News for Thursday, 16 October 2008

Exactly 24 hours after Steve's keynote, NVidia officially unveiled and provided additional details on its new Centrino 2-dedicated chipset, the GeForce 9400M which are now powering all new Apple MacBook models.
As announced by Steve, the video performance is 5x faster than corresponding Intel's solution while taking only half the size, according to tests performed with a Centrino 2 Montevina with 3D Mark Vantage in 1024 x 768 resolution setting.
As we expected it, NVidia massively communicates about its new video chipset being the one used in new Apple MacBook models, and working perfectly with its SLI Hybrid when associated with the GeForce 9600M. The photo below is included in NVidia PR describing the launch of the GeForce 9400M:

On its website, Nvidia has now increased the space dedicated to the Mac: http://nvidia.com. For sure it is better for Nvidia to be associated to Apple and its new MacBook models than as the manufacturers of millions of defective GPU during the last year... Next step, optimized drivers for Nvidia Mac Edition graphic cards?

A member of Intel's public relation service made some comments about the new MacBook models powered by NVidia GPU and chipset; as this is the first break in an exclusive relationship between Apple and Intel since the CPU switch. Hereafter are some of his comments (translated):

" Intel is maintaining a strong partnership with Apple. The market of graphic cards is very competitive, and we [Intel] are present on all markets... "
" We think our products offer the best performance and experience for our clients, and we are going to work hard to be the front leader. "

Intel seems to behave with Fair-Play, but it might well be only externally. Indeed, Apple had to use a slower CPU in the entry-level MacBook. It might be to compensate the extra cost of the GeForce 9400M, but it might also be linked to Intel not willing to offer highly discounted Core 2 Duo for a client not using entirely its hardware solutions. One should not forget that Intel revised the price list of its CPUs for Dell, when the latest decided to adopt AMD CPU too for some of its computer models. But, as we mentioned it already, in 2009 with the Nehalem it will be an entirely new and different architecture and Intel might be back on track for delivering the highest and/or the most robust performance level expected by Apple.

The new audio output is now compatible with the jack plug used with the iPhone micro/earphone cable. IT will make your life easier, not requiring to get 2 independent earphones to listen to your music on your MacBook and on your iPhone. It is now possible to use the microphone for an audio or video iChat session, and the remote button too to pause iTunes for example.
If one could have expected that SSD will mark the end of unit mess for storage space with 1 KB being 1000 B, instead of 1024 B, it is hopeless. To avoid having problem with customers opting for the 128 GB SSD in the new MacBook Pro, Apple released a TechNote clearly stating that if the previous SSD with 64 GB capacity could "only" store 56.5 GB of data, the new model while announcing 128 GB capacity, will only have space for 113 GB of data. Let's hope that peripheral and accessory manufacturers release a HD bay to replace the current optical drive by a second HD or a SSD, providing extended storage space, or ultimate notebook with system and applications on a SSD, and data on a large standard HD.
With the lack of FireWire on the MacBook, the other topic driving a lot of comments is the now famous glass plate in front of the LCD panel for the MacBook and the MacBook Pro. Unlike on the iMac, the glass plate is glued directly on the LCD panel and to the Alu frame for the notebooks, as with the iPhone 1G. So, if you break it, you will not be able to simply exchange it as with the current iMac, you will have to change the entire LCD part, as shown below:

It will be much more expensive than simply changing the glass plate, but of course, the glass plate could not be hold on place with the same system that with the iMac, notebooks are by definition often opened and closed, so the glass plate must be tightly attached to the LCD part.

Following the release of the new MacBook models, the US refurb store cut massively prices on all previous generations of MacBook models. A MacBook Pro Penryn is now 1000 USD cheaper than its default price. Discounts on MacBook are less impressive but still range from 250 to 400 USD.
Let's hope that such price cuts will also be applied over the world in all local Refurb Stores.

It is now the turn of iFixit to publish a step by step guide to the complete disassembly of the two new models of Apple portables.
Attention, their site seems completely saturated at this moment when we write these lines.
Disassembly of the MacBook
Disassembly of the MacBook Pro

We haven't yet seen the portables in the new range, however Apple proposes already an update that is intended to them. It will be available via the software update, or from their site:
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macbookmacbookprosoftwareupdate12.html
It fixes several bugs and improves the compatibility of MacBook/Macbook Pro 2008 with external screens.

According to the latest rumours, Apple encountered problems that prevented them from launching MacBook Pro 17" at the same time as the other machines. These may be related to a problem with the screen and the DVD burner (one wonders about the cause for the second of the specified reasons).
It will be launched as soon as these problems are solved and has, no surprise, a configuration identical to the model 15" high-end (with more Firewire? with Blu-ray?)
At this moment there is talk that it will be marketed at the beginning of 2009.