Inclusion Of Innovation
Apple October 16th, 2008Apple’s new line of notebook computers have been well received by a vast majority of the online demographics, both in the blogosphere and on Twitter. The usual cycle of an Apple notebook computer followed this transition.
- Initial product release.
- Processor updates and faster bus speeds.
- Slight increase in hard-drive capacity.
- Rinse and repeat every 8-12 months.
Apple has generally kept the same design on their products for an extended period of time. The first Intel Macintosh, the MacBook Pro kept the same design (following the above transition list) for close to 34 months, nearing three years. Over the past 6 months, consumers have started speculating the need for a refresh of the line - here we have it, 34 months after the initial design was revealed at Macworld Expo 2006.
Inclusion Of Innovation
- Two NVIDIA graphics chipsets: 9400M and 9600M GT
By far the most innovative feature on the new MacBook Pro is the inclusion of two NVIDIA graphics chipsets. When you’re unplugged and on the go the lesser power card is utilized for superior battery life, however when plugged in to your MagSafe adaptor the powerful card kicks in for some serious performance.
- User accessible hard drive
The single reason I haven’t changed the internal hard-drive in the Santa Rosa MacBook Pro is the long and strenuous process of actually doing it. I could pick up a 320GB drive for pocket change at todays rates, but the idea of ripping the machine apart doesn’t sound very attractive. The hard-drive is now as easy to change on this new generation of the MacBook Pro as it is to change the battery.
- Glass Multi-Touch trackpad with new Multi-Touch gestures
No - I doubt there’s much of a change seeing touch screens on Apple’s portable lineup anytime soon, however Apple’s made up for it with the inclusion of a new glass multi-touch trackpad in each of their new notebooks. Tap, flick, twist, turn - it all works to control various gestures within your favorite Apple applications.
October 16th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Are you buying the new MacBook Pro ?
October 16th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Nope, completely content with my current machine for the current time.
October 16th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3207
The preferred GPU needs to be selected in the Energy Saver system preference pane, and the system must be logged out for the settings to take effect. It’s not instantaneous based on whether you are plugged into a charger or not.
October 17th, 2008 at 1:44 am
Re changing MBP hard drive - as someone who feared taking their MBP apart then had to - to first replace the left fan then the hard drive - it’s really NOT that hard.
Hour tops from start to finish
October 17th, 2008 at 2:53 am
Great post Glenn! Do you plan on updating your setup anytime soon?
Great to have you back! :D
-Christina
October 17th, 2008 at 3:31 am
Lachlan: I’m under the impression that it’s *possible* to switch graphics cards on the fly, but not currently supported by OS X.
I’d place my bet on it being a major feature with Snow Leopard, scheduled to be here in the next six months.
October 17th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Glenn and Michael, I don’t think it will be possible to seamlessly switch the graphic card, the screen for a second has to reset, which means it may have to “flicker” for at least a fraction of a second. The current method is really weird as I have to log off and log on which means I have save all my work first before I switch. I guess its better than nothing. But still I wish Apple had done it without the logoff and logon method. When you introduce a feature it needs to be a “wow” feature !
October 17th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Great post Glenn, mine is already on it’s way!
As I read your post though 34 months sounded way to short. Technically speaking the MacBook Pro product is only 34 months old. However the design itself has lived on, largely unchanged, since the PowerBook G4 (15-inch FW800) was introduced in Sept 2003. That’s a staggering 61 months! (5 years, 1 month) For some, my boss included, there was nothing wrong with the design. He would argue that the design was still the best on the market. I disagree, it was definitely due time for refresh (and I put my money where my mouth is)
Raj: I think, like Michael said, that 10.6 will bring something akin to the light blue screen that appears when external monitors are attached. A quick and fairly painless switch. The problem is that the core graphics libraries will have to be reloaded, with the applicable ‘drivers’, that’s no easy feat while still displaying some sort of output. It would be like completely switching CPUs while rendering a movie. It’s gonna take some pretty low level structural changes to make that happen. And since they are mucking about in that department (ie. OpenCL), it would be no surprise to see a better workflow implemented.
October 18th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
I read somewhere that you had to log out to change the graphics ‘card’.
November 7th, 2008 at 11:25 am
I’ve already got mine, after ordering it from the online store about 11 days ago… It’s awesome, definitely worth the wait, and quote a step up from the older MBP… I’m now running a 2.4 GHz processor, storing my bits on a 320 GB hard drive running at 7200 RPM, and find that applications run very quickly with 4 GB of RAM. Nice post, Glenn – would love to know if you’ve got any thoughts on a larger display than the 24″ being introduced sometime after the holidays.
November 15th, 2008 at 9:40 am
I’m trying to decide which to get, the MacBook or the Mac Book Pro. Seems to me that you can custom order a MacBook to the same (well, pretty close to) specs and save about $600… And have a lighter machine.