Current 17" MacBook Pro Configuration
17" MacBook Pro - Configuration Revision II
Processor: 2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor.
Memory: 4GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM RAM
Hard Drive: 320GB 7200RPM SATA 1.5Gb/s
Display: MacBook Pro 17" Hi-Resolution 1920x1200 Pixel Glossy LED Widescreen Display
Modem: Apple USB Modem (56K USB Modem)
Power Options: Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter
Remote Control Devices: Apple Remote
Software: Final Cut Express 4
Keyboard and OS Language: Backlit Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. ENGLISH
Included Items: Mac OS X 10.5, 8x Dual-Layer Superdrive, and Accessory Kit
Warranty: AppleCare Protection Plan (APP) for MacBook Pro
Total Price: $3764.00
30-Day "Hold" Time is now at: T-Minus 28 Days and counting...
NOTES: Well, the rumors of an "earlier than usual" June product refresh were a bad joke, and the 1066MHz FSB is still nowhere in sight.
You might note that the 15" MacBook Pro is superior to the 17" model in every way possible with the exception of the screen size, the lack of an extra USB port, and the lack of a matte display for those who want it (all new 15" MBPs have glossy glass displays.) This is because the "new" 17" MBP is really nothing more than a slightly updated "old" 17" MBP.
So why didn't Apple update the 17" MacBook Pro with the 13" MacBook and the 15" MacBook Pro? Well technically they did--the 320GB Hard Drive, 4GB RAM "standard," and 7200RPM hard drive options are all new, but those are merely updates on the old design. The "new" 17" MacBook Pro was initially set to debut on 10/14/08, but suffered two major setbacks. The first wave of the new 17" MBP's suffered from problems with both the optical (CD/DVD) drives and the displays in the new machines. Rather than not offer any update at all, Apple chose to quietly "bump" up the specs of the old 17" MBP along with the specs of the MacBook Air while the bugs in the new 17" MBP are worked out. Ironically, the original 17" MacBook Pro was also "delayed" because of manufacturing problems way back when the 15" MacBook Pro was released in 2006; go figure.
Is a "unibody" 17" MacBook Pro coming? Yes. So why didn't Apple announce it on the 14th, and when will it be ready? If I had to put money on this, I'd say the reason Apple didn't say anything on the 14th was because they're probably saving the new 17" MacBook Pro for MacWorld San Francisco 2009 in January, which essentially gives them the time to fix the problems with the displays and optical drives. Likewise, I'm guessing the new MBP will be ready in time for MWSF09 upon announcement. If you're looking to justify buying a 17" MacBook Pro now, consider this: My first revision of this machine cost $4264.00, and the current revision with minor spec bumps costs $3764.00, so that's $500 that you're saving if you buy a 17" MBP now. I'm sure that price will undoubtedly go up when the new redesigned 17" MBP is made available.
Now for the real kick in the nuts: If the rumors about the 17" MBP are accurate, (and they'd be consistent with Apple's current 17" MBP and plans for MWSF09,) and they probably are, that means that I'll FINALLY have my own laptop AFTER I finish college. In other words, the "need" for a laptop diminishes significantly for me--not that I don't want one; I just won't "need" one as much anymore, although I could see it getting more use when I'm away from home, so it's still a worthwhile investment, but I'm not trading screen real-estate for a flashy design, nor am I buying a machine that's only a minor step above its predecessor. I'll likely have a yet a third revision to this before I actually buy it, but that's because I could definitely see a true 17" MBP redesign for Macworld San Francisco 2009 in January. Below is a list of items I expect to see at MWSF09.
Apple items I expect to see at MWSF09:
- New 17" MacBook Pro ("Redesigned" unibody case.)
- New 20", 23", and 30" LED Apple Cinema Displays to go with the 24" LED Apple Cinema Display.
- New MacBook Air ("Redesigned" unibody case.)
- New iMac (Performance increases; case stays the same.)
- New Mac Pro desktop with Dual Intel Core i7 Processors and a possible case redesign.
- Final Cut Studio 3 -- totally redesigned from the ground up as rumored. (Could also be introduced at NAB2009.)
- Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" (This is pretty much a given.)
Basically every remotely credible source has said that MWSF09 will focus on the Mac itself, in which case most of these predictions seem like a no-brainer. OS X 10.6 is pretty much a given, and Final Cut Studio 3 is reportedly taking so long because Apple's rewriting it to be Intel-only, so it'd stand to reason that they'd release it at MWSF09 unless they plan on releasing it at NAB2009 which is around the same time. In any case, we'll see what happens.
Processor: 2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor.
Memory: 4GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM RAM
Hard Drive: 320GB 7200RPM SATA 1.5Gb/s
Display: MacBook Pro 17" Hi-Resolution 1920x1200 Pixel Glossy LED Widescreen Display
Modem: Apple USB Modem (56K USB Modem)
Power Options: Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter
Remote Control Devices: Apple Remote
Software: Final Cut Express 4
Keyboard and OS Language: Backlit Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. ENGLISH
Included Items: Mac OS X 10.5, 8x Dual-Layer Superdrive, and Accessory Kit
Warranty: AppleCare Protection Plan (APP) for MacBook Pro
Total Price: $3764.00
30-Day "Hold" Time is now at: T-Minus 28 Days and counting...
NOTES: Well, the rumors of an "earlier than usual" June product refresh were a bad joke, and the 1066MHz FSB is still nowhere in sight.
You might note that the 15" MacBook Pro is superior to the 17" model in every way possible with the exception of the screen size, the lack of an extra USB port, and the lack of a matte display for those who want it (all new 15" MBPs have glossy glass displays.) This is because the "new" 17" MBP is really nothing more than a slightly updated "old" 17" MBP.
So why didn't Apple update the 17" MacBook Pro with the 13" MacBook and the 15" MacBook Pro? Well technically they did--the 320GB Hard Drive, 4GB RAM "standard," and 7200RPM hard drive options are all new, but those are merely updates on the old design. The "new" 17" MacBook Pro was initially set to debut on 10/14/08, but suffered two major setbacks. The first wave of the new 17" MBP's suffered from problems with both the optical (CD/DVD) drives and the displays in the new machines. Rather than not offer any update at all, Apple chose to quietly "bump" up the specs of the old 17" MBP along with the specs of the MacBook Air while the bugs in the new 17" MBP are worked out. Ironically, the original 17" MacBook Pro was also "delayed" because of manufacturing problems way back when the 15" MacBook Pro was released in 2006; go figure.
Is a "unibody" 17" MacBook Pro coming? Yes. So why didn't Apple announce it on the 14th, and when will it be ready? If I had to put money on this, I'd say the reason Apple didn't say anything on the 14th was because they're probably saving the new 17" MacBook Pro for MacWorld San Francisco 2009 in January, which essentially gives them the time to fix the problems with the displays and optical drives. Likewise, I'm guessing the new MBP will be ready in time for MWSF09 upon announcement. If you're looking to justify buying a 17" MacBook Pro now, consider this: My first revision of this machine cost $4264.00, and the current revision with minor spec bumps costs $3764.00, so that's $500 that you're saving if you buy a 17" MBP now. I'm sure that price will undoubtedly go up when the new redesigned 17" MBP is made available.
Now for the real kick in the nuts: If the rumors about the 17" MBP are accurate, (and they'd be consistent with Apple's current 17" MBP and plans for MWSF09,) and they probably are, that means that I'll FINALLY have my own laptop AFTER I finish college. In other words, the "need" for a laptop diminishes significantly for me--not that I don't want one; I just won't "need" one as much anymore, although I could see it getting more use when I'm away from home, so it's still a worthwhile investment, but I'm not trading screen real-estate for a flashy design, nor am I buying a machine that's only a minor step above its predecessor. I'll likely have a yet a third revision to this before I actually buy it, but that's because I could definitely see a true 17" MBP redesign for Macworld San Francisco 2009 in January. Below is a list of items I expect to see at MWSF09.
Apple items I expect to see at MWSF09:
- New 17" MacBook Pro ("Redesigned" unibody case.)
- New 20", 23", and 30" LED Apple Cinema Displays to go with the 24" LED Apple Cinema Display.
- New MacBook Air ("Redesigned" unibody case.)
- New iMac (Performance increases; case stays the same.)
- New Mac Pro desktop with Dual Intel Core i7 Processors and a possible case redesign.
- Final Cut Studio 3 -- totally redesigned from the ground up as rumored. (Could also be introduced at NAB2009.)
- Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" (This is pretty much a given.)
Basically every remotely credible source has said that MWSF09 will focus on the Mac itself, in which case most of these predictions seem like a no-brainer. OS X 10.6 is pretty much a given, and Final Cut Studio 3 is reportedly taking so long because Apple's rewriting it to be Intel-only, so it'd stand to reason that they'd release it at MWSF09 unless they plan on releasing it at NAB2009 which is around the same time. In any case, we'll see what happens.