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MacBook Pro and iMac with next-gen Ivy Bridge processors crop up on benchmarks (update)
Yup, Apples are bound to flow beneath the Ivy Bridge at some point, but how much of a performance boost will they deliver? If you're happy to hold onto a little skepticism, then two unexpected appearances on the Geekbench site could offer some early answers. The first purports to be an unknown 'MacBookPro9,1' laptop powered by an Ivy Bridge Core i7-3820QM running at 2.7GHz, which achieved a benchmark of 12252 -- that's around 17 percent better than a current equivalent Core i7 15-inch or 17-inch MacBook Pro. The second benchmark comes from an 'iMac13,2' running off Intel's next-gen Core i7-3770 desktop chip clocked at 3.4GHz, which only merits a score of 12183 because it's hobbled by 4GB of RAM. If you exclude memory and compare only the CPU integer and floating point scores, then you're looking at a roughly nine percent gain over a current 27-inch iMac with a 3.4Ghz Core i7-2600 processor. Now, these benchmarks could be faked, or represent non-final hardware, but the motherboard codes look valid (see the source links) and they generally tally with what we've come to expect from Ivy Bridge: a healthy oar-stroke forwards, but nothing that would frighten the fish. Update: 9to5Mac has done some digging and come up with a few more interesting tidbits about the upcoming MacBook Pro refresh. For one, code pulled from the Mountain Lion beta appears to indicate that the Ivy Bridge machines will boast USB 3.0 and a new GPU in the NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M. The site also claims that the laptops will be slimmer than the current gen, a rumor that we've been hearing for quite some time now.
Apple refreshes MacBook Pros with Sandy Bridge processors, AMD graphics, Thunderbolt I/O tech, and HD cameras
Come on, you knew this was coming! Oh yes, Apple's pulling the curtain off its new MacBook Pro family, and compared to the last refresh cycle, there are a serious amount of updates. Just as we had heard, all three will be getting new Intel Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 processors, AMD Radeon HD 6000M graphics (bye bye, NVIDIA!), FaceTime HD cameras, and some super fast Thunderbolt I/O transfer speeds. There are two new 13-inchers, two 15.4-inch versions, and one lone 17-inch model. How much will they cost you and what are the exact specs? You'll want to hit the jump for all of that and the official press release. %Gallery-117499%
Core i7-equipped MacBook Pro CPU hits 100 degrees Celsius (updated)
Hydrocarbon fuel cell? 600 degrees Celsius. Large Hadron Collider? -271 degrees. Microwave drill? 2,000. Your run of the mill Core i7 MacBook Pro can't compete with these extreme temperatures, but that doesn't mean it can't get pretty darn warm under pressure. PC Authority recently put the latest edition of Apple's sleek silver classic through a series of torture tests, and found that running Cinebench could cause the CPU temperature to climb over 100 degrees Celsius. The metal shell proved ineffective at dissipating the heat as well as the similarly equipped Fujitsu Lifebook SH760, which finished the same test at 81 degrees, and actually required PC Authority to run the MacBook Pro on its side (see pic above) to complete certain tests. The site thinks that Apple's cooling solution may be inadequate for a Core i7, but these results could be a fluke -- in our experience with the machine, we actually noticed an improvement over the egg-cooking solutions of yesteryear. Update: We'd like to point out that the temperatures described were related to the CPU internally, and not the actual case of the laptop.
Apple kicks butt, takes names in October desktop and laptop retail sales
Boo-ya! Apple took the top honors in terms of desktop and laptop retail sales in the U.S. in October, according to market research firm NPD Group. As reported on CNET, the iMac line (refreshed in October) and laptops occupied some of the top slots in the list. During the month of October, the new 21.5-inch iMac was the best-selling desktop computer, with the awe-inspiring 27-inch model in third place. Stephen Baker, who is NPD's vice president of industry analysys, told CNET that Apple was helped by a rather dismal month for Windows desktops, since retailers were pushing existing inventory prior to the launch of Microsoft's Windows 7. In the laptop list, the 13-inch MacBook Pro model was the number one seller, with three other MacBooks filling the number 8, 9, and 10 spots for October laptop sales. NPD's numbers are pulled from online and retail store sales figures, but don't account for direct sales from the manufacturer to consumers.
MacBook Pro 17-inch unibody review
There's not much that can be said about the 17-inch version of the MacBook Pro that hasn't already been said about the 15-incher (and to some extent, the MacBook). Still, the big, big brother of the family has a few key differences that make it stand out from the rest of the gang. The first being its non-removable battery, built out of tech which Apple claims will result in groundbreaking lengths between charges. The second difference, available only as an option, is a non-glossy display -- an addition which many have pined for since Apple's full throttle decision to move to extremely high-glare screens. Are these changes compelling enough to induce users to upgrade? Will previous 17-inch fans find a slam dunk or a dud underneath the unibody exterior? Read on for the full scoop. %Gallery-45838%
MacBook Pro 17-inch unibody unboxing and hands-on
Now this is more like it. Our favorite dude in the world (AKA the FedEx guy) just dropped this slab of nasty Apple magic on our doorstep. Not only is this system kitted out with a 256GB SSD, 8GB of RAM, and a 2.93GHz CPU, but the screen is -- yes -- anti-glare. We're actually kind of stoked to put this one through its paces and see just exactly what it feels like (since we've already seen the other two new unibody models). And of course, we're very eager to know just how robust that non-removable battery really is. So we'll be covering the 17-incher a little more in-depth in the coming days, but for now, get a load of the unboxing.%Gallery-45838%
TUAW Macworld Video: MacBook Pro 17" hands-on
Yesterday, as soon as the Expo doors opened, I bum-rushed the Apple booth, trying to get access to the new 17" unibody MacBook Pros.The decision to have a non-user replaceable battery is sure to be unpopular with some users -- at least in theory. Aside from the whole international flight issue, what effect does an 8 hour built-in battery have on heat? Having spent a few minutes with the new 17", I can say it is the coolest 17" notebook I have ever felt. The 8 hour battery life is impressive. Obviously, we'll have to wait for the reviews to see how accurate that lifespan actually is, but it certainly sounds impressive. The touted 1000 cycle lifespan of the battery is significantly longer than any other laptop battery on the market. Even excessive recharging would yield 5 years of life (if you do 200 cycles a year). I was most impressed with the screen. It's huge, it's gorgeous, and it has 1920 x 1200 resolution. I use my MacBook with an external monitor, but I could see using the 17" as just a main computer. Which is pretty much the point. Check out the video:
