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'Screaming' Intel Mac Laptop Debuts

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

January 10, 2006, 1:56 PM

FROM MACWORLD Steve Jobs is fond of saving the best for last, and Macworld 2006 was no exception. In true Jobsonian fashion, he announced "One more thing:" an Intel based replacement for the PowerBook called the MacBook Pro, initially available in a 15.4-inch configuration.

Jobs explained that Apple did everything possible to cram a G5 processor into a PowerBook, but failed as heat dissipation issues have plagued the G5 chips and prevented their use in laptop systems. The broken promises to consumers of a G5 notebook have been cited as one of the primary reasons for the Intel switch.

Running on Intel's Core Duo processor, the MacBook Pro systems will operate at four to five times the speed of today's models. "These things are screamers," Jobs said, adding these are the fastest notebooks available on the market.

The model demoed includes a 15.4-inch LCD screen that Apple says is as bright as its Cinema Displays. Two speeds will be offered, a 1.67GHz Core Duo chip version with built-in iSight camera, Front Row, 667MHz DDR bus, 80GB hard drive, and 512MB of RAM for $1,999 USD.

A higher-end model with a 1.83GHz Core Duo chip, 1GB of RAM and a 100GB hard drive would be made available for $2,499 USD Other features include a FireWire 400 port, two USB 2.0 ports, built in Wireless-G and Bluetooth, and the Apple Remote with Front Row software.

In order to help prevent tripping over power cables and throwing laptops to the floor, Apple has developed a new feature for the MacBook Pro called "MagSafe." In the new laptops, the power cable connects using magnets and will smoothly disconnect with minimal pressure.

The MacBook Pro will begin shipping in February, but Apple is taking orders starting today through its online store. "If you want one I suggest you get your order in early," Jobs quipped.

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By M.Sweazey

edited Apr 6, 2006 - 6:53 AM

The Dell beats the Mac? Really?!

Let's see, without mentioning that OSX is the most POSIX compliant UNIX available, with a full blown command line interface as close as a functional terminal session (someone remind the Windows folks what they are!) that interacts natively with all of the UNIX universe (gee, no need for terminal emulation! They have taken away ALL of the fun! ;-) , including the large UNIX systems running Oracle, CRM/SAP, and other enterprise back-ends, as well as Linux - you remember, that kludgy baby UNIX designed by Windows folks to look like Windows with few applications that SO many still prefer to Windows; despite its complete lack of user friendliness AND applications!); all the while the Mac ALSO natively runs Windows for those moments that you feel the need for the sting of perverse self-flagellation ;-)

Then you have the elegant hardware implementation with 2GB of faster 667MHz RAM & FSB (how many PC laptops still feature a max 512MB or possibly 1GB of RAM!), & a rather nice ATI X1600 PCI-E video card, EXPRESS Bus instead of the old PCMCIA/CardBus, and a full compliment of USB, 1394 I/O & DVI outputs (plus more not mentioned!) for less then the Dell! Yep! Build it!! That myth persists despite its many fallacies! Oh, and have we mentioned the reliability and customer sat?

Oh, and did we mention it will run Windows too? We did? Oh! ;-)

The ONLY thing currently lacking is the 17" screen that ironically the Mac was the first to introduce!

And if VMWare indeed supports OSX as they mentioned they would at their dog & pony shows last summer {as they already support FreeBSD and were then waiting for the final Intel BIOS (as Power does not use one) - or in this case, the next generation EFI that was designed by Intel for the Itanium}, you have an environment that not only screams, but that covers ALL of the bases without sacrificing anything!

You can still have your Windows machine in addition to a full-blown UNIX machine complete WITH elegant applications (someone please help the Linux folks who are quizzically looking around wondering what they are! ;-)

Finally a machine that I can use for natively accessing and administering UNIX systems, is Windows file compatible, and natively runs Windows too!... all while offering elegant Mac applications in addition to the Windows appls! (Those Linux folks are STILL confused by the mention of this!)

Now if Apple would just release OSX for the PC and continue to differentiate their hardware with superior design, implementation, customer sat, and additional functionality!
Can we say "Linux killer" that my mom can use!?

Now if Apple would just take the time to augment their elitist image campaign and actually educate the technophobe & geek users! Its finally time to dispel the persistent 15 year old myths that the Mac is incompatible (gee, they did adopt that strange technology called, what was it? Oh yeah! TCP/IP many years ago that made it incompatible with that standard (sic) called NETBIOS!), and the nonsense that a basic Mac is more expensive then a PC! Target the average person with a real functional comparison of features and price and quit rendering themselves victim to the ignorant 19 year old BestBuy and Circuit City salespeople who, when asked by the average customer "What About A MAC", redirects them to the PC isle!

And how many Linux users know that the Mac is UNIX!? Heck, it is sufficiently elegant enough that the majority of most current Mac users don't know!

Apple has finally come close to doing it ALL, right!
Now just please bring out the Big Screen Mac Books!!!

Ok, all you Dell, AlienWare, Toshiba, and HP users, top that! ;-)

Score: 0

By Gerwin

posted Jan 12, 2006 - 7:42 AM

Windows is bad, OSX is good. Now go away.

Score: 0

By xoineg

posted Jan 11, 2006 - 5:15 PM

Some people that hate macs don’t realize that the main reason people love them is because they are stylish and easy to use. You can compare it to a car The mac will be a Mercedes-Benz and Windows a KIA. Both get you from A to B, but it is how you get there that matters. I personally used both and I prefer the Mac because it has never given me any problems. Windows on the other hand is like maintaining an old car it is always breaking down.

Score: 0

By Reap_r

posted Jan 11, 2006 - 12:26 PM

I would imagine that Apple will have this thing running a special version of OSX or maybe they will call it OS-I.

Let's see how long it is until we have one ported to linux...not that there is much point in that mind you...it must just be the challenge that drives people.

Give me my Alienware 17" widescreen, dual hard drive Pentium M and I will be happy.

Score: 0

By Esquire

edited Jan 10, 2006 - 8:03 PM

I've never been an Apple fan, but boy does this new machine look great! I'm gonna order one just to have it!

I love the MagSafe feature - I would sure feel safer knowing the accident waiting to happen won't damage this notebook..... Oh yeah! My Panasonic electric kettle/thermoflask has this feature already!

For a 1-inch thick notebook it's on the heavy side, but I'm sure it's for a good reason :)

Score: 0

By Das mod

edited Jan 10, 2006 - 6:55 PM

remember people !! with macs you don't pay for the PC, you actually pay for the name

most mac users dont have a clue of what the inside components are .... they just buy them because they look pretty....

specially graphic designers ... (being one of them, but former mac user) most, if not all have no clue of what the computer has, specially when it breaks down and they just sit there watching amazed the insides of the case.

Score: 0

By DJOmegaRush

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 8:38 PM

With Apples, you don't have to "have a clue" what's inside the damned thing. It just works. It's called "user friendly" for a good reason. I DJ and do graphics on a PC and I need to know my hardware and software very well to do so. MOST PEOPLE DO NOT. They just want E-mail, Internet, and a place to download their movies and MP3s. I've been looking forward to an intel mac. I hope to have Windows and MAC OS dual boot one day ony my system (legally anyway :) ) Look out for Tiger x86.
I'd buy the MAC OS so I don't have to worry about my stuff while just surfing and what not. I'll use my Windows boot for advanced stuff...for now. :)

Score: 0

By heat_fan1

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 3:31 PM

They certainly look good, but not for the money. For example, a similarly equipped Dell (using the Core Duo 1.83), but with a higher resolution 17" screen), can be had for a few hundred dollars cheaper. Now, it doesn't have built-in iSight or Front Row, but it does have the more functional Windows Media Center. Also, I can even upgrade to a 2.0 GHz processor and still stay under the MacBook price!

Now, that said, these new Intel-powered Macs will greatly enhanced the computing, and also make it easier for developers to make software for both PCs and Macs, which is certainly a good thing for Apple and its users.

Score: 0

By frankwick

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 3:58 PM

Off Topic, but I love my Windows Media Center 2005 PC. Someone hold me.

Score: 0

By nizzy1115

edited Jan 10, 2006 - 2:57 PM

you still cant play most games with that nice graphics card cuz its still a mac. I would switch over if software companies would make everything for both pc and mac. But until then i will stick with win xp and mandrake 10.

Score: 0

By cowgaR

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 3:46 PM

you can install Windows XP and run it beside MAC OSX, so you can play games.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 4:10 PM

If the games support the hardware.

Still not exactly sure if the inntel macs are going to be using commodity parts or not.

Anyone?

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 3:03 PM

Soon enough....soon enough... It won't be nearly as hard now as it was when they used different processors...

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited Jan 10, 2006 - 2:32 PM

""These things are screamers," Jobs said, adding these are the fastest notebooks available on the market."

I'm not sure AlienWare would agree with him on that.

Now...if he was referring to Apple notebooks only, thier should have been from the crowd, a resounding, 'Duh...'

I'd love to see a pic though, to get an idea of what they look like. Too bad the site linked in the story is down. (Proof you can't run a decent web-server from a Mac?)

[edit]Site looks sh1t in Firefox. [/edit]

Score: 0

By GeorgeSantayana

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 5:57 PM

Ever had an Alienware?

I'd take a slower machine if it meant better quality control. They have a huge problem with QA. Look at the reviews of their systems on the web.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jan 11, 2006 - 9:02 AM

That's kinda what one might expect buying a system with bleeding edge parts in it...well, at least if one was *thinking* prior to purchase and not just going by flash and marketing. Especially at those prices.

Score: 0

By zenaphex

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 4:34 PM

Alienware? lol. Those things are freakin' portable stovetops.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 5:09 PM

Gamers laptops. When you get fragged, flip it and fry some eggs.

Score: 0

By auiotour

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 5:22 PM

I would have to completely agree. Any you actually own a 7700m? Well I did! its a piece of crap. Unplug it from AC, and bam glitches in the screen, sound, reading a cd while its unplugged ohh its skipping it can't read the cd now. oh what the processor went from 3.8ghz to 2.8 ghz during each of its episodes. The thing is only decent if you leave it plugged in and never install anything. Oh wait thats a lie mine got sent back for mobo problems 3 times. Yes Three times!!!! I had owned it for 7 months. Took 2 months each time to get it back! Besides alienware's fastest laptop is made by sager! not alienware. Just rebranded. its a pos. I wish I would have waited for this like all my friends suggested!.

Score: 0

By Kramy

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 2:36 PM

"core duo"....dual core?

Yeah, the laptop might be the fastest, but I can guarentee in typical Apple fashion that the videocard is a piece of crap. :P

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited Jan 10, 2006 - 2:38 PM

"ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with up to 256MB memory on 16-lane PCI Express" ... According to the website.

Doesn't sound like crap to me...

On a humorous side-note: (also from the site)

"Power Up With MagSafe
The new power adapter with MagSafe connector is designed to magnetically guide your cord into place and disconnect smoothly if someone (else) trips over it."

Score: 0

By Kramy

edited Jan 10, 2006 - 2:54 PM

Nice!

Yeah, the site finally loaded, so I guess the videocard isn't a piece of crap. Still, I'd prefer an nVidia card to an ATI card.

Is it just me, or does it sound better as "an nVidia" rather than "a nVidia"?

Edit: Xbitlabs says my 6600 overclocked gets close to that Radeon.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited Jan 10, 2006 - 2:59 PM

Sounds better, but I don't really know where the grammer rules fall on that. I always thought it was "a" in front of a consonant, and "an" in front of a vowel. (an vowel...since it's in front of the word vowel?)

Don't make me go all english teacher on yo' punk azz.

:P
[edit] You suck. After my 5500 died a horrible half-in half-out of it's slot death (Damn Dell screwless-case piece of sh1t!) all I had left was my 128MB 9600AIW. Yuk!
[/edit]

Score: 0

By heat_fan1

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 3:21 PM

"an" is used in front of a vowel sound, not an actual vowel. So "an nVidia", "an RSX", etc. This obviously applies mostly to acronyms.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 3:33 PM

Dammit....out crawl all the english teachers. :P

Thanks for the lesson. :) At least I was close.

Score: 0

By ogman

posted Jan 11, 2006 - 10:40 PM

Ain't it great, the variety oif education provided here at BNU?

Score: 0

By AlanRivaldo

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 3:20 PM

It's "an" nVidia, and not "a" nVidia, because the letter "n" is spelled as "en", weird as that may sound...

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 3:35 PM

spelled nVidia....Pronounced envidia...hence the use of an instead of a. Apparently it's vowel sounds, not vowels themselves.

See I learned something today...and I will spread it to the world!

Muahahahaaaa1!111oneoneone1

Score: 0

By M1M2Z1

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 6:00 PM

According to Plato's Theory of Recollection you already knew this.

Score: 0

By ogman

posted Jan 11, 2006 - 10:39 PM

Nice reference!!!

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jan 11, 2006 - 9:04 AM

Wow.. that's obscure. Chalk that up as a phrase I never thought I'd see on BN.

Score: 0

By ogman

posted Jan 11, 2006 - 10:38 PM

Yup...you had anamnesia and didn't even know it. Well, actually you did, you just forgot that you did.

Score: 0

By GeorgeSantayana

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 6:00 PM

"Vanna, I'd like to buy a vowel."

nVidia is a lot like most cab drivers I've encountered in that way.

Score: 0

By horsecharles

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 7:07 PM

Anyone in this little side tread notice grammer was spelled wrong? This isn't a Cheers or Frazier episode!!! Said, oops upside your head, said oops upside your head.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jan 11, 2006 - 9:06 AM

Yeah, the e is just *Way* to damn close to the a on my keyboard. One of these days I'll have to put the keys back on in the right order. :P

Score: 0

By Kramy

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 11:38 PM

I did not actually notice, but yesterday I did infact correct several other people that said "gramar".

Maybe it's going around? :P

Score: 0

By drumcat

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 2:25 PM

Now, let the direct Windows vs OSX competition begin!

Score: 0

By SteveJohnSteele

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 3:51 PM

Wouldnt it be brill if someone developed an OS that would run both Windows and X (and Unix family), at the same time on the same desktop? - or at least all the applications.

That day comes closer now that both leading OSs run on the same hardware. Think of the size of the userbase (protential customers).

A software based layer between hardware and applications!

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jan 10, 2006 - 4:09 PM

I am sure it won't be long before this exact configuration is running under some ill-gotten copy of VMware ESX Server.

*grin*

Did I say that?

Score: 0

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