Form Factor/Design Improvements?

[miniConvert]

I think it needs a complete redesign. While the keyboard is acceptable it can't be described as good, and I don't like how it's all squished into the middle with space all around the outside. A second button on the trackpad for right click would be appropriate on a pro laptop, and Apple could even consider adding a fingerprint reader. The latch needs to be magnetic, of course, and the screen OLED so it can be thinned down further and save battery power.

I need a Mac laptop and I'm desperately holding out until one of them stands up to what I want. If they don't do something soon I'll end up just having to buy a current MacBook Pro and putting up with the things I don't like Apple have a good list of 'firsts', but with their notebook development they seem to be playing catch-up these days.

 

[popelife]

I think it needs a complete redesign. While the keyboard is acceptable it can't be described as good, and I don't like how it's all squished into the middle with space all around the outside.

The keyboard is the right size... what are you suggesting, that they spread the keys out more to fill up the space? Now, if they could get a numeric keypad in there...

Though it's just occured to me that including a numeric keypad would force touch typists to put their hands off-centre on the machine. So you'd really have to put the trackpad off-centre too, and your head would be a bit off-centre relative to the screen. Could look/feel a bit weird.

A second button on the trackpad for right click would be appropriate on a pro laptop

Use Apple's two-finger-on-trackpad option for right-click. It works great. I think one-button trackpads are much more natural to use than 2-button - 2-button requires an annoying degree of aim.

Apple have a good list of 'firsts', but with their notebook development they seem to be playing catch-up these days.

I'm not sure I'd say that. They were pretty much first with Core Duo in a laptop, and again with Core 2 Duo. What is the MBP missing that other manufacturers are so far ahead with? I can't think of anything (other than gimmicks... fingerprint readers, media player buttons, LEDs everywhere, give me a break!).

But I agree that it's time for a redesign. We've had that aluminium case for a long time now. And it's fun to look into the future to see where things could go.

 

[DA-Steve]

wouldnt it be great if you could use the ipod as an aux display when docked

 

[MacsAttack]

The keyboard is the right size...

You are joking, right????

All that space and they can'e even put full size cursor and function keys on there??? No need for a poxy little keyboard when you have a deck the size of an aircraft carrier to play with. The whole keyboard just put me off buying a MacBook Pro. It just screams "stop gap design" they way they crowbared the Intel gizmos into the old PowerBook. The MacBook shows just what a ground-up redesign can do.

That is what Apple needs to do with the MacBook Pro range.

Why not make the track pad the width of the keyboard and introduce some of those fancy "gestures" Apple has on their patents.

 

[popelife]

You are joking, right???? All that space and they can'e even put full size cursor and function keys on there???

Bigger cursor and fn keys would be nice, but would make the keyboard deeper, not wider. Anyhow, those keys on Apple laptop keyboards have been that size for a long time now. Not a big problem before, and not really a problem now. The inverted-T cursor keys are definitely preferable to big square ones all in a row (which is how they used to be in the old days)

Although I maintain that the sculpted shape of the MBP keys does make those little keys a little more awkward to hit than they should be.

It just screams "stop gap design" they way they crowbared the Intel gizmos into the old PowerBook.

I agree a bit - introduction of a whole new processor seems like an appropriate time for a redesign. But maybe Apple didn't want to damage sales of their PowerPC machines by making it look like every model was going to be totally reworked as soon as it went Intel.

The Al PowerBook design was always spoken highly of (although I personally preferred the TiBook). It didn't suddenly get worse just because they put Intel chips in it.

The MacBook shows just what a ground-up redesign can do.
That is what Apple needs to do with the MacBook Pro range.

Yup, I agree with you. I'm sure they will this year. However, you do realise that the keys on the MacBook aren't any bigger than the keys on the MBP? They're just flat instead of sculpted. Keyboard size and "wasted space" aren't the issue.

Why not make the track pad the width of the keyboard and introduce some of those fancy "gestures" Apple has on their patents.

Now you're joking, surely? Because every time you put your hands on the machine to type, the cursor would jump all over the screen.

 

[buckwheat]

Here's the latest stop gap design. This is my THIRD 17" C2D 233 glossy just like this: