17-inch unibody MacBook Pro with non-removable battery rumored for Macworld

9to5Mac is reporting that a unibody, 17-inch MacBook Pro will be announced at Macworld, following in the footsteps of the previously released unibody 13 and 15-inchers. The rumor, backed up by some "whisperers" at Macrumors, isn't really an earth-shattering surprise -- though the accompanying revelation that this model is expected to have a slim, extended-life, non-removable battery is rather eye-opening -- and somewhat disappointing, considering the lameness of non-removable batteries. We'll know for sure on Tuesday at the keynote.

Update: Apple Insider is now independently confirming the imminent arrival of the unibody 17-incher, and also corroborating the fixed internal battery theory.

Read - Apple 17-inch MacBook Pro to go Unibody, sans removable battery (Silver-Zinc replacement?)
Read - 17" Unibody MacBook Pro with Non-Removable Extended-Life Battery?
Read - Sources: 17-inch MacBook Pro, NVIDIA Mac mini due shortly

[CJ @ Jan 4th 2009 4:53PM]

that makes little to no sense considering the added flexibility of the new battery components in the other unibody macbooks

[Gav @ Jan 4th 2009 4:57PM]

Seconded.

[Flashpoint @ Jan 4th 2009 4:59PM]

Thirded

-I'll be happy to see a new& improved iphone.

[Mark Anderson @ Jan 4th 2009 5:10PM]

Yup, this has to be shenanigans unless the battery is powered by one of those ARC reactors that Tony Stark has.

[Paul Chapel @ Jan 4th 2009 5:10PM]

Yeah, I don't believe this rumor. The only reason to do this would be to make it thinner and I have one of the new MacBook Pros and it's plenty thin. Don't see the need for them to make it even thinner.

[applefan2008 @ Jan 5th 2009 12:22AM]

It makes alot of since. A bigger computer, especially a 17 inch computer will have more room for a larger battery. Knowing apple, you can probably see the battery getting atleast an 8 hour charge. And there might even be ways around it, to get even more time, like options so if you dont touch the trackpad our hit the keyboard for 10 seconds the display turns off. There are alot of things that can get even 10 hours of battery life. What you all think of is, this computer getting 2 and a half hours of power and you not being able to replace the battery where in real life that will most likely never happen. Think.

[phoomp @ Jan 4th 2009 5:35PM]

If true, this is clearly the get-a-new-Mac-when-your-battery-dies feature.

[Camperton @ Jan 4th 2009 5:37PM]

Hope it's not true, cause fixed batteries suck. There's no nice way to say it.

[Shinigami @ Jan 4th 2009 5:57PM]

Hopefully its true and makes you open eyes on the real intent behind Apple business - sucking all possible money in every way, disregarding consumer's wishes ;)
Hey you can simply have 2-3 batteries if you want your laptop to last. But with apple you'll need 2-3 laptops :)

[oneMadRssn @ Jan 4th 2009 6:07PM]

i'm calling shenanigans on this. it will be replaceable. but it did get everyone talking about apple all of a sudden.

[KarlW @ Jan 4th 2009 6:10PM]

It doesn't make sense, I agree. That said, it may be part of a new phase of Apple's product design whereby high capacity, non-removable batteries take the place of lower capacity removable batteries. It sounds like the sort of thing Apple would do.

That said, and no matter what you believe, Apple are not run by idiots. Unless there were some very significant gains to be had, this design wouldn't even be considered. Apple puts a substantial mark-up on their batteries, as do all laptop manufacturers. They _want_ you to have removable batteries, because then you'll buy more from them if you want to stay within your warranty terms.

That is, if the rumours are true.

[Patriks7 @ Jan 4th 2009 6:25PM]

True, but my guess is that it'll have 2 batteries.. one non removable and one removable..
If they end up going non removable completely, and it adds insane battery life, I would really want to see that done on the other ones, as I need battery life for school and travel, but hate carrying 2 batteries >_>

[Patriks7 @ Jan 4th 2009 6:46PM]

Ok, some thing I found about my claim above..
This is about a company that make silver-zinc batteries (from http://www.zpowerbattery.com/about/faq.htm)
"What is particularly novel or noteworthy about your innovation?
ZPower has partnered with one of the top global manufacturers of notebook computers to roll out a laptop with a silver-zinc battery option in early 2009. The notebook will have the capability to work with either silver-zinc or lithium-ion batteries (i.e. it will be dual chemistry enabled). ZPower is the first company to launch a rechargeable, silver-zinc battery in the mobile electronics market."
Now what other "top global manufacturer of notebook computers" is there that is going to be releasing them in "early 2009"?
This all fits IMO..
Do I get a prize now?

[Matthew C @ Jan 4th 2009 6:48PM]

I agree - one non-removable - good for 45 min to 1 hour's use, and a removable battery, good for 4-5 hours would be great - switch batteries without shutting down/plugging in.

What I would really like to see is a removable disc drive (and if they arent already SATA, make it SATA)

Then I could replace the drive with either a blu-ray one or a 500 gig HD for extra space.

[Student Driver @ Jan 4th 2009 7:33PM]

The bigger issue is that it is *almost* believable that Apple would do something this stupid. Says a lot about the company.

[Mr. Picklesworth @ Jan 4th 2009 7:40PM]

Ah, but they can make it five millimeters thinner if the battery is fixed!

[Wolfticket @ Jan 4th 2009 8:28PM]

@Student Driver
The EVEN bigger issue is that with a mixture of slick marketing and "wow" factor Apple will probably be able to convince the massed hoards that it is a good idea.

[nikster @ Jan 4th 2009 11:21PM]

@Patriks7: Spot on. Using the ZPower battery would make perfect sense.

To all the whiners here: I am sure 99% of you don't actually have two batteries. For replacements, you go to Apple and buy a new battery or get it under warranty the only difference is that now Apple will install them for you. So what. No big deal.

I actually have two batteries for my MacBook Pro. I thought I'd go all day and swap batteries but what I didn't realize is that upon coming home I then have to charge two batteries using my MBP, remembering to swap when the first one is finished charging. It's a lot easier taking the power adapter and plugging in any time that's possible.

If this thing has the ZPower and it has 6+ hours, I am going to get it.

[Mike @ Jan 4th 2009 4:57PM]

There's no way this is going to be true. The MacBooks I could see having a non-removable battery since the average Joe would never need to swap them, but the professional line will absolutely need a removable battery.

[Johan S @ Jan 4th 2009 5:11PM]

Steve Jobs couldn't care less about the "professional". Apple is against stupid professionals in suits, I bet the had to hold him down while Exchange ActiveSync support was added to the iPhone. It's not about profit. Even if they would probably make more money catering to the professional, Steve Jobs is simply not interested in catering to them. You'd see him as a male prostitute catering to the gay community first.

[Mike10010100 @ Jan 4th 2009 5:15PM]

Johan, I believe you are almost right, however, I wish to refine your description of who the macs are marketed for.

Macs are marketed for people like Zak, iEye and Clak. People who ravenously love macs for no other reason then that they were made by Apple. Zak has even stated that as long as it was made by apple he would be happy to pay over $1000 for a larger ipod touch.

[mr nimblewick @ Jan 4th 2009 5:22PM]

"Macs are marketed for people like Zak, iEye and Clak. People who ravenously love macs for no other reason then that they were made by Apple."

That's idiotic. Apple has been gaining market share for years now, and it's not because they are only marketed to people who already love Macs. Say whatever you want about Apple, but they are trying to broaden their user-base, not keep it the same size.

[loocas @ Jan 4th 2009 5:30PM]

It seems that no company cares at all.

Microsoft doesn't care about their customers.
Apple doesn't care about their customers.
Dell doesn't care about their customers.
EA doesn't care about their customers.
...

???

[Mike @ Jan 4th 2009 5:38PM]

@Johan: do you not know the meaning of the word professional or something? A profession is just your job. A professional photographer would need multiple batteries during an extended photo shoot, for example - and he'd be wearing plain clothes the whole time.

[PCIV @ Jan 4th 2009 5:38PM]

Apple's upcoming came from their artsy professionals. Not your business office blackberry dudes. The people who do movies, musics, advertising. They're still called professionals.

Apple would be stupid to do that, unless they make an official external battery that connects to the magport and it looks good.

[Mike10010100 @ Jan 4th 2009 5:41PM]

No, I'm not saying that they're not trying to broaden their horizons or their customer base, but once they have you locked in with a good experience with one device, you're slightly more willing to spend money on useless things like a non-user-removable battery. You're buying into a whole suite of things. Most people when they buy their new macs buy whatever the salesmen tell them to. I've seen it happen to many a (non-techie) friend.

For instance, most salesmen will try to sell you the Microsoft office sweet for mac without telling you about the free alternatives like Openoffice. The customer starts to trust them more. In an average user, this can lead to a satisfactory experience with Apple (without immediately seeing the nickle and diming they do to that user). However, in extreme cases, such as Zak, iEye, and Clak, this can turn into raving fanboy syndrome.

I'm not saying that mac is bad in any way, just that it is for a niche of people who wish to trust entirely a company with their well being. For the same reason, some people will make fun of others for buying a pre-fab computer instead of making it themselves (the argument being that you have greater control over the quality of the individual components, and the only person you have to blame is yourself for incorrect installation).

[loocas @ Jan 4th 2009 7:03PM]

@ PCIV

Well, I am a VFX animation professional and I for one would never buy a Mac. It's extremely overpriced for how it performs and the "sexyness" is the very last (if it's even there?) thing on my "must be capable of" list.

[Giroro @ Jan 4th 2009 9:24PM]

Think of the Mac vs PC commercials.

One looks like he has a job, the other does not.

[arkweld @ Jan 5th 2009 1:23AM]

Jobs has been slowly turning the definition of "Pro" into "Prosumer" ever since he took charge. He really does not care about the serious professional user base involving designers and graphics pros who kept the Mac going this long.

As time goes on you can see that the Pro line is really being targeted at the Macbook and iMac user who just has some more money to spend for the cachet and slick look. The Pro line is turning into the B&O division of Apple. Where form is more important than function.

[Wonderkid @ Jan 4th 2009 4:58PM]

a) As per more recent iPods that lack the (vital for convenience) dock and missing Firewire from some other Apple products, this is all about cost saving - after all, less machining of the body. b) The battery on my prior MacBook failed, how will Apple replace faulty batteries without the whole machine needing to be sent back or taken to an Apple store? c) If these new unibody machines from Apple are supposed to last a long time, the battery is likely to fail before 'long time' is up. d) Not to mention those who desire to carry a spare battery, such as on a field trip.

Anyway, this is all rumor!

[Oli D @ Jan 4th 2009 5:01PM]

what more does apple want than you having to send in your macbook when you want a replacement battery... Katching as far as theyre concerned?

[rock99rock @ Jan 4th 2009 4:59PM]

I read "non-removable battery", made this comment, then left this page.

[KAIKAI @ Jan 4th 2009 5:03PM]

thank you for sharing :)

[broli @ Jan 4th 2009 4:59PM]

Yay I'll be part of a big apple comment fest.

[ProfessorKaos @ Jan 4th 2009 6:57PM]

Make sure you wear a rubber :D

[Oli D @ Jan 4th 2009 4:59PM]

cor, what a suprise

[fred @ Jan 4th 2009 5:01PM]

A non-removable battery?

...Why????

[Tired @ Jan 4th 2009 5:14PM]

Exactly.

What is the supposed "benefit" to the buyer of a non replaceable battery?

[Setnev @ Jan 4th 2009 5:23PM]

Charging outrageous labor costs down the line for out of warranty battery replacements. Lets hope it isnt behind the LCD.

[Eric @ Jan 4th 2009 5:32PM]

The newer batteries in the unibodies are of lower capacity than their older siblings. I could see a lower capacity battery as a non-starter on such a high end unit. It probably came down to smaller, user replaceable, battery or internal.

[Aaquib @ Jan 4th 2009 5:41PM]

If they were to be non-removeable, you can bet they'll have some next-tech in them that basically make sure it lasts forever (In Apple years, forever is 2 years).

[morcheeba @ Jan 4th 2009 5:47PM]

Lower capacity isn't always a bad thing. My pentium II laptop used a 100W-Hr battery; my new laptop gets the same life out of a 65W - with a much faster processor & bigger screen. The main benefit, though, is a lighter computer.

[raj @ Jan 4th 2009 5:01PM]

they may put a second battery which is removable, that way you can have the internal be charged by the second battery and vice versa, in addition to extra battery life.

we'll see. apple usually puts their own spin on things so i wouldn't expect this to be the only new thing.

[Oli D @ Jan 4th 2009 5:02PM]

really...? 2 batteries?

I dont think im ready for that yet.

[applefan2008 @ Jan 5th 2009 12:21AM]

So you are saying is having an external battery? Well that kind of would be something to consider, but then people will complain about it just like they did with the external drive on the air. But if you think about it, your only going to take the external battery with you if you believe that you are going to absolutely need it. I mean if say this "new" longer lasting battery does give you at least 8 hours of continuous wireless use, then there really wont be any need to bring the external battery with you, if you know your only going to be using the computer for a few hours. Everyone thinks to far out of the box. There might only be a few times that you might need the external battery, like with the external drive on the air, really the drive is only for home use, because if you bring it into a meeting most of your notes are going to be on the computer. The drive really is only for loading programs and stuff at home, not at the office. Like with the external battery, that might only come in handy on a long plane trip. I actually think that the non replaceable battery is great. Nothing to break loose, like people were having problems with the battery cover on the macbook. Noone is really going to remove the battery, the only great thing about that huge removable cover is to replace the hard drive. An internal battery is only going to give people something to complain about on the new macbook pro if there even is one. But a non replaceable battery with say 8 to even 10 hours of use would not be bad at all. I think its a good idea.

[Jeff @ Jan 4th 2009 5:35PM]

2x the exploding power!

[Aaquib @ Jan 4th 2009 5:48PM]

Knowing Apple...No.

iPods, iPhone, MacBook Air...

Apple is moving towards a consumer oriented line-up. And most ordinary consumers don't ever replace their batteries. In fact, most Mac users are the Starbucks type or College students who need a notebook for 2 years until their parents buy them a new one.

And there isn't even too much "Pro" about the Unibody MBP's. Expresscard + FW800 are the only things that make it more "pro" than the ordinary MB.

[Justin Bell @ Jan 4th 2009 8:53PM]

@Aaquib:

But that makes no sense at all. Apple have only recently released the new MacBooks. If they had decided to have non-removable batteries for the 17", that decision would have happened around the same time. It makes no sense to compare this to the MacBook Air, the iPod, or iPhone, as all of those have never came with replaceable batteries in the first place and a big part of their design is to be as slim as possible. The only exception I can think of is if it comes with some special new battery (like some above mentioned) that has 3x the battery life.

And if you think that the only difference between the MacBook and the Pro is Expresscard + FW800, then I think you need to read the specs -- there is a huge difference.

[PyRo1509 @ Jan 4th 2009 5:02PM]

Nothing makes me happier than apple screwing me over.

[Ed T @ Jan 4th 2009 5:05PM]

"Nothing makes me happier than apple screwing me over."

So if Zune Guy buys one of these big lappies, does that make him Lucky Pierre?