GMA950

Gee, why don't you tell us how you really feel? 😉 Your notebook's graphics cannot be upgraded. Had you done a bit of research you'd know that a) the MacBook uses integrated video and b) many games don't work with integrated video. Interestingly, many of the games that won't run with the GMA950 on a Mac will run in Windows - which offers a solution. The other is to sell your MacBook and buy a newer computer. A cheaper solution would be to buy a game console.

Another solution is to save up money, sell your current macbook and get the new macbooks that come out october 14th

EvanM07 wrote:
Well I didn't initially intend on using my macbook for gaming. It was given to me as a graduation gift with the intention of being used for school. But I had already been involved in the gaming world. I wish I could just snag the graphics card from my moms iMac and throw it in my laptop.... grrrr.

Why was apple so stupid as to put a built in chipset? Why couldn't they make it an upgradable type???

It's an integrated graphics chipset designed by Intel. That pretty much dominates the market share of notebook computer graphics these days. The higher performance discrete graphics costs more and are found at the higher price ranges. In many ways it's a marketing and product differentiation thing.

Notebook computers don't typically include what anyone would think of as upgradeable graphics. They're typically soldered to the main board and everything is already shoehorned in there. I guess someone could come up with an AGP-like slot for a notebook computer, but typically the only internal components that are user upgradeable are hard drives and memory. I think the iMac graphics are also permanently soldered, but those are discrete graphics chipsets designed for higher performance 3D capabilities.

I don't play a lot of games, but supposedly the newer GMA X3100 graphics are higher performance than the older GMA 950.

The MBP is only marginally more expandable than the MB - and its video cannot be upgraded.

How are they (i presume this is what you meant) ripping you off? when you bought the MB you knew what you were buying? no?

The Macbook is the low-end in terms of Apple Notebooks. And its a notebook.... Upgrading any notebook can be a trial. Apple has the decency to allow you to change your RAM/HDD without voiding warranty, and in fact they make it easy for you. This is better than many companies.

The Macbook is NOT AND NEVER HAS BEEN, designed for gamers (nor advertised as such). Its designed for people who want a Mac but on a reasonable budget and on a small scale.

In reply to your original post about "a few months later there was a better one..." you do realise this is the world of technology? Things move extremely fast, if you waited for the best you would always be waiting.

Go figure
Rowan

rowan57 wrote:
How are they (i presume this is what you meant) ripping you off? when you bought the MB you knew what you were buying? no?

He did say it was a gift.

The Macbook is the low-end in terms of Apple Notebooks. And its a notebook.... Upgrading any notebook can be a trial. Apple has the decency to allow you to change your RAM/HDD without voiding warranty, and in fact they make it easy for you. This is better than many companies.

Better than the HD on previous generation MacBooks, or even the MacBook Pro. I looked at instructions for replacing the HD in my iBooks, and gave up when I realized what was involved and how many different ways there was to mess it up in the process.

And memory can be easy or can be hard. My folks have a Toshiba notebook computer where both modules are offset stacked under simple hatch on the bottom. My wife's Dell has one slot with a simple hatch, but the other slot requires the display hinge be removed in order to replace the memory. Who thought that one up?

The Macbook is NOT AND NEVER HAS BEEN, designed for gamers (nor advertised as such). Its designed for people who want a Mac but on a reasonable budget and on a small scale.

Yeah - I don't get the rant. I don't know of many notebook computers where the graphics are upgradeable. Most of the new notebooks in a similar price range use integrated graphics anyways. It's done to meet a price point and the higher end discrete (non-upgradeable) graphics are in higher-priced notebooks for product differentiation.

I thought Asus had an external graphics processor that worked with an ExpressCard slot, but I'm not sure how it's supported. It was really ugly too - about half the size of a MacBook. It's not on the market though.

http://usa.asus.com/event/CES07/press2.html

In reply to your original post about "a few months later there was a better one..." you do realise this is the world of technology? Things move extremely fast, if you waited for the best you would always be waiting.

Apple does have a distinction in that they literally remove the previous generation from normal sales, pull most of the old stock from their stores, and typically sell the newer generation at the same or lower prices. It's s different business model, but not necessarily one that is meant to hurt the consumer.

y pw, i dont entirely understand whether your post was meant to contradict mine? I basically agree with what you said, you just frased (sp?) it slightly differently?

I do agree about the varying levels of user serviceability, as i said in my original post, "Apple has the decency to allow you to change your RAM/HDD without voiding warranty, and in fact they make it easy for you." and based on the notebooks ive come across that stands true.

I got the bit about ripping off from his previous post "I think it would be in Apple/Intel's interest to PLEASE their customers instead of ***** them off..." where it could either be "ripping" or another word which would probably get starred out.

And your last statement doesn't actually affect the fact that, if one waits for the best, one would be waiting forever, which is a theme seen frequently on these boards "should i buy now or wait, will it fly if i wait til 2009?..........."

Regards
Rowan

rowan57 wrote:
y pw, i dont entirely understand whether your post was meant to contradict mine? I basically agree with what you said, you just frased (sp?) it slightly differently?

I do agree about the varying levels of user serviceability, as i said in my original post, "Apple has the decency to allow you to change your RAM/HDD without voiding warranty, and in fact they make it easy for you." and based on the notebooks ive come across that stands true.

I actually got it wrong and it was too late to edit the thing about MacBooks. I was trying to say that previous generations of Apple notebooks were a pain to replace the hard drive, such as both of my iBooks. I was expanding, and noting that there is a wide range of user upgradeability in the marketplace. And I

I got the bit about ripping off from his previous post "I think it would be in Apple/Intel's interest to PLEASE their customers instead of ***** them off..." where it could either be "ripping" or another word which would probably get starred out.

Yeah that was a bit harsh. I don't know of any current notebook makers that have an upgradeable graphics unit. There is no standard for a slot, and in any case upgradeability and sockets cost money. That Asus unit I noted sounds like a strange possibly unworkable idea in the real marketplace. Again - product differentiation and price points means almost no current machines in the price range of a MacBook have discrete graphics. They might have in the past, but back then discrete graphics units probably didn't have the 3D performance of something like a GMA X3100.

And your last statement doesn't actually affect the fact that, if one waits for the best, one would be waiting forever, which is a theme seen frequently on these boards "should i buy now or wait, will it fly if i wait til 2009?..........."

I was just pointing out that Apple has a different product model road-map. Other manufacturers still sell their older offerings as a previous generation product. I bought my folks that Core Duo Toshiba notebook computer when their offerings included Core 2 Duo processors. Apple completely phased out their Core Duo offerings as soon as the first Core 2 Duo versions were released.

I also agree that progress happens. My MacBook Core 2 Duo 2.2 was only on the market for less than 4 months when the 2.4 version came out at the same price. I have no problem with that. Strangely enough, I had a PC that came with Windows ME. I put off installing XP because I kept on hearing that Vista was coming out - for more than five years. As much as we trash Windows around here, I probably should have done it.

EvanM07 wrote:
the asteriks was not ripping rather something different but again I wouldn't be able to post it because it would be censored. p i s s i n g if that works...

And you don't have to be so rude about it rowan... I'm allowed to complain and you really shouldn't reply sounding so angrily... I could understand you being offended if you were say Steve Jobs but geeze man take a chill pill!!!

We have seen rants (and yours is bordering awfully close to one) locked or sometimes even completely removed from this discussion forum for terms of service violation. Your original post was already edited by the host for some more serious parts of your ranting comments.

http://discussions.apple.com/help.jspa

3. Post constructive comments and questions. Unless otherwise noted, your Submission should either be a technical support question or a technical support answer. Constructive feedback about product features is welcome as well. If your Submission contains the phrase “I’m sorry for the rant, but…” you are likely in violation of this policy.

It's pretty obvious that we don't agree with many of your contentions about what should or shouldn't be offered. Or that Apple was stupid for using a (soldered to the main board) built-in graphics chipset like pretty much all other notebook manufacturers on the market. If a user-replaceable graphics unit is what you really want in a notebook computer, then you can look for the few user-replaceable machines out there or be disappointed with what you see in your price range. For the most part, if you want better graphics performance in a notebook computer, you're going to need to choose one with a higher performance discrete graphics unit. You can bargain hunt for sale-priced units. They're actually a PC notebooks out there under $1000. with discrete graphics units, but they're the entry level ones on entry level computers with less CPU power than what you've currently got.

A few manufacturers have upgradeable slots planned, but they're typically at the high end of the price range. I wouldn't expect it in something as compact as a MacBook where they don't want to have to find room to fit another slot in rather than a more compact and less expensive space on the main board.

I dont think i was rude about it, not at all. My points were all clearly made, and correct.
Complaining is fine. Yes. Are these boards for complaining? Not Really.
These boards are for technical support. Had your initial post been along the lines of "Can i upgrade the GMA950 onboard graphics card?" Then you likely would have received a very quick but honest answer "No."

If you stick around on these boards for long you will see what model of questioning works and how it is best to phrase (it was late last night) your questions to get the best answers.

Hoping to help answer questions in the future.
Rowan

yes! Macbooks are really really easy to upgrade ram. I don't have one but have looked the macbook up on the web for replacing ram and HDD. I then think about what I had to do to upgrade my windows Acer Aspire one's HDD and Ram (Trust me it is not for the faint of heart). I have upgraded ram on numerous desktops (easy), laptops (most easy, some extremely hard like acer aspire one or), Intel Mac mini (still easier than acer aspire one but had a few more screws and switches). intel Imac (easy), G4 mac mini (easier than intel mac mini). Rowan57 is super correct in meaning the upgradebale parts are easy. In the Acer aspire one you practically have to go through replacing the mobo for upgrading the HDD or the Ram. Be thankful and install windows on a separate partition and many of the games work anyway. Just don't expect 2 gazillion frames per second. To feel more grateful just youtube memory install on aspire one!