Apple-Based Excitement

[Nintendohnut]

Apple today introduced a refreshed line of MacBook Pro notebooks, bringing several new features to the the company's popular aluminum-clad offerings. Here is a look at some of the changes included in the update:

 

Processors

Apple stuck with Intel Core 2 Duo processors for the 13" MacBook Pros, bumping the two standard configuration models from 2.26 GHz and 2.53 GHz to 2.4 GHz and 2.66 GHz. The 15" and 17" models, however, saw a bump from the Core 2 Duo line to Core i5 and i7 processors offering Intel's Hyper-Threading technology that allows for four virtual cores on the dual-core processor. While the processors run at slightly lower clock speeds than the Core 2 Duo in the previous generation, the smaller 32-nanometer process, Hyper-Threading, and other enhancements yield performance improvements of up to 50% according to Apple. The Core i5 and i7 processors also support Turbo Boost, pushing clock speeds for the i7 models as high as 3.33 GHz for single-threaded tasks.

 

Graphics

On the new 13" MacBook Pro, Apple debuted the NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics processor that offers 48 processing cores, three times that of the previous generation. Apple claims a performance boost of up to 80% with the new graphics capabilities while also being able to deliver up to 40% less power usage. The GeForce 320M is reportedly a custom production for Apple, offering greater performance than NVIDIA's standard integrated graphics without building in discrete graphics capabilities.

 

The 15" and 17" MacBook Pro models utilize the NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with either 256 or 512 MB of dedicated memory, offering more horsepower while also delivering up 30% greater energy efficiency. The 15" and 17" MacBook Pro models also offer automatic graphics switching, allowing the system to seamlessly switch between the dedicated NVIDIA graphics processor and the included integrated Intel HD graphics processor for optimal balance of power and efficiency. Previous MacBook Pro models have required users to manually switch between integrated and discrete graphics and log out of their account for each switch.

 

Battery

All three MacBook Pro models offer greater battery life than their predecessors, a feat achieved through a combination of larger battery capacity and greater energy efficiency. The 13" MacBook Pro now offers up to 10 hours of power, while the 15" and 17" models boast battery life of 8-9 hours. The previous generation of the MacBook Pro offered 7 hours on the 13" and 15" models and 8 hours on the 17" model. The batteries in all three machine sizes are non-user-replaceable and are designed for up to 1000 full charge and discharge cycles. While designed to last five years for typical users, Apple offers a battery replacement service priced at $129 (13" and 15" models) or $179 (17" model).

 

Display

The 15" MacBook Pro has gained a new option for a high-resolution display, offering users the opportunity to bump the standard 1440x900 screen to 1680x1050. The high-resolution display is available in both glossy ($100 extra) and anti-glare ($150 extra) versions. Notably, an anti-glare option for the lower-resolution display does not appear to be available. The 17" MacBook Pro continues to sport a 1900x1200 screen in either glossy (standard) or anti-glare ($50 extra). Apple also continues to offer a single standard glossy display running at 1280x800 for the 13" model.

 

Hard Drive

Apple is offering up to 500 GB, 5400-rpm SATA hard drives across all three sizes, with the 15" and 17" models also offering the option of up to 500 GB, 7200-rpm drives. Solid-state drive capacities have increased with the addition of a 512 GB option, although it carries a hefty price premium of $1300-$1450 depending on which base hard drive the customer is upgrading from.

 

Inertial Scrolling

The new MacBook Pro offers an enhanced multi-touch trackpad supporting inertial scrolling. The feature, already present in similar forms on Apple's iPhone OS devices and the Magic Mouse, allows users to "flick" while scrolling as the trackpad senses the momentum of the gesture and smoothly scrolls through long documents and libraries.

 

In the U.S. and Canada, Apple's new MacBook Pro line is currently showing 2-4 business day shipping windows for standard-configuration 13" models, while base 15" and 17" models are showing availability within 24 hours. Apple's international online stores are showing shipping windows ranging from 24 hours to 5 business days for various standard-configuration models, with the 13" models and the mid-range 15" model most frequently seeing the longer delays.

 

Source: MacRumors.com.

 

Also iPhone OS 4 has been released as a Developer preview! Multitasking, folders, unified Mailbox and iAds have all been announced. Had a quick go with this at the weekend on a friends iPhone and its very nice. Hopefully it will solve the problems people have with the lack of multitasking on the iphone, plus it will bring several new features that the iphone has been lacking for a while now.

[Shorty]

Gizmodo have a nice collection of screenshots showing iPhone OS4's lesser detailed features.

 

http://gizmodo.com/5513121/the-hidden-secrets-of-iphone-os-4/gallery/?skyline=true&s=i

 

The only one that really stood out to me is character count on texts

[Will]

I have to say the Macbook Pro update was slightly disappointing, I'll definitely be sticking to my iMac now. I really wish they'd start pre-orders for iPads here, or at least let us know when we will be able to.

[Charlie]

Gizmodo have a nice collection of screenshots showing iPhone OS4's lesser detailed features.

 

http://gizmodo.com/5513121/the-hidden-secrets-of-iphone-os-4/gallery/?skyline=true&s=i

 

The only one that really stood out to me is character count on texts

 

Unfortunately the iPhone is still crippled when you compare it to other smartphones. I've got an iPhone and even after this update it will still be behind what other phones can do. I've jailbroken mine and it can do most of the things that the Blackberry can now but it still runs pretty slowly (admittedly I'm using the 3G which is coming up 2 years old) when compared to a Blackberry. A friend and I did a turn off and on test and his Blackberry managed to turn off and on 3 times before my iPhone could do it once.

 

Don't get me wrong, the iPhone is a fantastic device but I really feel that Apple are just making it too simple in what they allow you to do with it.

[Emasher]

I have to say the Macbook Pro update was slightly disappointing' date=' I'll definitely be sticking to my iMac now. I really wish they'd start pre-orders for iPads here, or at least let us know when we will be able to.[/quote']

 

What exactly were you expecting?

 

They went to i5 and i7 processors, and they've implemented on the fly graphics card switching, among other things its probably the most significant update since the case redesign.

 

Anyway, my dad said he was planning on replacing his MacBook Pro, and passing on his old one to me. Just in time for steam too.

[Will]

Well I was planning on the 13 inch model which doesn't really seem to have had much change apart from the price.

 

Not happy about the iPad delay, at least it means I won't spend the money for a while I suppose.

[Dyson]

I really wish they'd start pre-orders for iPads here' date=' or at least let us know when we will be able to.[/quote']

Apple says it will announce international pricing and start taking online orders outside the US on Monday May 10th. Anyone disappointed!?

 

There you are!

[Nintendohnut]

Well I was planning on the 13 inch model which doesn't really seem to have had much change apart from the price.

 

Not happy about the iPad delay' date=' at least it means I won't spend the money for a while I suppose.[/quote']

 

The 13" model has had a graphics hike which will speed everything up. A little more from Macrumors here:

 

Earlier today, Apple launched updated MacBook Pro models, moving its 15" and 17" models to Intel Core i5 and i7 processors utilizing integrated Intel graphics paired with NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics cards. The new 13" MacBook Pro, however, continues to utilize Intel Core 2 Duo processors with a custom NVIDIA GeForce 320 integrated graphics solution. Some observers have questioned why Apple did not make a more substantial upgrade to the processors used in the 13" models.

 

One interested party even went so far as to send an email to Apple CEO Steve Jobs about the decision, and shared Jobs' response with us. According to Jobs, Apple chose to focus on the graphics performance and combine it with outstanding battery life instead of opting for the alternative of merely a small increase in CPU speed.

 

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.

 

Early benchmarks show significantly improved performance for the Core i7-based MacBook Pro, and it will be interesting to see how the new 13" models compare to their predecessors in various tasks

 

The new i5 and i7 models seem to be much faster and I assume they wouldn't have made the change in the 13" model if it didn't improve performance in some way. I heard that the previous graphics card was causing a few problems in some models too.

 

Incidentally, has the price of the 13" Pro increased? I can't remember what it was before and I was just wondering seeing as the 15" and 17" prices have risen slightly...

[Dyson]

Gizmodo have an article on the iPad pricing/date in case you're not fond of believing twitter accounts

 

http://gizmodo.com/5516860/apple-delays-international-ipad-launch-by-one-month

[Will]

On the 13" Pro I think the previous price was just above £900 and is now at £1,000. I know the bump isn't terrible, especially as it's a refresh - it's just not enough for me to warrant buying one right now.

 

On the iPad front I have enough airmiles for a free trip to NY. Currently thinking of taking a planned trip a little early with the bonus of picking up an iPad while out there.

[Emasher]

The 13" got a better graphics card, and also now apparently gets 10 hours worth of battery life.

 

If you want serious power, you should be looking at at least a 15" anyway.

[Shorty]

I don't see how you can justify a price tag over £1000 for a 13" laptop.

[Will]

Well duh, it's an Apple Mac!

[McPhee]

Very disappointing on price. Everyone else is going down on price, even with the increase to 'Core i' series processors so it baffles me why Apple have chosen to up their prices. Maybe they're planning to bring the Macbook line back in to focus? Low priced Pros have kinda overshadowed it.

 

£1620 for a 15" Macbook with a Core i5, Switchable Geforce 330m, 4GB RAM and a matte-finish screen? Acer and Asus are rolling out similar machines (Acer with switchable ATi graphics and Asus with NVidia Optimus technology) this month at half that price and Sony have had i5 machines with good graphics, full HD screens and Blu-Ray drives on the market for months at under £700 (but without the switchable graphics bit). There's the 'Apple Tax' and then there's taxing the piss.

Edited April 14, 2010 by McPhee

[Emasher]

It all comes down to supply and demand.

 

Personally, I really don't like some of the design choices that Microsoft's designers have made with windows, but I'm quite fond of the design choices Apple's designers have made in OS X. I'm willing to pay the price Apple is charging at the moment because of this.

 

Not to mention, not all manufacturers are that much cheaper. If you customize laptops of some other makes to have the exact same components as the 17" MacBook Pro, the price is very similar.

[Nintendohnut]

As always it comes down to personal choice. Some people prefer the build quality of Macs and the fact that the system is built speciifcally for the OS. Other people like the fact that Windows laptops generally cost less, and have Windows 7 which is a great operating system now too. I personally prefer Macs, but if I couldn't afford one I wouldn't shoot myself instead of getting a Windows machine - they're both good and it comes down to preference.

Edited April 17, 2010 by Nintendohnut

[Guy]

I'm a fully converted Apple fanboy, but looking at the price...

 

These are very expensive. I don't think I'll be buying one when I can go grab a Windows OS laptop of almost identical spec for half of the price. I could buy a sweet iMac for these ridiculous prices... and prolly would. Freaking Apple Tax.

[Sheikah]

I personally prefer Macs, but if I couldn't afford one I would shoot myself instead of getting a Windows machine

 

See, I never get how Apple fans always have some sort of ridiculous brand loyalty and some extreme hate of Windows machines. Providing you have a good antivirus and don't surf silly you can have almost everything (game and program compatibility, a fast machine and one that looks aesthetically nice) for a fraction of the cost.

[SPAMBOT4000]

See, I never get how Apple fans always have some sort of ridiculous brand loyalty and some extreme hate of Windows machines. Providing you have a good antivirus and don't surf silly you can have almost everything (game and program compatibility, a fast machine and one that looks aesthetically nice) for a fraction of the cost.

 

To be honest for every example of an extreme mac fanatic, there are plenty of extreme mac haters who's hatred is often more unjustified as they usually haven't spent any decent amount of time with an OSX machine. Having a quick go on a friend's or at an apple store doesn't really count as it's a whole new operating system and thus there's a learning curve to properly get to grips with it.

 

Yes, Apple machines are generally overpriced but they are also damn well built and the OS is way more stable, probably largely due to the simple fact that there are no unknown parameters when it comes to components. With PCs there are so many different graphics cards and motherboards etc... and the almost limitless combinations of components don't always work well together due to there being so many unknown factors. Specs on paper don't always equal a machine that works as well as it should.

 

So yeah I wish the endless spec/pricing comparisons would stop because everybody already knows that on paper Apple machines are overpriced. It's almost a redundant argument anyway because you don't buy an Apple machine because it's the best specced out there for the price. You buy it to use OSX.

 

I've been a devout Windows user who hated macs from a few tries of older versions of the OS at school and such but OSX is really just stunning. After getting to grips with it properly it'd seriously take me a lot to go back to Windows.

 

I also swear Nintendohnut must have meant to say "wouldn't shoot myself instead of getting a Windows machine" because 'would' really doesn't make sense with what comes after.

Edited April 16, 2010 by SPAMBOT4000

[Sheikah]

But it's not like most games or software are designed for the the specific hardware macs have. So to say that the static nature of Mac components makes them more reliable to run things is untrue. More likely, it seems that if something doesn't run well with the particular component (e.g. graphics card) then you're screwed.

After being forced to use OSX at uni for many months now, I can say that the interface just seems deliberately awkward and more difficult to use than Windows. Simple things like dragging open or maximising and the fact I can't get certain scientific software for the thing. I've basically decided to bring my own netbook in now.

Edited April 16, 2010 by Sheikah

[SPAMBOT4000]

But it's not like most games or software are designed for the the specific hardware macs have. So to say that the static nature of Mac components makes them more reliable to run things is untrue. More likely, it seems that if something doesn't run well with the particular component (e.g. graphics card) then you're screwed.

 

But they are designed for the OS and the OS IS designed for the specific hardware as there are no unknowns due to the closed nature of Mac machines. So to say Mac games and software aren't designed for specific hardware is kinda not quite true.

 

After being forced to use OSX at uni for many months now, I can say that the interface just seems deliberately awkward and more difficult to use than Windows. Simple things like dragging open or maximising and the fact I can't get certain scientific software for the thing. I've basically decided to bring my own netbook in now.

To be honest a lot of uni mac machines (especially Mac Pros) are hideously underpowered due to Apple's high prices and Uni's cost cutting. There was a Mac lab at my uni and I absolutely detested using it because it was just so poorly set up.

 

Also the maximising thing used to annoy me when first using OSX but it's just getting used to a different way of working. As a windows user I always used to maximise all windows even though many didn't really need to be full screen. Now it's way better for my productivity that I've learnt not to pointlessly maximise everything.

 

Edit: Also having a specific maximise to full screen height AND width button on all windows is pretty much a redundant feature from when most displays were at much lower resolutions than they are now.

Edited April 16, 2010 by SPAMBOT4000

[Guy]

I love the debate Apple products spawn, and the bankruptcy.

 

I want one of the new iMacs so bad I am actually considering just running into PC World tomorrow with a TMNT Raphael mask on (He's a dick, they expect this kinda behaviour from him.) and lifting the box up and making a danger run for the door.

[Emasher]

But it's not like most games or software are designed for the the specific hardware macs have. So to say that the static nature of Mac components makes them more reliable to run things is untrue. More likely, it seems that if something doesn't run well with the particular component (e.g. graphics card) then you're screwed.

After being forced to use OSX at uni for many months now, I can say that the interface just seems deliberately awkward and more difficult to use than Windows. Simple things like dragging open or maximising and the fact I can't get certain scientific software for the thing. I've basically decided to bring my own netbook in now.

 

Ever heard of Cocoa?

 

Anyway, as SPAMBOT4000 said, Mac labs tend to be set up quite badly. I know the few that I've used have been. Although, you could usually say that about computer labs in general. Its a much better experience using your own at home and really getting to know the OS.

 

I find the Windows interface awkward to use. It comes down to what you're used to. You can also get background applications that will allow you to change the Optimize button "+" to a maximize button.

[Nintendohnut]

MASSIVE ERROR! I DEFINITELY MEANT "WOULDN'T"

 

I hope if you read it with the correction you will see what I'm saying

 

Also: Scoop - I bought one of the new 21.5" iMacs when they came out using my Uni discount and I can safely say this machine is magnificent. Even the baseline model works perfectly for everything I need, and I can have a huge number of programs running alongside one another with basically no slowing whatsoever. Everything is lightning quick, even when I'm using graphic-heavy programs etc. I'm especially please with it because

1) It will last me for a long, long time

2) I have a rather small desk and the tiny amount of space it takes up means I can actually work properly on it without being uncomfortable

3) It was 'only' around £830, and although that isn't cheap for a computer, it's cheap for a Mac, especially one this good. With MacBook pros you pay more for the portability, but if you don't mind having a desktop, definitely go for it

 

I realise now I sound like a right old fanboy, but this is a similar thing to getting your first console, or whatever. You have fun with it, it's your first one, and you can't help but love it. Again, I'd happily have a Windows laptop if I couldn't have afforded a Mac, but I was willing to pay the extra. I can understand why people wouldn't be, but I am happy with my decision

[Emasher]

On a semi related note, has anyone seen any more information on the Mac version of steam since the initial press release?