[shidoshi]

Ethernet is paramount for press/media types. And none of them want to carry another adapter around.

I'm a "press/media type", and I can't remember the last time Ethernet was "paramount". (I use ethernet far more at home than I do for business reasons.)

As well, with the stuff I already have to carry around, and with the size/weight saving this thing would potentially offer, bringing an ethernet adapter with me would be no big deal.

[EviLore]

Finally we'll lose optical drives across the laptop sector. It's way past due.

[BreakyBoy]

Wireless is still pretty useless for HD streaming. Why do you hate HD Apple? Oh wait but you have Retina display... but you hate Blu-ray too. So what is the retina display for again?

Wrong. I stream very high quality bluray rips that are of a much higher bitrate than anything you can buy digitally. 1080p, with untouched master audio tracks, from a local server, with no problems over an 802.11n network to multiple devices running XBMC in the house.

I watched Kick-Ass just last night. No skips, no problems, as usual. I'm pretty sure the housemate was playing Super Monday Night Combat over the wireless from his room too. He had no complaints.

Edit: Mind you, the server is connected directly to the router via gigabit ethernet. The clients (i.e. the Macbook Air) do just fine over 802.11n.

[Raistlin]

So is this going to come with 802.11ac?


It would be amusing if the first 15" MBP to actually resolve Full HD was also the first that can't consistently stream BluRay rips in real time.

[Cheebo]

The vast majority of people who are using these will be wi-fi. I can't remember ever seeing anyone using a MacBook connected via ethernet. To the extremely small percentage who use them why is a ethernet dongle such a horrible thing?

[TUSR]

So is this going to come with 802.11ac? It would be amusing if the first 15" MBP to actually resolve Full HD was also the first that can't consistently stream BluRay rips in real time.

Lose ethernet, and at the same time not getting the new band would be weird.

[BreakyBoy]

The vast majority of people who are using these will be wi-fi. I can't remember ever seeing anyone using a MacBook connected via ethernet. To the extremely small percentage who use them why is a ethernet dongle such a horrible thing?

Well, personally, it's $30 I don't want to spend. I've avoided it this long, but the IT department is being particularly curmudgeony lately, so I'm on the edge of buying a dongle myself. I'm hoping monoprice or amazon has a cheaper knockoff.

[Copernicus]

The vast majority of people who are using these will be wi-fi. I can't remember ever seeing anyone using a MacBook connected via ethernet. To the extremely small percentage who use them why is a ethernet dongle such a horrible thing?

Are dongles every not a horrible thing?

[Raistlin]

The vast majority of people who are using these will be wi-fi. I can't remember ever seeing anyone using a MacBook connected via ethernet. To the extremely small percentage who use them why is a ethernet dongle such a horrible thing?

Haven't read everyone's responses, but I certainly wasn't implying it's a high percentage use case.

Just that it's amusing

Lose ethernet, and at the same time not getting the new band would be weird.

You'd hope.

[Goldrusher]

Finally we'll lose optical drives across the laptop sector. It's way past due.

Why?

MacBook Air: thin, light, no optical drive
MacBook Pro: thicker, heavier, but has optical drive

Choice.

[Dreaver]

Very intersting rumor, how reliable is 9to5mac?

And also there are a lot of rumors about a redesign. I think it's pretty much given by now it will be redesigned (as in thinner)?
I'd love a thinner MBP, I'm waiting to buy a MBP for the refresh. I haven't used a optical drive in years (or much at all in whole my life). The lack of ethernet seems weird and a bummer though. As I do a lot of video editing (including uploading).

I just want to do my graphic work/video editing/internet browsing and perhaps a little Diablo on a MBP.

Will be canned. I can't imagine that thing selling too well compared to the Air.

No way, the 13" MBP is probably the best selling Macbook there is, at least from the Pro line. There is more chance (an there were rumors) that they would ditch the 17" (though I don't think it will happen at all).

My only concern with the 13" is the lack of RAM. 4GB is not enough.

You can easily add another 4GB yourself. Hell, you could even upgrade it to 16GB total.

[Funky Papa]

I'm a "press/media type", and I can't remember the last time Ethernet was "paramount". (I use ethernet far more at home than I do for business reasons.) As well, with the stuff I already have to carry around, and with the size/weight saving this thing would potentially offer, bringing an ethernet adapter with me would be no big deal.

Unless you cover smallish and/or usually tech related events, wireless connections tend to go down the shitter as soon as journalists start clogging the air-pipes. Nobody in his right mind would ever dare to cover a big fashion, auto or even political event without an ethernet port. The Geneva Auto Show (Europe's most reputed and otherwise excellent car related event) is a prime example of this.

Edit: And WiFi connections are terribad in a good number of hotels at both sides of the pond. Like, hilariously inadequate.

[TUSR]

Why? MacBook Air: thin, light, no optical drive MacBook Pro: thicker, heavier, but has optical drive Choice.

Because the amount of room a dying medium takes up in a portable device is too much.

[Cheebo]

Why? MacBook Air: thin, light, no optical drive MacBook Pro: thicker, heavier, but has optical drive Choice.

Except MacBook Pro's aren't thick or heavy anymore. Optical media is basically dead, Floppy would still be a choice as well.


As for ethernet these are being slimmed down into ultrabook style laptops, they have to lose some ports to make that possible. You can't have super slim light weight design and ethernet ports and the like.

[Kayhan]

Why? MacBook Air: thin, light, no optical drive MacBook Pro: thicker, heavier, but has optical drive Choice.

Because I want

MacBook Pro: thin, light, no optical drive and Pro power

[Tobor]

Why? MacBook Air: thin, light, no optical drive MacBook Pro: thicker, heavier, but has optical drive Choice.

Thicker and heavier can now become thinner and have better battery life.

Optical drives are holding back design and engineering.

[effingvic]

any idea when itll be released? need one, like now

[Sealda]

Im really not meaning to troll. Buuut, there are a lof people out there, who have bought Macbook Pro 13 inches and who basically claimed that "I need more power" when choosing it over before the white macbook and now the macbook air. Without at all, needing that "extra power". Its just...bugs me...

[Raistlin]

I do have to wonder though, is this really the overture for Apple to go to a single laptop line eventually?

We're not far off from ultralight laptops being powerful enough for all traditional office duties. With them now removing Ethernet and optical from the pros ... I'm curious how they'd actually be differentiated in the future?

[Keavy_Rain]

Work allowed told me to buy a new macbook. No I'm thinking I should wait. What do the rumors indicate for a release date?

Probably coincide with the release of Mountain Lion. IIRC the last hardware refresh came with Lion, which was July 21, 2011.

[awilliams213]

I needed to do an update back in April for work I have been holding off. Mainly for the GPU upgrade and possible cheaper SSD options I hope it all rings true.

[BreakyBoy]

You can easily add another 4GB yourself. Hell, you could even upgrade it to 16GB total.

If it's like the Air, don't be so sure. RAM is soldered directly to the motherboard. I had to go with the 4GB option at purchase simply because upgrading from the 2GB option would be an incredible hassle.

[artist]

9to5, not reliable right? Atleast that is what I was told when I last posted a rumor article from them

[Cheebo]

If it's like the Air, don't be so sure. RAM is soldered directly to the motherboard. I had to go with the 4GB option at purchase simply because upgrading from the 2GB option would be an incredible hassle.

That is something I am curious about. How can it be added on after the fact with a Air like form factor?

[Goldrusher]

Thicker and heavier can now become thinner and have better battery life. Optical drives are holding back design and engineering.

Again, if you want thin and don't need an optical drive, just get a MacBook Air and/or ask for a faster one.
No need to ditch the MacBook Pro... which is basically the notebook equivalent of the Mac Pro.

[Totakeke]

Wrong. I stream very high quality bluray rips that are of a much higher bitrate than anything you can buy digitally. 1080p, with untouched master audio tracks, from a local server, with no problems over an 802.11n network to multiple devices running XBMC in the house. I watched Kick-Ass just last night. No skips, no problems, as usual. I'm pretty sure the housemate was playing Super Monday Night Combat over the wireless from his room too. He had no complaints. Edit: Mind you, the server is connected directly to the router via gigabit ethernet. The clients (i.e. the Macbook Air) do just fine over 802.11n.

My personal experiences with wifi streaming 1080p has been downright terrible, probably has to deal with the fact that I'm basically living in an apartment with tons of other people having their own wifi signals. I've went through numerous wireless gear to no avail until I settled on powerline which works pretty decent. Either way, to get proper HD streaming, you need proper gear and setup which not everyone has in their homes. I'll wait till newer wifi standards before even considering jumping into wifi streaming again.

[Cheebo]

Again, if you want thin and don't need an optical drive, just get a MacBook Air and/or ask for a faster one. No need to ditch the MacBook Pro... which is basically the notebook equivalent of the Mac Pro.

Thick and heavy aren't features. They are things it had purely because it wasn't possible to make it thinner and lighter at the time. That is no longer the case.

They aren't ditching the Macbook Pro. They are improving it.

[Sentry]

Are we expecting a significant battery improvement due to the lack of disc drive, or will the retina display even things out to more or less what we have now?

[Jayayess1190]

The only thing I don't like is no ethernet port. Everything else sounds good. And I wonder if the 13.3" will get the i7-3612QM as an option.

[giga]

My personal experiences with wifi streaming 1080p has been downright terrible, probably has to deal with the fact that I'm basically living in an apartment with tons of other people having their own wifi signals. I've went through numerous wireless gear to no avail until I settled on powerline which works pretty decent. Either way, to get proper HD streaming, you need proper gear and setup which not everyone has in their homes. I'll wait till newer wifi standards before even considering jumping into wifi streaming again.

What router? Try the 5 ghz band to reduce interference.

[Whogie]

This all sounds very good.
I've been waiting very patiently for an Ivy Bridge Mac to replace my 2006 lappy. Thinner and retina will be very nice.

I wonder if this'll still use 2.5" drives/accessible RAM.

[SteveWD40]

Are we expecting a significant battery improvement due to the lack of disc drive, or will the retina display even things out to more or less what we have now?

I did see a mockup that suggested a much bigger battery where the drive was, so hopefully yes. I think the Macbook could do well to get into the 10 hour battery range (of actual use, not screen dim and just reading word docs).

[Totakeke]

What router? Try the 5 ghz band to reduce interference.

I gave up buying a newer router after my Dlink 655 because my desktop, which I tried two different wireless n usb adapters and one pci card on, could not get full signal strength for some reason when the distance between the router and the wireless adapter is only like 3 meters apart.

[JackEtc]

I'm getting a MBP for college (communications major with radio/tv/film concentration), and ive been waiting for the refresh for a long time.

I need a discrete GPU in whatever laptop I buy. I obviously wanted to wait for the MBP refresh before buying mine, but I was scared the refresh would get rid of the discrete GPU. These rumors aren't helping. =\

PLEASE STILL HAVE A GPU APPLE

[TUSR]

9to5, not reliable right? Atleast that is what I was told when I last posted a rumor article from them

All these sites are all RUMOR sites anyways. Unless you see pictures, words can only go so far.

I'm getting a MBP for college (communications major with radio/tv/film concentration), and ive been waiting for the refresh for a long time. I need a discrete GPU in whatever laptop I buy. I obviously wanted to wait for the MBP refresh before buying mine, but I was scared the refresh would get rid of the discrete GPU. These rumors aren't helping. =\ PLEASE STILL HAVE A GPU APPLE

Did you not read the article?

NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/note...eforce-gt-650m

According to NVIDIA, this chip offers incredible dedicated graphics performance for gaming and other tasks, all while apparently being battery-life efficient.

[Kung Fu Jedi]

I do have to wonder though, is this really the overture for Apple to go to a single laptop line eventually? We're not far off from ultralight laptops being powerful enough for all traditional office duties. With them now removing Ethernet and optical from the pros ... I'm curious how they'd actually be differentiated in the future?

Ultralight laptops are already more than powerful enough for "all traditional office duties" and have been for some time. They really only lack in high end power for editing video, gaming, etc. But for the vast majority of needs, they are already plenty powerful.

[LeadProtagonist]

I'm just about due for an upgrade and was looking into the 15 inch pros, but I've been waiting for whatever this new version is to get released.

Hopefully it'll actually be good enough to run some games on top of everything.

[Sentry]

I did see a mockup that suggested a much bigger battery where the drive was, so hopefully yes. I think the Macbook could do well to get into the 10 hour battery range (of actual use, not screen dim and just reading word docs).

I fear it'll go the iPad 3 route in regards to retina, though. That's so much extra power, isn't it? I would love to see a significant battery performance increase but I somehow doubt it. Hope i'm wrong, though!

Ultralight laptops are already more than powerful enough for "all traditional office duties" and have been for some time. They really only lack in high end power for editing video, gaming, etc. But for the vast majority of needs, they are already plenty powerful.

I think eventually it'll be able to all fit in the Air form factor, and that'll be the day where it really gets unified. But until then, i'm guessing 11" & 12" + 15" & 17" with slight form factor differences.

[JackEtc]

Did you not read the article? http://www.geforce.com/hardware/note...eforce-gt-650m

Read the article on The Verge on my phone, didn't see this. Thanks for pointing it out to me, makes me feel way better.

[giga]

I gave up buying a newer router after my Dlink 655 because my desktop, which I tried two different wireless n usb adapters and one pci card on, could not get full signal strength for some reason when the distance between the router and the wireless adapter is only like 3 meters apart.

Yeah, that router is 2.4 only. You definitely need a 5 ghz router to avoid interference in crowded places like an apartment.

Something like this would be fine: http://www.amazon.com/Refurbished-Ci...zg_bs_300189_9

[Zefah]

I sure as hell hope this happens in the MacBook Air. Then again, if the MBP goes ultra-thin, I wonder if it will just replace the Air.

Either way, once this refresh comes out, I'm getting a new MacBook.

[TUSR]

I sure as hell hope this happens in the MacBook Air. Then again, if the MBP goes ultra-thin, I wonder if it will just replace the Air. Either way, once this refresh comes out, I'm getting a new MacBook.

??? A few of these design changes come from the Air.

[Cheebo]

hmm I guess this means no iPhone 5 in the summer. i wasnt getting my hopes up anyway but no way would they release ipad 3, new mbps and iphone 5 so close to each other

The next iPhone was always going to be october

[Zefah]

??? A few of these design changes come from the Air.

Surely the Air will have Ivy Bridge and USB 3.0, but I specifically want the higher resolution display.

[rhfb]

Only thing that I'd be kinda sad about is the loss of an Ethernet port. Apple has a patent for a collapsible Ethernet port right?

[Nerfgun]

Unless you cover smallish and/or usually tech related events, wireless connections tend to go down the shitter as soon as journalists start clogging the air-pipes. Nobody in his right mind would ever dare to cover a big fashion, auto or even political event without an ethernet port. The Geneva Auto Show (Europe's most reputed and otherwise excellent car related event) is a prime example of this. Edit: And WiFi connections are terribad in a good number of hotels at both sides of the pond. Like, hilariously inadequate.

the smart thing to use in this scenario is neither Ethernet nor wifi; a 4G dongle or portable 4G hotspot would be.

[TUSR]

Only thing that I'd be kinda sad about is the loss of an Ethernet port. Apple has a patent for a collapsible Ethernet port right?

http://store.apple.com/ca/product/MC...ode=MTY1NDEyMQ

And for the sake of it, the optical drive replacement

http://store.apple.com/ca/product/MC...ode=MTY1NDA2Nw

[AdrianWerner]

I'm a "press/media type", and I can't remember the last time Ethernet was "paramount".

I'm press too and it was a life saver during gamescom :) That said, adapter is so petite it's not a big inconvienience

[Kung Fu Jedi]

the smart thing to use in this scenario is neither Ethernet nor wifi; a 4G dongle or portable 4G hotspot would be.

That's what I do as well. Works great.

I'm press too and it was a life saver during gamescom :) That said, adapter is so petite it's not a big inconvienience

Exactly what I said about the adapter earlier in this thread. I have one for my Air and use it from time to time. It's so small and light I don't even remember its there until I need it. I have no issues with using a dongle, other than it takes up one of the few USB ports on my laptop. l

[Izick]

What would this likely cost?