Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

darkmatter · Mar 31, 2009, 01:49 PM

Hello

Macbooks had being updated some time between April and May most of the last years. What do you think, will there be an Macbook update during the following weeks? If yes, what could be updated (Bigger Harddisk, optional non glossy display, faster CPU, more memory, price reduction)?

Best Regards

Maflynn · Mar 31, 2009, 02:45 PM

If anything, a small speed bump, but all in all, I don't think we'll see any update for a little while.

mduell · Mar 31, 2009, 07:25 PM

Doubtful until well into the second half of the year.

More disk, faster CPU, and higher memory ceiling is a given.
Non-glossy display?

Price reduction?

DCJ001 · Mar 31, 2009, 09:19 PM

FireWire 800 by the end of 2009.

It should happen in order to keep in line with the advancement of technology and to stay ahead of the so-called competition.

You heard it here first.

Simon · Apr 1, 2009, 04:14 AM

The MacBook Pro will go Nehalem/i7/Clarksfield in November.

The MacBook will be updated alongside the MBP (and stay Penryn). Just im time for holiday buying season.

There will be no FW800 on the UB MB. That's a done deal.

Regarding a white MB sticking around I'm not certain who to believe actually. In any event I do hope the backlit KB will trickle down to the $1299 UB MB. But I have this nasty feeling Apple won't do it because of upsell.

Brien · Apr 1, 2009, 04:55 AM

I think that by this September/October the white Macbook will either be discontinued entirely, or (hopefully) go the way of the plastic iMac and go edu-only, perhaps at a lower pricepoint.

Then Apple could drop the $1299 UB MacBook down to $999 like it should've been in the first place.

P · Apr 1, 2009, 05:15 AM

Generally, the first update after a major refresh takes a little longer than regular. I wonder if it will really be as long November, though, but then there's not a lot for Apple to add, is there? MB will get a clockspeed bump - the 2.0 GHz chip in Apple's low-end MB doesn't even exist on the latest Intel price list as of the latest update - the backlit keyboard made standard and probably an HD boost. MBP will get Clarksfield when it gets here, but will there be an update before that? Sure there's space for a clockspeed bump, but it's going to be a very minor update if there is one.

Regular MB might creep down in price, but not all the way to $999 in one go.

Maflynn · Apr 1, 2009, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by DCJ001

FireWire 800 by the end of 2009.

denial is not just a river in egypt.

You can kiss FW good by on the firewire, like we did with the floppy, ADB and SCSI. Apple never dropped an interface standard, AFAIK, and then reversed course and re-added it to the next update.

The furor has seemingly died down on the FireWire and people, Apple have moved on.

ChrisF · Apr 1, 2009, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by Maflynn

Apple never dropped an interface standard, AFAIK, and then reversed course and re-added it to the next update.

Actually, they did. Firewire 800 wasn't on the first Macbook Pros, but it was added back on the second version of the machines.

Maflynn · Apr 1, 2009, 08:39 AM

Not to split hairs, it had a FW port, just not FW800, where as the MB has not FW port at all and given apple's explanation, not needed for consumer level computers, it seems unlikely that you'll see it reintroduced. Just my $.02, I've been wrong before but the odds of it doesn't look good.

P · Apr 1, 2009, 03:19 PM

It's gone because they're out of space. If they can squeeze it in, they might, but it's a priority just over Classic support in Snow Leopard.

mduell · Apr 1, 2009, 06:47 PM

There's and awful lot of space around the audio connectors compared to the size of the jack.

Simon · Apr 2, 2009, 03:29 AM

Not on the MLB there ain't. The external part of the jack you see isn't the limiting factor.

mduell · Apr 3, 2009, 04:53 PM

I wouldn't put it past Apple to get a custom (or niche) thinner mount for the audio jacks.

Simon · Apr 4, 2009, 01:43 AM

Dream on. FW on the MB is history.

mduell · Apr 4, 2009, 02:30 PM

I'm the first one to piss on the grave of Firewire, but I still expect Apple to bring it back. If they really thought it was time to move on they'd dump it on the mini.

Simon · 03:07 AM

Not really. Apple didn't drop FW on the MB because they're on a crusade to exterminate it. They didn't inlude it on the Mm because they're on a crusade to spread it.

On the Mm no sacrifice was required for FW so you put it there. On the MB there was, so you don't. There's no secret FW master plan. FW on the MB is history.

DCJ001 · Apr 6, 2009, 01:34 AM

Originally Posted by Simon

Not really. Apple didn't drop FW on the MB because they're on a crusade to exterminate it. They didn't inlude it on the Mm because they're on a crusade to spread it.

On the Mm no sacrifice was required for FW so you put it there. On the MB there was, so you don't. There's no secret FW master plan. FW on the MB is history.

Actually, I'm sure that the plan to omit FW from the base MacBook was to encourage those who really wanted it to upgrade to the MacBook Pro to get it. But I'm still sure that Apple will add FW 800 to the base MacBook when they feel that the time is right because of the reasons mentioned in my first post in this thread.

Simon · Apr 6, 2009, 02:17 AM

Apple made quite clear they don't believe consumers need FW anymore. And the MB is their consumer notebook. So it's fairly obvious they won't drop something they consider relevant (like USB) to make room for FW on the MB.

Maflynn · Apr 6, 2009, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by DCJ001

Actually, I'm sure that the plan to omit FW from the base MacBook was to encourage those who really wanted it to upgrade to the MacBook Pro to get it. But I'm still sure that Apple will add FW 800 to the base MacBook when they feel that the time is right because of the reasons mentioned in my first post in this thread.

Agreed and also to differentiate the MacBook and MacBook Pro a little more. Right now there's so little differences between the two. Having FW in the MBP gives people who need the port, a natural upgrade path, regardless if they want to upgrade to a MBP they can.

While the MB is cramped, when apple set out to redesign the MB, I'm sure they could have fit it in there somewhere with out affecting the size terribly. True the current design precludes the port but back when they were just designing the MB, if they thought it was important enough they could have found room for it.

Simon · Apr 6, 2009, 07:44 AM

But that's exactly the point. They don't think it's important enough. Not then, not now. Apple will not make the MB any larger or drop other ports to make room for a port they no longer consider necessary (on the MB that is).

lysolman · Apr 6, 2009, 09:32 AM

Originally Posted by Maflynn

denial is not just a river in egypt.

You can kiss FW good by on the firewire, like we did with the floppy, ADB and SCSI. Apple never dropped an interface standard, AFAIK, and then reversed course and re-added it to the next update.

The furor has seemingly died down on the FireWire and people, Apple have moved on.

I remember a time when Apple decided to take audio-in capabilities off of their portables, because all of that was going to USB and Firewire.

Yea, they put it back on.

DCJ001 · 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by DCJ001

FireWire 800 by the end of 2009.

It should happen in order to keep in line with the advancement of technology and to stay ahead of the so-called competition.

You heard it here first.

Originally Posted by Simon

There will be no FW800 on the UB MB. That's a done deal.

Originally Posted by Maflynn

denial is not just a river in egypt.

You can kiss FW good by on the firewire, like we did with the floppy, ADB and SCSI.

The furor has seemingly died down on the FireWire and people, Apple have moved on.

Originally Posted by Maflynn

Not to split hairs, it had a FW port, just not FW800, where as the MB has not FW port at all and given apple's explanation, not needed for consumer level computers, it seems unlikely that you'll see it reintroduced. Just my $.02, I've been wrong before but the odds of it doesn't look good.

Originally Posted by P

It's gone because they're out of space. If they can squeeze it in, they might, but it's a priority just over Classic support in Snow Leopard.

Originally Posted by Simon

Dream on. FW on the MB is history.

Originally Posted by Simon

There's no secret FW master plan. FW on the MB is history.

Originally Posted by Simon

Apple made quite clear they don't believe consumers need FW anymore. And the MB is their consumer notebook. So it's fairly obvious they won't drop something they consider relevant (like USB) to make room for FW on the MB.

And here we are, over six months before the end of the year:

"The 13-inch MacBook Pro also gets a FireWire 800 port, and a backlit keyboard standard. With prices starting at $1,199, it’s less expensive than the MacBook model it replaces."

It's somewhat satisfying to be right when many disagree.

P · Jun 9, 2009, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by DCJ001

And here we are, over six months before the end of the year:

"The 13-inch MacBook Pro also gets a FireWire 800 port, and a backlit keyboard standard. With prices starting at $1,199, it’s less expensive than the MacBook model it replaces."

It's somewhat satisfying to be right when many disagree.

Note that I said they'd might add it back if they could squeeze it in. They could, by making the battery non-removable.

In general, my prediction from above was:

Originally Posted by P

Generally, the first update after a major refresh takes a little longer than regular. I wonder if it will really be as long November, though, but then there's not a lot for Apple to add, is there? MB will get a clockspeed bump - the 2.0 GHz chip in Apple's low-end MB doesn't even exist on the latest Intel price list as of the latest update - the backlit keyboard made standard and probably an HD boost. MBP will get Clarksfield when it gets here, but will there be an update before that? Sure there's space for a clockspeed bump, but it's going to be a very minor update if there is one.

Regular MB might creep down in price, but not all the way to $999 in one go.

Except for ditching the EC slot and replacing it with an SD slot, I think I pretty much nailed it.

DCJ001 · Jun 9, 2009, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by P

Note that I said they'd might add it back if they could squeeze it in. They could, by making the battery non-removable.

You're assuming that it was necessary to make the battery non-removable in order for the FW800 port to be introduced. It may have been helpful but, just because the non-removable battery and FW800 were introduced to the 13" MacBook Pro at the same time, there doesn't need to be a requirement that one feature relies on the other.

The new 13" MacBook Pro is an awesome machine at a great price.

P · Jun 10, 2009, 09:29 AM

You're right it might have been the removal of the EC slot that did it.

Whatever: It required an internal redesign to fit it. Apple did one - likely to get more battery life - and used it to squeeze in a Firewire port. They wouldn't have made the redesign just for the Firewire port.