Apple Notebook Media Event October 14th.

By crazzyyfool
in Back Page News

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Grand Master

Cormier6083

Posted
Posted
Wow, all that build up and such a let down. They only knocked off a $100 for an even more outdated macbook?

They do look nice, but for the price they are not that nice. Guess it's either Levono or an Asus for me.

I missed it. They downgraded them or something?

Anyways,

Looks like something out of the future!

Grand Master

Scirwode

Posted
Posted

I'll admit, the new MacBook and the MacBook Pro are really stunning in terms of design, as they've gone back to the Powerbook look which I really like during my study days. But the price is too much for what little advancements they're offering.

Take the MacBook for example. Sure you have a graphic card, which they should have had in the first place, a glass trackpad and DDR3, but the price is too much. I could get a better notebook at a similar price point. Take the HP Pavilion dv3500t, which also has a 2.0 GHz processor, upgrade the RAM up to 8GB and have a backlit keyboard option if you wish for it. And the number of USB ports is a killer, why don't they have eSATA? At least HP has a hybrid USB/eSATA port which I believe all manufacturers should have it. Sure, it only has the 9300M GS but for the most part it's pretty similar to what the MacBook is offering at the moment.

Same with the MacBook Pro, which also has only two USB ports. HP's dv5t could fit in 3 USB ports and the eSATA/USB combo port plus HDMI. Sure, it's not as thin as the MacBook Pro but it does have a higher resolution screen, up to 1680 x 1050 while the MacBook Pro only tops up at 1400 x 900. And all of this supposed advance tech costs $2,499.00 which converts to RM8,804.25 which will probably mean RM9699 after taxes and what not. I like OS X, I really do and I use a Mac Pro at work for all my multimedia needs but I cannot justify owning a computer that costs almost RM10,000 when I could get the same configuration for half of that. I don't know about you, but my monetary situation is not rosy, and anyway I can save to get something similar I will do so. If that means I have to take public transport and carry a heavy bag instead of getting a car, I'll do it, which I'm doing right now.

I need a new notebook in the foreseeable future, my HP can barely open After Effects, what with LightWave running in the background, but the MacBook Pro is too overpriced for what it's offering. And despite what Apple keeps saying about Vista, there is nothing wrong with it. Hopefully, when I have the funds to get a new notebook, I'll get a copy of Leapord and see if I can run it on my new notebook, as I don't really need the hardware, just some parts of the software.

Scirwode

Grand Master

gazebee_

Posted
Posted

On first thought the new offerings looked beautiful. Then I looked over to my roommate's HP; then another guy across the hall who has the same thing. I tried explaining the unibody design to them, but as I tried convincing them that this was the "in" thing, I realized how many consumers out there probably wouldn't care. And the fact that the new MBP is touted as being pro is ridiculous; Glossy-only? No HDMI, more USB plugs, memory card readers?

With that said, I really like the Macbooks. The reason why I got my MBP for college was for occasional gaming capabilties. I love the 15.4 screen, but a smaller screen would be a viable trade-off for easier transport between classes.

// I hope that us pre-October MBAir and MBP users can get upgraded firmware for the 4 finger-gestures.

Grand Master

Denis W. Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted
Interesting new touchpad features which should appeal to win/linux switchers. you can set corners as secondary click. (though I can't see why anyone wouldn't prefer double tap for secondary click)

My Dell Synaptics touchpad does that too. It's not really usable in my opinion.

I like how Apple does the scrolling gesture though. No need to confine my finger to an edge to scroll.

Grand Master

Scirwode

Posted
Posted
@ Scirwode: The 9300 is actually a lot more powerful than the 9400M. It has 512MB RAM whereas the 9400M is integrated.

Then that means the HP is much more powerful, at a much lower price :p .

Scirwode

Grand Master

Quillz

Posted
Posted
Both, it contains one of each and switches between them.

Nope, I'm talking about the MacBook, not the MacBook Pro. Does the MacBook feature a true dedicated Nvidia GPU, or is it still integrated?

sigh, my MB is like 2 months old and I already want to buy a new MBP.

pure beauty

Sell it, I guess. I'm planning on selling off my "BlackBook" which I paid just about $1,800 for a year ago.

Grand Master

Ayepecks

Posted
Posted
Nope, I'm talking about the MacBook, not the MacBook Pro. Does the MacBook feature a true dedicated Nvidia GPU, or is it still integrated?

Sell it, I guess. I'm planning on selling off my "BlackBook" which I paid just about $1,800 for a year ago.

I answered that for you. It's a new integrated solution from nVidia. It will be announced tomorrow. It's pretty damn powerful for an integrated GPU, though.

Veteran

DavidM

Posted
Posted
I missed it. They downgraded them or something?

Anyways,

Looks like something out of the future!

No, but the "base" or "low end" Macbook was outdated pretty much a few months after it came out and now it's even "older" and more outdated. Lowering the cost seems more like a way to move the base model out the door and then in a few months of "customer demand" they roll out a shiny new "base model".

Thinking Differently.

Grand Master

Quillz

Posted
Posted

I don't get why people are so upset about the MacBook and MacBook Pro looking the same. This is Apple, the company that obsesses over design and consistency. There are already many distinctions between the two models. Despite looking the same, the MacBook Pro gets a larger display with a better resolution, faster processors, two GPU, FireWire 800, ExpressCard and a backlit keyboard. Besides, the consumers are king. They wanted a metal enclosure for the MacBook and that's what they got.

Grand Master

Chicane-UK Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

Going from the feedback in the #apple channel on the Neowin IRC server last and discussions with colleagues here at work this morning (who are dedicated Apple fans, and own MBP's) the event was a let down in the pricing sense. The new MB's are just too expensive and the general feeling was that Apple is not only risking pricing itself out of a market that it was starting to do really well in (students), but also scaring off new customers with price hikes at a time when the market really doesn't need them.

The new specs are nice but I fail to see the point of a "pro-featured" laptop when the MBP isn't THAT much more expensive. Why would you bother with the regular MB other than for size? How about some decent, even more affordable MB's to try and snare those who are on the fence regarding switching?

I just don't understand Apple somtimes. They're riding a wave of unprecedented success but don't seem keen to maintain that momentum.

Grand Master

Elliot B.

Posted
Posted (edited)

Cheers mate :)

EDIT: Having problems with the stream at work. Is there a downloadable version?

Edited by King Mustard
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