Long time rumored 15.4" Macbook

http://www.digitimes.com/Backgrounders/ArtReview.asp?datePublish=2007/02/15&pages=PD&seq=210

Oh pls pls pls be it true... at least i hope that it would be more affordable than the MBP, but still have a dedicated GPU in it...

 

I would expect it to be nothing more than a 15.4" version of the current MacBook. As in no extra features aside from screen and maybe a faster base processor.

 

I'd expect a low-end discrete video card too.

 

I wouldn't count on it. It will probably have the new Intel integrated solution with santa rosa.

 

Gr... I wish they would have had this when I bought my MBP.
I really wanted a 15.4" with basically no video card. Sure, I like to game, but battery life is more important, but I still need screen real estate.

I wonder what the price will be. Since it is cheaper to produce a 15.4 than a 13", I wonder if they will price it the same as the MB or just a bit higher.

 

You know what would be the coolest idea ever? If Apple had the macbook pro line in the ipod colors....that would be sooo cool. It's a very nice gimmick and since the ipod and the macbook pro are made of the same material for the outer shell, it's not that hard to pull off....I would have gotten a green one to match my ipod but no they don't have it lol

 

Cool timing!

Right about the time I'm seriously considering switching to Apple for my next notebook...

 

Personally I think the MacBook's existing form factor is perfect. I briefly owned a 15.4" T60 WS, and it felt like a bit of a behemoth to me (and that is one of the lightest, most compact 15.4" machines available). To each his own, though.

My guess is the 15.4" will be $100 - 200 more than the 13", even if it costs less to produce. Most consumers assume a larger screen will cost them more, and are willing to pay.

 

I don't really know why people would want a 15.4" Macbook unless it's a lot cheaper than the pro.

I personally bought my Macbook because it was nice and portable. My 15.4" Acer is pretty big and I can't carry it between classes under my arm.

 

I'd personally rather have a 14" MacBook. Especially if it was made by Asustek. A dedicated GPU would be nice too, even if it were just like a 7400/x1400. Somehow however, I don't see it happening. I'll keep a lookout for some future MacBooks though; I think I'd like to finally become a Mac user sometime this year.

 

I would be tempted to purchase one if it did come with a decent dedicated GPU say a Nvidia 73/400?

 

I'd be very surprised to see dedicated graphics or a higher resolution display on the rumored 15.4" Macbook. I'm guessing that it will be aimed at entry level/first timer buyers who think the 13.3" model is too small...

Anything more powerful would steal sales away from the more profitable Macbook Pro.

 

A 15" MacBook makes no sense to me. I feel Apple should of came up with a new case all together for there Pro line and the option to get a 15.4 with an intel graphics card. It's the 12" Pro that I'm anticipating!

 

ah they should update my 1st generation mbp for a faster GPU and better ventilation instead

 

Personally, I wish Apple with introduce a 14" MBP since I think that's the perfect form factor. The differentiation can then be 12", 14", and 17" for MBP and 13.3" and 15.4" for MB. It seems like a clean product line to me with little overlap. The 12" MBP and 15.4" MB can share a low end X1300 level GPU since it's power efficient for the 12" MBP and cheap for the 15.4" MB. The 14" MBP and 17" MBP can share a X1600 level GPU with the 17" clocked higher and with more memory (hopefully with the 14" getting at least 256MB this time). While the 13.3" MB stays with the GMA X3000 IGP.

 

Makes no sense? Sales figures across all manufacturers inidicate that the 15.4" mainstream/desktop replacement is one of the the most popular sizes. I'm sure Apple would love to get a piece of that market.

As to a new chassis for the MBP, I also disagree... at least as far as wholesale changes go. The MBP, and the Powerbook before it, is instantly recognisable and is considered by many to be a design classic. Why else do you see them constantly in television programs? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I'll go with you on the 12" MBP though. Many of my colleagues own the 12" Powerbook for working in the field, and those who haven't compromised on the Macbook are lamenting the absence of a 12" MBP.

 

I also agree that a Chassis redesign of the MBP is not in order. I personally love the look of it. Macs sell on form factor and appearance. Finding a 1" thick 15.4" laptop with a Core 2 Duo and an x1600 is near impossible, if not impossible. That's a huge selling point that draw many people to the Macs.

Having said that, that form factor is what's limiting Macs from becoming gaming machines, because those thin pieces of hardware do not provide for sufficient ventilation and room for a high end graphics card or even a low end in a small (i.e. 12") laptop. I think if they want to start appealing to gamers, they'll have to come out with a different laptop line, and it's not going to be able to keep the current form factor that Apple is used to.

 

Yeah redesigning the macbook pro series is going to do absolutely nothing. If Apple kept the same design for 6-7 years, and sales of powerbooks/macbook pros hasn't suffered, they must be doing something right.

 

If Apple brought out a 12.1" WXGA with a GF 128MB 7300Go, I'd pay $2500 for it.

 

I don't think a 15.4" MB will materialize.

 

I don't know if I'd pay that much for it. I don't need a thin-and-light that badly. At $2500, I'd rather just go with 15" MBP. But that's me. Dell's XPS M1210 shows clearly that people would flock to something like this in droves, and I could see it becoming a huge seller.

 

I completely agree. When I heard about Apple moving to LED displays for future MBPs I felt that was great, but I'm praying that Apple isn't using the LED displays to just make a thinner design. While "less than 1-inch" might have marketing appeal, quite frankly 1-inch is more than thin enough. Any less and the MBP will begin looking disproportionate. I'm hoping they keep the 1" form factor and use the extra space from the LED display into making the main chassis a bit thicker. It might only be a few mm, but at least they'll be able to use a slim-DVD driver instead of the super-slim for the 15.4" models in order to bring back 8x DVD write speed. It'll probably also be easier to find Blu-ray drives in a slim form factor rather than a super-slim. The extra vertical space can also be used for a slightly taller battery, beefier heat sinks, and more separation between components to reduce positive heat feedback.

It's an interesting observation, but I was looking at my friend's Powerbook and noticed that it had some ventilation slits on either side of the chassis close to the front edge. This seems to be where the HDD and DVD drive is located. I wonder why Apple removed those slits from the MBP since they would increase air intake and directly cool the HDD and ODD. Maybe they felt they were sucking in debris, but if there was dust and stuff in the air you would be sucking it in anyways, especially if higher temperatures forces the fan speed to increase.