[schalliol]

I thought I'd just put a note that it would be nice for Mac users to have an option for workstation-level graphics cards in their portables. An example of such a card series is the nVidia QUADRO line. We just recently got them available for the G5 towers. Now that we're moving to Intels, it would be a good time to add them to the MBP...as an option. These cards are not for gamers (though they probably would be good there too) they're really for 3D design professionals. The 3D designer we have on staff said he'd like a Mac portable, but they just don't have the horse power for 3D modeling that he needs for Maya. He uses a render node on our CEO's dual G5 so that helps for that purpose, but is sticking with the Dell M70 for now.

What do I want for replies here? I dont' know, but if anyone has the need for such GPUs in their laptops, it'd be great to hear it here. If this is the only guy, of course it wouldn't be justifiyiable, but I don't think that's the case.

[iomatic]

Are there any Windows-based or Sun laptops that would work for him? I think there are trade offs between power and consumption; Dell-apologists keep quoting specs and shareware, meanwhile its 8lbs. (!) are gonna break your back while you try to lift the damn thing, and while squinting at teeny tiny type, you'll lose your eyesight.

The brilliant part about Apple engineering (besides OS X and its _really_damn_good apps built-in), is their great balance of power and mobility. I've travelled with PC users who have to plug in constantly, or unable to share via Airport, while the PowerBook-toting crew does the opposite.

[schalliol]

Yeah, the M70 is pretty decent actually...it's just Windows-based that's all. If Apple could use some pressure to get the workstation cards in as an option, that would expand the functionality of the platform. Perhaps the new Intel relationship could make this work more effectively.

Edit: there are cards that work, but just not for Mac.