Official: Apple's MacBook and MacBook Pro quietly updated

[Geeky1]

True. It adds hardware T&L, if nothing else, which is something that NO gpu (integrated or otherwise) should be missing in 2007.

 

[nZa]

What game now?

I'm pretty into video games, and I have no idea what game he's speaking of. :shrug:

 

[MacQ]

Are they now using the T7250 or T7300 in the Macbooks?

 

[Thundermoon1994]

A little confused here... having 144MB of shared RAM for video, does that make it potentially faster at graphics than my MBP that has 128MB of dedicated VRAM?

 

[WakeCarver]

A little confused here... having 144MB of shared RAM for video, does that make it potentially faster at graphics than my MBP that has 128MB of dedicated VRAM?

No, with the macbook the graphics are handled by the CPU and the VRAM is shared with system memory. In the MBP you have a dedicated GPU with 128MB dedicated video memory. This is a huge improvement for graphics on the macbook but it does not come close to the performance you can get from a dedicated GPU and dedicated VRAM on the MBP.

 

[Geeky1]

No. Video RAM is not the be all, end all benchmark of graphics performance. It's just one of many variables which have an impact on the performance of the graphics card.

RAM bandwidth, GPU architecture (things like the number of pipelines, supported features like Hardware T&L), and clockspeeds all make a big difference.

For instance, there used to be some Radeon 9600s with 256MB of RAM. Most had 128. So 256 is twice as much. Great. Awesome. Incredible. They weren't any faster in most cases (and sometimes were slower, because the 256MB was clocked lower than the 128MB on some cards), because the 9600 doesn't have enough power to be able to process that much data fast enough to produce a playable frame rate in a game.

 

[Thundermoon1994]

Okay, that makes sense. Thanks!

I didn't think that Apple would release a MacBook that would outperform a concurrent MacBook Pro.

 

[patch5674]

So does anyone think that they will realease a new MBP before chritmas or in january at the latest? because i really want the MBP for the GPU but if the specs stay the same i am not paying £400 more jsut for the GPU and backlit keyboard

 

[laidbackdave]

It is a minor update. Most users will not notice the difference, which is probably why Apple "quietly" updated them. God knows Apple is no stranger to overly hyping a product - when they don't, there's probably a reason for it.

The obvious one is that it looks like its the first speed bump or some sort of upgrade where the cost has actually gone up ?

If apple had actually did the november the first upgrade to include the 200gb hard drive for the same price i might have bought it but to actually increase the price is offering the buyer no incentive at all

I so want to get my first mac but i am really going to try my best and hold on till january and see what that brings to the equation - i think it will be a macpro new design to have penryn and other upgrades and probably a price drop !

I hope it also includes a new macbook pro with new features ie blu ray or at least has a price drop as has happened to all apple ipods imacs and macpro in recent keynotes

 

[cwa107]

The obvious one is that it looks like its the first speed bump or some sort of upgrade where the cost has actually gone up ?

If apple had actually did the november the first upgrade to include the 200gb hard drive for the same price i might have bought it but to actually increase the price is offering the buyer no incentive at all

I so want to get my first mac but i am really going to try my best and hold on till january and see what that brings to the equation - i think it will be a macpro new design to have penryn and other upgrades and probably a price drop !

I hope it also includes a new macbook pro with new features ie blu ray or at least has a price drop as has happened to all apple ipods imacs and macpro in recent keynotes

My friend, if you're always waiting for the next thing in technology, you'll be waiting forever. It's especially hard with Apple because they are so tight-lipped about new product.

Either way, I wouldn't hold your breathe on a price drop - particularly when Macs are currently selling faster than any time in recent history. I'd say a Blue-Ray Superdrive is a fairly safe bet, but my guess is that the next update will be another baby step. Again, your guess is as good as mine...

 

[Thundermoon1994]

So does anyone think that they will realease a new MBP before chritmas or in january at the latest? because i really want the MBP for the GPU but if the specs stay the same i am not paying £400 more jsut for the GPU and backlit keyboard

Don't forget, it's not just the GPU and the backlit keyboard. You also get a bigger, LED-backlit (in the 15.4") screen and the aluminum casing. For me, the reason to get the MacBook Pro came down to the GPU and the 15.4" screen. I think it's very convenient to be able to have two documents completely visible at the same time, without having to shrink them down to the point where you can't read either of them.

 

[patch5674]

Don't forget, it's not just the GPU and the backlit keyboard. You also get a bigger, LED-backlit (in the 15.4") screen and the aluminum casing. For me, the reason to get the MacBook Pro came down to the GPU and the 15.4" screen. I think it's very convenient to be able to have two documents completely visible at the same time, without having to shrink them down to the point where you can't read either of them.

yeah i do really want the MBP because as an entire laptop package it is better than the macbook (obviously) but i am jsut trying to work out weather it is £400 better and i can jsutify the extra outlay.

 

[Thundermoon1994]

Well, that's a personal choice. Not that this will help you any, but fiance has a 2.16 GHz white Macbook and she loves it. I think that the biggest thing is that you DO at least get the Superdrive. Don't get the base model MacBook. Even if you already have a DVD burner, you never know when you'll be on the go and want to burn something.

BTW, when you say there is a £400 difference, which models are you comparing?

 

[patch5674]

Well, that's a personal choice. Not that this will help you any, but fiance has a 2.16 GHz white Macbook and she loves it. I think that the biggest thing is that you DO at least get the Superdrive. Don't get the base model MacBook. Even if you already have a DVD burner, you never know when you'll be on the go and want to burn something.

BTW, when you say there is a £400 difference, which models are you comparing?

I am comparing the macbook white but wiht the HD upgraded to 160GB ot makeit the same as the black macbook comparing that with the basic MBP

Also i read another thread that said how much of a difference the 7200 drive makes over the 5400 and seeing as i am going to keep this computer wiht em in university i want it to be the best i can afford. I can afford ot get a MBP but i was just wondering if it worth the extra cash over the macbook

 

[Thundermoon1994]

If you can afford it, I would say go pro. Just because you may not NEED it now, that doesn't mean that you won't in the future. Also, if you buy the best thing available now, it's more likely, in my opinion, that you will be set for the next four years (not sure how long uni is in England, which I'm guessing is where you are since you said "in university").

 

[patch5674]

Yeah thanks for the advice thundermoon i think thats what i will do because its more likely to be futureproof and also i think i will be needing the dedicated graphics. But one more question whatare your opinions on the 7200 Vs 5400 rpm hard disks? because i dont fancy voiding my warranty installing a HD myself so is the 7200 worth the money because i am trying to work out weather i can stretch to it?

 

[andymac]

bought a blackmacbook on the 27th recieved an email yesterday they are going to upgrade me for free I are quite happy

 

[Geeky1]

I can afford ot get a MBP but i was just wondering if it worth the extra cash over the macbook

You may want to start a separate thread, but it's going to come down to one thing:
What do you intend to use the computer for?

At this point, the MBP has three distinct advantages over the MB:

1. MUCH faster graphics
2. Better screen- the MB has a terribly low resolution screen; one that I, personally, would find unusable. The base MBP isn't much better (and I'd find it unusable too), but it's an improvement. And any improvement is good in this case, at least to me.
3. This is sort of a half-advantage, because you can get upgrade the drive yourself in the MacBook (but not the MBP), but the MBP is offered with a 7.2k drive and the MB is not.

 

[Thundermoon1994]

Patch, I can't give much advice regarding the 7.2K rpm HD. I upgraded to the 160 GB HD, but the 5.4k rpm one. I think that the one I have seems fast, but, of course, it could always be faster. I just didn't want to spend that much on the upgrade, but I did want a bigger HD.

 

[HikaRu1907]

Dammit... I was hoping for a major upgrade...

me too