6 ms·

Apple's all-new MacBook Pro

31 points by noodle 18y ago

aerocapture 18y ago
What I really want to do is buy one of these at about a 30% discount, sans MacOS, and run Kubuntu on it.
- speek 18y ago
  but but but... OS X is really great! I like the *buntus, but I think that OS X is a little more polished and solid.
  - unalone 18y ago
    Yeah. You don't get a Macbook just for the aesthetic - though the aesthetic is tremendous. You get it for the operating system.
    - sunkencity 18y ago
      well, it's a sexy machine to run linux on too, when you are too frustrated with manually compiling tarballs or fighting with the ports system.
      - axod 18y ago
        Still using desktop software eh? ;)
      - unalone 18y ago
        True. And I'd imagine that the drivers for Mac computers are all completely covered in Linux, considering there's not, ahem, too much variety to pick from. So that's an advantage.
  - rbanffy 18y ago
    It has no APT (well... it has but it's kind of a bolt-on solution). And no, ports is not an adequate substitute. No APT is a deal-breaker for me. At least as my main work computer. But looks insanely great.
petercooper 18y ago
What a shame Apple's releases today have stirred up a cauldron of disappointment and inconsistency. No significant spec upgrades, prices have gone up (in the UK, at least) - we've gained slightly better video, a glass trackpad, a new case, and an SSD option. With computer prices falling (generally), it's remarkable that Apple hasn't responded to that at all. Even the old MacBook they're trying to pass off as the new entry level one is £20 more than the same machine was yesterday (yet $100 less in the US). Apple has muddied the whole notebook range. The MacBook now comes in two totally different styles, as does the MacBook Pro (with the 17" now being a particularly poor deal, despite the increased standard res.) And what's with the new Cinema Display? Looks nice, but it's not workable for Mac Pro users (the market Cinema Displays were meant to be for) and it's heavily overpriced. It's really just an accessory for only the newest releases. Apple was making good progress at bringing pro-level technology to the user at prosumer prices, but this whole update has sent them back into the stratosphere. The entry level "new" MacBook is over £200 ($400) more than the old entry level MacBook.. how can I recommend this to my PC-switching family now?
- axod 18y ago
  Yeah Porsche should drop their prices as well eh. They still cost way more than a ford focus.
  - petercooper 18y ago
    Apple is not trying to be a Porsche of the computer industry. Apple is a mass market company with growing marketshare - it's one of the biggest computer manufacturers in the world. Porsche's output is tiny compared to that of Ford. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, especially when it makes no sense.
    - unalone 18y ago
      Are you kidding? Apple wants to eat its cake and have it, if they can. They want mass popularity and technical superiority. But above everything, they are a high-end technology producer. Remember their $600 phone? There's a reason their products debut at such a high price: it's because they want above all to have the best product. Granted, $999 Macbooks aren't the best. I'd prefer it lower. But it's absolutely worth that price.
deleted 18y ago
[deleted]
mdasen 18y ago
I'm a tad frustrated. I love Apple and the Mac OS, but sometimes it really gets to be that the Mac space is a one supplier game. Apple has decided for me that I like glossy screens. I was pretty sure I hated them, but I guess Apple must be right. I also hate real buttons I guess. I'm looking forward to when Apple replaces my keyboard with a pretty glass piece as well. I really need a new laptop (PowerBook is ready to kick the bucket), but at a certain point Apple needs to understand that some of its users are decently traditional and just really, really like the Mac OS. I feel like if Apple had to compete with other Mac OS players, I'd get a better deal and better products. Apple is making great things right now, but they're also trying to force you into a corner by saying "if you want the good Mac OS stuff, you have to put up with everything else we want to push on you". Maybe I'm the only one who feels like Apple is getting arrogant with their marketshare. Maybe this isn't parallel to how Apple previously got arrogant and lost nearly all its marketshare. Maybe I don't want to go back to the dark days when I was openly mocked for my Mac choice.
- axod 18y ago
  "I also hate real buttons I guess" It is a real button. Did you not read the article/presentation etc? You can just decide that the bottom 1/3rd of the trackpad is the old button and keep using it just as you did with a satisfying click and small movement as before. As for matt screens.... meh
  - timr 18y ago
    AFAICT, that's not a real button. That's a configurable pseudo-button. In particular, there doesn't appear to be tactile feedback -- the most important part of button-pressing for those of us old-school types who like to press buttons.
    - m0digital 18y ago
      "No tactile feedback". The button goes down and clicks. What more tactile feedback is there for a button?
weegee 18y ago
the Macbook keyboard takes some getting used to. it's a shame they moved away from the nicer keyboards on the old Macbook Pros. I use a bluetooth keyboard while at home with my Macbook as well as an external monitor, which makes it a lot nicer. Also leaving Firewire 400 off is interesting, as I prefer it to USB 2.0 for the higher speed. Looks like I'll not be buying another Macbook for a while.
- unalone 18y ago
  This is more like the Air keyboard, though. And I've used that, and it's been pretty excellent.
  - weegee 18y ago
    good to know. I've yet to try that keyboard. The Air is a pretty nice looking notebook computer.
- SwellJoe 18y ago
  Also leaving Firewire 400 off is interesting, as I prefer it to USB 2.0 for the higher speed. If you mean "lower" when you say "higher", then your statement is true. USB 2.0 is 480 Mbps. Firewire 400 is...100, 200, or 400 Mbps. Firewire 800, on the other hand, tops out at 800 Mbps, but uses an incompatible cable type, thus making it even less common than Firewire 400, and practically useless except for folks doing high end video work (since those are the only devices I can think of that still ship with 1394 interfaces...maybe some audio devices do, too). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#USB_2.0 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#USB_2.0 Popular standards are good. Embrace them. Particularly when they are clearly superior, as USB 2.0 is.
  - dcurtis 18y ago
    Not entirely true. USB 2.0's "peak" speed is 480Mbps, but it actually performs worse for large transfers than firewire. From what I understand, it's designed for short bursts of data at very high speeds.
  - 18y ago
brandonkm 18y ago
I think both the new MacBook and the MacBook pro are great. Aesthetically Apple nailed it. The increased graphics capacity will no doubt be a hit with the graphic design and production crowd. The screen looks mint and the trackpad will no doubt probably become standard on all mac laptops from now on. Seems everyone is always wanting that "something more" but for someone who was holding out from buying a MacBook because I knew new ones were on the horizon, these are excellent.
symptic 18y ago
At least it looks great.
allenbrunson 18y ago
it looks very pretty. the no-seams aluminum case looks cooler than i thought it would, and makes my four-month-old macbook pro look dated by comparison. i think the glossy screen is a deal-breaker for me, though. i'm hoping the next round will add a matte option.
- kylec 18y ago
  To be fair, the MacBook pro has looked dated for a while. The design is nearly identical to the aluminum PowerBook G4 that came out in 2003: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook_G4#Aluminium_PowerBook_G4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook_G4#Aluminium_PowerBoo...
  - karmaVS 18y ago
    Whereas the new design looks like the TiBook that preceded it.
timtrueman 18y ago
Anyone know where I can find more information on the SSD they offer? (e.g. MLC or SLC?)
jmatt 18y ago
For some reason it looks like an old circa 2004 dell laptop to me. It's the black keys with the silverish case. I haven't seen one in person but that is my immediate impression. I'm a proud owner of a black macbook - which I love. And I think the previous macbook pros look good. Maybe I just need to see one in person, where I can see all the "detail". That, plus the permanent glossy screen, is a deal breaker. I won't be upgrading anytime soon. Maybe the next revision will give it a new feel or look.
- rbanffy 18y ago
  As someone being forced to use a Dell D630 notebook for work, I can tell you there is a world of difference between any Mac and any Dell...
nickjames 18y ago
i hate apple. all their products are fucking overpriced.
Kilimanjaro 18y ago
They saved the "brick" and the netbook for Januarys Mac World.
- cbarning 18y ago
  "Brick" is the process that makes the Aluminum body of the laptop. http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/design.html http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/design.html
wenbert 18y ago
all glossy screen :-( never liked them. for me, coding on non-glossy screens are better.

31 points by noodle 18y ago

aerocapture 18y ago

What I really want to do is buy one of these at about a 30% discount, sans MacOS, and run Kubuntu on it.

speek 18y ago
but but but... OS X is really great! I like the *buntus, but I think that OS X is a little more polished and solid.
- unalone 18y ago
  Yeah. You don't get a Macbook just for the aesthetic - though the aesthetic is tremendous. You get it for the operating system.
  - sunkencity 18y ago
    well, it's a sexy machine to run linux on too, when you are too frustrated with manually compiling tarballs or fighting with the ports system.
    - axod 18y ago
      Still using desktop software eh? ;)
    - unalone 18y ago
      True. And I'd imagine that the drivers for Mac computers are all completely covered in Linux, considering there's not, ahem, too much variety to pick from. So that's an advantage.
- rbanffy 18y ago
  It has no APT (well... it has but it's kind of a bolt-on solution). And no, ports is not an adequate substitute. No APT is a deal-breaker for me. At least as my main work computer. But looks insanely great.

petercooper 18y ago

What a shame Apple's releases today have stirred up a cauldron of disappointment and inconsistency. No significant spec upgrades, prices have gone up (in the UK, at least) - we've gained slightly better video, a glass trackpad, a new case, and an SSD option. With computer prices falling (generally), it's remarkable that Apple hasn't responded to that at all. Even the old MacBook they're trying to pass off as the new entry level one is £20 more than the same machine was yesterday (yet $100 less in the US). Apple has muddied the whole notebook range. The MacBook now comes in two totally different styles, as does the MacBook Pro (with the 17" now being a particularly poor deal, despite the increased standard res.) And what's with the new Cinema Display? Looks nice, but it's not workable for Mac Pro users (the market Cinema Displays were meant to be for) and it's heavily overpriced. It's really just an accessory for only the newest releases. Apple was making good progress at bringing pro-level technology to the user at prosumer prices, but this whole update has sent them back into the stratosphere. The entry level "new" MacBook is over £200 ($400) more than the old entry level MacBook.. how can I recommend this to my PC-switching family now?

axod 18y ago
Yeah Porsche should drop their prices as well eh. They still cost way more than a ford focus.
- petercooper 18y ago
  Apple is not trying to be a Porsche of the computer industry. Apple is a mass market company with growing marketshare - it's one of the biggest computer manufacturers in the world. Porsche's output is tiny compared to that of Ford. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, especially when it makes no sense.
  - unalone 18y ago
    Are you kidding? Apple wants to eat its cake and have it, if they can. They want mass popularity and technical superiority. But above everything, they are a high-end technology producer. Remember their $600 phone? There's a reason their products debut at such a high price: it's because they want above all to have the best product. Granted, $999 Macbooks aren't the best. I'd prefer it lower. But it's absolutely worth that price.

deleted 18y ago

[deleted]

mdasen 18y ago

I'm a tad frustrated. I love Apple and the Mac OS, but sometimes it really gets to be that the Mac space is a one supplier game. Apple has decided for me that I like glossy screens. I was pretty sure I hated them, but I guess Apple must be right. I also hate real buttons I guess. I'm looking forward to when Apple replaces my keyboard with a pretty glass piece as well. I really need a new laptop (PowerBook is ready to kick the bucket), but at a certain point Apple needs to understand that some of its users are decently traditional and just really, really like the Mac OS. I feel like if Apple had to compete with other Mac OS players, I'd get a better deal and better products. Apple is making great things right now, but they're also trying to force you into a corner by saying "if you want the good Mac OS stuff, you have to put up with everything else we want to push on you". Maybe I'm the only one who feels like Apple is getting arrogant with their marketshare. Maybe this isn't parallel to how Apple previously got arrogant and lost nearly all its marketshare. Maybe I don't want to go back to the dark days when I was openly mocked for my Mac choice.

axod 18y ago
"I also hate real buttons I guess" It is a real button. Did you not read the article/presentation etc? You can just decide that the bottom 1/3rd of the trackpad is the old button and keep using it just as you did with a satisfying click and small movement as before. As for matt screens.... meh
- timr 18y ago
  AFAICT, that's not a real button. That's a configurable pseudo-button. In particular, there doesn't appear to be tactile feedback -- the most important part of button-pressing for those of us old-school types who like to press buttons.
  - m0digital 18y ago
    "No tactile feedback". The button goes down and clicks. What more tactile feedback is there for a button?

weegee 18y ago

the Macbook keyboard takes some getting used to. it's a shame they moved away from the nicer keyboards on the old Macbook Pros. I use a bluetooth keyboard while at home with my Macbook as well as an external monitor, which makes it a lot nicer. Also leaving Firewire 400 off is interesting, as I prefer it to USB 2.0 for the higher speed. Looks like I'll not be buying another Macbook for a while.

unalone 18y ago
This is more like the Air keyboard, though. And I've used that, and it's been pretty excellent.
- weegee 18y ago
  good to know. I've yet to try that keyboard. The Air is a pretty nice looking notebook computer.
SwellJoe 18y ago
Also leaving Firewire 400 off is interesting, as I prefer it to USB 2.0 for the higher speed. If you mean "lower" when you say "higher", then your statement is true. USB 2.0 is 480 Mbps. Firewire 400 is...100, 200, or 400 Mbps. Firewire 800, on the other hand, tops out at 800 Mbps, but uses an incompatible cable type, thus making it even less common than Firewire 400, and practically useless except for folks doing high end video work (since those are the only devices I can think of that still ship with 1394 interfaces...maybe some audio devices do, too). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#USB_2.0 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#USB_2.0 Popular standards are good. Embrace them. Particularly when they are clearly superior, as USB 2.0 is.
- dcurtis 18y ago
  Not entirely true. USB 2.0's "peak" speed is 480Mbps, but it actually performs worse for large transfers than firewire. From what I understand, it's designed for short bursts of data at very high speeds.
- 18y ago

brandonkm 18y ago

I think both the new MacBook and the MacBook pro are great. Aesthetically Apple nailed it. The increased graphics capacity will no doubt be a hit with the graphic design and production crowd. The screen looks mint and the trackpad will no doubt probably become standard on all mac laptops from now on. Seems everyone is always wanting that "something more" but for someone who was holding out from buying a MacBook because I knew new ones were on the horizon, these are excellent.

symptic 18y ago

At least it looks great.

allenbrunson 18y ago

it looks very pretty. the no-seams aluminum case looks cooler than i thought it would, and makes my four-month-old macbook pro look dated by comparison. i think the glossy screen is a deal-breaker for me, though. i'm hoping the next round will add a matte option.

kylec 18y ago
To be fair, the MacBook pro has looked dated for a while. The design is nearly identical to the aluminum PowerBook G4 that came out in 2003: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook_G4#Aluminium_PowerBook_G4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook_G4#Aluminium_PowerBoo...
- karmaVS 18y ago
  Whereas the new design looks like the TiBook that preceded it.

timtrueman 18y ago

Anyone know where I can find more information on the SSD they offer? (e.g. MLC or SLC?)

jmatt 18y ago

For some reason it looks like an old circa 2004 dell laptop to me. It's the black keys with the silverish case. I haven't seen one in person but that is my immediate impression. I'm a proud owner of a black macbook - which I love. And I think the previous macbook pros look good. Maybe I just need to see one in person, where I can see all the "detail". That, plus the permanent glossy screen, is a deal breaker. I won't be upgrading anytime soon. Maybe the next revision will give it a new feel or look.

rbanffy 18y ago
As someone being forced to use a Dell D630 notebook for work, I can tell you there is a world of difference between any Mac and any Dell...

nickjames 18y ago

i hate apple. all their products are fucking overpriced.

Kilimanjaro 18y ago

They saved the "brick" and the netbook for Januarys Mac World.

cbarning 18y ago
"Brick" is the process that makes the Aluminum body of the laptop. http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/design.html http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/design.html

wenbert 18y ago

all glossy screen :-( never liked them. for me, coding on non-glossy screens are better.