Resellers Getting Signals for a Wide Range of Apple Updates? [Archive] - Page 2

Jak3

Aug 27, 2008, 01:12 AM

For the guys talking about blu-ray, here's my 2 cents

1. Who buys their electronics at Target?:confused:

2. Wal-Mart have up to date merchendise, yeah right, it took them 2 weeks for the one near me to stock God of War: Chains of Olympus...:rolleyes:

3. I can get a Blu-Ray drive for under 200$, I got one for free when I got my PS3 (I bought it for gaming, so blu-ray for me was a bonus)

4. Blue Dragon for the 360 spans over more than one DVD because there wasn't enough space to put the whole game on one DVD. So there is a need for it (bigger disc storage)

5. If you lose discs, that's your own fault...I keep mine all safe, either in their original cases or binder sleeves...what are you doing with yours, playing frisbee in your backyard...maybe you should go to Wal-Mart or Target and buy a real frisbee (did I go there, oh yes I did :p )

Sorry if I came off as an shift244 in that last point, I couldn't resist. :D

bucksatan731

Aug 27, 2008, 01:23 AM

And here I was about to buy a macpro, guess I should wait?

macshill

Aug 27, 2008, 01:34 AM

And here I was about to buy a macpro, guess I should wait?

Maybe you should. You're in a good 'zone'. You can buy the current generation and probably within the next 30 days, you'll see the new generation MacBook/Pro released. You can look under the hood, kick the tires of the new one (either online, at a store or a friend who has one) and see if you want it bad enough to send back your current gen. and buy a new gen. (minus the restocking fee, of course; 10%?). But if you wait for the new release and don't like it, you may find yourself hard-pressed to buy the older one (although looking around and considering eBay can remedy this problem). The current version of the computer built a couple of months ago won't be that outdated and you may thank yourself for buying now.

Of course, the problem is knowing when you should buy within that 30 day window. If you buy one today and the release is September 30th... then that's a little more than 30 days. Maybe you can't go wrong with a first-week-in-Sept. buy. :confused:

SchneiderMan

Aug 27, 2008, 01:39 AM

OMfg look

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/1479/capturegn2.jpg

JK! lol i wish

macshill

Aug 27, 2008, 01:41 AM

Am I missing something here? When I go to the Apple Store site (U.S.), I see the same image as above, but no "new" icon over it. When I go to the Apple Store site (Canadian), same thing... albeit slightly higher prices ($1,149 and $2,099 instead of $1,099 and $1,999). :confused:

chickenninja

Aug 27, 2008, 02:03 AM

This is a high quality rumor, its buds like these that make the ripest of fruits

macwall

Aug 27, 2008, 02:06 AM

the countdown is beginning!!

viccles

Aug 27, 2008, 02:07 AM

Maybe its sooner than we think? I sure hope so! *gets cards ready*

finnns2000

Aug 27, 2008, 02:14 AM

OMfg look

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/1479/capturegn2.jpg

JK! lol i wish

lol

finnns2000

Aug 27, 2008, 02:15 AM

macshill

Aug 27, 2008, 02:16 AM

Maybe its sooner than we think? I sure hope so! *gets cards ready*

Credit or Tarot? lol :)

Right now, all I can afford is a Blackberry Bold... and not even the real thing:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10026230-1.html

But I should be coming into some money through an inheritance once the estate situation is solved. MacBook Pro, here I come!! :D

ll PiStoNs ll

Aug 27, 2008, 02:17 AM

I dont really care anymore, all my friends went off to college, im commuting to a local university until january then im transferring, so i really dont care about haveing a brand new macbook and free ipod touch like all my friends. So im gonna get the new aluminum one whenever it comes out. I dont even care about the free ipod touch, since i already have one. I was going to get a blackbook just cuz its black, but aluminum is better and will be 300$ less im guessing lol

It would still be cool if it came out during the ipod promotion, so i would have one for my car/ and one for my pocket/wireless at school/home.

macshill

Aug 27, 2008, 02:17 AM

why don't you 'highlight' the bottom of his post ;)

'Cause I'm more of an underlining kinda guy. ;)

http://i34.tinypic.com/23w9z89.jpg

Merci beacoup. And "GRRR...!" to the original jokster.

SchneiderMan

Aug 27, 2008, 02:21 AM

^^Macshill no loll he said highlight my post to see what i wrote in white

Am I missing something here? When I go to the Apple Store site (U.S.), I see the same image as above, but no "new" icon over it. When I go to the Apple Store site (Canadian), same thing... albeit slightly higher prices ($1,149 and $2,099 instead of $1,099 and $1,999). :confused:

why don't you 'highlight' the bottom of his post ;)

ahahahaha sorry guys i photoshoped it, just wanted to pump some hype here :D

macshill

Aug 27, 2008, 02:26 AM

If you wanted to induce a heart attack... uh... you should have taken it down a price point. :D

But I wouldn't put it past the sneaky buggers to quietly change the website in the middle of the night when the world sleeps. Of course, that would have to be a late-Monday/early-Tuesday for this to be prudent.

viccles

Aug 27, 2008, 02:28 AM

Uggh I want updates NOW! (says Miss Impatient). I am going to be patient this time because last time I gave into my impatience I missed C2D MBPs by a month :P

obibobi

Aug 27, 2008, 02:52 AM

Well neither is really a 'user replaceable' hard drive, since they are sealed in and I believe replacing either voids warranty.

What I would consider user replaceable would be something you can access and remove with minimal tools and difficulty. It would be nice on a laptop, but Mac has never had those kinds of drives on laptops, that I remember. Don't think they will any time soon, despite the obvious benefit to the laptop owner.

Not true.

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/MacBook_13inch_HardDrive_DIY.pdf

Why would Apple have a Do-It-Yourself manual on their support pages if it would void the warranty ?

macshill

Aug 27, 2008, 03:16 AM

Maybe its sooner than we think? I sure hope so! *gets cards ready*

What's the price difference for Australia versus the U.S.? Here it's $50 more for the MacBook and $100 more for the MacBook Pro.

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.test/browse_thread/thread/afc7be843f5a64de?hl=en#

SamPayne

Aug 27, 2008, 03:31 AM

I can't believe it, I have only just sent my ipod in for repairs! I might just sell it and buy the new one :confused:

Anyone interested in a iPod Touch 8GB. Brilliant Condition??:confused:

Tensakun

Aug 27, 2008, 03:33 AM

ahahahaha sorry guys i photoshoped it, just wanted to pump some hype here :D

No problem, such shenanigans are to be expected as the tension builds. Keeps things lively. (But I have to admit I did take a quick peek at the AppleStore!;))

I Am Steve Jobs

Aug 27, 2008, 04:08 AM

diamond.g

Aug 27, 2008, 06:33 AM

Well, I do not know if it is going to happen, but here is an alternative. I high-end mini with an HD-LCD TV. Most HD-LCD TV have a PC (VGA) port on the back... Can't record shows with it, but you can watch. I may do that for my office when my wife's 15-inch KDS LCD dies (but LCD's do not die as quickly as the old boat-anchor style). Why spend $200-$500 on another monitor when I can spend that money and get a monitor and TV.

Still missing the encrypted digital cable channels I am paying for. Not to mention all the HD channels that are encrypted as well (my wife is a HGTV/DIY addict). Right now my only option is a Vista system. That annoys me as the iMac would integrate better (planned on recording TV shows then sharing them from iTunes so my laptops could see them). My point is not paying another 12 bucks for a HD DVR when an iMac would be so much better at the job, and at only 3 bucks a month (cable card).

duncyboy

Aug 27, 2008, 07:04 AM

I have only just sent my ipod in for repairs!

Anyone interested in a iPod Touch 8GB. Brilliant Condition??

Nice sales technique ;) :D

johnmcboston

Aug 27, 2008, 07:07 AM

zedsdead

Aug 27, 2008, 07:27 AM

The last imac update wasn't big enough to upgrade my machine. I wouldn't mind something tastier....

The iMac is not due for an upgrade until Spring 09', nor is there any parts out there to put in it that would warrant an upgrade.

johnmcboston

Aug 27, 2008, 07:51 AM

The iMac is not due for an upgrade until Spring 09', nor is there any parts out there to put in it that would warrant an upgrade.

Oh sure, rain on my parade. :-)

aljawad

Aug 27, 2008, 07:53 AM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Steve Jobs say that by the end of the year, the entire product line-up would be new, or something similar to that? Could've sworn I had heard him say this at some event this year.

You know, I was among the audience when Steve concluded his MW Expo '08 presentation, he noted that during the first 2 weeks of the year Apple made several significant announcements like the new Mac Pros, Time Capsule, Macbook Air, new software for AppleTV and iPhone/iPod Touch and iTunes movie rentals "and we got 50 weeks to go". Back then I felt the year was going to be chockfull of wonderful new products. Since then we had the new iPhone and upgrades to the iMac and Macbooks.

Mr. Jobs, I'm still waiting to be truly amazed :rolleyes:

iMacmatician

Aug 27, 2008, 08:29 AM

If you are serious about using optical storage for back-ups, you really need to be using DVD-RAM and HD DVD-RAM. True random access reading and writing and built-in error correction.

I no longer backup to optical (portable HDD is so much cheaper, faster and easier), but when I did, I used DVD-RAM.I don't like the writing (no, the bit other than the actual file writing) / erasing / rewriting of RW/RE discs, so I try to avoid optical drives as much as possible. I've rarely seen -RAM discs and I don't know if my computer can take them.

Not another event... but it will be the second week of October. ;)Evidence?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Steve Jobs say that by the end of the year, the entire product line-up would be new, or something similar to that? Could've sworn I had heard him say this at some event this year.Since you are Steve Jobs, shouldn't you know? :D

Anyway, I haven't heard anything like that from him.

The iMac is not due for an upgrade until Spring 09', nor is there any parts out there to put in it that would warrant an upgrade.The general consensus seems to be H1 2009 for an iMac update. It's possible Apple could do an intermediate refresh with quad-core CPUs, new Penryn CPUs (3.07 GHz is 45 W instead of 55 W), new GPUs, DDR3, etc. It's also possible that Apple would want to save up for a more significant upgrade in H1 2009, possibly resulting in a future release schedule closer to the yearly Mac Pro updates instead of the biannual notebook updates.

zedsdead

Aug 27, 2008, 08:35 AM

I don't like the writing (no, the bit other than the actual file writing) / erasing / rewriting of RW/RE discs, so I try to avoid optical drives as much as possible. I've rarely seen -RAM discs and I don't know if my computer can take them.

Evidence?

Since you are Steve Jobs, shouldn't you know? :D

Anyway, I haven't heard anything like that from him.

The general consensus seems to be H1 2009 for an iMac update. It's possible Apple could do an intermediate refresh with quad-core CPUs, new Penryn CPUs (3.07 GHz is 45 W instead of 55 W), new GPUs, DDR3, etc. It's also possible that Apple would want to save up for a more significant upgrade in H1 2009, possibly resulting in a future release schedule closer to the yearly Mac Pro updates instead of the biannual notebook updates.

There is no reason to put the 45 W in the iMac as there will be no speed increase, which was one of the reasons Apple went ahead and put the ones they did in it. They could bump the bottom spec and not have any BTO options, but that would not be very Apple like for the iMac.

iMacmatician

Aug 27, 2008, 08:40 AM

There is no reason to put the 45 W in the iMac as there will be no speed increase, which was one of the reasons Apple went ahead and put the ones they did in it. They could bump the bottom spec and not have any BTO options, but that would not be very Apple like for the iMac.The fact that the 3.07 GHz is 45 W means there could be a 3.2 GHz or so at 55 W, therefore a speed bump. I'd assume prices would be lower too.

diamond.g

Aug 27, 2008, 08:53 AM

The general consensus seems to be H1 2009 for an iMac update. It's possible Apple could do an intermediate refresh with quad-core CPUs, new Penryn CPUs (3.07 GHz is 45 W instead of 55 W), new GPUs, DDR3, etc. It's also possible that Apple would want to save up for a more significant upgrade in H1 2009, possibly resulting in a future release schedule closer to the yearly Mac Pro updates instead of the biannual notebook updates.

I must be missing something, what are they going to upgrade to in H1 2009? Mobile Nehalem isn't supposed to be out until 2H 2009. Unless people are predicting that Apple is finally going to switch to the desktop chipset.

Breegy

Aug 27, 2008, 09:06 AM

Credit or Tarot? lol :)

Right now, all I can afford is a Blackberry Bold... and not even the real thing:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10026230-1.html

But I should be coming into some money through an inheritance once the estate situation is solved. MacBook Pro, here I come!! :D

Those are just as ugly as blackberry bolds... :p

Right now I can afford a low-end macbook. Tomorrow, when I get paid, I'll be able to afford the midrange. Still thinking I'm gonna wait for the new one.

charlituna

Aug 27, 2008, 09:46 AM

naco you are either very brave or very dumb.

That is all.:D

he/she at least wants you believe brave. or someone else was to tell him/her anything. cause I'll bet Harvey Dent's lucky quarter landing on heads that Apple has a 'keep your dang mouth shut' policy about all releases and such. which means if the source was discovered someone could be out of a job real fast.

personally I doubt that anything is going to get that huge of a redesign when and if it happens. the changes will likely be different graphics cards, higher processors, more hard drive (especially for the nanos and the like) or perhaps even just cut prices cause stuff is cheaper to produce now than it was before. that's likely why the higher MacBook Air got $500 knocked off the price. that way expensive solid state drive wasn't as much anymore.

iMacmatician

Aug 27, 2008, 09:54 AM

I must be missing something, what are they going to upgrade to in H1 2009? Mobile Nehalem isn't supposed to be out until 2H 2009. Unless people are predicting that Apple is finally going to switch to the desktop chipset.Dual-core CPUs at least will get a 133 MHz speed bump. So from Montevina now, you get faster dual-cores in the low-end and midrange, and quad-cores in the high-end.

CWallace

Aug 27, 2008, 10:25 AM

And here I was about to buy a mac pro, guess I should wait?

The Mac Pro is very unlikely to see an update before Mac World 2009. It has to wait for the dual CPU Core i7/Nehalem CPUs and supporting chipset to ship since there will be no new Xeon CPUs for the current line.

I don't like the writing (no, the bit other than the actual file writing) / erasing / rewriting of RW/RE discs, so I try to avoid optical drives as much as possible. I've rarely seen -RAM discs and I don't know if my computer can take them.

Alas, DVD-RAM never really caught on, mainly because it's write speed is slow (due to the error-correction) and it was limited to 5X (2.5X actual) for most of it's life (the Japanese eventually took it to 16X/8X about two years ago).

But the great thing about it was you could overwrite individual files, so it made incremental updating a snap. There was no need to erase the entire disc like with all the other re-writable optical formats (including Blu-ray).*

* - And yes, I understand you could write additional data to a DVD+RW disc that already had data on it, but it was just appended to the existing session, which remained and took up space. So once you hit the 4.7GB, you had to erase and do a "fresh" write and then continue to append until you filled the disc and repeated the "fresh" write.

charlituna

Aug 27, 2008, 10:33 AM

I knew I should have stuck to an August/September release of iLife '09 and iWork '09 (with the new notebooks)! :D:p

we don't know that an I'09 of either will happen, that it will be a major redo like it was between 6 and 8 or what.

it is possible that it will be a minor updating that will be offered via an 'upgrade' package to current users.

wait and see

lukin

Aug 27, 2008, 10:35 AM

The Mac Pro is very unlikely to see an update before Mac World 2009. It has to wait for the dual CPU Core i7/Nehalem CPUs and supporting chipset to ship since there will be no new Xeon CPUs for the current line.

Not trying to start anything, but why do you say this? Just about everything out there is rumors of updated notebooks in September or October...

iMacmatician

Aug 27, 2008, 10:37 AM

it is possible that it will be a minor updating that will be offered via an 'upgrade' package to current users. It's also possible that iLife '09 is a stability and multithreading update like Snow Leopard.

Not trying to start anything, but why do you say this? Just about everything out there is rumors of updated notebooks in September or October...Mac Pro, not MacBook Pro.

charlituna

Aug 27, 2008, 10:40 AM

Apple's BTO dates and ship dates are always estimates.... and they're pretty conservative in my experience. You'll probably end up getting it sooner (sometimes a week sooner) than what the site estimates. D

it's a common move. give yourself more time and when it happens early you are a hero. cause if you don't and it happens late, you are a jerk with a pissed off customer to make amends to.

even the retail stores do it. I took in my old tower to have them move over my data when they added more ram to my newly bought machine cause I was short on time to do it myself (and I was stuck at work all weekend). they said I could pick it up after 5pm the next day but I got a call at 11.30a that it was ready and I could come whenever

charlituna

Aug 27, 2008, 10:46 AM

True. I forgot that Best Buy carried Apple. :)

and in sept they will be selling the iphone, which I think is a disaster waiting to happen but whatever. I stopped shopping at best buy for computer stuff other than the occasional printer cable cause their peeps are idiots. I go in and ask questions about made up stuff to see if they will fake an answer. it's sad and funny at the same time

charlituna

Aug 27, 2008, 10:48 AM

I am missing something... what is the definition of 'user replaceable'? You can argue everything Apple has is user replaceable, if the user wants to take it apart and put it together with some hassle. I've replaced hard drives on all my laptops so far, but you have to work at it a little.

it is my understanding that when Apple declares something 'user replaceable' it means that you or I doing so doesn't void the warranty.

so I can go in and replace the ram in my imac and if it doesn't work it's no issue. that does not require an authorized tech etc. but if I crack open the unit and replace the hard drive (which I believe it not UR) and it doesn't work, I just hosed my warranty cause i'm not an authorized tech. so no under warranty repairs for me.

charlituna

Aug 27, 2008, 10:54 AM

Apple cannot ignore Blu-Ray as many suggest, Steve Jobs would know this sitting on Disney's board. Blu-Ray is here to stay, better get on board.

apple as you say is not likely to ignore blu-ray now that it is the solid victor.

before it was wise of them to wait and see how the fight went.

and now I suspect that they have been waiting so they could make sure that all the ducks were in a row. software (they would need new versions or Burn and DVD player), graphics cards, etc. having the drive and not being able to really use it to the fullest would suck. rather like when the intel processors came out under tiger but the true power was seen when leopard (which was designed to use that power) released.

CWallace

Aug 27, 2008, 10:55 AM

Not trying to start anything, but why do you say this? Just about everything out there is rumors of updated notebooks in September or October...

Yes, but unlike the rest of the Mac line, the Mac Pro does not use mobile CPUs, chipsets or systemboards. :)

It uses 5400-series Xeon CPUs and the 5000-series chipset. Neither of those items will be updated. Instead, they will be replaced with Core i7/Nehalem products in either Q4 of this year or Q1 of next.

~Shard~

Aug 27, 2008, 11:00 AM

apple as you say is not likely to ignore blu-ray now that it is the solid victor.

before it was wise of them to wait and see how the fight went.

It may have won the format war, but it lost the content distribution war. This undoubtedly lessens its attractiveness to Jobs who has called the technology an outright failure in this repsect. We will see Blu Ray from Apple, but it will only be in the Mac Pro for starters and will not be introduced for some time.

lukin

Aug 27, 2008, 11:04 AM

Yes, but unlike the rest of the Mac line, the Mac Pro does not use mobile CPUs, chipsets or systemboards. :)

It uses 5400-series Xeon CPUs and the 5000-series chipset. Neither of those items will be updated. Instead, they will be replaced with Core i7/Nehalem products in either Q4 of this year or Q1 of next.

It's also possible that iLife '09 is a stability and multithreading update like Snow Leopard.

Mac Pro, not MacBook Pro.

oops, misread!

Thanks though!

charlituna

Aug 27, 2008, 11:06 AM

5. blu-ray drives for computers (especially blu-ray burners - which is what most people want) is expensive [but coming down in price].

THAT I think is the key issue for Apple. Expense. There's so much going on with computers at the moment and the market for a BR Drive is not as big as many would hope to justify the added cost. at least not across the board.

make an internal that can be added to the other optical drive slot in a pro tower perhaps but a full on replacement, not for a while. I can see them adding more HD to the itunes store first. perhaps even with a buy option. and giving the full line the resolution and juice to play them

MacLadybug

Aug 27, 2008, 11:44 AM

137489

Aug 27, 2008, 11:46 AM

You know, I was among the audience when Steve concluded his MW Expo '08 presentation, he noted that during the first 2 weeks of the year Apple made several significant announcements like the new Mac Pros, Time Capsule, Macbook Air, new software for AppleTV and iPhone/iPod Touch and iTunes movie rentals "and we got 50 weeks to go". Back then I felt the year was going to be chockfull of wonderful new products. Since then we had the new iPhone and upgrades to the iMac and Macbooks.

Mr. Jobs, I'm still waiting to be truly amazed :rolleyes:

We still have 4 full months -something may happen

Tman1523

Aug 27, 2008, 11:53 AM

what about the nividia graphics card (256) is there any issues that make the gaming experience dreadful due to glitches or card under performances. Not sure what I think about MBP Graphics card?
Help
Interested buyer.

Aranince

Aug 27, 2008, 12:00 PM

not at the risk of any of the products cheapening. I see all the posts about "cracking wrist rests" and "unresponsive keyboards" and it scares me. As much as I love "new, faster, and more" I prefer "solid, dependable and secure". That's why we went Mac... it wasn't about the money it was about the dependability. Please Apple, don't lose sight of what's important while you are busy trying to please everyone and be number 1.

2x. We outta make an open letter to Steve.

iMacmatician

Aug 27, 2008, 12:02 PM

2x. We outta make an open letter to Steve.3x. Better quality improves Apple's reputation, which is very important. Maybe the lower margins are (at least partially) for higher quality.

digitalbiker

Aug 27, 2008, 12:33 PM

It may have won the format war, but it lost the content distribution war. This undoubtedly lessens its attractiveness to Jobs who has called the technology an outright failure in this repsect. We will see Blu Ray from Apple, but it will only be in the Mac Pro for starters and will not be introduced for some time.

Shard, I think you are a bit premature to state that Blu-ray lost the content distribution war as this war is only just now starting.

Also I wouldn't read too much into Job's sales pitch comments. He always disses a technology until Apple comes out with their refined version of the same tech. If every word ever uttered by Jobs were considered gospel, Apple wouldn't have half the products they currently offer. IE, Video ipod, iphone, Apple TV, USB, two-button mice, computers with fans, intel processors, etc.

I would bet that Jobs himself has a large screen 1080p HD TV with a Blu-ray player. I would bet that he has a huge catalog of Blu-ray titles as well.

The world is moving onto HD. Content providers, news reporters, internet broadcasters, are all moving to HD video. The video professional needs a portable laptop that provides quick editing of HD content and Blu-ray authoring to distribute it quickly to multiple clients or employers. Disc media is still the best for storage and distribution of this type of work.

Internet distribution of True HD content to a large audience currently has too many drawbacks. Broadband infrastructure just isn't there yet and many more ISPs are running into bandwidth bottlenecks hence the move to capped limits or pay per bit provider plans.

I'm sure that we will see new technologies and improved methods of distributing data in the future but it is not here yet and Blu-ray is the latest & greatest disc media for HD video.

CWallace

Aug 27, 2008, 12:56 PM

Internet distribution of True HD content to a large audience currently has too many drawbacks. Broadband infrastructure just isn't there yet and many more ISPs are running into bandwidth bottlenecks hence the move to capped limits or pay per bit provider plans.

And yet, eventually those limits will need to be raised/rescinded otherwise people will question why they need to pay $50-100 a month for high-speed internet when they can't use it to the maximum of their benefit.

I know the ISPs want to try and shake-down the content providers for money to allow the content to be transmitted over their pipes, but in the end, what might very well happen is the ISPs and content providers agree to specific distribution methods that allows that content to be sent down the pipe in unlimited quantity while putting a crimp on the "terrabyte-level" P2P/Bittorrent crowd that at times saturates those pipes.

My TivoHD just added YouTube access this morning. And it's been able to download movies from Amazon's Unbox and music from Rhapsody for some time. I know my Tivo is just not hitting the web like a PC, since it uses a custom interface to browse and access content, so at a minimum Tivo is working with the content providers and may very well be working with the cable/satellite companies to get that content to my TV. And soon it will be able (via an external module) to access my cable company's Pay-Per-View system and they have to work with them to enable that.

So it is possible, if not probably, Apple will work with ISPs (traditional, cable and satellite) to help move content between iTunes and our :apple:tvs and Macs/PCs.

Aranince

Aug 27, 2008, 01:02 PM

digitalbiker

Aug 27, 2008, 01:21 PM

It seems like the infrastructure is there everywhere but America. Seems like a lot of countries(Japan?) have huge pipes and next to no bandwidth limitation. I think its these American ISPs are more obsessed with squeezing every penny they can out of their users.

I'm not sure you can generalize like this. There are many more countries with little or no broadband than those with virtually unlimited broadband like Japan.

America suffers because the population is spread over an enormous area.

Most of the current infrastructure is old and won't support high speed broadband over large distances. Many ISP's just use what is offered and have nothing to do with improving the infrastructure.

No matter how you cut it, it is going to take a huge cash investment, whether in taxes for government improvement of infrastructure, or in services for free market improvement in infrastructure before high speed broadband is ubiquitous in America.

The other option is that satellite technology or some new tech allows blanketing of the US in ultra-high speed service.

cult hero

Aug 27, 2008, 01:24 PM

I don't think that the laptops need any redesign. Not that I own one but still, why change for the sake of it?

A good GPU for the MacBooks would be much needed IMO.

I realize I'm late to the discussion and this was posted early, but I've seen something similar said a few times I want to address it.

The Pros are in need of two major changes and I will not purchase one (which I'm hoping to in September if there's a refresh, even if I'm a bit leery of buying a first gen redesign) until at least one of these is met:

1. A new frame needs to accommodate easily changing out the hard drive. I used to own a 12" Aluminum PowerBook and over the course of its life I changed out a dead optical drive which was a nightmare and the antenna wire which was the single biggest nightmare repair I have ever undertaken. The hard drive would have been as complicated as the optical drive which required taking the whole bottom assembly apart. Lame. Just lame. HDs fail frequently and running out of space happens frequently. Even if it ISN'T me doing the fixing, I don't want half my machine taken apart unless it has to be. Swapping out the hard drive should be about as trivial as the RAM.

2. There's an option to upgrade the screen on the 17" book to 1920x1200, so where's the option to upgrade the screen on the 15" to 1600x1080? I'd even pay extra for it like you do for the 17" upgrade. My 15" Dell Inspiron back in 2003 had a resolution of 1600x1200.

Finally, it's time for a redesign. When you're a company that constantly drives style, you have to keep driving just for the sake of doing so.

The MacBooks ain't ever getting a GPU. They'll get a bump in the next rev in the form of improved Intel graphics, sure, but I doubt you'll ever see dedicated video on the consumer level notebooks again.

My hope is that the next event is HD centric so we see Bluray (not that I care about it except that it also means), new screen resolutions and thus new laptops. I doubt this is the case, but I really want something to push screen resolutions.

danaris

Aug 27, 2008, 01:53 PM

America suffers because the population is spread over an enormous area.

This is an old argument that doesn't hold up under scrutiny. If it were the primary problem, then one might very well expect to see connections in NYC, LA, Boston, etc. with comparable speed and price to those in Japan.

We don't.

The problem is, indeed, the ridiculously greedy American monopolies who cannot stand the idea of letting a single penny slip through their fingers.

Dan Aris

diamond.g

Aug 27, 2008, 02:34 PM

No matter how you cut it, it is going to take a huge cash investment, whether in taxes for government improvement of infrastructure, or in services for free market improvement in infrastructure before high speed broadband is ubiquitous in America.

They already get such handouts from the government. And have sat on them (just like the cell phone ppl).

The other option is that satellite technology or some new tech allows blanketing of the US in ultra-high speed service.
That is part of the excitement that the spectrum auction was supposed to bring. IIRC that spectrum auctioned did blanket the nation.

heisetax

Aug 27, 2008, 03:36 PM

It does seem that expectations for the 9th of September Apple Event are running high. Almost as high as they were for MacWorld.

That means that most of us will be just as disapointed?

~Shard~

Aug 27, 2008, 03:41 PM

Shard, I think you are a bit premature to state that Blu-ray lost the content distribution war as this war is only just now starting.

<snip>

Fair points, thanks for the contribution.

Bengt77

Aug 27, 2008, 03:42 PM

A very good thought indeed. You may be onto something. I'll definitely wait and see for what September brings us! :)that makes two of us. :P
Two?!... :rolleyes:

karmachrome

Aug 27, 2008, 03:44 PM

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/08/27/ipods_macbooks_imacs_up_next_on_apples_2008_roadmap.html

Bengt77

Aug 27, 2008, 03:59 PM

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/08/27/ipods_macbooks_imacs_up_next_on_apples_2008_roadmap.html
Very interesting. I am so ready for a (new) MacBook. Studies are starting next week, so hopefully it's introduction won't be too much later.

wwetech

Aug 27, 2008, 04:00 PM

clubmac.com also lowered their prices on imacs

CWallace

Aug 27, 2008, 04:03 PM

America suffers because the population is spread over an enormous area.

Most of the current infrastructure is old and won't support high speed broadband over large distances. Many ISP's just use what is offered and have nothing to do with improving the infrastructure.

Actually, the backbone providers spent a mint during the telecom boom running fiber all over the place to allow for serious data transmission. The chowderheads just never set aside the money necessary to run it the last few miles to homes so when the boom turned to a bust and they all collapsed, nobody was connected.

Here in Seattle Comcast finally hooked us up to these larger pipes so we're now 16MB down, which does help for 720p HD downloads. :)

zedsdead

Aug 27, 2008, 04:07 PM

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/08/27/ipods_macbooks_imacs_up_next_on_apples_2008_roadmap.html

I don't buy the iMac update. It would be the most insignificant bump in years, unless Apple puts all the high end BTO options into it.

macshill

Aug 27, 2008, 04:12 PM

This is an old argument that doesn't hold up under scrutiny. If it were the primary problem, then one might very well expect to see connections in NYC, LA, Boston, etc. with comparable speed and price to those in Japan.

We don't.

The problem is, indeed, the ridiculously greedy American monopolies who cannot stand the idea of letting a single penny slip through their fingers.

Dan Aris

Very true. Reporting on the new Blackberry Bold suffering the SAME 3G problems. What's their connection? BOTH use the AT&T monopoly. Maybe it isn't the hardware or the software... maybe it's the network!

How about opening up the canal of choice and see what -- if any -- problems exist using an iPhone and/or a BlackBerry via another carrier.

wwetech

Aug 27, 2008, 04:15 PM

I don't buy the iMac update. It would be the most insignificant bump in years, unless Apple puts all the high end BTO options into it.

Well some retailers are lowering prices on imacs so it seems something is going on.

zedsdead

Aug 27, 2008, 04:18 PM

Well some retailers are lowering prices on imacs so it seems something is going on.

Apple very well might update them, but it would seem odd at this time. The Mac Mini, Mac Pro and Cinema Displays all need an update before the iMac.

digitalbiker

Aug 27, 2008, 04:32 PM

Actually, the backbone providers spent a mint during the telecom boom running fiber all over the place to allow for serious data transmission. The chowderheads just never set aside the money necessary to run it the last few miles to homes so when the boom turned to a bust and they all collapsed, nobody was connected.

Here in Seattle Comcast finally hooked us up to these larger pipes so we're now 16MB down, which does help for 720p HD downloads. :)

Very nice!

I am luckier than a lot of other people but my 1.5 mbit download, 867 kbit upload, phone line DSL is borderline painful. The worst part is I don't see it changing anytime soon. We only received DSL a little over a year ago, before that it was 28k dial-up.

wwetech

Aug 27, 2008, 04:44 PM

Apple very well might update them, but it would seem odd at this time. The Mac Mini, Mac Pro and Cinema Displays all need an update before the iMac.

yeah that is true it would make more sense to update mac mini and such. I hope they update mac mini it was one of my favorite macs even though i never owned it but I was always into buying one. I currently am waiting to get a new macbook soon so hopefully he rumors are true because im about to get an amazon voucher for $1200. So yeah hopefully the have some good updates. one thing I dont understand is rumors are sayign that the macbooks will be built from one solid aluminum casing, but how will the hinges work if its all solid. lol.:D

kabunaru

Aug 27, 2008, 04:47 PM

Apple very well might update them, but it would seem odd at this time. The Mac Mini, Mac Pro and Cinema Displays all need an update before the iMac.

Level of importance to update:
1. Mac Mini
2. Cinema Display
3. Mac Pro
4. iMac

That is what I think.

macshill

Aug 27, 2008, 04:50 PM

Level of importance to update:
1. Mac Mini
2. Cinema Display
3. Mac Pro
4. iMac

That is what I think.

Is that scale 1 least important, 10 most important... or is it going down on a "Top 10" list w/ #1 as the most important?

I'd say the MacBook/Pro needs to be higher than a Mac Mini.

kabunaru

Aug 27, 2008, 04:52 PM

Is that scale 1 least important, 10 most important... or is it going down on a "Top 10" list w/ #1 as the most important?

I'd say the MacBook/Pro needs to be higher than a Mac Mini.

1 is most important.

wwetech

Aug 27, 2008, 04:52 PM

Is that scale 1 least important, 10 most important... or is it going down on a "Top 10" list w/ #1 as the most important?

I'd say the MacBook/Pro needs to be higher than a Mac Mini.

the macbook definately needs the update and mac mini

kabunaru

Aug 27, 2008, 04:53 PM

Is that scale 1 least important, 10 most important... or is it going down on a "Top 10" list w/ #1 as the most important?

I'd say the MacBook/Pro needs to be higher than a Mac Mini.

As for the MacBook and MacBook Pro, they would be tied for #1 then.

Stang68

Aug 27, 2008, 05:01 PM

Level of importance to update:
1. Mac Mini
2. Cinema Display
3. Mac Pro
4. iMac

That is what I think.

Hahahaha ok, the Mac Mini is in need of some sort of update (or a discontinuing) but the Notebooks should definitely be number one because of students/business people.

wwetech

Aug 27, 2008, 05:06 PM

Hahahaha ok, the Mac Mini is in need of some sort of update (or a discontinuing) but the Notebooks should definitely be number one because of students/business people.

hope they dont discontinue mac mini, it was very stable small computer for normal everyday use.

captnfun

Aug 27, 2008, 06:31 PM

2. There's an option to upgrade the screen on the 17" book to 1920x1200, so where's the option to upgrade the screen on the 15" to 1600x1080? I'd even pay extra for it like you do for the 17" upgrade. My 15" Dell Inspiron back in 2003 had a resolution of 1600x1200.

Finally, it's time for a redesign. When you're a company that constantly drives style, you have to keep driving just for the sake of doing so.

The MacBooks ain't ever getting a GPU. They'll get a bump in the next rev in the form of improved Intel graphics, sure, but I doubt you'll ever see dedicated video on the consumer level notebooks again.

My hope is that the next event is HD centric so we see Bluray (not that I care about it except that it also means), new screen resolutions and thus new laptops. I doubt this is the case, but I really want something to push screen resolutions.

I agree, HD laptops, and Macbooks will always use integrated video, it is the one thing that separates the Macbooks from the MacbookPro's.

I saw today that Dell announced a new laptop in a 16x9 screen (i think just overseas though) It was a 15.6" screen.

What kind of pixel density would be needed to get a full 1920x1080 on that sized screen? Can it be done?

That would be the sweet spot for the Macbook Pro to me.

looks like Dell has these laptops in the works too...

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10026936-1.html

Tensakun

Aug 27, 2008, 06:32 PM

lucasmonger

Aug 27, 2008, 11:42 PM

The MacBooks ain't ever getting a GPU. They'll get a bump in the next rev in the form of improved Intel graphics, sure, but I doubt you'll ever see dedicated video on the consumer level notebooks again.

I agree MacBooks won't be getting a GPU, but that doesn't prevent Apple from releasing a 13 inch MacBook Pro (with a GPU), just like it did with the 12 inch PowerBook vs. iBook line a few years back.

Tensakun

Aug 28, 2008, 02:40 AM

I agree MacBooks won't be getting a GPU, but that doesn't prevent Apple from releasing a 13 inch MacBook Pro (with a GPU), just like it did with the 12 inch PowerBook vs. iBook line a few years back.

I've heard this a couple other places (low-end Mac and ?). If this is a real possibility, then I'd probably wait for both MB and MBP releases...double agony:(

AppliedMicro

Aug 28, 2008, 08:58 AM

that doesn't prevent Apple from releasing a 13 inch MacBook Pro (with a GPU), just like it did with the 12 inch PowerBook vs. iBook line a few years back.
No - but the existence of MacBook and MacBook Air together should prevent Apple from doing that.
A third notebook line with 13.3" screen?
Total overkill. Never, never ever going to happen, IMO.

They'd much rather substitute the current GMA in the "plain" MacBook with some NVIDIA or ATI part. I still doubt it very much... but at least there'd be some sound rationale in it. Like...

1. Lowering the AirBook's price to make it more attractive as a small and/or go-everywhere companion. If you think about it... should the AirBook be that expensive to make, if (1) CPUs are not "custom" anymore, (2) prices for SSD have gone down (3) you produce the thing in larger quantities than previous subnotebooks, to warrant a premium price like now? Lowering its price, Apple might have some real "killer" on hand for the less enthusiast-minded customers out there. I am talking about the "I don't couldn't give less about what fancy parts are in my computer or how much GHz this thing has, as long as it reliably works... I'm certainly not going to mess around (read: upgrade, remove battery, etc.) with it" crowd here. They type of people who don't know what System Profiler or macrumors.com even is. And, at least judging from my mother ( ;) ) and some others, these people are quite exactly the ones despising hideous wiring in the living room (like... ethernet cables, for instance). After all, where do many of the complaints about the AirBook originate from? From the more tech-savvy and performance-demanding people frequenting forums like this one. Last but not least: lowering the AirBook's price might also constitute a valid response to "threats" of EEE PC and the like...

2. Making the MacBook more attractive to casual gamers. After all, aren't there some young people who wouldn't mind playing some WoW (or what games are popular today?), aren't they?

Now, of course this is just some idea I was playing around with. But it doesn't look that implausible to me either.

wadejc85

Aug 28, 2008, 09:35 AM

Hahahaha ok, the Mac Mini is in need of some sort of update (or a discontinuing) but the Notebooks should definitely be number one because of students/business people.

I agree completely! I'm a student/working person who needs a new notebook! I want a MBP update! ;)

I've also convinced my sister (not her hubby yet, like that matters, though ;)) to get a Mac Mini, so I'm hoping they do not discontinue, rather update, the Mini.

I guess time will tell what happens.

MacLadybug

Aug 28, 2008, 09:46 AM

No - but the existence of MacBook and MacBook Air together should prevent Apple from doing that.
A third notebook line with 13.3" screen?
Total overkill. Never, never ever going to happen, IMO.

They'd much rather substitute the current GMA in the "plain" MacBook with some NVIDIA or ATI part. I still doubt it very much... but at least there'd be some sound rationale in it. Like...

1. Lowering the AirBook's price to make it more attractive as a small and/or go-everywhere companion. If you think about it... should the AirBook be that expensive to make, if (1) CPUs are not "custom" anymore, (2) prices for SSD have gone down (3) you produce the thing in larger quantities than previous subnotebooks, to warrant a premium price like now? Lowering its price, Apple might have some real "killer" on hand for the less enthusiast-minded customers out there. I am talking about the "I don't couldn't give less about what fancy parts are in my computer or how much GHz this thing has, as long as it reliably works... I'm certainly not going to mess around (read: upgrade, remove battery, etc.) with it" crowd here. They type of people who don't know what System Profiler or macrumors.com even is.

I would imagine that there is a big following of folks that just send email and save/file family pictures. And that's all they do.

captnfun

Aug 28, 2008, 11:14 AM

1. Lowering the AirBook's price to make it more attractive as a small and/or go-everywhere companion. If you think about it... should the AirBook be that expensive to make, if (1) CPUs are not "custom" anymore, (2) prices for SSD have gone down (3) you produce the thing in larger quantities than previous subnotebooks, to warrant a premium price like now? Lowering its price, Apple might have some real "killer" on hand for the less enthusiast-minded customers out there. I am talking about the "I don't couldn't give less about what fancy parts are in my computer or how much GHz this thing has, as long as it reliably works... I'm certainly not going to mess around (read: upgrade, remove battery, etc.) with it" crowd here. They type of people who don't know what System Profiler or macrumors.com even is. And, at least judging from my mother ( ;) ) and some others, these people are quite exactly the ones despising hideous wiring in the living room (like... ethernet cables, for instance). After all, where do many of the complaints about the AirBook originate from? From the more tech-savvy and performance-demanding people frequenting forums like this one. Last but not least: lowering the AirBook's price might also constitute a valid response to "threats" of EEE PC and the like...

2. Making the MacBook more attractive to casual gamers. After all, aren't there some young people who wouldn't mind playing some WoW (or what games are popular today?), aren't they?

Now, of course this is just some idea I was playing around with. But it doesn't look that implausible to me either.

I totally agree, they got the suckers to pay the big bucks for this, and cover the R&D. Now they need to drop the price. This could be the casual user system. Casual users don't need gigantic hard drives, or a gaggle of ports, the Macbook Air would be perfect for them.

But I do think you have to make the battery user replaceable. I have to replace mine every year.

bmorris

Aug 28, 2008, 11:38 AM

i hope no new macbook pro.
i just got one in feb.

kabunaru

Aug 28, 2008, 12:00 PM

I agree MacBooks won't be getting a GPU, but that doesn't prevent Apple from releasing a 13 inch MacBook Pro (with a GPU), just like it did with the 12 inch PowerBook vs. iBook line a few years back.

To me, an analgoy:
MacBook Air: iBook G4 or the "new MacBook" of Macs
New MacBook: The new "12" PowerBook G4" of Macs

That's the kind of updates I think are going to happen.

We shall see what Apple has in store.

Lynxpro

Aug 29, 2008, 09:46 AM

Yes - I just had Applecare replace my daughter's wrist-wrest, mouse button, and bottom casing for cracks. The wrist-wrest is a definately known problem (the little tabs on the inside of the lid crack the plastic they touch) AND be sure to check the base under the hinge area - many of the White Macs develop cracks all along the edge on the bottom between the hinges. :mad:

Thanks for that helpful info. I didn't want to lug my MacBook to the Apple Store over nothing but I'm glad it turns out that it is covered under AppleCare. I also hope it doesn't take weeks to fix. Maybe they'll have some helpful suggestions on cleaning the (natural skin) oil discoloration that has happened to the track pad. If the new MacBooks do have glass track pad screens, I may be tempted to give (I mean trade) to my girlfriend.

But anyway, after I get it fixed, I think I'll buy one of those Speck cases for the MacBook. Granted, with their color schemes, some might think my laptop is a Dell with those cheap color covers they have.

Again, thanks for the info!

Lynxpro

Aug 29, 2008, 09:54 AM

Interestingly, AppleTV is not mentioned. I'd wager that the aTV is going to get a minor HW revision in the form of video output, making it capable of driving (at least) 1080i. This would coincide with the iTunes update to 8.0.

Such a move would spur lagging aTV sales (overcoming the consumer's mindset of it having the inferior video output of 720p), and allow Apple to compete more readily with BluRay players, as well as with BluRay content providers such as NetFlix and Blockbuster. The timing would be right to drive the Christmas rush, too. Getting an aTV to the masses early would allow for favorable reviews to hit the mainstream media.

I'm not excited about the AppleTV product. Sure, it would be nice to have yet another Apple ecosystem product, but I have a hard time justifying the purchase of it when my Playstation3 works so well with Blu-Ray discs that I've either purchased or rented from NetFlix. If Sony would get their act together and make it standard to include "portable" MP4 files on their Blu-Ray discs to transfer to the PSP, Apple would finally have some respectable competition. What bugs me about the PS3 is the difficultly of transferring video files from a Mac to it over a network versus from a (gasp) Windows PC.

But getting back to the AppleTV product, I think it will ultimately come down to what I need more...it or finally putting my Series2 TiVo out to pasture for the TiVoHD. I've been fence sitting on the TiVo because I don't think I can trust Comcast to keep backwards compatibility with CableCard 1.0/2.0 devices when they switch their services over to the IPTV-like SVG or whatever the acronym is for what they are moving to. Plus, the AppleTV feels like a heat sink (or the bottom of the MacBook after it runs for awhile) if you stick your hand on its top! And with 1080p capable flat screens dropping in price like stones, it doesn't look good spec-wise when your product only does 720p.

Lynxpro

Aug 29, 2008, 10:07 AM

As exhaustively said before by many, 99.99% of the market will NEVER open a computer case, let alone add a PCI board, which apart from hardcore gamers who need new bragging rights every quarter, is simply unknown and useless to any normal user. Apple is the ONLY company realizing that, and that's why it's so successful, growing more than double the ordinary IT sector.

I've never considered adding anything more than RAM, an external drive or assorted USB or FW devices...just as pretty much anyone out there...add-on boards had only two roles in the Mac's history...either to run PC software or to run Apple II software in the Mac LC...:rolleyes:

I'd agree with you if you drop that statistic down to 75%. If you drop by Fry's or Best Buy, you will see quite a few people - who are not gamers - buying internal hard drives, burners, video cards, and up until a couple of years ago, sound cards.

One should remember that Creative used to make a PCI based Sound Blaster for the Power Macs.

Plus, Apple likes customers with disposable income [or those who do nothing but spend their money - disposable or not - on tech]. If they made an xMac, then they could get in on the gamer market...the customers who won't bat an eyelash over purchasing the latest $600 video card but would skip buying a $3000 standard MacPro or an Alienware/FalconNorthwest rig. This would also go along way to fixing the abysmal video card situation in the Mac world. I myself have a MacBook but I need to finally ditch the desktop PC and I'd rather have a mythical xMac than an iMac.

Lynxpro

Aug 29, 2008, 10:15 AM

Steve Jobs has already called Blu Ray an outright failure wrt content delivery so I doubt he is in any rush to incorporate the technology into the Mac product lines other than for HD storage/media etc. Although that is a legitimate reason for bringing in the technology, and we will no doubt see it at some point, it's not like Blu Ray is the be-all and end-all and some people mistakenly believe.

Blu-ray is end-all for the next decade. Commercial video downloads are going to go nowhere because the cable companies and phone companies offering broadband are not going to let Apple and the like cash in while using their infrastructure and hurting the PPV and OnDemand market. Comcast just announced that 250GB cap, and we're going to see companies cap lower than that.

A typical Blu-ray release is 50GB, so with that cap in place, that's 5 movies per month...of course, iTunes and other net based content only do 720p and not 1080p, so it would be less per film.

Point is, downloads won't surpass Blu-ray. And by the time there's infrastructure in place to offer 1080p, Blu-ray could switch to UltraHD (2160p) by simply adding 2 more layers to the disc. I'm quite certain that within 3 years, there will be 2160p flat screens on the market as prices continue to drop dramatically for 1080p. And again, downloads will be behind the times.

As for Jobs's prognostications, he's just bitter over having backed DVD big time when it first came out at the expense of the popularity of CD-R drives. They had to do a complete 180 in strategy to announce that marketing campaign of "Rip Mix and Burn" because they were so caught off-guard. So he's unsuccessfully trying to shift the paradigm in Apple's favor instead of getting burned by DVD's successor. But Blu-ray's popularity is already being adopted at a faster rate than DVD did, even with that prior year wasted on the Microsoft-financed format war...

Jak3

Aug 29, 2008, 01:48 PM

Blu-ray is end-all for the next decade. Commercial video downloads are going to go nowhere because the cable companies and phone companies offering broadband are not going to let Apple and the like cash in while using their infrastructure and hurting the PPV and OnDemand market. Comcast just announced that 250GB cap, and we're going to see companies cap lower than that.

A typical Blu-ray release is 50GB, so with that cap in place, that's 5 movies per month...of course, iTunes and other net based content only do 720p and not 1080p, so it would be less per film.

Point is, downloads won't surpass Blu-ray. And by the time there's infrastructure in place to offer 1080p, Blu-ray could switch to UltraHD (2160p) by simply adding 2 more layers to the disc. I'm quite certain that within 3 years, there will be 2160p flat screens on the market as prices continue to drop dramatically for 1080p. And again, downloads will be behind the times.

As for Jobs's prognostications, he's just bitter over having backed DVD big time when it first came out at the expense of the popularity of CD-R drives. They had to do a complete 180 in strategy to announce that marketing campaign of "Rip Mix and Burn" because they were so caught off-guard. So he's unsuccessfully trying to shift the paradigm in Apple's favor instead of getting burned by DVD's successor. But Blu-ray's popularity is already being adopted at a faster rate than DVD did, even with that prior year wasted on the Microsoft-financed format war...

UltraHD pfft...you'd need more storage than Blu-Ray for all of that to fit on one disc...:rolleyes:

if they released that now they'd screw themselves over on sales, now that they finally are getting 720p and 1080p to become standard

read up on your tech before making claims like that :p

SactoGuy18

Aug 30, 2008, 12:17 AM

SBik2

Aug 30, 2008, 12:18 AM

Thanks for that helpful info. I didn't want to lug my MacBook to the Apple Store over nothing but I'm glad it turns out that it is covered under AppleCare. I also hope it doesn't take weeks to fix. Maybe they'll have some helpful suggestions on cleaning the (natural skin) oil discoloration that has happened to the track pad. If the new MacBooks do have glass track pad screens, I may be tempted to give (I mean trade) to my girlfriend.

But anyway, after I get it fixed, I think I'll buy one of those Speck cases for the MacBook. Granted, with their color schemes, some might think my laptop is a Dell with those cheap color covers they have.

Again, thanks for the info!
DO NOT buy the speck hardshells for macbooks.. i had one and it scratched the heck out of my macbook.. and messed up the hinges tryin to take off the case

captnfun

Aug 30, 2008, 12:24 AM

Point is, downloads won't surpass Blu-ray. And by the time there's infrastructure in place to offer 1080p, Blu-ray could switch to UltraHD (2160p) by simply adding 2 more layers to the disc. I'm quite certain that within 3 years, there will be 2160p flat screens on the market as prices continue to drop dramatically for 1080p. And again, downloads will be behind the times.

2160p? No way, the reason 1080p matters is because it is the broadcast standard, 1080p is not going anywhere for a long long time. Thus Blu-ray will be a standard for a long long time. All the more reason to get on board now. Maybe someday direct downloads will take over, but even if that's true, that would make blu-ray the longest lasting standard, because it would be the last physical format.

charlituna

Aug 31, 2008, 10:18 AM

I do believe that with ISP's imposing download caps, this will actually spur more adoption of Blu-ray players, and that means we'll be seen iMacs, Mac Pros and Mac-based laptops with Blu-ray drives within the next year or so.

i am not going to be shocked if first we see lawsuits over the capping. if not by companies like Apple then by the consumers. make the whole monopoly argument, illegal tying and all that.

charlituna

Aug 31, 2008, 01:17 PM

Maybe you should. You're in a good 'zone'. You can buy the current generation and probably within the next 30 days,

i would double check that, because at least in Cali it is not 30 days but 14 days to return items, computers included. and price adjustments are the same 14 days

charlituna

Aug 31, 2008, 01:21 PM

Not true.

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/MacBook_13inch_HardDrive_DIY.pdf

Why would Apple have a Do-It-Yourself manual on their support pages if it would void the warranty ?

because some folks will do it anyway without any clue. but note the very first line of the instructions. including "Follow the instructions in this document carefully. Failure to follow these instructions could damage your equipment and void its warranty. "

charlituna

Aug 31, 2008, 01:23 PM

You know, I was among the audience when Steve concluded his MW Expo '08 presentation, he noted that during the first 2 weeks of the year Apple made several significant announcements like the new Mac Pros, Time Capsule, Macbook Air, new software for AppleTV and iPhone/iPod Touch and iTunes movie rentals "and we got 50 weeks to go".

which is not proof that anything else is going to happen. only that there is time if they decide to.

frankly I am not holding off on any thing under the assumption that they might, maybe, could perhaps announce something new at some point in the future.

charlituna

Aug 31, 2008, 01:26 PM

It's also possible that iLife '09 is a stability and multithreading update like Snow Leopard.

yep. seems more likely that it will than it won't.

the only major thing that they could change in iLife is taking iMovie back to the old interface, especially for audio. the FCP style audio layers were way more workable than what there is now.

kabunaru

Aug 31, 2008, 10:31 PM

You do not think that iLife 2009 would be Intel-only, would you?

CWallace

Aug 31, 2008, 10:49 PM

I don't see why they would need to make it Intel only, unless they used routines that required Intel's SSE extensions or Snow Leopard / CUDA / Grand Central code.

charlituna

Sep 1, 2008, 12:51 AM

You do not think that iLife 2009 would be Intel-only, would you?

imovie already is.

which is why I am still using imovie from '06 on one computer

iMacmatician

Sep 1, 2008, 08:31 AM

You do not think that iLife 2009 would be Intel-only, would you?It could be, but more than likely it'll stay Universal Binary. But it's possible that parts of iLife '09 will be Intel-only.

imovie already is.

which is why I am still using imovie from '06 on one computeriMovie's requirements are 1.9 GHz G5 or higher.

peepboon

Sep 1, 2008, 08:50 AM

zedsdead

Sep 1, 2008, 09:24 AM

yep. seems more likely that it will than it won't.

the only major thing that they could change in iLife is taking iMovie back to the old interface, especially for audio. the FCP style audio layers were way more workable than what there is now.

iMovie needs to stay with the new interface, because of the amazing organization and quick assemble edit. However, it would be nice to have a button you could select to bring it into Timeline mode for finer editing (not to mention video effects and more transitions).

Chris Bangle

Sep 1, 2008, 10:27 AM

hey guys, i used to work for currys and my brother currently works there. I know that stocks of Apple Macbook white and Macbook Pro are short. The Macbook black is completely out of stock nationwide and currys cannot order any more from apple. Also, currys have already taken a few mac products off their site perhaps giving the remaining stock to PC World (same company) but are more computer based.

Something to add to the fact that new products could be on its way!

Interesting, I went into My local Dixons, (Currys Digital or whatever its called) and the Macbook white and MBA has been demoted to a different part of the store, away from the rest of the laptops, and there was no blackbook, like there usually is.

Snowcat001

Sep 1, 2008, 11:06 AM

Interesting, I went into My local Dixons, (Currys Digital or whatever its called) and the Macbook white and MBA has been demoted to a different part of the store, away from the rest of the laptops, and there was no blackbook, like there usually is.

Same thing going on here in Belgium! In the "Switch" store Macbook Pro's 17" are on clearance sale! And the store is unable to order any more Macbook Pro's 17" of the curent model.

We are DEFINITELY going to see new mbp's soon!!!:D Yihaa!

kabunaru

Sep 1, 2008, 11:12 AM

Something to add to the fact that new products could be on its way September 9th!

Corrected for you.

KineticEcho

Sep 1, 2008, 11:19 AM

hey guys, i used to work for currys and my brother currently works there. I know that stocks of Apple Macbook white and Macbook Pro are short. The Macbook black is completely out of stock nationwide and currys cannot order any more from apple. Also, currys have already taken a few mac products off their site perhaps giving the remaining stock to PC World (same company) but are more computer based.

Something to add to the fact that new products could be on its way!

Same thing here in Italy, Hi-End Macbook (Black/White) are out of stock and not available to order.

CWallace

Sep 1, 2008, 11:30 AM

Snowcat001

Sep 1, 2008, 11:36 AM

While such inventory reports are good indicators that, as expected, new toys are coming, we do need to remember that the UK was out of iPhones for a period of weeks prior to the release of the iPhone 3G due to sales outpacing inventory projections.

So we should not assume that this is absolute proof that new Macs are coming within seven days. ;)

It's highly unlikely that we'll see new macs in seven days but we will probably see an invitation for an apple event tomorrow or withing seven days :D

kabunaru

Sep 1, 2008, 11:40 AM

It's highly unlikely that we'll see new macs in seven days but we will probably see an invitation for an apple event tomorrow or withing seven days :D
It is very likely that we might see at least an announcement on September 9th along with the MacBook Touch. :p

Chris Bangle

Sep 1, 2008, 01:21 PM

It's highly unlikely that we'll see new macs in seven days but we will probably see an invitation for an apple event tomorrow or withing seven days :D

There better be invites tommarrow. If I can recall, invites always go out a week before the event. So yep, Tommarrow is crucial.

iMacmatician

Sep 1, 2008, 01:33 PM

It is very likely that we might see at least an announcement on September 9th along with the MacBook Touch. :pIt is almost certain that we will see at least an announcement of new notebooks sometime in September or the first half of October. :D

There better be invites tommarrow. If I can recall, invites always go out a week before the event. So yep, Tommarrow is crucial.Keep in mind we may be waiting until 9 PM or so that day.

charlituna

Sep 2, 2008, 10:14 AM

iMovie needs to stay with the new interface, because of the amazing organization and quick assemble edit. However, it would be nice to have a button you could select to bring it into Timeline mode for finer editing (not to mention video effects and more transitions).

the whole events/projects thing is fine. it's working with audio that is a pain in the butt. the old system was 200 times better. and from the gripes that I've heard from other folks, they agree and wish that the old '06 style was still there.

jbrenn

Sep 7, 2008, 12:03 PM

the local best buy is out of All macs all the displays are gone also i know it is a small store in a small town but that to me is confirmation that the updates are in the next week or two

CWallace

Sep 7, 2008, 12:23 PM

the local best buy is out of All macs all the displays are gone also i know it is a small store in a small town but that to me is confirmation that the updates are in the next week or two

Maybe... Maybe not...

Remember, in the past Best Buy employees have leaked the new Mac SKUs when they enter the system and so far no such leak has come out...

jbrenn

Sep 7, 2008, 01:56 PM

maybe because the sku got leaked last time they will announce them first and ship in a week or two especially if it a redesign.

CWallace

Sep 7, 2008, 02:40 PM

maybe because the sku got leaked last time they will announce them first and ship in a week or two especially if it a redesign.

Having spent a number of years in "big box retail", I expect Best Buy will know about the new parts before Apple formally releases them due to the realities of their inventory management system.

And while Apple formally likes to "play it close to the vest", the fact is that all these leaks drive hype and excitement within their existing customer base which helps convince them to replace their existing product with the new product.