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habibman · Aug 11, 2006, 06:19 AM

so that is pretty much it. just curious to know whether anyone is waiting for leopard to be released before he or she purchases an MBP.

mduell · Aug 11, 2006, 06:18 PM

I'm sure I'll be waiting at least that long.

outthere · Aug 11, 2006, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by mduell

I'm sure I'll be waiting at least that long.

reasons, please?

fuzzball963 · Aug 11, 2006, 07:23 PM

I'm certainly not waiting. Whatever features Leopard has even if it's a totally redesigned and graphically intense UI should be more than adequately handled by the 256MB graphics card and a boatload of RAM

. In fact I expect my Macbook Pro to be good up through maybe even 10.6 or 10.7

mduell · Aug 11, 2006, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by outthere

reasons, please?

See my sig.

outthere · Aug 12, 2006, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by mduell

See my sig.

oh, I see. LOL

harrisjamieh · Aug 12, 2006, 01:39 PM

I swear I read somewhere about an expresscard for the MBPs with eSATA port on it.....

Can't help you out on the HD screen though

mduell · Aug 12, 2006, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by harrisjamieh

I swear I read somewhere about an expresscard for the MBPs with eSATA port on it.....

Sure, they exist. Do the support multiplexing? Not that I've seen.

harrisjamieh · Aug 12, 2006, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by mduell

Sure, they exist. Do the support multiplexing? Not that I've seen.

Im afraid I have no idea what multiplexing is

, I just remembered reading somewhere; OSX - eSATA xpresscard....

mduell · Aug 12, 2006, 04:52 PM

Multiplexing = multiple drives on one SATA channel. Mostly for external storage, keeping the cost of multiple drive enclosures down.

norz · Dec 6, 2006, 04:01 PM

Multiplexing = port multiplier capability?

Apparently there is an expresscard by Addonics with two esata ports that supports up to 5 drives on each port.
A cardbus version by the same manufacturer has been tested by Tom's hardware on november.

With that you can then have a nice raid storage bag, that does more than 200MB/s.

bloodline · Dec 6, 2006, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by mduell

See my sig.

I expect we might see an increase in screen resolution with the release of Leopard... but I really think you are nit picking with the multiplexed eSATA port... I find the Firewire 800 well suited to the task of multiple hard drives (daisy chaining)... Looking for reasons not to buy a MBP?

mduell · Dec 6, 2006, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by norz

Multiplexing = port multiplier capability?

Apparently there is an expresscard by Addonics with two esata ports that supports up to 5 drives on each port.
A cardbus version by the same manufacturer has been tested by Tom's hardware on november.

With that you can then have a nice raid storage bag, that does more than 200MB/s.

# Drivers for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

No OSX support makes it as useful as a stick of gum.

Originally Posted by bloodline

I expect we might see an increase in screen resolution with the release of Leopard... but I really think you are nit picking with the multiplexed eSATA port... I find the Firewire 800 well suited to the task of multiple hard drives (daisy chaining)... Looking for reasons not to buy a MBP?

FW800 enclosures are ~$100 each, while eSATA enclosures are ~$25 each and faster.

norz · Dec 6, 2006, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by mduell

# Drivers for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003
No OSX support makes it as useful as a stick of gum.

Sorry, I'm currently using a pc, so I don't have the reflex to check drivers...

Maybe the wiebetech one then?

bloodline · Dec 7, 2006, 05:25 AM

Originally Posted by mduell

FW800 enclosures are ~$100 each, while eSATA enclosures are ~$25 each and faster.

They there is a definate 2:1 price ratio, true... but nothing like the 4:1 you are suggesting!

norz · 08:12 AM

In France, you can find a noname for 25€ + shipment, so I guess you may be able to find one for 25$ in the US...

Edit: actually: for 25€ you get a maybe-not-so-reliable esata enclosure, whereas for 80€ you get a more reliable firewire 800 + usb2 enclosure

norz · Dec 7, 2006, 06:37 PM

@mduell: why do want 1920x1200 on the 15" Macbook pro?

mduell · Dec 7, 2006, 08:39 PM

Highly rated eSATA enclosure: $24.99
I can't find a FW800 enclosure with the same rating at NewEgg at the moment, but there is a lower-rated one for $65.

Originally Posted by norz

@mduell: why do want 1920x1200 on the 15" Macbook pro?

To fit all the stuff I want to have on screen. And to watch HD content. And to manage photos.

norz · Dec 8, 2006, 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by mduell

To fit all the stuff I want to have on screen.

But then it'll be barely readable on a 15", won't it?

Originally Posted by mduell

And to watch HD content. And to manage photos.

For hd movies, I don't see how there would be a big difference to the eye, compared to 1440×900... or is it because you want to avoid resizing the hd source?
I guess to display a high resolution photo, you may see the difference, and maybe even more when you display photos as thumbnails...
But I'm waiting until I can have more tangible information...

I searched for information on this subject, and couldn't find much... Some (cnet) said they changed the resolution of 17" dell notebook from 1920 to 1440 because it was hurting their eyes...

bloodline · Dec 8, 2006, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by norz

But then it'll be barely readable on a 15", won't it?

For hd movies, I don't see how there would be a big difference to the eye, compared to 1440×900... or is it because you want to avoid resizing the hd source?
I guess to display a high resolution photo, you may see the difference, and maybe even more when you display photos as thumbnails...
But I'm waiting until I can have more tangible information...

I searched for information on this subject, and couldn't find much... Some (cnet) said they changed the resolution of 17" dell notebook from 1920 to 1440 because it was hurting their eyes...

I agree, 1920x1200 on a 15" is painful (as I've seen), and certainly not useful to me (in terms of music production) unless I can scale the image(s) to a more comfortable size (a feature of Leopard?).

Simon · Dec 8, 2006, 09:13 AM

Yep. Without a scalable GUI, 1920x1200 on a 15" is pretty much useless.

IMHO there are three kinds of people interested in a MBP. Those that have one, those that are saving up to get one, and those that will always find a reason not to get one.

solofx7 · Dec 8, 2006, 10:04 AM

eSata?
what is that and how do i get that for my MacBook Pro?
thx

bloodline · Dec 8, 2006, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by solofx7

eSata?
what is that and how do i get that for my MacBook Pro?
thx

It's a way of connecting hard drives to a computer (very high speed interface, specifically designed for Hard drives). If you want one on your MBP then you need to get an Expresscard (it fits in the little flap on the left hand side).

mduell · Dec 8, 2006, 08:47 PM

Originally Posted by norz

But then it'll be barely readable on a 15", won't it?

For hd movies, I don't see how there would be a big difference to the eye, compared to 1440×900... or is it because you want to avoid resizing the hd source?
I guess to display a high resolution photo, you may see the difference, and maybe even more when you display photos as thumbnails...
But I'm waiting until I can have more tangible information...

I searched for information on this subject, and couldn't find much... Some (cnet) said they changed the resolution of 17" dell notebook from 1920 to 1440 because it was hurting their eyes...

If you can't read it, increase your font size. The text will still look better, and you can fit more or better looking graphics on the screen. E
Dell, Sony, and the rest have been offering 1920x1200 screens on 15" laptops for over 3 years now. They're not for everyone, but there are plenty of people who want them.

Originally Posted by solofx7

eSata?
what is that and how do i get that for my MacBook Pro?
thx

Very fast (2-4x the speed of FW800), very cheap (1/2-1/4x the price of FW800) bus that hard drives use natively. Native eSATA isn't a deal-breaker for me, since it can be added via ExpressCard, but it's easy (the chipset supports plenty more ports) for Apple to add.

macboy · Dec 8, 2006, 09:08 PM

.. and here I thought my USB 2.0 was getting a bit old for backing up my HD. Seriously 2-4 times faster then FW800? That must be bookin considering I haven't tried FW400 yet.

Is eSata usually available for just multiple HD's (assuming here 3.5" are different from the Sata ones) or can I have a single enclosure as well with a big Sata drive?

Whats the price difference between like a regular 3.5" 750GB Seagate drive and a Sata drive?

mduell · Dec 8, 2006, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by macboy

Is eSata usually available for just multiple HD's (assuming here 3.5" are different from the Sata ones) or can I have a single enclosure as well with a big Sata drive?

Whats the price difference between like a regular 3.5" 750GB Seagate drive and a Sata drive?

SATA is the native interface for most 3.5" hard drives on the market. With the 750G Seagates, I think the 3Gbps SATA option is actually a little bit cheaper than the ATA/100 version.
I've got 3 single-drive SATA enclosures. I'll be buying a multi-drive enclosure in the near future.

macboy · Dec 8, 2006, 09:22 PM

Thanks Mark. So your saying I can actually use my current 300GB 3.5" Seagate drive (don't know what it is ATA or SATA), throw out my USB enclosure, slip in a $25 eSata enclosure and get over 2 times the speed of what I would if I replaced it with a FW400/800 enclosure?

What would OSX recognize it as - USB or a FW drive? Or does it natively support eSata?

mduell · Dec 8, 2006, 09:40 PM

The SATA (internal) and SATA (external) enclosures are $25ish; ATA (internal) and SATA (external) exist, but they're a couple bucks more.
Does your Mac have an externally accessable SATA port? I doubt it, so it's a moot point.

macboy · Dec 8, 2006, 10:27 PM

Originally Posted by mduell

Does your Mac have an externally accessable SATA port? I doubt it, so it's a moot point.

I was thinking of getting one of those PCMCIA cards with the 2 port sata hub. They cost like $10.

mduell · Dec 9, 2006, 09:48 AM

No, it's not bootable when connected via a PCMCIA card.

The $10 PCMCIA SATA card probably doesn't have OSX drivers; I'd expect to pay closer to $50 for a card that OSX supports.

Mixa · Dec 10, 2006, 11:30 AM

Yessssir

There's no point in spending 999 kr ~ 175$ on a new OS, when I really don't need the computer right now. Still sticking with my Dell Latitude so far.

SierraDragon · Dec 10, 2006, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by habibman

so that is pretty much it. just curious to know whether anyone is waiting for leopard to be released before he or she purchases an MBP.

No.

xmattingly · Jan 2, 2007, 05:22 PM

I'm going to hold off for a few things: Leopard, Adobe CS3, and to see what happens with the next product refresh for MacBook Pro's and Mac Pro's. Then I'll decide if I'm going mobile or getting one of those ultra-expandable beasts.

KP* · Jan 3, 2007, 11:46 PM

I'm still saving up money, but I'm waiting on Leopard and iLife 07, just because I don't want to pay for an upgrade right away. I'm also curious to see if there will be an option to get either HD-DVD or Blu-ray drives. I'm totally undecided about that whole issue, but I figure getting any kind of next-gen optical drive is better than starting with one that's obsolete.

Also, I'd like to get CS3 and an Intel-native Office, but I would move ahead with a purchase and buy them whenever they came out, if necessary.

Powerbook · Jan 4, 2007, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by norz

Edit: actually: for 25€ you get a maybe-not-so-reliable esata enclosure, whereas for 80€ you get a more reliable firewire 800 + usb2 enclosure

... where you probably have some crippled chipset and loose the daisychaining feature on Firewire. At least that's what's happening with the cheap USB+FW400 case I know.

[sorry for derailing the thread]

Regards
PB.

norz · Jan 4, 2007, 06:36 PM

slightly off-topic: asus announced external sata on their new 17" notebook.

tigas · Jan 14, 2007, 11:43 PM

I'm waiting for a MacBookPro on the Santa Rosa platform, with support for more than 3GB of RAM, for example (Wilco Tango Foxtrot were they thinking?). By then I *hope* Leopard has already come out!

alex_kac · Jan 15, 2007, 12:04 AM

I am waiting for a new MBP and Leopard. I have first gen MBP 17 and love it, but desperately need more RAM for Parallels (I develop Windows Mobile apps). I'd like to have 6 GB minimum for futureproofing as well as to simply beat my father (even at 30 my father and I are competitive on our computing machines). Finally, I'd like an eSATA connector built in and a higher res screen so I can run things at a higher DPI. I had a 1920x1200 screen in my Dell and ran everything at about 120-150 DPI and it was awesome.

neyoung · Jan 15, 2007, 05:28 AM

I was waiting to see if Steve would supprise us at MWSF with Leopard to buy a MBP. But he didn't, so I figured that it won't be out for a while so I went ahead and ordered the machine.

runninkyle17 · Jan 15, 2007, 02:29 PM

I think you are asking a bit much. Apple has no reason to have such a high resolution on a 15" notebook. Even if Dell and other do it, 1920x1200 is a bit excessive.

Darksider · Jan 15, 2007, 04:55 PM

I'm waiting for a better video card (1920x1200 is not excessive at all if they do it) and Adobe CS3 to come out. More ram support will be great too.

Anoesis · Jan 15, 2007, 05:47 PM

I'm waiting till leopard comes out, hopefully they will update the mbp to the Santa Rosa chipset by then

NateEssex · Jan 16, 2007, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by neyoung

I was waiting to see if Steve would supprise us at MWSF with Leopard to buy a MBP. But he didn't, so I figured that it won't be out for a while so I went ahead and ordered the machine.

Which PB did you get? Matte or glossy?

neyoung · Jan 17, 2007, 12:07 AM

I went with the glossy. Glare doesn't usually bother me. But, I read that the new glossy screens have a lot less glare than old glossy screens. I can't vouch for apple products really, but in other laptops I've seen the colors on the Matte screens seem washed out a bit. The glossy screens I've seen have really vibrant colors, which is why I went with the glossy screen. Like I said, these opinions are from what I've seen on non apple products, so they may not be accurate.

I can't wait till my MBP gets here and I can make my first post on it

NateEssex · Jan 17, 2007, 01:22 AM

Please post fast...I'm ready to buy a MBP myself...and I'm on the fence as to glossy or matte.

Thanks,

Macpilot · Jan 17, 2007, 05:24 AM

Yes.

neyoung · Jan 17, 2007, 06:02 AM

Originally Posted by NateEssex

Please post fast...I'm ready to buy a MBP myself...and I'm on the fence as to glossy or matte.

Thanks,

lol, fast enough for you

I got it in before you even posted, heheh

NateEssex · Jan 17, 2007, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by neyoung

lol, fast enough for you

I got it in before you even posted, heheh

You were suppose to post your experience with the screen

How would you rate the quality in a bright room? dark room? outside sun? outside shade?

grainy?!

Thanks,

neyoung · Jan 17, 2007, 06:18 PM

I'm still waiting for it to be delivered. As soon as I get it I'll report back

JoshuaZ · Jan 17, 2007, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by Darksider

I'm waiting for a better video card (1920x1200 is not excessive at all if they do it) and Adobe CS3 to come out. More ram support will be great too.

I`m waiting for the same thing. If Apple upgraded the graphics card tomorrow I would order one (I guess I do have the yen for it...). I just figure I`ll use it for at least 3 years, and my 12in PBook isn`t in that bad of shape yet.... I can wait until July or August.