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Buyers Outlook for 2008-2009. Penryn iMacs Soon, Nehalem in 2009
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Buy when needed
First - I have been waiting for the money and time for years to buy a macbook. My 2 year old Dell is starting to die, so I ordered my new macbook from MacMall today (should be here Tuesday if the same day shipping is true)- see them if you want bundled deals and a little lower prices.
2nd - while I care about speed, my macbook is going to be faster than my Dell, as my Dell was 1.83ghz 1.5 gb ram, and the macbook is a 2.4 ghz with 2gb ram. so at this point I am getting a huge bump over what I had. and I hear OSX is a lot faster than Windows (I will also be running XP in parallels as there is some software I need that is not yet on mac platform).
3rd - I know I am getting a computer that will last (and I made sure to get the applecare warrenty just in case).
and for the whiners who said "I can get a dell Cheaper"... Not so much when you start adding in what comes standard in a macbook. 2 years ago, my Dell cost me $1,500 for a 1.83 ghz 512mb (I upgraded the ram my self) and only a 100gb hard drive (part of which was used up by the restore segment). I could've paid less for the same equivelant macbook 2 years ago. Why I chose to do with Dell, was because the bank Apple uses would not give me the full financing amount needed, but Dell gave me a $3,000 credit limit. Plus at the time I needed something for work, only to have the company tell me 1 year later that I could not use my laptop for anything work related (but they did not give me equipment for support at night for home - go figure, different rant). the other reason why I waited was due to coming updates, to only find that people are still running their ibooks (yeah I looked at a few leftovers when they were still being sold retail also) years longer than any one of my PC's ever lasted (well, except for my 5 yr old Celeron toshiba - lacked features but now my pastor has it and he has been running with it for 2 years. 7 yrs and still kicking. Unfortunately I heard toshiba is not as good anymore - different rant.
So I am glad to say, that while more updates may be coming - I am now going to be a happy Apple owner with a machine that should last me several years and getting a speed bump to boot over the hight aclaimed Dell XPS I bought 2 years ago.
may just become my new platform of choice (if I have a good experience with this macbook)
2 years later - my Dell is out of warrenty, running sluggish (even with all the updates, performing all the recommended maintenance, and reformating the hard-drive and starting over ), the optical drive is failing.
so don't tell me DELL is a better deal. My work uses DELL. I cannot imagine what they are paying for the equipment (although you can usually get corporate contract deals). But as a person in Christian Ministry, a home user, and someone who recommends to small businesses - I have been telling them Apple, they have been buying ,and are very happy.
First - I have been waiting for the money and time for years to buy a macbook. My 2 year old Dell is starting to die, so I ordered my new macbook from MacMall today (should be here Tuesday if the same day shipping is true)- see them if you want bundled deals and a little lower prices.
2nd - while I care about speed, my macbook is going to be faster than my Dell, as my Dell was 1.83ghz 1.5 gb ram, and the macbook is a 2.4 ghz with 2gb ram. so at this point I am getting a huge bump over what I had. and I hear OSX is a lot faster than Windows (I will also be running XP in parallels as there is some software I need that is not yet on mac platform).
3rd - I know I am getting a computer that will last (and I made sure to get the applecare warrenty just in case).
and for the whiners who said "I can get a dell Cheaper"... Not so much when you start adding in what comes standard in a macbook. 2 years ago, my Dell cost me $1,500 for a 1.83 ghz 512mb (I upgraded the ram my self) and only a 100gb hard drive (part of which was used up by the restore segment). I could've paid less for the same equivelant macbook 2 years ago. Why I chose to do with Dell, was because the bank Apple uses would not give me the full financing amount needed, but Dell gave me a $3,000 credit limit. Plus at the time I needed something for work, only to have the company tell me 1 year later that I could not use my laptop for anything work related (but they did not give me equipment for support at night for home - go figure, different rant). the other reason why I waited was due to coming updates, to only find that people are still running their ibooks (yeah I looked at a few leftovers when they were still being sold retail also) years longer than any one of my PC's ever lasted (well, except for my 5 yr old Celeron toshiba - lacked features but now my pastor has it and he has been running with it for 2 years. 7 yrs and still kicking. Unfortunately I heard toshiba is not as good anymore - different rant.
So I am glad to say, that while more updates may be coming - I am now going to be a happy Apple owner with a machine that should last me several years and getting a speed bump to boot over the hight aclaimed Dell XPS I bought 2 years ago.
may just become my new platform of choice (if I have a good experience with this macbook)2 years later - my Dell is out of warrenty, running sluggish (even with all the updates, performing all the recommended maintenance, and reformating the hard-drive and starting over ), the optical drive is failing.
so don't tell me DELL is a better deal. My work uses DELL. I cannot imagine what they are paying for the equipment (although you can usually get corporate contract deals). But as a person in Christian Ministry, a home user, and someone who recommends to small businesses - I have been telling them Apple, they have been buying ,and are very happy.
The biggest change come from users that have older machines. Most consumers will buy one model one year, then wait 6 months or a year until they think they need a new one. Any sensible person would have used their machine for 3 years or more, and they are the ones that benefit from the updates, not last years model owners.
I hope the MBP doesn't even come close to being as thin as the MBA, only a consumer would say that to be honest. I would like the book to NOT be any thinner, since the machine has heat issues already.... I hope they make the new design able to cool the machine off a lot better than they do now, and I really hope they add more FW ports, and no USBs.
I hope they at least lower the price just a bit to be competitive, but until new panels come out I don't see Apple updating them anytime soon. If it's any consolation, the 23 and 30" monitors are still one of the best you can find in an aluminum and not plastic case.
As stated above, I just got a new MacBook less than 6 months ago, so I'll be waiting at least until the first, if not the second, (to avoid first gen problems), generation of Nehalem powered MacBooks. So it looks like either MacWorld '09 or WWDC '09 is when I'll be upgrading. If these processors even come close to living up to the hype - it will be close to the speed jump between a G4 iBook and a MacBook C2D.
Umm Apple is currently shipping the Penryn/Santa Rosa combo...if you mean the iMac i also doubt that. the iMacs/mini are somewhat notorious for being updated at a later period compared to the MacBooks/Pro machines. The iMac is highly likely to get penryn treatment within the next few weeks
First of all, buying Macs since 1983 is... well. Impossible.
That computer could be dwarfed by a Mac Pro, as long as you're willing to pay extra...
Are the iMac graphic cards really that bad? I feel like those things do pretty well. Do you mind me asking what you do that requires more power from them?
One would hope, but I have a good feeling that it won't be that much of a speed jump, especially since the G4 was awfully slow compared to their Intel counterparts.
I expect Montevina to be the new chip, and Nelahem to give the real improvements in speed and performance. And even then I would probably wait just a bit longer to ensure a perfectly working book with no problems.
And, your point being?
Of course, instead of looking at this site (or more precisely, the MR Buying Guide), you probably should ask the true-connoisseur that is the Best Buy salesman...
You may like MR Buying Guide or not but I think that even if people whine in the forums, the rumors and the user experiences are probably your best sources of information around (and that's what MR Buying Guide is build with).
You're both right, but I'm already planning to upgrade to the Macbook Pro and didn't want to bother with changing it, especially since it's only upgradeable to 2GB if it was only going to be in use for ~1 more year. I'm upgrading for other reasons as well, RAM isn't the only one [see below].
Woah, don't jump ahead there, the RAM is not the primary reason I'm upgrading, I have several.
1. I hate the plastic case of the Macbook, didn't seem so bad at first but it's errr... kind of bendy.
2. I want the ExpressCard /34 slot to place an HSDPA card in there without resorting to a dongle.
3. I need much more screen real estate, 1280x800 isn't enough anymore.
4. I need a faster and larger HDD, the Macbook Pro offers 7200 RPM HDDs.
5. The Macbook has a dedicated graphics card with built in H.264 decoding.
6. At the point of purchase I can also buy a machine with more RAM.
7. Since deciding to wait for Nehalem, there is also the QuickPath Interconnect, more RAM is much better when there's also more bandwidth to keep the CPU busy and a decent sized cache to go with it.
8. There is also a FireWire 800 which is great because I have an HDD that offers USB2, FW400, and FW800 but I can't use the 800.
9. There is also the option of an LED backlight, I'm in favor of anything that increases battery life even if it's only slight.
10. Built in DVI-out instead of resorting to a dongle, yeah I really hate dongles.
11. There is now a Multi-touch trackpad which I fell in love with after playing around with it on the Air, especially the 3 finger swipe.
12. Yes RAM is a factor, the Macbook Pro can currently hold 4GB and comes with 2GB by default, I might end up upgrading my Macbook out of frustration but it's still only going to be able to use 2GB.
So essentially it's everything about the Macbook Pro that the Macbook is not, bigger, faster, and more I/O.
Sebastian
Great article. I have been able to take advantage of incremental updates by buying the "old" model that is just fractions slower at remarkable savings (the independent retailers have more leeway than Apple stores I think).
Now I wait more for features rather than just the next chip and this this makes the upgrade more valuable for me.
Now I wait more for features rather than just the next chip and this this makes the upgrade more valuable for me.
Brand new models also have brand new version 1 problems.
Buying on day one of a product's release may give you the newest technology for every dollar you spend, but it also gets you revision A of the motherboard and other components. It's very common for a new model to come out which has various bugs and inefficiencies which then get resolved in a silent unpublicized move to a newer revision B that gets marketed as if it's the exact same model as the revision A model.
Buying on day one of a product's release may give you the newest technology for every dollar you spend, but it also gets you revision A of the motherboard and other components. It's very common for a new model to come out which has various bugs and inefficiencies which then get resolved in a silent unpublicized move to a newer revision B that gets marketed as if it's the exact same model as the revision A model.
WOW!!!
a 1998 computer that is still running!!!!!!! Dude that is 10 years!!! Can't say the same for the PC world. very few PC's that old are still functioning- or if they are, you just do not want to use them anymore. I just made the switch from Windows and ordered my Macbook from MacMall today. If I come anywhere close to running that long with my new Mac, I will be a very happy man . My wife is sick of me dishing out $1,000 to $1,500 on a new computer every couple of years. Since 2004, I have been in the same boat as you, wanting to to buy, but heard that upgrades were coming. I finally had the money and made the jump today. Since this is not going to be a work computer, I can live for a few years with what I ordered.
That's not the point of it. The resale value of a one-year old MacBook Pro means that I, very likely, would end up in the green (student and developer discounts on hardware) if I sold it this year rather than waiting until it was falling apart and could barely run whatever I needed it to. The point is not to upgrade because its necessary, the point is to upgrade because 1) spending at most $200 (mostly in taxes) to upgrade the laptop each summer (sell the old, buy a new/refurbished machine) is cheaper than spending a much larger sum every x number of years after you warranty is expired and the laptop is analygous to a G3 iBook and 2) I can only do without my laptop when not in classes...which means summer.
If you think about it, it makes sense. I know everyone here that hangs around the portables forums likes to chant the "If it does what you need it to then stop complaining" motto, but it really doesn't make sense to lose the resale value just so keep your current machine because its "good enough."
Wait a second...what happened to the computer he was upgrading? Talk about logical - I suppose its convenient to assume he'll simply dispose of his current laptop for the sake of making your point, no?
iMac video?
The processors appear to be a wash; the video is what I'm interested in. From the benchmarks I've seen, this generation of iMac has slower video than last generation. I'm looking for my next machine to play Starcraft 2 with all the pretties turned on I can (and my 1GHz Powerbook G4 is on its last legs). I just got a nice promotion in the mail on a new credit card: 0% until January 2010. That would make a new 24" iMac a little more affordable, but I only have a 30 day window. I can't seem to find anything out about upcoming video chips, let alone which one would go in a new iMac.
The processors appear to be a wash; the video is what I'm interested in. From the benchmarks I've seen, this generation of iMac has slower video than last generation. I'm looking for my next machine to play Starcraft 2 with all the pretties turned on I can (and my 1GHz Powerbook G4 is on its last legs). I just got a nice promotion in the mail on a new credit card: 0% until January 2010. That would make a new 24" iMac a little more affordable, but I only have a 30 day window. I can't seem to find anything out about upcoming video chips, let alone which one would go in a new iMac.
People buy PCs all the time and this is essentially what they do. The difference is that PC makers actually tell people about upcoming products. The way Apple releases their products is one thing that really bugs me. Makes it impossible to plan for (which is pretty much required in an enterprise setting).
Yeah another 5 year old machine someone is happy with.... I am getting so excited as I finally ordered my macbook today. ok ok, can one see that I am excited to make the switch.
Truthfully the buyers guide helped me out a little this time, but mostly what helped me (other than having the money this time) was the fact of posts by happy mac owners sharing their experiences and the fact some of those people are running what would be considered dinosours in the PC world.
Yes note the spelling - Dino-sour any PC that is more than 2-3 years old tends not to be worth using anymore (broken parts, sluggish [slowing severly over time]), etc.
-soon to be one happy mac owner
Not really, it more depends on your own particular business. As was said before, the improvements from the current model to the new one is always small, and if a business needs the tools to do the job then why would they be waiting to get new machines.
Most enterprise markets don't sit on the fence waiting to get new machines when they can just buy one and get back to work.
I said it once before, and I will say it again. APPLE does not care about it consumers. Anyone who buys a device that is 8 months old, and pays top dollar for it is a fool. And thanks to these fools, Apple will continue this practice because the bottom line is they are making money on an outdated machine.
All the loyal mac users can argue this point all they want. The facts are the facts. Apple is the only company that I know that does this. They dont even give you the option of customizing the IMAC ...
As far as I am concerned, I am done being treated like a sheep. Apple and Steve can go **** themselves.
All the loyal mac users can argue this point all they want. The facts are the facts. Apple is the only company that I know that does this. They dont even give you the option of customizing the IMAC ...
As far as I am concerned, I am done being treated like a sheep. Apple and Steve can go **** themselves.
WOW!!!
Hahaha, well I should probably mention I maxed it out in various upgrades over the years, adding a G4 CPU, ATI Radeon card, DVD burner, USB2/Firewire (since those barely begun to exist back then), and of course maxed out the RAM to a "ginormous" 768MB. I've made it work.
I also had a 2001 dual Pentium III machine sitting next to it, primarily for my web and graphics development. It was also getting pudgy so I figured now was the time to combine OS X and Windows into one bad-ass machine.
The last 2 years on the Beige were pretty painful, as I was running 10.3 and that poor SCSI hard drive was thrashing pretty bad. After I stopped using Mac OS 9, I could safely upgrade and start doing some serious work.
Enterprises don't sit and wait, but when I am trying to plan on buying 500-1000 new machines over the course of 6 months I want to be able to continue to get the same machine over that time. A lot of work, time, and testing goes into the image that ends up on these machines. If Apple decides to change the hardware midway through my upgrade it introduces risk that I (and other large enterprises) don't want to deal with. The lack of any roadmap from Apple is one thing that turns off businesses from using them.
Hahahaha...you certainly seem to be loyal customer that they're losing, Mr. PCNot. Apple has its business model and if it works for them I hardly fault them for it. Whoever said that every company had to follow the exact same paradigm? We already see what that's left us with - lots of different companies, all producing the exact same things without innovation and just sticking their brand logo on it so people will buy it. What kind of future for the market is that? Just because one company doesn stuff differently than others doesn't automatically make them wrong.
So you agree that paying top dollar for old technology? Hey, what ever floats your boat.
They have this group of engineers who do mainboard designs. I guess if you were their boss you'd asign them six new mainboard design jobs all at once, make them work nights and weekends. and then when they were done they could just sit around for six months and do nothing.
Better plan might be to have them work on one project at a time and space the work around the year