Buy now or wait unti October/March

J

jsetgirl

macrumors newbie
So confused! I was all set to buy mac book pro 13" for me and a mac book air for my daughter but I am never sure if I should wait or take the plunge. I have been reading articles saying that there will be a complete revamp of the MacBook pro in 2016 - thinner design, better processor, different colors, etc.

What do you guys think? I am currently using an HP probook, which is on it's last legs) and this will be my first mac. :)

Thanks!
 
jsetgirl said:
So confused! I was all set to buy mac book pro 13" for me and a mac book air for my daughter but I am never sure if I should wait or take the plunge. I have been reading articles saying that there will be a complete revamp of the MacBook pro in 2016 - thinner design, better processor, different colors, etc.

What do you guys think? I am currently using an HP probook, which is on it's last legs) and this will be my first mac. :)

Thanks!
Click to expand...
I'm with you. My quandary is go with a nice 13" rMBP now, with so many bugs worked out of it and a generally flawless design (plus with USB-A ports) or wait for a brand-new, more-future proof machine with the newest and latest USB-C ports (for which I will need many adapters!) and an approximately 10% increase in processor speeds/performance. It's tough sitting on the fence trying to decide, hahaha
 
The thing is there is always going to be that next update on the horizon. Just looking at Intel's roadmap after Broadwell there is Skylake and after that it is Kaby Lake and then Cannonlake.

Make your decision based on the computer you need today, not what will potentially be out in 6 months.
 
TheIguana said:
The thing is there is always going to be that next update on the horizon. Just looking at Intel's roadmap after Broadwell there is Skylake and after that it is Kaby Lake and then Cannonlake.

Make your decision based on the computer you need today, not what will potentially be out in 6 months.
Click to expand...

Skylake is said to be a major update to features for laptops. Kaby lake is just performance and Cannonlake is end of 2017 at best.
 
You should wait until the Intel Boss 302 comes out..... :D

If you or your daughter needs a new rMBP now...get it. If not, and you can wait to see if an update is released with El Capitan (which Apple's history says it most likely will be), then wait.
 
You're a mom so I'll give you the respect and massive props you deserve.

If I were you and you can wait for a month or three, I'd wait until Apple's inevitable "back to school" announcement they have about every year now - there will be an iPhone announcement and possibly other hardware being silently updated. I need a few PCs for my business and have seen a couple of demoed PCs with new hardware in them and they're really nice, but I'm also typing on a 2-year-old rMBP that's capable of driving 2 4k display at the same time - in other words, new stuff may come out but the old stuff works pretty danged well too! The Skylake chip supposedly has 40% faster graphics (and unlike most other MR readers, I've seen that hot chip in action) - but I already can drive 2 4k displays at 60Hz and my "old" SSD launches my Mac in seconds, so I don't see any advantage in the faster chipset for now other than to drive down old tech prices.

The only major changes I'm waiting for are better support for USB 3.1 and TB 3, but they're many months away. Go to a Starbucks - you'll see lots of MacBooks, and maybe a Win laptop. I don't see a significant hardware change in Apple's laptops any time soon. If you need a MB or MBP anytime soon, shop the sales (especially AppleInsider's listing of several other sites for comparison shopping) and Apple's refurb store for better prices. My old Mac works great, but I keep an eye on the shiny new stuff - you can't go wrong now or later, either way!
 
If you can wait 3-6 months then I will wait. New technology always come out with something new but if you can wait then why not. If you cannot wait then utilize the Back To School Promotion.
 
Whether you wait or not depends on what you currently have. If you have something that is working - then keep it going until the next refresh. If you what you have has kicked the bucket and your kid needs to do homework - then go get what you can. The computer is just a tool at the end of the day.
 
It is rarely worth waiting these days, unless there is something coming along that has a feature you know you will need, for general computing anything with a core i5 or better, a hi def screen and a reasonable SSD will be just as good as anything else.
 
Thanks so much for all your input. I think I can scrape by with my current computer for a little while longer, at least until September/October. And if nothing comes out by then, maybe I will buy one and then sell in March if I want to upgrade.
 
If there is work to get done, my rule is to never let "waiting for the next...." get in the way. ;) if you've got work to get done and your system is getting in the way, buy now. The 2015 rMBP refurb are terrific deals.

Out of curiosity, what is your current use case?

I suspect the rMB will benefit the most from skylake updates. I suggest that you survey the MBA in store for your daughter, as I'm a huge believer in top quality screens on laptops... my MBA certainly has my eyes fatigue rather quickly.... Which was the case for every laptop of mine on the past, until the 15" retina.

Best of luck!
 
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