Buying a new uMBP 17" now - or wait for possible announcements in October?

S

sth

macrumors 6502a
I need to replace my 3yr old MBP in the coming weeks, better sooner than later. At the moment I would go for a 17" uMBP / matte / 2.8ghz / 4gb / 500gb 7200rpm. However, I'm not sure if I should just get the current model or wait for a few more weeks.

If new models are announced this year, what upgrades could be expected?

CPU? Just another minor Core2 speed-bump or are Intel's mobile quad-cores finally ready?
GPU? Any new chips out that would offer a significant speed boost over the 9600m in the same power-consumption range?

I don't expect changes in terms of RAM (8gb still too expensive) or HDD (I need a 7200rpm drive and Apple already provides the biggest capacity currently available).

BTW: Is there any (possibly 3rd-party) option for a matte black screen bezel instead of the silver one Apple provides for the non-glossy display? (already searched the forums but didn't find anything)
 
Intel's Clarksfield (Core i7 Quad mobile) CPUs are being released on wednesday, so I would hold out a week to see what happens.
 
When was this last updated? June or earlier? I don't think the MBP will be updated again until early next year but I could be wrong.
 
Well, if they wait it's going to be for Arrandale, which is a "mainstream" processor. This is the pro-CPU, and I for one expect Apple to use it as soon as possible.
 
I just got a friend to order me exactly that spec of uMBP 17" (saving a TON of cash compared to NZ prices). It was last updated in June and the vague rumours of updates are for the iMac and MacBook, not the MBP. I don't think it'll be updated until at least next year.
 
tofagerl said:
Intel's Clarksfield (Core i7 Quad mobile) CPUs are being released on wednesday
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Good to hear, let's hope for an update in October then...

psingh01 said:
When was this last updated? June or earlier? I don't think the MBP will be updated again until early next year but I could be wrong.
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Usually I'd expect updates for MWSF (that would match their past update-cycle for the MBP) but since there won't be a keynote at MWSF '10 and the june update was mainly a price-adjustment for the 17" (slight speed bump, though). I'm wondering if Apple might break their past update cycle this time. Actually, I really hope they'll do. ;)

tofagerl said:
Well, if they wait it's going to be for Arrandale, which is a "mainstream" processor. This is the pro-CPU, and I for one expect Apple to use it as soon as possible.
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Since they're already using the two highest-end (and most expensive) Intel mobile CPUs for the current model, I'm expecting them to stick to the high-end CPUs.
Just looked up the specs for the upcoming quad-cores: The 720QM (1.6ghz, 2.8 with "turbo boost") and 820QM (1.73ghz, 3.06 with "turbo boost") will match the TDP of the current 2.8ghz and 3.06ghz models, so they could possibly use these CPUs without having to redesign the cooling system.

The TDP of the new range-topper (920XM, 2.0ghz, 3.2 with "turbo boost") is 10W higher.
 
I think you just have to wait for the new Nehalem processors to come
out around the end of the year. Sounds like a major step up to another
performance plateau.

Anyone up on the potential time line from Intel?
 
Well, half of them :)
There are two lines, Clarksfield (i7) and Arrandale (i5, and possibly i3)
Clarksfield will be ready now, and Arrandale in about 4-5 months.

I fully expect Clarksfield to be used in the high-end 15" and the 17" within a month, and the low-end 15" and the 13" to use the Core 2 Duo untill Arrandale are ready.

The people who believe Arrandale is the better CPU are looking only at the raw TDP numbers, and not at the performance data and reviews, which show that Clarksfield is so much better CPU than Core 2 Duo that if Apple wait 5 months for a (lesser) CPU, Windows will have the performance throne all to themselves for at least a year.
 
I'm not up on all the specs of the mobile Nehalem, but correct me if I'm wrong, but don't these have triple rate memory, and need it installed in triplet for maximum performance. So, would this necessitate a redesign to make an extra RAM slot? If this is the case, its not a simple 'drop in', and might delay when we will see it.
 
I doubt it. The new Lynnfield CPUs that came out this month were dual channel, and I think Clarksfield and Arrandale will be as well.
 
There won't be a Macworld keynote, but isn't CES around the same time? I recall there being an article or two about Apple increasing their presence there. So the traditional January time frame for updates could still hold true.

I'd probably look to update mine around the same time. I have the 2.33ghz 17" MBP and it runs great. I don't know how great of an improvement the current machines are (aside from battery) so I'm being patient.
 
I´m just wandering... Isn´t more likely that the new MBP´s will come out with Core 2 Quad´s instead of i7 or i5?

I´m thinking of getting me a new MBP but I don´t want to way like 6 months for "only" a Core 2 Quad.

Is it really realistic to think Apple will take their chances on the new Arrandales or Clarksfields in the next few months?
 
I would wait. That is a nice chunk of change to put in a laptop. COnsidering that you may have it just as long as you had your previous version, get the best and most up-to-date when you buy.

Good luck
 
Everyone is jumping on i7 wagon. EVERYONE. Every day i go to Engadget and read: "HP ... i7", "Toshiba ... i7", "Dell ... i7".

Apple simply must release i7 update in October. Otherwise they're going to be a bunch of fools. i7 is not a "bump"; it's a technology leap. Better tech, smaller dice, huge step in performance.

Also, last "update" was a downgrade. True, there was a price drop, but he hardware was changed to worse (cheaper). So, MBPs haven't been upgraded for looong while.

Also 2: while i7 would be a big improvement, you don't need a whole keynote to announce it. There won't be any external changes to MBPs. Everything the same, just different guts. You don't need Steeve-o to spend an hour telling you how awesome Apple is and how great they're doing. Just a damn simple, small, overnight change in the database. One day you wake up and you see i7/GT160 (240?) on the list...

I AM buying i7 laptop this October... I hope I'm buying an Apple ;-)
 
L0s7man said:
Everyone is jumping on i7 wagon. EVERYONE. Every day i go to Engadget and read: "HP ... i7", "Toshiba ... i7", "Dell ... i7".

Apple simply must release i7 update in October. Otherwise they're going to be a bunch of fools. i7 is not a "bump"; it's a technology leap. Better tech, smaller dice, huge step in performance.

Also, last "update" was a downgrade. True, there was a price drop, but he hardware was changed to worse (cheaper). So, MBPs haven't been upgraded for looong while.

Also 2: while i7 would be a big improvement, you don't need a whole keynote to announce it. There won't be any external changes to MBPs. Everything the same, just different guts. You don't need Steeve-o to spend an hour telling you how awesome Apple is and how great they're doing. Just a damn simple, small, overnight change in the database. One day you wake up and you see i7/GT160 (240?) on the list...

I AM buying i7 laptop this October... I hope I'm buying an Apple ;-)
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I'm interested in getting a new Macbook Pro. You mentioned the new versions were a downgrade. Just curious what you mean that specifically was downgraded? Not sure if I should get a 17" 2.8 or the older 17" 2.66. This could help my decision.

Thanks!
 
L0s7man said:
I AM buying i7 laptop this October... I hope I'm buying an Apple ;-)
Click to expand...
I still don't get how people can decide on a system change so lightly. For me there's no way of buying a non-apple laptop, no matter how good it is. ;)

JWFerne said:
I'm interested in getting a new Macbook Pro. You mentioned the new versions were a downgrade. Just curious what you mean that specifically was downgraded? Not sure if I should get a 17" 2.8 or the older 17" 2.66. This could help my decision.
Click to expand...
Not much difference, but I'd get a new (2.8ghz) one.

What he meant with "downgrade" was: The price of the components has dropped significantly and even though Apple updated the specs and lowered the price a bit, they're still making more money on the new models than they did on the old ones.
 
sth said:
I still don't get how people can decide on a system change so lightly. For me there's no way of buying a non-apple laptop, no matter how good it is. ;)
Click to expand...

Maybe because some people can work on Windows computers without feeling icky or like they are disloyal to Apple. It's just a computer, I think many people forget that. Windows 7 is coming up and it's really good. I regularly work on both platforms and find more and more that they are just so similar that for many people it just doesn't matter. Whatever gives you the best performance and quality for the right price is what people will buy.

If Apple doesn't release an update soon, many people might go to Windows 7.
 
I can't agree more.

Apple MUST jump onto the i7 bandwagon otherwise they will lose out heavily to Microsoft with Windows 7 (which i'm using right now) and faster laptops by Dell etc with i7 CPU's.

Currently here in the UK a 15" Dell with the lowest end i7 is £700; where as the cheapest MBP 15" is £1299.
 
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