Okay Geek Farm
New 2011 Macbook Pro - Everything you need to know
Brandon Davenport
Apple has announced their shiny new toys and we’re just as giddy as you are. It’s not the most “impressive” set of changes, but it’s for sure a step in the right direction (thanks to Light Peak). They also switched from Nvidia to AMD, added integration with Sandy Bridge, included an HD webcam and added a new version of FaceTime into the mix. Do you need a new MacBook Pro? Find out after the break!
MacBook Pro Changes
- AMD Graphics (no more Nvidia)
- Thunderbolt I/O
- Display port supports Thunderbolt
- HD 720p Webcam
- Longer (7 hour) battery life
- SDXC Support
- Sandy Bridge integration
The new Macbook pro’s are the exact same on the outside — it’s the stuff inside that catches our attention. New I/O systems, better battery and new graphics make the new MacBook Pro a step in the right direction for Apple.
When it comes to Laptops, nobody seems to take battery life into account, and when your stuck on a plane, or in a restaurant (which seems to be happen frequently), 7 hours of battery saves your butt. Apple was known for skewing their advertised battery life, but more recently, they changed the way they test battery life, so the 7 hours they advertise for the 2011 MacBook Pro should hold true.
Thunderbolt (previously known as “Light Peak”) is a new generation of I/O, which can replace a large amount of ports, with just one. Something interesting Apple did when integrating Thunderbolt into the MacBook Pro is they didn’t add another port. They simply integrated Thunderbolt into the mini-display port on the MacBook Pro because Thunderbolt is designed to work as a display port as well. In fact, Thunderbolt can work as a data transfer protocol and video-in/out, so you can “daisy-chain” up to 6 devices (like hard-drives, displays and peripherals) all requiring only one standard, and one port.
Apple also replaced Nvidia with ATI (most likely to save money on more powerful parts and maintain sales margins) and added SDXC (64GB SD cards) support in their SD card slot. They also added a 720p HD webcam for their new release of Facetime, integrated Intel’s Sandy Bridge micro-architecture (we’ll see how this pans out) and changed nothing else.
In the end, it’s not a cosmetic upgrade by any stretch of the word. Apple hasn’t changed the look of the MacBook Pro for years, but the new technology in the laptop make this a really interesting update. For every day consumers, this update isn’t really important, and even though the HD webcam, Thunderbolt and Sandy Bridge stuff is cool, we recommend you wait until the dust has settled.
Do you upgrade to the 2011 model?
No. If you are happy with your current MacBook Pro (most likely the case), there is no need for you to upgrade, unless you have a much older model. The only reasons to get a 2011 Macbook Pro is because you either need the power of Thunderbolt and better battery, or you just have $2,000 burning a hole in your pocket.
