13" Macbook Pro 2010 vs 2011 - your thoughts?

Hi,

I've had a 13" MacBook pro for three months now and I really like it, although the new MBP has just come out and I'm already thinking of taking the newer version! I cant make up my mind, so I thought I'd drop a quick post on here with the pros and cons so you lot could make my mind up for me, here are the key deciding points:

2011
i5 CPU (awesome!)
Intel 3000 graphics (not really an upgrade)
PC1333 RAM (minor upgrade)
ThunderBolt (not sure if I would use it or not)
320GB HDD (70 more than I have now, wouldn't use it)
3 hours LESS battery life (sucks)

So I could go out and buy the new one, and lose out on at least £200 of value on my current one, or I could go out and get some new RAM and an SSD for my current one... decisions decisions!

Also has anyone seen any benchmarks online for the Intel 3000 HD graphics chip? I'd like to know how it performs against the 320m

cheers!
Matt

roastbeeef said:

Hi,

I've had a 13" MacBook pro for three months now and I really like it, although the new MBP has just come out and I'm already thinking of taking the newer version! I cant make up my mind, so I thought I'd drop a quick post on here with the pros and cons so you lot could make my mind up for me, here are the key deciding points:

2011
i5 CPU (awesome!)
Intel 3000 graphics (not really an upgrade)
PC1333 RAM (minor upgrade)
ThunderBolt (not sure if I would use it or not)
320GB HDD (70 more than I have now, wouldn't use it)
3 hours LESS battery life (sucks)

So I could go out and buy the new one, and lose out on at least £200 of value on my current one, or I could go out and get some new RAM and an SSD for my current one... decisions decisions!

Also has anyone seen any benchmarks online for the Intel 3000 HD graphics chip? I'd like to know how it performs against the 320m

cheers!
Matt

Click to expand...

You've already had your current macbook for 3 months so I wouldn't make the switch. The previous generation macbook pros are great machines and if you constantly worry about getting the newest and greatest, then you're honestly never gonna be satisfied.

I've just been out doing some research for the last hour or so and its honestly not really worth the upgrade. The Intel HD 3000 GPU that is integrated into the Sandy Bridge processors actually performs worse than the nvidia 320M GPU. This was the only real upgrade I was looking for, and the lesser graphics card combined with the 3 hour reduction in battery life make it a pointless upgrade really

intel graphics tend to do alright on lower resolutions. Im curious to see what kind of performance drop folks that are hooked up to external monitors will see. I do think at max resolutions that intel graphics will really chug chug chug with HD movies.

if they are advertising 7 hours battery you will likely get 4 and a half to 5.

Not worth upgrading with my usage, I don't do heavy CPU stuff, I've got the 2.66GHz with the 320GB disk anyway. I'll stick with my extra battery life and slightly suburban CPU thanks.

Of course, a fast SSD would be a better upgrade for many people.

The only benchmarks I've seen suggested similar performance between the two GPUs - some games ran better on the Intel, some ran better on the 320M - notebookcheck.net (CMD+F '320M')

I have been following the update eagerly for weeks now, and was also disappointed about the lack of graphics power in the 13". This will be my first mac and I want it to last a long time (3-4 years), so I needed a capable 'all-round' machine.

In the end, I opted to buy the mid 2010 model 2.4G 13" (which was $200 cheaper than it was yesterday ) as it is the better option for myself, sporting the dedicated NVIDIA. A little disappointed, but still happy with the model I bought.

sporting the dedicated NVIDIA

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Sorry, but it's an integrated Nvidia on last years 13"

For a little over $200 at Fry's I upgraded my brand new (as of last week) MBP to 8gb RAM and a 750gb HD. I absolutely love it! This is my first Mac.

@safarisurfer:

if they are advertising 7 hours battery you will likely get 4 and a half to 5

Click to expand...

Note that the battery is exactly the same as last year's model. Apple has just decided to be more realistic about battery life rather than quote some pie in the sky figure. No one got 10 battery life even under ideal conditions.

chscag said:

@safarisurfer:



Note that the battery is exactly the same as last year's model. Apple has just decided to be more realistic about battery life rather than quote some pie in the sky figure. No one got 10 battery life even under ideal conditions.

Click to expand...

no where has apple said that. that is pure speculation.

safarisurfer said:

no where has apple said that. that is pure speculation.

Click to expand...

Well... From Apple:

Apple is using a new, more rigorous battery test that measures the results you can expect in the real world — like surfing your favorite sites in a coffee shop or catching up on the latest web videos. Even using this new test, MacBook Pro delivers amazing battery life. For your real life.

Click to expand...

And

* Built-in 77.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
* 85W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management system
* MagSafe power port

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Both taken from the Apple site. I believe that this is the same battery, and they state that they have changed their testing methods.

As for my input on your decision, if your current MBP suits your needs, then there isn't any reason you should upgrade. Updates to these machines occur roughly one every year give your take a few months, so there's no sense in chasing the next update unless you're a huge fan of having the latest and greatest. While I wouldn't mind it, I just don't have the resources!

i thought i would add my pennys worth and see what you guys think,
i got a brand new mid 2010 macbook pro two weeks ago,
My first Mac from amazon uk i got a really good price £875, i knew the new ones were coming but i thought at that price i couldnt turn it down,thinking the new 2011 MBPs would be the usual £1000 plus but it turns out there at the tempting price of £999 i dont know if i should return the one i bought and get the new one?

What do you guys think?

thanks

no where has apple said that. that is pure speculation.

Click to expand...

You need to check first before replying about pure speculation. What Moss posted and likewise by several others in these forums are stated on the Apple site.

Folks have been all too quick to "put down" the new MBP 13" machines without finding out more about them first. (battery life, graphics capability)

my 2 cents

i was excited and waiting for the new mpb 13 specs and honestly when it was announced i said - NO WAY! i\ll stay away from getting mbp 13" absolutely not worth it! Intel video.... same 5400rpm hdd, and a thunderbolt doesnt makes any sense here. and what about i5, i bet mine c2d 2,66with 8gb ram works nearly the same
so lets wait for just a OSX Lion

I'm with you...

Since I recently got the 24" LED Cinema Display, I've been looking to upgrade from my 2008 MacBook (Aluminum Unibody) for a little more juice...so I waited for these new models to come out and, honestly, I'm less than impressed. This is mostly because it's a personal computer so I'm not looking to pay upwards of $1,500 and the 13" models weren't significantly upgraded in my opinion.

Basically, my solution was to purchase the Apple Refurbished MacBook Pro from the last generation. I'm getting a slightly less powerful processor, smaller hard drive (wouldn't have used it), the same RAM, and a better graphics chip (huge plus) for only $929 compared to $1,199 for the new model.

I'd also like to point out that the battery life hasn't ACTUALLY changed since the last generation...just the way Apple tests them. Unfortunately, they haven't updated the battery life specs on the page for the refurbished models so they're not doing their best to make it easily dissected information!

The man in brown should be dropping my MBP 13 i7 off tomorrow. I'm replacing my 2010 MBP 2.4. Looks like the CPU benchmarks puts the 2011 version at almost twice the speed of the 2010 models. That was my whole reason for upgrading.

Can anyone confirm the comment above my comment?
Is the i5 really performing nearly 2x as fast as the c2d with 2.4ghz and 320m?