Describe/build your perfect Mac

[Mitlov]

Originally Posted by Mitlov

Bring back the MacBook (neither Pro nor Air)--an all-around affordable OSX laptop for those on a budget.

$900
1440x900 15.4" screen
i5 with integrated graphics
Optical drive
Cheaper case design than aluminum unibody if need be to make that price point.

Apple appeals to a lot of people who don't want extreme ultraportability (MBA) or high-performance hardware (MBP). Like my wife. She's absolutely loyal to OSX and Apple trackpads. She wants an optical drive to play movies on the laptop (we own dozens and dozens of movies on DVD), so MBA is out. She doesn't know what a quad-core processor is or what a dedicated GPU is, and she doesn't need either. But having something with a bigger screen than the MBP 13 would be nice. Yet she doesn't want to spend $2000 to replace the MBP 15 when it needs replacing. Apple doesn't make anything for people like her.

Addendum: I want this inexpensive MacBook reboot (no Air, no Pro, just Macbook) to have a bamboo case. No, it won't be as light or thin or "premium" as an aluminum unibody, but it'll be pleasant to touch, environmentally-friendly, and aesthetically unique (now that Asus canned the U33 Bamboo). Maybe something in a light-color bamboo like this smartphone, or maybe multiple colors available:



ADZero bamboo smartphone prototypes hands-on (video) -- Engadget

[kornchild2002]

I am curious as to how those handle drops, abrasions, heat, excess moisture (i.e. being in a pocket, using in a humid area) along with other types of moistures (rain, snow, mist, etc.), and how the wood warps over time. Living in a really humid area, I have observed how wooden decks (which have been properly treated) warp under the hot Sun and excess moisture. I would hate to think that a phone would do the same thing over time when being carried in my pocket or a Mac go through the same process simply because I used it a lot on my lap (which is something I have been doing a lot more lately now that I have a MBA, it seems to run a lot cooler than my 13" MBP).

I wouldn't think that wood would be stronger than metal. That means that a single drop could splinter and crack the whole damn case. Lastly, I don't think the wood would (chuck chuck) would be very heat resistant. We are talking about 110-130 degrees F (sorry, I am in the U.S., I have to use my strange custom units or else Ronal Reagan will haunt me) for the CPU alone. It seems like even properly treated bamboo would even burn/warp/become brittle rather easily under those conditions.

Then again, this thread isn't really filled with many realistic suggestions (mine included). At least a bamboo MacBook would likely float. Ohh yes... They Float Georgie... They Float... And when your down here, with me... You float too!

[Mitlov]

The sort of moisture that warps a deck (being left out in the rain 24/7) would kill the computer's internals far sooner than it would kill the case. I don't think ambient moisture in the air is going to warp treated bamboo in a laptop case. And I can't imagine that using it on your lap would have anything to do with causing it to warp.

As for heat dissipation, plastic doesn't dissipate heat well either...that's what the ventilation system is for. It's true that using the case as a heat sink like the MBP adds supplemental benefit over just the ventilation system, but there are a lot of plastic-cased machines (my Vaio included) where the ventilation system is the sole method of cooling, and that works just fine.

I doubt that 130 Farenheit would cause bamboo any problems. I've used wooden hot-pads with tea kettles that are at 212 degrees Farenheit and I've never seen one of them damaged by the experience. Also, keep in mind that I'm not advocating a quad-core CPU or a dedicated GPU in this thing. I'm thinking i5 or even i3 and that's it.

Abrasions and durability are probably the biggest issue. I'm not sure, but I think it would probably hold up well for typical use, though, at least if you did a traditional body-on-frame setup instead of some bamboo unibody setup. And remember this is an inexpensive entry-level model; nobody is expecting it to be at the same level of durability as a $2000 MacBook Pro.

[jeep364]

Originally Posted by csclifford

Hey all,

I've always been a PC user, but being in college about 90% of my friends have Macbook Pros. In a year or two I'm interested in getting a 15" Macbook Pro/MBA or whatever down the road it is.

So what would be your perfect Macbook? Specs, design, features, etc.?

Mine would be a 15" MBP without Optical drive and:

-More rugged exterior. I have always had Thinkpads and would love a black macbook pro that was something other than Aluminum
-Intel Quad Core processor
-Mid-High Range GPU (something like what a 6770 or GT 555 is today)
-16:10 High Resolution Screen (higher than 1680x1050 or whatever it is now for MBPs)
-8GB RAM
-160GB SSD drive with a 500GB HDD for other storage
-Same trackpad and keyboard as current MBP, including a number pad (Accounting student)
-1080p webcam
-No Optical drive, would love it to be around .8-.9 inches thick, with around 7 hours of battery life
-Removable battery and easier access to components
-Ability to dock

Main thing would be another line of Macbooks that were more business oriented. With more easily upgraded components and a different sort of shell.

So what about you guys?

I'll take one of exactly what you posted

[Lieto]

only thing that was puzzling me ever since is — why dont you put better gpu and remove DVD? Works good in my head — like you free some space with removing DVD and free more space for bigger gpu with more intensive cooling.
would be perfect.

and make it thinner

and black. yes.

[iwantamac]

13" Macbook Pro with:

-Original Macbook Pro keyboard with backlighting
-Fastest Quad-Core i7 on the market
-16 GB RAM
-Two 512GB SSDs
-4 USB ports with covers
-More powerful speakers
-An External optical drive
-Wireless N (I know, pretty much standard)
-A nice graphics card
-GPS with a nav program linked to Google Earth I can use worldwide
-Waterproof barrier between the keyboard and the logic board
-A cooling system that will ensure the laptop never gets above 50 degrees centigrade
-10 hours battery life with a spare that comes standard (a shell design that doesn't require a screwdriver to swap out the battery goes without saying)
-Under 4 pounds
-Aluminum shell would be fine, but maybe to get the weight down use some of the carbon fiber stuff they make the boeing 787 out of.
-Choice of colors
-Same dimensions as the current 13"
-Around $2,500+tax.

I know, this will probably never happen in the next two years, at least not at my price point. My current macbook pro is on its last legs, so something like this won't be my next computer fo sure

[SemiExpert]

I'd like to see Macbook Pro with the same connectivity as the Mac Mini - four USB port and HDMI.

I'd also like to see better maintainability. How about a bottom cover that removes without any tools so you can easily upgrade memory, storage or replace a battery?

Ditch the internal optical drive. It takes up space and slot loading drives have always been less reliable than tray-loading drives.

Ditch Broadcom as a wireless card supplier. Atheros, Intel, anyone else.

Go ARM with the Macbook Air, but stay x86 with the Macbook Pro.


Optimize Bootcamp for Linux and BSD.

[KernalPanic]

I'd like to see a high performance model that is less concerned with being thinner and lighter and more concerned with performance and cooling and professional usage.
Battery life would be understandably lesser given the hardware involved.

Professional rendering hardware on par with the mid-high end or high-end of GPUs instead of the low/middle. (Nvidia Quatro series with GTX 560m or higher equivalent)

Quad-core mobile processors with the cooling to actually run them at 100% on all four cores.

SSD/HDD/optical standard.

High-end 95% gamut 1080p or 1920x1200 screens.

I'd also like to see a degree of durability similar to the OLD macbook pro before the unibody.

The above fits in 15" laptops around 6-7lbs for other vendors.

I want a real professional-grade laptop to recommend for my MacOS users.

[Lieto]

So you want a mbp for rendering?
Its still a notebook means you mostly create stuff on the fly and i cant imagine creating on the fly something more hardware demanding then top mbp can offer.

I am not much into 3d though, but didnt os x lack 3dmax so most 3d guys turned away from it anyway?
Can imagine such notebook could be loved by gamers, but then again not many gamers in mac os anyway. Dats rather little group of potential buyers left.

[kornchild2002]

Originally Posted by Mitlov

And I can't imagine that using it on your lap would have anything to do with causing it to warp.

Oops, I didn't see this earlier. I mentioned the lap usage for a couple of reasons. First, moisture can be absorbed from skin if someone is sweating. How would the wood deal with that over time and could it ever get inside. Second, skin has oil on it and I have observed first hand how skin oil can ruin wood, even treated wood.

I have never owned wooden electronics so I don't know how they would perform. That is why I made my statements. Like I said, there isn't any wrong answer in this thread and people (including me) are obviously posting unrealistic options.