One visible difference not touched upon is the multi-touch technology in the trackpad. You can see a difference from the previous rev. on the bottom side of the topcase (visible when the battery is removed). There are more chips and resistors on the underside of the trackpad.
Using my new Macbook pro got it this morning. Ordered on Tues. Anyway feels like my old Macbook pro 2.0 but works well. But still has the same amount of USB ports 2
This model finally replaces the little-used Enter key given prominence on the right.
Methods were available for G4 models to map Enter to Option, a heavily used key which is missing on the right side, but on the intel MBP's all the key mapping solutions I have tried fail. They work mapping the Enter to other keys but not to Option - a right Option key is very useful, eg. for switching Firefox tabs, using a Space hotkey, etc one handed.
I just bought one of these new MBPs and I desperately want to know how much battery life they save over the Merom based ones. So get that part 2 article out soon!
i am runnin only pcs at home right now but use macs at work...
i really prefer mac and am just waiting....
my plan was to wait a couple weeks after this update just
to read other ppls reviews...but i dont know if it would be worth it now...
If you need one now buy it, otherwise you'll probably be waiting much longer than June. I would guess August maybe longer. I just purchased a new one and I can't wait till it arrives. You'll always be waiting for the new technology anyway if you never buy.
Don't consider a laptop, unless you have a great need for mobile video editing. Get a desktop Mac Pro, or a high end desktop PC. Macbook Pros are certainly good machines, but you pay a price and performance premium for their mobility.
I do have a high need for mobility.
I travel between multiple school campuses, work, and home.
I am always working on stuff, and if I had my MBP with me
anywhere else, I could/would also be more productive.
Also, I can't afford as great of a Mac Pro as I want,
but that will most likely be my next purchase after maybe
an iPhone.
I noticed that apple has added an additional USB port on the new macbook pros, to bring the total up to three, instead of the two shown in the table above.
Could you list the brand/model of the hard drives and optical drive in the MBP?
Especially interested to see if Apple has upgraded their Superdrive, since the bargain bin Matshita DVD burner that Apple put in my Macbook is failing along with many others:
also, whats the thought about future price drops....
i had heard some rumors, i know they are probably mostly just rumors..
but it is likely that they kept the price the same for now jst to
attempt to streamline the upgrades and make it seem like not a big deal?(especially since preliminary testing shows barely any significant positive change)
There has been a $100 price drop in Canada for both the MacBook and MacBook Pro. They were selling at $1249 and $2199 respectively but are now down to $1140 and $2099. I think this has more to do with the higher dollar than actual price cuts. They're still over priced in Canada though. Best Buy in their infinite wisdom are still selling the old models at the old, higher price. I guess they're gambling that most of their customers don't do they're homework. They'd be right.
Based on the iFixit dissection of the Macbook Air, the multi-touch support on the Air is provided using the same chip as the iPhone, the Broadcom BCM5974. Is this chip present on the new Macbook Pro? Since the motherboard is noted as virtually identical, I figured that this may be the only noteable difference between the motherboards.
Wheres waldo? No but seriously the cdrom looks like it should be in a computer 10 years ago not today. Need a fix for this, everything has gotten smaller cd/dvds have stayed the same for what 15-20 years?
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mainchochacho - Saturday, March 1, 2008 - link
One visible difference not touched upon is the multi-touch technology in the trackpad. You can see a difference from the previous rev. on the bottom side of the topcase (visible when the battery is removed). There are more chips and resistors on the underside of the trackpad.steadicam - Thursday, February 28, 2008 - link
Using my new Macbook pro got it this morning. Ordered on Tues. Anyway feels like my old Macbook pro 2.0 but works well. But still has the same amount of USB ports 2stringmint - Thursday, February 28, 2008 - link
This model finally replaces the little-used Enter key given prominence on the right.Methods were available for G4 models to map Enter to Option, a heavily used key which is missing on the right side, but on the intel MBP's all the key mapping solutions I have tried fail. They work mapping the Enter to other keys but not to Option - a right Option key is very useful, eg. for switching Firefox tabs, using a Space hotkey, etc one handed.
wk127001 - Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - link
Anandtech,I just bought one of these new MBPs and I desperately want to know how much battery life they save over the Merom based ones. So get that part 2 article out soon!
nhshah - Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - link
macbook proi have been waiting for this update for quite some time now....
but now there already rumors of the next update...
i do a lot of high end video editing and graphics work
so i can really use all the power i can get for my buck....
http://www.macrumors.com/2008/02/27/next-macbook-a...">http://www.macrumors.com/2008/02/27/nex...cbook-an...
i am runnin only pcs at home right now but use macs at work...
i really prefer mac and am just waiting....
my plan was to wait a couple weeks after this update just
to read other ppls reviews...but i dont know if it would be worth it now...
what are your recomendations to me?
wk127001 - Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - link
If you need one now buy it, otherwise you'll probably be waiting much longer than June. I would guess August maybe longer. I just purchased a new one and I can't wait till it arrives. You'll always be waiting for the new technology anyway if you never buy.crimson117 - Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - link
"high end video editing and graphics work"Don't consider a laptop, unless you have a great need for mobile video editing. Get a desktop Mac Pro, or a high end desktop PC. Macbook Pros are certainly good machines, but you pay a price and performance premium for their mobility.
nhshah - Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - link
I do have a high need for mobility.I travel between multiple school campuses, work, and home.
I am always working on stuff, and if I had my MBP with me
anywhere else, I could/would also be more productive.
Also, I can't afford as great of a Mac Pro as I want,
but that will most likely be my next purchase after maybe
an iPhone.
potpoi - Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - link
I noticed that apple has added an additional USB port on the new macbook pros, to bring the total up to three, instead of the two shown in the table above.ncbill - Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - link
Could you list the brand/model of the hard drives and optical drive in the MBP?Especially interested to see if Apple has upgraded their Superdrive, since the bargain bin Matshita DVD burner that Apple put in my Macbook is failing along with many others:
http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=11...">http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=11...
Anand Lal Shimpi - Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - link
The hard drive is a Hitachi 5K250 while the DVD drive is a Panasonic (aka Matsushita). The DVD drive is listed as Model UJ-867.Hope this helps :)
andreschmidt - Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - link
Isn't the keyboard layout different?As far as I recall the new MacBook Pro keyboard layout includes the new media keys, found on the new flat Apple Keyboard and the MacBook Air.
nhshah - Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - link
i was wondering about the multitouch interfaceas well as the new LED backlight system for the 17" MBP
any thoughts on the gpu - is that (forced) increase to 256 gonna
draw more power, and if so, how significant?
also, what about cooling/fans?
not physical or even software or nethin, but just how hot the
processor runs at full force...??
nhshah - Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - link
also, whats the thought about future price drops....i had heard some rumors, i know they are probably mostly just rumors..
but it is likely that they kept the price the same for now jst to
attempt to streamline the upgrades and make it seem like not a big deal?(especially since preliminary testing shows barely any significant positive change)
mmntech - Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - link
There has been a $100 price drop in Canada for both the MacBook and MacBook Pro. They were selling at $1249 and $2199 respectively but are now down to $1140 and $2099. I think this has more to do with the higher dollar than actual price cuts. They're still over priced in Canada though. Best Buy in their infinite wisdom are still selling the old models at the old, higher price. I guess they're gambling that most of their customers don't do they're homework. They'd be right.halihassan - Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - link
Based on the iFixit dissection of the Macbook Air, the multi-touch support on the Air is provided using the same chip as the iPhone, the Broadcom BCM5974. Is this chip present on the new Macbook Pro? Since the motherboard is noted as virtually identical, I figured that this may be the only noteable difference between the motherboards.KeypoX - Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - link
Wheres waldo? No but seriously the cdrom looks like it should be in a computer 10 years ago not today. Need a fix for this, everything has gotten smaller cd/dvds have stayed the same for what 15-20 years?Duwelon - Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - link
The need for capacity has outpaced the desire for a smaller media size.