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Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

marco.org

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Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#61

Post by nika »

We run our startup from two 15" MacBook Pros. For mine, I took out the optical drive and replaced it with a 1TB hard drive. Where the original hard drive went, I put in a tiny SSD. This works great. OS and apps on the SSD, and I put the iMovie events and Aperture libraries on the hard drive. I don't know why Marco thinks that Time Machine wouldn't back up both drives, it does back mine up.

I also think that Firewire is pretty important, as I backed up to external drives over USB for awhile and really have come to appreciate the FW800 port for that purpose.

A Wedge shaped MacBook Pro would still be bigger than an air, and probably thicker, and I presume would have room for a FW port still.

I don't see the need or reason to go to SSD only. The people who would be happy with that are likely to be happy with the macbook Air anyway.

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#62

Post by nika »

statictype wrote: post #21

Mac OS X doesn't support TRIM does it? I know a lot of people are gushing over the SSD drives but aren't they going to be bummed out in 12 months when it starts degrading?

Please remember that TRIM is one solution, and Apple makes the whole widget. Which is to say, Apple can make their own SSDs (or set the specs for toshiba or whoever provides the modules) and put whatever support into the OS they need.

TRIM, like all such standards, is a compromise born out of the need for different parties (namely OS makers and hardware makers who have different priorities) to agree on a common solution.

Apple doesn't need to make such a compromise, and can thus produce a better solution. I'm not saying they will, they may not consider the issue sufficient for the effort required and may simply support TRIM, or they may decide that TRIM is the best practical solution for them.

But in my experience watching Apple for a couple decades, them "doing nothing" and it seemingly being well past the time they should have done something, usually means that they are working on what they consider to be a much better solution, and it isn't yet ready.

I think there's a lot of room for innovation in this fundamental shift from hard drives to SSDs.

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#64

Post by [deleted] »

statictype wrote: post #43
m104 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You really think that Apple would let their SSD-buying customers twist in the wind? The people paying a premium, or buying an MacBook Air? You're saying that Apple hasn't had or won't have a way to make OS X love the SSD? Apple, the company that will probably be the first major computer manufacturer to eliminate the spinning disks, the company that is doing whatever it can to snatch up flash memory production capacit…

Are you trying to make some point? If you have an answer, I'd be genuinely interested in hearing it, because as far as I know, that little thing is needed for SSDs to work properly over long term, since overwriting pages in a flash disk is significantly more costly than writing data to fresh pages. If you don't have an answer, well, your comment seems to be fairly content-free.

[deleted]

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#66

Post by moeffju »

pclark wrote: post #17
moeffju wrote: post #13

I bought a new MBP a few months ago and back then, I was a little annoyed that I could not wait for the new versions to come out that would sure obsolete the computer I would buy now. Hearing this speculation, I'm even more glad I didn't wait. The speculation makes sense. But compared with my current setup - MBP 15" HiRes AntiGlare, replaced SuperDrive with a 240G OCZ Vertex 2 in OptiBay, installed 8G RAM - I don't s…

Do you simply not worry about having no worry due to the OptiBay? I'm tempted. I'm also concerned about harming the resale value by installing an OptiBay...

The OptiBay installation took me all of 5 minutes. It comes in a bundle with the correct screwdriver(s), if you don't have a Torx T6. Mine also came with an external enclosure for the superdrive. The actual installation is very simple, mostly removing screws; only one ribbon cable is a little delicate, but not a problem either. If you have any experience tinkering with electronics, it's a breeze, but if you don't, just be a little careful, not much can go wrong. Or, of course, have someone do it for it.

I didn't plan on reselling this computer ever, but if I were, I assume that the buyer would be just as happy with more HDD space and a super-fast system disk, plus an external SuperDrive. Worst case I could always build this back to stock configuration within half an hour.

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#67

Post by randallsquared »

jburwell wrote: post #59

Glad to see pure speculation making the front page. It's a sad commentary when you a few links to that vaunted journal Mac Rumors would vastly increase the credibility of a post. I am sure some would love to see a 15" MacBook Air and the demise of the glass screen, but airing those desires is not news.

Fortunately, it prompts interesting discussion, which I enjoy seeing on the front page.

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#68

Post by icefox »

_Fil_ wrote: post #44

Regarding the 10/100 USB ethernet adaptor and with some wishful thinking, you could see a USB3 MacBook with a 10/100/1000 USB ethernet adaptor.

After they remove the dvd drive the tallest port will be the ethernet port. Moving it to a external USB adaptor like they have already done on the air is logical.

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#69

Post by moeffju »

nika wrote: post #61

We run our startup from two 15" MacBook Pros. For mine, I took out the optical drive and replaced it with a 1TB hard drive. Where the original hard drive went, I put in a tiny SSD. This works great. OS and apps on the SSD, and I put the iMovie events and Aperture libraries on the hard drive. I don't know why Marco thinks that Time Machine wouldn't back up both drives, it does back mine up. I also think that Firewire…

Since I did a similar mod, I would recommend you put the HD in the HDD's place, not the optical drive bay. The HDD bay is designed for a disks that vibrate and get hot etc., while the optical bay is not. If your HDD is there, your keyboard will get uncomfortably warm if the HDD is used, and the whole case will vibrate. Put the SSD in the optical bay instead.

Re: Speculation on the next MacBook Pro

#70

Post by masklinn »

Zev wrote: post #42
masklinn wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

As a rule, or what Apple has historically done? Because those are two different things. And are there any laptops with a resolution higher than 1920x1200?

> As a rule, Apple usually doesn't

means it's a rule inferred from Apple's previous behavior…

> And are there any laptops with a resolution higher than 1920x1200?

I've yet to see one, but I don't think there's anything preventing it technically: there were WUXGA 15" laptops 5+ years ago, so why not a WQXGA 17" now (a WXQGA 17" would yield ~177DPI versus 151 on a WUXGA 15", nothing to sneeze at but still very much feasible, IBM's T220 was above 200DPI in 2001)

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