2011 MacBook Pro Refresh Thead - Page 4 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

MickMcGeough · 02-25-2011, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woob

Meh. Where's the BluRay? Where's the 1080p on the 15inch model? Why is a MacBook Pro, which is supposed to be a high end machine for 'Pros' still shipping with a 5400rpm drive default? Last I checked it's 2011 and many competitors have this technology in their high end laptops. Sure, there is the Mac experience, but is it worth that much more when Microsoft has made big leaps in usability with Windows 7?

And, before you Mac fanboys pile on me, I own a 2008 MacBook Pro 15, which I bought used, so I do use an Apple product. But I'm about to sell it, so then my only Apple product will be my work iPhone.

I really doubt many people would be interested in a 1900x1200 15" display, 1680x1050 is as high as I'd ever go on that size. On my model a 7200rpm 500GB drive was a free swap with the default, and a 128GB SSD was a $100 upgrade, which is below retail!

I could take or leave blu-ray myself. I don't even remember the last time I watched a movie on a laptop.

You're probably just not the target market. If you want a media center, get an HP.

woob · 02-25-2011, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

I really doubt many people would be interested in a 1900x1200 15" display, 1680x1050 is as high as I'd ever go on that size. On my model a 7200rpm 500GB drive was a free swap with the default, and a 128GB SSD was a $100 upgrade, which is below retail!

I could take or leave blu-ray myself. I don't even remember the last time I watched a movie on a laptop.

You're probably just not the target market. If you want a media center, get an HP.

I have another 15inch laptop with 1920x1080 resolution and it's wonderful. Believe it or not, people enjoy that resolution outside of media viewing purposes. For instance, I also use this resolution at work on dual monitors and I certainly don't watch movies at work.

Blu-Ray is used also as a backup media choice, not just for media viewing. And if I'm going to spend that amount of money on a laptop, why shouldn't it come with a Blu-Ray reader/writer?? Yay Apple, you gave me a reader/writer drive that's way old tech. Go Apple!

And no I don't want just a media center, but I should be able to watch blu-ray media at 1080p should I wish to.

Thanks, tips!

FanIn80 · 02-25-2011, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woob

Thanks, tips!

You want a tip?

Don't buy a MacBook Pro.

woob · 02-25-2011, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FanIn80

You want a tip?

Don't buy a MacBook Pro.

Thanks, I'm not

If they had what I mentioned, I'd consider it.

MickMcGeough · 02-25-2011, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woob

I have another 15inch laptop with 1920x1080 resolution and it's wonderful. Believe it or not, people enjoy that resolution outside of media viewing purposes. For instance, I also use this resolution at work on dual monitors and I certainly don't watch movies at work.

I'd like 1920x1080 too. If MacBook were 16:9, that is.

FanIn80 · 03-04-2011, 03:10 PM

Well, I broke down and ordered a 17" MBP today. Got the anti-glare screen with the base 2.2 i7 option. I didn't upgrade the RAM (bought 8GB from MemEx for $90 instead), but I did take advantage of the $100 SSD upgrade.

I also ordered an OptiBay with a 7200RPM, 750GB drive for my secondary internal storage.

Edit: Plus I know someone with an corporate Apple discount, so I also saved about $450 on it.

MickMcGeough · 03-04-2011, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Well, I broke down and ordered a 17" MBP today. Got the anti-glare screen with the base 2.2 i7 option. I didn't upgrade the RAM (bought 8GB from MemEx for $90 instead), but I did take advantage of the $100 SSD upgrade.

I also ordered an OptiBay with a 7200RPM, 750GB drive for my secondary internal storage.

Edit: Plus I know someone with an corporate Apple discount, so I also saved about $450 on it.

Nice! That's a serious machine.

FanIn80 · 03-04-2011, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

Nice! That's a serious machine.

Thanks!

Did you get the SSD upgrade with yours? If you did, is it actually a drive or is it a couple onboard chips like in the Air?

MickMcGeough · 03-04-2011, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Thanks!

Did you get the SSD upgrade with yours? If you did, is it actually a drive or is it a couple onboard chips like in the Air?

No I just put my existing SSD in and kept the 750GB for storage, but the factory upgrade SSD is a 2.5" drive, not chips.

MickMcGeough · 03-11-2011, 12:26 PM

Something interesting from the AnandTech review: the optical bay SATA cable is not connected to a 6Gb/s SATA port, but the primary HDD SATA cable is.

This is important for people using optical bays to house drives, since it's common practice to use the primary HDD bay for the mechanical storage drive and the optical bay for the SSD due to the shock protection mechanisms in the primary HDD bay. If you get a SSD that can support 6Gb/s, you've got to put it in the primary bay now.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4205/t...sandy-bridge/5

FanIn80 · 03-11-2011, 01:31 PM

Whoa, this is good news for me. I had no clue the MBP supported SATA3... Time to go SSD shopping!

MickMcGeough · 03-11-2011, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Whoa, this is good news for me. I had no clue the MBP supported SATA3... Time to go SSD shopping!

I'd definitely wait for the Vertex 3 (or another SF-2200 drive). It's absolutely crushing everything else in the new MBPs:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4205/t...sandy-bridge/7

FanIn80 · 03-11-2011, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

I'd definitely wait for the Vertex 3 (or another SF-2200 drive). It's absolutely crushing everything else in the new MBPs:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4205/t...sandy-bridge/7

Hmmm...

I want to do it on the cheap for now, which would be better between these two?

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16820249010
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16820148348

The Plextor boasts better numbers, but the Crucial one seems to be every reviewer's favourite (from its class).

MickMcGeough · 03-11-2011, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Hmmm...

I want to do it on the cheap for now, which would be better between these two?

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16820249010
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16820148348

The Plextor boasts better numbers, but the Crucial one seems to be every reviewer's favourite (from its class).

The Vertex 3 will be the same price (give or take $20 or so) and it's out in 10 days. It really is way beyond everything else (in benchmarks):
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4186/o...focused-sf2200

But if you really can't wait, I've heard lots of positives about the C300 and next to nothing about the PX-M2.

FanIn80 · 03-11-2011, 03:51 PM

Oh, what the hell. I didn't realize it was going to be the same price! Yeah, it's a no-brainer to wait then.

Thanks!

FanIn80 · 03-13-2011, 08:38 PM

Found this: http://www.ncix.com/products/?mode=preorder&sku=59354

I wonder if it's worth it to preorder...

FanIn80 · 03-14-2011, 05:40 PM

Well, I went ahead and pre-ordered one. $320 altogether with GST and 1-2 day shipping.

Not bad, considering I spent $500 for a 160GB SSD for my Dell last year.

MickMcGeough · 03-18-2011, 03:55 PM

Just finished repairing a co-workers 2011 MacBook Pro. They'd also installed an OptiBay. The SATA cable connecting the superdrive/optibay to the motherboard is very fragile - fair warning to anyone replacing their superdrive. They claimed to have torn theirs "like a piece of paper".

FanIn80 · 03-18-2011, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

Just finished repairing a co-workers 2011 MacBook Pro. They'd also installed an OptiBay. The SATA cable connecting the superdrive/optibay to the motherboard is very fragile - fair warning to anyone replacing their superdrive. They claimed to have torn theirs "like a piece of paper".

Yikes.

I just installed an OptiBay (with this guy in it) in my new MBP a couple days ago. No problems to report, although I would have been extra careful with that cable had I read this beforehand.