[rhfb]

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

I know they make dongles. A collapsible Ethernet port would be the same height as a USB port when not in use, only expanding when in use to the height of the cable. Apple had a patent for it I'm almost positive.

Don't see the need for the optical drive, but I've missed having an ethernet port quite a bit recently having to configure my router while the wireless was acting up. Lucky for me I still have my POS EEEPC and that has an ethernet port :p

edit: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3892 Found it.

[Nibel]

This could be my first MBP. I'm excited to see what Apple will show to us.

[AdrianWerner]

Except MacBook Pro's aren't thick or heavy anymore. Optical media is basically dead, Floppy would still be a choice as well. You can't have super slim light weight design and ethernet ports and the like.

I'm sure if it's true for Macbooks, but with PC laptops optical drivers are great for choice, because even if you wont use them you can take them out and fill that space with additional battery or HD.
Also... is thiness really worth loosing ports? Thiness doesn't do much to improve mobility, not with differences as small as those. Weight has an effect on mobility, but you can have similiar light weight in slightly thicker form factor.

Is the loss of usability (less ports, lower keyboard keys jumps) worth it just to get insane thiness that's bassicaly for vanity purposes only?

[Raistlin]

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?

All things being equal, if you weren't using your optical drive previously it will be worse. How it turns out matters whether the new CPU/GPU's and an assumed bigger battery are enough to compensate.

I'm more curious whether this will have heat issues.

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.

Yeah I should have said traditional office duties, as it implies conventional stuff like working with docs, etc. Obviously MBP's are used for some of the things you're talking about though, so we're still not there with the Air line.

My point/question still stands though. Long term, what is gonna differentiate Pros from the non-pros? I'm curious whether they'll just move to one laptop line?

[TUSR]

All things being equal, if you weren't using your optical drive previously it will be worse (look at iPad). How it turns out matters whether the new CPU/GPU's and an assumed bigger battery are enough to compensate. I'm more curious whether this will have heat issues.

The processor and the GPU die sizes have shrunk, they consume less power (less heat generation) while being more powerful.

[Raistlin]

The processor and the GPU die sizes have shrunk, they consume less power (less heat generation) while being more powerful.

I know, and said as much. The question is whether that will be enough to compensate.


The new iPad is using a smaller die size ... and it has heat and battery issues.

[TUSR]

The same is true with the new iPad ... and it has heat and battery issues.

The reason there is a problem with the new iPad is because the IGZO displays were not ready to be mass produced for the retina quality displays. The heat issue stems from the difficulty in passing light through such a dense screen and its components. Thus the larger battery and the heat issue coming from the increased light output of the panel.

There is enough time to put out the IGZO displays into the new MBP line up.

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/04/13/...igzo-displays/

[numble]

All things being equal, if you weren't using your optical drive previously it will be worse (look at iPad). How it turns out matters whether the new CPU/GPU's and an assumed bigger battery are enough to compensate.

All things are not equal. The CPU will have a die shrink and there would be a larger batter where the optical drive previously took up room.

I know, and said as much. The question is whether that will be enough to compensate. The new iPad is using a smaller die size ... and it has heat and battery issues.

The new iPad is not using a smaller die size. The new iPad 2 is using a smaller die size that gives it 2 hours better battery life.

[Sanjuro]

They aren't discontinuing the MacBook Air SuperDrive (which will be rebranded) or the USB Ethernet Adapter.

Old grumps will have options.

[JackEtc]

What would this likely cost?

Hopefully the same price, that's what Apple always does. Really hoping it stays the same even with the new design.

[Goldrusher]

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

lol

They aren't discontinuing the MacBook Air SuperDrive (which will be rebranded) or the USB Ethernet Adapter. Old grumps will have options.

Then it's not much of a laptop anymore, if you have to carry around all kinds of peripherals.

Customers had a choice before, they won't have a choice anymore.

What's next, no more Mac Pro, only Mac mini ?

[Bboy AJ]

No 11", no care.

[Funky Papa]

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

4G is not yet deployed in Europe and 3G reception can be sketchy. Also, data fees are BRUTAL (and pray you don't have to use roaming). I'm not a journo, but I have to work with them and I feel their pain (specially when it comes to hotel connections).

That said, 9to5 rumors veer on the lol side, so...

Disclaimer: I'm actually a Windows user, but I'm contemplating a MBP (with Windows 7) because I really like the Air's build and feel.

[Totakeke]

First commercially available 802.11ac router. If Apple has to ditch ethernet, then it should have 802.11ac.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/14/30...-release-price

[catfish]

It's too soon to remove an ethernet jack. All new MBP's would have to come with a USB adapter...

yep booooo on this. I would like it if it had a docking station to a monitor at home I guess, but do mac even do those?

[pxleyes]

lol Then it's not much of a laptop anymore, if you have to carry around all kinds of peripherals. Customers had a choice before, they won't have a choice anymore. What's next, no more Mac Pro, only Mac mini ?

Close. The Mac Pro is probably going to die out rather soon, but the iMac has taken its place the go-to desktop, even for creative types.

[opticalmace]

No ethernet port would be fine with me. We routinely pull 1MB/s+ over our home wifi, that's good enough for us.

edit: and how much are usb/ethernet adapters? can they do gigabit?

[Vilix]

Very intersting rumor, how reliable is 9to5mac?

Not very. I can assure you. How reliable is my assurance? Not very I can assure you.

[Kung Fu Jedi]

GeekBench is reporting that Ivy Bridge MacBook Pro and iMac numbers are showing up in their benchmarks now as well, so where there is smoke...

[TUSR]

GeekBench is reporting that Ivy Bridge MacBook Pro and iMac numbers are showing up in their benchmarks now as well, so where there is smoke...

You can fudge those tho.

[Kung Fu Jedi]

You can fudge those tho.

You're suggesting that someone is faking Mac benchmarks with a processor set that we all know is coming sooner than later to accomplish what exactly?

And GeekBench has seen new Macs show up in their tests shortly before a new machine is released in the past.

[Lambtron]

Interesting. I'm going back to school in the fall, and I'm considering an MBP. Curious to see prices & actual resolutions. Hopefully that's all soon. I really need a new PC.

[Sanjuro]

Then it's not much of a laptop anymore, if you have to carry around all kinds of peripherals. Customers had a choice before, they won't have a choice anymore. What's next, no more Mac Pro, only Mac mini ?

The Mac mini has been superior to the Mac Pro for a while now.

Apple isn't in the business of sacrificing design for convenience. There are many alternatives to using the SuperDrive (still fairly portable). The USB adapter is very portable.

[Cheebo]

lol Then it's not much of a laptop anymore, if you have to carry around all kinds of peripherals. Customers had a choice before, they won't have a choice anymore. What's next, no more Mac Pro, only Mac mini ?

Mac Pro is basically dead so... Yes?

[sikkinixx]

Is USB 3 setting the world on fire recently? Why would Apple choose NOW to include it, especially when Thunderbolt might finally start getting some devices?

[Snakeyes]

Makes a lot of sense. I agree with those that say Apple will streamline their product offerings even further.

iMac - high end workstation (by Apple standards) with a nice display.

Macbook - The Pro and Air lines will recombine into one notebook with more cues taken from the Air line. People that need more power may need to look into external solutions.

iPad - tablet

iPhone - phone

iTV - TV

This would give them access to every device in the day of an average person. I also think that OSX and iOS will soon merge to have consistency across all lines of Apple products.

[numble]

Is USB 3 setting the world on fire recently? Why would Apple choose NOW to include it, especially when Thunderbolt might finally start getting some devices?

Ivy Bridge includes it.

[rozay]

Lot of people I know that use their laptops for more than web browsing and email are going to be disappointed in the lack of firewire and ethernet. I'm guessing the 17" might still have them, but I'm not entirely sure thunderbolt is ready to replace the former yet for audio interfaces.

Still, interested to see what they can do with retina displays, but I hope they have a good solution for cooling or it's going to be egg frying season all over again.

[Futureman]

Is USB 3 setting the world on fire recently? Why would Apple choose NOW to include it, especially when Thunderbolt might finally start getting some devices?

I would assume that eventually USB 2 hardware won't even be made anymore, and if Apple wants USB drives in their Macs they'll HAVE to include 3.0.

[Xyphie]

Is USB 3 setting the world on fire recently? Why would Apple choose NOW to include it, especially when Thunderbolt might finally start getting some devices?

If they didn't include it they would've intentionally excluded it as 4 USB 3.0 ports are native to the Panther Point chipsets.

No Gigabit Ethernet would be a deal breaker for me if I used a Mac unless they make TB-to-Ethernet adapter, Wireless is just slow as fuck.

[AbsoluteZero]

15" is a bit too big for a notebook, IMHO.

13" is perfect, and 11" I actually prefer because it hits the ultra-portable size at that point.

[Dragon]

If they didn't include it they would've intentionally excluded it as 4 USB 3.0 ports are native to the Panther Point chipsets. No Gigabit Ethernet would be a deal breaker for me if I used a Mac unless they make TB-to-Ethernet adapter, Wireless is just slow as fuck.

You're going to get people to disagree with you, but I agree. The amount of packet loss with wireless makes programming harder than with a direct line. As it is through my VPN for work I still get pausing when lsing a mounted directory with SMB. Absurd.

[Sentry]

Lot of people I know that use their laptops for more than web browsing and email are going to be disappointed in the lack of firewire and ethernet. I'm guessing the 17" might still have them, but I'm not entirely sure thunderbolt is ready to replace the former yet for audio interfaces. Still, interested to see what they can do with retina displays, but I hope they have a good solution for cooling or it's going to be egg frying season all over again.

Don't the make Ethernet adapters? Or is that only Dial-up adapters?

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

It's pretty nice but I think I'll still hold off on this update. The warranty just ran out on my MBP but I don't think I need an upgrade just yet.

[shidoshi]

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.

I can't even think of an event I've been to in the last couple of years were—outside of my hotel—wired internet was offered. It's been wireless, or nothing. I am indeed, however, in the tech/entertainment industry, so that could certainly account for the difference. (I've also not been to Gamescom, so maybe it's a North American thing to only offer WiFi at events?)

Still, if you need it, you carry the adapter. No big deal. If you're already carrying around a laptop, then I can't imagine bitching about having to also carry around a small dongle.

[Dreams-Visions]

All sounds good to me, well except for the 15". My current MBP should still be fine for a few years though, it's only two years old.

Same. I'm good with my 17".

But this resolution move will make me reconsider the 15" size. I look forward to seeing it.

[Raistlin]

All things are not equal. The CPU will have a die shrink and there would be a larger batter where the optical drive previously took up room.

Did you even bother to read the next sentence?

[giga]

Did you even bother to read the next sentence? They're both the same die

No, they're not. The current A5X is 45nm. The A5 in the AppleTV3,1 and iPad2,4 are 32nm.

http://www.chipworks.com/en/technica...rise-surprise/

[Raistlin]

No, they're not. The current A5X is 45nm. The A5 in the AppleTV3,1 and iPad2,4 are 32nm. http://www.chipworks.com/en/technica...rise-surprise/

Ahh thank you.

[Jubern]

I'm moving out of the country in September and decided to buy a 13" MacBook Pro... I hope this model won't be discontinued, or if it is, that the Air 13" price will go lower.

Their 13" MBP has supposedly been their bigger hitter by far, they no way they'd kill the 1200$ price point, right?

[Bel Marduk]

I'm personally looking for a small laptop for school and having a retina display would be all sorts of awesome. But it'll probably cost a fortune like all Apple products... *sigh* A big off topic, But how is the $1000 Macbook Air? I'm thinking of getting it to replace my netbook as my main computer. I've been going netbook-only for a year now and it's driving me insane (constant lag). I'm not sure the Air's 64gb could last me though. I have 16gb of music alone, not to mention how much video I have. Also, how long do you think it'll last me? I hate buying computers so the longer it lasts the better.

I don't know.. if you think you would be fine with the space limitations and the 2gb of ram (which is not upgradeable) I picked the 11inch with the 128gb hd and would never look back. Its a few hundred dollars more but definitely worth it.

[Snakeyes]

On a side note, I can't wait until Apple finds an alternative to glossy screens. An iPad with a Wacom digitizer (or equivalent) would be nice too but that has close to zero chances of happening.

[numble]

Did you even bother to read the next sentence? They're both the same die

Your first sentence is enough to take issue with. My major issue is you bringing up the new iPad several times to indicate that a die size doesn't help battery life much.

They're not the same die

[edgefusion]

As far as I was aware 9to5Mac are a very unreliable site, has this changed recently or is this just a case of getting excited about any kind of Apple news regardless of where it's from?

[rozay]

Don't the make Ethernet adapters? Or is that only Dial-up adapters?

No gigabit on the adapter which kinda sucks.

[Tobor]

As far as I was aware 9to5Mac are a very unreliable site, has this changed recently or is this just a case of getting excited about any kind of Apple news regardless of where it's from?

The big difference here is that practically everything in that article is backed up elsewhere or highly plausible.

[Raistlin]

Your first sentence is enough to take issue with.

No .. it really wasn't. Sorry.

My major issue is you bringing up the new iPad several times to indicate that a die size doesn't help battery life much. They're not the same die

This however was a problem ... which I already admitted.

[giga]

As far as I was aware 9to5Mac are a very unreliable site, has this changed recently or is this just a case of getting excited about any kind of Apple news regardless of where it's from?

They've had some reliable sources in the past.

http://9to5mac.com/2012/03/02/ipad-3...ures-revealed/
http://9to5mac.com/2011/09/26/the-new-iphone/ (got the ram wrong on this one though)

No gigabit on the adapter which kinda sucks.

USB 2.0 limitation. USB 3.0 goes up to 5gbps.

[sangreal]

I'm sure the screen will be amazing (What ever happened to all the high DPI screens that were supposed to come out after longhorn/vista?), but wireless is rarely an option in my line of work (and its out of my control). I guess an adapter isn't the end of the world if it is small enough.

Wouldn't mind for my personal laptop, however

[renitou]

On a side note, I can't wait until Apple finds an alternative to glossy screens. An iPad with a Wacom digitizer (or equivalent) would be nice too but that has close to zero chances of happening.

You can't wait for Apple to invent a magical non-reflective glass?

I have some bad news for you.