Apple Introduces MacBook Pro

[Kent Pribbernow]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/' target='_blank'>http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Apple® today unveiled its new MacBook™ Pro notebook computer featuring the new Intel® Core™ Duo processor which delivers up to four times the performance of the PowerBook® G4. The new MacBook Pro, the first Mac notebook based on an Intel processor, features a stunning aluminum enclosure just one inch thin, weighs only 5.6 pounds, includes a built-in iSight™ video camera for video conferencing on-the-go, and the Apple Remote and Front Row™ software for a simple, intuitive and powerful way for users to enjoy their content wherever they go. The new MacBook Pro, available in February, also features Apple’s new patent-pending MagSafe™ magnetic power connector, designed especially for mobile users. “MacBook Pro delivers dual-processor desktop performance in a thin, sleek notebook,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “The new MacBook Pro, with its Intel Core Duo dual-core processor, delivers the performance of not just one, but two G5 processors in the world’s most stunning one inch thin design.”</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/designtop20060109.jpg" /><br /><br />PowerBook is dead...long live MacBook Pro! Well not quite, despite a new name this is actually the same old PowerBook with some much needed improvements. Like its cousin, the iMac, MacBook Pro also sports the same Intel Core Duo processor under the hood, which Apple claims dramatically boosts performance; more than 4-5 times faster than its predecessor, the G4 PowerBook. I'm not surprised. The G4 was long in the tooth. But I find Apple's battery life spec very vague. How long can this thing go on a single charge? <br /><br />Prices start at $1,999 and available for pre-order on Apple's website.

[Jason Dunn]

Mmm. Dual-core CPUs on a notebook. Gotta' love it! I wonder how those "The G4/G5 is soooooooooo fast!" Mac guys are coping with this. :lol:

[yada88]

That last part you mentioned is intriguing. I'm looking to buy a new lenovo thinkpad w/dual core, and even though the chips were released last week, they only have new model numbers on their site, no product to order. Looking at dell's site I couldn't find a dual core notebook. I feel like intel must have either been keeping things under wraps or had very little intial production. That's the only excuse I can imagine for the lack of orderable products and specifications such as battery life from these three top tier companies.

*update*Did just find one from dell

[entropy1980]

Ordered mine the minute the store was back up got the 1.83 and so looking forward too it!! Finally I can dual boot Windows and OS X. Yes I can have my cake and eat it too!!! 8)

[Jason Dunn]

Finally I can dual boot Windows and OS X.

Are you sure that's going to work? Has anyone accomplished this with production-level hardware?

[entropy1980]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10794396/from/RS.3/
Looks like there should be no problems other than getting drivers which shouldn't be that long until they pop up. :)

[Jason Dunn]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10794396/from/RS.3/
Looks like there should be no problems other than getting drivers which shouldn't be that long until they pop up. :)

Interesting stuff! I wonder though, if the drivers will be a bigger problem that you think. Let's say Apple uses a customized video card, one that they have to write drivers for on the Mac. Will the video card company invest time and money developing drivers for the Windows side of the PC? They don't sell another video card because of it. Heck, they make LESS money off selling that card than at retail. And motherboard/chipset drivers - the Apple stuff - why would Apple release Windows drivers? I'll be interested to see how this plays out. I've always liked the way Apple hardware looked...

[entropy1980]

Interesting stuff! I wonder though, if the drivers will be a bigger problem that you think. Let's say Apple uses a customized video card, one that they have to write drivers for on the Mac. Will the video card company invest time and money developing drivers for the Windows side of the PC? They don't sell another video card because of it. Heck, they make LESS money off selling that card than at retail. And motherboard/chipset drivers - the Apple stuff - why would Apple release Windows drivers? I'll be interested to see how this plays out. I've always liked the way Apple hardware looked...

From my understanding (from others expereince with Dev kits...)the graphic hardware is identical to PC counterparts, in other words all you need is the X1600 driver from any vendor (Dell, Acer etc.) and it should work. More so than dual booting I am hoping for a VMware type app that will just run a virtualized Windows XP/Vista, since no emulation is necessary and with dual core you could essentially assign the virtual windows to one processor and have a full speed Windows envrionment running inside OS X :) Here's to hoping!!

[Kent Pribbernow]

Apple doesn't develop its own components, they are all PC standard. The video card, HD, optical drive, RAM, processor, video card, etc. The only thing that might be unique to Mac is the motherboard, which was designed for Apple by Intel. But even that shouldn't be a problem getting past.

It will be interesting to watch what happens when production units begin arriving in peoples laps. At this point I see nothing that would prevent XP running on MacBooks, but it's going to take a Mac user with a sense of curiosity to prove us right...or wrong.

[Janak Parekh]

Mmm. Dual-core CPUs on a notebook. Gotta' love it! I wonder how those "The G4/G5 is soooooooooo fast!" Mac guys are coping with this. :lol:
That argument was given up quite some time ago. The G4s are long in the tooth, and the 167MHz FSB on the Powerbook G4 has been criticized for a long, long time.

Apple doesn't develop its own components, they are all PC standard. The video card, HD, optical drive, RAM, processor, video card, etc. The only thing that might be unique to Mac is the motherboard, which was designed for Apple by Intel. But even that shouldn't be a problem getting past.
Well, that and the BIOS. I don't think Apple uses the standard PC boot process. As a minimum, I foresee some partitioning and/or bootloader tricks that have to be done to get XP to work.

--janak

[klinux]

Finally I can dual boot Windows and OS X.

Are you sure that's going to work? Has anyone accomplished this with production-level hardware?

MacBook Pro does not use a (conventional) BIOS. Right now the conventional wisdom is that XP 32-bit will not install on Macbook Pro but Vista and XP 64-bit should

[entropy1980]

MacBook Pro does not use a (conventional) BIOS. Right now the conventional wisdom is that XP 32-bit will not install on Macbook Pro but Vista and XP 64-bit should
XP 64-bit can't Core Duo is only 32-bit. You are correct about Vista. The new "bios" as it were is called EFI. There is a slight chance XP will work as there is a legacy mode Intel has put in some boards and unless Apple dropped it there is a chance XP will run.

[klinux]

Yes, you are correct re the 64 vs 32 bit stuff.

I would be interested to see how Yonah/Core Duo handle high definition content (MPEG-2, DivX, WMV, H.264, whatever), however. I want the Mac Mini that has the Core Duo to be my HTPC!

[Phronetix]

Finally I can dual boot Windows and OS X.

Are you sure that's going to work? Has anyone accomplished this with production-level hardware?

FWIW, Phil Schiller, Senior VP Marketing, has been quoted as saying that Apple has no intention of stopping customers from dual booting their systems.

And really, why would they want to stop that?

[Jason Dunn]

FWIW, Phil Schiller, Senior VP Marketing, has been quoted as saying that Apple has no intention of stopping customers from dual booting their systems. And really, why would they want to stop that?

My point was simply that there's a big difference between trying to stop people from doing something, and helping them to do it.

[Phronetix]

FWIW, Phil Schiller, Senior VP Marketing, has been quoted as saying that Apple has no intention of stopping customers from dual booting their systems. And really, why would they want to stop that?

My point was simply that there's a big difference between trying to stop people from doing something, and helping them to do it.

Yeah, you're right. A developer friend of mine in Calgary feels that, with the intel systems, the windows os could be made to operate from within OS X itself without emulation. I haven't the faintest idea about this stuff, but that's what I took from speaking to him. Talking shop with him is like watching hockey on the french CBC... I understand most of it, but the stuff I don't understand has long since sailed over my head before I realize what it was. :wink:

[spaceman]

Adding iSight into MacBook Pro and iMacs is a step backwards for business users. Built-in digital cameras will not be allowed in most corporate environments. Too bad, I was interested in getting a new Intel-based Mac, but no more.