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NEW 17" MacbookPro????
- Thread starter Marci
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indecisive
Make no mistake: I am a Mac lover. However, in view your photography leanings, you should review the Lenovo w700 and Dell Precision 'Covet'. This will at least tell you what is important to photographers. I hate steering you away from Mac but you may not need to go these routes if Macs 17" MBP comes outwith similar features to these two models. Suggest you do a Google search on each of these PC's with and after separating by a comma after their name, type in reviews. Of course you can also just look at Lenovos and/or Dells site. Here's a link you could copy and paste to your browser reviewing the w700 which is specifically designed for professional photographers:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4638
The review in combination with Lenovos (and Dells for that matter re 'Covet') own page and ads will also educate you further. The dell machine is incredible as is the lenovo - I personally am considering this too but awaiting Apples January announcements re the MBP 17"
Good luck.
Make no mistake: I am a Mac lover. However, in view your photography leanings, you should review the Lenovo w700 and Dell Precision 'Covet'. This will at least tell you what is important to photographers. I hate steering you away from Mac but you may not need to go these routes if Macs 17" MBP comes outwith similar features to these two models. Suggest you do a Google search on each of these PC's with and after separating by a comma after their name, type in reviews. Of course you can also just look at Lenovos and/or Dells site. Here's a link you could copy and paste to your browser reviewing the w700 which is specifically designed for professional photographers:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4638
The review in combination with Lenovos (and Dells for that matter re 'Covet') own page and ads will also educate you further. The dell machine is incredible as is the lenovo - I personally am considering this too but awaiting Apples January announcements re the MBP 17"
Good luck.
Not a lot will beat the Mac Pro certainly not ANY Mac Book Pro. I would wait until January to see what happens as if you travel a lot with the computer the extra sturdiness of the unibody will be better for you and it's a LOT easier to swap the hard drive, you could buy the new unibody 17" Mac Book Pro and then later on get an SSD drive to install in it when the capacity has gone up and the price come down. Or like wise with normal drives, a 1 terabyte laptop drive is bound to be out next year and you can very easily put it in a unibody Mac Book Pro
The next major upgrade is not until end of 2009 early 2010 with Nehelam, and speaking of which, indications are that the Mac Pro will be redesigned with the new Nehelam Xeon chips (which as the article today shows are MUCH faster then the current fastest Xeons chips) will be launched in January.
If that's yor bread and butter machine and your a speed freak then get a 17" in January no matter what but perhaps look towards a new Mac Pro?
There is also another thing to consider, software. Snow Leopard, it will support the fancy new Open CL so the GPU can also be used for general processing. The way I see it, a new Mac Book Pro with the CPU plus 9400M doing the processing, and the 9600M doing the graphics will be a formidable machine.
Dell Prestige M6400 Covet
This is thew only 17" laptop I'v seen that has the scalability and right feature options to beat the MBP (for your particular photog needs) and can likely match a desktop in terms of performance: Check out these pages:
http://www.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/precnnb?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/workstation-precision-m6400?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd
These machines sufficiently tricked out are VERY expensive - but if you want powerful desktop performance this Dell Covet is the current leader it appears.
This is thew only 17" laptop I'v seen that has the scalability and right feature options to beat the MBP (for your particular photog needs) and can likely match a desktop in terms of performance: Check out these pages:
http://www.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/precnnb?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/workstation-precision-m6400?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd
These machines sufficiently tricked out are VERY expensive - but if you want powerful desktop performance this Dell Covet is the current leader it appears.
I don't understand where all this talk of getting a Dell or any other PC is coming from. I asked about the MacBook Pro.
My main work station is a MacPro 8 core. Why on earth would I be interested in a Dell laptop. All my software is for Mac. My photoshop program is for Mac. I have absolutely no interest in PC's. I don't understand what your agenda is here.
My main work station is a MacPro 8 core. Why on earth would I be interested in a Dell laptop. All my software is for Mac. My photoshop program is for Mac. I have absolutely no interest in PC's. I don't understand what your agenda is here.
Marci - the current 17" has the defective GPU that keeps me from buying it now. There is a good chance that you will see a new 17" in a month or so - I am waiting.
The screens on the new MBP is like a mirror - that I do not like - I far prefer a matte screen. However - I'll take the better graphics processor with the mirror screen rather than the matte screen in the current MBP 17" with the questionable graphics processor.
Wait until MWSF.....
The screens on the new MBP is like a mirror - that I do not like - I far prefer a matte screen. However - I'll take the better graphics processor with the mirror screen rather than the matte screen in the current MBP 17" with the questionable graphics processor.
Wait until MWSF.....
Well hey, your the one who said you don't like slow machines? And you also said your Mc Pro was your bread and butter machine.
I know the existing mac Pro isn't slow but this report:
http://www.techradar.com/news/compu...socket-nehalem-ep-platform-benchmarked-487131
States the new chips are "ridiculously fast" compared to the current top of the range Penryn 3.2 Xeon's. By the looks of it nearly twice a fast in fact and that's at 2.8! So if your time is your money, and the new chips do indeed offer between 50 and 70% performance increase then would it not be worth it?
Mbp 17"
Based on your comments:your remarks about software all being Mac/ timeframe of January latest / you have little choice logically speaking but to await the Jan announcements. You can't afford to wait for the new superfast Intem Nehalem chip due for laptops the 2nd half of 2009. Given the 17" MBP has the highest specs of MBP (laptop), you have no other choice but to buy that machine. Forget the Dell/ Lenovo, etc.. It's simply a matter of your timing of being able to wait until january or not to see if they add /announce further upgrades to the 17". That's the same machine I wanted but was very dissapointed when they didn't upgrade it simulataneously with the 15".
Based on your comments:your remarks about software all being Mac/ timeframe of January latest / you have little choice logically speaking but to await the Jan announcements. You can't afford to wait for the new superfast Intem Nehalem chip due for laptops the 2nd half of 2009. Given the 17" MBP has the highest specs of MBP (laptop), you have no other choice but to buy that machine. Forget the Dell/ Lenovo, etc.. It's simply a matter of your timing of being able to wait until january or not to see if they add /announce further upgrades to the 17". That's the same machine I wanted but was very dissapointed when they didn't upgrade it simulataneously with the 15".
That's what I was thinking. I don't do professional photography, but I've always found the concept of a seventeen inch portable to be just a bit of an oxymoron
.If it going to be a traveller, and peformance is your primary concern, you may want to consider a BTO 2.8 15 inch with either a 7200 rpm or SSD drive.
God, I can't remember where I saw it, but they did a benchmark between the 2.8 MBP and the Mac Pro, and the performance of the 2.8 came the closest of any portable to the desktop.
Wait, here it is:
http://www.barefeats.com/mbpp05.html
But, wait, there's more:
http://www.macworld.com/article/136757/2008/11/macbookpro28ghz.html?lsrc=rss_main
Keep in mind, if they refresh the 17" at Macworld, they'll put the same chip or faster it its BTO options. But do you want to be without a machine for a couple of months waiting for a machine that may or may not come by then?
Sorry to hear about your old system. Please consider what I think to be a good form of keyboard/laptop protection, a $2 plastic coffee cup with lid from Wal-Mart. Good luck!
Best Buy carries Macs now, you can go there to check them out. There should be one closer than 2 hours away.
Aren't the first portable Penryn quad core processors due to be available sometime soon? Is it possible Apple has withheld the release of the 17'' for the purposes of this processor? This is only my opinion, but I doubt whether just dropping a 17'' version of the new macbook pro would really return significant interest from consumers; they'll need something in the 17'' to set it apart...
I've only just got my macbook pro 15'' 2.8ghz machine yet I could definitely see myself handing Apple another couple of grand if they were to release a quad core notebook.
I've only just got my macbook pro 15'' 2.8ghz machine yet I could definitely see myself handing Apple another couple of grand if they were to release a quad core notebook.
I don't think the mobile quads will be released before the desktop versions, and I certainly think apple won't release a new chip in a portable before the mac pro.
Otherwise, a quad MBP may be better peformancewise than the existing quad xeon MP. I'm pretty sure apple wants to sell them there three and four thousand dollar desktops...
Otherwise, a quad MBP may be better peformancewise than the existing quad xeon MP. I'm pretty sure apple wants to sell them there three and four thousand dollar desktops...
But I mean there's meant to be a notebook equivalent of the current Xeon hitting soon, isn't there? That would then tie in nicely with the imminent Mac Pro processor upgrade because there would still be a suitable distinction between the two...
It's obviously going to be a long while before we see a portable version of the new mac pro chip.
You don't have a Best Buy or Fry's Electronics either? I only go to the stores to look and feel and talk about them. I always order no tax, free shipping from an online reseller warehouse like MacMall, etc.
Are all you guys actually paying the extra $250 or so in taxes? If so, are you using the 10% education discount to counter it?
I need a new LAPTOP - my 8 core is plenty fast for a desktop - I haven't even had it a year.
Yeah but it's still out of date now
My honest advice? Wait, see what comes out in Jan, then buy the 17" MB Pro, I personally do not think they will update it in January but it's worth the wait just in case. Then I would SELL what ever you buy in 2010 and buy a Nehelam spec laptop as it will IMO offer at least double the power of the Penryn platform, maybe even quad core.
I still stand by my earlier comments about getting a BTO 15" now. If she were to do that, she would still have the use of it until Macworld.
Except that it's about to be updated at literally anytime, and Apple still wants top dollar for it.
+1
Not only that, it's a classic all of us will remember for a LONG LONG TIME, just like the Powerbook.
After reading this and other posts I found a sweet deal on MacMall and got current MBP17 with nonglass display and 200MB 7200rpm HD for $2300+$150 4GB installed + $300 Applecare.
I was waiting for new 17 coming up but with all this uncertainty about actual release plus recognition that it won't edit native AVCHD files anyway I decided not to wait.
When Q will come up I will switch - provided that I would be able to live with glass screen (I'm 'working' by the pool often.
Just my 2 cents.
I was waiting for new 17 coming up but with all this uncertainty about actual release plus recognition that it won't edit native AVCHD files anyway I decided not to wait.
When Q will come up I will switch - provided that I would be able to live with glass screen (I'm 'working' by the pool often
.Just my 2 cents.
Well, I think there will be no "new" mbp 17" at least from 1 reason. It`s not so good seller as Macbook 13" and Macbook Pro 15" ... and also I suppose 15" mbp is best way between performace and portability... 17" is bigger enough... and 13" has too small display (at least for me..).
And if you need much powerful workstation get Mac Pro then
Regards,
// kemo
And if you need much powerful workstation get Mac Pro then
Regards,
// kemo
I disagree, economies of scale mandate for one platform therefore there will be new MBP17. But from the same 'economies of scale' reason it would be foolish to expect different internals. Look, all MBs share keyboard, shell production line and motherboard. MBPs have aditional discreet graphics but I'd say (dunno for sure though) that the mobo is the same.
From this very reason I realized that no miracles could be expected with new MBP release.
From this very reason I realized that no miracles could be expected with new MBP release.
After reading this and other posts I found a sweet deal on MacMall and got current MBP17 with nonglass display and 200MB 7200rpm HD for $2300+$150 4GB installed + $300 Applecare.
I was waiting for new 17 coming up but with all this uncertainty about actual release plus recognition that it won't edit native AVCHD files anyway I decided not to wait.
When Q will come up I will switch - provided that I would be able to live with glass screen (I'm 'working' by the pool often
Just my 2 cents.
FYI: I got the same config, brand new for $2000....and that included Applecare too.