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New MacBook Pros Launched
Art Vanderlay writes "Apple's new MacBook lineup has launched with a refresh to the MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air models. As expected, the MacBook and MacBook Air both feature Core 2 Duo processors, as does the 13. The 15 and 17 models come with a choice of i5 or i7. Memory is 4GB across the board, with an optional upgrade. Additionally, the new line may include three different types of screen options: Glossy, High Resolution Glossy, and High Resolution Glossy with Anti-Glare. A second person familiar with the matter adds that at least some models will support 512GB of Solid State Drive (Flash) storage."
Actually, for once the RAM isn't that much overpriced. Buying two 4GB DDR2 SO-DIMMs from crucial.com costs $380 more than buying two 2GB ones. That's a pretty small difference. It's a far cry from when I bought my last MBP and it was cheaper to buy it with the minimal RAM configuration, buy new RAM, and throw the RAM it came with in the bin.
Charging $30 each for adaptors to plug in a VGA or DVI monitor is just cheap though - they should be included as standard, and were on older Mac laptops. Same with charging $20 for the remote. Part of the Just Works(tm) thing you get with a Mac is that it comes with everything you need in the box - making half of the things you need into 'optional' extras detracts from this. They've done the same with the iPod, removing things like the dock, mains charger, belt clip, and so on that used to come in the box.
Charging $150 extra for the non-rubbish display option is also a bit irritating.
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
I've had a MacBook Pro for a couple of years now and overall I'm not impressed. The aluminum case dents super easily, there are only two USB ports, I am on my second power adaptor and second battery, and my DVD drive no longer burns DVD's. Furthermore, it gets so hot you cannot have it on your lap without a layer of asbestos between it and your legs.
-Xoltri
But still, WHY would I pay $1,450 more for the MacBook Pro?
Screen resolution, quality and reliability of parts, decent touch pad, decent speakers, mag connect power, Firewire for video work, no driver issues with the video card and OS, faster hard drive, multiple non-mirrored video displays, 2 pounds lighter to carry around, DVI, backlit keyboard, more than twice the battery length, automatic graphic card switching, slightly better bluetooth... that's most of it. Well and it can run and comes with OS X, which means more to most of us than the rest of it.
You can make the same comparison though with a higher end Dell laptop. It has a lot more features than the Acer and it costs more. If you don't need a high end laptop, don't buy one. If you live you life in front of laptop, well you might want to spring for one that is higher quality, more reliable, and more featureful. A grand is what, a week or two of consulting for a professional. Hell adding the new Adobe CS Suite will bump up the price $2600 but if it's the best tool for the job, it pays for itself in short order.