And–wait for it–what if there’s no new Macbook Pro?

[Chris Harlan]

I’m suddenly seeing lots of speculation that the switchable GPUs in the Macbook Pros might be going away for most models to be replaced with the on-chip Intel. I’m also seeing speculation about a 15″ Macbook Air replacing its Macbook Pro counterpart.

https://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/03/14/rumor_apple_to_launch_15_inch_macbook_air_in_april_effectively_killing_the_pro.html

Any clarification or added info that folks could bring would be most welcome.

[Steve Connor]

I’ve been watching these rumours circulating, my MacBook Pro just suffered the Nvidia graphics chip breakdown just one week after the four year replacement warranty expired, so I’ve been looking to buy a new one.

Steve Connor
“FCPX Agitator”
Adrenalin Television

[Andrew Richards]

I saw the same rumors. Supposedly NVIDIA was on the hook for new MacBook GPUs but has failed to deliver with their new Kepler chips. Ivy Bridge’s built-in GPU is supposed to be much improved, but better than a discrete GPU? Hard to believe. NVIDIA is struggling to get its Kepler line to market (it was due this quarter) and the reports I’ve read point to poor manufacturing yields. AMD has been shipping their Southern Islands GPUs for weeks now.

Best,
Andy

[Derek Andonian]

The idea of Apple changing a pro oriented product to target more mainstream users sounds crazy- but then, Appleinsider has been right about this sort of thing before…

https://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/05/18/apple_scaling_final_cut_studio_apps_to_fit_prosumers.html

______________________________________________
“THAT’S our fail-safe point. Up until here, we still have enough track to stop the locomotive before it plunges into the ravine… But after this windmill it’s the future or bust.”

[Chris Harlan]

[Steve Connor] “I’ve been watching these rumours circulating, my MacBook Pro just suffered the Nvidia graphics chip breakdown just one week after the four year replacement warranty expired, so I’ve been looking to buy a new one.
“

I’m thinking of going ahead and getting the current Macbook Pro now–I’ve got the pre-thunderbolt i7–and not worrying whether its my last Mac or not. Thunderbolt is finally looking like it might be worth it for me, though the glacial pace of product release is still a bit off-putting.

[Phil Hoppes]

I picked up this version of MBP back in October. This is, without a doubt, the best MBP I’ve ever owned (I’ve had 4 counting this one). You can upgrade to 16Gb of Memory over at MacSales (Down to $239 as I type now) and also get blazing fast SSD’s from them. I got their conversion kit and pulled out the optical drive, which I never use, and installed a Seagate 750Gb Hybrid drive. I run bootcamp (do install this BEFORE you pull the optical if you plan on doing this) so on my data drive I partitioned it for 250Gb HFS and 500GB NTFS. Go to Paragon Software and you can get HFS drivers for Windows and NTFS drivers for OSX so you can read/write to either drive no matter which OS you are booted. Runs really sweet and 8 threads for rendering is very nice.

[Greg Burke]

its apple you never know what they’re going to do. until they do it.

My speculation

EOL – Macbook Pro

EOL- MacPro Towers

EOL- iMac

I think there going to focus on iDevices and merge Macbook Pro with the Mac Book Air Line

Of course this is all speculation, you never know with apple. Just my 2 cents. 🙂

I wear many hats.
http://www.gregburkepost.com

[Chris Harlan]

[Phil Hoppes] “I picked up this version of MBP back in October. This is, without a doubt, the best MBP I’ve ever owned (I’ve had 4 counting this one). You can upgrade to 16Gb of Memory over at MacSales (Down to $239 as I type now) and also get blazing fast SSD’s from them. I got their conversion kit and pulled out the optical drive, which I never use, and installed a Seagate 750Gb Hybrid drive. I run bootcamp (do install this BEFORE you pull the optical if you plan on doing this) so on my data drive I partitioned it for 250Gb HFS and 500GB NTFS. Go to Paragon Software and you can get HFS drivers for Windows and NTFS drivers for OSX so you can read/write to either drive no matter which OS you are booted. Runs really sweet and 8 threads for rendering is very nice.

“

Yeah, this will be my fourth, if you include a 17″ Powerbook. I’m hoping LaCie will soon release their eSata adaptor so that I can access the many TBs of portable RAID at more than Firewire speeds (without using the pc card adapter, which I find springs out way too easily and causes Kernel panics shortly after it does.) and so that I can have some bus-powered fast access like that new elgato drive. Since, on several speed tests, this MBpro challenges my 2008 8 Core, I might be willing to let this be my choice for now. I do look with envy, however, at some of the mobile Quadro entries from HP and Dell, and their USB3 and eSata ports, and wonder if I shouldn’t be going there for just a little more. The magic word, though, seems to be ProRes which keeps me retreating back.

[Phil Hoppes]

I would agree actually but not all this year and not in the order you listed.

This year MacPro’s – Toast.
1-3 years – MBP’s – Toast.

iMac’s…… That’s a tough one but I think the traditional desktop probably has another 5 years left in it. I think that iOS is going to take over everything but, that being said, multi core ARM chips are still a long ways away performance wise from a multi core iX CPU and that’s going to take a bit longer to supplement. It is just a matter of time however when a mulit core AXX chip can essentially perform the tasks required to make the user experience the same as a iX CPU one has to wonder how long Apple will stay with Intel and then with desktops. Desktops themselves may actually die as you speculate with the large screen diehards relegated to getting a second monitor. You may just have them all nailed but just a matter of time.

[Frank Gothmann]

[Chris Harlan] “The magic word, though, seems to be ProRes which keeps me retreating back.”

I think it’s interesting how often Prores is mentioned as a reason to not consider alternatives. And I understand, there is a lot of Prores stuff out there and it is often requested for file based deliveries. Apple has done a fine job there keeping it decode-only on Win.
Depending on the adoption of X though, I wonder if and when that situation will change, with a shift towards codecs that are not Apple bound. DnxHD, Cineform and, soon, Canopus HQX are darn good alternatives.