Apple Unveils MacBook Pro with Core 2 Duo

daveschroeder writes "Apple has just announced the upgraded MacBook Pro (15.4- and 17-inch models) with the Intel Core 2 Duo ("Merom") 64-bit dual core processor. The standard hard drive sizes have been increased, a FireWire 800 port has been added to all models (again, reaffirming that FireWire, and specifically FireWire 800, is not dead, and that Apple responded to customer requests to add it to the 15.4-inch model), and the optical drive is now dual-layer-write-capable on all models."

Memory Upgrade Too

[ApolloX (1017440)]

Also not mentioned is that 2gigs has been made the standard memory size with 1gig only available in the lowest model, with a 3gig option on the 17in version.

Egads, go configure a comparable Dell!!!!1

[dsginter (104154)]

I've always been a critic of the premium that one has to pay to get an Apple. So when I saw this article, I was quick to go configure a Dell and point out just how much one can save over the Apple tax.

But it was 25 percent *more* (at least compared the $1999 MacBook). And you *still* have to waste your time reinstalling Windows to get rid of all the circus-ware that comes on the Dell.

It really is no wonder [yahoo.com] that someone is paying Gartner to try and coax Apple out of the PC business [zdnet.co.uk]. They'd be idiots not to continue selling hardware.

Re:Egads, go configure a comparable Dell!!!!1

[jellomizer (103300)]

Apple and Dells Pricing are simular +/- $100 or so. Apple Usually wins on the high end systems. Dell Wins on the Low End Systems (Dell vs. MacBook) Plus you can get really stripped down cheapo systems from Dell for a lot less where Apple will not stand to make a product at that quality.

Apple Refurbs

[jscotta44 (881299)]

I guess you have never taken a look at the Apple refurb store then. I saved $500 on my MacBook Pro and that put it under $1,500. Yes, it is a 15.4" and not a 17". But that is okay because I travel around a lot with mine and the 17" MacBook Pro was just too big.

I also physically compared the Apple 17" to the various Dell 17" offerings (easy to do since I live in Austin, TX). You mention the screen resolution as a distinguishing characteristic between the Dell your wife bought and the Apple 17". Let me mention another difference. I can fit two MacBook Pros in the same physical space of the Dell offerings (yes, there is a bit of exaggeration, but not much!). So, what is the value of a much smaller footprint for what is supposed to be a mobile computer? It's really anyones guess.

Re:Merom, not conroe

[Kyro (302315)]

I have the 2.0GHz core 2 duo imac with 4MB L2 cache. According to Intel, only the merom at 2.0ghz comes with 4MB L2 cache, the conroe is 2.66GHz for the first one with 4MB. Therefore, I'd say that the imac use merom.

Re:Memory Upgrade Too

[jcr (53032)]

Ever hear of something called "virtual memory"? It made all the papers, back in the late 1960's. Check it out.

-jcr

Re:Memory Upgrade Too

[davecrist (711182)]

Well, I think you are assuming that people use their laptop ONLY as mobile machines.... and for many, like myself, it is my ONLY machine... at home I use a 'big' screen, real KB and mouse. When I am at home, the more my computer is like a desktop, the better.

Why not get a desktop, you might ask? Because then I have to do things like sync them and spend more money.

Personally, I'd *LOVE* to have more memory.... If I am getting page outs, I don't have enough... and I get them all the time on 2gigs of RAM.

Hooray for 1394!

[generica1 (193760)]

I hope they continue to support Target Disk Mode via Firewire 800, and even if they had a similar way of doing the same thing with USB would be nice - that feature has saved my ass an innumerable amount of times. It makes for a nice troubleshooting option and makes things like Carbon Copy Cloner [bombich.com] possible... glad to hear that Apple is not sending FireWire the way of the floppy disk just yet.

Core 2 Duo

[by Anonymous Coward]

Apple has just announced the upgraded MacBook Pro (15.4- and 17-inch models) with the Intel Core 2 Duo ("Conroe") 64-bit dual core processor.

Screw that. I'm waiting for the MacBook Pro with Intel Core 2 Duo Twin Binary Pair featuring Extreme II Bifurcation technology.

Re:Core 2 Duo

[russellh (547685)]

Screw that. I'm waiting for the MacBook Pro with Intel Core 2 Duo Twin Binary Pair featuring Extreme II Bifurcation technology.

Call me from your iPhone when you get it.

Merom, Not Conroe

[leipzig3 (528671)]

Actually, the Core 2 Duo for laptops is code named "Merom" not "Conroe". "Conroe" is only for desktops. They are virtually identical except for power requirements.

Re:Merom, Not Conroe

[frankie (91710)]

They are virtually identical except for power requirements.

...and that Conroe has 75% faster FSB, 10% faster clock and 10% lower cost than Merom. That's the advantage of not having to pinch every watt.

the usual responses

[boxlight (928484)]

Linux guy: who the hell cares, why is slashdot now the marketing arm of Apple? Ubuntu is more popular than Mac OS X anyway

Mac guy yesterday: why do you need a Core 2 Duo? Mac hardware is better that Dell and more expensive because it's better better better

Mac guy today: I've been waiting for months for Apple to release the Core 2 Duo, finally now I can buy the MacBook of my dreams -- the Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro is the BEST COMPUTER EVER, EVER!

Windows guy: huh?

Not anymore...

[Savage-Rabbit (308260)]

Everyone: Gah! Still only one mouse button!

Ha.. that gripe is now becoming obsolete. On a MB or MBP, put two fingers on the track-pad and press the 'single' mouse button. You will find this has the same effect as pressing the secondary button button on a WinDell or any other PC laptop. I don't know if this works on the PPC Macs. For the desktop Macs there is plenty of alternatives (Logitech, Macally) if you don't like the old one button Mac mouse or the Mighty Mouse. The latter incidentally includes a second and third and fourth mouse 'button' functionality but the ergonomics are not to everyones taste. I'll admit it took Apple much longer than it should have to remedy the 'missing second button' issue in it's product line, the two-fingers-on-the-trackpad feature on the Laptop line was especially long overdue since the old [Ctrl]+MouseClick was pretty awkward.

DVD drive maker?

[jettoblack (683831)]

All of the previous MB/MBPs use Matsushita drives with extremely strict region control, and since I have a large collection of both R1 and R2 DVDs, this rules out a Mac for me. The Matsushita firmware will flat-out refuse to read a disc (even raw sectors) if the region doesn't match, so software tools like AnyDVD and DeCSS-based players like mplayer/VLC don't work. Also the drives' firmware code is encrypted and signed with high strength public-key crypto, which makes a RPC1 firmware hack virtually impossible (some hackers tried but gave up after multiple expensive mistakes because the drives brick themselves if any attempt to read or modify the firmware is made).

I'm most interested in finding out who makes the new 6x DL burner used in the 15" MBPs. If the new drives are NOT Matsushita then it looks like I'm getting a MBP... otherwise no way.

Re:DVD drive maker?

[larkost (79011)]

The DVD consortium has been leaning on manufactures who liscence the DVD standard (all of them) to put this firmware restriction in place on all of their drives. If you can still find new drives that do not have this restriction on the market I would be surprised. And even the supply of drives that have been sitting on a shelf for a while without the restriction is probably starting to get small.

Sadly, it looks like the DVD consortium is going to get away with this bit of colusion and abuse of monopoly.

Re:DVD drive maker?

[jandrese (485)]

I don't know exactly what kind of Matsushita drive is in the MBPs, but many of them can be flashed [rpc1.org] to be region free. The behavior you describe is normal for a region locked DVD drive by the way, they're all supposed to work that way.

But where's the ultraportable?

[LadyBug@FI (110420)]

Hey Apple, where's the ultraportable laptop with max. 3lb weight?

You've shown with iPod nano that you can do wonders in small scale, but your laptops are not reflecting your capabilities in this regard. They are currently just waaayyy too big and heavy for everyday and everywhere portability. So no Mac switch for me.

Re:200 Gb harddisk

[jcr (53032)]

Wow. Finally a laptop with enough storage space.

That comment is going to seem so funny to you in a year...

-jcr

Re:meh

[mgv (198488)]

Unfortunately, they eliminated the option for a 7200 rpm drive. It's a significant performance hit, if you're doing something that's I/O bound on the hard drive.


You can get a 7200 rpm drive, its not a standard but its an option. But you have to drop down to 100GB. I think this reflects the manufacturers.

Bear in mind that the 160 GB drives use perpendicular recording, so they increase the size by increasing the areal density of the data.

This also means that for a given speed of rotation, it will increase the data rates quite alot.

Seek times won't be helped by this increase in density however.

Michael

this is incorrect, they have removed the option

[ArbitraryConstant (763964)]

"You can get a 7200 rpm drive, its not a standard but its an option. But you have to drop down to 100GB. I think this reflects the manufacturers.

Apple no longer offers any 7200 rpm drive in the 15" MacBook Pros, at any capacity. It's not standard, and it's not offered as an option. The only place it's still available is in the 17" model.

Anyone who doesn't believe me is invited to check the Apple store.

Re:Great.

[LurkerXXX (667952)]

Hey troll, those batteries were made by Sony, and they were used by Apple, and Toshiba, and Compaq, and... well, by most laptop manufacturers. Put the blame on the real manufacturer, Sony.

Re:Great.

[megacia (534566)]

Lithium fires aren't that dangerous. Just decompress the cargo bay and hang on to the laptop for dear life.

Re:Overheating with new models?

[swid27 (869237)]

Conveniently enough, this was just covered on /. a few days ago:

Cool your MacBook Pro [slashdot.org]

Basically, it boils down to: "Apple, in its quest for ultra, super-duper quietness, sets the fans to run much slower than the speed needed to make laptops usable on laps."

Re:But does it run MacOSX 64bit

[larkost (79011)]

10.4 will still be primarily 32bit, with 64bit sections where it really matters (the processing libraries for large-data-set apps). It looks like 10.5 is going to be much more 64bit from stem-to-stern with paralell libraries (some changes in the 64bit versions that will mark a change.. because it was an easy place to put the transition) for 32bit and 64bit.

But do note that moving most of the code to running in 64bit mode does not make it faster. In theory you can make 32bit code that uses the new features in the cips without taking the extra overhead of everything going 64bit.