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Not only do i think that my MBP is the best thing i have ever bought, except for since it is an Apple laptop, has had it's share of problems, the battery almost died, but somehow fixed itself, the paint is kind of coming off, I could cook eggs on it it is so hot, and the fact that it is not as permanent as my custom PC desktop, it is by far the nicest designed product i know of; along with my iPhone. Living on my own and in college, i was a little reluctant to jump on the Mac bandwagon, but could not resist the way a MBP looks. I really do not know how the new ultra portable laptop is going to be in that it is supposed to be even thinner than the MBP, while the MBP isn't a heavyweight on its own. If i owned one, i would be afraid i would crack it in half. Well, we can all wait and see what they cook up in the Apple pot of theirs for us next.
 
Ugly?

Wow you think the MBP is ugly? I think it's stunning! And everyone who has seen my MBP so far is blown away by how awesome this thing looks. I have to admit though, pictures don't do the MBP any justice.
 
The design of the MBP is a timeless classic design ... I mean, 6 years is an eternity for a tech gadget. Even the iPod design changes once a year. Just out of curiousity, is there any other popular laptop or tech gadget design that has lasted as long? I can't think of anything else right now.

That being said, I'd like to see a limited edition Macbooks ... maybe a crystal clear transparent case.

The best product placement for the MBP: NIN video directed by David Fincher!
 
i think he meant to say that apple employees aren't allowed to be members of these online communities, contributing, posting and the like. i'm sure they monitor and read, but they don't participate.
What a stupid restriction. It's probably one of those rules that people break all the time and just never get caught.
 
I think the MacBook Pro needs two major design improvements...
  • A magnetic latch, just like on the MacBook. Sure, it takes "effort" to open the MacBook, as opposed to just pressing a button, but on the flip side, the MacBook has nothing that will break or wear down.
  • The MacBook Pro keyboard is probably the worst keyboard I've ever used on any portable. It's just soft and terrible. By contrast, the MacBook keyboard is the best keyboard I've ever used on any portable. It's responsive and has that "clicky" feeling that I just love. The MacBook Pro needs this keyboard desperately, and I'm sure that Apple would be able to modify it to allow for illumination, as well.
 
Pardon me for the negativity, but I'll be the second (after the OP) to say I dislike the MBP design.

I much prefer the MacBook design, and even the old Ti design was a little nicer (though certainly worse in terms of hinge/latch) than this one.

The 17" model especially just has so much dead area.

I'm not saying I hate it, but I think it's a pretty average design.
I agree on this point, and even the 15'' MBP looks a bit off, too. The 12'' PowerBook was the only one that had it right. The keyboard extended across the entire lower frame, and the trackpad was wide and perfectly proportioned in relation to the screen. The 15'' and 17'' MBP both need to have keyboards that are wider.
 
I believe it is performance. But what Notebook company that can beat the both with performance and style is Zepto! Yeah Zepto rules!

BS. Zepto is now the ugliest bunch of computers I have seen. I used to say that about Dell, but there's have actually gone up quite a bit in the design category. Now Zepto is the king of fugly machines.

p.s. only redesigne the MBP if I can get dual HDDs that are user replaceable, and a GFX card with 512MB inside the case.
 
apple is always ahead in terms of design. It'll be a couple of more years before other manufacturers catch up and the macbook pro will start to look outdated.

By then, apple would have another design, years ahead it's time. The cycle continues.
 
I love my MBP, but...

In this day and age it is strange to find a machine held togeather with as many screws as the current MBP; I think it is 21 screws to get down to where you can touch the hard drive.

I love the shape, the feel, the heft and the performance.

While I am not advising a redesign, if one were to be undertaken the goal should be towards user support of upgrades (memory, hard drive, optical drive, port reconfig and maybe video cards). All of these upgrades should be user installable with a minumum of tools and screws. AND the shape, the feel, and the performance needs to be maintained; the weight can always be reduced along with the thickness.

Just my opinion.
Neil.
 
While I am not advising a redesign, if one were to be undertaken the goal should be towards user support of upgrades (memory, hard drive, optical drive, port reconfig and maybe video cards). All of these upgrades should be user installable with a minumum of tools and screws.

Apple isn't necessarily interested in making their machines easily upgradeable. The more people have to work in order to replace things like hard drives and memory, the more likely those people are to *instead* sign up for AppleCare or travel to Authorized Apple Repair Personnel, putting more cash into Apple's pockets.
 
I actually like the fact that Apple hasn't seen the need to change it's model every few years. I like the fact that my old PB and MBP look the same, and that the same for the PM and MPs. It's refreshing compared to the way other companies constantly redesign.
 
OK, I'm going to chime in here:

Yes, the MacBook Pro is great...but the design will be 5-years-old in January, and it needs some overdue improvements:
  • I definitely agree with the poster above about access to the hard drive! 21 screws and major surgery is freakin' ridiculous. Plus that magnetic latch is so killer!
  • The hinge doesn't allow the screen to go back too far making the computer hard to use on a table when standing. This is a real pain in the you-know-what.
  • More importantly is the display itself. It needs to be more evenly lit and have a better range of view. The viewing angles are pretty narrow. And no more yellow bias!
  • The keyboard needs the MacBook upgrade. That keyboard and the desktop version are the best keyboards that I have ever typed on. The MacBook Pro's keyboard isn't bad though, it's that you don't know anything better until you see it/use it...and that happened with the MacBook.
  • While not imperative, the MacBook needs at least 4 USB ports. 2 on the 15-inch and 3 on the 17-inch is not acceptable in this day and age.
 
OK, I'm going to chime in here:

Yes, the MacBook Pro is great...but the design will be 5-years-old in January, and it needs some overdue improvements:
  • I definitely agree with the poster above about access to the hard drive! 21 screws and major surgery is freakin' ridiculous. Plus that magnetic latch is so killer!
  • The hinge doesn't allow the screen to go back too far making the computer hard to use on a table when standing. This is a real pain in the you-know-what.
  • More importantly is the display itself. It needs to be more evenly lit and have a better range of view. The viewing angles are pretty narrow. And no more yellow bias!
  • The keyboard needs the MacBook upgrade. That keyboard and the desktop version are the best keyboards that I have ever typed on. The MacBook Pro's keyboard isn't bad though, it's that you don't know anything better until you see it/use it...and that happened with the MacBook.
  • While not imperative, the MacBook needs at least 4 USB ports. 2 on the 15-inch and 3 on the 17-inch is not acceptable in this day and age.

Don't get me wrong when I call this post "Consumer Speak" because I really don't mean anything derogatory by it. Just that it's not taking into account the amount of professional users that don't need USB ports, don't care about the keyboard that much, and don't use their machines while standing up.

Give us the user replaceable HDD, and the mag latch, but for real pro users, we want TWO HDDs on the 17" and a 512MB GFX card. How about two FW400, or 800 ports, eSATA somewhere in there, how about a number pad on the 17" model as well?
 
I personally wouldn't mind jet black glossy paint on the MBP, obviously keeping the backlit keyboard. That'd be sick.
Apparently that's what's going to be implemented in the January update.
 
[*]While not imperative, the MacBook needs at least 4 USB ports. 2 on the 15-inch and 3 on the 17-inch is not acceptable in this day and age.
[/LIST]

x2. At the minimum, USB ports should be offered on both sides of the computer. I had the 2-inputs-on-one-side problem on my iBook, and it's the same on the Macbook. Adding a port on the right side would make it much easier to attach and detach objects.
 
what 17" laptop doesn't? there's so much surface area, there's bound to be a lot of "dead" area. i actually like the simple design approach. i hate things that are needlessly busy with buttons, lights or other doohickies.

That Dead Area contributes to some pretty fantastic on board speakers for a laptop.
 
The speakers on the 17-inch MacBook Pro are fantastic. I have never considered that dead space. What would be dead space is a numeric keyboard.
 
The speakers on the 17-inch MacBook Pro are fantastic. I have never considered that dead space. What would be dead space is a numeric keyboard.

Amen! I use those speakers in conference room presentations and I have actually had people ask me where my subwoofer is?

Dante Orazzi
 
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