How would you change Apple's Penryn-based MacBook Pro?

While everyone and their second cousin third removed had something to say about Apple's ultra-sexy, ultra-hamstrung MacBook Air, we've a sneaking suspicion that folks previously eager about this week's MacBook Pro updates will be equally vocal. For whatever reason, Cupertino faithful had February 26th pegged on their calender, and while the addition of a Penryn or two was nearly a given, the dreamers in the crowd had much higher hopes for that fateful Tuesday.

Nevertheless, the time came and went, and the re-opening of the online Apple store brought a whole heap of disappointment to many. Sure, folks still (somehow) enamored with the aging MBP design were thrilled to have access to a more potent, less scalding iteration of their favorite machine, but honestly, we're still using the GeForce 8600M GT? Really, Apple? Needless to say, this refresh likely did little to satisfy your desire for a revamped MacBook Pro, but we're interested in finding out exactly what it is you really wanted. An option for an SSD? What about a built-in Blu-ray drive? Would integrated HDMI make things more appealing? Or is a top-down case redesign the only thing stopping you from abusing your credit card in the name of Steve Jobs? Go on, we know you folks are chock full of good ideas, so let's hear 'em, shall we?

[holycow @ Feb 29th 2008 7:39PM]

Change the design completely...

[Big John @ Feb 29th 2008 7:56PM]

So, how? What are your brilliant plans?

[holycow @ Feb 29th 2008 8:00PM]

Like that 'I R SO EXPENSIVE' macbook pro design... that thing was BRILLIANT.

[Nabil @ Feb 29th 2008 8:06PM]

We must have something that looks new every 6 months, or we will become de-hypnotized and stop buying these shinny object that master illusionist Jobs tells us too.

[phanbouy @ Feb 29th 2008 8:12PM]

we get it Nabil, you hate apple; this is your 6th post trolling. nosotros comprendemos, el douchebago

[mushrooshi @ Feb 29th 2008 8:20PM]

Lets see...

To change it completely:

it must accept waffles for the disk

[Barry @ Feb 29th 2008 8:30PM]

Forget changing the design. Drop a real graphics card in the MacBook and it's better than the MBP. The weaksauce integrated graphics is the only real drawback to the MacBook.

[Jake @ Feb 29th 2008 8:42PM]

Give it a magnetic latch, get rid of the speaker grill (yuck), change the keyboard to a MacBook Air style one, switch the ports around to match the MacBook.

That would improve the appearance of it dramatically IMO.

[Joey Geraci @ Feb 29th 2008 8:57PM]

Have you ever actually used a Macbook Air or Macbook keyboard? They absolutely suck for any kind of extended usage. I wrote a 5 page paper on one once at my local bookstore (college bookstore that is also an Authorized Apple reseller), and my fingers were numb after 15 minutes. Literally, the keys were worse than the absolutely atrocious keyboards on Dells a couple years ago.

What Apple needed to do is make a 13.3 or 12.1 inch version of the current design, pretty much copying the 12 inch Powerbook design, except with modern components (including a modern low-end GPU, like a 128 meg 8400). This is what people want, not the POS Air.

[holycow @ Feb 29th 2008 9:01PM]

I would actually love to own a silver MacBook. Apple come on introduce a new colour to the MacBook.

[Jon Doe. @ Feb 29th 2008 9:17PM]

"How so?"


Why is it that the fanbois always require an answer from the people looking for a new design. Clue: Apple is the supposed design genius....let them fucking figure it out, meanwhile I'm sitting here with a C2D that looks pretty damn similar to a laptop introduced in 2001/2002. Same can be said of the iPod until they grew a set and released the neutered iPod Touch...same damn interface, same damn design rehashed over and over and over and over again.
so you ask what would I do? Answer: take a damn chance with a new design. something bold, not just slim, which by the way != revolutionary. Apple has crawled into a hole scared to try something really new for fear that it could break sales? Apple TV? iPhone? Those are side projects for Jobs pure and simple. They refuse to really try really revolutionary (Both in their OS and their hardware...*looks at his watch* still waiting on Piles Apple...anyday now.) for fear of killing those sales and that is where they fail.

[phanbouy @ Feb 29th 2008 9:34PM]

still bitter i see jon? jeez i guess the MBP design stole your girlfriend

[Jon Doe. @ Feb 29th 2008 9:43PM]

No just my enthusiasm for the platform. I want to like Apple. I really do. They need to try harder then these minor design bumps every 6 months. At least Dell is trying something...

[Nabil @ Feb 29th 2008 9:53PM]

phanbouy

Wow, just because we have a difference in opinion, you feel it necessary to call me a douchbag?

Plus, it is clear from your tone that my remarks aggravated you.

I hope I never live a pathetic life, where I would get insulted when someone doesn't like my favorite brand of consumer goods.

I guess I can't blame you because you are a fanboy (remove brain, insert propaganda).

[mushrooshi @ Mar 1st 2008 1:15AM]

Um, sorry, but I actually heavily prefer the macbook keyboard. It *did* take a while to stop hitting CapsLock, which i then totally disabled anyways.

[BrianB @ Mar 1st 2008 2:03AM]

Something has to be done about the heat. More air vents. Jesus! We have to be working in an igloo in order to work with MBP on our laps, the most ergonomic position for a laptop. Come on Apple, design a better ventilation system or innovate to cool down your notebooks.

[phanbouy @ Mar 1st 2008 2:40AM]

Wow Nabil, them's be fighting words.. all over being called a douche bag? You must get that often, being a pathetic little troll who's so insecure about others using macbook that he has to constantly tear everyone down and then go ballistic when someone calls him on it. talk about "pathetic life"!

[Chris @ Mar 1st 2008 12:42PM]

Some here seem to like the idea of change for the sake of change. I myself think the current MacBook Pro design is approaching perfection as I write this on one. I'm all for gradual and tangible improvements though. The heat issues in the MacBook Pro are a manufacturing flaw, not a design flaw that still needs fixing. I know this because mine is cool running after fixing the thermal paste application. There are plenty of gradual improvements they could make. Better wifi strength, magnetic latch, better and louder speakers, etc. The idea of getting rid of the grills is stupid. They are needed for the speakers at the very least. Move them elsewhere and sound quality is diminished.

[Nick Catalano @ Mar 1st 2008 3:46PM]

Magnetic Latch. Other than that, the current MBP design is perfectly fine.

[Some Kid @ Mar 1st 2008 5:32PM]

if Apple really wants to get more buyers, copy dell and add colors to a new, low end MacBook

Now that Hd DVD is gone, a blu-ray drive in the Pro would be nice

[mymaclife @ Mar 2nd 2008 12:45PM]

I agree change the design completely; the same should go for the bright spark who came up with 4 legged chair and a shower where the water runs down. What's wrong with these people, it's about time chairs had 5 legs and the water in my shower went up instead of down, now that would make things better!

[chroma @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:36AM]

WUXGA standard on 15.4" already. I'm sick of having to hack my macbook with non-apple screens to get a minimally acceptable DPI.

[spass @ Feb 29th 2008 7:40PM]

Make it Black!

[Konstantin @ Feb 29th 2008 11:04PM]

Yeah, black would be awesome! Also, toss in Blu-Ray, SSD, and HDMI. Would be nice to round out the edges on the thing just like MBA.

[Nate @ Mar 1st 2008 9:20AM]

yea, if they could make the already anodized aluminum colored, that would be awesome. Also, maybe slightly cheaper.

[Bran @ Apr 14th 2008 6:58PM]

Black would be amazing! Also, bright white lights around the slot drive, trackpad, power button, and "MacBook Pro" branding in addition to the Apple logo and keyboard. Also, optional laser-drilled hole designs for ventilation and style!

[Tony the Troll @ Feb 29th 2008 7:40PM]

Make it go faster!

[Nubaeus @ Feb 29th 2008 9:49PM]

Make it right click! I think that's been suggested for...8 years now?

[just a thought @ Feb 29th 2008 10:17PM]

Know what you are talking about before saying something dumb. Apple has a right click and scrolling via the mousepad / touchpad. The mouse pad is smart enough to know if you are using one finger or two and can react differently.

Apple doesn't need to need to do much to improve their products so long as Windows Vista keeps sucking up the PC market.

- from someone who has used PCs and Macs for the past 20 years, Mac is on its way up.

[Scott @ Feb 29th 2008 11:31PM]

Right click? Put two fingers on the trackpad and click. Boom! yer done. Wow, that was hard.

[BradVT @ Mar 1st 2008 12:47AM]

Man, if everyone likes using the two finger click why doesn't apple get rid of the click button all together. Put one finger on the trackpad and click. boom your done. The could even tout it as a "revolutionary interface" that doesn't require any buttons to navigate.

[ard buijsen @ Mar 1st 2008 6:12AM]

you know you can click via the touchpad. No it's not revolutionary but it works.

[ce @ Mar 7th 2008 11:50PM]

1. 23" screen
2. 7.1 channel surround sound
3. available in brown
4. replace Apple logo with portrait of Steve Jobs
5. circular touchpad
6. get rid of lowercase letters
7. preinstall Vista Ultimate and Kubuntu
8. 5.25" floppy drive
9. HD-DVD/Betamax combo drive
10. cupholder
11. complimentary black turtleneck
12. 32 GB RAM
13. Pentium III processor
14. ?????
15. Profit!

[raging_hamsterx @ Feb 29th 2008 7:41PM]

Can it play Doom?

[Nabil @ Feb 29th 2008 7:58PM]

No it can't....we all know that macs can't play any games.
What a waste of money on something that can't even play doom.

[phanbouy @ Feb 29th 2008 8:09PM]

yes, anything and everything that doesn't play doom should be incinerated. life is doom.

[braj @ Mar 1st 2008 1:01AM]

Macs can in fact play Doom. Well, I don't know about Doom 3 but they will play Doom 1 and 2 for certain.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/doomlegacy

[Bowtiedaddy @ Mar 1st 2008 3:12AM]

yup. I first played doom 3 on my G5 when it came out. Also, with intel macs, I can play whatever windows game I want via bootcamp. Runs just fine. =D I kept my old PC for games, but don't even need that any more.

[iGO @ Feb 29th 2008 7:42PM]

Make it foldable, so I can put it in my pocket when it's sleeping/hibernating !

[phanbouy @ Feb 29th 2008 7:43PM]

Put a "works with Zune" sticker on it so fanboys stop trolling posts for Apple gadgets.

[nate @ Feb 29th 2008 7:50PM]

...but it doesn't

[phanbouy @ Feb 29th 2008 8:04PM]

it's still locked to windows? ah well. must be apple's fault somehow i'm just sure of it. burrrrn them!!!

[peshue @ Feb 29th 2008 7:44PM]

Same thing I'd do with the previous model, more usb ports or a base station.

[mck @ Feb 29th 2008 8:13PM]

I cannot express how much I agree with you in words. It's simply ridiculous that my $2,000 computer has two USB ports. The sub-$1000 Dell comes with at least 4, usually more. I'd be willing to sacrifice a little thinness/sexyness/sleekness for more USB ports!

[austin @ Feb 29th 2008 8:23PM]

mck,

didn't you ever take a sec to think that using more usb ports on a computer will quickly drain the battery power? if you have a lot of devices to use at the same time, that's cool... but if you have a problem get a hub. otherwise, i think this is apple's way of keeping the battery alive just a little bit longer.

[Jeff @ Feb 29th 2008 8:41PM]

oh! and a card reader! and fingerprint scanner! and like 4 trackpad buttons, and one of those eraser thingies! and a few LEDs that are really bright but don't really tell me anything. and an entire row of extra buttons that launch IE or Outlook.

:P

I'm just kidding, extra USB ports aren't as worthless as the rest of the nonsense you find on other (non-apple) laptops, but at the same time, i hardly see the 2 as being to little. If you have a bunch of devices, get a hub. you obviously don't mind carrying around a bunch of extra crap. :)

[ceaseoleo @ Mar 21st 2008 4:04AM]

Shouldn't be up to apple decide how many f'n devices i want to use. They should put at least four, and if i want to drain my batter from using my usb powered dancing stripper on a pole, then I can. F you apple

[mck @ Feb 29th 2008 9:07PM]

I understand the argument of having to much stuff on a laptop (something that sub-$1000 Dell probably has!), but 2 USB ports is ridiculous.

Granted, I don't really take my laptop anywhere all that often, but if I plug in my two iPods, I'm out of USB ports. That means no printer, no mouse, camera, or USB beverage chiller!

Again, I agree that there needs to be a balance between to many and to little ports, but giving me an extra USB port or two wouldn't clutter it up to much.

[Elliot @ Feb 29th 2008 9:40PM]

@mck

"If I plug in my 2 ipods, I'm out of ports"

What? I don't know man, that's just kinda a wierd thing to need to do. I'm in the camp of saying that if you need more than two ports, get a hub. As for me, two usb ports just fine. 99% of the time I don't have anything plugged in, and that 1% of the time I run out, I'll unplug my mouse and use the trackpad. I need to carry this thing around all the time, so I'd rather have it light and thin than set for the small chance I need to plug in three ipods.

[Frank @ Mar 1st 2008 6:45PM]

I'd totally agree. I have an easy time using up the 3 ports on my windows laptop. Two would be difficult. I mean, come on, if you use Time machine w/o the time capsule, that's one port, another for a mouse, and that's it! No iPod, no USB drive, no cooling pad, no soundcard, no scanner!