AppleInsider: MEROM MACBOOK PRO'S AROUND SEPTEMBER 5th

[ZoomZoomZoom]

I just want Merom and x1800 before 2007. A new enclosure would be nice too, because I have acidic skin. Everything beyond that is icing on the cake. Just implementing the first two would make me about $2500 poorer the moment Rev B MBPs hit the refurb page.

 

[nomad01]

Notwithstanding the fact that 64-bit computing is totally irrelevant for 99% of computer users, a bit of reality check is always good...Leopard is miles ahead of Vista in terms of 64-bit support.

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33666

Yes but when one of your biggest pleasures in life is bitching about Apple on an Apple forum, it's nice to ignore things like that. ;-)

 

[jaduffy108]

God, I hope so. Student loan money is hittin' soon, and will be burning a hole in my pocket (that is, the painfully finite chunk of it that won't be ear marked for law school tuition, books, rent, and food ).

### "food"??? C'mon...get your priorities straight!

 

[cheunghy]

No Jobs keynote at Apple Expo Paris

http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=15590

Hope Apple will hold a media event instead... (just like they did in 2005)

 

[aswitcher]

http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=15590

Hope Apple will hold a media event instead... (just like they did in 2005)

I hold a suspicion that Steve is trying to move other Apple staff into the public helm of Apple so he can step back a bit.

 

[rjc]

I think when apple runs the numbers, they will see that a tower will make them more money overall. And don't forget, "running the numbers" is really just speculation. There's no way to know for sure without actually releasing the machine.

...a minitower has the potential to be the cheapest Mac yet to design and manufacture. Apple could use stock intel mobo designs with very little modification, and basic cases. It wouldn't have the miniaturization issues of a laptop or mini and wouldn't need to be as optimized as the Pro. There will obviously be costs involved with releasing *any* product, but they'd be covered easily with the increased sales.

I don't think increased sales are necessarily going to come--the set of people who want more power than the Mini, but less than the Mac Pro, and don't want a monitor, AND who up to this point have walked away from buying a Mac altogether because of this gap in their products--that's a small group. Plus Apple loses the Mac Pro buyers who don't need quite that much power, so their margins go down there (there are fewer people who buy the Mini when they'd rather buy a minitower: people are more likely to buy more computer than they need than less computer than they need). I understand that you disagree with this estimate, which is idle speculation.

A more cogent reason why the minitower won't exist: Apple has worked very hard to simplify their product line. They think they gain some advantage by having a small line of products--they don't confuse their customers, and they make choices easy. They are not going to add another computer into that lineup unless they have a compelling reason (not just breaking even or making slightly more money).

The most likely outcome that's somewhat close to what you're looking for, Milo, is a faster Mini (in that same form factor)--something comparable to the iMac or MBP in power.

 

[Multimedia]

No Keynote At Paris Apple Expo By ANYONE

No Jobs keynote at Apple Expo Paris

Hope Apple will hold a media event instead... (just like they did in 2005)

Worse. No Keynote at Paris Apple Expo by ANYONE.

So much for that deadline. Wonder if the Core 2 launch will be before, during or after Paris Apple Expo?

 

[generik]

the ultimate 17" MBP

Two, maybe four, reasons for me to wait until 2007.
1. Merom 64Bit processing power (it is just the better chip for the same price...
2. 800MHz frontside bus...
3. maybe a 1920x1??? screen... just more real-estate....
4. and finally the possibilty to install 4 Gig of fast RAM...

If, and when, at least 1. and 2. becomes reality, that is my machina
Actually I am happy to wait, because maybe, just maybe the new revs are going to have
no mooing, whining, heat, and else, -issues...

Hope they (APPLE) get their act together and sort ALL problems out.

CIAO

I have no idea if you are trolling or what..

1) Merom will be out SOON, in 2006 that is
2) 2GB of ram for my Conroe PC recently costed me USD$300. It is DDR2 800Mhz modules, care to give a guess how much these will cost when the Sodimm ones come out?
2.1) What will be the performance advantage purely from the higher FSB? Tons of prior experience in this field, I can assure you, no more than 3%.
3) You need Leopard to take advantage of that anyway.
4) There is nothing about "32 bits" that prevents you from installing 4GB of ram. Apple choose to disable it, and they can disable it then as well.

From 1 and 2, why not just go onto the slippery slope and go "Oh, I will wait for Intel to translate technologies from CLOVERTOWN to their mobile line, I will wait for 8MB cache, Quad core mobile CPUs running at 20W!

You are in for a long wait buddy, (2) is not even a worthwhile point at all. Either way it is your time and your money, if you can afford to wait almost 8 months for something, why not just save the money and buy a Chinese made car in Shanghai?

CIAO

 

[rgriffin]

4GB possibility with Merom Upgrade

Does anyone think that with the Core 2 Duo chip Apple may increase the ram to 4GB max? Right now Dell, HP, and Asus notebooks (and probably some others) have a 4GB ceiling. It would be nice to have that option with the MacBook "Pro" (I'm still looking for significant differences between Macbook Pro and Macbook).

 

[daveL]

Worse. No Keynote at Paris Apple Expo by ANYONE.

So much for that deadline. Wonder if the Core 2 launch will be before, during or after Paris Apple Expo?

Why does a Jonah -> Merom update beg for a Keynote or "special event"? The two chips are pin compatible. I don't see Apple updating enclosures or motherboards. This is simply a 20% speed bump for all intents and purposes. Sure Merom is 64bit, but I don't think Apple will hype that fact until Leopard is released. Just my take, of course.

 

[KingYaba]

I only expect a "silent" upgrade as others have said. One day you'll venture to Apple's website and you will notice the MacBook Pro has a new processor.

 

[generik]

Does anyone think that with the Core 2 Duo chip Apple may increase the ram to 4GB max? Right now Dell, HP, and Asus notebooks (and probably some others) have a 4GB ceiling. It would be nice to have that option with the MacBook "Pro" (I'm still looking for significant differences between Macbook Pro and Macbook).

Yonahs already support 4GB of memory, it is just that Apple's engineers choose to "think different" and not implement it.

 

[daveL]

Yonahs already support 4GB of memory, it is just that Apple's engineers choose to "think different" and not implement it.

I think you'll find that, when 2 GB sticks are available, you'll be able to access 4 GB just fine. Apple tends to spec max memory based on the largest commonly available memory stick capacity x the number of sticks the machine will accommodate when it is introduced. There's nothing engineered into the design to prohibit you from using larger memory sticks down the road. I dare say I could probably put 2 x 1 GB in my 4 year old TiBook, but 1 GB sticks didn't exist then, so Apple spec'ed my machine as having 1 GB max memory. YMMV.

 

[RichP]

Someone on here has tried the 2GB sticks, they dont work (also cost a pretty penny)

To realistically have 4GB, you need 4 sockets.

I think you'll find that, when 2 GB sticks are available, you'll be able to access 4 GB just fine. Apple tends to spec max memory based on the largest commonly available memory stick capacity x the number of sticks the machine will accommodate when it is introduced. There's nothing engineered into the design to prohibit you from using larger memory sticks down the road. I dare say I could probably put 2 x 1 GB in my 4 year old TiBook, but 1 GB sticks didn't exist then, so Apple spec'ed my machine as having 1 GB max memory. YMMV.

 

[generik]

Someone on here has tried the 2GB sticks, they dont work (also cost a pretty penny)

To realistically have 4GB, you need 4 sockets.

Are the 2GB sticks electrically different or something? I still don't understand why they didn't work.

 

[zync]

A more cogent reason why the minitower won't exist: Apple has worked very hard to simplify their product line. They think they gain some advantage by having a small line of products--they don't confuse their customers, and they make choices easy. They are not going to add another computer into that lineup unless they have a compelling reason (not just breaking even or making slightly more money)..

You know that's really interesting. If you keep up with Apple at all you can probably remember nearly every computer they've introduced within the last three years and what their specs were.

That's pretty powerful mindshare. I mean, my only recent Apple computer is my PowerBook and yet I still know nearly every model of every product Apple has produced since I switched in 2003.

I doubt I could keep up with the rapidly changing lines of Dell PoCs (Pieces of Crap) or those of any manufacturer other than Apple. And it's not simply that Apple has introduced less products. It probably helps that Apple uses names like PowerBook instead of Dell blah blah 120xxx blah blah....of course some companies use that horrible naming scheme to their advantage *cough* Intel *cough*.

 

[DeVizardofOZ]

Yonahs already support 4GB of memory, it is just that Apple's engineers choose to "think different" and not implement it.

Hey Generik!

1. I wait until APPLE sorts out all the problems, which are surely QC related.
2. I wait until APPLE engineers do decide to allow for at least 4 Gig of RAM, as others do
already, why not APPLE???
3. I wait until they do something about the cheap plastic top plate, which I have
seen on many PBs and MBPs scratching way too easily. That plate is just not matching the overall
form factor and quality appearance. And of course, they may want to do somthing about the design and soft
Aluminum they presently use.
4. I wait for the 800 MHz FSB, which in conjunction with 4Gig of Ram and the 64Bit Merom will do the trick for me.
5. ASUS, the maker of APPLEs offers a Lamborghini laptop with a NVidia GeForce Go7400
VX 512MB with TurboCache™.... Why can't APPLE do that? What do their engineers
think?
6. APPLE could now easily offer the best and fastest laptops on the globe, for you and me
and for the PRO's. What do they offer? 3 laps. Yes, a superior OS, a basically nice design, but low
quality hardware. Backlighting problems, wobbling screens, because of a technically bad hinge
desing that needs to be improved, a keyboard, which could be much better in terms of
quality. Harddrives which die after 1 or 2 years... and so on. You may forgive APPLE for
delivering plenty of lemons, I see no reason to spend my hard earned money for that.

Anyhow, you do what you please, I can afford to wait a bit longer. 1st quarter 07 is fine with me.

Best

 

[generik]

Hey Generik!
1. I wait until APPLE sorts out all the problems, which are surely QC related.

I doubt they are QC related, more like stupid design related.

2. I wait until APPLE engineers do decide to allow for at least 4 Gig of RAM, as others do
already, why not APPLE???

There is also this thing known as the Mac Pro......

In fact if you like ram so much go buy a Opteron laptop, Intel machines don't scale very well for large amounts of ram.

3. I wait until they do something about the cheap plastic top plate, which I have
seen on many PBs and MBPs scratching way too easily. That plate is just not matching the overall
form factor and quality appearance. And of course, they may want to do somthing about the design and soft
Aluminum they presently use.

I hate the aluminium like the other guy as well, but what's this hogwash about a plastic plate? It has been more than confirmed by many that it is not a plastic plate.

4. I wait for the 800 MHz FSB, which in conjunction with 4Gig of Ram and the 64Bit Merom will do the trick for me.

What trick? What can you do with a 800Mhz FSB that you can't do with a 667Mhz FSB? Perhaps you should find reviews for the speed gains going from a 533Mhz bus to a 667 bus (hint: not significant, at all)

In fact the current 2gb limitation HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH 64 BITS AT ALL. Geez, I am really so tired of stressing this old point.

5. ASUS, the maker of APPLEs offers a Lamborghini laptop with a NVidia GeForce Go7400
VX 512MB with TurboCache™.... Why can't APPLE do that? What do their engineers
think?

You really bought into the koolaid, what's with the (tm) even in your quote? Why not just buy the Asus Lamborghini and then download MacOS and install on it?

Hey, it is against the EULA, but you are in China, like there is a chance in hell Apple is going to win a lawsuit over intellectual property against you there, if they do decide to sue you.

6. APPLE could now easily offer the best and fastest laptops on the globe, for you and me
and for the PRO's. What do they offer? 3 laps. Yes, a superior OS, a basically nice design, but low
quality hardware. Backlighting problems, wobbling screens, because of a technically bad hinge
desing that needs to be improved, a keyboard, which could be much better in terms of
quality. Harddrives which die after 1 or 2 years... and so on. You may forgive APPLE for
delivering plenty of lemons, I see no reason to spend my hard earned money for that.

Erm... low quality, in comparison to what? Dells?

If you are comparing to Thinkpads, mind you, Thinkpads ship with really crap LCD panels, the only thing going for it is the tough chasis and the really good keyboard, but all thanks to the new chinese company, the newer batches are starting to be crap too.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the Thinkpads costs $400 more for a 1.83Ghz model than the upper model 15" MBP, and oh yeah, the Thinkpads use Hitachi drives, doesn't Deathstar ring a bell?

If you want to save your hard earned money then buy a Dell, or buy something else. If your money is truly so hard earned perhaps you should not buy a Apple.

For the record I have a Macbook ordered which will be sold on eBay within 2 weeks, it is just going to tide me until the next MBP Rev. Quality issues? Well, I couldn't care less. 800Mhz FSB, well I couldn't care less either. Unlike you, if I am unhappy with something I will just sell it and get another one. Educational discount for the win.

Anyhow, you do what you please, I can afford to wait a bit longer. 1st quarter 07 is fine with me.

Fine, do what you please, don't tell us what you plan to do though. /signed not interested.

 

[generik]

It probably helps that Apple uses names like PowerBook instead of Dell blah blah 120xxx blah blah....of course some companies use that horrible naming scheme to their advantage *cough* Intel *cough*.

Is this even a legitimate point?

When people ask you "So.. what Mac you use?", you answer "I use a Mac Pro", does it make a lot of sense? Which Mac Pro? The 2.0Ghz model? The 2.66Ghz model? The 3Ghz model? What graphics card? What memory configuration?

With regards to your point regarding naming, newsflash: Dell laptops only have *two* names, Inspiron and XPS. How hard is it to grasp?

 

[Clydefrog]

latitude

 

[zync]

3. I wait until they do something about the cheap plastic top plate, which I have
seen on many PBs and MBPs scratching way too easily. That plate is just not matching the overall
form factor and quality appearance. And of course, they may want to do somthing about the design and soft
Aluminum they presently use.

I have just one quibble with your post. Soft aluminum my ass! I pulled out my PowerBook once while it was in my bag and under a table. It hit the support under the table incredibly hard. I was scared when I saw a black spot on my PowerBook's screen edge. Upon closer inspection, it had removed the paint from the steel support. My PowerBook was completely undamaged. The PowerBook's aluminum is anything but soft. And the top of mine has never scratched.

Since your argument is all about other manufacturers, would you rather have your PowerBook made completely out of plastic? I'm sure that would be way more scratch resistant than aluminum

 

[zync]

Is this even a legitimate point?

When people ask you "So.. what Mac you use?", you answer "I use a Mac Pro", does it make a lot of sense? Which Mac Pro? The 2.0Ghz model? The 2.66Ghz model? The 3Ghz model? What graphics card? What memory configuration?

With regards to your point regarding naming, newsflash: Dell laptops only have *two* names, Inspiron and XPS. How hard is it to grasp?

As the poster below you said what about Latitude? I owned a Latitude CPiD. They had Latitudes that were CPx, CP whatever, then they had some with numbers and letters. When someone asks me what Mac Pro I use I would tell them Mac Pro 3.0GHz....is that so hard to grasp? Everything else people usually change on other BTO options on ANY manufacturer so you'd always have to tell them what the other options are if asked.

It's not that there are three lines, it's the fact that there are hundreds of models in the same line. Apple's lines change when there is a new processor. It seems like Dell makes a new model for every build to order option. Also, their lines make no sense. An Inspiron, could be any shape or size. Their lines aren't even related to what the computer looks like but instead to what function it serves, which is somewhat stupid as you can't connect Inspiron with a model like you can with iBook.

If I tell someone I have a 15" PowerBook G4 1.25GHz, they know exactly what machine I have. What's the difference between an Inspiron B130 and an Inspiron E1505? They have even stopped simply using numbers for Inspiron designations and have added letters into the mix.

If however I asked you what the difference between a 15" PowerBook G4 1GHz, and a 15" PowerBook G4 1.5Ghz, you should be able to tell me most of the differences.

My point was completely valid. Apple's naming scheme is much better than Dell's ridiculous naming scheme. If my point was not legitimate I would not have said it.

 

[Clydefrog]

As the poster below you said what about Latitude? I owned a Latitude CPiD. They had Latitudes that were CPx, CP whatever, then they had some with numbers and letters. When someone asks me what Mac Pro I use I would tell them Mac Pro 3.0GHz....is that so hard to grasp? Everything else people usually change on other BTO options on ANY manufacturer so you'd always have to tell them what the other options are if asked.

It's not that there are three lines, it's the fact that there are hundreds of models in the same line. Apple's lines change when there is a new processor. It seems like Dell makes a new model for every build to order option. Also, their lines make no sense. An Inspiron, could be any shape or size. Their lines aren't even related to what the computer looks like but instead to what function it serves, which is somewhat stupid as you can't connect Inspiron with a model like you can with iBook.

If I tell someone I have a 15" PowerBook G4 1.25GHz, they know exactly what machine I have. What's the difference between an Inspiron B130 and an Inspiron E1505? They have even stopped simply using numbers for Inspiron designations and have added letters into the mix.

If however I asked you what the difference between a 15" PowerBook G4 1GHz, and a 15" PowerBook G4 1.5Ghz, you should be able to tell me most of the differences.

My point was completely valid. Apple's naming scheme is much better than Dell's ridiculous naming scheme. If my point was not legitimate I would not have said it.

well put. its better than having a naming scheme like Mac Pro 3.1.250.XTX.BA

 

[generik]

My point was completely valid. Apple's naming scheme is much better than Dell's ridiculous naming scheme. If my point was not legitimate I would not have said it.

I wouldn't blame Dell's poor naming scheme, I do find fault that you would make out Apple's lack of naming to be a good(tm) thing.

So I have a Macbook Pro, "Which Macbook Pro?", "Oh.. the 2.0Ghz one", "You mean the first batch where the 2.0Ghz model is the upper model and has a 256MB of VRAM, or the later 2.0Ghz model where it is the lower model and came with 128MB of VRAM? Does yours whine?"

Apple has NO naming scheme. If you can't stand the other manufacturers using model numbers just refer to them by their generic name, it is the exact same thing as what Apple is doing. Can't stand Latitude CPx? Call it a Dell Latitude then. "CPx" is as much of an identifier to "Latitude" as "2.0Ghz, 128MB Vram, Whines" is to "Macbook Pro".

 

[daveL]

I wouldn't blame Dell's poor naming scheme, I do find fault that you would make out Apple's lack of naming to be a good(tm) thing.

So I have a Macbook Pro, "Which Macbook Pro?", "Oh.. the 2.0Ghz one", "You mean the first batch where the 2.0Ghz model is the upper model and has a 256MB of VRAM, or the later 2.0Ghz model where it is the lower model and came with 128MB of VRAM? Does yours whine?"

Apple has NO naming scheme. If you can't stand the other manufacturers using model numbers just refer to them by their generic name, it is the exact same thing as what Apple is doing. Can't stand Latitude CPx? Call it a Dell Latitude then. "CPx" is as much of an identifier to "Latitude" as "2.0Ghz, 128MB Vram, Whines" is to "Macbook Pro".

You guys need to get a life. Who gives a crap? Not to mention this entire dialog is completely OT.