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When do you think the MBP will receive a design overhaul?

M

macjay

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 3, 2003
366
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I realize that many here are perfectly content with the current design of the MBP, however when do you think the MBP will receive a new exterior, even if it's just a "re-skinning" like the iMac got?
 
macjay said:
I realize that many here are perfectly content with the current design of the MBP, however when do you think the MBP will receive a new exterior, even if it's just a "re-skinning" like the iMac got?
Click to expand...

I have seen this question pop up before and I think it was no. The iMac is a consumer product unlike the MacBook Pro which is aimed at Pro's. I would love to see a redesign but I don't think it is very likely. As for width and hight. As hard drives, processors, drives, and logic boards get small, thats when the size will change.
 
it's not as much when you see a MBP update, it's more like what you'll see.


i don't really know what :apple: could do with the design???

anybody have an idea :confused:???
 
The current design is fine IMO, it matches everything else in the lineup just fine. If anything they may add though, it would probably be the magnetic latch like the MacBooks have, or an option for black (maybe like the black Nanos).
 
I don't think that it will see a major change for a long time, but I could be wrong, most likely though the only chages we will see soon is a magnetic latch and a easily replacible HD
 
I couldn't see a change to the exterior of the MBP in the next year. I expect the only change, if any, would be a replaceable HD. I'm surprised that if it hasn't happened already - a Pro user would be more likely to replace a HD than someone using a MB.
 
Well if they evolve the design, I hope they keep it industrial look. Maybe the screen bezel will be thinner making the 15" and 17" footprint even smaller. And obviously, with tech getting smaller, the unit will also be thinner.

With all this in mind, a sub-5lb pro notebook could happen. And if they fix up some of the current design flaws like the latches, the difficult to change HDD, etc. then we could have another great product from :apple:
 
I suspect that the main changes will be:
- New keyboard, like the new imac keyboards or MB keyboard, but in aluminum.
- User-replaceable hard drive.
- magnetic latch

Plus some cosmetic redesign, like changing how the speaker/ventilation grills next to the keyboard look, and changing the lines slightly. Possibly changing the design from solid aluminum to aluminum-and-black, like the iphone and the new imacs.
 
MikeyTree said:
<snip> Possibly changing the design from solid aluminum to aluminum-and-black, like the iphone and the new imacs.
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God, I hope not. Then there would be nothing outward that distinguishes the consumer line from the pro. And I hope they don't put chicklets on the next design. If they wanted to evolve the keyboard, maybe they could implement a gesture-pad with an iPhone style qwerty board but obviously much larger. With a glass keyboard, the weight might suffer, though.
 
The only thing i see happening is them bringing the macbook style keyboard to the macbook pro and introducing a magnetic latch as well. Otherwise nothing major
 
After the recent iMac redesign, I shudder to think what Jonathan might do to our MBPs. I used to think that MBPs looked a bit stale. Now I thank god that they don't look like iPhones.
 
While I like the current design very much (still love my 15" pb) I think it's time for a change. The aluminium design has been around for over 4 years, the 12" and 17" pbs were introduced in january 03 if I remember correctly.

For new mac users who don't know the platform and its design for a long time this isn't an issue of course. But whenever I buy my next notebook I'd like it to look & feel different than my now 2 1/2 years old machine. I've owned a rev. A 12" pb and replaced it with my current 15" one because after 2 years with the 12 incher the screen was too small for me. I just don't want to get another aluminium 'book.

And no I don't want a macbook, it's 1. too small for my work (gfx design) and 2. I need the gfx card (some cinema 4D & some gaming).
 
chaosbunny said:
While I like the current design very much (still love my 15" pb) I think it's time for a change. The aluminium design has been around for over 4 years, the 12" and 17" pbs were introduced in january 03 if I remember correctly.

For new mac users who don't know the platform and its design for a long time this isn't an issue of course. But whenever I buy my next notebook I'd like it to look & feel different than my now 2 1/2 years old machine. I've owned a rev. A 12" pb and replaced it with my current 15" one because after 2 years with the 12 incher the screen was too small for me. I just don't want to get another aluminium 'book.

And no I don't want a macbook, it's 1. too small for my work (gfx design) and 2. I need the gfx card (some cinema 4D & some gaming).
Click to expand...

what do you want instead of aluminium? and whats wrong with the current design? what doesn't it do that it should, or do that it shouldnt? change for the sake of change is rarely a good thing
 
ok, i know i could be completely wrong about this, but i think that the reason that the magnetic latch was never implemented into the current mbp design was because of the same reason the remote doesn't stick to the new Al iMac. If I remember correctly, the bezel and bottom casing of the mbp are aluminum and might hinder the closing of the lid. I realise that scientifically aluminium should play no problem in magnetic latch closure, but if not for that reason, i have no idea why Apple has already put it in the mbp revision.
 
Imo even the best designs can get boring when they are used for a long time. I don't know what a new mbp design could look like, but design wise apple has done way more mack in the G3/G4 days. For example every G4 tower revision looked a little bit different, and all of them looked cool.

Don't get me wrong, I love the design of my powerbook, I also like the G5/Mac Pro design, but come on, 4 years without a change, in my opinion it is slowly getting boring.

That's how I feel about it, feel free to disagree. :)
 
What, the chance of anodized aluminum in five snazzy colors doesn't make you drool anymore?

And the carbon fiber look is soo yesterday.

Plus imagine all those people that will drop their carbon fiber MacBook Pro and cut their finger picking up the pieces. Can you say class action for a dangerous product?
 
I wouldn't mind seeing a black MBP.

But fashionable colours are changing all the time - used to be cool to have a silver TV, now most manufactures are making them dark/black.
 
I've no idea but I wish it would. I'd like the macbook magnetic latch, macbook style keyboard, macbook user replaceable hard drive, and macbook airport reception.
 
I would love to have a Black MacBook Pro. Black brushed Aluminum casing I think would look great. I like the simplistic look of the MBP, I really can't think of any new design that would look better and be more accepted.
 
pretty much everyone has says it, the current design is really nice and would be hard to improve on...

but this is what i want:
black!
macbook style keyboard (i know some hate it, but i love it!)
no bezel around screen
thinner
and replacible hard drive

but, im hoping my next mac purchase will be a 15.4" convertable macbook tablet... please  oh please!!!
 
strange nobody mentioned it yet, but I'd love to see a built-in eSATA-port to connect one or more SATA disks directly! Well, not that I'm in the market for another MBP, I have a latest rev MBP with a dual eSATA expresscard, but built-in would be nicer :)
If they could possibly add another USB port to the 15", that would mean a lot too. But probably adding ports is out of the question due to lack of space inside.

If the MBP's would get a redesign I guess they'll get magnetic latch and MB-keyboard. I like my MBP keyboard, but they've adopted the MB keyboard for the iMac, and a "regular" external keyboard isn't available any more, so the Mac Pro's will probably get the iMac keyboard too in a couple of weeks, which would leave only the MBP with the "old" keyboard, which is highly unlikely. Therefore, the MBP keyboard will probably get updated as I see it: to keep it in line with the rest.
 
the buyer guide on the MBP just turned to in the middle of a cycle, so maybe it will come sooner than expected?
 
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