“The MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008) includes a new feature in the Energy Saver system preference pane for adjusting graphics performance,” Apple’s Support Doc #HT3207 explains.
You can select Better battery life or Higher performance:
• Select Better battery life for situations where heavy, graphic-intensive applications are not being used or use of the MagSafe adaptor is limited.
• Select Higher performance if playing games or carrying out other tasks which involve heavy graphics processing.
When choosing a different graphics setting in the Energy Saver system preference pane, you will be required to log out for the new settings to take effect. After choosing Log Out (shown in the message below), you will have an opportunity to save any open documents or other work.
By default, the MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008) uses the Better battery life option.
Full article here.
[Attribution: Macworld UK. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “New MBP Owner” for the heads up.]
C’mon Apple, get this right. When the power cord is connected it should automatically go to the more powerful GPU. Leave it up to the user to change to the lower power GPU when on battery power alone.
Reality Check,
Coming very soon to Mac OS X 10.5.6 or at least somewhat soon to Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.
Until then, I can live with a brief log out.
BS!
What a waste of a MacBookPro Refresh….
The whole announcement from the MBP refresh was disappointing…
As a power user – I’ll stay with the GT settings most of the time – It already feels snappy!
Apple has offered up an option that’s never been available before and crybabies are whining about the implementation even before they’ve used it. I agree there’s better ways to do this from a user’s standpoint, but it’s also likely that people will seldom make the switch and it won’t be too taxing.
This is a great forum to offer your suggestions for improvement and demonstrate your insight and intelligence. Don’t spoil it with a senseless bluster and pathetic whining. If you can build a better laptop, go for it. I’ll even buy one. If not, try to be at least civil to those who are trying to build better computers.
Maybe it’s not a good way now, but at least it is there.
Poor, sad little The Great Apple Fanboy Massacre;
Not like Vista, which is now nearly two years old and STILL doesn’t work correctly with our company’s vPro boxes…
From HP;
Some functionality of this technology, such as Intel Active management technology and Intel Virtualization technology, requires additional 3rd party software in order to run. Availability of future “virtual appliances” applications for Intel vPro technology is dependant on 3rd party software providers. Compatibility of this generation of Intel vPro technology-based hardware with future “virtual appliances” and Microsoft Windows Vista operating system is yet to be determined.
“yet to be determined” is as good a euphemism as I’ve heard for “It doesn’t work” to date!
“ooooh it was all sooooo disappointing”
Shut the f@*k up, whiners or go back to your Dell.
@ Reality Check re:
“C’mon Apple, get this right. When the power cord is connected it should automatically go to the more powerful GPU. Leave it up to the user to change to the lower power GPU when on battery power alone.”
I gather you know how to accomplish it right now? Perhaps you should apply to Apple for a job. Or at least sell them your technical expertise.
A more elegant solution would be for the NVIDIA 9400M GT to have a power saving mode that steps down its performance, analogous to the CPU power reduction modes. If this had been available, rest assured that Apple would have used it rather than packaging two graphics chips in a laptop.
Apple could have used only the NVIDIA 9400M in the MacBook Pros and left some users complaining about the fact that graphics performance was not adequate or “state-of-the-art.” Or, Apple could have packaged only the NVIDIA 9400M GT in the MacBook Pros and left some users complaining that battery life was reduced. Instead, Apple gave you both options so that *everyone* can complain
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Honestly, when you contrast one simple reboot (which is fairly fast on Intel Macs with MacOSX 10.5.x) with the trials and tribulations of Windows PC life, you should feel ashamed. I recall having to reboot a PC just to change the display resolution…
Sixvodkas. ” Availability of future “virtual appliances” applications for Intel vPro technology is dependant on 3rd party software providers.”
HP can’t spell ‘dependent’!!!???
“Apple has offered up an option that’s never been available before and crybabies are whining about the implementation even before they’ve used it.”
Never been used before? Plenty of other companies currently have switchable graphics in their notebooks. Most of these do not require a log out, they can be done on the fly. I fail to see why Apple could not do so too.
@ aaplsaur
Do your research – even Sony already has a laptop with switchable graphics options – yes, a simple switch, no logout crap required.
Apple needs to lift it’s game. Only 2 USB 2 ports and 1 firewire 800 port on a laptop this expensive is just ridiculous.
MacBooks ditching firewire is ridiculous too – there goes a large percentage of the portable audio recording market. Way to shoot yourself in the foot Apple.
Blu-ray a “bag of hurt” – Steve, wake up man – you’re getting left behind!
At first I was stumped why Apple would offer a half-baked solution to this capability. Then it crept on me that maybe this has never been done before in a laptop and as such, even nvidia hasn’t drawn up a feasible solution yet. I may be downright wrong, but I can’t be arsed to research in Dell or Sony’s website.
Furthermore, SLI’s been around a long time, but mostly in Desktops, and afew Alienware-grade gaming laptops where the users are expected to stay in hi-performance mode only.
Nonetheless, its a very interesting offer to have low and high end videocards in the same laptop and for that, I think a logout/login won’t be too much hassle. Most would probably boot into WinXP to play games anyway.
For my 2 cents, the MacBook’s look great and with some great new features but Apple has landed itself with pricing structure problem. They can’t make the ‘old’ white MacBook any cheaper or there would be too much of a gap to the new one. Nor can they increase the spec of the new one as it would put it too close or above the 15″. As for the 17″, they really needed to up it to 1066 on the fsb to keep it in line. What they could have done is put the ‘old’ white one in at $899 and the ‘old’ Black one in at $999 then the gap up to the new one. Put f/w400 on the new one, keep the 15″ as they have put it out and rolled the 17″ up to the 1066 fsb with the same 2.53 chip as standard in the higher 15″ with the option of the 2.8. Now, all the pricing works… or… introduce the ‘new’ MacBook as a 13″ MacBook Pro???
My only ‘personal’ grip is for those of us who need a small portable laptop, why oh why did they ditch the f/w400 port.
Anyway, as I said, just my 2c.
KingMel…
Apple states a Logout, NOT a restart. What’s it take 30 seconds? BFD.
I’m disappointed by the removal of the second FireWire (400) port and the glossy screen.
I actually use both my MBP’s FireWire ports. Removing FireWire from the MacBooks borders on the criminally stupid.
Glossy may work in some situations where you can control lighting, but out in the wild, where a MacBook Pro is meant to be, it’s next to impossible to control the lighting, or even where and how you’re sitting.
Hey, maybe glare-reducing glasses, like fly fishermen use, will work!
The key here is switchable graphics cards, GPU’s, not just settings. My HP laptop has switchable options on my 256mb Nvidia card, but I must reboot for them to take place. Not only that, but building a setting in Vista is really a pain. Personally, giving 2 GPU’s in one laptop, IMHO, is a great way to keep ahead of the game in Apple’s case.
I realize there are other faster switchable options in other systems, but do they offer OS X? the lighter, more durable casing? And who can forget the glossy screen? Come on folks, Apple has a winner in this new laptop.
As for the Firewire issue, I use my 400 as well, but the 800 is backwards compatible with the right cable; also, there’s always the option of a hub. Many sizes and shapes to choose from. I’m curious as to whether the new standard 1600 will have the same plug as the 800 though. This could be why Apple chose this mode. Does anyone know? Please post if you do. Oh, and be sure to watch the debate tonight! Fun for the whole family!
MDN Magic word “paid”, as in not a paid advertisement, just a joke.
Apple is future proofing your new Pro.
It truly is “Snow Leopard Ready”.
You know the other guys’ story.
Of course the battery life will be shortened some. But if they optimize other parts of the system, maybe it will be a wash.
I wish those super/ultra capacitance batteries would hurry up and get here. You will be able to swap out the battery and the new one will be good for weeks.
Will the two graphics processors in the MB Pro mean that Parallels and VMWare can use one for gaming while the MacOS X uses the other, making the MacBook Pro the best gaming notebook without any slow down?
Also, most Windows enterprise offices I have seen nowadays have screens with generic docking stations for any notebook so anybody can use any workstation BYO notebook. Seems Apple is going this way too with the new 24″ cinema display. I am sorely tempted to go this way instead of using iMacs. Nice move Apple.
Most complaints about the KeyNote refer to the price and dropping FWire in the low end. I can cope with the FWire via the white MacBook, but I totally agree with ‘Lord Fontleroy’ on pricing.
Of course they were disappointing if all day everyday you searched the web and rumor sites for info about upcoming products. Apple’s products have become leaked with more accuracy than in the past. But for the general consumer that didn’t know anything about what was going to be announced, they look at these new products as something entirely different from the previous models. So suck it up and stop complaining because your curiosity ruined it for you.
@ @ aaplsaur
Re: ” Plenty of other companies currently have switchable graphics in their notebooks. Most of these do not require a log out, they can be done on the fly. I fail to see why Apple could not do so too.”
So why are you holding out. Oh. Only Apple… But hey, another genius knows how. ://www.nvidia.com/object/apple_diamond.html
@ Toby Fletcher
“Blu-ray a “bag of hurt” – Steve, wake up man – you’re getting left behind!” But $10 billion in cash ahead of everybody else.
And to those who complain about Firewire, what can you do with two Firewire ports that you can’t do with one.
Graphics pros used to use glossy screen made of glass all the time. They were called CRTs (remember those things), and the best ones were large and had flat (glossy) screens. There was no outcry for a matte option, because CRTs were bright.
LCDs had matte screens because earlier ones had low resolutions and the matte screen served as fuzz filter to compensate for the noticeable pixelation. They were also more dimly backlit, and the strength of the old style backlighting faded over time too. So reflections were more of an issue and the matte filter was the compensation.
Apple’s LED backlighting is bright and does not fade. I think going glossy (or “glass”) only is a smart business decision for Apple. In a few years, people will think of matte LCDs in the same way they currently think of CRTs.
@DanielM
“what can you do with two Firewire ports that you can’t do with one.”
plug-up my vidcam without firing-up or unplugging my fw drive? ;-b