12 inch Macbook Pro

[Gump]

Hey guys,

I thought they'd announce the 12 inch MacBook Pro at Macworld.....guess not.

However, it just occurred to me that the 12 inch Macbook with a Core 2 Duo processor is the same thing that would exist in the a 12 inch Macbook Pro, correct?

So with the release of the Core 2 Duo to the Macbook line, isn't there no need to release a 12 inch Macbook Pro now?

What advantage, from a power and speed aspect, would still exist by releasing a 12 inch Macbook Pro? I think it's odd they haven't, and I'm starting to think its because the 12 inch Macbook serves that purpose......

Please, anyone with tech info, opinions, numbers or dates about this issue, your input is highly appreciated!

 

[brando06]

Hey guys,

I thought they'd announce the 12 inch MacBook Pro at Macworld.....guess not.

However, it just occurred to me that the 12 inch Macbook with a Core 2 Duo processor is the same thing that would exist in the a 12 inch Macbook Pro, correct?

So with the release of the Core 2 Duo to the Macbook line, isn't there no need to release a 12 inch Macbook Pro now?

What advantage, from a power and speed aspect, would still exist by releasing a 12 inch Macbook Pro? I think it's odd they haven't, and I'm starting to think its because the 12 inch Macbook serves that purpose......

Please, anyone with tech info, opinions, numbers or dates about this issue, your input is highly appreciated!

Very lengthly post for something that just needed to be..........

Why is there no 12 inch Macbook Pro???

 

[.dingledorph]

I would love a 11.1" MB/MBP for school. I carry my laptop with me all the time and would buy a ultraportable from apple in a second. I love the formfactor of the Vaio TX.

 

[bearbo]

Hey guys,

I thought they'd announce the 12 inch MacBook Pro at Macworld.....guess not.

However, it just occurred to me that the 12 inch Macbook with a Core 2 Duo processor is the same thing that would exist in the a 12 inch Macbook Pro, correct?

So with the release of the Core 2 Duo to the Macbook line, isn't there no need to release a 12 inch Macbook Pro now?

What advantage, from a power and speed aspect, would still exist by releasing a 12 inch Macbook Pro? I think it's odd they haven't, and I'm starting to think its because the 12 inch Macbook serves that purpose......

Please, anyone with tech info, opinions, numbers or dates about this issue, your input is highly appreciated!

em.

1. there is no 12" macbook.
2. if there were to be a 12" mbp, it could have goodies, over the current 13" macbook, such as matte display(as ppl who need accurate colors would want), dedicated graphic card, faster processor, and etc. However we dont know any of this because there is no 12" MBP and incidentally there is no specs for the 12".

 

[Gump]

Alright well I mean the 13in Macbook.

Nobody answered my question, isn't there no point to release it in MBP because the existing MB version has all the hardware bases covered?

The reason I ask is because I'm a heavy PC user looking to switch to Mac and I have always been impressed with the power of the MBP series, but I need something small because I'm heading to law school and need to type notes in class while docking at my home office at night.

So how well and how long would I be covered with an existing top spec MB?

 

[mkrishnan]

I think the expectation would be for something that weighs substantially less than the (13.3") MacBook. The MacBook weighs >0.5 lbs more than the previous smallest Apple notebooks and is also a fair bit bigger.

The laundry list of preferably's would include still having a non-Intel GPU, etc, etc....

 

[aquajet]

Nobody answered my question, isn't there no point to release it in MBP because the existing MB version has all the hardware bases covered?

No. There are many people who would love to buy a machine with comparable specs to the MacBook Pro in a smaller, lighter, 12" form factor.

By comparable specs, I mean:

1. Dedicated GPU with the option of either 128mb VRAM or 256mb VRAM
2. Firewire 800
3. Expresscard slot
4. Backlit keyboard
5. Aluminium enclosure

Almost forgot...choice of matte or glassy screen.

 

[bearbo]

but I need something small because I'm heading to law school and need to type notes in class while docking at my home office at night.

So how well and how long would I be covered with an existing top spec MB?

i think for you the 13" macbook would do just fine... heck, even the previous powermac g4 12" would be sufficient for your note taking usage.

but that doesn't mean other ppl don't see much advantage of 12" MBP over 13" MB

 

[mkrishnan]

even the previous powermac g4 12" would be sufficient for your note taking usage.

I would personally be disturbed if any of my students brought a PowerMac to class to take notes with it....

 

[Gump]

For me? Haha well it's not just note taking.....for example, I do heavy Photoshop work and use Flash MX to design sites, so the GPU is a big deal to me.

Some of my work:
http://sgaville.com/0506
http://cedarville.edu/cjsociety

I am looking at getting into more home movie editing too.
So, in your honest judgment, still sufficient?

 

[The General]

Hey guys,

I thought they'd announce the 12 inch MacBook Pro at Macworld.....guess not.

However, it just occurred to me that the 12 inch Macbook with a Core 2 Duo processor is the same thing that would exist in the a 12 inch Macbook Pro, correct?

So with the release of the Core 2 Duo to the Macbook line, isn't there no need to release a 12 inch Macbook Pro now?

What advantage, from a power and speed aspect, would still exist by releasing a 12 inch Macbook Pro? I think it's odd they haven't, and I'm starting to think its because the 12 inch Macbook serves that purpose......

Please, anyone with tech info, opinions, numbers or dates about this issue, your input is highly appreciated!

Oh, you mean that Macbook?

 

[mkrishnan]

I do heavy Photoshop work [...] so the GPU is a big deal to me.

Erm..... Photoshop makes essentially no use of the GPU.

 

[The General]

Erm..... Photoshop makes essentially no use of the GPU.

Yeah, I've spent years trying to expain to people that video card only matters if you play games or do 3D rendering. People always make comments about how Photoshop, AutoCAD, etc need super mega duper video cards, but it's all software rendered, lol.

Even then, who the hell would want to use Photoshop on a 12" screen?

 

[Sdashiki]

Yeah, I've spent years trying to expain to people that video card only matters if you play games or do 3D rendering. People always make comments about how Photoshop, AutoCAD, etc need super mega duper video cards, but it's all software rendered, lol.

In the future, things should change though.

Digital video...dont forget DV for a good graphix card. Especially if you want realtime uncompressed 10 bit HD

 

[xparaparafreakx]

Im so close to buying a Sony TX series but I want that ultra thin Macbook Pro.

 

[Sesshi]

The Sony SZ doesn't cost that much more than the MBP - it's over 700g lighter and has similar power if you go for the top-dog models.

 

[Sun Baked]

Right now MacBook Pro 12 would offer nothing above a MacBook and would almost be like paying $200 for a black case -- except it likely would be $500 for an aluminum skin.

The switch to Intel meant the loss of the Integrated North/South chip Apple used with PPC -- and the room needed for the GPU and the associated heatsinks and fans.

Before the iBook and the PowerBook 12 were the same design with a different GPU.

Since there is no dedicated GPU this time round in the MacBook, it's much harder to make a Pro machine out the little brother by updating the graphics.

And just as hard to shrink the big machine into a smaller package.

 

[Bern]

I'd love to see a 12" MBP but not as a compromise to a 15" one. I don't want something smaller with less features (as greedy as that sounds) and considering the 12" Powerbook was less featured than the 15" model if Apple did produce a 12" MBP I think it likely.

 

[Padaung]

Yeah, I've spent years trying to expain to people that video card only matters if you play games or do 3D rendering. People always make comments about how Photoshop, AutoCAD, etc need super mega duper video cards, but it's all software rendered, lol.

Even then, who the hell would want to use Photoshop on a 12" screen?

Some photographers would love a 12" MBP. Carrying a laptop along with 2 camera bodies, flash guns and lenses in a rucksack weighs a bloody ton! Any weight loss would be brilliant. Then the MBP can be plugged into a bigger screen at the office. A matt screen is needed to judge colour balance best - glossy screens are too different to the printed results.

Does dedicated VRAM make the image refresh more quickly in Photoshop? Esp. if it's a large RAW file. The Macbooks use system RAM from what I know - would this affect general speed of scrolling around the image, moving between multiple open images etc?

 

[dornoforpyros]

I understand the need/desire for a 12" MBP, but at this point I think it's a pipe dream. Apple has embraced wide screen laptops/displays and I don't see that changing. But that's just my 2 cents.

 

[mkrishnan]

I understand the need/desire for a 12" MBP, but at this point I think it's a pipe dream. Apple has embraced wide screen laptops/displays and I don't see that changing. But that's just my 2 cents.

Yeah, I don't think anyone is suggesting it would be 4:3. But there are lots of options for WS smaller than 13.3".... Who knows? Especially given that Intel is aggressively developing chips suitable to subcompacts.... I guess it is perhaps a pipe dream, but I still really want to see it.

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

The switch to Intel meant the loss of the Integrated North/South chip Apple used with PPC -- and the room needed for the GPU and the associated heatsinks and fans.

Please enlighten me of this north/south chip you speak of?

 

[oceanmonster]

I'd keep your eye out for a 13 inch macbook pro in the same dimensions as the macbook

 

[briantology]

... I love the formfactor of the Vaio TX.

Those things are ridiculously small...

 

[Sun Baked]

Please enlighten me of this north/south chip you speak of?

The standard PC speak for the main chips in the chipset.

MacBook

Powerbook 12

The Intrepid chip takes the place of two big chips in the MacBook the North (Intel 945 chip) and South (Intel I/O) chips. Basically the MacBook is just a variation of the standard Intel machine.

The two Intel North & South chips take the space that the GPU and Intepid chips occupied in the iBook/PowerBook 12.

The iBook/PowerBook 12 were 3 big chips (CPU + GPU + Intrepid) and the MacBook is 3 big chips (CPU + North + South).

All the room is taken and it is hard to stuff the 4th chip (the GPU) into that rather tight space that the iMac/MacBook Pro do have the space for.

Especially when you actually look at the take apart for the MacBook and MacBook Pro and see that there is a big bump in real estate taken for that extra chip. And a MacBook Pro 12 would mean stuffing everything into an even smaller space.