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It's ON like Donkey KONG! 14th new lappys are GO (1 Viewer)

Craig S

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This is the first time in a LONG time that Apple's had an event dedicated to their non-Air notebooks (MBP was the "One More Thing" of the 2006 Macworld keynote; MB just got a press announcement).

It's almost certain the MacBooks are going aluminum. Hopefully they'll be able to get under that magic $1000 price point as well.

Doesn't look like the changes to the MBP will be as major. As much as you want it, Sam, I'm going to predict no BluRay drives this time around (and hope I'm wrong).

Here's hoping they've got something cool to pull out of their hat Tuesday.
 

Ronald Epstein

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If Apple makes an announcement that really improves upon
their current Macbook Pros (not that they need much), you can
count me in for a new one this January.

I'm praying for Blu-ray though that will certainly hike the price
considerably.

And ON like Donkey Kong? :rolleyes
 

Ted Todorov

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Not counting on Blu-ray. I'm not even counting on Display Port/HDCP any more, but I'm getting a MBP to replace my PB G4 no matter what.
 

DaveF

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Having bought a MBP last year, it's been my sincere hope that the computer industry would come to a grinding halt for a few years
htf_images_smilies_smile.gif
It's so painful to see the new hardware appearing after buying previous state of the art.

I have been avoiding the rumor / preview information. I find I prefer the "surprise" of the new announcements. It's not as interesting when I already knew everything two weeks before.

(I guess I hope for a new iMac next year, since my wife may need to upgrade...)
 

Ronald Epstein

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The new rumor hitting the press today is

(hiding it for DaveF)

a Macbook for $800.
 

DaveF

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thanks
htf_images_smilies_smile.gif
but you don't have to; I'm in a rumor thread and I know the risk ;)

I'm visiting family, and using my dad's Dell Vostro (PC). It makes me appreciate how well designed the MBP is. The Vostro is a 17" laptop with full keyboard. The keyboard is superb, but the trackpad is half the size of my 15" MBP's and is awkwardly placed. And I'm lost without the huge single button, two-finger scrolling, and two-finger right-click.

Using a PC laptop for a few hours and I'm re-committed to using Mac laptops! Hopefully the new ones only improve on current strengths.

And if Apple comes in for $800 (couldn't resist the spoiler!), that will be a big deal. There are people that want a Mac but can't commit $1000 to a computer purchase. Getting under $1k could be huge, especially in a shrinking economy.
 

Sam Posten

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Another interesting clue: BestBuy Brick and Mortars have been selling the Macbook Air power adapters for clearance price of $19.99... I havent tried it but I hear these will power but not charge macbooks and MBPs. Not responsible if you burn up your lappy experimenting!
 

Christian Behrens

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If the leaked case images for the new laptops are real (and I believe they are), then not only will there be absolutely no Blu-Ray in a MBP (too thin), the MacBook appears to no longer have a FireWire port at all.

This is just the next step in getting away from FW, I'm afraid. I personally love it, but ever since FW support was removed from iPods, then the omission from the MBA, it was only a matter of time before it went to the other computers as well...

-Christian
 

ErichH

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There will be USB upgrades past 2.0 to catch Firewire speed in some respect, but oh politics do kill a good idea every time. Firewire 1600 (1394c?) is long past due. Why?

Quote from artical here - FireWire vs. USB; Apple and Intel Play Hardball - PCSTATS.com

Apple, who owns the patents for FireWire, killed its Golden Goose by demanding a license fee of several dollars for each PC, which Intel and most computer makers found to be economically untenable. This opened the door for USB. Intel gave the USB technology to their OEM partners royalty-free (as they do today), and IEEE 1394-FireWire-was quietly dropped from the PC 98 specification. Apple backed off their high-priced position, down to today's 25¢-per-PC license fee, but the damage was done.

Secondly, there were solid technical reasons why Intel passed on FireWire in favor of USB. The original IEEE 1394 100Mb/s-200Mb/s implementations were power-hungry chips that required 5V chips - okay for desktop PC's, but not for the newer 3.3V laptops.

Plans for using Firewire to replace the IDE subsystem in laptops fizzled. The goal of FireWire becoming the universal standard in desktop PCs soured for another reason: Intel found that the 5V requirement would cause FireWire chips to be actually more expensive to produce as chip die sizes got smaller. The future higher-speed FireWire standard (800Mb/s to 1600Mb/s peer-to-peer, computer-independent connections) will be a lower-power, lower-voltage implementation - but again, the damage was done.
 

Ken Chan

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FireWire is better, but not needed by most people, and will be a differentiating feature of the Pro models, if all the rumors pan out.
 

Christian Behrens

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The question about which is better, FW (400) or USB2, is not so easily answered. If you have a PPC Mac, or are not running Leopard, FireWire is definitely the better connector *on the Mac*. Reason being that you cannot boot a PPC Mac off a USB external hard disk, but you can with an Intel Mac (as long as you have the right partition scheme).

In addition, USB2 Speed tests done with Tiger seriously lagged compared to tests done on Windows *on the same Intel Mac hardware*. Reportedly the USB drivers have improved with Leopard, and so now FW is slowly but surely on its way out, it seems.

Speed wise, FW 800 (as found on 24" iMacs and MBPs) is of course vastly superior to USB2; but also a lot more expensive in external hard disk enclosures and the like.

I'm still glad I have it, though, and wouldn't want to give it up.

-Christian
 

ErichH

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Agree & I like Firewire as well. If they upgrade to a faster USB, fine.

I remember a mention of moving to a single FW800 port on the Macbook, instead of a 400 & 800. I plug for both?
A mini DVI (same as the iMac) for the Pro?
Sounds like they're making room for something. HDMI? (smart move) Display Port? (Dell & VESA are pushing this - fat chance right now)

Please Steve, no Genius Track Pad. Give us something to lust over this time.
 

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