13-04-2010. New MacBook Pro's Released

[SojIrOu]

Intel® Core i7-720QM Quad Core processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.8 GHz.

Right and I said almost all. If you look 2 posts up I said the Envy is quad core.

[Dane]

I am getting one hopefully next Friday.

I'll be getting the base 13 inch MBP.

For the price I think of it this way. I've gone to best buy recently and played with almost every laptop there. Most of them, feel bulky, heavy, or just feel like all one piece of plastic. Most of them I've found there have a 2.5-3.5 hour battery. With a few having 4 or maybe 5 hours of battery.

So the macbook pro to me is better because it feels like a nicer build, thinner.

Apple Customer Support speak English!

I've had Dell and I've have an HP desktop currently. When I called them for stuff, either A they didn't understand me, or B i couldnt understand them . That ALONE is worth it.

[Quillz]

Why didn't the 13'' MBP get the Core i5 or at least the Core i3?

[giga Veteran]

Why didn't the 13'' MBP get the Core i5 or at least the Core i3?

Speculation leads me to believe that Intel, cost margins, and other tradeoffs prohibited them from doing so. The i3/i5/i7 processors require either an Intel integrated chip or a third party dedicated one.

Apple would never downgrade the base model with the Intel HD, but adding a dedicated GPU also posed a problem over costs, battery life, and possibly even physical space constraints.

[Elliott]

My link ..... Geforce GT230M though. You also don't have to get so worked up over a laptop, the prices are clearly different for similarly specced laptops, and it's interesting you couldn't find it, it took me five minutes on HP's US website to find that one.

I know this is fairly subjective, but something portable might be nice. That thing is pretty much destined to sit on a desk forever.

Just so you know, I feel the same way about the 17" MBP. Even though it's fairly light and very thin, the sheer size of the thing seems so prohibitive.

[Mr. Gibs]

I can't find an HP laptop with a Dual Core Core i7 2.66GHz chip. Here's my comparison with an HP Envy:

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While the 15in may be more appropriately priced, the 17in isn't. To compare I will use a Dell Studio 17 with parts upgraded to the maximum possible to match the Macbook Pro 17in standard price.

Component: Dell / Apple - Winner

Processor: Intel i7 1.73ghz Quad Core / Intel i5 2.53ghz Dual Core - Dell

Memory: 8gb DDR3 1333 / 4gb DDR3 1066 - Dell

Hardrive: 1tb (2x500gb) 7200rpm / 500gb 5400rpm - Dell

Graphics: 1gb Ati 4650 / 512mb nVidia 330M - See below

Keyboard: Backlit / Backlit - Same

Display: 17.3" Multitouch 1920x1200 LED / 17" 1920x1200 LED - Dell if you want the multitouch, same if you don't

Battery: 9 cell / 9 cell - See below

Optical Drive: Bluray combo / Dvd writer - Dell

Design: Black with silver palm rest / Brushed metal - See below

Warranty: 2 year basic / 1 year basic - Dell

Cost: $2,274 / $2,299 - Dell (Standard cost of dell was $1,099)

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Graphics: Both cards are similar in performance. The Dell has 1gb video memory while the MPB has 512mb. So in that scenario the Dell wins. However, the MPB does come with an additional low power card which is beneficial, so in that scenario the MPB wins. Overall winner: Depends

Battery: Now I'm not sure how many hours the Dell one puts out, but I'm certain it isn't as much as the MPB. However, with the Dell I can buy a spare 9 cell and replace it when its needed. Overall winner: Depends

Design: This is mostly opinion based. Now while the MPB is certainly a looker, the Dell one isn't far behind. If you don't choose the multitouch display with the dell you can choose your own color. Though, if I had to choose which is the better one it would be the MPB Overall winner: Apple

Of course there are other things to take into account, such as WiFi card, camera, touchpad etc. Most of those are minor and more to do with personal fancy. The same thing applies with the OS, though its not minor choice, if you don't want to be limited the macbook pro is probably the better choice since you can install OSX and Windows on it. I know you can install OSX on PCs but there could be issues, and it quite possibly wouldn't run as well. Same thing applies with Bootcamp on the MPB, though it does provide a better experience.

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Overall winner? From a cost and spec based perspective. The Dell is the outright winner.

[Mr. Gibs]

^^ yea but whats the casing like?

My problem is with never being able to find a decent windows based laptop, that doesnt have a cheap plastic casing. And all the ones that do have nice cases seem to be as much, if not more than the macbooks.

I don't know since I have never used it. My dell Vostro has a plastic case but it isn't cheap looking and it is well built; I have yet to get any scratches or cracks in it after 2 years of pretty heavy and somewhat rough use (It's been almost everywhere I've been and it's the only computer I have; in planes frequently, on the way to class on my bike, in class, home use etc). Of course it isn't as nice looking as the Macbook pros but hey it's served me well.

Only problem I have had with it is the keyboard which has failed me twice so far, something dell replaced under warranty without any problem. The keyboard is, however, water resistant to some extent so that is a good feature and a friend tells me their keyboard quality has improved since I bought my laptop sooo.

[acnpt]

I'm thinking that the 13" might get a processor update later in the year.

Perhaps with the 'shortages' of iX CPUs they decided to get the 15 & 17 out first. I think the 13" might be the most popular, however the 15 & 17" tend to be used more by 'Pros'.

[Elliott]

While the 15in may be more appropriately priced, the 17in isn't. To compare I will use a Dell Studio 17 with parts upgraded to the maximum possible to match the Macbook Pro 17in standard price.

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I agree the 17" is very poorly priced (and I personally don't like that model at all), but Apple seems to think (and rightly so from what I've seen) that people will pay top dollar if they want a screen that size on an Apple laptop. While other computer companies might be able churning out low prices, Apple's put their price points where their consumers seem to buy them. I don't necessarily agree with that, but it's a sound business decision.

[.Neo]

^^ yea but whats the casing like?

My problem is with never being able to find a decent windows based laptop, that doesnt have a cheap plastic casing. And all the ones that do have nice cases seem to be as much, if not more than the macbooks.

Naturally it's plastic. The DELL laptop is 39,0 mm in hight (back) vs MacBook Pro's 24,1 mm (front and back are the same hight).

[saxondale.]

Why didn't the 13'' MBP get the Core i5 or at least the Core i3?

Straight from Steve Jobs:

We chose killer graphics plus 10 hour battery life over a very small CPU speed increase. Users will see far more performance boost from the speedy graphics.

The thing is, a lot of portables are lacking battery life; they choose performance over portability....isn't that exactly what laptops were designed for, portability?

[Beau Bridges]

Great.... how about they get the steppin' on the Mac Mini's?

[rawr_boy81]

13" model got a small upgrade, but really? Not much changed. a little bit of a let down.

BTW, The body's of the macbook pro's are worth the money if you have it. I loved my late 2009 model macbook pro, but hated OS X. So i sold it due to not running windows very well (apple released crappy audio drivers). And there is no point in keepying a 1,200 laptop if you arent going to be able to use it to the fullest.

So if you love OS X, then it'd be really worth the money i suppose. The laptops i see at other stores feel so cheap compared to the macbook pro.

But again. i was hoping for some major changes. maybe i5 core on the lowest model, or maybe even lower prices. This is basically a no news story.

I don't want to turn this into a war of words but what didn't you like abut Mac OS X? At the end of the day, the whole purpose of purchasing a Mac is to run Mac OS X. Surprise surprise, Mac OS X doesn't run like Windows so if you've moved from the Windows world then throw all your Windows knowledge down the toilet, pull the handle and it go down the gurgler - and start again learning the fundamentals. Some people don't want to do that because it attacks the mystique of 'IT Guruness' that they've built up whilst others take it on the chin and learn.

[bjoswald]

That's nice, but where are the updated iMacs?

[rawr_boy81]

That's nice, but where are the updated iMacs?

According to the Macrumors buyers guide it'll be another 2-3months before one starts to see any real sign of updates.

[Elliott]

The thing is, a lot of portables are lacking battery life; they choose performance over portability....isn't that exactly what laptops were designed for, portability?

Yea, which is why I love the balancing act they do in the MacBook Pro line. 8-10 hour battery lives, all less than 1" thick, and all fairly lightweight, but they certainly pack a punch performance-wise. A Core i5 would've been nice to see in the 13" MacBook Pro, but since Intel cut Nvidia out from manufacturing chipsets on the Core iX line, they couldn't use Nvidia's much better integrated graphics.

[Dane]

For basic stuff should I pick up one of the 13 inch MBP in the refurb store or spend $180 more for a brand new one.

The ones that are now all in the refurb should just be the new ones off the line and put into the refurb store...right?

[peacemf]

For basic stuff should I pick up one of the 13 inch MBP in the refurb store or spend $180 more for a brand new one.

The ones that are now all in the refurb should just be the new ones off the line and put into the refurb store...right?

a few extra bucks ensures its new, longer warranty and less likely to break :)

[Shadrack]

I appreciate all the objective posts that actually look at specs and don't post bull**** based on "feelings" (i.e, "Apple Sucks!" or "Apple is the bomb!"). You all get +1 from me. From my own research, Apple runs a little on the high end cost wise ($100-$300 more for the same specs). However, it is hard to compare design characteristics. Also, if people want Mac OS X then the choice becomes clear. I don't think Apple is "ripping off" anyone more than any other computer manufacturer. I think that some computer manufacturers that sell cheep garbage full of crapware do the consumers a larger disservice.

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

It's a shame the 13-inch MacBook Pros didn't get a new CPU. A Core i3/i5 would have been fitting.

[IceBreakerG]

Well, I can't believe I did it, but I ordered a new macbook pro this afternoon. I got the 15" with the Core i5-520M. I'd like to have gotten the bigger hard drive, but the performance difference across the board was so negligible that it wasn't worth the extra money. I ordered through amazon, so I got about $60 or so off, plus free shipping and no tax. Signed up for an amazon prime trial account, and upgraded to the 1 day shipping for $3.99. Good deal overall. The funny thing is this time last year, I'd be saying I'd never buy an apple computer.

[AltecXP]

To bad these new MacBooks suck so hard. Now I have to look for an alternative to replace my 13in unibody MB.

the 13in "update" is a laugh and the vid card in the 15in is a total joke, don't even get me started on the pricing.

Yea, which is why I love the balancing act they do in the MacBook Pro line. 8-10 hour battery lives, all less than 1" thick, and all fairly lightweight, but they certainly pack a punch performance-wise. A Core i5 would've been nice to see in the 13" MacBook Pro, but since Intel cut Nvidia out from manufacturing chipsets on the Core iX line, they couldn't use Nvidia's much better integrated graphics.

Dont fall for that BS. asus has a Core i3 13in that uses the 310m with 512 dedicated GPU and is rated for 9.5hrs. thats a CPU and GPU that kicks the 13in MBP's ass for under $900.

[Dane]

a few extra bucks ensures its new, longer warranty and less likely to break :)

I bought a refurb. Saved myself $180. Same warranty as the brand new ones. I talked to people on the phone, and email. They both told me it's a good chance I got one thats never been used. Since the new ones are out. It was ordered this morning, shipped today, I get it tomorrow says fedex. It was to be 3-5 days. hahahahaha. I am only like three hours from where it shipped from in PA.

[Shadrack]

I'm surprised they haven't made the jump to USB 3.0. I don't know if they're waiting for LightPeak or betting on wireless connectivity or what, but I thought Apple would be keen to get something like that in place.

I agree. Not having USB 3.0 sucks, and something that their competitors will have the upper hand on. There may not be many USB devices this year, but next year it will probably take off.

[.Neo]

It's a shame the 13-inch MacBook Pros didn't get a new CPU. A Core i3/i5 would have been fitting.

They did the same to the low-end iMacs. Oh well...

I agree. Not having USB 3.0 sucks, and something that their competitors will have the upper hand on. There may not be many USB devices this year, but next year it will probably take off.

Apple is probably jumping directly on the LightPeak bandwagon by 2011.