Apple’s MacBook Pro: Rotting Core?

[socrates047]

it really is a mental thing. like moths to a flame.
Apple has that effect on some people

my asus g51 has a beautiful screen, backlit keyboard, comfortable placing of everything, and PLAYS CRYSIS.

 

[ffakr]

Generally, I don't like to be mean but this is a pretty terrible article. It's the typical Apple bashing that the internet is full of.

Before everyone gets their panties in a bunch, I was considering going upstairs to play a game on my Phenom. For now I'm typing on a new Macbook Pro 17".

This is the most out of date laptop available from Apple. However, from your article one would suspect it's a Core with a parallel hard drive.

I've got a high-rez LED 17" screen with the same resolution of my 24" Dell but twice as crisp and bright. I have a Core2Duo 2.8GHz 6MB Cache, 4GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM (room for 8GB), mini Display Port..

Granted, the Core2 family HAS been around for a while but the i3 and i5 were released in January of this year.
That's the crux of your thesis that Apple's laptops have a "rotting core"? I hope you warmed up before that epic stretch.

If you had paid attention in micro-economics, you'd understand why Apple charges $2000 for a, gasp, 2 month out-of-cutting-edge laptop.. because the market supports that price. If Apple could move enough additional units to make more profit at $1,800 or $1,500 or even $1,200 they would do it. (assuming they can pull a profit at those price points). However, in the real world Apple's laptop sales are stellar because they are compelling designs and because people pay a premium to use the Mac OS.
My laptop is, without a doubt, a far more elegant design than Windows laptop and I say this not as some single-vendor hermit but as someone who runs a University IT shop which works on everything that comes through the door.

P.S. In stark contrast to everything you got wrong.. you apparently didn't look close enough at the Macbook Pro to notice that the one component most deserving of criticism isn't the CPU but rather the GPU.

 

[m4h0n3y]

Hey That's My image (Nvidia Image) and I've never given permission to use it, What's happening here??????
http://m4h0n3y.deviantart.com/art/Nvidia-15550631
http://www.johnnygb.com

 

[yoinks]

How dare you look at Apple objectively!

 

[in5onia]

hi,
i have a macbook white 2007 and a pro, i´m writing this with the 2007 macbook, and i just have to say that it works...
Battery at full still does 3 hours, it starts fast, never hangs up, no keys have fallen, the mag power is still the original, the air vent does not explodes in a non sense noise even watching some flash video that usually makes the processor go for a stretch, and yes im using snow leopard wich just for it self is a big plus.
So not being a fan boy bus someone that needs this to do some writing work and e-mail, surf the web, i´m very pleased that it just works fine, and you cant pay the fact that you dont have problems with it, and i know thats the big thing about apple, it just works fine 98% of times at least and people who are not in to dissect pc components just needs things that work and not just 1 year, but 2 or 3 ..
sorry for my english
congratulations on the article , it has a point ..
hi from portugal

 

[Guest]

I think the argument of Apple's build quality and design is extremely valid. I'm on my 3rd MBP now and I've followed roughly a 2.5-3 years upgrade path. Haven't had a Windows machine since OSX 10.1, and I have to say, none of my Windows based notebooks have ever lasted as long as my MBPs and I had to buy a new one every year or so. Thus really from a financial perspective, the MBP turned out cheaper for me since by the time I'm buying a new MBP, i'm already on my 3rd Windows based notebook.

I used to be the CTO of a fairly large IT company, and I did notice that the frequency of Windows notebooks breaking and people requisitioning for a replacement is much higher than the MBP users (ratio-wise of course). I did a cost analysis run, and was pleasantly surprised that if I switched all 2700 stations (desktop, notebooks) to Macs, in a 3 year run, I ended up saving about 300 dollars per station, assuming no breakage, that would equate to about 810K in savings. When I factored in the frequency of breakage, that number goes up to an average of 800 which is about $2.1m. Unfortunately Microsoft was just too entrenched in that organization that it would require a concentrated effort to make the change that had too many variables. Now if I were to start a new company, I'd start it based on the Mac platform to begin with.

Lastly I would wager that 90% of the users out there and their computer usage patterns, a 3 year old Mac is still plenty fast for what they do. Its really the power users that are annoyed at Apple's slow pace of component upgrades, and the reader based of this site is mainly power users. However I would bet that 90% of Apple's customer base or any hardware company like Dell, would not be power users like us and thus will really see minimal benefits from their perspective. What drives them to get an Apple is really for the design and of course OSX.

 

[Guest]

Don't understand why all these Apple worshippers keep buying these aging overpriced laptops, cause believe or not people are still buying them! Apple should be ashamed of themselves. Starting to get a really bad image in many persons mind I think.

 

[Guest]

"Sure, it's possible, but that spry 20-something is going to do it much faster. If you had $2,000 to bet, would you wager it all on the 40 year old?"

If it was 40 year old Usain Bolt I would...

 

[Guest]

@Warrenliu: When you had so many problems with breaking windows notebooks, then you had just simply the wrong manufacturer. Every serious notebook manufacturer has a solid modell as good as a Mac, considerably smaller. And with so many PC's CTO is incorporating many things which are not connected to the clients. And due to automation any OS-platform can be managed efficiently.

And about that 1-year cycle. That's simply bullshit. I'm using a 7-year old Asus in good condition with good performance. And thanks to the steel-frame it withstood serious impacts.

With the Alu-Macs the problem is that solidness is an illusion. The Alu-case does not prevent damage from pressure on the lid and the corners of casing are also sensible when there is a serious impact.

 

[Guest]

I'm using a 15" macbook pro as I type. The lack of reboots, crashes, antivirus/spyware, and driver issues since I bought it, have been worth the difference. Still have plenty of performance ... so over the long haul, it's been a great tool. In today's dollars and market - yeah, Apple should be dropping the price, or providing a quicker refresh. Still - it's an appliance I just use and find it reliable, unlike if it were a PC ...

 

[wotan31]

A well written article and very valid argument. I'm a Mac user (can't stand that garbage that is Windows) and I'm currently using a late 2006 Macbook Pro. I really want to upgrade to a newer one. But my Late 2006 MBP has a Core 2 Duo, 4 GB of RAM, 320 GB hard drive. (I upgraded the RAM and HDD). The current 2010 MBP, 3.5 years newer than mine, has a Core 2 Duo, 4 GB of RAM, 320 GB HDD!! Same thing! Sure Mine is a 2.33 and new one is a 2.93, whatever. It's such a small difference. I just can't justify spending $2000 or $2500 for a very slightly faster version of what I already have. I'm waiting for Core i7, 8 GB of RAM, and a fast GPU. Then I'll give Apple my $2000.

My only exception to this article is the comment about the "old" and "outdated" case/chassis of the Macbook and Macbook Pro. Yes it's been the same for years, but that's because it's nearly perfect. It's an absolutely brilliant notebook chassis. No fans or vents on the underside, no sharp corners, it's made of metal, not cheap black plastic, etc. I hate the now-outdated internal chips and components, but the Chassis and OS are absolutely the best that money can buy.

 

[Guest]

I have a problem with your idea about how you should be able to customize the macbook. Johny Ive's idea is that he creates non obtrusive designs that are as simple as possible. If you want to customize your computer buy a vinyl decal or a case. What is spectacular about the macbooks design is that you make it awesome with the on screen content. Most "Customization" offer are just gimmicks attached to poor design. Take dells customizable line up they are rubbish with a customizable shell. I know friends who have latched on the the customizable gimmicks and its always flashy junk.

 

[kbk_75]

I've been a Macbook Pro owner for around 2 1/2 years now and in that time I've found myself longing for a new Macbook Pro with the following features

1. 17" 1900x1200 or 1900x1080 screen with high colour gamut
2. Core i7 CPU
3. ATI 5830 GPU
4. 8GB DDR3
5. 256GB SSD (a fast MLC unit, not some slug)
6. Bluray Burner
7. Better wireless performance
8. Louder volume from speakers
9. A numeric keypad
10. A finger print reader

There was a time when I dual booted Mac OS / Vista through Bootcamp. Lately I've been using exclusively Mac OS, though Vista is still on my HDD. Come to think of it, I'd like a 17" MBP similar to the new Sony FW series! Strange that Sony is the other company that charges a "tax" for its products!

 

[Guest]

The author missed the emphasis of Apple's Macbook Pro series. While the hardware may not be bleeding edge, it's plenty good, and extremely reliable. The software is so much better than Microsoft's gargantuan bloatware, that there is no comparison in my opinion. OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) is so user friendly compared with Windows 7, they don't belong in the same generation. OS X 10.6 has crashed once on me in all the months it's been available, and my Windows 7 machine is fraught with problems. And, as for speed, I certainly can't think as fast as either machine.

 

[Guest]

Well I think one of the most underestimated features would be the option to connect 2 external tfts on the Mini-Displayport while turning off the internal display.

 

[kenneyfish]

Take a good look at mainstream PCs being sold today...not by power users. Most are just now getting the Core I3/I5s. Before that, they were all coming with C2D 6600 CPUs with a few exceptions. When you went to configure those PCs at the manufacturer's website to the same specs as the Mac you'd end up spending ~$100 less than the Mac. The Macs all come out with higher end C2D CPUs compared to mainstream. So to the person who walks into Blue Box store and sees what is available, the Mac looks fairly attractive with it's faster hardware, better battery life, and un-bloated operating system. I own a White Macbook (non-Pro and two years old with upgrade to 4GB and MacOS doesn't need that much to run extremely well)and build my own PCs. I have stopped using my PCs for everyday use and only use them as Media Center servers for the house. The Mac is still just as fast as the day I got it and have only had it crash once. Can't say the same for any of my PCs.

I am not a fan of Apple's policies (just got an Android phone to stay away from iPhone) but I love my Mac/MacOS combo. I may have spent a little more on the machine but I never have to shut it down b/c it stopped responding and my battery on it still lasts for 4 hours (in use) after two years (non-lithium polymer battery mind you). My last laptop PC last a year and a half before the battery was at 30 minutes (and I bought it a year before this Mac and spent the same).

My next PC will either be an Asus laptop (G72) or MBP with Bootcamp Windows 7 (only used for apps I have to use in chosen field).

 

[miloo]

if the new macbook pro pack with GT335, i7 and blue ray, i bet it more expensive than a fully loaded Alienware 17 inch laptop LOL,i would say 5Gs may be?!? LOL Go Go Apple LOL

 

[miloo]

Is hard to believe that they still charging a 2.5Gs for a toppest Mac Book pro with 9600GT, i can get Asus G73 with 1.7Gs

 

[Guest]

An interesting read here. But I think you are missing a few things. Firstly, while you are quite happy to berate Apple's products for being expensive during the latter half of their life-cycle, what do you think about the product's pricing during say the few few months of its life? Because if you think that they are of good value then, then there is no problem because if you want to buy a Macbook Pro, you simply wait until a new model comes out and then there won't be an issue. Sure, if you need one NOW, then you pay full and arguably expensive price. That is fair - If you NEED to travel at short notice and rock up to the airport and buy a ticket, you'll pay handsomely there too. This is the rule of supply and demand. Remember no-one actually makes you buy an Apple Macbook Pro at any given time - If you object to the price of a new one on the basis of its price being expensive, then don't buy it... Buy a second hand one instead.
Apple is NOT being monopolistic and is NOT trying to make us think they use special components. The fact that Apple promotes and supports technologies such as Bootcamp really makes it rather obvious that they are using standard off the shelf parts.
Finally, Apple doesn't pride itself at competing on the hardware as a standalone product - they never have. They have competed on the 'complete product' which in Apple's case, includes hardware and software. Sure, they may have some issues with compatibility with some products since Snow Leopard's release, but as an IT systems administrator for 15 years specializing in Apple's products, I would say that the transition from Leopard to Snow Leopard was actually one of the most pain-free upgrades ever. And given Microsoft's reputation in this area, I think Apple excels for the most part.

 

[Guest]

The specs of the Apple Laptops might seem pretty outdated, but I don't think that "all" of the "Apple Users" care about it. Maybe the geeks, but not "all" of them. I'm someone who gets worried about being left behind in terms of specs when my friends start bragging around with their Core i Laptops. But I don't care, much.

My Macbook Pro C2D works for me, and that's all that matters. Specs don't tell the whole story, for as long as you're happy with what you're using, then it's all fine. The price seems high, okay, but I've never had crash issues or anything like that which I had daily on my Windows Laptop before.