New MacBook Pro adds power, graphics might

lame.. still can't get more than 1400 x 900 resolution... lame.

These macbook pro's are absolute powerhouses. Apple should do a hard rock commercial with these things in them. Couldn't be happier that they have the express card slot as well.

doyleclark.com

This is how I feel about this release...

Pros-
- GPU
- SSD
- New case strength (supposedly)
- More environmentally friendly (supposedly)
- Brighter Display
- The weight is only slightly better, but it's better.

Cons-
- No option for matte display
- New Design
- No BluRay (not even the option, without using FastMac drives)
- No more RAM
- Only 1 FW800 port
- No FW400 (WTF, are you kidding me, how do you connect any tape
deck?! Don't get me wrong, I love FW800, but some products don't
support it, so there's an adapter you have to carry around with you.)
- MiniDVI means one extra adapter you have to carry around with you.

Basically, Apple has compromised again. Apple has disappointing me
with it's product intros for the past three years... and I'm a loyal
customer. The only major revision that the MBP has gotten in since
switch to intel was the intro of core duo, and the addition of one
extra Gig in the RAM department. I am definitely not impressed with
this introduction. How can Apple be a BluRay supporter with no
products that support BluRay?

Hmm.

Was looking to replace my G5 MacPro PowerPC with the 'new' 17". Guess I'll wait and see what they do. At the moment the 17" on offer is a dud.

I need that screen real estate (InDesign mainly) - and whilst I could mirror/dual in the home studio visiting clients with work was a bonus the 15" doesn't offer. Will go look at the 15" in store and ponder my next move. Oh, and glossy only sucks big time. Horrid for colours in pre-press.

It feels like the MBP is now useless. $700 more dollars for what? 2 more inches on the display, a 9600M GT (not much better than the 8600M) and a firewire port? It's a joke.

The $1299 Macbook looks very, very attractive now.

I do like the design and that now you can change the HDD easier, but no matte option, and you have to pay $100 to use a 30" display?
You pay over $2000 for a laptop that is able to drive a 30" display, and have to pay extra for the cable?
That is unacceptable, they should at least include these cables on the Macbook PRO.
I just hope that my 2 year old Macbook Pro will last a couple more years of punishment until Intel releases the Haswell Architecture which uses less power than Nehalem and Sandy Bridge.

AND they removed Firewire from the Macbooks, now we won't have Target Disk Mode on the Macbook, and if you don't have a video camera that uses USB you're sol (On the "non Pro" Macbook)

Does anyone know if the Intel chip is the newest ones available from them? I think it's the Centrino 2? From what I read in the tech specs, it appears to be.

I'm excited about the graphics cards, ease of access for hard drive, and the cosmetic upgrades. I'm disappointed by the glossy screen, display port that seems to be a ploy to get us to buy an Apple display, and lack of Firewire 400. I'm also disappointed they still haven't upgraded the speed much. For $2,000, a 3.0 Ghz laptop isn't too much to ask.

I'm interested in finding out how easy it is to switch from one graphics card to the other. Is it in the system preferences? Is a restart required? I'd assume so.

What a disaster. Only glossy displays? No way the new MBP will work for me on a stage with all the lights glaring. No FW400? So, how will everyone with FW400 audio interfaces, DV cams etc use these? (Maybe it's possible on the MBP with a FW400 to FW800 cable, I don't know but seriously... just let us use any goddamn off-the-shelf regular cable!). Also of course possible with an FW400 expresscard, but that should NOT be necessarly IMO.

I really can't understand what they're doing. Completely removing FW capabilities from the MB? Great, just great... a lot of mobile audio solutions just went up in smoke. Not to mention how happy all graphic designers/photographers will be over no more matte displays even on the MBP. I thought they cared at least a little bit about their creative professionals, but NOOOO.

Nice... But I prefer the MB for its 13.3" inch display......