[3N16MA]

• Apple
• MacRumors/Buyer's Guide
• Apple Insider
• 9to5 Mac
• AnandTech (Mac stream)
• Ars Technica (Apple stream)
• TUAW
• Macworld
• iFixit guides - Mac

[Marty Chinn]

Nice OP.

[3N16MA]

Decided to make a Mac OT so that hardware discussion can be grouped under one thread instead of having several. Discuss current or rumored hardware or ask for purchasing advice. There is already a OS X Lion OT so if you want to discuss software go here: http://neogaf.net/forum/showthread.php?t=437860.

[Samyy]

Just got my macbook pro yesterday, beautiful machine.
nice avatar op :p

[Always-honest]

Well, thanx. I Love mac hardware.

[numble]

So the Macbook Pros haven't had much weight reduction in the last decade or so, or at least the last 5 years huh? I am disappointed that the current unibody 15" Macbook Pro still weighs about the same as my pre-unibody 15" Macbook Pro.

[3N16MA]

So the Macbook Pros haven't had much weight reduction in the last decade or so, or at least the last 5 years huh? I am disappointed that the current unibody 15" Macbook Pro still weighs about the same as my pre-unibody 15" Macbook Pro.

Rumor has it that Apple will be dropping the optical drive on the MBP and making SSD standard later this year. Making it slimmer and lighter.

[numble]

Rumor has it that Apple will be dropping the optical drive on the MBP and making SSD standard later this year. Making it slimmer and lighter.

I can't wait for the day--seriously tired of lugging 6 pounds around. Though I might just go for an Air.

[golem]

My Macs :D Getting old but still trucking'

[zychi]

I can't wait for the day--seriously tired of lugging 6 pounds around. Though I might just go for an Air.

if youre not using it for video editing or hardcore photoshop, its really worth it. i went from a 2010 15 inch i5 mbp to the 13 inch i5 air, and i swear the air is faster. it weighs practically nothing too.

[3N16MA]

My Macs :D Getting old but still trucking'

I think that Mac Pro will be trucking for awhile.

[Übermatik]

My 27" iMac is the best thing I ever bought... the resolution is incredible.

[Mailenstein]

What a sexy OP. Nice!

[golem]

I think that Mac Pro will be trucking for awhile.

It actually did pretty good with Portal 2 and Starcraft 2, was pleasantly surprised

[Dreams-Visions]

Checking in.

<3 my MacBook Pro.

I'm on my second MBP and I can safely say I've never had a better laptop computing experience. It's been an absolute delight, a few launch bugs notwithstanding.

I really look forward to seeing what they do with the 2012's...or specifically, what they will do with the first MBP's that have no built-in optical drive. I'd love for them to add a second HDD bay, but I assume they'll go for a smaller frame. And either way, the odds are that it will look great.

[Jason Raize '75 - '04]

What do you guys suggest for keeping the keyboard on the MBP nice and clean? It sort of has a shine effect on some keys after use

[bean breath]

I thought this was going to be a detailed timeline of the history of Mac hardware with tons of pics. Slightly disappointed but still cool.

[MercuryLS]

Just received my custom built MacBook Air 11" Code i5 1.6Ghz, 4gb, 256gb sad. Absolutely the best computer I've ever owned. Hands fucking down. Just incredible in every way.

[BigNastyCurve]

Just received my custom built MacBook Air 11' 1.5, 4gb, 256gb sad. Absolutely the best computer I've ever owned. Hands fucking down. Just incredible in every way.

What'd that set you back? I want one.

[Wallach]

What do you guys suggest for keeping the keyboard on the MBP nice and clean? It sort of has a shine effect on some keys after use

Just a lint free cloth damp with water. You can do like one part rubbing alcohol for every three parts water if you really have wear on it. Wouldn't use anything else on lasered keys.

[MercuryLS]

What'd that set you back? I want one.

After using the Edu Discount it came to $1414 pre tax, plus you get $100 iTunes/App Store credit. All in all it was $1500+ I believe. If you go for the 128gb model it should be a much less painful $1149+tax.

[Jason Raize '75 - '04]

I don't know whether I like looking at it more than I do using it. Best computer experience I've ever had.

[IMG]http://i52.************/2eutl40.jpg[/IMG]

[Vyer]

Think it's time to get a newer mac. Already built my new Windows 7 machine this year, but I'm still rocking an old white MacBook. I'd love a new unibody.

Wonder how much I could sell a 07 core 2 duo MacBook with upgraded RAM and HDD (along with iLife and Final Cut installed) for?

[Raistlin]

Wow 3N16MA ... nice OP :o






BTW - for the Air, the tech specs say base clock speed where it should be GPU

[MercuryLS]

One thing I was worried about was the smaller screen, coming from a 13" MBP, it did worry me. But Apple was smart when they designed Lion, it feels like they had the 11" machine in mind with many features. Full screen is fantastic on this machine, I can see myself using it a lot. The Air feels like the first laptop that is truly mobile, it feels more like an iPad or iPhone in this repeat. You just WANT to take this thing around with you, with the big MBP you'd always think twice.

[Jo Shishido's Cheeks]

If only every electronics device could be so sexy!
Here's a question that I can't wait to see repeated over and over.....

I'm gonna be picking up a Mini at some point this year. Would be getting the i5 chip though am tempted by the i7. Does anybody have some actual, real-world-ish examples of the speed differences between the two? I know of geek bench scores and percentages, etc but that doesn't actually really tell me how much faster the i7 may actually be...

[Wallach]

I don't know whether I like looking at it more than I do using it. Best computer experience I've ever had.

That the 13"? That's what I'm on. I bought it for iOS development (and just to have a nice laptop) and I love the thing. Was tempted at first to sell it and grab one of the new airs, but I think I'm just going to swap a SDD in there and enjoy the nicer processor until the new MBPs hit. 13" really is the perfect size for me; I wish they offered a 13" with better graphics.

[jyoung188]

Awesome OP



I love my MacBook, nothing special but it gets the job done!

And it survived a glass of water spilling on it!

[3N16MA]

One thing I was worried about was the smaller screen, coming from a 13" MBP, it did worry me. But Apple was smart when they designed Lion, it feels like they had the 11" machine in mind with many features. Full screen is fantastic on this machine, I can see myself using it a lot. The Air feels like the first laptop that is truly mobile, it feels more like an iPad or iPhone in this repeat. You just WANT to take this thing around with you, with the big MBP you'd always think twice.

I think this is why the MBA sales have increased so dramatically. It used to be a very expensive secondary computer that overheated watching HD YouTube videos. Now it's got the power to be a main computer for most people. Add to that the $999 starting price and more and more people are picking them up.

[Jason Raize '75 - '04]

That the 13" That's what I'm on. I bought it for iOS development (and just to have a nice laptop) and I love the thing. Was tempted at first to sell it and grab one of the new airs, but I think I'm just going to swap a SDD in there and enjoy the nicer processor until the new MBPs hit. 13" really is the perfect size for me; I wish they offered a 13" with better graphics.

I really had my heart set on a 13inch Air because I needed something very light to carry but was getting impatient with having to wait something like 12 days to have it built with 4GB of memory. Went to the retail store, cancelled the order and picked up a Pro: I told the guys working there I need to see how much weight it'll be on my back, so they were nice enough to get out a Pro in its box and allow me to put it in my back-pack and walk around with it in store. Wasn't heavy at all (have a bad lower back). Purchased it and am very happy with it, outside the ridiculous amount of CPU flash playback uses on the machine.

Paid £500 for it :D

[MercuryLS]

I think this is why the MBA sales have increased so dramatically. It used to be a very expensive secondary computer that overheated watching HD YouTube videos. Now it's got the power to be a main computer for most people. Add to that the $999 starting price and more and more people are picking them up.

Yeah, MBA is going to be huge for Apple. The only competitor I see on the windows side is the upcoming Asus laptop that looks like a wholesale ripoff of the 11" machine. It's also rumoured to have a higher price tag too. One thing Apple has going for it is dirt cheap component prices due to their insane volumes, it's going to be very very hard for PC manufacturers to make a price competitive MBA clone.

Also, this thing is quiet as a mouse and cool to the touch. That in itself is worth the 1.5K I paid for it. My MBP sounded like a PS3 filled with a garbage can full of dust and was hot enough to make the sun feel like shit.

[Souldriver]

I hate to be that guy, but I've got a honest question.

You can find Windows laptops for half the price with the same specs as a Macbook. Now, I'm fully aware that you're not getting the same computer experience. The Mac has OSX, incredible hardware, build quality, battery life, high quality screen, ... that all of the Windows laptops with the same specs lack. However, if you go shopping for a 1,800 dollar Windows laptop (to compare with a 15inch macbook pro), then you will also get a sexy looking device, great build quality, big battery life, top notch screen, arguably better specs, ... and the experience becomes more comparable to that of a macbook, except for OSX off course.

So my honest question is: does OSX make the difference, price considered, or are there things that I'm overlooking that you simply never will get on a Windows laptop, even if you spend as much (say 1.5k) on one of those as you would on a mac?

[LeadProtagonist]

I have the low end 13 inch Macbook Pro from a few years ago.

Probably going to get the low end 15 inch once the product line gets an update. Anyone have any ideas or speculation on that?

[oatmeal]

I'm really happy with Apple this month.

Two things...

1. I spilled coffee all over my mother-in-law's Macbook Air (was only 6 months old), and they fixed it for free.

2. I had a WHITE Macbook in my Cart on apple.com to buy for my wife. I was planning on ordering the next day, and when I went back to the site, my cart was clear and they announced the new MBA's (while at the same time, discontinuing the Macbook). So I lost out on my $100 Gift Card. My wife didn't want the MBA, so I ordered a Refurb. It was the 2.4GHz, 2 GB Ram, 250 GB drive.

When I got it a few days later, it was the 2.4 GHz, 4 GB Ram and 500 GB drive.

I was really pleased with that.

[alterno69]

Macbook pro owner here, love the thing, so sexy and powerful.

[teamaxe]

I hate to be that guy, but I've got a honest question. You can find Windows laptops for half the price with the same specs as a Macbook. Now, I'm fully aware that you're not getting the same computer experience. The Mac has OSX, incredible hardware, build quality, battery life, high quality screen, ... that all of the Windows laptops with the same specs lack. However, if you go shopping for a 1,800 dollar Windows laptop (to compare with a 15inch macbook pro), then you will also get a sexy looking device, great build quality, big battery life, top notch screen, arguably better specs, ... and the experience becomes more comparable to that of a macbook, except for OSX off course. So my honest question is: does OSX make the difference, price considered, or are there things that I'm overlooking that you simply never will get on a Windows laptop, even if you spend as much (say 1.5k) on one of those as you would on a mac?

Well, the first thing I would say us that if you get a Macbook, you can run Windows and Os X.

[MercuryLS]

I hate to be that guy, but I've got a honest question. You can find Windows laptops for half the price with the same specs as a Macbook. Now, I'm fully aware that you're not getting the same computer experience. The Mac has OSX, incredible hardware, build quality, battery life, high quality screen, ... that all of the Windows laptops with the same specs lack. However, if you go shopping for a 1,800 dollar Windows laptop (to compare with a 15inch macbook pro), then you will also get a sexy looking device, great build quality, big battery life, top notch screen, arguably better specs, ... and the experience becomes more comparable to that of a macbook, except for OSX off course. So my honest question is: does OSX make the difference, price considered, or are there things that I'm overlooking that you simply never will get on a Windows laptop, even if you spend as much (say 1.5k) on one of those as you would on a mac?

Considering that pretty much all laptops are powerful enough to handle the majority of tasks that people do on a computer, specs mean very little to me anymore. All of those things highlighted are huge to me know. I want a seamless OS experience, I want incredible hardware and build quality, I want to be able to use the best damn trackpad in the industry. All of these things matter much more than raw specs. I'll never be able to game on my MBA, but then again I didn't buy it for that, I bought it because it is the finest computer money can buy right now and is insanely portable.

[Hato-kun]

I did love my MBP until a few weeks ago. Having constant freezes and I'm thinking it may be an issue with graphics switching. It pretty much arsed now, won't even boot up. I took it into the Apple repair shop, found it was possibly a hardware issue, but found slight corruption on the hard drive and charged me for the repair. Got home, booted it up and it's still crashing. So pissed.

Any ideas from GAF? I jut want this fixed. I bought it in Feb, late 2010 15" i7 MBP.

[3N16MA]

I have the low end 13 inch Macbook Pro from a few years ago. Probably going to get the low end 15 inch once the product line gets an update. Anyone have any ideas or speculation on that?

MR latest rumor is that that Apple is working on a new slim 15 and 17 inch MBP for later this year. Optical drive is supposed to be removed and SSD standard. The rumor was backed up by 9to5 Mac however it's still just a rumor.

[RDreamer]

I've got a Macbook Pro from like 07 or 08. It has 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, and 3GB ram, since I just upgraded the ram this year. I also put in a 750 gb hard drive. It still runs like a dream, and that's doing things like photoshop and illustrator and video editing all at once.

Since we're all doing this:

[Jason Raize '75 - '04]

I hate to be that guy, but I've got a honest question. You can find Windows laptops for half the price with the same specs as a Macbook. Now, I'm fully aware that you're not getting the same computer experience. The Mac has OSX, incredible hardware, build quality, battery life, high quality screen, ... that all of the Windows laptops with the same specs lack. However, if you go shopping for a 1,800 dollar Windows laptop (to compare with a 15inch macbook pro), then you will also get a sexy looking device, great build quality, big battery life, top notch screen, arguably better specs, ... and the experience becomes more comparable to that of a macbook, except for OSX off course. So my honest question is: does OSX make the difference, price considered, or are there things that I'm overlooking that you simply never will get on a Windows laptop, even if you spend as much (say 1.5k) on one of those as you would on a mac?

My opinion? No. There is an argument that the machine itself (laptop) considering its build quality is worth more than a comparable spec Windows machine, but not to the extent that Apple price it at, which is a shame because if these machines were far cheaper than I'm sure they'd have more customers. However, profit margins > market share

[oatmeal]

And my machines...




I upgraded the processors recently. It used to have 2x 2.66 GHz Dual Cores, now it's 2x 3.00 GHz Quad Cores. There was a plugin that would update your About This Mac, but it doesn't work in Lion.

[bytesized]

My 13'' Macbook Air has sold me on apple computers, specially due to the fantastic trackpad and balance between portability, design and performance. I'm a but bummed that they released a new version of the Air so soon, specially seeing as it seems to run much faster (although I'm completely satisfied with how fast mine is, though). I am looking forward to see how the cloud technology affects apple products in the future, let's see if Apple can pull it off.

[Souldriver]

Considering that pretty much all laptops are powerful enough to handle the majority of tasks that people do on a computer, specs mean very little to me anymore. All of those things highlighted are huge to me know. I want a seamless OS experience, I want incredible hardware and build quality, I want to be able to use the best damn trackpad in the industry. All of these things matter much more than raw specs. I'll never be able to game on my MBA, but then again I didn't buy it for that, I bought it because it is the finest computer money can buy right now and is insanely portable.

But you're kinda answering besides the question. I'm making the hypothesis that once you shell out as many dollars on a regular laptop as you would on a macbook, you'll also end up with all those things you mentioned as important. Minus OSX off course.

It's a hypothesis though, because I'm not sure about that. F.e. I know the trackpad of the Macbooks can't be found anywhere on other laptops, because it's so closely related to OSX. Perhaps there are a whole bunch of other things inherent to a Macbook, that "money can't buy" with other laptops. That was my original question.

@teamaxe: good point.

[Wallach]

I hate to be that guy, but I've got a honest question. You can find Windows laptops for half the price with the same specs as a Macbook. Now, I'm fully aware that you're not getting the same computer experience. The Mac has OSX, incredible hardware, build quality, battery life, high quality screen, ... that all of the Windows laptops with the same specs lack. However, if you go shopping for a 1,800 dollar Windows laptop (to compare with a 15inch macbook pro), then you will also get a sexy looking device, great build quality, big battery life, top notch screen, arguably better specs, ... and the experience becomes more comparable to that of a macbook, except for OSX off course. So my honest question is: does OSX make the difference, price considered, or are there things that I'm overlooking that you simply never will get on a Windows laptop, even if you spend as much (say 1.5k) on one of those as you would on a mac?

I think when it comes to laptops, the OS actually matters more than it does on my desktop. I don't game on my laptop; I want it to do work, and do other standard stuff on the side. In that respect I think OSX is a hell of a lot nicer to use compared to W7. For my desktop, I haven't convinced myself to bother with a Mac yet due to the gaming-grade hardware upgrades being quite overpriced.

[Dreams-Visions]

And my machines... [IMG]http://murphman-studios.com/quickpix/macbook.jpg[/IM] [IMG]http://murphman-studios.com/quickpix/macpro.jpg[/IG] I upgraded the processors recently. It used to have 2x 2.66 GHz Dual Cores, now it's 2x 3.00 GHz Quad Cores. There was a plugin that would update your About This Mac, but it doesn't work in Lion.

Damn. Dual quads? Impressive. Do a lot of video/audio work?

[ckohler]

For you guys taking screenshots of your "About this Mac" screens, here's a tip: Press COMMAND+SHIFT+4 then press the spacebar and then click onto the window to capture only the window.

[bytesized]

Considering that pretty much all laptops are powerful enough to handle the majority of tasks that people do on a computer, specs mean very little to me anymore. All of those things highlighted are huge to me know. I want a seamless OS experience, I want incredible hardware and build quality, I want to be able to use the best damn trackpad in the industry. All of these things matter much more than raw specs. I'll never be able to game on my MBA, but then again I didn't buy it for that, I bought it because it is the finest computer money can buy right now and is insanely portable.

Portal 4 runs excellently on my Air, you can do plenty gaming on it... the problem is the amount of games available.

[oatmeal]

Damn. Dual quads? Impressive. Do a lot of video/audio work?

Video. I'm poor at audio :)

For you guys taking screenshots of your "About this Mac" screens, here's a tip: Press COMMAND+SHIFT+4 then press the spacebar and then click onto the window to capture only the window.

Mind blown.

Portal 4 runs excellently on my Air, you can do plenty gaming on it... the problem is the amount of games available.

Awesome.

How was Portal 3 btw?

[LiveFromKyoto]

Rumor has it that Apple will be dropping the optical drive on the MBP and making SSD standard later this year. Making it slimmer and lighter.

I'm upgrading at the next refresh. All the rumours flying around sound really cool, but I hope it has enough storage if it goes to SSD (not that I'd mind going solid state, I've had to replace my HDD twice during my MBP's lifespan due to hard knocks).

Does it give you a hard time if you need to restore to a machine with a smaller storage footprint?