Reasons to check out the new MacBook Pros today...

[Brent J. Craig]

I wonder if anyone will be smart enough to figure out how to make use of both GPUs to do some kick-ass rendering? If Apple has left the proper doors open, these new MBPs basically have 2 extra processors specifically designed for dealing with video!

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Apple cares about how their products look when you show them to your clients in ideal lighting.

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I wonder if anyone will be smart enough to figure out how to make use of both GPUs to do some kick-ass rendering? If Apple has left the proper doors open, these new MBPs basically have 2 extra processors specifically designed for dealing with video!

I'm trusting that nVidia has left the doors open. After all, they developed (along with Apple) the CUDA library.

You know good and well that it will happen on the PC side of the market as the new 9400M chipset and 9600M GT combo get dropped into notebooks from nearly every other vendor.

 

[Jason Diamond]

yes i misread the spec for the Nvidia...on 17"

 

[AIO Films]

Spending so much money to make a "uni-body" for a notebook computer is a complete waste of time and money, and is doomed to be a business failure, in my not-so-humble opinion.

To make me pay for a new MacBook Pro, Apple needs to give me Blu-Ray, FireWire 400 and eSATA interfaces, real 5-hour battery life and, hopefully, under 5 pounds.

Also, Apple is missing a major business opportunity. Asus has sold 5 million Eee PCs in the last six months. Netbook will be huge.

I want the rumored MacBook Touch!!! I'll pay $1,500 for one in an instance.

What a disappointing day!

 

[NateWeaver]

Spending so much money to make a "uni-body" for a notebook computer is a complete waste of time and money, and is doomed to be a business failure, in my not-so-humble opinion.

Having dropped my MBP in July and spent hundreds to get it fixed, I don't think this is a waste. Especially if they're not passing on the expense to the buyer

To make me pay for a new MacBook Pro, Apple needs to give me Blu-Ray, FireWire 400 and eSATA interfaces, real 5-hour battery life and, hopefully, under 5 pounds.

Bluray will come when they have the software to use it. Anything else they can't market.

Firewire 400 comes with a adapter cord and/or mini hub. I'd prefer a second bus of 800.

Esata would be nice, but can be had cheap with a card.

Also, Apple is missing a major business opportunity. Asus has sold 5 million Eee PCs in the last six months. Netbook will be huge.

"netbooks"/sub pcs/etc have been around for years. They will get huge when somebody solves the usability issues. Until then, people will continue to buy bigger notebooks in larger quantities.

Also, if you haven't noticed, Apple distinguishes itself in the marketplace by watching everybody else go first, then spends 2+ years developing a better product for that sector, and THEN cleans up. See the iPod, and then the iPhone.

I mean this in all kindness...If you look around and notice that YOUR uses of a computer as a computer nerd or photographer have nothing to do with what the rest of the world wants, you'll be less disappointed. Apple makes hardly any computers for hard-core professional applications.

 

[nevinstyre]

To me the pro in macbook pro now stands for prosumer, not professional.

I was really hoping for some pro upgrades for a pro laptop. cpu, gpu, ram, hd spec bumps are expected, but how about upgrades that merit the "pro" in the name. Instead we get colour inaccurate glossy screens and less ports. Not to mention now if you want to connect it to any monitor other than the new 24" glossy led apple screen then you need to buy an adaptor, for the dual link adaptor to run a 30" screen it costs $100.

Pro upgrades would be:
Higher res screens(matte ones)
esata port
bluray drive
dual link dvi adaptor included

I do like that they finally gave it a new shape/design and that you can finally replace the hard drive without voiding the warranty.

 

[Helge Løken]

displayport

displayport

Anyone know if the displayport is 10bit and can be connected to the displayport input on e.g the DreamColor LP2480zx? That would be very compelling.

Also, and I know this is a stupid question, what's the technical reason that it's impossible to do color critical work on a glossy display? For instance, the TV Logic (www.tvlogic.co.kr) monitors is said to be more accurate (better blacks...) with a glass ND filter... Please enlighten me

 

[Jonathan Smiles]

On the old MBP 15 & 17s the gloss option was almost unusable on set.

Now the glass filter glossy screens might be better, also are the screens now true 8bit 24 million colour displays?

Awaiting hands on reports!

 

[Ben Holmes]

On the old MBP 15 & 17s the gloss option was almost unusable on set.

Now the glass filter glossy screens might be better, also are the screens now true 8bit 24 million colour displays?

Awaiting hands on reports!

I've been using a glossy MBP and glossy iMac 24 on set for a while, and it's been my experience that most people who complain about the glossy screens have not seen them - mostly the brightness of newer computer screen removes major issues they used to have. If I'm outdoors, I turn it around - as I would if sunlight was shining on any screen, gloss or matte.

I'm not saying it's not a problem, just that it's not anywhere near as big a problem as people make out - and the new brighter LED screens on the new MBP should help as well.

I realise I'm never going to win this one - the entire issue is so polarising (ho ho). I'm also not ready for a glossy cinema display, although the glossy display on my JVC 24" HD monitor apparently doesn't stop it from having accurate colour reproduction....

Take a look at a newer glossy before dismissing them out of hand.

 

[Karl Gustav H.]

To me the pro in macbook pro now stands for prosumer, not professional.

I was really hoping for some pro upgrades for a pro laptop. cpu, gpu, ram, hd spec bumps are expected, but how about upgrades that merit the "pro" in the name. Instead we get colour inaccurate glossy screens and less ports. Not to mention now if you want to connect it to any monitor other than the new 24" glossy led apple screen then you need to buy an adaptor, for the dual link adaptor to run a 30" screen it costs $100.

Pro upgrades would be:
Higher res screens(matte ones)
esata port
bluray drive
dual link dvi adaptor included

I do like that they finally gave it a new shape/design and that you can finally replace the hard drive without voiding the warranty.

The port loss thing is small fry, especially for REDusers. Both FW ports were on the same bus, so shared the throughput capability. Fully utilising the 800 port would render the 400 useless. As for esata, I like the new combo plug some people are using, but lets face it, it isn't exactly mainstream. I'd rather use cards like we do now, especially as it allows a better choice of chipsets, for better performance when dealing with RAID arrays.

I totally agree that some kind of dvi adapter, even if it was only the single link plug should have been included.

Blue ray is somewhat of a curates egg.Takeup in the marketplace hasn't been stellar, and its very expensive; both in terms of licencing and hardware. If you really need it, buy an external drive, or a slot loading drive for macs for $1000. RED has/will show that red lasers still have their uses with Redray!

I was pissed about the screen issue at first, but if you have a look, you'll realise that you can't get a 15.4 LED LCD with more than 1440x900. The glass isn't actually as bad as the coatings other have used - the actual screen is matte underneath it I believe. Providing the glass has good optical quality, the color accuracy could be qcceptable. I'll wait for someone to run some probes on it to say any more. At least Apple kept the old 17' with 1920 matte screens around for a while.

 

[Brent J. Craig]

As for esata, I like the new combo plug some people are using, but lets face it, it isn't exactly mainstream.

Almost every inexpensive external drive these days has Esata. It is a way to get better than FW800 performance for hundreds of dollars less.

The annoying thing is that the Macbooks already have a sata connector inside for the hard drive. The incremental cost to include a port on the outside would be next to nothing.

 

[Chris Parker]

so true. esata is the best thing going right now, and until fw3200 is out and available, it will be....

then there's usb3 which will really be the defacto standard a year from now.

 

[AIO Films]

Having dropped my MBP in July and spent hundreds to get it fixed, I don't think this is a waste. Especially if they're not passing on the expense to the buyer

Bluray will come when they have the software to use it. Anything else they can't market.

Firewire 400 comes with a adapter cord and/or mini hub. I'd prefer a second bus of 800.

Esata would be nice, but can be had cheap with a card.

"netbooks"/sub pcs/etc have been around for years. They will get huge when somebody solves the usability issues. Until then, people will continue to buy bigger notebooks in larger quantities.

I am aware of all the technical counterpoints you offered. My post was meant to be a rant. It's just that when you are disappointed you say something to feel better. That's all.

However, the netbook phenomenon is bigger and grows faster than a lot of industry gurus have realized. Well, it's just a consumer/observer's opinion. Who cares.

On the glossy monitor side, I have been using 3 PC & Mac notebooks, all with glossy LCD, over the last 12 months on various sets and didn't have any problems. Some of these shoots are almost life and death situation, e.g. managing a Phantom HD camera in shoots where the Olympic gold medalists are available for only 2.5 hours after weeks of preparation and half a million dollars at stake. There was absolutely no room for error, not even the word "not ready". The pressure was unbelievable, to me, at least.

I'd say, today's glossy panels are fine for most applications, and are brilliant for watching movies. Just my humble opinion.