New MacBook Pro with NVIDIA 9600M GT

Hi all, I want to order one of the new MBPs so I downloaded and ran SL (1.20) on a demo model at the apple store. It gives an error message about an unknown graphics card and defaults to "low" graphics settings but when pushed up to "ultra", it seems to cope beautifully. I didn't move around much but it runs, at least. And I want one.

So why do you prefer a MAC?

mmm nice to know as I will be ordering one within the next month or two 15" MBP

a) I need one for work as a PC doesn't handle my video editing/TV production workflow as well as a Mac running Final Cut Studio.

b) My MacBook Pro runs Windows as well any Windows machine if I need it to.

c) Apple design and build stuff to a very high quality.

d) I can afford one.

Since it is a new video card, the "Detect Hardware" option in the client can't work right. Disable that option so it doesn't keep degrading your video settings.

I looked at the specs for these pretty new Macs, and they actually look pretty good for running SL on. Haven't yet tried one, however.

e) Windows sucks

I bought the 15" Pro 2.4 yesterday after trying SL on one in the Apple store. I was getting approx the same fps with the onboard graphics and the 9600M GT but didnt have time to check more extensively. But its a lot faster than my old Powerbook G4.

@ Bobby Dayton : Sounds good can you try with different quality settings and maybe post a few screenshots? 30fps sounds nice, I am currently on Linux and get 10 if i am lucky but to be honest it looks and feels like 30fps lol.

Wanting to get a 15" MBP and move from Linux.

Will probably get a chance later tonight. I want to try some of the other versions of the SL client that are floating around for the Mac as well.

Hey Bobby, how did you get on with the testing?

Not very good. I am on my second Macbook now. I had to return one yesterday as it had a very obscure fault. Wouldn't have noticed it but my son has exactly the same Macbook that he bought at the same time. He created a bootcamp Vista which worked fine apart from the drivers which are a bit early at the moment. I tried same on mine and it wouldnt have it. Crashed on startup every time. We swapped drives and exactly the same. Showing it was my Mac at fault. So the short ending is I swapped it for a 2.53 version MBP and its fine.

Some quick testing on the 2.4 though was showing 33fps with the Onrez client using the onboard graphics and 38-40 with the 9600M GT.

I'm glad to hear that people are having success with the new MBP, and, as I read in another post, the lower-end MacBook...bodes well for Mac sales and SL users alike. I've been wanting to buy one for some time now, but have always backed off because of the SL problems. Thanks for all the info in this thread.

Two questions--which I think I know the answers to, but I have not tested:

1. MacBook Air--I thought I read this was getting the new nVidea GPU, too. Any ideas? Anyone try it yet?

2. iPhone--Okay, okay, I know it's pie in the sky, but any luck anywhere anyhow with SL and the iPhone?

Thanks!

I plunged straight into SL on my MBP 2.8 with 4gb RAM when it arrived and was pretty stunned at the improvement over my old 2.16 MBP with ATI X1600.

Even on the lower spec graphic chip it rocks... and there is a noticeable improvement, especially with settings on "Ultra" when switched to the discrete graphics card.

I had a number of crashes when using flycam with the spacenavigator with all settings maxed out... I don't know if this is because I was running ishowu at the same time or what, they are not freezes, but just "unexpected quits".

Not tested the windows client under bootcamp yet.

Any other experiences welcomed.

Not gonna happen. iPhone doesn't run the same OS as other Macs, doesn't have the internal processing needed to handle SL, and would require its own viewer code.

But nice thought, anyway.

I just ordered a new Mac Book Pro.. can't wait to give SL a try on it. After the 3-7 fps I get from my Macbook, it will feel like heaven.



The SLim client for iPhone would be cool.

Good luck to you then! I bought the dual processor iMac with NVDIA 8800 graphics card and it crashes every five minutes (if lucky). SL support tell me that there is a problem with the new driver from NVDIA. Enjoy! oh and don't forget to update your java software as soon as you get the new computer.

You can sort of do it by using a VNC program on the iPhone to run SL remotely from a PC or Mac. It's probably too slow for any practical use, though.

Yep, I was thinking that SLim would be great on the iPhone, too.

Any experimenters?

The new MacBook air uses a very nearly identical integrated graphics as the new MacBooks. It's running at a slightly slower speed, though, in order to improve energy efficiency.

As for SL on iPhone, I believe it's being done now. I've seen clips of it in action, can't recall the name of the developer but they're working out the bugs on an SL client for the iPhone.

A company called Vollee are developing SL clients for mobile phones, not sure if that includes the iPhone though. I got it for my Nokia 6280.

AjaxLife now runs on iPhone and iPod touch.

you will get this error if you are using the laptop in the power save mode which uses the the low end video card in the laptop, If you change power settings to performance mode, the high end video card kicks in and SL will work just fine.

SLIm would be doable tho...

Would be nice to be able to send an IM or 2 to a few friends online before returning home from work..

Figured I'd take a moment to post my experience.

Using the new MacBook Pro in performance mode (the 9600M GT graphics with 512MB texture memory), and everything is moving along quite nicely. I have all the graphics settings maxed, with a draw distance of 184m and 4096 particles. I could probably raise those numbers and still be okay...

Can you please tell us how?

I have the same experience.
Does this mean SL doesn't recognize the low-end GPU?
If not, why not? Both GPUs are the same generation. If SL can recognize the high-end one, why not the low end? It would be nice to be able to run SL on the low end card, especially on battery.
It really troubles me that SL doesn't recognize the low-end GPU. It makes me suspect SL is not really recognizing the high-end one either. The error message I get says SL is reverting to default graphic settings, so I suspect it's not loading the MBP's wonderfully touted high-end settings at all.
The toggle in Energy Saver does read "Better Performance," but all that means is that the Mac is switching to the high-end card. But the question remains of whether SL is using its settings or not. Because of the error message, I suspect that SL is reverting to default settings and not using the nifty MBP GPU settings.
Any thoughts?
Any way other than the Energy Saver toggle to determine definitively what GPU
settings SL is using?

sorry to jump into your thread but am desperate and fed up
have got new pc and unable to get into sl, as i dont think it recognises the graphics card -
system is microsoft windows xp home edition version 2002 service pack 3.
intel (R) core tm quad cpu Q6600 @ 2.40 ghz
2.40 ghz 3.00 gb ram - nvidia geforce 9500 gt.

is there somewhere within the system itself i have to tweak? as i obviously can't get into sl to same in edit preferences grpahics tab...........

am very sad