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How to buy a brand new MBP: Manufacture Date

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0087215

Cancelled
Original poster
Sep 20, 2008
495
36
Hey guys,


I am considering buying a new MBP 13 inch, but would like to make sure that I am getting a brand new machine. I am going to order my laptop from the online Apple Store.

I assume that if I opt for a BTO laptop (for instance, choosing another hard disk), then the laptop will be build for me exclusively, meaning that it will be completely new. (the same or next week after ordering) If I order a standard stock model, then I will get one of the laptops that are waiting for their new owners for months in some dark rusty places.

However, it can also be the case that if I order a stock model now, I will be getting it with the new iLife'11 suite, meaning that the machine has been produced after 20 October when the new iLife was announced. I don't think Apple employees open all the boxes of old stocked laptops equipped with the old iLife and replace it with the new one.

What should I do? Do you have any ideas, guys?
 
I am pretty sure you will be fine either way. A new machine is a new machine, regardless of if has been on the shelf a week or a day. And yes, you will get iLife 11 included (for better or worse)
 
The logistics of manufacturing and shipping a computer and then bringing it to your doorstep halfway around the world ensure that anything you buy now will be at least a few weeks old. It takes time for products to leave the factory and filter through the distribution channels.

In fact, you can probably be well assured that every computer physically in the store on a given day will have been manufactured within a fairly tight date range, as Apple (and most or all of their major authorized distributors) surely understands their own product turnover and has a system in place for ensuring consistent inventory levels throughout the supply chain. My family recent bought three iPhones at once and all three had been manufactured during the same week with a serial number spread of just a few thousand units. That would mean that all three had actually been produced on the same day.

As for iLife: it was indeed announced on October 20, but was also available that same day, which in turn implies that it had already been in the distribution channels for at least a short while. It's quite possible that there are computers manufactured before Oct. 20th that were carrying the new software right out of the factory. Even if you did somehow end up with a computer that doesn't have it, then you will at least be eligible to get the upgrade for the discounted price (something like $7).

http://www.apple.com/ilife/uptodate/
 
what you should do? well i'd stop thinking about it at all, who cares when your MBP was build? If it is n.i.b. they are all the same, same specs, same hardware. I bet apple bought a kazillion of those old dusty C2D processors to stick in their 13's and they are all just as old when the apple engineer sticks one on your mobo, so what difference does it matter either way?
 
stefan1975 said:
what you should do? well i'd stop thinking about it at all, who cares when your MBP was build? If it is n.i.b. they are all the same, same specs, same hardware. I bet apple bought a kazillion of those old dusty C2D processors to stick in their 13's and they are all just as old when the apple engineer sticks one on your mobo, so what difference does it matter either way?
Click to expand...

Well, I remember when I started researching for a new computer ~2 months ago, many were reporting HDD issues (hanging beachballs) on new MBPs, after launch and as recently as June-August. I ordered online so that it would come direct from the factory in China, as Apple was aware of the issue and making changes, or so I read. I figured that would be "newer" than anything sitting on a store shelf. Chances are it's not by much, few days to couple of weeks at most, depending on the store, given the rate at which they are selling lately, but still, it's a valid concern. Plus, there are production tweaks and improvements implemented all the time, or sometimes one supplier is substituted for another (for better or for worse). There is no way of knowing what engineering tweaks Apple has done since launch either (continuous improvement, lean, 5S, etc.), so the newer the better (such as one other issue I came across before about the amount of thermal grease used on the processors or something, etc.).

Order online or from a busy Apple store (major mall or city).
 
Blu101 said:
Well, I remember when I started researching for a new computer ~2 months ago, many were reporting HDD issues (hanging beachballs) on new MBPs, after launch and as recently as June-August. I ordered online so that it would come direct from the factory in China, as Apple was aware of the issue and making changes, or so I read. I figured that would be "newer" than anything sitting on a store shelf. Chances are it's not by much, few days to couple of weeks at most, depending on the store, given the rate at which they are selling lately, but still, it's a valid concern. Plus, there are production tweaks and improvements implemented all the time, or sometimes one supplier is substituted for another (for better or for worse). There is no way of knowing what engineering tweaks Apple has done since launch either (continuous improvement, lean, 5S, etc.), so the newer the better (such as one other issue I came across before about the amount of thermal grease used on the processors or something, etc.).

Order online or from a busy Apple store (major mall or city).
Click to expand...

Thanks! That's indeed my reasoning behind the idea of ordering a brand new Mac. However, I think Apple already managed to produce their MBP'13 almost without flaws. So, I shouldn't be worried. (It would be different, if I wanted to buy a new i5 MBP, which still has some issues)
 
0087215 said:
Thanks! That's indeed my reasoning behind the idea of ordering a brand new Mac. However, I think Apple already managed to produce their MBP'13 almost without flaws. So, I shouldn't be worried. (It would be different, if I wanted to buy a new i5 MBP, which still has some issues)
Click to expand...

You should be fine now no matter which way you go, 13" or 15". I haven't had any issues on my 15" (2 weeks old now). Since the MBP line is now well on its way along its current design cycle, chances are Apple has had time to work out most bugs and kinks. And since they just did a minor update (2.8Ghz i7 on 15" and 17" and iLife11), the next major update isn't expected until 1st or 2nd quarter next year, so now is a good time to buy.

Just keep in mind that it's still a product, so there's always a chance that something will be off or defective out of the box, but hey, that's what the one year factory warranty is for, and there's always the 3 year Applecare warranty option as well.
 
No need to think about it now. This model has been out for a while now and most kinks have been worked out long ago.
 
Well, yesterday I received my MBP"13 and guess what... the thing I was afraid of, happened to me.

First of all, I noticed that the box with the laptop was sealed with 2 plastic seals. Apparently, the box had been opened and sealed again. When I checked the manufacture date of the laptop, everything became clear: the laptop was produced in the week of 4 October, but the weird thing is that the iLife'11 suite was already in the box (which has been announced on 20 October). So, the Apple employees had opened the box of the 3 weeks old laptop and put iLife'11 in it.

And, of course, we are all human and those employees weren't that careful. What I noticed immediately, were some dirty fingerprints on the laptop itself (however it was completely in the plastic), a number of scratches on the laptop and the power adapter and one noticeable dent.

Well, to be honest with you I was not expecting to get such a "bad apple" from Apple! Unbelievable! I have already contacted Apple, annulled my order and will be sending the laptop back to Apple.

What I am going to do next, is ordering a custom laptop (will put another HD in it, so that I will be sure that it is made specifically for me and nobody was touching/destroying after it has been produced) or will just wait till the Black Friday and order the same standard machine in hope to get a small discount and a laptop produced in November with iLife'11.

:)
 
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