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Post by wierdostomps on Oct 14, 2008 18:11:33 GMT
Well, since no one else seems to have started one, I'll start a new thread to discuss early reactions to the new Macbooks Apple announced this evening. After a week of frenzied rumour-mongering, the fanboys are going to be sadly disappointed. I, on the other hand, am rather impressed. The MBP's look like a natural evolution to the current range - although I am a bit concerned that my digital projector is looking like an endangered species - can I connect VGA? I love the look of the new display. I have lusted after a dockable laptop ever since the Duo. I know this isn't a docking station, but it's getting there. $999 looks a pretty inviting price for the white Macbook - although it doesn't tempt me - and I suspect that my wife will be dropping some pretty strong hints about the new aluminium Macbooks around Christmas. I still have my doubts about the Macbook Air - but it seems to be selling well enough. If I were a road warrior, I'd probably be looking at a netbook thingy and for anyone who doesn't spend their life on the road, there seem to be too many compromises.
On the other hand, I've only had my 17" MBP for six months, so I won't be ugrading yet - or probably at all on this refresh cycle, so my opinion doesn't count. What do others think?
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Post by Forum Cat on Oct 14, 2008 18:17:31 GMT
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Post by Forum Cat on Oct 14, 2008 19:53:49 GMT
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Post by uproar13 on Oct 14, 2008 20:32:45 GMT
They look sweet but as I recently purchased an imac 24" there is absolutely no chance of me getting one ;D
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Post by wierdostomps on Oct 14, 2008 20:42:53 GMT
Hmmm - will I be able to connect a now sadly obsolete MBP to the new 24" display? A 'female' DVI to mini dvi connector would be required, but that would also mean that if I buy my beloved a Macbook for Christmas, she'd be able to share the display.
Looks like a trip to the Apple Store is in order.
Is anyone else a bit unsure about the black bevel around the screen?
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Post by Forum Cat on Oct 14, 2008 21:50:14 GMT
Interesting write up and video here. Clicky
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Post by Forum Cat on Oct 14, 2008 23:02:22 GMT
If you have not already seen it the full "keynote' presentation is HEREI was really impressed with how Jonathan Ive came over in the video. He is a man passionate about design if ever I saw one. Cat
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Post by Forum Cat on Oct 16, 2008 9:36:28 GMT
So, what do people think?
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Post by HeatherKay on Oct 16, 2008 10:07:16 GMT
Meh. I'm not in the market. The MacBook Pro I have will see me right for a couple more years. I'm considering a Mac Pro as my next new Mac, because I'm beginning to need the extra horsepower and storage. That said, the new machines are beautiful. I know people are griping about the lack of FW400, but seriously, get a life! Although the lack of any FW connectivity on the MacBook is a serious downer. My only issue would be all the ports down the left side. If you use an Apple mouse (you really have to if you do any serious DTP or illustration work) with the 50cm cable, you're going to find it hard to use if you're a right hander. Mind you, the model I have with ports both sides is a bit of a mess.
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gavin
Senior Member
Posts: 139
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Post by gavin on Oct 16, 2008 10:58:32 GMT
I think they're gorgeous. I'm also glad Apple are addressing graphics performance at last, although I would be interested to see some benchmarks. Steve gave a load of X times faster bar graphs but I would have prefered seeing some absolute values.
I would love to buy one but my laptop is really just travelling web/email/DVD platform so I can't really justify one right now. My trusty 12" Powerbook G4 just keeps on going.
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Post by fullspecwarrior on Oct 16, 2008 11:30:22 GMT
Look lovely. Leaving firewire off the MacBooks is a mistake and an entry price of £949 for the new macbook models is too high. Steve jobs may not have been hit by the global financial crisis but the rest of us have! I'll stick with my white fisher Price macbook for a while yet.
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keith
Senior Member
Posts: 269
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Post by keith on Oct 16, 2008 11:38:34 GMT
I'd love one but I realistically don't have a need for one.
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Post by petermillard on Oct 17, 2008 15:47:41 GMT
Truly beautiful, and if the video's to be believed, incredibly well-engineered. And interestingly, my 3-year-old white MacBook is starting to creak a little (graphically challenged Intel GMA 950) to the extent that it struggles with even simple Sketchup drawings. I know there's been some bleating on other forums about the relatively modest processor speed-bumps, but people seem to have forgotten that these are consumer laptops, where raw processor grunt is arguably less important than zippy graphic performance.
Yes, it would be nice if they were cheaper (and personally I think that keeping a white one in the range is a bit weird) but hey, whatever the purchase price, the cost of ownership is always relatively low.
So anyway, I might well be on for an early Christmas pressy. Or a late one...
Cheers, Pete.
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Post by Forum Cat on Oct 17, 2008 16:28:34 GMT
Peter, I would like to be the first to give you a big welcome to the PCC. I agree the new machines are stunners. I am a little sad that FW has been dropped from the MB though. I have one or two external drives that at FW only. So it makes choosing one just that little bit harder for me. Cat
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Post by petermillard on Oct 17, 2008 18:49:20 GMT
Peter, I would like to be the first to give you a big welcome to the PCC. Why thank you - I'm another MacUser stray in search of a slightly more grown-up Mac forum, and this seems to fit the bill nicely - big thanks to Heather Kay for mentioning it on a MU thread I genuinely don't give a tinkers cuss as to what other people think of my personal choice of computer - it's a tool, just like a drill or a saw and there's plenty of choice for everyone - but the near-constant minging from the "it's just proprietory unix in a pretty box" brigade does get a bit tiresome after a while, and it's not like they didn't have their own forum to compare notes in, after all... Anyway, thanks again for the welcome; promise I'll try and behave Cheers, Pete.
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