Discussion about the complication of the Air refresh

[da3dl3us]

a dedicated video card that kills the battery life.

They need decent flexible switching, encourage apps to use QuickSync and perhaps have one version that has a discrete GPU for those that want to game

HD3000 is a good little chip for general usage, HD playback, video encoding etc.

Then that's what they should do. Have an optimus like system for the mbp, like the asus laptops or the m11x can do. Like I said, if they did that, I would all over the mbp 13''. I'm assuming this is what will happen with the next iteration.

How does the mbp 15'' pull off having a powerful discrete graphics card but still has a solid battery life?

 

[Duke15]

I cant see them using i3s at all, it will only be i5s and i7s. Hopefuilly they go with the 25w processors but looks like they might not...then again they might have an ace up their sleeve

 

[mrklaw]

Then that's what they should do. Have an optimus like system for the mbp, like the asus laptops or the m11x can do. Like I said, if they did that, I would all over the mbp 13''. I'm assuming this is what will happen with the next iteration.

How does the mbp 15'' pull off having a powerful discrete graphics card but still has a solid battery life?

it uses an optimus like system

The main problem is that if it detects the need to turn on discrete graphics, they don't turn off again when not needed. Hopefully addressed in an update/fix.

so eg you run chrome, loads up using integrated graphics. Hit something using flash, kicks in the discrete GPU. Move away from that page, or even close it with the X button, discrete GPU stays activated. You have to fully exit chrome to get it to go back to the HD3000.

so some niggles in the implementation but it has promise.

 

[da3dl3us]

it uses an optimus like system

The main problem is that if it detects the need to turn on discrete graphics, they don't turn off again when not needed. Hopefully addressed in an update/fix.

so eg you run chrome, loads up using integrated graphics. Hit something using flash, kicks in the discrete GPU. Move away from that page, or even close it with the X button, discrete GPU stays activated. You have to fully exit chrome to get it to go back to the HD3000.

so some niggles in the implementation but it has promise.

Ok cool, if they fix that, it'll be solid. I'm pretty sure the next macbook pro 13'' will have this function, otherwise, the mba 13'' is catching up to be a better option.

Once the mbp 13'' gets that discrete video card, I'll probably sell my 2011 mba 13'' (which I hope to buy in a few days!) for that. That is, unless I fall head over heels over the new mba!

 

[theSeb]

Then that's what they should do. Have an optimus like system for the mbp, like the asus laptops or the m11x can do. Like I said, if they did that, I would all over the mbp 13''. I'm assuming this is what will happen with the next iteration.

How does the mbp 15'' pull off having a powerful discrete graphics card but still has a solid battery life?

Bigger chasis allows for a bigger battery as well as the dual graphics card system as mentioned by the other poster above.

What are you planning to use the mbp for that calls for a more powerful graphics solution?

 

[da3dl3us]

Bigger chasis allows for a bigger chasis as well as the dual graphics card system as mentioned by the other poster above.

What are you planning to use the mbp for that calls for a more powerful graphics solution?

It would be a great alternative to similar PC laptop in that size with a dedicated graphic card (HP Envy, M14x, etc). Having a gpu > hd 3000 would make the 13'' pro an excellent all-purpose laptop.

 

[Dragynfyre]

The MBP 13" needs to include a low-mid end dedicated graphics card to differentiate it sufficiently from the Macbook Air 13". Also I really don't see a point to updating the regular Macbook. It's a super niche product. The only thing that it has that differentiates it from other Windows laptops is OSX, otherwise there are other products like the Asus U30SD-XA1 which are better or equal to the Macbook in every possible way. That includes, price, performance, and battery life.

 

[Hellhammer]

I owned a 13" Air for a month, and used it along side my 15" MacBook Pro. I couldn't see any improvements in my Pro's screen from the "higher colour gamut". In fact, because of the lack of glare, the Air's screen displayed much richer blacks and more vivid colours.

This whole "larger colour gamut" is just a marketing thing..

Apple doesn't say a word about higher color gamut so it has nothing to do with marketing. The fact is, there is difference like the link I provided shows. Whether it is noticeable or not depends on the individual and workflow. Some notice, others don't.

 

[Philflow]

^ I've owned both the 13" MBA and 13" MBP, the difference in gamut is obvious to me.

I mean, the only things the Pro will offer over the 13-inch Air really will be a slightly faster processor (though this gap will be minor, if even noticeable for many at all)

The Core i7-2637M that may be used in the MBA runs at 1.6 GHz, the i7 in the MBP runs at 2.7 GHz.

That's a bit more than slightly in my opinion.

I agree that many people would not notice it.

 

[IJBrekke]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_9 like Mac OS X; en-gb) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E501 Safari/6533.18.5)

Don't underestimate the trust people have in disc drives. Many people on this forum are comfortable without one, but the average consumer has been lead to believe they NEED one. This alone warrants the market for the MacBook.

 

[Scottsdale]

I would switch instantly from the MBA to the 13" MBP IF:

Add a real AMD discrete GPU and eliminate the Intel HD 3000 completely by disabling it as there were rumors of Apple doing with the MBAs and ULV CPUs. AMD discrete GPUs can take as little as 7W, so there's no real loss there especially if Apple could disable the Intel IGP and use the power of the CPU only for the CPU itself. Power sipping can come from discrete GPUs made by AMD.

Completely redesign it to take advantage of the space after removing the dinosaur that is the optical drive. It is a worthless waste of space that is no longer relevant. If they want to keep optical drives, they need to update them to BluRay.

Add a 1440x900 LCD to the 13" MBP or even higher resolution would be better. I don't get the current strategy other than the fact that the Intel HD 3000 would fare even worse if it were driving a 1440x900 display.

I want a well-balanced Mac. I feel the current 13" MBP is useless and doesn't deserve the "Pro" moniker with its Intel HD 3000 IGP and low resolution display. I also feel like it's wasting so much space with that completely ancient optical drive. I don't understand how any people with real professional-level (think applications NOT CAREERS people) computing needs could live with a 13" MBP.

The reason I currently love the MBA is the Nvidia GPU paired with the C2D CPU has been a well balanced Mac. It is ultra mobile, and with its Flash SSD it's incredibly fast for the majority of uses. Tomorrow, probably, it will have a fancier CPU but lose its graphics prowess for a simpler more cost effective and anti-competitive solution (thanks to Intel). There is no reason at least the 13" MBP couldn't fulfill the role formerly filled by the 13" MBA with Nvidia GPU by adding what it needs and removing what it doesn't need.

 

[Young Spade]

I think what they'll do (and they probably will do this) is upgrade the baseline for the MBP.

If anyone here knows the specs when the MBP was released, care to share how that compared to the MB at that time?

With everything going SNB and 4 gigs of RAM, yhou're right, the differences are down to the components that make the system (storage type, graphics card, screen, build quality, etc.) but I think in the next major MBP refresh, we'll see things like

Baseline
6-8 gigs of ram
4 cores (or higher clocked dual SNB cores)
Higher resolution screen
Better battery life
Discrete graphics (given the technology gets more efficient and we can put that in a 13 inch).

They will make the "Pro" more of a Pro machine. They have to. It's just the fact that they're upgrading the other two models before the pro makes it seem like the Pro isn't so Pro after all.

When the Pro gets upgraded, it would all make sense. They also might either increase the price of it (1300 baseline) and add those increases that I stated, although I would hate for them to do that.

Seeing as the other two are becoming more competent, you have to make the "best" one that much better.

 

[fyrefly]

I'm pretty confident that all things being equal, apple's content to let the white macbook die on the vine.

It currently outsells the iMac, Macbook Air and Macbook Pro (not that I am a fan, but that's a fact)

Actually, it's not a fact.

During Apple's earnings call today they said the MacBook Pro is their top selling Mac. And other analysts pegged the MB White as only 10% of Apple's Mac sales (aka 400k out of 4 Million Macs sold).

 

[Hellhammer]

Actually, it's not a fact.

During Apple's earnings call today they said the MacBook Pro is their top selling Mac. And other analysts pegged the MB White as only 10% of Apple's Mac sales (aka 400k out of 4 Million Macs sold).

According to Apple the MacBook outsells MacBook Air

http://store.apple.com/us