Poll: How about them MacBook updates?
By Paul Miller 
posted February 26th 2008 11:04AM
posted February 26th 2008 11:04AM
| If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Penryn was just what I've been waiting for. | |
|---|---|
| I could use some SSD and maybe a Core 2 Extreme chip, but I'll live. | |
| Apple couldn't shave just a little off these form factors here and there? | |
| I'll just have to put this three grand toward my kid's college fund, what a waste! | |
| What gives, Apple? That circa-1999 keyboard isn't doing it for me anymore. | |
| I'm pretty much heartbroken, and would rather not talk about it right now. | |
| Maybe I'd care, but I use a PC. How do you like them Apples? |
"This website is about technology, and Apple is one of the major computer and technology companies."
*One* of.
That's the problem. No other computer company - including Microsoft who is arguably the biggest and most important one (given that their stuff is running on 92%+ of all of the computers in the world) gets as much space here as Apple does.
And when other companies do get space, it's almost always with a snarky 'but it's not as good as Apple' tone.
So, to clarify - it's not about covering Apple less - it's about covering everyone else more.
Think different - like something other than Apple. :)
How about a little multi-touch love for the Macbooks. I wanted to get one to replace my Powerbook as a lighter alternative. And I am not big on the Air.
Well as i'm about to upgrade my aging powerbook G4 12" it was nice to see an upgrade of the macbook.
At the same time prices dropped here in Denmark, which was about time with the low dollar price.
Before the price drop i could fly to New York, buy a mac and fly home and still save money. The macbook black which i'm looking at dropped about $200. Nice! But it's still about $500 more expensive compared to the US-price.
Seriously, if this updated equipped MacBook with LED backlight and MultiTouch, I am sold.
It's a good enough update that I'll be quite jealous of my brother when he gets one of these for college.
I though the updates were fine. Nothing wrong with getting a little more CPU/RAM/HDD for the same price. Would be nice if they put the multi-touch on all lines as well as LED displays (esp the MacBook since it has a 13" screen as well)
But as with Apple, product refresh happens more often than other manufactures so if this doesnt meet your needs/wants you could wait till April/June/Nov. Something new is bound to crop up again and again.
I was hoping for larger hard disks. 320GB would have been nice. Makes quite a difference when your MBP is your main machine, and you're on the move a lot. Looking forward to getting a 500GB disk in a MBP maybe by the end of 2008. That will be really helpful.
Does anyone else find it funny that a company so devoted to ironing out the small details to make everything look beautiful wouldn't proofread their stuff when they update it on their website.
Last I checked...at least with Apple...there is no such thing as a "Douple-layer SuperDrive" on the 17" MacBook Pro's.
I signed on to Apple Live chat to inform them of their typo...I think I pissed off the support guy when I informed them of a mistake they made. Before anyone gives me any guff about being an MS or penguin fanboy or starts saying retorting with "everyone makes mistakes", please take a look at the title bar in the screen shot. Apple's are nice, but they aren't the Jesus/Buddha/Flying Spaghetti Monster/etc. of computing.
MacBook Pro Page:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?nnmm=browse&mco=916FC36&node=home/shop_mac/family/macbook_pro
Screenshot in case they fixed it:
http://iamdex.com/douple.jpg
err ummmmm -saying
Elliot... there's even worst...
When I looked up to buy myself my first MBP, on the ADC Canadian Store, I ended up with no choice for a french keyboard and OS X... (but it was available on the store and education store)...
Funny... today it's back there :D
To all those who wanted Blu-Ray, that will NEVER happen until software (Let's say Aperture 4 or something) debuts on a BR-D. They are very single-minded in the way of bringing movies to your laptop: iTunes.
Not that I necessarily agree, but that's the way they are.
People act like Apple makes their design/production decisions a week before product announcement. I see the many "why didn't Apple include...what were they thinking?" type of posts and it just amazes me at the lack of understanding that's out there.
Any company that makes a product has to make their decisions well in advance of the shipping date. They have to choose from the parts that are available at the time they're designing their product; negotiate a contract with the supplier(s); commit to purchasing the quantity ordered and wait for the supplier to produce and ship the parts to their assembly plants. Everything else including packaging has to be coordinated so it all comes together in the same place at the right time. They then have to assemble and package their product to get it ready for shipping. With a company that produces what Apple does, this does NOT take place in a week or two. If you want the answer to "what were they thinking?" Try going back 8-10 months and see what was available and the prices at that time.
I see people complaining about lack of blu-ray. Again; what was available and what were the specs, performance and pricing 8-10 months ago? And just how long do you think the battery would last while burning a 50g blu-ray disk?
In all the years of experience I've had with Apple's products, especially since Steve came back to the company I've seen nothing that would support the "Apple is trying to screw us" mentality I see too often on message boards. Apple obviously cares about what they produce and does a fine job balancing practical decisions with artistic ideology. They have to run a business and make a profit but at the same time they do what other companies don't when it comes to innovating and pushing the edge.
I think the new MacBook updates are fine, reasonable and probably the last we'll see of this form factor. The MacBook Air without question indicates things to come. It clearly shows the current thinking that's going on inside Apple's design team and is reflected in the look and feel of the iPod Touch, iPod Nano and iPhone.
Apple's products are extremely useful and a pleasure to use and I hope they continue to make stuff I like and want. :)
Excuse me, sir, but your levelheaded commentary has no place on this blog.
I just got mine and apparent they also changed the keyboard layout a little. The volume keys are now F10-F12, they removed the turn off keyboard backlight button and moved the other ones to F4-F5, and they added media keys (play, pause, etc) to F7-F9.
Everything else looks the same same, as I have standard 17-inch, so I don't have the LED.
I have a D3ll D420 that I would love to replace with a 12" MBP w/ quadcore CPU, 4 GB RAM, and a 512 MB video card. Can I get that under 3 pounds? *sigh*
I don't think the updates were too bad. They're decent and evolutionary to keep up with the market. I think many people want a new redesigned Pro however, which is what I would have liked to seen. A new casing design more iMacish would have been cool. As far as the specs I don't think there is much to complain about.
The spec bumps were exactly what I was hoping for, but the lack of form factor changes was a bit of a bummer. I love the MBA looks, but the 4200rpm HDD is too small/cheap (I'd be surprised if it didn't stop working after 1.5-2 years of use) and the integrated graphics are just a hair too underpowered for me.
This essentially has left me with the MBP, but just like my PowerMac G5 I purchased early 2005, this MBP still looks the same...>
No Blu Ray?! Who's spending over 2 grand on a computer with a freakin DVD drive!? BD won the format war, Apple, get with it!
...and stick that remote back in the box, would you? Cheapos!
Yeah Apple, come on! React to extremely recent market changes in your laptop line of notebooks during a ho-hum update!
I've had a macbook for about 7 months and have been missing my ibook ever since. it was a lot more stable than this version and I'm not sure any improvements have improved my life.
This longtime mac user has been unimpressed.
I just committed a Leo Laporte. I just bought a new Black MacBook and had gotten 2GB Ram upgrade. Now, 2GB is $250 cheaper and has a larger hard drive. DAMN YOU APPLE!
Guh. Never buy the extra RAM from Apple. It's way cheaper to get it from a 3rd party (yet still reputable) manufacturer as it's way cheaper. Also, doesn't Apple offer some kind of 30-day price protection?
Missing a regular ole "don't care" option. Happy with my Air, no real feelings on these updates either way. Don't really feel like following the massive negative groupthink, either.
A Mac is a PC and runs XP, Vista and Leopard, so what's the beef.
Actually, just yesterday, the $2799 17" MacBook Pro contained the same 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo that the $2499 15" MacBook Pro contained. In fact the two computers were identical, with the sole exceptions of screen size and the addition of one USB port in the 17" to a total of three.
The claim that an upgraded chip in the 17" model has never been done is asinine. Fact is, when Apple provided the option for the 2.6 GHz configuration, it was a configure to order option that was a paid upgrade.
Cheers Mate
N8,
The point I am trying to make is that when someone goes to by a laptop and sees that they can spend $2000 for a 2.4 GHz 15" MBP or $2500 on a 2.5 GHz 15" MBP it is hard for most people to see a lot of value for that extra $500. It means Apple will sell fewer of the upgraded laptops because most people will just get the entry level model.
The option to upgrade the chip on the 17" PB/MBP _HAS NEVER EVER BEEN DONE!!!_ That is just a simple fact, as asinine as you may think it is.
Side-stepping the pithing contest, I'm still chugging along in my vintage 1.5 GHz PowerBook. I'd *love* to pick up a spiffy new Penryn MBP, but why would I when the Montevina chips are supposed to be launched in 4 months?
Anyone?
Still with the crappy rubber feet that fall off? They should have fixed that design FLAW years ago.
I welcome the upgrades, though I still wish they would make SuperDrive standard in all models.
I wasn't aware that the remote has been taken out of the package, but when you're spending at least $1000, is another $19 really a problem? Not that I'd ever use it.
freaking apple.. i hope they don't roll out a touch keyboard on the next upgrade. I just got mine 6 months ago and now it's out of date.
I donno, maybe you should listen to your audience. No one cares!
- Maybe I'd care, but I use a PC. How do you like them Apples? (28.5%)
Just get an Eee.
Kidding, but just about every Mac post lately has a comment comparing the Eee, so here it is for this post.
just keep upgrading the innards. I like the outside fine.
Agreed.
You know it really warms the cockles to see Mac users hating on each other instead of the rest of the world for once.
I just feel so ...so jovial ...the hills are alive..
I was going to be a first time Mac Book Pro owner, after the upgrade, but I decided against the purchase. I was expecting a lighter form factor yet it's the same old Mac Books, even if run cooler than version notebooks. NO SSD? What gives?
I like the form factor as it is.