Apple refreshed its MacBook and MacBook Pro product lines last week. I was hoping for more significant improvements, but the changes were minimal.
Apple's MacBook Pro
(Credit: Courtesy of Apple)The updated models come with new Intel processors, larger hard disks, more main memory, and more graphics memory.
The new Penryn processor was expected to improve battery life, but I noticed something when I compared the specs for the old MacBook Pro to those of the new model. The new machine's stated battery life has dropped from six hours to just five. However, Apple now refers to five hours of "wireless productivity," whereas the old machine didn't use that qualifier. This suggests to me that Apple is now rating battery life with wireless networking enabled, and may have been doing the measurements with Wi-Fi off on the older machines. If that's what happened, Apple should explain it; without the explanation, the apparent drop in battery life is disappointing.
Well, these machines are just a midlife kicker. The real advance will show up later this year when Apple ships machines based on Intel's forthcoming Montevina platform, which includes the same Penryn processors but introduces a new family of chipsets code-named Cantiga.
Apple will presumably add other new features along with Montevina. I have no idea what Apple is working on, but we can look at other PC notebooks on the market today to see what technology Apple might consider adopting:
- Extreme Edition processors
- Support for more than 4GB of DRAM--Mac OS X "Leopard" is a full 64-bit OS and 4GB isn't really enough any more, especially if you use a virtualization environment such as Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion to run Windows apps within Mac OS X
- Integrated WWAN--I use an Option ExpressCard 3G adapter for the AT&T network, but I'd rather have this function built in to free up the slot
- Blu-ray optical drives--I expected to see this feature last year!
- A secondary solid-state hard disk--I suggested this feature in a blog post last June, and now Sony has it in its Vaio TZ92 notebook
- Intel HD audio
- Nvidia's GeForce 8800M GTS and GTX graphics chips
- Hybrid graphics--the ability to use a discrete graphics chip for high performance or the simpler graphics engine in the chipset for longer battery life; Sony offers this feature too
- A fingerprint reader--Apple's systems are already more secure than most Windows machines, but a fingerprint reader would be a useful complement to existing security measures
- Tablet mode--maybe not on all machines, but it'd sure be nice to see a tablet-capable MacBook
Apple has often been ahead of the competition. Earlier PowerBook and MacBook models were among the first notebooks to introduce super-thin cases, Gigabit Ethernet, motion sensors, LED backlights, DVI video outputs, FireWire, and other advanced features. Perhaps Apple is looking well beyond the features I've listed here, some of which have become almost routine in Windows notebooks.
Of course, even without these improvements, existing MacBook and MacBook Pro machines are still among the sleekest, fastest, and most capable notebook PCs on the market. But no tech company can afford to stand still, not even Apple.
And I need a reason to replace my own MacBook Pro. It's almost a year and a half old, and I'm getting itchy. C'mon, Apple, surprise me!
(Credit:
Apple)
Some conflicting accounts coming out of the Web-o-sphere on Tuesday about Apple's revamped MacBook Pro laptops. At the heart of the controversy are reports that the new 15- and 17-inch Pro models have taken a nosedive on battery life, despite the inclusion of allegedly power-saving Intel Penryn processors.
Both Ars Technica and Gizmodo pointed out that Apple's own numbers on how long the battery should last in a 17-inch MacBook Pro have changed with the new models--going from more than 5 hours to only 4.5 hours.
There are actually a couple of different things going on here, all of which add up to new MacBooks that should last just as long as their predecessors, if not a little longer.
Apple says it's changed the way it reports battery life. It used to report numbers from three stock battery life tests, a so-called "highway" test, designed for maximum battery life, a DVD playback test (similar to what CNET uses), and a wireless productivity test.
Apple's Anuj Nayar tells us that the company used to publish all three scores on its site, but highlighted the highway test. Now, the highway test and DVD playback tests are out, and the wireless productivity test is the new default. So looking at Apple's older numbers is a bit like comparing you-know-what to oranges.
On the other hand, the new Penryn processors and optional LED backlit display (17-inch Pro only) should offer some advantages in battery life.
Battery numbers should always be taken with a fairly hefty grain of salt--your laptop's battery life is highly dependent on how you use it, from applications to screen brightness to USB-powered peripherals. We'll know more when we get our hands on one of these new models and run it through our own testing, so stay tuned.
I've been using an Apple MacBook Pro for a little over a year now, and I'm pretty happy with it.
Apple's new Mac OS X Leopard
(Credit: Courtesy of Apple)I didn't immediately upgrade to Leopard, the new version of Mac OS X, when it shipped back in November for reasons I discussed here, but last weekend I decided to go for it.
There's a new update coming to version 10.5.2, which according to a release note available to Apple developers includes a raft of bug fixes, but I wanted to upgrade to Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 as soon as possible, so I figured I'd just go ahead and upgrade OS X at the same time. (I'll probably post a review of Office 2008 sometime soon.)
The OS upgrade process appeared to go well, but when I tried to log in, Leopard said it wasn't able to access my home folder. I use Apple's FileVault security technology, which stores my home folder in a virtual disk image that is encrypted using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). FileVault protects my data if the machine is stolen, and I regard it as an indispensable feature of Mac OS X.
Unfortunately, Leopard wasn't happy with the disk image for my home folder, and simply refused to open it.
I wasn't expecting this problem, but I was prepared for it. I made a backup of the machine just before starting the upgrade, and I also maintain a secondary user account without FileVault in case of problems with the primary account. I logged into that other account and discovered on the Web that other people have seen exactly the same problem.
Apple published a tech note suggesting that this problem is related to passwords of 8 or more characters-- my passwords are all a lot longer than that, and so should yours be!-- but the complex procedure described in the note for solving the problem didn't help me.
Ultimately I had to delete and recreate my primary account then copy my files from the disk image into the new home folder. It turns out I'd have wanted to do this anyway, since Leopard introduces a new approach to FileVault that works better with Time Machine, Apple's new backup program.
Everything worked properly when I was done, but this was a slow, awkward procedure that most ordinary users would never have been able to handle. I just wish the Leopard installer had checked for this condition and done all the necessary work directly.
With Leopard running at last, I was able to get Office 2008 installed, and I'm slowly working through a number of small issues-- learning how to work around a minor bug in the new version of Apple's Mail program, upgrading some third-party software I use, etc.-- but generally I'm happy with the upgrade. Leopard seems a little faster overall, and Time Machine is great. It gives me a lot of confidence that my data is better protected against software and hardware failures.
I'm also making periodic complete backups in case I get bitten by any major new bugs in Leopard or Time Machine, but I don't expect anything like that.
I may have additional comments, especially after the 10.5.2 update... stay tuned!
Without announcement, Apple has quietly updated its line of MacBook laptops with higher-end hardware.
Apple's MacBook
(Credit: Apple)MacBook Pro buyers now have the option of upgrading from a 2.4GHz to a 2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, according to Apple's Web site. The upgrade costs $250.
All of the 13-inch MacBook laptops will now come with Intel's Santa Rosa platform, featuring an Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor. They also now feature a high-gloss screen and the option of expanding the stock 1GB RAM up to 4GB, according to the Apple Web site.
Both MacBook and MacBook Pro buyers will have the option of upgrading to a 250GB hard drive.
Apple is offering a white MacBook for $1,099 with a 2GHz Core 2 Duo, 80GB of storage, and a standard combo optical drive; a white MacBook for $1,299 with a 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo, 120GB of storage, and a double-layer SuperDrive ; and a black MacBook for $1,499 with a 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo, 160GB of storage, and a double-layer SuperDrive.
Beat me in a staring contest, and I'll give you a 12-inch MacBook Pro.
Ever since Apple's PowerBook line met its end last year, people have been clamoring for Apple to return to them a 12-inch laptop. Rumors of Steve Jobs granting their wishes and bestowing upon them an ultraportable, professional-grade notebook have been fairly consistent since the man introduced the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros. Today, MacScoop quotes "trusted sources" that point to the arrival of a 12-inch MacBook Pro by the end of the year. These sources say the laptop will be half as thick as the old 12-inch PowerBook at 0.6 or 0.7 inch (15 to 18 millimeters to our international readers). This rumored laptop will weigh less than 3 pounds, making it the lightest Apple laptop ever released. If it's ever released.
Apple has been hit with a class action lawsuit filed by MacBook and MacBook Pro owners unhappy with the quality of the displays on those notebooks.
A few owners of MacBook Pros, like this 17-inch model, have filed suit claiming Apple's display advertising was misleading.
(Credit: Apple)The suit, spotted by Engadget, accuses Apple of improperly playing up the capabilities of the displays for the MacBook Pros and MacBooks launched in the first part of last year. For example, it notes that Apple advertised the MacBooks as capable of displaying "millions of colors" when they can only do that using a technique called "dithering." Also, it points to complaints lodged by MacBook users on various Apple discussion boards about the "grainy" or "shiny" quality of their displays.
The plaintiffs claim that these display problems are not visible when they boot Windows XP on their Intel-based MacBooks and MacBook Pros, suggesting that Apple's operating system is to blame. The suit was filed in San Diego County in the State Court of California.
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