OK, so what do you want in the new MacBook Pro? (whenever it is!)

I was using my MacBook Pro today, and for some reason it just looks... so.... OLD! Somehow it's so dated looking. Give us an update Apple!

I'd like, realistically-speaking:

1.) A faster-reading DVD drive (my 3-year old Thinkpad reads discs faster...)

2.) A less-spongy keyboard, more akin to the MacBook Air/MacBooks

3.) A shell that I'm not afraid of scratching every 2 seconds...

4.) Better heat dissipation. This thing is a toaster oven under load!

5.) Another USB port or two

6.) A bigger touchpad. After using the MacBook Air for a while, the MBP touchpad feels tiny, especially for scrolling down web pages!

7.) User-replaceable hard drive. While I replaced mine and others' drives, the average Joe would have trouble.

8.) Better placement of the light sensor, so that rogue hand movements over the side don't trigger the brightness drop/increase.

Anyone else want to add REALISTIC expectations for a new MBP?

 

Yea, a price drop, lol...
P.S. I believe that the design of the regular Macbooks need to change more than Macbook Pros do. Macbooks have that glossy material that I just hate. I'd be scared of scratching a Macbook every second of its use!

 

I'm still going on Extreme CPU, with 4gb RAM, 500+Gb HDD, nVidia 8800GTX (with a new cooling system), new keyboard, and new chassis...

 

I just want a case redesign.

I mean, come on now. It's been five years now. Sure, people say, "Oh, it's a classic!" "Why fix what's not broken?", etc etc, but five years.

A new design is definitely needed.

 

A keyboard more inline with the MacBook,/MacBook Air/iMac and more USB ports. Other than that I can really think of anything. I like the case as is and honestly, don't see it getting changed anytime soon.

 

While I'm all for a fresh new look for the MB/MBP notebooks, Apple doesn't need to drastically change it. The current design is selling quite well as it is. One design flaw on the Santa Rosa version of the MBP's is that the headphone jack is too close to the power plug, resulting in a hissing sound when both are in use.

But... I do have some wishes:

1. The MBP's keyboard is to "spongy" (as WilliamG said). The MB/MBA keyboard rocks though, so that would be a cool solution.
2. Offer a color other than gray on the MBP. The aluminum finish, while nice, is a bit dull. I'd like to see a piano black MBP. If the IPod lineup has all those colors, why not extend it to the notebook's?
3. Bring back the remote control for Front Row! The SR line of MBP's were the last ones to get the remote included, why not include them in the new lines?
4. While the MBA comes with SSD hard drives already, Apple should at least offer custom builds of MB/MBP's with an SSD drive.
5. Finally, to lighten the load, have a removeable DVD drive bay. Offer up the ability to insert another hard-disk drive or battery in its place...
6. Quad-Core MBP's would be awesome. I don't think Intel or AMD have created these yet for notebooks... but should do it soon at least.
7. Many laptop's, if not all of 'em, max out memory at 4 GB installable. Why not kick it up a noch and go up to 8 GB's? Actually, this is kind of a silly idea as anyone needing that much memory should invest in a Mac Pro tower... forget I even mentioned this one.
8. [Late Entry] One more thing which I can't believe I forgot: User Replaceable Hard-Drives.

 

So here is my list:

1. New keyboard is obligatory!
2. I like the design. I would rather stay with the current one than switch to some blackish colours like with iMacs.
3. Better cooling - gets extremely warm sometimes.
4. Media card reader.... I know, I know... not enough space.

The rest is brilliant.

 

It is a toaster oven under load because the whole thing is metal, and the whole thing acts as a heatsink. You don't really get better heat dissipation than this. Notice how quiet the MBP is, and the lack of obvious vents.

Hard to say what I'd want in a new MBP. A second trackpad button would be nice. Oh, and a user-replaceable hard drive.

 

a black MBP would be killer, and a blu-ray drive

 

I've never EVER believed this explanation. I have mine sitting on an mStand almuminium stand, and the CPU is right now at 83C encoding a DVD to .mp4. I've never seen any other laptop get that hot under load. This in a fairly cool room, too.

 

i have never had major problems with cooling even with my MBP rendering for over 48hours straight, so I can't really complain much about heat problems.

I do hope that they update the keyboard and possibly the case to something more along the lines of the MacBook Air, in terms of design not size, I like the nice angular look the Air has, it looks more solid, less like a shell. And I really love the new thin aluminum keyboards Apple has made, I would never do without mine, so I hope they include that type of design on the next MBP update.

all the performance/storage upgrades aren't really relative as they will come when they are available. What I would really like to see which probably will not happen is a carbon fiber case, even though aluminum is probably a better choice.

more USB ports is really not necessary at all in my opinion, people need to start using firewire, and stop complaining, or stop pluging in so much stuff at once, I use my machine as an absolute desktop replacement that is doing extremely intensive work and I easily get by with 2-3 usb ports, I almost always have an open usb port on my 17" machine.

I really like the idea of an even larger touchpad with better multitouch features after using the air trackpad though, the MBP's already have massive touchpads but it definitely wouldn't hurt to have even larger ones.

 

I don't have a "problem" per se, with the heat of the MBP. It just definitely gets too warm, and it's not a laptop (I know, I know, - it's a "notebook"), that's for sure, when you're rendering for 48 hours straight. You'd burn your bits off if you had it on your lap when gaming/rendering/encoding. I've used a ton of laptops in the last few years, and the MBP runs hotter than any of them.

 

Redesign, a little thinner, more USB ports, magnetic latch, MBA keyboard .

 

I would think it will look like a thicker version of the MBA, which would be nice.

 

Ey, awesome thread WilliamG. May I suggest that you send in your feedback to apple and link them this thread? That may help our wishes come true .

 

I Need.........

1> 3 USB Ports Minimum
2> Express Card 54 Slot
3> Hi End VGA card (17" MPB)
4> Quad-Core Processor
5> Blu-Ray Drive

 

It is not so easy to use firewire if your device does not support it. USB is the most popular I/O connector and as of now is the industry's standard. For the average user, 2 USBs is very limiting. Most users use a USB mouse and many attach other peripherals such as a printer, camera, hard drive or more commonly, speakers; and switching between those is a definite hassle. People tend to complain when their need is not met... and in most cases it really isn't. It may work well for you but 2 USB ports is definitely limiting to the vast majority.

 

This is, I think, is the minimal list of changes, just two:
1. Slight improvement in keyboard. My complain is that keys do not register if pressed around edge of the key. I guess fixing this will also make the keyboard less spongy, as was noted before.
2. Less heat on the front of notebook, where I place my hands, especially on the left side, which now gets exreamly hot. MacBook doesn't have this problem, because the bettery is located along the front and not in the middle. Same redesign would easily solve the problem of the hand-rest area overheating.

 

well, i just hope for :

- memory card reader, put one in the right hand side top
- reposition the headphone jacks to the front
- a new design...
- fingerprint reader
- a remote that stays in the expresscard slot

will suffice

 

I agree that it's time for a case revamp at least. I was still an Apple tech when they released the PowerBook G4 is this body style.

Unfortunately my list of "must haves" for a laptop are too demanding for Apple (or most other companies), which is why I've got a windows laptop.

I wouldn't want to have closed the hood on my car on anything other than my Toughbook, nor not realised what I had done and drive around the city with it still pinned under my hood.

But if Apple wants to break into the rugged laptop market, I'll buy one once they hit the civilian second hand market.

I still kinda wish that my Mac Pro keyboard wasn't white though, some of my keys are turning black...

 

Dual hard drives (or at least a hot swappable smart bay drive for more storage)
HDMI port
Full key pad with numeric keys
Media card reader
Blu Ray
color options (like the iPods)
more usb ports (at least 3 total)
Better graphics card

 

Very much agreed. I'm tempted to remove one of the optical drives from my desktop PC and put it in a Firewire enclosure because the MBP's drive is so freaking slow.

See, I like the spongy keyboard more than the one on the MBA.

It sure would be nice not to feel like you have to buy a skin of some kind because the standard casing is so fragile.

Also agreed. At least the Core2 Duo processors are engineered to deal with high temperatures. But overheating isn't a terribly common problem on these systems, so Apple at least deserves kudos for engineering their notebooks to operate stably in its chassis.

That would be nice. I would say replace the onboard wired ethernet port with additional USB.

Meh. The current MBP touchpad works well for me, but I don't use it all that often since I have a mouse connected to the machine most of the time.

Yes, yes, yes.

See No. 7 above.

Sure.

9) Standard Blu-ray and 4 GB of RAM on all but the most basic MBP models.

10) Make the GeForce 8800 Go available on most models, especially since a lot of folks likely will run Windows on their machines in order to play games.

11) Offer a quad-core CPU option

12) Include a memory-card reader, either on the system itself or in the box as a USB accessory.

 

Sounds like its doing is job?

 

No... that would be awful... are you kidding? Ethernet ports are a necessity man... And the 17" has 3 USBs, they can easily add an extra USB port on the 15" model if they wanted to without sacrificing anything else.

 

Nope. Not kidding at all. With Macbooks being geared for portability and the increasing proliferation of Wireless-N, additional USB ports would be more useful, IMO, than an Ethernet port.

 

I do not agree with saturnotaku on the ethernet port. I only want to remove the firework 400 port and replace it with a usb port. Also I am very comfortable with the macbook pro keyboard and I do not find anything wrong with it. I do agree with another usb idea.
I like my macbook pro and I really enjoy using it.

 

Has creating a Mac Tablet been mentioned on this thread? If not, that's what I would go for...

 

No need to wish for it.

http://axiotron.com/index.php?id=modbook

They're expensive but cool nonetheless.

 

Woah, nice! Where's the keyboard? Or is it just a slate-only deal?

 

Though it doesn't explicitly say, based on some of the language on their Web site, it seems that it's pen-only input. That means you'd be stuck with either an on-screen deal like an iPhone or using a USB external keyboard, which kind of defeats the whole purpose.

 

A glossy piano black finish, with a standard 15.4" LED 1680x1050 display with 8800 GTX graphics, 0.5" thin, 5 hours of battery life, able to change the color of the backlit keyboard, and faster DVD drives.

 

OMG I forgot the resolution issues. 1680x1050 resolution display = a MUST, plus an optional 1920x1200 for us high-res junkies. NO QUESTION. This is something that should have been done years ago.

 

83C is high, but it is within spec for a 2.4Ghz Merom (100C is the rated max).

My MBP is toasty right now, and it's just doing Safari and IRC. It's just the way the MBP was designed. The PC laptops I have owned have always been encased in plastic, with dedicated vents and fans to push air out. This is because they don't have metal enclosures designed to dissipate heat. Then again, the plastic keyboards and wrist pads rarely gets even warm. Near the vents it's another story.

You may notice the LCD panel, the lower part of it probably gets warm (since heat is moving from the base onto the panel) but gets cooler closer to the top. That's the heat transfer in action.

 

Here is my 2 cents:

1. Resolution! 1440x900 on a 15.4" is just not enough. 1920x1200 should be standard on the 17".

2. User replaceable HD! I've done a few of these for friends and its not terrible but takes way to much time and trouble just to swap a HD! Sheesh!

3. E-SATA or USB 3.0.

4. 2nd Mouse button??



K

 

Still don't buy it. The back of the system is so damn hot because the CPU and GPU are there. It's just not comfortable!

 

In a power house machine such as a MBP that proposal is totally unrealistic and I can guarantee you a 0% of that happening in the next 5 years. You can quote me on that and shove it in my face if I am wrong. Sure there are USB to Ethernet port adapters but it defeats the purpose if people have to use one every time they need to connect to the internet. And believe it or not, a lot of people still use the Ethernet port. Your suggestion works better for ultra portables such as the MBA.

 

I would pay much for this, much!

 

I want to be able to tilt the screen further back!

 

1.HDMI port
2.Better video card
3.better cooling
4.card reader
5.54 expresscard!

 

Most of the stuff that I'm going to say probably have been mentioned already, but what the heck.

- 9600M GT/Mobility 3850/3870 (probably going to happen eventually)
- Option for a 1650x1050 display
- Hybrid graphics. (being able to switch off GPU and use your IGP for better battery life)
- More colours. Polished black would be sooooo sexy. <3
- A more springy keyboard like those in the MBA or MB.
- Magnetic latch.
- An extra USB port. I can survive with 2, but 3 would be nice.
- A right mouse button. A bigger touchpad probably wouldn't hurt too.
- Couple of extra keyboard keys, like Del, Pg Up, Pg Down, Print Screen.
- Free remote control in the ExpressCard slot.

About the design of the MBP...well, I kinda wish they would do something with all the space they have around the keyboard. Compared to any other notebook, the MBP just seems to look like it has lots of space, and kinda gives the feeling that it's rather bare. I didn't get the same 'wow' feeling looking at the MBP, that I did when I saw the XPS M1530. Also mmm, I wish the casing wouldn't dent that easily.

 

Agreed! The MBP seems to throw away that space around the keyboard. The speakers can fit someplace else easily, like parallel to the screen on the keyboard plane. And the keyboard itself can have several new buttons added, that would be very cool.

 

Most of this is repeat, but I feel like posting my 2cents.

I'll take a newer graphics card say 9600M GT (8800 seems unlikely perhaps?) w/hybrid graphics;
A 1650x1050 display;
A color in addition to the silver – I'm in agreement with the majority here that think a nice shiny black would be good;
More USB ports, 3 is nice, 4 would be heaven!
A bigger touchpad wouldn't hurt.

I LOVE it. If only all issues could be explained away like this:
NTSB: Your cars keep exploding in low-speed collisions.
Car Maker: It's just the way they were designed.

 

more usb ports
cooler design (aesthetics)

run cooler but as silent

and maybe some alert for when you block the back vents by accident, i always worry about that

i like the paint and find it pretty durable.

 

Do you think a numberpad could be fit onto it? It'd be so badass to have one in the 15.4" MBP.

 

I'm not a huge fan of numberpads because it means the main keyboard will be shifted more to the left. I like my keys centered! But this will be subjective, of course...

And a new latch is definitely needed. Quite tricky to open them thar MBPs with the all-too-thin latch button.

 

For the 15" no(or would be very very tight), for the 17" I would say yeah it could definitely fit... would definitely be cool, but we will see what Apple decides to do... I would say it would be more probable for the 17" to have it heheh. Yeah it would be cool.

 

already mentioned I'm sure, but since these are "so long overdue" I mention them again

1680x1050
more usb ports
better access to the hard drive

Although it matters less these days, the MacBook Pro should come with better hard drives STANDARD. Like a 320GB 5400rpm or a 200GB 7200rpm drive should just be the standard offering. I'm trying to buy the "pro" machine, so, just give it to me already.

Also sort the damn ram offerings out. I'm looking 2GB of ram sitting on my desk, not even really worth selling on craigslist. The laptop should have just come with 4GB ram.

The MBP only comes in 2 sizes and the flavorings are pretty minimal. The ram and the hard drive are two things which together would cost Apple about $100 and would help make the MBP a leader in the field.

15" LED (1440 and 1680 res offerings)
top CPUs (I wish I could have gotten a CPU with 6MB cache without going all the way to the $2500 model)
maximum hard drives
maximum ram

done and done...

or, just can the current system altogether and let me custom make the damn thing. There are not that many variables anyhow beyond the 2 sizes.

 

I actually don't really see a need for a number pad anymore. I think the fact that the keyboard shifts left is more of a negative than having a number pad is a positive.

Just my opinion though .

 

There isn't really enough space on the 15.4 MBP to add a numpad. The 17" MBP, however, has enough real estate on there to where a numpad would be just icing on the cake.

 

Does anyone else feel they should spice up the lower section (where the keyboard is) a bit more? There's just a back-lit keyboard, speakers, a touch-pad, and no fancy buttons or whatever like in other brands.