Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

macenforcer

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 9, 2004
1,248
0
Colorado
Macbook Pro

- Black Aluminium
- Removable DVD bay with optional battery
- Easy access Hard drive like macbook
- New hinge design like Lenovo Thinkpad
- SD Slot
- Removable CPU for upgrades
- 3 USB Ports
- Fingerprint reader
- Lower price

Why not? Lenovo does it, so does every other laptop manufacturer. Its time for a macbook pro redesign. I say.

Thoughts?
 
Macbook Pro

- Black Aluminium
- Removable DVD bay with optional battery
- Easy access Hard drive like macbook
- New hinge design like Lenovo Thinkpad
- SD Slot
- Removable CPU for upgrades
- 3 USB Ports
- Fingerprint reader
- Lower price

Why not? Lenovo does it, so does every other laptop manufacturer. Its time for a macbook pro redesign. I say.

Thoughts?

Terrible.
 
Terrible.

Lets see, the removable optical drive alone will add least a quarter of an inch in thickness to the machine.

From sleek and sexy, to big and bulky.

If you really want the added power of extra battery power and extra HD storage, get the Optical the HD conversion kit buy an external optical, and grab a portable battery pack.
 
2" think. Please. Look at any lenovo thinkpad. T61 goes 1.2 to 1.4 with every one of these options. I can live with .4" difference for more options. My Thinkpad T42p is 1" thick all over and still has all these options. Not alot of intellingence out there I guess.
 
Macbook Pro

- Black Aluminium
- Removable DVD bay with optional battery
- Easy access Hard drive like macbook
- New hinge design like Lenovo Thinkpad
- SD Slot
- Removable CPU for upgrades
- 3 USB Ports
- Fingerprint reader
- Lower price

Why not? Lenovo does it, so does every other laptop manufacturer. Its time for a macbook pro redesign. I say.

Thoughts?

-Would be cool, and feasible
-Makes the area too thick unless they did something really cool, which I could see
-I hope so, and shouldn't be too hard
-What's wrong with the current hinge? So you can't fold it back 180 degrees?
-Probably not
-Also, probably not, makes the machine too thick. Think about it, the zif alone is a few millimeters thick, and take into account that nothing else would require that additional space and you are just wasting space
-Would make my day
-Maybe, but they wouldn't just slap it on there, so not sure how they would put it in
-Probably not. When the latest revision of the MacBook Pro came out, it was the best machine at any price. It is more expensive now than most comparably specced machines, but is not egregiously so. Do not turn Apple into Dell.
 
For extra storage...an eSATA port and then a nice portable eSATA external drive. Another battery... buy a second battery and keep my notebook thin.

Another nice feature would be some sort of HD DVD drive and an HDMI out port. Especially if they bring HD to iTunes. Those will be some fun download times for most lol...
 
I'd like a keyboard with keys that match the arrangement on the new dedicated keyboards (media keys, different dashboard, expose, etc.).
 
jeezus, some of you guys are snotty.

if you don't like the specs, point out the problems and propose alternatives. don't diss the OP just for throwing out ideas.
 
Macbook Pro

- Black Aluminium
- Removable DVD bay with optional battery
- Easy access Hard drive like macbook
- New hinge design like Lenovo Thinkpad
- SD Slot
- Removable CPU for upgrades
- 3 USB Ports
- Fingerprint reader
- Lower price

Why not? Lenovo does it, so does every other laptop manufacturer. Its time for a macbook pro redesign. I say.

Thoughts?

Sorry, but there isn't a feature in that list that would make we want to buy a Lenovo or any other machine.

What I need in a MBP is:
- Dual HDD or 200GB 7200 rpm and Western Digital 250GB 5400 rpm as BTO
- Dual Core 2.8GHz (from iMac)
- Blu-Ray or HD-DVD as BTO
- Internal Broadband
- forget about USB... eSata
- a second FW400 port, take off the other USB if necessary
- Magnetic latch from MacBook. Keep the keyboard the same and the hinge the same, PCs are fatter because they can't design hinges at all.
- Just plain old longer lasting battery. 17" MBP w/6+hours of battery with heavy use (iLife, iTunes, web surfing, iWork, external HDD running at same time).... okay maybe 4 hours.

Keep the price the same, or make a 13.3" MacBook Pro with backlit keyboard for the users that want something cheaper in a pro model, and the users that want something with more power in a small notebook.
 
Macbook Pro
Black Aluminium

The new iMacs have that design. I thought that the "Pro" Apple products are supposed to have a different look to the consumer range?

Easy access Hard drive like macbook

Without doubt. If they can do it on the Macbook then it shouldn't be a problem on the new Macbook Pros.

Very good point. I have no idea why Apple haven't put this in already.

Removable CPU for upgrades
Keep dreaming my friend! :D

Fingerprint reader
I dunno. Just sounds a bit gimicky for an Apple product. Sounds like something you'd expect on a Sony Vaio.

Lower price
Hopefully. The new iMacs were definitely cheaper than the previous models.
 
- Removable CPU for upgrades

Thoughts?

Most other stuff was remotely possible, but that, nah, no chance. You could almost go to Apple HQ and pitch that whole idea and that one little point would determine whether your idea would be well received or flat out shelved.
 
I'd like a keyboard with keys that match the arrangement on the new dedicated keyboards (media keys, different dashboard, expose, etc.).

NO!... those keyboards are horrible layout wise. I want a professional machine not a toy.

The SD slot thing can be fixed with an Express Card 34 card reader, and it's more practical. Plus, adding the drive in by itself would take away much needed space for integrated broadband, which is more necessary.
 
jeezus, some of you guys are snotty.

if you don't like the specs, point out the problems and propose alternatives. don't diss the OP just for throwing out ideas.
Okay then... sorry...

I'd like a removable hard drive (like the MacBook), and a proper Delete key. And I wouldn't say no to an extra FW or USB (or eSATA) port.

But as for the rest of the ideas, I'm not fussed. I certainly wouldn't want to sacrifice any thicknes or more £££. The MBP is otherwise fine as it is.

SL
 
- Internal Broadband
My £0.02p: Nice idea, but unlikely.

There's too many different broadband standards around the world to make this feasible for Apple. In the UK we've already got ADSL and cable... and I am sure there are others in other countries and in the future. And the concept of connecting to broadband with a wire is on its way out anyway.

With WiFi and an Ethernet port, Apple Laptops already have enough future-proof world-proof Internet connectivity options.

SL
 
We can only pray it will be nothing like you wish it were.

Most of those things would clutter up an otherwise excellent design.
 
My £0.02p: Nice idea, but unlikely.

There's too many different broadband standards around the world to make this feasible for Apple. In the UK we've already got ADSL and cable... and I am sure there are others in other countries and in the future. And the concept of connecting to broadband with a wire is on its way out anyway.

With WiFi and an Ethernet port, Apple Laptops already have enough future-proof world-proof Internet connectivity options.

SL

Sorry about that one.... Mobile Broadband, the ones through cell carriers. I hate dongles and fat adaptors, put it all inside then all I have to do is configure it with my Sprint or however information.
 
Mbpro

does upgrade ability really make it a PRO machine? ram and windows formatted drives could be PRO conserns, as far as easy to replace/switch. the optical drive seems like a pipe dream for those concerned with the rise of HD, but is this a pro concern now? where is the majority of HD content created, on notebooks? more likley high end desktops. so this is more a "viewer's" concern to have the HD opticals in the notebooks.
how useful do you all think the current "expandable" macbook is?

the hindge has got to be changed. the current model does not open far enough and if the power cord gets under the bottom rear lip when the lid is opened it will actually lift the lapt top up, ventilation?
also if the latch button is pressed when the MBP is on edge the screen flopps open and hits the table.

with the new leds, HDD hybrids, hd optics, and changing chipsets, how long will the term "upgradeable" retain it's meaning/usefullness.
 
Sorry about that one.... Mobile Broadband, the ones through cell carriers. I hate dongles and fat adaptors, put it all inside then all I have to do is configure it with my Sprint or however information.
Ah... now you're talking!

But Apple would hit similar problems with multiple standards around the world, and the carriers would want their cut as well, which wouldn't be good for the consumer.

But yes, it'd be cool.

SL
 
SD Card slot

While an SD card slot is nice, it is a macbook "pro", and there is still a good number of higher end DSLRs that use compact flash, and I'm sure it would end up in a "why not me" argument.
 
We can only pray it will be nothing like you wish it were.

Most of those things would clutter up an otherwise excellent design.


Agree. All those would add a lot of bulk to the machine, and lose the simplicity of it all. All you really did was list a Lenovo with OSX. Yuk.
 
Agree. All those would add a lot of bulk to the machine, and lose the simplicity of it all. All you really did was list a Lenovo with OSX. Yuk.

Actually it was more a list of an updated PISMO powerbook and if I remember correctly they were the most well received powerbook ever.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.