Likely Feature List of New MacBooks
10:16 pm, October 9th, 2008, Leander Kahney
Pictures: Fantasic mockups by Miguel Suárez
This is guesswork, but here’s the likely feature list of the new MacBooks due October 14:
* Penryn Core 2 Duo chips: 2.4GHz, 2.66GHz, 2.8GHz, and 3.06GHz.
* 2GB of RAM (MacBook); 4GB of RAM (MacBook Pro).
* Hard drives: 160GB — 320GB.
* Glossy widescreen TFT screens. On the MacBook: 13.3-inch (1,280×800 resolution); MacBook Pro: 13.8-inch (1,366×768).
* Integrated NVIDIA graphics system.
* New, all-aluminum enclosures, white, black and silver. (Would love to see multiple colors, but think its unlikely — it’s an inventory nightmare, especially for high-priced products).
* Enclosure is tapered: very thin at the sides, thicker inthe middle, like the iPhone 3G and MacBook Air.
* Magnetic lid latch on all models (replacing mechanical clasps on the MacBook Pro).
* All ports on left side — including FireWire 800.
* Slot-loading optical drive on right (no Blu-ray).
* Extra-large battery pack running full width of computer at the front, under the touchpad.
* Recessed keypad like MacBook Air. Keys are Chicklet style on MacBooks, black and backlight on Pros.
* Price: Starting at $800. This is the mysterious “product transition” that Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer said in July would impact Apple’s gross margins.
“We will be delivering state-of-the-art new products that I cannot discuss today that our competitors will not be able to match,” Oppenheimer said during the Q308 conference call.
Posted by Leander Kahney in Hardware, News, Rumors | Comment on this article
i hope the enclosure is not this one… it’s horrible…
raf, on October 9th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
[...] MacBook spec(ulation)s? — Cult of Mac has put together a list of feasible specs for the new MacBook set to be unveiled on Tuesday. Nothing all that wowing, [...]
Roundup: IBM see earnings rise, possible MacBook specs, RIM ripe for a takeover and more » VentureBeat, on October 9th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
MacBook:-
2.4GHz Intel Penryn Core 2 Duo Up to 2.8GHz
2GB to 4GB
250GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) no BulRay
Utilize the newer 16:9 ratio screens also to come in two sizes 11.1″ and 13.3″
MacBook Pro
Nehalem-based Core i7 processors would be nice, But 2.8GHz Penryn Core 2 Duo to 3.6GHz more likely
4GB to 16GB
400GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) with BluRay
Utilize the newer 16:9 ratio screens also to come in two sizes 18.4″ 16.4″
This is my perdiction for what its worth. I also think the Pro will have a recessed keypad like MacBook Air. But I think the keys will be metal with backlight in the Chicklet style on Pros.
mlowrey, on October 10th, 2008 at 3:19 am
How will the tapered edges work with all the ports and dvd? The air uses the “drop down” port. The spy shots found yesterday show a squared off chassis so I’m not sure about this one.
Alan, on October 10th, 2008 at 4:58 am
I think you’re pretty much on, except for:
* Screen: I know many like the glossy screen, but why would they drop the matte option when many others absolutely hate it? Also, 13.8″ MBP? Maybe same size as MB.
* Enclosure: I agree that they will all be aluminum (no colors). Won’t be tapered as much as mock-up at top.
* Optical Drive: I’m really holding out for the Blu-Ray, so I hope you’re wrong here!
* Price: I think the price will start at $949, not $800. I just don’t think it would happen.
Can’t wait to see, though. I’m sure there will be something really cool that no one has really considered. Apple always surprises!
Joe, on October 10th, 2008 at 5:30 am
MacBook Pro with 13.8″ screen? Nonsense! Who came up with that silly idea?
tman, on October 10th, 2008 at 5:34 am
How about a real Apple docking station? How about internal 3G?
Matt, on October 10th, 2008 at 6:07 am
PLEASE have a non-glossy monitor option!! Glossy is a nightmare for designers. Also yea, the tapered look isn’t so pretty.
I’ve been desperate for a few months for these! Hopefully CS4 comes out very soon too
Amy, on October 10th, 2008 at 8:00 am
MacBook Pro with 13.8 screen would be absolutely useless.I’m also worry about discontinueing matt screens.I would say 15-17 mac book pros,15 macbooks and 13 and 11 mac book airs.you can’t work on 13 inch screen ,unless you just want to check your emails on a cafe.but the $800 staring price is really necessary if apple wants to stablish a bigger laptop market.
Al, on October 10th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Since when does a price drop translate into a product transition? Sorry, don’t see it. Many seem to think the product transition was the ipod touch going from media player to game system but alot of Mac folks seem to have missed that.
techslacker, on October 10th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Not that I’ve spent much time thinking about this:
- 13.8″ MBP? Deal killer for a $2K computer.
- Black keys? Why make your new model look like a 7 year-old Titanium?
-Taper on MB maybe, but can they shoehorn an MBP in there?
- Aluminum colors (even black or white)? I think they’d have learned from Dell’s mess with painted metal cases.
- They might go to all glossy, but only if the screen manufacturers are killing them in the next couple of years. They’ll be ahead of the curve when everybody else changes over – “We’ve been all glossy since 2008!”
- Integrated graphics? Not on the Pro.
- Battery in the front is good, if just heat protection for your thighs. Battery size shape may be harbinger for next generation of better batteries, if only lighter.
- Price sounds reasonable, but $849 preserves some caché. I think a bigger profit hit would be a BIG drop in MBP price ($1249 start? $1599 top?) (13.8″ still a killer)
- Fewer models: Low and High for each. Besides reducing cost, keeps MB from cannibalizing Pro sales.
Not noted:
- a change to 1.8″ drives. It likely means 120GB to start. Besides space savings, using one form factor makes a lot of sense economically. It also makes the next iPod classic refresh a no-brainer.
- SS Drive for idiots (though the Dow may have already killed that niche).
- Choice of white for all MB models. Apple never offered it for high end MBs, so they don’t know if they lost some sales to the cheaper white model. If there’s a shakeout they’ll drop the color that lags at a refresh.
- blu-ray option at first minor refresh – gets the fence-sitters to jump.
- It’s not a MB, but possible addition of FW800 to iPhone at next iteration (why else bother? If you need a giant RAID ethernet is probably as good or better). If it’s popular then add it to the classic and touch.
- A SATA port? But that could be a FW800 killer.
- Single USB. If you want more spend 8 bucks on a hub.
- More magnetic cable connections. Negates the need for a docking port.
imajoebob, on October 10th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Oh, if they can actually do aluminum colors, a shiny black (REALLY SHINY) MB Air.
imajoebob, on October 10th, 2008 at 9:53 am
if the MBP screen drops below 15.4″, i’ll probably be forced to switch back to PC. i agree 13.8″ would be completely useless. i like the idea of a 16.4″ screen though, or better yet, a hi-res 15.4″.
k tran, on October 10th, 2008 at 10:47 am
I hope it’s not a glossy screen. Nothing is more difficult to see in strong light than anything on a glossy screen.
Balbas, on October 10th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
[...] Tuesday. Cult of Mac blogger and Wired.com editor Leander Kahney (who, uh, sits right behind me) stumbled upon a visual treat: Fanboy mock-ups of the new [...]
TPile » Blog Archive » Fanboy Mocks Up New MacBooks, on October 10th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
[...] Tuesday. Cult of Mac blogger and Wired.com editor Leander Kahney (who, uh, sits right behind me) stumbled upon a visual treat: Fanboy mock-ups of the new [...]
Fanboy Mocks Up New MacBooks | GADGET REVIEWS, on October 10th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
[...] of Mac har satt ihop en, vad de tror, trolig specifikation för de ny MacBookarna som kommer presenteras i nästa vecka. Från [...]
Spec för nya MacBooks (MacLoopen), on October 10th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
[...] Full Story I hope you enjoyed reading this article. You may now subscribe to my RSS Feed, scroll down to leave a comment, or get back to the homepage. [...]
Likely Feature List of New MacBooks | dralnuX, on October 11th, 2008 at 12:01 am
[...] CultOfMAC s’essaye au guesswork pour dévoiler ce qu’il croit être les caractéristiques des prochains portables Apple : [...]
14 Octobre, la rumeur est repartie. | MacRumeurs, on October 11th, 2008 at 1:52 am
[...] Apple Notebooks: Rumor This Week, Reality Next Week On the Apple front, the week began with a rumor about a rumor: that the supposed Apple project codenamed “Brick” was not a product, but an amazing new manufacturing process for carving notebook cases out of solid blocks of aluminum. Next came fuzzy spy photos of what were said to be new MacBook cases. Then bloggers began to question whether the much buzzed about Apple portable event on October 14th would be a go. And then Apple invited press and analysts to…a portable event on October 14th. Possibly featuring an $800 MacBook. Whew! Technologizer will cover the Apple event live from Cupertino. but it can’t possibly keep us busier than this week’s scuttlebutt did. And hey, it’ll all be true, for sure. Read more at: Cult of Mac [...]
The T-List: (BlackBerry) Storm Rising | Technologizer, on October 11th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
[...] ohgizmo, cultofmac, apple] [...]
Apple Event am Dienstag: Alles dreht sich um MacBooks - Gizmodo DE - Gizmodo DE, on October 12th, 2008 at 9:09 am
[...] Tuesday. Cult of Mac blogger and Wired.com editor Leander Kahney (who, uh, sits right behind me) stumbled upon a visual treat: Fanboy mock-ups of the new [...]
Fanboy Mocks Up New MacBooks : Purrtoy online Magazine Glamorous models, glamour teens and hot girls next-door, on October 12th, 2008 at 11:52 am
[...] prie to paÄÂio, pateikiamas nedidelis sÄ…raÅ¡as iÅ¡ visų gandų bei analitikų analizių, ko galima bÅ«tų tikÄ—tis iÅ¡ [...]
iScope #25 « Obelis, on October 13th, 2008 at 2:37 am
[...] we can expect some more changes. Mac Cultist Leander Kahney hopes for 4GB RAM as standard in the MBP, and two in the MacBook. He also lists integrated NVIDIA [...]
Apple’s New Notebooks: What We Should Expect, on October 13th, 2008 at 5:56 am
[...] we can expect some more changes. Mac Cultist Leander Kahney hopes for 4GB RAM as standard in the MBP, and two in the MacBook. He also lists integrated NVIDIA [...]
» New Apple Laptops: What to Expect Tomorrow, on October 13th, 2008 at 8:11 am
[...] Tuesday. Cult of Mac blogger and Wired.com editor Leander Kahney (who, uh, sits right behind me) stumbled upon a visual treat: Fanboy mock-ups of the new [...]
The Cool Tech Stuff Blog » » Fanboy Mocks Up New MacBooks, on January 23rd, 2009 at 11:32 pm