MacBook rumors swirling: glass trackpads, custom chipsets, ponies, ice cream

An interesting wave of MacBook rumors hit today, for some reason, following up on these weird case images we saw a while back. First up, Seth Weintraub at Computerworld says the new machines will be manufactured in an all-new process out of one sheet of aluminum and feature glass multi-touch trackpads -- which seems entirely unnecessary, since there's no reason for the trackpads to be clear if there's no screen underneath them. (No, there's not going to be a screen underneath them. Stop it.) Second, AppleInsider says that the inherent suck of Intel's integrated graphics solutions is pushing Apple away from using the Centrino 2 / Montevina platform in the MacBook, and that the company's planning on doing its own custom chipset instead. That'd be a big step for Apple, since it's basically used Intel reference designs ever since it went x86 -- but given how useless Intel's integrated graphics are when really pushed, we can see why Apple's ready to walk away. Of course, this is all nothing more than rumor and speculation, so we wouldn't expect any of this to actually come to pass, but hey, it's fun to dream, right?

Read - Computerworld
Read - AppleInsider

[DBrim @ Jul 28th 2008 8:51PM]

Glass multitouch trackpads? Sounds like recycling components from the iPod touch/iPhone line to me.

[kccboy2004 @ Jul 28th 2008 9:54PM]

Let's face it. Apple does need gimmicks to sell their product.

The Number one PC manufacturer is kickin' their ass with the Voodoo Envy 133.

NO RESPONSE NECESSARY.

[kccboy2004 @ Jul 28th 2008 9:59PM]

Holy Fuck !!

Wait.... doesn't glass smear ??? How about trynig to keep that clean !

[heshmati4 @ Jul 28th 2008 10:39PM]

kccboy2004

Take it easy fanboy

[John Doe @ Jul 28th 2008 11:42PM]

gimmicky yeah...once i read about macbooks having transparent lcd screens...did anyone see those around??

[OneLove @ Jul 28th 2008 11:52PM]

I like ponies!

[GiF @ Jul 28th 2008 11:59PM]

it would be funny if they were actually iPod touch/iPhone screens and you could hook up your iPod touch/iPhone with your MacBook and it would appear or if they maybe had something like Vista Sidebar except better (a feat easily accomplished).

[mymaclife @ Jul 29th 2008 2:37AM]

Wow! A badly drawn Illustrator image speaks volumes - are you sure it's not actually a sure fire clue that the Weapons of Mass destruction are situated at Cupertino?

[fil @ Jul 29th 2008 1:24PM]

Glass... didn't apple patented a glowing touchpad (although for iPods) a while ago? It would be interesting if there's a trail of glowing light following your fingers. :)

[max kingsbury @ Jul 29th 2008 2:10PM]

Glass is a great dielectric for the capacitive sensing that all modern touchpads use. If you understood the technology itself and not just the shiny bits, you might know that.

[Kaiser-Machead @ Jul 28th 2008 8:56PM]

It's possible that the glass will be completely opaque and just a way to avoid the early "bald" spot of the trackpad, though I imagine a different material could be used to do the exact same thing (or could it? I'm not sure how reactive other materials would be and their adequacy for use as a trackpad)

But veering away from the GMA's is more than welcome. But, what I'm really hoping for is a damn user-replaceable HDD for the Macbook Pro. Lifting the keypad to do this is crap.

[Lamp @ Jul 28th 2008 8:59PM]

the new mbp is suspected to incorperate this.
very heavily suspected, that is.

[Brian @ Jul 28th 2008 9:19PM]

The HDD on the current Macbook is easily user replaceable. I have a 250GB HD that I installed in minutes with zero technical skills. Yes, you will probably need to buy the mini-screwdrivers for a couple of bucks.

[bobartig @ Jul 29th 2008 12:32AM]

Replacing the keyboard in my 2.33 MBP was surprisingly easy. I must admit that I'm kind of amazing at taking things apart and putting them back together again (particularly computers and electronics), but I was expecting it to be really hard, or scary in some way. It was quite the cakewalk.

Admittedly, it could be easier, but I was in and out in well under 30 minutes. The longest part was contacting some of my mac technician buddies to ask them why there was a metal disc glued to the original drive.

[the.diz @ Jul 28th 2008 9:00PM]

Partially obscured by the casing?
Ha. What about that big ass web address?

[Khattab @ Jul 28th 2008 9:01PM]

"...but given how useless Intel's integrated graphics are when really pushed..."

Really? The x4500 is decent (integrated) GPU, handling everything (incl. HD-movies) except games.

Wouldn't understand that move at all.

[Robert @ Jul 28th 2008 10:15PM]

Apple is going to bet big on OpenCL. Better graphics chips in all their products will make OpenCL shine, and hopefully brighter than whatever Microsoft can deploy onto the myriad of PC GPUs.

[sam @ Jul 28th 2008 10:51PM]

@Khattab
Actually, the CPU is responsible for playing videos, which is why they work so well. Graphics are mainly for gaming, which is why it doesn't do that well.

[maveric101 @ Jul 28th 2008 11:29PM]

@sam
Actually, you're wrong. The new integrated graphics from Intel have hardware acceleration for playing all kinds of video, including Blu-Ray. Previous integrated graphics couldn't have handled 1080p video, even with a good CPU.

Don't be so quick to put people down when you don't know what you're talking about.

[Big John @ Jul 28th 2008 9:06PM]

Meh. I'll wait for the Jobsnote about it.

[NoAndThen @ Jul 29th 2008 12:55AM]

are you actually the big john from philly living in mass.? if so, I KNOW YOU. AND I'M COMING FOR THAT ASS, SANTA! You gonna pay what you owe.

[JohnnyRico @ Jul 28th 2008 9:47PM]

Ponies?


I've always wanted one of those! D:

[Chris @ Jul 28th 2008 9:13PM]

Ha ha, I'm eating ice cream right now and looking at this on my macbook!

[austin @ Jul 28th 2008 9:40PM]

im riding a pony and typing this on my macbook.

[owned @ Jul 29th 2008 1:11AM]

I'm riding my horse and typing this on my macbook pro, beat that.

[Ignatius @ Jul 28th 2008 10:11PM]

I'm playing Crysis on my PC and going back to Engadget's main page.

[Mile @ Jul 28th 2008 10:42PM]

I'm trying to feed my pony ice cream but he's eating my macbook! *mad*

[Yours Smugly @ Jul 29th 2008 3:49AM]

My GF's riding me, using her MacBook while I'm using ice cream in various interesting ways...

[tyler @ Jul 29th 2008 9:31AM]

I'm riding a MacBook while eating a pony?

[deyanimay @ Jul 28th 2008 9:14PM]

I'd buy if they made the trackpad into a multi touch screen.

[brian @ Jul 28th 2008 11:42PM]

I could say 'meh', too.

BUT, these rumors have a funny way of turning out to be mostly true.

[ShadowKain @ Jul 28th 2008 9:15PM]

The bottom line? Save your gobs of money now, cuz it isn't gonna be cheap...

[v3xx @ Jul 28th 2008 9:19PM]

what about all that talk from apple about lowering prices dramatically to stay in line with other pc manufacturers.

[Andrew D. @ Jul 28th 2008 9:21PM]

On the contrary, their intentions are to lower prices, not raise them. Just because it is an added feature, doesn't necessarily mean higher prices. When they first incorporated the iSight into the iMacs, for example, the prices were not increased.

[Reid @ Jul 28th 2008 11:43PM]

I'm gonna have to be "that guy" who chimes in on the rumor threads to post a wish list that will never be ready by anyone who cares...

... c'mon, Apple, sub-$900 12" or 13.3" laptop. I'm sick of having my work Thinkpad as my only portable, but can't justify buying a mid to high-end laptop when all I need my portable for is resource-unintensive work. If I wanted big power I'd use my desktop.

[Arley @ Jul 28th 2008 9:19PM]

Apple better release their new MacBook's before the end of September MAN I cannot wait any longer!!!

[kccboy2004 @ Jul 28th 2008 9:58PM]

@Arley,

Why wait.

Voodoo Envy 133. Now.

[heshmati4 @ Jul 28th 2008 10:44PM]

kccboy2004

He wants an optical drive in it, fanboy! And he doesn't want to wear gloves when using his laptop too!

[Brian @ Jul 28th 2008 9:17PM]

I dont know what some apple exec was smoking (or drinking) when they "leaked" *cough*pranked*cough* the "news" to some blog and laugh at all of us that give this crap any press. Plus what a stupid idea. Why would you put some of the hottest components (the battery,the hdd, the GPU) next to each other? Why put the battery and the hdd in the same compartment? I guess so you could upgrade the hdd. But if you want to use two or more batteries that means you would need to reinstall the os and have an exact mirror on each drive that is constantly updated. This is such a fake. Im calling shenanigans!!

[ozymandias @ Jul 28th 2008 9:26PM]

Last I checked you had to take out the battery to get to the HDD chamber, at least on the MacBooks, which could mean they're doing the same thing here.

[Brian @ Jul 28th 2008 9:18PM]

fail. and your fifth.

[cmdwedge @ Jul 28th 2008 9:19PM]

Please Apple, just use Montevina. It's awesome. I'd rather rely upon Intel for updated drivers when I Bootcamp Vista/OS X, not Apple.

[XGM @ Jul 28th 2008 9:20PM]

That case better be easy to open, since almost every component on mine died just a week after it went out of warranty. Apple refuses to fix it too...

CPU is now averaging 80 C, hitting 100 C often.
Screen has many faded pixel clusters.
Lid sensor dosnt work, so it cant stand by.
DVD drive is dead.
Battery casing has opened up...

And yes that pretty much all happened in a day.

[justanotherperson @ Jul 28th 2008 9:31PM]

haha. so much for 'it just works'.

[XGM @ Jul 28th 2008 9:37PM]

Well it does work... but just barely. I'm honestly disappointed with it, since alot of people praised that its one of the best laptops you can buy. Sure its good at first but it sure as hell didn't last, heck my 7 year old Toshiba would be in perfect running condition if it got a new battery.

[kccboy2004 @ Jul 28th 2008 9:49PM]

@XGM,

Apple innovated the phrase "The Emporer has no Clothes".

Mate, welcome to the Apple-swindled-me-those-dirty-rotten-bastards club. You're in !

[XGM @ Jul 28th 2008 10:24PM]

Yea and to make it worse they want me to drive 4 hours to the damn apple store in Toronto !!! I still like OS X, no doubt, but still this support and warranty has put me off getting a new Mac for quite a while...

[Link2877 @ Jul 28th 2008 10:50PM]

Dude don't lie, if your cpu was hitting 100C (212F) it would be fried not to mention the motherboard around it burned pretty bad too just from being near it.

[maveric101 @ Jul 28th 2008 11:35PM]

*sigh* Link, don't put people down when you don't really know what you're talking about. many CPU's are designed to take 100ºC, many of those being laptop CPU's. Also, you can technically go beyond the "maximum" heat specification and have your laptop still work, it will just greatly shorten the life of the CPU.

[Abuzar Baloach @ Jul 29th 2008 1:00AM]

Link, max TDP of a Xeon quad core is 85C. Laptop CPUs are designed to take heat.

The poster above is right, STFU because you dont know what you are talking about.