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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > Ok so the Powerbook/Macbook design is 3 years old now

Ok so the Powerbook/Macbook design is 3 years old now
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macintologist
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Jan 20, 2007, 04:28 AM
 
The aluminum power/mac book design is 3 years old since it's release at MWSF 2003.

What's up Steve Job's sleeve concerning an overhaul of the way the Macbook Pro looks, or do you guys like it the way it looks now? I mean I remembering thinking how the titanium was beyond improvement but obviously I was wrong.
     
cbrfanatic
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Jan 20, 2007, 05:11 AM
 
carbon fiber and magnesium
     
Sub
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Jan 20, 2007, 10:57 AM
 
Let me see a darker alu design, like almost a black metal.

( Last edited by Sub; Jan 25, 2007 at 06:35 PM. )
     
macboy
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Jan 20, 2007, 11:11 AM
 
Yeah I definitely see a darker MacBook Pro coming which will make the BlackBook look like cheap plastic (no offense to current BlackBook owners)
( Last edited by macboy; Jan 20, 2007 at 11:20 AM. )
     
mduell
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Jan 20, 2007, 01:02 PM
 
Tungsten cover to prevent scratches and reduce dings.

Magnesium internal frame to save a couple ounces.
     
Mister Elf
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Jan 20, 2007, 01:12 PM
 
macboy - the MacBook is cheap plastic.

mduell - Tungsten = heavy as hell...but as long as we're saving weight with magnesium...
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MarkLT1
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Jan 20, 2007, 01:20 PM
 
Two words:

Chrome plated

     
mduell
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Jan 20, 2007, 01:55 PM
 
Originally Posted by Mister Elf View Post
mduell - Tungsten = heavy as hell...but as long as we're saving weight with magnesium...
Yes but you'll eliminate scratches (unless someone drags a diamond ring across it) and mostly eliminate corner dings.

But at about 7 times the density of aluminum, it is pretty heavy.
     
copanewbe
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Jan 20, 2007, 02:39 PM
 
Platinum case with external fans that act as spinners. Just a thought.
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runninkyle17
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Jan 20, 2007, 02:45 PM
 
is the current design aluminum or titanium.

personally I would like to see a titanium Macbook Pro in order to save some weight and increase strength.

I just bought a C2D MBP and I really like the design a lot. If they made the metal a little darker that would be cool, but I am very happy with what I've got now!
     
Velocity211
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Jan 20, 2007, 02:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by runninkyle17 View Post
is the current design aluminum or titanium.

personally I would like to see a titanium Macbook Pro in order to save some weight and increase strength.

I just bought a C2D MBP and I really like the design a lot. If they made the metal a little darker that would be cool, but I am very happy with what I've got now!
The current design is aluminum, I don't think going back to titanium is such a good idea, I owned a TiBook once and it was extremely easy to scratch the paint off.
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Zeeb
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Jan 20, 2007, 03:22 PM
 
I want a MBP with a copper case. After awhile, it could take on that cool green corroded color.
     
runninkyle17
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Jan 20, 2007, 04:37 PM
 
I had forgotten that Titanium scratched so easily.

I think the only thing that Apple can improve on is some better heat management system. The design of the MBP is just too solid to completely redesign the whole thing.

Apple really did their homework when they came out with the Powerbook design.
     
Oversoul
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Jan 20, 2007, 04:40 PM
 
I would still pick up a Titanium MacBook Pro in a heartbeat. Loved that design.
     
mduell
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Jan 20, 2007, 04:43 PM
 
Originally Posted by runninkyle17 View Post
personally I would like to see a titanium Macbook Pro in order to save some weight and increase strength.
A Ti MBP would probably be a little bit heavier than the current aluminum. You'll run into crippling issues if you just gauge the metal down.
     
macboy
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Jan 20, 2007, 04:51 PM
 
Anyone know what the Sony Vaio S series is using? I held one today at a store and boy is that thing feather weight even after packing the regular core duo, webcam, card reader and the optical drive.
     
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Jan 20, 2007, 07:19 PM
 
Sony VAIO S Series
Incredibly slim and lightweight with a generous workspace, built-in wireless LAN(1) and a sleek, durable magnesium case, the VAIO® S Notebook is designed to be highly mobile. Robust features, including a 5400rpm Serial ATA hard drive, DDR2 memory, 553 MHz front-size bus and Intel® 915 chipset, enable optimal productivity on the road.

VAIO® S Series notebooks are packed with unique and powerful features designed to enhance your productivity on the road and beyond. Generous screen and keyboard won't cramp your style whether you’re on a plane or at a hotspot. Essential performance and productivity tools keep you working on the way to your meeting. Integrated multimedia features let you unwind after a hard day -- enjoy movies and music on your way home. Slim, light and just the right size for frequent travelers who won’t sacrifice function forperformance or convenience.

Sony S Series VAIO� Professional


But titanium or magniesium shell, carbon fiber case sounds nice, sony uses magnesium in their pro cameras. and they are light.
     
TailsToo
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Jan 20, 2007, 08:07 PM
 
Make it in black. mmmm......
     
Simon
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Jan 21, 2007, 04:41 AM
 
The metal is perfectly fine, there's no reason to change it. AFAIC they can leave the design pretty much the way it is now. But there are details of the design that need to be changed: port placement, hinge, lack of a dock connector, easy access to HD, asymmetric screen bezel, etc. If those things are addressed I'd say the case is basically perfect. And when it comes to pure looks, the PC world is still roughly five to ten years behind - it's hopeless.
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Wiskedjak
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Jan 21, 2007, 09:56 AM
 
Originally Posted by macintologist View Post
The aluminum power/mac book design is 3 years old since it's release at MWSF 2003.

What's up Steve Job's sleeve concerning an overhaul of the way the Macbook Pro looks, or do you guys like it the way it looks now? I mean I remembering thinking how the titanium was beyond improvement but obviously I was wrong.
Actually, I'd argue the design is six years old and dates back to the introduction of the iBook (Dual USB) in 2001.
     
macintologist  (op)
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Jan 21, 2007, 01:07 PM
 
Originally Posted by Wiskedjak View Post
Actually, I'd argue the design is six years old and dates back to the introduction of the iBook (Dual USB) in 2001.
Actually you are correct, which makes my initial post even stronger. Thanks dude
     
Wiskedjak
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Jan 21, 2007, 03:02 PM
 
Originally Posted by macintologist View Post
Actually you are correct, which makes my initial post even stronger. Thanks dude
No worries.

However, the length of time might also suggest that Apple is locking into the current design and only changing it through iteration rather than brand-new designs.
     
SierraDragon
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Jan 21, 2007, 03:20 PM
 
Originally Posted by macintologist View Post
...do you guys like it the way it looks now? I mean I remembering thinking how the titanium was beyond improvement but obviously I was wrong.
I use or oversee TiBooks as well as aluminum PB G4s and MBPs. I far prefer the aluminum design to the Tibooks. I see the current MBPs to be the logical, always improving laptop design. E.g. my heavily used aluminum PB G4 shows neglible wear while used TiBooks look pretty bad. I do not see any reason to change case material just for the sake of change.

Let form follow function. Aluminum may already be the very best material (remember heat dissipation is very relevant, and aluminum is hard to beat in that regard) and suggesting changing it just because it has been around a while does not make sense.

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yugyug
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Jan 22, 2007, 07:19 AM
 
I would like to see a cosmetic re-styling to match the macbook - love that macbook keyboard!
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Dave Hagan
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Jan 22, 2007, 03:35 PM
 
My math skills sure aren't my strong suit, but if you consider that the current pro notebook design for Apple was debuted at MacWorld in 2003, and it's now 2007, that would make the design FOUR years old, not three.
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vertigociel
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Jan 23, 2007, 07:19 PM
 
I really don't see many areas for improvement - the current design is rock solid, and the only changes will be minor - nothing like a materials change. I don't think they'll go back to titanium, and carbon fiber seems unlikely - it's very strong down it's length, but not very strong laterally - and they'd have to paint it, because bare carbon fiber isn't minimalist enough for Apple designs. A backlighted version of the Macbook keyboard, liquid cooling (if the weight was reduced) - but nothing like a case re-design.
     
Mugsy
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Jan 23, 2007, 09:04 PM
 
I like the look just fine. It's still pretty fresh.

What I want is an SSD (Solid State Drive). Imagine the battery life you'd get with the LED backlighting and SSD. *drool*
     
Hope4 TheWorld
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Jan 23, 2007, 10:36 PM
 
I think if they made it easier to get into the case to swap out the hard drive would make the case perfect. So once SSD drives catch on, you can switch them whenever you want.

Ooo. and I'd sorta like to see a darker metal
     
bloodline
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Jan 24, 2007, 06:48 AM
 
The current C2D MBP case is almost perfect for me... easier Hard drive replacement would be welcome... though it's not actually that hard to replace the Hard Drive in a MBP if you actually have a go! The MBP is a dream to dismantle!
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Eriamjh
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Jan 24, 2007, 08:24 AM
 
The styling of the MBP is still pretty ideal. Thin and slick. I haven't seen a typical PC come close to it yet. I think it's because they use plastic.

Better ease of replacement for the HD would be great. More ports, too! (You can never has too many ports.)

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headbirth
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Jan 24, 2007, 09:08 AM
 
How about MacTablet ... an enlarged version of the iPhone to replace and revolutionize the Laptop lines.
     
volcano
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Jan 24, 2007, 05:29 PM
 
Originally Posted by yugyug View Post
I would like to see a cosmetic re-styling to match the macbook - love that macbook keyboard!
Really? I still prefer my MBP keyboard over the MacBook keyboards. Oh well, just a personal preference.
     
spice003
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Jan 24, 2007, 05:40 PM
 
gun metal color +eSATA port
     
FastAMX79
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Jan 25, 2007, 08:12 PM
 
Originally Posted by copanewbe View Post
Platinum case with external fans that act as spinners. Just a thought.

hell yeah!


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Eriamjh
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Jan 25, 2007, 10:45 PM
 
Wait. I know... Colors!

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runninkyle17
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Jan 26, 2007, 08:31 PM
 
Actually LED backlighting might not improve battery life. There are plenty of varying opinions on whether or not LED backlights actually help or hinder battery life.

Until it is in full scale production we will never know. I do agree on the SSD though. That will be awesome and I can see Apple moving to that in a couple of years.

I do agree with the posts about more color choices, but I don't think it should be a lot of colors. More like the current silver and a darker gunmetal (keep it to two choices like with the Macbooks).

eSATA port would be nice, but I am not sure how much use I would get out of it. The current FW800 port in the revB MBP is the perfect fit because you don't have to plug your peripheral into a wall outlet.

I haven't done much research on eSATA drives, do you have to have a separate AC adapter for them?
     
mduell
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Jan 26, 2007, 11:38 PM
 
Originally Posted by runninkyle17 View Post
eSATA port would be nice, but I am not sure how much use I would get out of it. The current FW800 port in the revB MBP is the perfect fit because you don't have to plug your peripheral into a wall outlet.

I haven't done much research on eSATA drives, do you have to have a separate AC adapter for them?
The Firewire ports on the Apple laptops don't provide enough power to run a 3.5" drive, and even if they did it's very hard to find a bus powered 3.5" enclosure (I haven't seen any). eSATA is faster (more bandwidth and less latency) than FW800, and the enclosures cost about a quarter as much. eSATA provides no power, so you need a seperate AC adapter.
     
macboy
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Jan 27, 2007, 04:46 AM
 
I'd love an HDMI port on a MBP. I'm finding myself using one a lot these days for a number of things. Maybe even a TV tuner but that would be very un-apple like I guess (the whole iTunes TV show model would pretty much be sabotaged)

Does anyone know how durable magnesium is by itself? Does it dent/scratch easily like the Aluminum?
     
runninkyle17
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Jan 27, 2007, 05:02 AM
 
I have seen a few bus powered 3.5" enclosures. The whole point of the FW800 is to be able to provide power to the drive isn't it?

I know that eSATA is faster, but seriously how much difference is there?
     
Azure
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Jan 27, 2007, 06:42 AM
 
it may be 4 years old, but it still looks damn good.
     
Ruf993Turbo
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Jan 27, 2007, 11:35 AM
 
magnesium would be best. I have the sony s-series and it is very robust and not a scratch on it.
     
mduell
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Jan 27, 2007, 03:27 PM
 
Originally Posted by runninkyle17 View Post
I have seen a few bus powered 3.5" enclosures. The whole point of the FW800 is to be able to provide power to the drive isn't it?

I know that eSATA is faster, but seriously how much difference is there?
The Firewire (400 or 800) standard allows for up to 45W (9A @ 5V), but there's no requirement to implement that much power. IIRC Apple's implementation is in the high single digits for laptops/iMacs and low double digits for Mac Pros.

eSATA has 3x the bandwidth of FW800, lower latency (no bridge penalty), and the enclosures cost a quarter to a third as much.
     
phazedowt
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Jan 27, 2007, 04:58 PM
 
Originally Posted by Ruf993Turbo View Post
magnesium would be best. I have the sony s-series and it is very robust and not a scratch on it.
I'm assuming its some kind of Magnesium alloy and not a flammable laptop?
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MajikalMan
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Jan 28, 2007, 12:17 AM
 
Originally Posted by headbirth View Post
How about MacTablet ... an enlarged version of the iPhone to replace and revolutionize the Laptop lines.
I see this happening in the near future. Jobs made a point to mention that Apple has patented the hell out of Multi-Touch and I predict that we will see this functionality being incorporated into the next generation of Apple's hardware, from iPods, to Apple Displays and even laptops. This makes sense considering their absence from Macworld earlier and that Leopard, which was running as a variant on the iPhone, has touchscreen capability built into the OS.
     
quattrokid73
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Jan 28, 2007, 04:14 PM
 
id like the 15.4 mbp available in plastic like the MBP. for me, the added durability would be a blessing. also, if you coould dim or turn off the BREATHING sleep light, id like that too. i currently flop my mousepad over it when i try and sleep because it lights up the whole room.

its like its snoring

adam
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