Thinking of getting 13" MBP

My initial thought was the same - USB 3.0 is the same as USB 2.0 functionally, it's just faster (as far as end users are concerned). So it doesn't make sense not to include it. Bluray on the other hand is a marketing decision, Apple wants to move away from optical media.

But then, that doesn't really work, under that logic. Functionally, a Bluray disc is exactly the same as a DVD, only with more capacity....

if i remember correctly usb3 has different system to connect fast devices and usb2.0 support from the normal port :p
and it can give twice the power than 2.0 could :p
 
I haven't even heard of Thunderbolt until this thread. I'd bet money that it's going to be Firewire all over again.

Used to be called LightPeak. Intel is putting quite a bit of weight behind it so who knows.... It's a universal port so in theory it could be shaped as a USB port and take any of your current devices.
 
You guys reckon Thunderbolt is actually going to catch on?

I mean sure, it has Intel behind it, but this is not the first time we've seen something that is more superior to USB try and overtake that.

I'm not saying it will become a useless port nobody will ever use, but somehow I doubt it will have the mass acceptance of something like USB. It sucks that Intel kept dragging their feet on USB 3.0 and now we know the reason why.
 
Well, I'm sure it's going to stick with the high end market, but I can foresee it being very popular for professionals for who speed is the priority.
 
Well, I'm sure it's going to stick with the high end market, but I can foresee it being very popular for professionals for who speed is the priority.

With Intel behind it and the fact that it's already going into machines we know it's not going to be DOA.

What I'm saying is that I don't see this thing ever being adopted in the same way USB has, by the majority of computer users. I see it as being a niche connector for those who absolutely need the speed advantage, video editors and such, but not for the rest because it's just too much of a hassle.

The issue is though, Intel and all the tech websites are touting this as the be all end all of I/O ports for the next decade or something. They are making it seem as if in two years Thunderbolt will have replaced display connectors, USB, ethernet, PCI slots... I don't see that happening, it will have limited applications to certain professions at best is my guess.
 
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First, TrackPoints reign supreme. I don't care how good the Apple touchpad is, I will always prefer a nub for normal use.

For what you want, the 13" MBP really does seem like a pretty great choice. I would go with a Lenovo or Vaio because I don't want OSX and as stated, not a great idea to get a Mac to run Windows on it. Still, I really like the design and build of the MacBooks.
 
You guys reckon Thunderbolt is actually going to catch on?

I mean sure, it has Intel behind it, but this is not the first time we've seen something that is more superior to USB try and overtake that.

I'm not saying it will become a useless port nobody will ever use, but somehow I doubt it will have the mass acceptance of something like USB. It sucks that Intel kept dragging their feet on USB 3.0 and now we know the reason why.

Lightpeak is scalable up to 100gbit, no other standard comes close or neither is anything else on the horizon which comes close. It's only a matter of time before more people need the speed, and given intel's lethargic USB 3 adoption it may come sooner rather than later.
 
USB become popular because of Intel pushing it. I like the idea of LightPeak, one connector for everything. Your mouse, monitor, you name it can all be plugged into a universal slot. It will make things easier for all computer manufactures and users.
 
With Intel behind it and the fact that it's already going into machines we know it's not going to be DOA.

What I'm saying is that I don't see this thing ever being adopted in the same way USB has, by the majority of computer users. I see it as being a niche connector for those who absolutely need the speed advantage, video editors and such, but not for the rest because it's just too much of a hassle.

The issue is though, Intel and all the tech websites are touting this as the be all end all of I/O ports for the next decade or something. They are making it seem as if in two years Thunderbolt will have replaced display connectors, USB, ethernet, PCI slots... I don't see that happening, it will have limited applications to certain professions at best is my guess.
See reason why USB is so popular is that USB 1.0/1.1/2.0/3.0 all use the same connector and everything is backwards compatible. There is no reason why Thunderbolt/lightpeak cannot be made as a USB connector (in fact that was originally the connector it was going to use). It is a universal connector that can be used for anything from monitors to mice.
 
I like the idea of Thunderbolt as well, I'm just wondering how much of a tough time it will have given the prevalence of USB.
 
So the 13" was deemed entirely too wimpy. Ordered a 15" Core i7 with SSD and antiglare screen. Time to obsess over the tracking site :D
 
Yay for matte screen!
 
Got to be honest, i'm not as envious of the new updates as I thought I would be.. it's a 15% speed increase, slightly better HDDs and a magic port that doesn't really do much yet.

Not to mention they look identical to my model.
 
Well, that's quite a nice upgrade from the 13"
Totally, with the battery life being the same and performance being so much better it was hard to pass up. Just gonna have to diet for a bit but I'm fat it would do me good :p
Yay for matte screen!
Yes that was a big one as well. I hate glossy screens (even if I do mostly use it indoors) and the resolution bump is definitely a plus.
Got to be honest, i'm not as envious of the new updates as I thought I would be.. it's a 15% speed increase, slightly better HDDs and a magic port that doesn't really do much yet.

Not to mention they look identical to my model.
Well you gotta keep in mind that aside from the 13" the CPU architecture is basically the same so you can't expect huge improvements. HDDs are really a disappointment being 5400rpm drives (come on Apple 7200 is not much more expensive! though battery life could have been a concern). I was expecting to see an SSD as base at least on the 17" though. I'm curious about the GPU performance though, I'm hoping it will be up to snuff.
 
Does anyone know how the new Macbook Pro 13 performs with the i5 and integraded Intel graphics card? If I recall, the older model may have only had a Core 2 Duo, but it at least had an integrated Nvidia graphics card.
 
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From what I read, the Intel graphics are anywhere from a little bit worse to as good as the nvidia chip, but not faster in any way.
 
Does anyone know how the new Macbook Pro 13 performs with the i5 and integraded Intel graphics card? If I recall, the older model may have only had a Core 2 Duo, but it at least had an integrated Nvidia graphics card.
Was my concern as well and pretty much what killpanda said. It seems that the performance is roughly equivalent to the nVidia. I can't find the Anandtech comparison I saw of an MBP 13" C2D vs a PC with i5 GPU but it was pretty close. From what I can see if you are planning on gaming then don't even bother with it.
 
So the 13" was deemed entirely too wimpy. Ordered a 15" Core i7 with SSD and antiglare screen. Time to obsess over the tracking site :D

Nice, good choice :), did you order the one with the better graphics card or not?

I'm thinking to get the higher end 15' and switch the base 5400rpm HDD for the 7200rpm one at no additional cost. I was also originally planning to get the matte screen, but that bumps up the price quite above my budget :( and I quite like the black bezel.
 
@Wizegui
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1102927 check that has a comparison
Nice, good choice , did you order the one with the better graphics card or not?
Thanks :) I got the one with the better video yes the 1GB GDDR as opposed to 256.

I'm thinking to get the higher end 15' and switch the base 5400rpm HDD for the 7200rpm one at no additional cost. I was also originally planning to get the matte screen, but that bumps up the price quite above my budget and I quite like the black bezel.
Well if you don't care about any of the specs outside of the HDD you are better off with the lower end 15 as it would only be $1800 with the 7200rpm drive. I was just pricing out a lower end 15" with a 7200rpm drive and matte screen and its still less money than the higher end one. That video memory is really only going to make a difference in gaming otherwise you might be better off saving some money. I kinda splurged because I'm not likely to change it in the next 3-4 years as my demands outside of SC2 and Diablo 3 are fairly low :)
 
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