[Macrat]

What happened to the S-video out? I don't see any way of getting video to a TV.

They went and added the awesome Front Row and remote to turn it into a nice media computer, then take away the ability to use it with my TV, which would be the main reason to have Front Row.

[shabbasuraj]

The biggest storyfor me aside from the dual core is the fact that there was no (or very little) FORM FACTOR CHANGE.

I really wanted a black carbon fibre PB. LOL....!!!!!!!!!!!!

Price be damned

[uicandrew]

I've ordered mine already; top of the line. Hopefully, it comes Feb 1st. some observations:

1. SATA hard drive (intel) vs IDE hard drive (g4) a step up.
2. Non-DL 4x superdrive instead of 8x DL superdrive? say it ain't so!!!! then again, i'm wondering if DL media will ever get as cheap as regular single layer media. With blueray and HD DVD around the bend, i don't think there will be enough time for DL media to reach "critical mass"
3. location of the power adapter makes sense. It is on the left hand side, so the right hand side isn't too cluttered, especially if you use a corded mouse.
4. did they change the color of the backlit keyboard? i think it used to be orange. now it looks white.
5. this is one notebook where I will definitely buy applecare for. Since it is a first revision and I am buying the top of the line model, this laptop is a keeper. I don't forsee what kind of technology that would be introduced that would cause me to get a new laptop in the next 4 years or so. (except maybe touchscreen)
6. is the 256mb video ram really necessary for a user who doesn't use photoshop at all? I would use my powerbook for encoding video.

i intend to have this new powerbook replace my mac mini and my pc laptop. i also need to have windows, so i got the 256mb video ram for the visual effects of Vista.

[agentz]

Not overly keen on the new name, but meh.

I notice that this new beastie uses Lithium Polymer batteries instead of Lithium-ion. I'm not aware of what other notebooks (if any) currently use LiPo - anyone know how LiPo stands up against Li-ion?

My model aircraft mad neighbour keeps telling me that LiPo batteries are great, but obviously model aircraft are very different!

[zen]

According to the tech specs on Apple's PowerBook page, the 15" PowerBook has a screen res of 1440 x 960, while the MacBook has 1440 x 900. So I guess it is actually the same screen res as the MacBook has a different aspect ratio (a more correct 1.6 rather than 1.5).

[Lateralus]

MacBook Pro? They couldn't have picked a better name?

[emark]

No 2nd button on the trackpad, if not now, when??? Shame.

[Daniel Bayer]

Originally Posted by uicandrew

6. is the 512mb video ram really necessary for a user who doesn't use photoshop at all? I would use my powerbook for encoding video.

i intend to have this new powerbook replace my mac mini and my pc laptop. i also need to have windows, so i got the 512mb video ram for the visual effects of Vista.

Umm. it's 256MB and it is worth it.

[JKT]

As well as battery life, other unknowns...

Can you boot off external drives?

What's the UI like for booting?

What is the UI like for choosing the boot disk (if there is the ability to do it)?

Why are they *still* so pricey when the specs (with the exception of the processor, iSight and remote control) are worse than the prior versions?

Why is the Kensington key lock still in such a stupid frigging place so that it partially blocks your right hand usb port or makes it hard to use when you padlock your machine?

Sigh.

MacBook isn't that bad of a name - everyone is just being reactionary (like me to the specs ) to something new...

[Leia's Left Bun]

Photoshop doesn't use video cards that much.

[uicandrew]

daniel, you're right. sorry about that.

with the vents in the back, hopefully there won't be overheating. with the 1.8ghz processor and 256mb vram (thanks daniel!) and the overall lack of real world testing, could this thing possible warp in the long run?

i can't wait until feb!

[chu-ka-pi]

Am I the only one to thing it's a tad uglier than its predecessor? I particularly dislike how the screen looks out of place, as it is not properly centered in the enclosure now, thanks to the isight...

As far as the 4x speed increase is concerned... well... I remain skeptical on this...

All in all, I don't know what to think about it... Sure a faster processor is nice but... I can't help feeling a little nostalgia here...

And as far as the name's concerned... Well, you guys already said everything about it...

Let's wait and see... I guess I'll end up with a rev B or something...

CKP

[porieux]

...

[djafactor]

i don't think we need to be worked up about the 1440 x 900 resolution vs the old 1440 x 960. The reason for the slight drop is to give room for the iSight camera at the top of the display. Take a look at the pics and you can see there is a bit more metal space around the top frame.

I'm a little bummed about the lack of FW800 as I use it to transfer things from my LaCie drive. When you want back up 60GB of music/videos/pics it does make a difference.

Don't care for missing a DL 8x superdrive either. The way storage media is going nowdays, there is less reasons to actually burn DVDs.

I am concerned with the lack of Battery life info, either it's going to be the same as our exsisting PBs or Jobbs is going to WOW us with some amazing number.

Amit

[jdogg99]

I think I understand where Apple is headed with the name change. I think it was getting to be pretty difficult for them to maintain distinct iBook and Powerbook lines, especially in the low end. The only differences between the 12" models was the body style, really (ignoring little things like video mirroring, etc.). I think they're moving to a single line of laptops, the MacBooks, where the larger screened models will have the additional "pro" tagline, and the smaller models will just be MacBooks. This of course means they'll be ditching the iBook name as well. I guess time will tell.

[Karim]

I was at the keynote this morning. Afterwards, I went onto the floor and checked out the Macbook Pro... Build quality and fit & finish is nice - on par with usual Apple specs. The keyboard and trackpad feel nice (I use a 17" now). I asked the Apple rep what the battery life was, he said "we're still determining that..."

I said, lets find out now, and I pulled the magnetic charger cord, the 1.83GHZ machine said 8:10 remaining... Now, Airport and bluetooth were off, but screen brightness was on max and load was not heavy so you can take it for you will. I did, and ordered one... My battery life test is far from conclusive, but I was happy to see double the number I normally see on my 17" when I first pull the plug in a similar state.

iSight has a cool green light at the top of the screen bezel near the lens that is on when the camera is active.

[porieux]

...

[paul w]

I ordered mine (1.83ghz with 100gb 7200 rpm drive) online within 30 minutes of the announcement - estimated shipping date: by February 15th.

w00t! It will nicely to replace my Tibook, which will still chug along as a second machine, with an upgraded hd but no more Apple Care.

The point is I nearly pulled the trigger on a powerbook a couple weeks ago. Boy am I glad I didn't.

Being a tibook owner I'm sure I'll be wowed by it.

[f1000]

I hope the MacBook Pro takes advantage of the H.264 decoder built into the Radeon.

[mjames]

Ordered my 1.67 and can't wait. Frankly, none of the complaints relate to me. Couldn't care less about the modem, 60 fewer pixels (I have a 20" cinema), no FW 800, etc. I have a two-year-old 1.25 Ghz PB and it's ridiculously slow compared to the new one. Plus, it runs really hot and know the battery life cannot be better on it.

[Mastrap]

No Modem: I can't remember the last time I used dial up. I can't even remember the details of the free dial up account I kept on my Mac for emergencies. Now, in an emergency, I can just use my cellphone, via bluetooth. So while it feels weird to have a laptop without a modem it's no biggie for me.

No FW 800: Again, no problem for me personally but I can see why others might disagree.

DVD: No idea why that went backwards. Seems silly but I'm sure it'll be back to normal with rev.2

Which is what I will be waiting for.

[B Gallagher]

What's the little dot next to the screen latch shown here?

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/gallery/index3.html

[polendo]

Did you timed the amount of seconds it took to drop down the minutes? In other words the rate at which the timer was going down? Also that would be far from conclusive, but nevertheless a fair indication. In the PC side, some laptop batteries have like 45 seconds per minute, if you know what I mean.

regards

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Karim

I said, lets find out now, and I pulled the magnetic charger cord, the 1.83GHZ machine said 8:10 remaining... Now, Airport and bluetooth were off, but screen brightness was on max and load was not heavy so you can take it for you will. I did, and ordered one... My battery life test is far from conclusive, but I was happy to see double the number I normally see on my 17" when I first pull the plug in a similar state.

My 15-incher gives completely obscene numbers when you first yank the power cord out (like, 18:35), so I'm not sure I'd put too much stock into that.

[chefpastry]

Do the new MacBooks have Target Disk Mode?

Is there now a *sigh* BIOS?

[fisherKing]

Originally Posted by B Gallagher

What's the little dot next to the screen latch shown here?

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/gallery/index3.html

microphone? spycam?? missing screw slot???

[uicandrew]

gallagher and fischerking, the dot is the ir receiver for the front row remote.

karim, the next time you're there, can you ask if the superdrive has actually been "downgraded" from 8x DL to 4x single layer?

[blackbird_1.0]

EFI, I think.

[tfamorim]

i decided to register today even though i visit this forum alot i wanted to ask you guys if i should buy a 15'' powerbook or wait for this new macbook to hit the retail stores. what do you think?

[Peabo]

Originally Posted by Daniel Bayer

I am not hot on the name. I'll call it a Powerbook Intel. I ordered the 1.83, 100GB 7,200 RPM, 2GB ram, spare battery.

I have one major concern though. I am coming from a 1.33 17, 2GB ram, 60GB 7,200 RPM drive. I want to see a BIG increase in overall speed in Photoshop CS2. I know the Vid card going from 64 to 256 MB will be great, but........

A friend of mine said that PS CS2 will not run faster on it till Adobe upgrades PS.

Keynote quote:

"The Performance of Photoshop in Rosetta isn't going to be powerful enough for a professional ... it's fast enough for those of us who use it occasionally."

Is this the upgrade we have all been waiting for?

Whaddaya think?

I'm upgrading from exactly the same setup as you. Let's hope the performance boost is noticeable. I'm certain it will be!

[f1000]

Originally Posted by B Gallagher

What's the little dot next to the screen latch shown here?

It looks like the IR sensor for the remote.

[thekapper]

Originally Posted by uicandrew

gallagher and fischerking, the dot is the ir receiver for the front row remote.

karim, the next time you're there, can you ask if the superdrive has actually been "downgraded" from 8x DL to 4x single layer?

I was there a couple of hours ago and asked this exact question. The answer is, well....relatively stupid. It turns out that because of the new, slightly smaller form factor they couldn't physically fit in an 8x DVD+/-R/+R DL into the enclosure. I asked the guy if there were plans to ever fit a DL drive into the MacBook. He said that they will "when the industry created a drive that will fit into the case."

So, in other words, they are waiting for the optical drive industry to create a drive that is slightly smaller so that it will fit into the new laptop. He said, "but we now support burning with almost all third party drive," with an expression that said he knew it was a cop-out.

[Peabo]

Originally Posted by tfamorim

i decided to register today even though i visit this forum alot i wanted to ask you guys if i should buy a 15'' powerbook or wait for this new macbook to hit the retail stores. what do you think?

I say wait. The difference between the two machines will be massive. The old PowerBooks are lagging so far behind everything else in terms of performance, it's not even funny.

[typ993]

Interesting, the MBP power adapter is 85W while the one on my AlBook (from last year's expo) is 65W. I thought the IntelBooks were supposed to use LESS power?

[Kenstee]

[QUOTE=uicandrew]I've ordered mine already; top of the line. Hopefully, it comes Feb 1st. some observations:
5. this is one notebook where I will definitely buy applecare for. Since it is a first revision and I am buying the top of the line model, this laptop is a keeper. I don't forsee what kind of technology that would be introduced that would cause me to get a new laptop in the next 4 years or so. (except maybe touchscreen)/QUOTE]

You've got to be kidding! Especially with a Rev A. The Intel processor in this will be obsolete within 9 months. Intel has a very dynamic and agressive path for their processors and chipsets. This Rev A will be a s-l-o-w boat in very short order.

The real advantges of the transition to Intel - which are greatly inhanced battery life and light weight - haven't been realized yet. This 15" is a monster at 5.4 lbs. And notice they haven't said anything about battery life. I wonder why?

Bottom line......Apple rushed this out the door to get in the game as fast as possible for stock valuation and PR purposes which is fine for them and stockholders. They esstially cramed it into their existing AL body to get it out. However, this initial version is a tease. It's more of a large scale beta test than anything else. Personally, I wouldn't be rushing into this. Let the dust settle and Apple learn from this inital offering before jumping in. I'll bet there will be a Rev B. in less than 3 months.

And wait till you see the new form factor in a little while.

[MarkJ61]

Kenstee,
I agree with some of your opinion and assesment, but I think your a exagerrating a bit on the negative side......"will be a s-l-o-w boat"...."a monster at 5.4 lbs"...."a large scale beta test"

I too wanted a smaller and lighter yet form, but this one still looks promising, and if the performance is really comes close to 4x, then my hats off to Apple.

[shunt]

I think the name is a good indicator of it's soul...

MacBook Pro= I don't know what the hell I am.

No form factor change, what a missed opportunity...bleh

I had an idea for a quick release AC cord, but it used a ball bearing/spring loaded/ swiveling type of construction. (I'm a machinist).... that is a nice feature, that was way overdue.

Someone mentioned nostalgia, I feel the same way sort of...but it's overlapping the compounding nostalgia of every other Apple moodswing in the past 12 years I've been on Macs.

I hope it's all for the best, and hats off to them for pulling it off.

[k2director]

I'll have a MacBook, and throw in a McShake, and some McNuggets with that, please.

[_kevin]

The touchpad is a great innovation. Instead of a scrolling area along the periphery, you use two fingers on the pad to scroll or manipulate a window. Very cool.

[SEkker]

Interesting comments. I ordered one anyway, just to see what I can do with a dual-boot machine.

The lack of modem, FW800, svideo, and DL burn support are all features I almost never or never use on my revA PB17 [I have a DL-capable external DVD burner, and DL media is just too expensive]. So those changes are not a big deal for me. The lack of a built-in modem is fine for me, but would be a deal-breaker if I had to use it every day.

I agree that Apple clearly rushed these out the door -- but I take that to be something very positive, as I believe it's the enhanced speed of these machines that motivated them to get these out before the consumer models (otherwise the consumer machines would be faster than their 'pro' line-up).

[typ993]

Originally Posted by _kevin

The touchpad is a great innovation. Instead of a scrolling area along the periphery, you use two fingers on the pad to scroll or manipulate a window. Very cool.

Very...2005

[analogika]

Originally Posted by _kevin

The touchpad is a great innovation. Instead of a scrolling area along the periphery, you use two fingers on the pad to scroll or manipulate a window. Very cool.

this has been a feature of all Powerbooks for almost a year now, and of all iBooks since the last revision.

[timmerk]

It's official - it uses EFI, not a BIOS. Also, the hole next to the lid button is an IR port.. said my Steve himself.

[dodgerfan]

I'm in the market for a new laptop, and until today I was totally on board with a new 15-inch Powerbook, but now that the MacBook Pro has been introduced, I have mixed feelings. I see mostly positives concerning the MacBook, though after reading some not-so-glittering reviews in this thread I'm a little reluctant to commit to it. I guess my question to everyone is, what reasons would you have for wanting/not wanting the MacBook? Or for choosing it over a Powerbook? If you had to choose between a new Powerbook and a new MacBook, which one would you go with? I'm not too laptop savvy, but I know I want a quality machine. I'm just looking for something to help push my decision one way or the other, and since you guys are so educated on the topic, any input you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[wtmcgee]

You all can thank me for this release. I bought a 15" powerbook on Dec. 22nd.

I'm not too bummed about the timing though, as I *had* to have one last month - my old 15" Ti died and I had to finish a project on the road. I obviously wouldn't mind having the latest and greatest, but I'll wait till next year or so when the specs are just too compelling to pass up.

Just for arguments sake, when is the cutoff to trade in a new item? 14 days?

[HazelGirl]

They should have kept the name Powerbook. Maybe called it the Powerbook II? MacBook just sounds corny.

I really got to hand it to Apple....they have made some serious progress. They are ready six months ahead of time that is really good.

I am glad that they didn't update the mini so my impatient purchase wasn't so bad of an idea afterall. I DO plan to get a "macbook" (ugh, that's so ugly to say!) as a gift to myself when I graduate....that is, if I get into gradschool.

Anyway, by then I'm sure there will be even more to offer. I'm glad they made the screen larger but not as large as the 17 inch. It's unbelievable...my Wintel laptop is 15.4 inches and yet it ways 6.4 pounds and is obviously not nearly as thin. GO APPLE!!!!

Only thing that stinks is htat I am stuck with iLife 05 and I definitely ain't gonna pay for the upgrade to 06.

[analogika]

I'll just be calling it the "ProBook".

To be honest, I think the "Pro" designation is great, though I'm not too fond of "MacBook", simply because it instantly clarifies the intended target customer. Most people looking at buying an Apple laptop really don't know what they need, so this new naming-convention-in-the-making is a Good Idea.™

Originally Posted by shunt

I think the name is a good indicator of it's soul...

MacBook Pro= I don't know what the hell I am.

I think the point you should be making is that WE don't know what the hell it is...yet.

too many unanswered questions.

What will become of the iBook line? Will it merge into a 13.3-inch MacBook?

What about the external drive booting?

Battery life at maximum power (audio production requires max)?

Will it still run Classic within Rosetta? (Can somebody at MacWorld please relay this question to an Apple stand attendant?)

Originally Posted by JKT

Why are they *still* so pricey when the specs (with the exception of the processor, iSight and remote control) are worse than the prior versions?

You forgot the S-ATA drive, graphics card, the ExpressCard 34 slot, the bus speed, and Li-Po battery.

The only specs that are worse are the 4x non-DL Superdrive, lack of ****ing Firewire 800, no modem, and 60 pixels shaved off the display. Everything else is quite improved, including the screen quality. (Just think, you might actually be able to work in SUNLIGHT with this thing! That's WELL worth 60 pixels IMO)

Originally Posted by production_coordinator

FW800: No big deal considering there are very few pieces of hardware with this floating around. Also, few pieces of hardware could saturate firewire 400.

However, having a few pieces attached to Firewire 400 will completely saturate it very easily.

Anybody dealing seriously with audio or video production will have no choice but to use the ExpressCard 34mm slot for Firewire or S-ATA storage.

Unfortunately, there is not one single Firewire card available so far for the ExpressCard 34 slot. Abacom and SiiG make ExpressCard Firewire cards both for 1394a (FW 400) and 1394b (FW 800), but those are all 54-millimeter cards that won't fit in the ProBook's 34-mm slot.

Originally Posted by fisherKing

am impressed (altho sad to say goodbye to the "powerbook").
great specs! wish it were cheaper (but i always think that).

You're an audio guy...most audio pros I know have CardBus/PCMCIA cards (Magma chassis, RME Hammerfall, second Firewire bus, whatever) that they rely upon for their daily bread, and which are now instantly obsoleted the second they upgrade their machine.

That hurts.

(Me, I just need to wait for a couple of drivers, Logic, and a FireWire 800 ExpressCard 34 expansion, and I'll be good to go! )

[jhogarty]

Originally Posted by dodgerfan

I'm in the market for a new laptop, and until today I was totally on board with a new 15-inch Powerbook, but now that the MacBook Pro has been introduced, I have mixed feelings. I see mostly positives concerning the MacBook, though after reading some not-so-glittering reviews in this thread I'm a little reluctant to commit to it. I guess my question to everyone is, what reasons would you have for wanting/not wanting the MacBook? Or for choosing it over a Powerbook? If you had to choose between a new Powerbook and a new MacBook, which one would you go with? I'm not too laptop savvy, but I know I want a quality machine. I'm just looking for something to help push my decision one way or the other, and since you guys are so educated on the topic, any input you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

1. I wouldn't put too much into the "not-so-glittering reviews". Negative or Positive, there are few here that have had a chance to put the new MacBook Pro to the test.

2. Do you want to buy a stable, yet aging laptop, or move forward?

I've needed a new laptop for some time. I could have bought one of the new PowerBooks release late last year. Can still buy one now. All my software is currently PPC based. But I'm taking a chance. I ordered my MacBookPro as soon as I could get through the Apple Store online process.

I'm sure there will be challenges. For one, I use Aperature, Final Cut Pro Studio, Adobe CS Suite, MS-Word/Excel and a few other apps. Aperature and FCPS will have DVDs I can buy for $49 to get the dual binaries. But I won't have Intel binaries for my Adobe or Office apps. At least not anytime soon.

I will be more than happy to give a detail review once my unit arrives and I get to play with it. Considering I'm coming from a 3+ year old Dell Inspirion, the new MacBook Pro should rock!

J.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by analogika

Will it still run Classic within Rosetta? (Can somebody at MacWorld please relay this question to an Apple stand attendant?)

No, it cannot.

(I would be happy to field any OS X x86 questions)

[JoshuaZ]

Yeah, I`m looking to upgrade my 12in 1.33 Pbook within a year and a half, and was really wanting the release of of the new intelbook to be a bit better.

As much as I can agree with almost everything Apple did, the whole DVD thing is just really annoying. I mean my 12in has a 4x DVD-R drive.

Though the addition of the iSight caught me way off guard. That would be really cool to have, as I do travel a lot and having an iSight has let me stay in contact with my family with a bit more ease then some of my friends over here.