The Mac Observer made an excursion out to one of Apple’s retail locations to shoot the company’s new MacBook Pro models announced Thursday, including some pics of the new Thunderbolt port introduced on the new model.
The new models look very similar to the previous MacBook Pro design, and Apple clearly hasn’t yet decided to begin incorporating everything it introduced in the current MacBook Air into its Pro line. The photo below shows the MacBook Pro 15” model.
The biggest change is incorporating Intel’s new Thunderbolt (code named Light Peak) technology into the device. On the MacBook Pro is uses the same Mini DisplayPort connector Apple uses for its Cinema Displays. In the closeup photo below, the Thunderbolt port is marked with the…errr…thunderbolt symbol.
The laptop also includes two USB ports, a FireWire 800 port, mic-in, audio-out, ethernet, and a SDXC camera card slot, all of which are shown in the photo below.
On the other side is the SuperDrive slot for DVDs and CDs, as shown below.
While it’s not as slick looking as the MacBook Air, it’s still a sexy beast, as demonstrated in the photo below.
The 13” model is very similar, but we grabbed a picture of it, too, which you can see below with the Mac App Store on the screen.
Lastly, we got a photo of MobileMe boxes, which are officially an endangered species.
Jeff Gamet assisted with this article, and by “assisted,” I mean he did all the work and took all the pics, while I simply put the article together.
21 Comments Leave Your Own
I don’t have an Apple store nearby. Would you ask someone there when the first Thunderbolt adapter will be available?
Thanks.
I’m not worried about the DisplayPort video adapters, just something that will connect to a peripheral.
No price changes?
Well, since it has USB2 & FW800 ports, there’s no rush on that for anything but USB3.
I wonder how soon we will see a Mac without USB or FireWire ports. The MBA already doesn’t have FireWire.
I’ll be looking for (and waiting for) an ESATA to Thunderbolt Adapter, especially since these Macs only have a SD slot again (not useful for me with Olympus camera card), instead of an Express PCI slot.
Is that possible—to make the conversion from ESATA to Thunderbolt?? I hope so as all my HDs have ESATA ports.
Are we still talking only glare screens and glare glass!
Or is there a matte display system option from Apple?
Anybody know?
As much as I want to buy another Apple Mac, I’m not going to look at/through glare all day and give myself that much eye-strain! There was a time when Apple started to care about physical ergonomics. Then Apple put higher priority on (1) profit margins and (2) supposed environmental “green” at the expense of our personal health and comfort.
Guess I’ll probably have to wait to see what options and resultant pricing with an external add-on matte screen.
I ordered my MBP with the matte display, my wife’s is the gloss. Mine is easier to read outdoors during daylight and in brightly lit rooms, but hers is fine under most conditions. In all seriousness, I will think twice about getting the matte finish the next time and probably forgo it.
actually it looks like the Thunderbolt port is marked with the…er…Firewire symbol?
No, it is the lightning bolt/electric symbol
“Mine is easier to read outdoors ......and in brightly lit rooms….”
I don’t like to spend all day in dim-lite rooms, so my office has decent lighting sources, including a window. Consequently there is opportunity for glare on the screen, if a glossy screen.
So I’ve been very happy with my matte screen.
If Apple gives me the option, I’ll buy a matte screen system every time. However, there is the issue of glare from BOH the screen and the glass to contend with in Apple’s Mac of the last years.
I haven’t heard that there is any matte option at all in this new model. Shouldn’t good ergonomics be a major design consideration for a product that many people are using ALL DAY LONG! Shame on Apple! Eye-stress is a major concern (people just may not realize its toll).
Fear not. The 15” and 17” still have the anti-glare screen available as an option, though you’ll pay $50 more for it. (and the 15” one is only available in the higher resolution, which is another $100)
No anti-glare for the 13”
That’s excellent news! Thank you for that info. And the price is reasonable.
Too bad that no option for those who’d prefer the 13”.
(I can NOW recommend these Macs for myself and my circle of friends.)
You’ll also have to wait until there are peripherals that can use Thunderbolt. A Thunderbolt to Firewire or USB adapter would be pretty much useless, as the speed would be limited by the Firewire or USB peripheral.
OK, so after reading all the “schtuff” on the web so far, I still can’t tell if Thunderbolt is copper or optical, does anyone know defnitively?
AND….
I’m with PS MacIntosh, I HATE the glossy displays. That’s why, when I needed another computer, I bought a used White iMac 20”.
The Glossy screeen is ok if all you’re going to do is watch video or movies on your Mac, but if you’re going to do real work, the glare issue is a major show stopper.
I hate to say it, but with all the success Apple hgas had in the last 3-5 years, they’re starting to treat us like PC sheep rather than Mac Users. Sorry, just my less han humble opinion.
B
Check the photos above. The MacBook Pros still have the same mini displayport connector that the previous models had. There are only wires, no optical connection.
it is both, see Intel’s info page
Question:
Is Apple the first mass-produced consumer computer out-the-door with Thunderbolt (lightpeak) port??
Thunderbolt is really a BIG DEAL!!! A huge brand new feature! Wow!!!
From what I can tell, you’ll eventually (once the appropriate adapters are made) be able to connect all of your peripherals to your computer through one cable—USB, firewire, ESATA, display formats, etc. Thunderbolt can handle a daisy-chain of many peripherals.
And it runs power as well!?! Wow!
It’s here now. No need to hold off on purchases.
You don’t really have to WAIT.
Thunderbolt will let you use your existing peripherals (most) at the current speed that you are used to. (once the adapters are here)
So if you’re running them on FireWire or USB now, then you’ll get that same speed. That’s OK.
My understanding (not able to cite the reference just now) is that, although it is potentially optical and copper, for now it is copper. Jim Dalrymple was making this point as well on Chuck Joiner’s ‘Mac Notables’ (show #1104) just this week. That copper is still 12X faster than firewire 800. It will get faster still when the surrounding technology can support optical.
@wab96 I stand corrected. Probably by the time I need to replace our brace of MacBook Pros then the models will have optical Thunderbolt.
We’ll have to see about that. The Thunderbolt that Apple is putting out is copper only. The whole LightPeak thing is supposed to run on optical, but my guess is they’re at least 2-3 years away from anything of the sort. If/when optical does happen, you can be assured it will be dramatically faster still… and will use an entirely new plug.
And while I can buy a MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt, I can’t seem to find any place selling a box to plug into it. The sellers offer some vague ship dates (Q2), but no prices.
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