Tag: MacBook

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The Upcoming Unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro

Let’s recap what went on Apple’s “The spotlight turns to notebooks” event. Steve Jobs unveiled new 15-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook, dubbed as “Late 2008” model. They are also described as Aluminum and Glass MacBook and MacBook Pro. Some would call em as “the brick” MacBook Pro; well that sounds stupid, but this whole “brick” thing went out of control. Apple never once mention anything about “brick” or implying anything. The new MacBook and MacBook Pro can now have “unibody” designation, as Apple uses the word over and over.

MacBook is significantly updated , but missing one important feature: FireWire Port. The 15-inch MacBook Pro is also missing one FireWire 400 port, while retaining the FireWire 800 port. Both MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro gains new glass screen with LED-backlit display, and large multi-touch glass trackpad.

Overall, it is a significant upgrade for the MacBook and a nice incremental upgrade for the MacBook Pro. The inclusions of nVidia chipset is one of the biggest upgrade for the MacBook and MacBook Pro. The nVidia 9400M chipset adds h.264 support on the hardware level.

Now, whatever happened to the 17-inch MacBook Pro? For those who are complaining about the lack of 17-inch MacBook Pro update needs to take a big cup of “shut the hell up.” Apple is working on it, and it will be announced when it is ready for release. Apple engineers have been exploring different avenues in redesigning the MacBook Pro, and more often they stumbled upon some road blocks. The new unibody MacBook and MacBook Pro feature a reduced size logic-board similar to the one in MacBook Air. Apple engineers are working to find the balance between features and form factor in the notebook line. No coubt that Apple would like to include Intel QX9300 processor (or higher model) in the MacBook Pro. It is likely that the upcoming unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro would have this CPU in the BTO options. Even though the current MacBook and MacBook Pro seem to be running cooler compared to the previous models, there will be some thermal challenges with Intel QX9300 in the MacBook Pro form factor.

It is possible to have the Intel QX9300 in the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but it would make more sense to have it in the 17-in model. The 17-inch MacBook Pro would have some extra surface area to dissipate heat compared to the 15-inch model. Eventually Intel QX9300 or its successors would make their way to the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but we would see it on the 17-inch Model first.

Logically, January 2009 would be the next window for Apple to introduce the unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro. We all have to wait until then.

To quote Ice-T, “Shut up, be happy”

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Ice-T: The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech…Just Watch What You Say

If you bought it through Amazon link above, and I get some kickbacks.

“If you buy the CD, I can buy a MacBook Pro” to paraphrase the great Robert Schimmel.

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Still no new MacBook Pro for me.

So, I went to the Apple Store again earlier today. I get to play with the Unibody MacBook and MacBook Pro again. I was ready to get one, and even asked one of the Apple Store employee if they could bring me one. While waiting I was talking to a few people around the new MacBook Pro. For some reasons, I didn’t see the Apple Store employee I talked to earlier for a while. Almost an hour passed, and we all were going on tangents around the MacBook Pro. I decided to call Carrie, just to tell her that she wouldn’t be able to “Mac-block” me this time. Alas, her iPhone was turned off. I kept talking to the people there and for some reasons, we were walking out the store and realized it was closing time already.

Yeah, I “Mac-block” myself this time.

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Editorial: “Thanks a lot, Carrie. You just Mac-Block me last night.”

First, I’d like to thank Carrie for Mac-Blocking me last night. She just delayed the inevitable.

We headed to Apple Store at The Grove with the intention of me buying a new Unibody MacBook Pro. well, we decided to get something to drink at the Farmer’s Market first.

A few beers later and lots of debate about the debate, including Joe The Plumber, I realized it was already past 10:00 PM. Yep, the Apple Store closed an hour prior to that.

I could only blame you, Carrie. You just prevented me spending my money that night. But that doesn’t mean I can’t spend my money today!

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Backlit Keyboard on Any Unibody MacBook?

UPDATE (2008.10.15):
Apple has corrected the BTO options on their Online Store.

Steve Jobs introduced the new Unibody Aluminum MacBook in two basic configurations. The 2.0 GHz and the 2.4 GHz model.

According to the announcement and the tech specs, the 2.4 GHz model has one feature the other doesn’t. It is the backlit keyboard.

Contrary to the announcement and the tech specs, Apple Store Online offers backlit keyboards on all Unibody Aluminum MacBook. Most likely this is a typo.

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Apple: Unibody MacBook and MacBook Pro

Apple has released the first software update for the newly anounced MacBook and MacBook Pro. It seems that we can now call the Late 2008 MacBook and MacBook Pro as “Unibody MacBook and MacBook Pro.”

MacBook, MacBook Pro Software Update 1.2 | 45MB (October 14, 2008)

About MacBook, MacBook Pro Software Update 1.2
This update contains software bug fixes for precision aluminum unibody enclosure MacBook and MacBook Pro notebook computers introduced in October 2008.

The update improves compatibility with external displays and includes a variety of software fixes. This update is recommended for all users of these systems.

It seems that Apple has finaly released the upgrade to 12-inch PowerBook G4 sans the FireWire port, and call it MacBook. The 13-inch Unibody MacBook is more of a smaller version of the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Apple should have just called it MacBook Pro, and sell the Polycarbonate MacBook as MacBook as sub-$1,000 notebook.

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MacBook Pro Late 2008, The Story So Far.

MacBook Pro (Late 2008) $2,499 model

  • 15.4-inch Aluminum MacBook Pro
  • 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB L2 Cache (Where’s the Quad-Core version?)
  • LED-backlit display, Glossy (and with glare) only
  • 4 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 RAM
  • nVidia GeForce 9400M (Integrated)
  • nVidia GeForce 9600M GT with 512 MB
  • 320 GB Hard Drive (Easily Accessible, as we’ve called it for months.)
  • Slot Loading SuperDrive

MacBook Pro (Late 2008) $1,999 model

  • 15.4-inch Aluminum MacBook Pro
  • 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB L2 Cache
  • LED-backlit display, Glossy (and with glare) only
  • 2 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 RAM
  • nVidia GeForce 9400M (Integrated)
  • nVidia GeForce 9600M GT with 256 MB
  • 250 GB Hard Drive (Easily Accessible, as we’ve called it for months.)
  • Slot Loading SuperDrive

Image is Courtesy of Apple

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“Thanks to the spoilers, I hate the soon to be released MacBook Pro already.”

Apple has yet to officially reveal the new notebook line on “The spotlights turns to notebooks” event, but the leaks and spoilers are ruining everything I’d ever hope for. Well, at least for the design of the MacBook Pro. The Mac news/rumors sites seems to think that John Gruber has already nailed it.

According to Gruber there’s only one display for the MacBook and MacBook Pro from now on. That display is a shiny and glaring one. Yeah, apparently no more matte-finish display. On the other hand, we get to use the screen as an emergency mirror now.

Personally, I am not really liking the black keyboard on a silver aluminum casing. But that’s not really a huge issue. The biggest issue for me right now would be the rumored pricing. I have been paying a lot for PowerBook G4’s and MacBook Pro (yeah, I only bought one Macbook Pro from January 2006) and hoping at least that Apple would reduce the price. I still remember when Apple introduced Aluminum PowerBook G4 at lower prices.

One thing that has not really been discussed in the leaks/spoliers/rumors so far is the CPU of the MacBook Pro. I have been hearing that somehow Apple would utilize Intel’s mobile Quad-Core CPU (here and here) into the MacBook Pro. The real question is “when?”

I know that I am complaining about products that have not been officially announced yet. It is only two hours away from this posting.

In spite of all the bitching and complaining based on the leaks and rumors, there are a few things that I am looking forward to find out. As I’ve been saying before, according to a super stealthy secret source the new MacBook Pro line would have an easily accessible hard-drive bay. That would be a huge advantage for the consumer. All you would have to do is removing the battery and a few screws. No more cracking open the casing by removing 14 screws just to get to the hard-drive bay. A few more screws to actually replace the hard-drive. I have done so many hard-drive upgrades on MacBook Pros, my best record is about 15 minutes to actually open the case, take out the hard-drive, install the new hard-drive, and putting it back together.

Apparently I am rambling too much for now. We’ll see in exactly two hours from this post if I’m going to buy a new MacBook Pro today. The sad thing is that I am still on the fence. Should I wait for the Quad-Core MacBook Pro to arrive?

Disclaimer, this is a poor attempt at sarcasm and irony.

I have compiled an extensive list of sites that would be covering the event live on this post. So, click this link. Yes, this link. CLICK.