New MacBook Pros released

[Kaido]

Apple's MacBook Pro page

-802.11n wireless
-Nvidia GeForce 8600m GT graphics (128mb or 256mb)
-2.2 or 2.4ghz Santa Rosa processors
-Support for up to 4gb ram (2gb standard)
-New LCD displays with LED backlighting
-8x SuperDrive
-7200rpm 160gb drive option (also 200gb 4200rpm)

This is exactly the configuration I've been waiting on. Time to switch 100%!

 

[AmigaMan]

I like the nvidia chipset. Was wondering if they were going to go away from ATI since they were bought out by AMD. The 4GB option is very very tempting for me.

You forgot the 17" version has a BTO 250GB HD option and super high 1920x1200 resolution.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: AmigaMan
I like the nvidia chipset. Was wondering if they were going to go away from ATI since they were bought out by AMD. The 4GB option is very very tempting for me.

You forgot the 17" version has a BTO 250GB HD option and super high 1920x1200 resolution.

Ooh, nice - didn't see that BTO option on the 17" model. The 4gb option is what hooked me - 2 gigs for Parallels, 2 gigs for OS X. I think I'm going to wait until OWC releases a cheaper upgrade kit tho - $750 for 4 gigs from Apple, yuck!

 

[AmigaMan]

what really kills me is that Apple is saying the nVidia chipset is "up to 57% faster than the original Core Duo MacBook Pro" which is what I have. Of course that would really only matter if I still played games. Still, the enthusiast in me wants to stay on the bleeding edge...guess I have to "accidentally" break my old MBP.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: AmigaMan
what really kills me is that Apple is saying the nVidia chipset is "up to 57% faster than the original Core Duo MacBook Pro" which is what I have. Of course that would really only matter if I still played games. Still, the enthusiast in me wants to stay on the bleeding edge...guess I have to "accidentally" break my old MBP.

I know the feeling. It really puts a dent on your day knowing there is something just a little bit better than what you have out there lol. I'm saving up for the 2.4ghz 15". It's exactly what I wanted - I promised myself that if they met 3 requirements (2.4ghz Santa Rosa, 4gb ram, and LED backlighting) that I'd switch. To top it off, they even offer a 160gb 7200rpm hard drive in it, which is what I was going to install anyway. Perfect! Now I just have to sell my PC stuff to pony up the $$$ in time to get the free iPod

 

[Brainonska511]

The new MBP has a nice GPU, but I wonder how underclocked and how well it will perform when it is compared to the 8600M GT that will appear in the Santa Rosa refreshes/introductions of the Asus G1, G2, and C90.

 

[IlllI]

i'm intrigued by the LED backlighting. i'd like to see a review on it and how much better it would be compared to the non-led displays

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: clandren
i'm intrigued by the LED backlighting. i'd like to see a review on it and how much better it would be compared to the non-led displays

I'm also interested to see if there are any significant power savings. When I turn down the brightness on my laptop, I can get an extra 20+ minutes of battery life.

 

[zig3695]

im not sure how much energy you will save by going LED backlight (that many led's will add up current, and the cathode tube backlighting is already low power) but LED backlighting should eliminate uneven black backgrounds, eliminate bleed, and brighten screens. im all for it. not to mention make the screen's lifespan probably somewhere around 50 years

 

[TheStu]

I am completely stoked about this update. My macbook is not a slouch by any means, but I have been wanting better gaming performance. I think that it is time for me to start saving up and get one of these this fall perhaps. I want to wait until after Leopard drops since by then they may have made another bump to the line.

 

[Kaido]

Whoa, I just discovered that the new MacBook Pros use 667mhz ram...that means cheap ram!! 4 gigs for under $350, buy two of these kits:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item...omputing/53IM2DDR3GBK/

:Q

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Does anyone know where to find graphics comparisons for the 8600M GPU?

 

[Kaido]

Newegg has it even cheaper, 2 gig sticks for $135 shipped (4 gigs for $270 shipped, save $480 over Apple!):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231124

 

[IlllI]

well i've found a little more info about the led display:

* All 15-inch MBPs now use LED-backlit displays standard; 17-inchers still use CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent)

* Apple claims users can see a battery-life benefit of between 30 mins - 1 hour (depending on use). They did not have stats on exact efficiencies between LED and CCFL backlit displays.

* The new LED backlight is the same brightness: 300 vs 300 nits of the previous gen's CCFL

* The viewing angle is also the same as before

* In other words, besides faster time from fully-off to full-brightness and an increase in battery life, Apple claims users should notice absolutely no perceivable difference between last-gen displays and the new LED-backlit ones.

 

[mshan]

Tech Spec page ( http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/specs.html ) says it uses 667 DDR2, but FSB is 800.

Is this chipset optimized for 800, but is using 667 just because it's cheap now?

And what sort of performance hit could be expected from the "mismatch"?

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: mshan
Tech Spec page ( http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/specs.html ) says it uses 667 DDR2, but FSB is 800.

Is this chipset optimized for 800, but is using 667 just because it's cheap now?

And what sort of performance hit could be expected from the "mismatch"?

The chipset is not compatible with DDR2 800. Also, DDR2 667 used in a dual-channel configuration would provide more than enough bandwidth for the FSB. Heck, even in single-channel, you probably wouldn't see any difference.

 

[TMoney468]

I'm actually happy that there wasn't that big of a jump for the 17" MBP. I got mine in December and the CPU is a little faster, as is the GPU, but other than that everything is basically the same (except for the 1900x1200 display option). I never game on my MBP anyways, so I guess I can sleep a little easier tonight

 

[zig3695]

Originally posted by: clandren

* In other words, besides faster time from fully-off to full-brightness and an increase in battery life, Apple claims users should notice absolutely no perceivable difference between last-gen displays and the new LED-backlit ones.

this is why we need OLED displays. if each pixel was capable of dimming/brightening on demand, quickly, we could get 100% black levels and a stunning picture as a result. or we need LED backlights for each individual pixel...

 

[sourceninja]

I'm really torn, On one hand, I have wanted to buy a mac all freaking year, but I was holding out for the new OS. On the other hand, I really can't decide if I want an iMac or a macbook pro. I wish they would release iMac updates soon so I can make up my mind already.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: sourceninja
I'm really torn, On one hand, I have wanted to buy a mac all freaking year, but I was holding out for the new OS. On the other hand, I really can't decide if I want an iMac or a macbook pro. I wish they would release iMac updates soon so I can make up my mind already.

Well, you only have to wait another week for WWDC to see if they release the new iMacs. If you really want a Mac, buy it now! Leopard won't be out until later this year, and then you'll have to wait another 6 months for bug fixes and for developers to port their software to 10.5. It's just like upgrading to Vista - it's better to wait awhile for things to be smooth. I won't be upgrading to Leopard until probably mid-2008 because of those reasons.

 

[Kaido]

Best ram deal is $189 for 4 gigs. OWC chargers $239 for 2x2gb, then gives you $50 for your old ram:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item...omputing/53IM2DDR4GBK/

http://eshop.macsales.com/money-back-rebate

 

[sourceninja]

If they release a 24inch iMac with an 8800 in it I'll probably bite.

 

[CptObvious]

Wasn't LED backlighting supposed to increase contrast ratios dramatically? At least that's the impression I got from reading about LED-backlit LCD TV's.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: CptObvious
Wasn't LED backlighting supposed to increase contrast ratios dramatically? At least that's the impression I got from reading about LED-backlit LCD TV's.

So far everyone who has one says the black levels have improved dramatically, which really makes the colors pop out.

 

[IlllI]

macbook backlight comparison: led vs ccfl Text