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TMO at Macworld - One More Thing: Intel MacBook Pro Debuts
by , 2:00 PM EST, January 10th, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO -- Prefacing the announcement with his trademark statement "Oh, there's one more thing," Apple CEO Steve Jobs revealed at the end of his Tuesday Macworld keynote that the PowerBook line is the second Mac to receive Intel Core Duo processors. However, along with the new processor comes a new name: MacBook Pro.
Mr. Jobs said that the MacBook Pro is the fastest laptop ever produced, running four to five times faster than the previous PowerBook G4. It's slimmer than the current 17-inch G4 PowerBook, weighing 5.6 pounds, and it features a 15.4-inch LCD screen that's as bright as an Apple Cinema Display, making it 67% brighter than the one found on the previous model. Like the iMac, it has a built-in iSight camera and an infrared remote port, with Front Row and iLife '06 already loaded on it too, along with Mac OS X v10.4.4.
It has a new ExpressCard slot as well as MagSafe, a new type of power connector that's attached to the computer magnetically, so if someone trips on the cord, it just falls off the computer. Like its predecessor, the MacBook Pro features a scrolling trackpad, an illuminated keyboard and a sudden motion sensor that locks the hard drive if it detects that the computer has been dropped.
The base MacBook Pro, selling for US$1,999, offers a 1.67GHz Intel Core Duo processor, 512MB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 2GB, an 80GB 5400 RPM hard drive, a SuperDrive, a PCI Express-based ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 video card with 128MB Video RAM, a DVI-out port for an external display, built-in Dual Link support for connecting a 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display, two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port and audio line in and audio line out ports.
The high-end MacBook Pro sells for $2,499 and comes with a 1.83GHz processor, along with 1GB of RAM, a 100GB hard drive and 256MB of Video RAM.
Apple will ship the new MacBook next month but is taking orders for it now.
Observer Comments
I guess the "notebook family" concept didn't work as well as expected. The only avaiable size for the MacBook Pro ( doesn't sound as good a PowerBook, if you ask me ) is 15 inches. No more 17 inch and 12 inch. Quite a shame, really. As for the modem, it was quite clear that Apple has been phasing them out of the line for quite some time already.
Tue Jan 10, 2006 3:46 pm Subject: FireWire 800 is gone
Tue Jan 10, 2006 4:09 pm Subject: Shorten it
Tue Jan 10, 2006 4:13 pm Subject: Just dreaming
They have never, in my knowledge, have offered an upgrade for sales more than a few days prior. I too had recently bought a 20" iMac and now have chip envy. Well the good news for me is that I didn't recently purchase a PowerBook/iBook and was planning on replacing my 5 year old one this year
QuoteGuest wrote:
Okay, I was well excited about the possiblity of Apples new intel powerbooks as I have been a fan and owner for few years now but after seeing what they have come out with I am only left feeling cheated. I bought my recent powerbook about 9 months ago and have been happy with it, although since announcing the switch I always new I would buy one of the newer machines - until I saw the price. I am sure there will be other intel notebook producers offering similar (windows) hardware for a much cheaper price within weeks. And its not as if I could get a decent price for selling my existing hardware. Will Apple see sense and offer an upgrade path I wonder or am I just dreaming?
Well. It would just be logical that Apple follows the same procedure as they did with the original PowerBook G4: 15" model first, then the others. I suppose we may even expect a 20" model or something like that in the coming months... 
. The only problem with the 20-incher would be that it would't be as portable as most would like (even the 17 inch is rather bulky). It would serve more as a desktop computer that could be taken on the road if the need arises. On the upgrade side, I'm still very happy with my beige G3.
QuoteAnonymous wrote:Quotemacinnerd wrote:
I guess the "notebook family" concept didn't work as well as expected. The only avaiable size for the MacBook Pro ( doesn't sound as good a PowerBook, if you ask me ) is 15 inches. No more 17 inch and 12 inch.
It's sad. After all, it's not *possible* that Apple might announce other MacBook models in the coming months.
*snif* The end to an era....
Ha. Sarcasm. Well, my quoted comment was besed on immediate observations. Of course it would be possible for Apple to release smaller and larger sizes over time.
Just received order confirmation for the MacPro w/1Gig Ram, 100 GB 7200 RPM storage. I can't wait to get my hands on that new baby!
With some of the bitching and moaning going on by some so-called Mac lovers, one would think Apple has gone backwards.
If you don't like what Apple is doing, go someplace else. Just think about where you have to go?
Tue Jan 10, 2006 4:35 pm Subject: Mostly hits the spot
Well, the Power name came way before the PowerPC chips were used in macs. The first PowerBook was the 100, introduced in 1991, running off a Motorola 68000 processor. So the processor change would not really be an excuse for dropping the Power name. Maybe it was just getting too old... 
QuoteAnonymous wrote:
If I were in the market for a new PB today I'm not sure I'd jump on the MacBook so readily. I don't see the price as worth it with the loss of FW800 and a $500 uplift for 160Mhz of CPU. As for the name, onboard iSight and IR remote...just lame.
Don't forget that the new PowerBook will be running a dual-core chip, which should significantly boost performances. Though maybe not quite as much as the "four times faster than the PowerBook G4" that Apple claims. Apple tends to exagerate things a bit sometimes. Like the 5.5 hours promised for the PowerBook G4. 2.5 was closer to the count. But you're right about the name, it is lame.
Tue Jan 10, 2006 5:56 pm Subject: MacBook Pro a disappointment
While the MacBook Pro has "pro" in the name, I wonder if Apple designed it with the professional in mindl? If the iBook is gone, then are we stuck with an iBook/PowerBook hybrid? If so, that may mean compromises in the design/quality.
Why include iSight? Is this something that a professional will use often? Perhaps, if he/she is using iChat with other professionals in the creative process. Still, including the iSight seems to appeal to the "consumer" user rather than the "pro."
Ditto for Front Row. Perhaps it may be useful for the designer/photographer who wishes to present a slide show to a client. But then again, how many professionals use iPhoto? Not me. Front Row is another "consumer" feature.
What is this Express Card/34? I use a PC Card Adapter to download photos from my Microdrives and Compact Flash Cards. Now what? Is the Express Card/34 compatible, or am I going to have to use a card reader with the MacBook Pro?
No FireWire 800? That is a major disappointment. Again, Apple is abandoning the professional user here. Thankfully, most storage devices that have FW800 also have FW400 and USB 2.0 ports. Still, it makes no sense to abandon FW800! Come on, Apple? Stop thinking like Microsoft!
No modem? Not a deal-breaker, but once in a while I have to fax something (today as a matter of fact). I guess the new modem will plug into the Express Card/34 slot??
Is a 67% brighter LCD screen such a good thing? Print production houses don't recommend using LCD screens because image files displayed on LCDs typically print darker than they appear on screen. Apple is "promising blacker black, whiter whites, and many more colors in between" with the new screens. The question remains, how will they work for the design/photography professional who needs precise color matching?
Finally, will the new Intel Macs be compatible with the software I have or must I either get upgrades to my old software or purchase new? Remember, we've got another new OS coming soon, so how many times will we be forced to purchase all new software? Rosetta is supposed to handle this?
It will be interesting to hear how the new MacBook Pro (what a dumb name) will be received by the professional community. So far, I'm not impressed.
[quote="Guest"]
QuoteTomas1119 wrote:
Good luck with that. Being a member of the "buy anything Steve introduces 15 minutes after he introduces it" club gets expensive though doesn't it?
If I were in the market for a new PB today I'm not sure I'd jump on the MacBook so readily. I don't see the price as worth it with the loss of FW800 and a $500 uplift for 160Mhz of CPU. As for the name, onboard iSight and IR remote...just lame.
Considering that you don't know Tomas1119's situation, why do you make fun of him (assuming that Tomas1119 is male)? Perhaps he needed a new laptop and was waiting to see what would happen. Maybe he hasn't bought a new one in several years.
The $500 extra buys a bit more than 160 mHz in the CPU. It includes another 512 MB RAM, 100 GB vs 80 GB HD, and double (256 MB vs 128 MB) VRAM. It sometimes helps to actually read the specs before commenting on them. I know several people who use an iSight with their PowerBooks to connect to business colleagues and, as one said, MUCH more important, to talk with his kids while she's travelling. She takes digital photos of her trip and sends small versions with iChat AV. Best of all, with a hotel broadband connection, it costs NOTHNG. The point is, don't make fun of what some other people will find useful. Remember that they might consider some things you really want/like as "double-super lame."
Tue Jan 10, 2006 7:04 pm Subject: FW800 omission not that important
Quotedavebarnes wrote:
A shame that there is no FireWire 800 on this new MacBook. With only an 80 GB internal drive, FW800 external is very useful.
It would be nice, but not many devices have been made for FW800, especially portable devices. Question: which camcorder(s) can use FW800? Transferring video from a camcorder to iMovie might be the single biggest impact of FW800, but you're limited by the camcorder. Right now, you can drive the fastest CD-RW and DVD-R drives with FW400 without slowing them down. Consider that Windows laptops often don't have ANY FireWire ability at all.
Tue Jan 10, 2006 8:21 pm Subject: I'll speak as a Pro
MJK, it sounds like maybe the Macbook won't meet your needs as a pro. However, it certainly looks like it will meet mine. I use videoconferencing at work on my Mac fairly regularly, so the built-in camera would be very useful. I do presentations with my Mac at work all the time, so the infra-red remote and Front Row will be very helpful. (I use DVDs during some presentations.) If you don't like the nice, new LCD screen, use the video out to hook to the monitor of your choice. (Are you suggesting that Apple use CRTs rather than LCDs for their portables, or that Apple try to develop an LCD screen more suited to pre-press? The former is silly, of course, and as to the latter, I'd suggest looking at the screen before complaining.) I would love a brighter screen for my poor ol' fifty-year-old eyes. At work.
Firewire 800 didn't catch on. It's dead. Life moves on.
All things considered, it does indeed look "pro" to me. Bundling in consumer functionality on top of it just makes it that much more appealing to people who use their computers in both places (funny, being a portable and all, that would seem kind of obvious) or for pro-sumers that want the convenience of a portable home computer with lots of oomph.
Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:23 pm Subject: Clueless lot aren't you?
1 Apple dropped the "power" in powerbook as the Power PC chip from Motorola and IBM is no longer inside this notebook computer so Powerbook would not be appropriate.
2 When Apple introed the G4 Powerbook there was only the 15" size. Then the 17" and 12" came later. It will happen again count on it.
I wonder if they will keep the iBook name. I guess since they still use iMac..
Wed Jan 11, 2006 1:02 am Subject: re: clueless lot aren't you?
Quotegriffon wrote:
I wonder if they will keep the iBook name. I guess since they still use iMac..
I doubt they'll stick with iBook. Steve mentioned two reasons for dropping the PowerBook name: To get rid of "Power" and to include "Mac". iMac already includes "Mac," so it didn't need to be changed. iBook does not, so I expect it to be MacBook (sans "Pro").
Still, MacBook Pro is a lame name. PowerBook is a strong brand, and most people probably don't think about "PowerPC" when they hear the name. But, perhaps this will do something to increase the awareness of the Mac brand. We shall see.