Apple is set to completely overhaul the MacBook Pro, giving the popular notebook a new design much closer to that of the MacBook Air, according to a report.
Apple Insider claims that sources familiar with the new MacBook Pro designs have said that the optical drives and traditional hard disk drives will be scrapped altogether.
Instead there will be solid-state drives (SSDs), enabling the MacBook Pro to be much thinner than before, but also reducing the number of moving parts - the result of which should be a much more durable MacBook that is less likely to break.
Existing MacBook Pro designs are expected to be phased out over the course of the year, the report says, and Apple should have completed "a top-to-bottom revamp of its notebooks lineup" by the end of 2012.
There will be 15in and 17in models of the new MacBook Pro, though the latter will be released after the 15in version, which is expected to be released some time in the second quarter of 2012.
It'll have Thunderbolt connectivity and will be based around Intel's forthcoming Ivy Bridge architecture, Apple Insider believes.
Of course, this isn't the first we've heard of a thinner, 15in MacBook. Back in October, rumours from Japan spread that Apple was working on such a device, though it was unclear whether it was a larger MacBook Air or thinner MacBook Pro.
Components for the new MacBook were reported to have started shipping towards the end of last year.
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Greybear said on Mon, 13 Feb 2012
Seems like a dumb idea to me, to be honest. They may as well get rid of the MacBook Pros altogether if they are going to be more like MacBook Airs and dispensing with the optical and traditional hard drives will just force people to use external optical and hard drives, which won't make MacBook Pros very portable. Or am I missing the point?!
RosemaryJayne said on Tue, 14 Feb 2012
I think this could be interesting, what I want to know more about is the screen. I really like the screens on the current MacBook Pros, it would be a shame to see those go.
To Greybear> How often do you really use optical drives on the go? I very rarely use mine, and don't take the external one with me when I travel. On the other hand I've always carried a large USB key/small external HDD with me when I travel because they're so tiny, and this was before I had an SSD.
pronson said on Wed, 15 Feb 2012
Just sounds like another MacBook Air to me. If I wanted an Air instead of a Pro that's what I'd buy.
Don't care much about SSD but, yes RosemaryJayne, I do use my optical drive regularly. My Pro is a great portable DVD player!
Isn't removing the optical drive just forcing us all to use Apple's App store?
Chains74 said on Thu, 16 Feb 2012
I hope this is a false rumour, as if the next generation of Macbooks don't come with an optical drive I won't upgrade mine and it will be the first time Apple have disappointed me.
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