13-inch MacBook Pro gets torn apart
By Nilay Patel 
posted Jun 10th 2009 5:27PM
posted Jun 10th 2009 5:27PM
Please note: If you're a current Engadget commenter, you do not need to re-register. Simply login and you will be prompted to select a username.
cant wait to get this in the next two weeks,i am very exited!!!!!!!!!
got mine today replacing my white macbook. an amazing machine the backlight is really handy and the small stuff makes all the differences. the feel of the machine is very good as well, high quality and obviously looks stunning. ordered online yesterday came today excellent!
I've never owned a mac, but for this price I may get this rig. I've been eying the dell studio xps 13 for a while, but this may make a convert of me, especially since it can run windows too.
Just waiting for windows 7 to be released.
iPorn..
@Barbaric
I just moved from a unibody macbook to a Studio XPS 13 a few weeks ago. The build quality isn't the same and I do miss the trackpad but for almost half the price you get a better cpu, esata, HDMI, Displayport, expresscard and SD slot. Guess it depends how much you need OS X. I ended up using windows more than it on my macbook so it worked out getting the Dell.
@ Barbaric
I went from a Dell XPS M1210 (I think) that was only about a year old and already stupidly slow, to a MacBook Air last summer. It is my first Mac and it was the best move i've ever made.
I want a little "Pro" sticker for my uMacbook.
@Brotato: how would a Studio XPS 13 be half the price of a unibody macbook? i see that the base model is $999 with a 2.0 Ghz core2, thats not much less than $1200 for the MB... Just asking as i am too interested in a cheap light 13" laptop.
@Barbaric
@Bogdan
@brotato
@t_bracelin
I too am looking at the MBP 13 with great interest as I’m in the market for a powerful, portable, 13” laptop.
Here in the UK Apple are charging £899 and £1,149 ($1,483 and $1,895) for the two base specs. Which, when compared to other laptops in the class are looking very good options, they certainly have the weight and dimensions licked.
This potentially being my first Mac I have a few concerns and questions though;
1) How rigid and rugged is the aluminium unibody? Does it increase reliability? I’ve had some laptops in the past that bowed, bended, twisted, and felt so flimsy.
2) How hot does it get? How well does the unibody dissipate heat? Most laptops I've used get incredibly hot, so much so that using them in your lap is unthinkable, I’ve even encountered one that warped the leather inlay and scorched the woodwork of an antique desk. If the unibody gets anywhere near as hot as most laptops, it would be like putting a hotplate/iron on your lap!
3) Possibility and ease of upgrading RAM and/or HDD. Is it possible, and if so, how easy is it to upgrade the RAM and HDD in a unibody?
So, as we knew, it's a Macbook with Firewire and an SD card.
OK.
Also with a better screen and backlit keyboard at the same price point. And slightly better performance, too.
Also with a better screen and backlit keyboard at the same price point. And slightly better performance, too.
Wonderful comment system. This reply was to Mark Anderson's comment.
It's funny how apple makes a big deal about a SD card slot when there's been SD card slots in other computers for years
@Anderson
It also has a LED screen, 7hour battery and 8gig of memory. Plus minor nicietes such as backlit keyboard, tweaked up processor and more bus speed. For less $. Hardly earth shattering but significant and useful.
I don't think Apple made a big deal out of the SDslot, they just said it had one.
Aaaah, that's GOOD ol' British cynisism.
The kind you don't get much of these days. What is the world coming to?
A professional SD slot.
(With no CF)
Also with a small "Pro" sticker :)
Why didn't you tear it apart first?
@naz im glad you noticed quite innovative the empire is.
@nas:
Have they really made a big deal out of it? I'm pretty sure they mentioned it as one of the many changes, but they didn't tout it as the second coming of Christ. Is it possible that, because it's a new feature on the Macbooks that many of the posts discussing the changes point it out and your confusing a feature breakdown with making a big deal about it?
So it's a Macbook with some upgrades to keep it in line with the other OEM's upgrades?
OK.
Is the ram and hdd still upgradeable?
I've heard yes, but I'd like to know for sure as well.
Yes they are. Actually you can replace the battery yourself too although Apple would really like to do it for you. That is once you can actually buy just a battery.
Watch for Chinese batteries to overflow from Hong Kong via ebay. Once they get their hands on an original, cheap kirfs will abound. Probably reallly sub par quality at first, but there's a chance for replacements.
does replacing the RAM/HDD void the warranty if you DIY?
Will Apple do the upgrade for you (how much $) and keep your warranty in tact, if you bring them the new RAM and HDD?
Seriously considering buying this. So hard to resist.
Hopefully the price of 2x 4GB DDR3 memory kits drops soon. Still $700+ on Newegg. How long do you think until it costs $200ish?
Heck it even looks like you could upgrade to a Blu-ray drive pretty easy.
Not that it does Mac OS X users any good (yet).
I don't think it's ever voided your warranty to replace memory/HD. Usually they provide directions. Though I think maybe on the Mac Mini you weren't told how.
It's probably illegal to void your warranty for replacing a component -- I think because of Moss/Magnusson, the mfgr has to be able to prove that your 'modification' is what broke it. Though for all I know this doesn't apply to electronics or is easy to get around by saying 'static buildup did it'.
I'd wondering the same thing as I may upgrade them in future.
Could work out considerably cheaper than getting apple to do it.
Regarding voiding the warranty if DIYing, it all depends on the small print of said warranty. If is states somewhere "all repiars and hardware modification must be carried out by Apple authorised personnel" or similar, then if you're not an Apple autorised person, warranty is void!
Does anyone else make notebooks with unibody enclosures?
TIA
Yeah, dell ... but they really sux ...
Lenovo makes a few with a magnesium alloy roll cage.
I wish RAM was user replaceable
But it doesn't look that difficult to do the deed.
I think I will replace my MBA with a 13" MBP...
Cheers
Snd me yr MBA, KTHXBAI!
engadget has become apple's new bitch
Yeah, because gadget news doesn't belong on a gadget news website if Apple made the gadget.
I think Nilay is aiming to be Engadget's own Jesus Diaz. It's hard to beat that fanboy but I can see you're trying.
hum ... engadget has ALWAYS been apple's bitch ...
You lot need to quit your Engadget / Apple whinging. If it was Win 7, Zune or Xbox your boxers would be wet by now.
And who's bitch are you?
All the fanboy bitching has got to stop. I dont care who makes the product. I'm a gadget fanboy. Reading the comments for something interesting or useful is really getting pointless.
Read a pre post & some ass has to start a bitch thread with all the reasons iPhone is superior. Read an iPod post, and its full of why zune is the better hardware.
How would you guys like it if you had to login first to READ a post, and they were censored to your preferred platforms based on your comments. Dont like microsoft... fine, Engadget wont even show you the posts or let you comment.
All I want is info on ALL gadgets, regardless of creator or whatever. Why cant I have a Macbook, zune, and PS3 in the same house.
Goddamn...if you like something for good reasons, share them with the crowd instead of just bashing the other offerings. Was Engadget Sony's bitch when the PS3 was released? cause it dominated the news?
I love built-in batteries. There are few things that are so badly designed as battery covers.
Phones break apart when dropped, family remote controls always lack 'em and it's just a serious waste of space.
Thats so funny... I was fit 2 AA NiMh batteries and an Energizer USB charger into the cable box DVR remote- in the same place the standard removable AA batteries fit. And filled it in with composite material, making it solid (no cover). Now all I need to charge it is a reg USB cable and it plugs into any available USB port, there's one right on the DVR.
Oh please, with the Al case the battery cover could have been 90-95% as strong as a fixed battery and still been the extended size.
I guess Apple knows it's market, when business consists of going to Starbucks so strangers can watch you work on your "novel", the limits of a fixed battery don't really matter that much.
@jon:
But still, the new design is even sturdier than the old. And it saves space, giving you 2 extra hours.
Engadget sure love them some apple eh?
If the insides are the same as the original unibody, does that mean the original will also support 8gb ram as well?
Hum short answer NO. I believe it's disabled i the SMS ( firmware ) and you can't really use the firmware for the newer version. It might also be disabled in the hardware ( chipset ) although I highly doubt that. Plus there are very few things that you need 8gb of ram for. Really!
SMS? I thought it was CMOS...
will i be able to finally play crisis on my mac im dying to do that cause you know macs are the greatest thing in the whole wide world : )
wth? who are you?
will i be able to play crisis on my new mac i would love to do that cause macs are the greatest thing in the whole wide world yay : )
I wish engadget would come up with the manufacturing costs of MacBooks/Pro's. But, I figure they probably won't. After all, who wants to know what it actually costs to make one....
Just to be clear, I'm not a MS Fanboy, just a curious realist!
Wow, that optical drive really takes up a lot of space.
Wouldn't it be great if you could custom build one on Apple's website to have a second HDD or a SSD instead of a optical drive?
I can't remember the last time I used a CD/DVD, but I guess they could change the MacBook Air SuperDrive to work with other MacBooks too, just incase you do need to load a disc.
The empire would never allow such a thing to take place, imagine that customers getting what they actually want pfft
I concur with your thoughts of an optical drive ... when I sold my Dell for a MacBook last August, I purchased one with just the basic combo drive. I later purchased a external slim drive in the rare times I've ever had to burn a DVD. External HDDs and flash media is just much more practical. Only things I've ever burned is rarely an extra backup, but DVD .isos of Win 7 etc.
Am I the only person in the world that actually prefers the tray CD/DVD loading mechanism than MacBooks/Dell/etc's slot-loading optical drives? They just appear that trays would last a heck of a lot longer, IMHO. :-/
13-inch Vaio Z has a much high quality 1600 x 900 16:9 screen than this poor 1280x800 mbp.
Agreed, although most consider 1280x800 acceptable for a 13" machine at present.
That said, this is a Macbook PRO...
Oh yeah, that Vaio Z is niiiiiiiiiiiiice. : )
The Vaio Z STARTS at $1800 without any options or upgrades, has a lower RAM limit, a lower HDD limit, worse battery life, it has a shittier graphics chip, doesn't have Firewire, it has a crappy plastic case and it's not any faster either.
Is that screen resolution worth the extra $600 and worse all around specs?
Zak @ Jun 10th 2009 6:50PM
The Vaio Z STARTS at $1800 without any options or upgrades, has a lower RAM limit, a lower HDD limit, worse battery life, it has a shittier graphics chip, doesn't have Firewire, it has a crappy plastic case and it's not any faster either.
Is that screen resolution worth the extra $600 and worse all around specs?
1. The newest model offers 8 Gb (Japan only though).
2. The hard drive, you can just replace it yourself. Not a problem.
3. No reports on the newest Macbook's actual battery life.
4. Graphics- 9400m is an integrated chip, while 9300m is a discrete chip. Basically, neither is much a winner.
5. No firewire? LOLRLY http://www.engadget.com/photos/sonys-vaio-z-series-reviewed/1013812/
6. Plastic, yes, with a carbon fiber option.
7. Faster? the newest Japan model offers a 3.06 Ghz C2D vs the MBP's 2.53 Ghz.
8. What about HDMI, Blu Ray, Expresscard as well as a multicard reader, EVDO/HSDPA via Gobi?
Personally for me, the extra money isn't worth it, especially since a top model could go for $5000. But that doesn't excuse your blatant lies about it in the name of Apple defending.
Blatant lies? I'm sorry, what clock speed is the $1800 Vaio Z again, dipshit? Oh and while you're looking that up, maybe you can tell me how the specs IN JAPAN mean anything when compared to US spec machines. Yes genius, I'm comparing to the US spec Vaio.
As far as HDMI and Blu Ray, what's your point? My point was that the Vaio is seriously more expensive than the Macbook Pro. Did you not understand that part? And that's the BASE model with no upgrades. The Blu Ray drive is a $500 OPTION, it's not included in the $1800 base price. And I didn't mention everything the Vaio is missing compared to the MBP either, such as:
- Unibody case
- Illuminated keyboard
- Firewire 800 (not 400)
- Magsafe power connector
- Multitouch track pad
- Mini DisplayPort
And even if you upgrade the MPB to the 2.53 GHz processor, 4GB of RAM and a 250GB HDD (all of which beat the Vaio's base model, processor is the same) it's still only $1500.
So again, you're paying more money for a largely inferior machine. LRN2SPEC LOL.
13" MPB
$1499 + tax
2.5Ghz cpu
250GB 5400rpm
4GB DDR3
1280x800
Aluminum case
Vaio Z - Z46GD/B ( Hong Kong)
$1792 no tax (HKD$13980)
2.8Ghz cpu
320GB 7200rpm
6GB DDR3
1600x900
Carbon fiber case
The case is but not "crappy plastic case" but more durable carbon fiber. It does have worse gpu though.
http://www.sonystyle.com.hk/ss/product/vaio/index_2_e.jsp
and Made In China (MBP) vs Made In Japan (Vaio Z)
None of that makes any of what I said any less true. If you have to go to Hong Kong and compare prices to try to argue what I said, you already lost. I'm not in Hong Kong, I'm in the US, where the Vaio Z is a crapload more expensive than the MBP while lacking the things I've already outlined.
forget to mention, the MB or MBP is heavy like hell comparing to the vaio.
well zak, I did say it's more expensive and I personally don't think it's worth it to buy it. But largely, the Z *offers* better specs for (maybe a lot) more money. Also, about Japan, the potential buyer can wait until US spec models are updated. Sony is pretty crappy about keeping all the good stuff in Japan, lol. But regardless, you're comparing a model that hasn't been updated vs a just updated model. Kinda unfair, no?
Yes Jacob. Facts are unfair. That Vaio Z is a current model because it's on their online store for sale right now. Stop making excuses.
I didn't know the macbooks had a subwoofer.
Your mom has a subwoofer...
I know she has a deep voice but damn!
The robots of the future will see this and murder us all.
Thanks iFixIt. Thanks a fucking lot.
Could someone confirm that these new 13'' MacBook Pro use the same PRO LCD found in the 15'' MacBook Pro or the crappy LCD found on the white MacBook? Thanks.
Its the same LCD as the one on MB Air. You can confirm going to sys prefs> Display> Color> Open Profile> scroll to line item 13 Apple Display Model Number > 00009C9E
I changed my display profile, changed the color calibration gamma to 2.2 from 1.8 Damn... colors are awesome and screen just pops out.
Anyone have the same experience??
But how does it compare to the white macbook LCD and the 15'' macbook pro LCD?
MacBook Pro(n)
The question that this leaves me with is: other than the Unibody thing - how hard would it have been to split the back shell in a line just above the battery and hard drive (which essentially are flush along their top edges) and make it say, slide into a groove slot on either side?
It would almost as rigid, just as light and yet allow for easy replacement of the battery and hard drive. Sure, the battery wouldn't be as nice looking - but it sounds like it would be easy to swap and it wouldn't be any larger than the one in there.
I dunno - I just don't buy the whole 'we couldn't make it removable and small' thing.
I have read elsewhere there is one important difference. There is no digital audio in, they have merged the audio ports into one that accepts the triple plug like on iPhones etc. Still has digital out but only analog in.
This could matter if u are an audio professional.
Someone else asked, it goes up to 8gig memory.
I also read that the sd reader takes SD/mini/micro and maybe SDHC.
I just got my new 13 inch macbook pro. Love it, however i feel the colors on the new machine appear less saturated than that on my macbook white 2.4. Especially skin tones on photos look different. The contrast is much much better. If you have a friend who is a student get the free ipod touch! There is no wait on the rebate, just an instant discount, walk out with 100 bucks off the machine and a free itouch. I was not asked a single question, just showed the student ID and i was out of the apple store in 5 mins with the machine.
If you look at the manual, it clearly states that HDD and RAM are user replaceable. Confirmed by Genius Specialist at the Apple store!!
Ordered 4GB Corsair DDR3 for 52 bucks Newegg. Will replace HDD with a 7200 320GB from old Macbook and new RAM this weekend!!
Can you confirm what size itouch you get free? Is the 16gb.
Thanks
You get a $229 rebate. so get any size you want, and they'll take off $229. its only "free" if you get the 8GB
I have the 13" unibody macbook but I dont understand why they went "pro" with this. Perhaps because generally speaking it was about 10% slower than its 15" brother. I think they felt they could get away with adding "pro" to the name? Lame. I still love my macbook though.
So, is the RAM user accessible, or does one have to open up the whole thing just to get to the RAM/HDD?
@Nilay what is it with the unreflected ranting about the sealed in battery? Get over it already: It's not a BAD THING. Rather, it's a trade-off: 40% more capacity traded for swapping ability.
You may like this trade-off or not, but please stop the hating.
Apple got my $3000 _because_ of the sealed-in battery. That is, I only bought the 17" MBP because I wanted 7 hours battery life. If it didn't have that, I'd have gotten a 15" (that was before when the 15" still had the replaceable short-lasting battery). Good move on Apple's side to use the better technology in all laptops - it only makes sense.
Can you comment to how much of the "7 hours" you actually get when using the machine?
My HP is about done after 2 hours and it kinda defeats the purpose of having a notebook.
Yeah, 7 hour under 'Optimum conditions'
Which essentially means: Dedicated graphics, minimum brightness, Wifi/Bluetooth off, idling.
Honestly, get you head out of Apple's ass, the sealed in battery is a bad thing, no matter what angle you look at it from (except for mabye an Asthetics thing, but what the fuck).
@Nathan I have the 17, which Apple rates as "8 hours".
I should say I am never on dedicated graphic - I need the battery to last, and I don't play 3D games, so I have no use for it.
I get from 5 - 7 hours real world. 7 when I kinda watch my use, don't open too many programs, screen at 50%, watch out for stray programs that might suck a lot of CPU. Basically I can work and do stuff I normally do, but have to be aware of battey.
I get 6 hours easily when not doing anything special to either waste lots of battery or save lots of battery. Screen at whatever is best just now, not monitoring stray programs.
5 is when I do something that uses a lot of CPU, like encode a DVD, or I use peripherals that suck a lot of battery like my FW800 external hard drive and a EV-DO mobile internet USB modem. I have never gotten less than 5.
So realistic 6 - 6 1/2 hours is no problem. 7 is a bit of a stretch, and 8 is possible if you don't do anything except surf the web for 8 hours and have the screen on low brightness.
I got over 7 hours watching AVI movies from my hard disk on the plane, was pretty happy about that :)
@CJ
Have you even read ANY reviews of the 17" Macbook Pro before writing that statement? Because if you think you have to do all of that shit to extend the battery life to 7 hours, get your head out of your own ass.
@nikster
Thanks for the "real world" info. I'm thinking of selling my HP notebook and 20" iMac and going to a 15" MacBook Pro with a bluetooth keyboard/mouse and 20" display on my desk to get the best of both worlds.
My biggest draw to the updates to the line are the better battery and slightly decreased price. If I could get at least 4 hours real world (running the 9400m only) in my average usage I would be ecstatic. My basic usage is web browsing, light development in Smultron, and watching youtube/hulu/netflix. Full screen hulu with screen dimmed as low as it can go on the HP nets about 1.5 hrs on Windows 7 RC, less on Vista.
This design is a step backwards... you could slide out the hard disk and ram on the old 13" white MacBooks without taking the computer apart; hard disk replacement was easily a do-it-yourself job. Why purposely make it more difficult? Does Apple get a cut of any service done by resellers?
I myself dont see the BIG deal with the slightly harder batt replacement, though my experience the laptop itself become redundant well before I have a need to replace a batt. But then on the other hand I guess Apple leaves you with so little to complain about u gotta pick at what you can right?
okay, so you've torn it apart...great...any idea how much all the materials cost? let's see the so-called apple tax
does this mean they will release a 15" macbook? don't need the horsepower of the macbook pro but would never use anything smaller than 15" on a laptop
dam so my unibody Macbook i bought a 2 months ago is obsolete.
shoulda waited. gonna hock this bitch, i wanted the backlit keys, but back then 2months ago it was a pricey option
Does anybody know if this has the same display as the unibody MacBook 13"?
I thought the screen on that model was rather poor and hoping this has a "Pro" display?
Woah, subwoofers.. that new?
also, anyone else notice that they changed the "x4" better graphics with 9400m to "x5" or "x6.1"... wonder why/how..