MacBook Pro rumored to be getting multi-touch trackpad, sun also rumored to rise tomorrow

While you'd be hard pressed to come up with a safer Apple rumor to predict, it seems that AppleInsider has it on supposedly reliable word that the company will in fact be extending multi-touch trackpads to its top-end MacBook Pro line, and in the "next several weeks," no less. What's more, those same sources say that the new MacBook Pros (both 15-inch and 17-inch models) were originally supposed to make their debut "at or around Macworld Expo," but they got pushed back after Apple was forced to put additional resources and personnel on the MacBook Air in order to get it out in time. No firm word on what other specs we can look forward to, unfortunately although AppleInsider speculates that the laptops could be standardized around Intel's 2.5GHz and 2.6GHz mobile Penryn processors, which should offer some slight battery improvements in addition to a boost in performance.

[Thanks, Mark]

[Matthew @ Feb 17th 2008 4:42AM]

Hi,
some one please help me to enable tapping in windows xp,my mac is mac book pro 895
thanks

[peter M @ Jan 21st 2008 3:13PM]

and the upgrade is only $20.

[DMG @ Jan 21st 2008 3:52PM]

in other news, the earth revolves around the sun, gravity was just founded my sir isaac newton, and the beta version of the wheel was presented at macworld last week

[Seung-Hwan @ Jan 21st 2008 4:33PM]

founded?

[DMG @ Jan 21st 2008 4:40PM]

wow how did i miss that error?

[NiGhTmArE @ Jan 21st 2008 4:59PM]

my?

[cyrus @ Jan 21st 2008 3:17PM]

Time to check my savings

[Ireland @ Jan 21st 2008 5:58PM]

Yeah, hopefully we will see Air-like redesigns for both of the Pro machines and the consumer MacBook when they add those giant M.T. trackpads. I'm talking black keyboards, mag-latch across the board, and tapered outer case design. Doubt we'll see a back-lit keyboard on the MacBook, but I hope they make them in aluminum, and possibly colors too.

[RyanTV @ Jan 21st 2008 5:59PM]

Man, I had already checked mine and was ready to buy one when the Apple Store went live after the keynote... then I got served the huge plate of disappointment that is the MacBook Air.

[Austin @ Jan 21st 2008 9:27PM]

Seriously, yo. this engadget post just saved me two thousand dollars. I was a week away from buying a MBP. now i'll wait.

[ViagraFiend @ Jan 21st 2008 3:19PM]

I want to buy one so that I can put windows on it.

[jordn @ Jan 21st 2008 5:10PM]

ooo. The fanbois won't like that !

[Ireland @ Jan 21st 2008 5:59PM]

Are you suggesting someone would like that?

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jan 21st 2008 6:03PM]

Heck no, I sure don't mind. As long as you buy the Mac hardware, I don't care what OS you put on it. I have one OSX Tiger and two Windows XP Pro installs on my MacBook Pro (one for Fusion and one for BootCamp).

Only some MS fanboy would think so narrow-mindedly. WinXP Pro is fine, it's Vista I wasn't too happy using (on account of it's resource hogging).

Apart from the above nonsense, I wish it was just a hardware upgrade to turn the current MacBook Pro pad into a multitouch pad. It's not ultra-great, but it does seem pretty slick to use some of those gestures.

[Austin @ Jan 21st 2008 9:54PM]

@jordn: The AAPL stockholders will! myself included.

[Fraser Drew @ Jan 21st 2008 3:19PM]

Apple seriously need to considering hiring a bit of additional manpower! Every major project recently appears to have been set back because they've had to move staff around to work on another, more important product. I know that Apple seems to like to work with small groups, partially to minimise early exposure of a product; but with the market appeal being much bigger now, they really need to do some hiring!!

[Saint Dumb Ox @ Jan 21st 2008 4:01PM]

You need to get out more. Companies hate employees. They cost money and create risk (of losing more money to lawsuits and such.) Hiring more people is that last thing a "major corporation" ever wants to do.

[Scooby Carolan @ Jan 21st 2008 4:08PM]

Apple loves it's employees (I used to be one)! Beer Blasts every second Friday? Sushi Chef on campus every day? The problem isn't that they hate employees, they only hire the best. Most companies only hire the cheapest most passible person they can squeek by on. Not Apple, that why you pay $3K a laptop. Keeping the best on call isn't cheap.

[quandmeme @ Jan 21st 2008 4:31PM]

We have an immigration problem. Tech companies find there aren't enough good technical types graduating from US universities and foreigners can't get the visas. (Political admonition omitted.)

[IndiaTech @ Jan 21st 2008 7:25PM]

@Scooby

Out of curiosity... Do they really ask the "virginity" question?

[.ste @ Feb 18th 2008 11:27AM]

very well said !! I got so sick of waiting for the new OS.

[KeNO @ Jan 21st 2008 3:33PM]

i think its unfair to upgrade macbook pros trackpad and leave macbooks as it is ....im planning to buy a macbook and i d like to have this multitouch trackpad...

[sk8rpro @ Jan 21st 2008 3:36PM]

I have an iBook G4 and I think it's unfair that Apple has upgraded their notebooks all the time. I want the newer ones because I think the magsafe looks purdy.

[Reader @ Jan 21st 2008 4:43PM]

I laughed at the OP's comment. It's unfair? Seriously? They should just give me the laptops for free, that way everyone is happy (well at least me).

[sk8rpro @ Jan 21st 2008 6:46PM]

Reader,

Yes, I'm dead serious that I want Apple to give me extra laptops for free because I feel like it's unfair they upgrade to new ones.

Really? Ah-ha...uh, No.

[Reader @ Jan 21st 2008 7:48PM]

The point of me saying OP (original poster) was to say that I'm not replying to you...

[m @ Jan 21st 2008 8:35PM]

ok, so keno didn't respect the pecking order-- but he's right. updated macbooks will be very welcome, when they finally arrive. if somebody keeps his promise, they'll have LED screens, too. how long are we looking at, seers?

[wrabbit @ Jan 21st 2008 3:35PM]

Do these multi-touch trackpads really make a difference? It's not that I'm against adding them but I honestly don't see that they'd be very useful considering the size of the trackpad - it just seems like there's not enough room there to really take advantage of multi-touch. Anybody can attest to the opposite?

[KR @ Jan 21st 2008 3:45PM]

The trackpad on the current MBPs is quite large. Definitely more than ample for two-finger scrolling, etc. IIRC, from the photos, the trackpad on the Macbook Air is even larger than the one on the current MBPs.

If this is the case, I'd imagine that the MBP would also get the larger trackpad along with the added functionality. Should be plenty big to perform pinching and the other new multitouch features.

[Blaktornado @ Jan 21st 2008 3:36PM]

Well tomorrow IS a Tuesday, after all...

[quandmeme @ Jan 21st 2008 4:33PM]

Remember that odd-sounding comment at the end of the stevenote about there being 50 more weeks in the year? I'm expecting more than MBP updates in the coming months.

[Blaktornado @ Jan 21st 2008 4:40PM]

OOps - I was referring to the sun rise thing... Forgot to make that clear :P

[Bellerophon @ Jan 21st 2008 3:38PM]

Wow I'm glad I check my feeds. Was about to put down the cash for one of the current models.

I'm not one for rumors, but it seems plausible. A few weeks is manageable so I'll wait it out and see how it goes.

I just don't wanna get kicked in the balls. Again.

[Backlin @ Jan 21st 2008 4:21PM]

Man, I'm glad I check my feeds too. I just found out that the sun was going to rise tomorrow.

[Backlin @ Jan 21st 2008 4:21PM]

Man, I'm glad I check my feeds too. I just found out that the sun was going to rise tomorrow.

[Seung-Hwan @ Jan 21st 2008 5:11PM]

Um.... It was funny when someone else did it the first time...

[David @ Jan 21st 2008 3:38PM]

honestly i hope its not in the next few weeks. I can live with months. I just ordered a macbook pro to replace a dying laptop and I don't want to have the older tech by only a couple weeks.

[Eric @ Jan 21st 2008 3:48PM]

i just ordered a mb pro yesterday. got tired of waiting for an update that seemed like it wasnt gonna come.

[Colin @ Jan 21st 2008 3:57PM]

GODDAMNIT.
I bought a MacBook Pro YESTERDAY since MacWorld didn't introduce a new one. D;

[Scooby Carolan @ Jan 21st 2008 4:09PM]

return it unopened!

[Colin @ Jan 21st 2008 4:12PM]

I already opened it, and even cut out the UPC for a rebate. D;

[RyanTV @ Jan 22nd 2008 2:41PM]

man, you people really should keep up with the Apple Buyers Guide. It's there to help you out!
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

[Colin @ Jan 22nd 2008 6:44PM]

Excuse me, but it's said "Don't Buy" since last summer. After MacWorld, I decided not to wait another six months.

[Hansi @ Jan 21st 2008 3:57PM]

Lets hope they fix the real problem with the MBP, the screen resolution

[StrangeBum @ Jan 21st 2008 4:20PM]

If you consider that the MBP is more or less for photo/video editing, the screen resolution is fairly nice. A bit hard to read some text on, unless of course you were talking about it not being enough resolution for you, then I can only recommend getting the 17" MBP which has even more.

I'm picking one up for video production and some photo work, so I'm digging it, consider that comparing it to my 15" HP that only has 1280x920 (not exactly sure) it's much better.

[Hansi @ Jan 21st 2008 4:24PM]

Of course I mean it's too low, can you ever have too high resolution? Wouldn't adjusting the DPI fix too high resolution

Every other 15" notebook has 1680x1050, all the Macs have too low resolution

[Shannin @ Jan 21st 2008 9:40PM]

what are you smoking?
most major retailers (im talking HP, Dell, Gateway, sony, etc) use a 15.4" screen with a resolution of 1280x800, so apples 1440x900 is still HIGHER then most windows computers. though i would like to see an upgrade to a higher resolution as well.

[RyanTV @ Jan 22nd 2008 2:45PM]

The last 2 15" notebooks I've gotten through my job have had a 1680x1050 screen and my MacBook seems crippled at 1440x900. That is DEFINITELY something that Apple needs to get with.

[Mike @ Jan 21st 2008 4:08PM]

I just wish that they would do something about the low end of their product line. I lost a possible convert to Mac yesterday because Apple simply does not offer a low price computer with the specs she needed. Seriously, when I cannot recommend a Mac over a computer from Dell which has a slower processor but four times the hard drive for a person who surfs the web, does email, writes the occasional letter, and looks at and prints digital photos because the Mac Mini is twice the price for components she doesn't need there is a problem.

More and more of the computer buying market is moving to the lower end processors with a lower price because it does everything that they need to do, and if Apple keeps up their pretentious better then that attitude they are going to have a hard time growing their market share.

As much as I love my Mac I cannot recommend spending twice as much money for components that are not needed. Even if it is a better OS.

[James Grinter @ Jan 22nd 2008 1:43PM]

but the OS is one of the components!

Software is just as much worthy of paying for as hardware.