Next-gen MacBook Pro, iMac make benchmark site debut
Ivy Bridge chips, retina screens, USB 3.0 all a-board
Faster MacBook Pros have surfaced on the Geekbench benchmark collation site promising, if genuine, performance 17 per cent up on its predecessor.
The reference, to a 'MacBook9,1', lists a machine with a four-core Intel Core i7-3820QM Ivy Bridge processor operating at 2.7GHz and running Mac OS X 10.8 (Build 12A211). It has 8GB of 1600MHz DDR 3.
A separate filing, covering an 'iMac13,2', shows a machine running Mac OS X 10.8 (Build 12A2040) on a four-core 3.4GHz Core i7-3770 - we reviewed this desktop chip here - equipped with 4GB of 1600MHz DDR 3.
Meanwhile, the new 15in MacBook Pro will sport the much-rumoured thin casing - out go the optical drive and Ethernet ports to make room, it seems - and in comes USB 3.0 and a "retina" display resolution, 9to5Mac claims, citing someone who claims to have fondled "prototype components and casings".
Firewire is out, too, it's suggested, replaced by a second Thunderbolt connector and a third USB port. ®
COMMENTS
Re: Retina
'Retina display" is marketing speak, all displays reach retinal acuity bounds when viewed from far enough away. For a 15" 16:9 screen, 1200p or 2000p hit an adequate ppi, depending on usage scenarios, i.e. viewing distances.
USB 3 instead of ethernet?
I can see both USB and Ethernet ports being dropped in favour of Thunderbolt but if either is to be dropped then it should be USB and all hail the new breakout boxes also known as docking stations. USB 3 adds additional electronic and mechanical complexity to the build. Gigabit Ethernet is already an extremely commodified component which provides universal connectivity at a minimal price.
FFS
Here we go again with Apple - having only recently - try Christmas - upgraded all my External HDD Storage it Firewire 800, it seems Apple wish to push us to Thunderbolt - obviously, I adore paying a 50% premium for a Thunderbolt equipped external, compared to USB 3 - FW800 still carries about a 20-25% premium in prices.
Oh well, nearly picked up a October revision base 15in i7 Macbook Pro for an excellent price a few weeks ago - less than a 1000 with AppleCare - thought best to hold off until the upgrade - what do they do, try and move us to iOS nonsense and their bloody cloud.
Having used Apple products since my early 90's LCII its coming to the stage where I may be better building a Hackintosh for my desktop stuff and seeing what PC laptop competition can run OSX.
Dropping FW800 is a huge mistake - I hope they don't F---K around with the iMac on this revision as swapping my 2011 i7 for latest 27in if it retains FW800 - will be happy with a USB 3 port though!!!
Re: Retina
@ThomH
Clicking the link to the source article makes mention a OSX version being resolution-independent - thus it isn't necessarily an integer multiple of an existing display.
However, having a drastically increased resolution does seem an obvious area in which to differentiate themselves from their competition- laptops with high-res 16:10 screens and the software to take advantage of them.
Here's hoping that this rumour is true, so that competing manufacturers take notice.
"No to dropping firewire. How else am I suppose to backup / repair non-booting Macs for my customers without battling to remove the HDD?"
Using the Thunderbolt port, perhaps?
GbE can be handled by a suitable GbE-USB 3 adaptor if you need one on the road. Furthermore, given that GbE connections are for a cabled—i.e. fixed—network connection, it seems logical to assume you could just use the GbE connector on a Thunderbolt-compatible docking station. Or Apple's own Cinema Display, which happens to include a GbE connector on it, among many other ports—including Firewire.
