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buy macbook pro 2011 or wait for 2012 design overhaul>

Unless you desperately need something new now, why not wait? I mean, it's always going to be better and likely at similar if not the exact same price points...
 
The Apple Cycle for the most part appears to be they introduce the overhaul. Maybe mid cycle they bump up the specs. The year after the overhaul, they give you something completely different on the performance functionality end, then bump THAT up mid cycle and then give us a new redesign.

Isn't the Unibody a year old at this point?

I would guess at some point they would probably give us some combination of the Air and the MacBook Pro, at this point though, I think you will be waiting a long year before Apple MAYBE gives you that complete refresh you are seeking.

Good luck with your decision, I think your choice is a win win either way, and worst case scenario, if you get something now, and the new refreshes are more to your liking, keep the one you buy in great shape and sell it to upgrade at a minimal cost. :)

I hope that is more helpful than the nasty sarcastic worthless input offered in a couple of posts telling you to wait 2 to 3 years :rolleyes:
 
I have a 2010 i5 17", so I'm going to wait. I have already installed a 128GB SSD and 8GB of ram, so, I'm ok with it although I do like the quad power in the 2011 models.

Things I'm hoping to see for 2012:

  • A mature SSD market that will make 256GB or 512GB options more affordable.
  • Lion and better hardware integration via a new redesign
  • Thunderbolt over optics and a maturing market of available peripherals
  • retina display
  • a professional RGB gamut option / 10-bit screen
  • more than 8GB of ram limit
  • any cooling issues from the 2011 resolved

If you need the quad power (I do video and 3d, but also have a nice quad i7 desktop) then this is a good upgrade. But for owners of a 2010 model, I feel it's a more like to have than must have in some ways.

Thunderbolt is cool and the quad power is quite nice with SandyBridge.

I had a quad i7 Sony F last year and the fan ran quite a bit of the time. I'd like Apple to have a year to work on keeping these things cool in quiet way.
 
If you need a laptop now, grab one.

The resale value of these I imagine to hold due to the quad core. Technology in the machine for most people should last a while and even if SSDs do become default next year, its not hard to buy a BETTER SSD and fit it in yourself and enjoy a years worth of MBP.

The obv disadvantages are the graphics/processor will get better - but thats ALWAYS going to happen.

Also, the redesign IMO will be nothing too dramatic because ATM its near enough perfect and is representative for many of apple's perfection.
 
TheralSadurns said:
With all respect, you may want to re-read my post. The very first line says it all... this is MY OPINION. NOT what I do know with certainty.

Yes, I agree, the 2009 models were not that big an overhaul. Except for the introduction of the 13" MBP, the sealed in batteries and the SD card slots. Truth be told. There is, however, no logic behind redesigning your machines within one year.

Me assuming the redesign is based on the following:
1. Normal cycles for design overhauls seem to be b/w 2-4years for consumer grade machines. The current MacBook Pro design would fit right into this schedule.

2. Intel and AMD/ATI's 2012 roadmap tells us to expect no big leaps (wait for 2013/2014 for Haswell to be a bigger improvement). Apple, however, likes to sell us their next magical and revolutionary MBP. Do I believe there will be no significant change? Not likely if you ask me.

3. Apple's own marketing: MBA The future of MacBooks. What that means exactly is open to discussion. But it does seem viable, that the MBP will take some features from the MBA.

4. Apple's issues with Bluray and the Mac App Store.
It seems Apple is embracing the digital/online distribution of all things media. First music, then movies, now applications. Also there seems to be an ever increasing move to the cloud. Additionally, REMOVING could be sold as revolutionary. While keeping a DVD drive, but NO Bluray drive would hardly convince anyone.

5. The sources who claimed to have knowledge about the new 2011 MBPs have mostly been wrong. There, however, seem to be numerous sources claiming the above changes. I don't fully believe these rumors were wrong. They might just have been related to a yet-to-be-released prototype or other test-bed.

6. The market.
Look at the MacBook PRO. Emphasis on PRO. Especially the 15" and 17" models are not MEANT for the average Jane and Joe, how could hardly afford it anyway. Yes DVD drives are great features... for watching DVD movies etc. But else? If you are a student of some other form of consumer, who wants to hook it up to the Big Screen or who hasn't got any other TV / DVD player / Bluray player, the SuperDrive is mighty useful. Therefore I don't believe it will be axed from the MacBook (non-Pro) any time soon.
But for the professionals. They don't NEED a DVD burner in their MacBook Pros taking up valuable space. They might want a Bluray SuperDrive for their video editing / authoring, which they will not get. Chances are, however, if you NEED a Bluray drive for your working-life / to make money, you have a stationary machine to take care of that.
But by now... a DVD drive is purely WASTED on a Pro-grade machine.

These here things ALL TOGETHER lead me to believing there will be a design overhaul in the near future. I don't claim, however, that this is or will be 100% accurate.
Maybe Apple pulls a 2008. Releasing an early 2011 model before March, and introducing a new design in October.
Maybe, and if you ask me, most likely they will take care of the redesigning in the 2012 model. Or pull a 2008 in THAT year.

The one thing we know that very few things are ever REALLY certain with Apple. But the evidence that is there, is clearly pointing in the same direction as I do.
Click to expand...

I read your post right the first time, I'm saying that your projections (and yes, projections are opinionated) are ridiculous. The last design generation went from early 2003 and lasted through late 2008, over 5 years. Not 2-4. The MacBook Air is the future of "MacBooks" not "MacBook Pros". And while I don't disagree that such a machine will be the laptop we all use in 10 years, it won't be the laptop we use in 1-2, and there are clear reasons for that. Speculate all you want on Apple's "Back to the Mac" event; if they had wanted to, they could've ushered us all toward that new era now rather than later and we would've bought it. Removing a DVD drive isn't revolutionary, it's stupid. The Mac App Store can't and won't be the ONLY place to buy Mac software; I'm not going to download all of Final Cut Studio either as that's not revolutionary, that's a pain in the ass. PRO people burn DVDs as y'know, there's a PRO app for that, (DVD Studio Pro, if you can recall). They won't nix DVD drives from ANY of their pro machines anytime soon. As for your Apple conspiracy theory that the real overhaul is still out there, note today's rumor of the desktop version of the SSD boot feature we were all waiting for. A lot of these rumors get it only half right, and I'll bet that's one of them.

Again, your current term buying advice is sound, but your predictions make no sense and don't match Apple's MO nor past behavior.
 
Its going to be very difficult to put a power hungry, hot proc like the quad core in a much smaller chassis. Maybe they will ditch the optical drive and rearrange tins to make more of a sloping angle but i would not expect much more than that. I certainly would not wait a year to find out either
 
Yebubbleman said:
I read your post right the first time, I'm saying that your projections (and yes, projections are opinionated) are ridiculous. The last design generation went from early 2003 and lasted through late 2008, over 5 years. Not 2-4. The MacBook Air is the future of "MacBooks" not "MacBook Pros". And while I don't disagree that such a machine will be the laptop we all use in 10 years, it won't be the laptop we use in 1-2, and there are clear reasons for that. Speculate all you want on Apple's "Back to the Mac" event; if they had wanted to, they could've ushered us all toward that new era now rather than later and we would've bought it. Removing a DVD drive isn't revolutionary, it's stupid. The Mac App Store can't and won't be the ONLY place to buy Mac software; I'm not going to download all of Final Cut Studio either as that's not revolutionary, that's a pain in the ass. PRO people burn DVDs as y'know, there's a PRO app for that, (DVD Studio Pro, if you can recall). They won't nix DVD drives from ANY of their pro machines anytime soon. As for your Apple conspiracy theory that the real overhaul is still out there, note today's rumor of the desktop version of the SSD boot feature we were all waiting for. A lot of these rumors get it only half right, and I'll bet that's one of them.

Again, your current term buying advice is sound, but your predictions make no sense and don't match Apple's MO nor past behavior.
Click to expand...



And yet, my friend, you are wrong. WHERE do professionals burn these DVDs and how often?
Those who do it regularly do it in 'the office'. Those who really need to burn these things on the road are almost non-existent.
It is not like axing the SuperDrive FROM the MBP meant there were no longer ANY DVD Drives. Which automatically refutes your own line of argumentation.
Of course large pro apps are better distributed via optical discs. But please tell me, how often you plan to install these? You cannot tell me you are planning to install Final Cut twice a week and Logic Studio 10 times a month. You do it ONCE on a machine. And let's assume something goes terribly wrong a 2nd time.
Considering how often one uses the SuperDrive on the road – read: close to never –*it is just wasting space inside a laptop.
So if you really really needed your Drive at all times, then for Christ's sake carry the external SuperDrive with you. A non-ODD MBP + ext. SD will not be any worse to carry than a MBP w/ built-in ODD.
And yes... if only 1% of the folks needed the drive regularly... I'm sorry for them. But the other 99% don't. Who feels sorry for THEM?
 
It's a ****ing long time until 2012. If your computer is old and you need a new one, you might as well just buy now.
 
I had the same dilemma but bit the bullet. My almost 24 month old C2D MBP's resale value is diminishing every second, and Lion will only support C2D minimum which is already a warning sign in itself. Bottom line these things are getting old and it's time to catch the next bus.

I then looked at Intel's roadmap and the next iteration will be a die shrink with not much else (for mobile chips at least) beside the normal 10-30% increase in performance. Then there's the fact that a redesign means there's bound to be some Rev A issues. Plus i don't want the prospect of losing an optical drive and being arrested to Mac App Store purchases solely.

Also, the Unibody chassis is tried and tested and is still one of the best looking designs out there and with it i get quad core processor, faster RAM, a stronger GPU, SATA III and a higher-res screen. All of which set me up nicely for another 24 months or more...just in time for Haswell.

Finally, this was arguably my last chance to get a 15% discount off a mac and get free 3 year warranty as a student. Unless Apple start shipping IPS displays in the next rev...i don't see myself getting tempted at all. Although if i owned an Arrandale Mac then i'd definitely wait.
 
Apple is all about gaining market share, as they should be. They produce a product right now that people like and sells.

SSD will not be standard in 2012, they are just TOO expensive. MBPs are already at the top end of the price spectrum. Throw in an ssd and they wont be able to maintain there current price point. While some may talk about it being a "pro" machine I believe the impact on future sales would not justify the improvement

I doubt they will kill the superdrive, its still all to common to kill off

I would expect a design change but I would predict it to be modest and heavily resemble their current design

Expect modest cpu improvements. The tech in the new machines is too current to expect more.

I would expect a gpu improvement in the 13in and a modest gpu improvement in the 15 and 17

Maybe a slight bump in resolution for the 13in, the avg mbp13 user probably doesnt need a higher res and if they do my guess is they are probably hooking it up to a separate monitor anyways. 13in screen is pretty small to be working on a project that benefits from hi-def, only major exception is movies

Slight bump in battery life for the 13, since it's currently lagging behind by an hour

In summary, I wouldnt wait unless you really want the new design

mbp have always lagged behind with internals, as compared to similarly priced machines, and have, instead, focused on aesthetics .

This post is of course my opinion
 
sparshdgr8 said:
Hi Everyone,
This is my first thread on Macrumours...
I am keen on buying a macbook pro this june but now i am unsure whether i should wait for the 2012 change in the design of macbook pro or not? I mean, will the change is design practically effect the usability of the macbook pro for a common user?
I am desperate to buy macbook pro, but dont want it to be outdated so quick, and i dont want to even wait for another year... I just want that my macbook pro to perform at par with the rest notebooks...
Click to expand...

The fact that you can wait, probably means you should. The next update will bring more to the table than the most recent one. The Ivy Bridge and Pantherpoint update wont give you a whole lot of speed but may offer a few new features. The video cards apple chooses will almost certainly be better. The 22nm processor (due to the lower heat) may also allow apple to make the computer smaller, although you should never count on a hardware redesign, especially since the MBP already works and has no competition in terms of slender design. Things that can guaranteed not to be included are DDR4 or bluray; more likely hardware updates will be USB3 and perhaps optical lightpeak.

That being said, while I would wait, i think its best to buy computers right when they come out. Waiting till july is basically wasting 1/3rd of the cycle, which means you will use it for a couple months and the MR forums will blow up again with rumors of the new one...
 
Wait

sparshdgr8 said:
Hi Everyone,
This is my first thread on Macrumours...
I am keen on buying a macbook pro this june but now i am unsure whether i should wait for the 2012 change in the design of macbook pro or not? I mean, will the change is design practically effect the usability of the macbook pro for a common user?
I am desperate to buy macbook pro, but dont want it to be outdated so quick, and i dont want to even wait for another year... I just want that my macbook pro to perform at par with the rest notebooks...
Click to expand...

Im eager for a new lap top, but there really isn't a lot of changes on the 2011. I know the 2012 will. Im already saving up for the 2012, its going to be sick. I just hope my lap top will last long enough.
 
sparshdgr8 said:
I agree with you that no advanced info. is given by apple, but to be on the safer side, we must consider the predictions before buying...
Click to expand...

Considering the speculation of people on the internet who so fervently and incorrectly predicted a design change this revision is pretty silly. They had the last design of MacBook Pro/PowerBook G4 from January 2003 when the 12" and 17" PowerBook G4s were unveiled to January 2009 when the 17" MacBook Pro went Unibody at Macworld Expo 2009. That's six years with a single design with a couple of minor exterior changes when they went to Intel. They first unveiled Unibody in October of 2008 and it's the beginning of 2011 now; cool your jets, you still have a long while to go before they change the design that drastically unless there's a fundamental flaw to it being unearthed, and in working on these machines for a living and seeing the repair extension programs (REPs) pop up first hand, I can assure you that such is not the case. People love them and they're in no danger of being redesigned anytime soon.

punchwalk said:
If you're ready for a new laptop from a practical and financial standpoint, then buy the new one. No laptop is ever going to be perfect, but this refresh is a certain improvement and no doubt a great machine that can get you through the next 4 years capably if you care for it.
Click to expand...

This!

Funkymonk said:
If you want the 13", wait since the current are crappy. If you want 15" or 17" just buy now.
Click to expand...

True facts. The Mid 2010 was the best rev of the 13" so far. The Mid 2009 and the Early 2011 don't have the graphics muscle that even a 13" laptop should have (and they really don't require much, especially at the native resolution of 1280x800).

prism said:
Here is one very good reason to wait:

https://www.macrumors.com/2011/02/28/intels-z68-chipset-to-bring-ssd-caching-to-sandy-bridge/
Click to expand...

Desktops only, bro.

TheralSadurns said:
And yet, my friend, you are wrong. WHERE do professionals burn these DVDs and how often?
Those who do it regularly do it in 'the office'. Those who really need to burn these things on the road are almost non-existent.
It is not like axing the SuperDrive FROM the MBP meant there were no longer ANY DVD Drives. Which automatically refutes your own line of argumentation.
Of course large pro apps are better distributed via optical discs. But please tell me, how often you plan to install these? You cannot tell me you are planning to install Final Cut twice a week and Logic Studio 10 times a month. You do it ONCE on a machine. And let's assume something goes terribly wrong a 2nd time.
Considering how often one uses the SuperDrive on the road – read: close to never –*it is just wasting space inside a laptop.
So if you really really needed your Drive at all times, then for Christ's sake carry the external SuperDrive with you. A non-ODD MBP + ext. SD will not be any worse to carry than a MBP w/ built-in ODD.
And yes... if only 1% of the folks needed the drive regularly... I'm sorry for them. But the other 99% don't. Who feels sorry for THEM?
Click to expand...

First off, if I'm paying for a $2,500 laptop, and they DON'T give me an optical drive, what am I getting that is so awesome in return? Better battery life? Like I'm going to be without a MagSafe for longer than 7 hours. Like I really need more than 7 hours of battery life. Like any of us do. Quad-Core CPUs? Already have them. Awesome graphics, the 6750 is as good as anyone would ever need in a laptop running Mac OS X, let alone Windows. If I really need to run Crysis 2 with all settings cranked up, I can build a gaming PC tower which is better suited for the task anyway.

That brings me to the notion that professionals don't burn DVDs on the go. Complete nonsense. If I am at a friend's house and he has a copy of a really expensive piece of software and a blank DVD, I'll burn it on the spot. Same with a movie. Or I might rip or make a .dmg of it. Either way. What if I want to copy a movie from a library to watch at home? Illegal, sure, but convenient? Hell yes. As for that corded aluminum piece of crap called "the MacBook Air SuperDrive"; most compact external optical drive it certainly is. Convenient? Certainly not. If I am able to leave my corded MagSafe at home, then making me carry around another corded external device in the form of the external ODD removes that convenience factor and gives me nothing that I didn't already have. Next time find better reasoning for your argument. I've had this argument both alongside and against other people and those who don't want the optical drive keep confusing their needs/wants with that of the everyday customer. Also, the populace of these forums is not at all representative of Mac users at large. KTHXBYE, as the young folk say.
 
Yebubbleman said:
First off, if I'm paying for a $2,500 laptop, and they DON'T give me an optical drive, what am I getting that is so awesome in return? Better battery life? Like I'm going to be without a MagSafe for longer than 7 hours. Like I really need more than 7 hours of battery life. Like any of us do. Quad-Core CPUs? Already have them. Awesome graphics, the 6750 is as good as anyone would ever need in a laptop running Mac OS X, let alone Windows. If I really need to run Crysis 2 with all settings cranked up, I can build a gaming PC tower which is better suited for the task anyway.

That brings me to the notion that professionals don't burn DVDs on the go. Complete nonsense. If I am at a friend's house and he has a copy of a really expensive piece of software and a blank DVD, I'll burn it on the spot. Same with a movie. Or I might rip or make a .dmg of it. Either way. What if I want to copy a movie from a library to watch at home? Illegal, sure, but convenient? Hell yes. As for that corded aluminum piece of crap called "the MacBook Air SuperDrive"; most compact external optical drive it certainly is. Convenient? Certainly not. If I am able to leave my corded MagSafe at home, then making me carry around another corded external device in the form of the external ODD removes that convenience factor and gives me nothing that I didn't already have. Next time find better reasoning for your argument. I've had this argument both alongside and against other people and those who don't want the optical drive keep confusing their needs/wants with that of the everyday customer. Also, the populace of these forums is not at all representative of Mac users at large. KTHXBYE, as the young folk say.
Click to expand...

+1

As a graphic designer I burn files to cd quite often to take back and forth to work. Yeah I know I can use flash drives but damn, they keep ending up in my washing machine!
 
I think this is an awesome update if you have the means to buy a high end machine.

I still work on a 2006 1.83 CD, and have been following updates since early 2006. I can assure you this is the only one time which I am really tempted. High res display + 1Gb Graphic Card = Win!
 
Yebubbleman said:
I've had this argument both alongside and against other people and those who don't want the optical drive keep confusing their needs/wants with that of the everyday customer. Also, the populace of these forums is not at all representative of Mac users at large. KTHXBYE, as the young folk say.
Click to expand...


This is EXACTLY what I am talking about. While, yes the 'everyday customer' might heavily rely on the ODD to remain in the machine, the updated MBPs CLEARY show, that they are, first and foremost meant for PROFESSIONALS.

And that is the whole point of my argument. Just because more and more regular consumers (read, not creators) buy 15" and 17" MBPs, doesn't mean that their are not still catering to the Pros.

And to these professionals, there are actually two types. Those who work at a desk in an office, for which they got the Mac Pro, and maybe for some lighter duties iMacs.

And then, there is those, who need to work on the road or in different locations all over the place. Emphasis on WORK. Not play or consume. They don't use their SuperDrive to watch DVDs or to rip Audio CDs into iTunes.

So take your own advice please, before starting to argue: Do not confuse the everyday user with his wantsand needs with Pro users.
 
sparshdgr8 said:
Hi Everyone,
This is my first thread on Macrumours...
I am keen on buying a macbook pro this june but now i am unsure whether i should wait for the 2012 change in the design of macbook pro or not? I mean, will the change is design practically effect the usability of the macbook pro for a common user?
I am desperate to buy macbook pro, but dont want it to be outdated so quick, and i dont want to even wait for another year... I just want that my macbook pro to perform at par with the rest notebooks...
Click to expand...

What makes you think 2012 is a design change year? Everybody on here is flinging re-design here, redesign there like it's going out of style. I don't think it's happening anytime soon.
 
snaky69 said:
What makes you think 2012 is a design change year? Everybody on here is flinging re-design here, redesign there like it's going out of style. I don't think it's happening anytime soon.
Click to expand...

Indeed look at the Lenovo thinkpad for example. Another Professional laptop. That thing hasn't been redesigned in ages ;)

Personally I think if a redesign does happen it will be for thermal reasons. With the next likely CPU Ivy Bridge being smaller there will be less overall heat thus less of a reason for a redesign. I would assume a future GPU will follow with less heat output well.
 
the girl said:
Im eager for a new lap top, but there really isn't a lot of changes on the 2011. I know the 2012 will. Im already saving up for the 2012, its going to be sick. I just hope my lap top will last long enough.
Click to expand...

And you know this for a fact how?

TheralSadurns said:
This is EXACTLY what I am talking about. While, yes the 'everyday customer' might heavily rely on the ODD to remain in the machine, the updated MBPs CLEARY show, that they are, first and foremost meant for PROFESSIONALS.

And that is the whole point of my argument. Just because more and more regular consumers (read, not creators) buy 15" and 17" MBPs, doesn't mean that their are not still catering to the Pros.

And to these professionals, there are actually two types. Those who work at a desk in an office, for which they got the Mac Pro, and maybe for some lighter duties iMacs.

And then, there is those, who need to work on the road or in different locations all over the place. Emphasis on WORK. Not play or consume. They don't use their SuperDrive to watch DVDs or to rip Audio CDs into iTunes.

So take your own advice please, before starting to argue: Do not confuse the everyday user with his wantsand needs with Pro users.
Click to expand...

You're wrong here too, I know several professionals who don't have iMacs or Mac Pros at their home (they do at their workplace) but burn things for their profession at both places. It's called convenience, and again, just because you don't use it in that way on your or just because the people you know don't use it like that, doesn't mean that it isn't used in that way nor does it mean that your sampling of people make up the majority of those who own and use a MacBook Pro in a professional application.
 
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