MacBook Pro Update Imminent?

I've been eagerly anticipating the release of a new MacBook Pro. In my opinion the Pro range is overdue a significant update, with the MacBook Air receiving most of the attention over the past few years.

We have already had a few false starts, but with the recent release of Intel's Ivy Bridge architecture and some interesting GeekBench scores appearing online, I think this could finally be it!

The GeekBench score shown below popped up online recently and appears to show an unreleased MacBookPro version (v9,1) running an Intel Core i7 3820QM (which happens to be an Ivy Bridge part), as well as an unreleased build of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. This leads me to believe that this is an internal test unit, which someone may have accidentally (on purposes) uploaded GeekBench scores for.

So what else can we tell from the GeekBench scores? Unfortunately not a lot. We know that the i7 3820QM is a 45-watt chip and therefore would likely be positioned for a 15" or 17" model. We can also see that it has 8GB RAM, which is a great starting point. What we can't tell is if this version includes a new form factor, integrated Apple SSD or a Retina Display, therefore there is still plenty for Apple to announce.

It should also be noted that GeekBench scores have also appeared for an unreleased version of the iMac, which I would expect to get a similar Ivy Bridge update.

Based on the fact that we are less than one month away from WWDC (11th June), I now predict that the new MacBook Pro and iMac will be announced during the keynote, alongside an updated version of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and a sneak peak of iOS 6.0. If this turns out to be true, WWDC is gearing up to be an impressive event!

Install a second hard drive in a MacBook Pro

I have previously written about the significant performance increases possible by upgrading to a Solid Sate Drive (SSD). Unfortunately, even though SSD performance is amazing, the prices are still very high, which means that anything above 128GB requires a serious finacial commitment (unless you happen to be a lottery winner). This is a bigger challenge for a notebook as it means you have to trade off performance against capacity.

Thankfully there is another way for MacBook Pro users. Using a device known as an OptiBay you can remove your existing optical drive and replace it with a secondary hard drive.

 

In my case, I now have an Intel X25-M 160GB SSD and a Seagate 500GB 7200RPM HDD running simultaneously. Therefore I get all the performance benefits of an SSD for Mac OS X and my applications, while having 500GB for my personal data. The OptiBay drive still connects via SATAII so you get native performance and Mac OS X (and other operating systems) sees the drive like any other.

The other great thing about the OptiBay is that they can be picked up for as little at £20 (search for OptiBay on Google or eBay) and are quick and simple to install. To help get you started, I have put together a screen shot gallery of me installing an OptiBay in my MacBook Pro (Rev G).

For more details on the OptiBay head over to MCE Technology who sell everything you need (although for a bit of a premium).

Introducing Thunderbolt - The Future of I/O

Today, Apple released the new MacBook Pro range, which induced the highly anticipated Thunderbolt I/O port (also known as Light Peak). 

Thunderbolt began life at Intel Labs with a simple goal, "to create an incredibly fast input/output technology that just about anything can plug into." Basically offering a unified and consistent replacement for all current buses, such as USB, FireWire, SATA, PCI Express and DisplayPort.

Thanks to an ongoing collaboration between Intel and Apple, the MacBook Pro range is the first commercially available "Thunderbolt Ready" device (although I expect to see many more over the next year). Thunderbolt shares the same port as Mini-DisplayPort (as shown in the image below), resulting a small, asymmetric connector.

So why should we care about Thunderbolt? Well for starters, Thunderbolt offers unparalleled performance, with 10Gb/s of throughput in both directions (simultaneously). The table below shows just how fast Thunderbolt is compared to other popular I/O technologies.

As you can see the numbers speak for themselves, however due to Thunderbolt offering two 10Gb/s channels on the same connector, the real world performance figures are even greater. For example, first tests are showing Thunderbolt to be over 20x faster then USB 2.0, allowing you to copy a 20GB file in less than 30 seconds, while simultaneously streaming multiple 1080p videos. If you don't believe me check out the video from Engadget below:

The other key component of Thunderbolt is that it is based on two fundamental technologies: PCI Express and DisplayPort.

• PCI Express is the technology that links all the high-performance components in a modern computer. Therefore by building PCI Express into Thunderbolt, it enables compatibility with existing USB and FireWire peripherals, including RAID Arrays, Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel networks. This helps ensure that your existing hardware will maintain full compatibility in the future.

• DisplayPort is the current standard for high resolution displays (used on Apple's Cinema Display) and because Thunderbolt shares the same connector as Mini-DisplayPort, it is compatible with all current displays, including backwards compatibility with HDMI, DVI and VGA. Thunderbolt can even be daisy chained, meaning you can pass through a single connector from your Mac to a high speed RAID device and on to your display. 

In conclusion, I believe Intel may have successfully created a single port that could feasibly replace all other I/O technologies, even the one you use to drive your display! This is an exciting prospect for the future, as it is now possible for your Mac (or PC) to have a single Thunderbolt port driving your network, storage connection and display, allowing Apple (and others) to build less cluttered, thinner and lighter devices.

It also opens the door for ultra high performance external storage (like shown in the Engadget video above). We have already seen the first Thunderbolt storage from LaCie, however I expect to see many more over the next year. Therefore I will definitely be on the lookout for the best external hard drive.

For more details on the new MacBook Pro range and Thunderbolt, I suggest head over to Apple.

iPad 2, MacBook Pro & Light Peak!

It was just over one year ago that Apple introduced the world to the iPad. Today Apple announced a media event scheduled for 2nd March and if the invitations are anything to go by, I think it's safe to assume we will get our first glimpse of the next generation iPad! 

It's actually been a busy couple of weeks for Apple rumors as most of the industry experts are predicting an imminent update to the MacBook Pro range, which could include a new I/O port known as Light Peak.

It's common knowledge that Intel and Apple have been developing a new optical cable interface that would aim to be a single universal replacement for current buses such as USB, FireWire, SATA, PCI Express and Display Port. This is possible due to the predicted ultra high bandwidth, starting at 10Gb/s, with the potential to scale to 100Gb/s over the next decade.

The current rumors are that Apple will merge a copper version of Light Peak (also known as Thunderbolt) with Display Port across the entire MacBook Pro range. This would leave existing ports such as USB and Firewire untouched, but offer Apple notebooks compatibility with the future standard. I wouldn't normally post about rumors, but this is backed up by the fact that Intel are also prepping for an announcement tomorrow, which many believe will be Light Peak focused. If this is all true it is possible that the iPad 2 could take advantage of this new I/O, offering a single high bandwidth port, that could also be used to drive a display.

I expect to see the official MacBook Pro and Light Peak announcement on the Apple website as early as tomorrow.

Upgrade a MacBook Pro (Rev G) Hard Drive

I recently upgraded my MacBook Pro's hard drive to an Intel X25-M 160GB SATA Solid-State Drive (34nm, G2). I own a Revision G MacBook Pro which was introduced at WWDC in 2009. Unlike the previous revision MacBook Pro, to be able to replace the hard drive you need to fully remove the back panel, however this does not void your Apple warranty.

I have put together a short screenshot guide explaining the upgrade process. However, before you get started make sure you have the following two tools:

1. Phillips #00 Screwdriver - A small "cross" screwdriver.
2. T6 TORX Screwdriver - The less common "star" screwdriver is required to remove the hard drive mounting screws.

The entire process should not take more then ten minutes and does not require a high level of technical skill. If you have any questions feel free to contact me or drop a comment below.