS X Lion (which could conceivably hav…

The 16:10 equivalent is 1920x1200. The one thing I dislike about this 15" Vaio I am on is the 1920x1080 screen, as opposed to a x1200 screen. For most work a taller screen is infinately more useful I find.

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#36

Post by ericd »

bergie wrote: post #22
pclark wrote: post #16

I have the i7 MBP and it is awesome. It has the processing power to do serious work ("video games") and also the mobility to do it on the train. I'd be bummed out if they made the MBP basically a larger MacBook Air. I think most people buy the 15" MBP because they want a mobile workstation, rather than an ultraportable. For example, I hope the new 15" MBP has a top end video card.

Removing the optical drive and switching to SSD shouldn't make it any less a workstation. These changes would allow for a bigger battery, for instance, which would enable them to increase processing power without losing battery life.

The wedge shape would seemingly involve a lot of compromises to get that form factor, which isn't necessarily what MBP buyers are looking for. Personally, since it's my primary machine, I'm looking for the most powerful/connectable machine they can fit in 15 inches, shape/weight be damned.

The changes you mention wouldn't be bad, it's more the other Air-like attributes that I wouldn't want.

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#37

Post by Samuel_Michon »

ugh wrote: post #30
Samuel_Michon wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"1920x1080 would be nice. But I doubt that'll happen..." Actually, I think that is a real possibility. With the last MacBook Air refresh, screen resolution went up from 1280x800 to 1440x900. The current MacBook Pro 15" has a resolution of 1440x900, based on past refreshes I think it's safe to assume that the new MBP 15" will have a higher resolution than the current MBA. Most likely 1680x1050 but 1920x1080 isn't impo…

You already can get the 15" MBP with a resolution of 1680x1050. If they make that the standard I would bet that you can also get it with some higher resolution. (I hope that it’s not going to be 1920x1080 because that’s 16:9. I don’t know what the 16:10 equivalent is.) The problem is that resolution independence is nowhere near finished and the new MBPs will likely arrive before OS X Lion (which could conceivably hav…

The 16:10 equivalent would be 1920x1200.

The current MacBook Air has a PPI of 135. The BTO 1680x1050 MacBook Pro has a PPI of 128. 1920x1200 on a 15" is probably overkill, even on a 17" screen that's a PPI of 132.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_displays_by_pixel_densi....

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#38

Post by masklinn »

Samuel_Michon wrote: post #19
whakojacko wrote: post #3

Maybe its just me, but I have no issue with the size and weight of the 15" MBP (again, this could be because I came from previous larger 15" laptops). But I would love to see the optical drive dropped in place of more battery life.... Oh, and 1920x1080 would be nice. But I doubt that'll happen...

"1920x1080 would be nice. But I doubt that'll happen..." Actually, I think that is a real possibility. With the last MacBook Air refresh, screen resolution went up from 1280x800 to 1440x900. The current MacBook Pro 15" has a resolution of 1440x900, based on past refreshes I think it's safe to assume that the new MBP 15" will have a higher resolution than the current MBA. Most likely 1680x1050 but 1920x1080 isn't impo…

As a rule, Apple usually doesn't sell two different laptop sizes with the same resolution.

Next gen, the 15" will get 1680x1050 standard (instead of option) and the 13" MB/MBP should default to 1440x900, or at least get it as an option. But the 15" won't see 1920x1200 before the 17" is bumped.

Furthermore, OSX is hardly resolution-independent, a 1920x1200 15" would make for some small targets.

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#39

Post by masklinn »

cletus wrote: post #11
m3koval wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The author mentions the new CPUs in a footnote: "Except new CPUs, but who cares? CPUs are the least exciting (and usually least relevant) upgrades in modern mass-market personal computers." For the vast majority of users, including many power users, moving from a "very fast" processor to an "extremely fast" processor is much less of a performance gain than moving from a HDD to a SDD. That's not to say that I don't wi…

Compilation is notoriously singlethreaded, generally speaking. I believe Apple has made a deliberate choice that quad core offers little benefit over dual core with unjustifiably higher power usage. So I wouldn't be surprised if the next gen is also dual core only. I don't expect the MBP to die in the next gen either. Performance is much better than the Ars.

> I believe Apple has made a deliberate choice that quad core offers little benefit over dual core with unjustifiably higher power usage.

It's more along the lines of Intel not having any quad arrandale in acceptable TDPs.

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#40

Post by Samuel_Michon »

kgc wrote: post #18

The only changes I'd make to the "air-ified" MacBook Pro would be, in addition to replacing the 3.5in HD's with the slim SSD's found in the air and getting rid of the optical drive, would be to fill the remaining space with even more batteries, allowing all day usage with a beefy i7 processor and a dedicated graphics chip.

"replacing the 3.5in HD's with the slim SSD's found in the air"

The MacBook Pro has a 2.5" HDD [1]. The SSD in the MacBook Air has no enclosure at all, the module is placed directly on the logic board [2].

[1] http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-MacBook-Pro-15...

[2] http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-MacBook-Air-13...

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