Buying a Unibody macbook.Should I wait??

[adm19842]

Hey fellow mac heads,

I've been thinking of buying a unibody macbook (2.0Ghz) early march. I'm a little concerned that apple is going to give the macbook line up an upgrade sometime soon, since the new unibody books were launched last october( Almost 5 months ago). Is it prudent to buy a mac book now...or are updates around the corner?

Thanks!

 

[iSaygoodbye]

dont wait.

 

[Rayban]

If you want to wait then go ahead but if you can't wait... then just buy it now. That's what I did for my iMac last month, then my Macbook this month

PS: Newegg rocks!

 

[dmmcintyre3]

I am going to wait. I am hoping for a price drop of the alu's and FW800 in the alu's

 

[peskaa]

I am going to wait. I am hoping for a price drop of the alu's and FW800 in the alu's

Not going to happen. Prices in this economic climate will either stay as they are, or even go up. FireWire is a "pro" feature, and isn't going to drop down to the MacBooks either.

 

[Colin20]

Prices in this economic climate will either stay as they are, or even go up.

I don't see them going up, that just doesn't make sense. Remaining the same with a spec bump seems most likely.

 

[kgb2]

Buying advice

I will try not to flame, but doesn't some website offer a "Buyer's Guide" that answers this very question? I think it is one of those sites that deals in rumors that affect the Mac community.

Oh yeah. I remember, it is the MacRumors' Buyer's Guide. Look at the tabs at the top of this web page!

I have to give you credit, you posted your question on the right site. However, you failed to actually look at the site first.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

for what,you will NEVER jump in the water waiting for the latest and greatest

 

[Scottsdale]

Might be worth waiting if you don't mind waiting a month or two. The current MBs have been out for 4.5 months. Apple usually updates them around every six months.

The value gets worse as it gets closer and closer to a release date. Apple's model is to charge same price until new one is released. So, you are getting 4.5 month old technology (CPU, RAM, Graphics) for the same money as if you wait approximately a month. Then, you will get some speed bump updates. It really pays off, if you can wait, to buy as close to the date after a new release as possible.

But if you need it now, by all means by it. But, if you just want one, it may be beneficial to wait. There is a risk it could be eight months, but I doubt it. You just never know, they could be updated next week or in four months. Twice per year is the norm but Apple sets its own rules as it goes.

 

[kastenbrust]

Apple never drops its prices, its famous for that, infact its very likely theyre going to have a price increase soon as its due. Apart from that now is the perfect time to buy, they arn't going to be updated for about 7 months, and thats only going to be a minor update in the form of Apples new operating system (Snow Leopard, August) which you can install anyway. So go for it! Theres never been a better time to buy.

I should also mention Apple wont make any changes to the current lineup at all while Steve Jobs is off sick until July.

 

[Scottsdale]

Apple never drops its prices, its famous for that, infact its very likely theyre going to have a price increase soon as its due. Apart from that now is the perfect time to buy, they arn't going to be updated for about 7 months, and thats only going to be a minor update in the form of Apples new operating system (Snow Leopard, August) which you can install anyway. So go for it! Theres never been a better time to buy.

I should also mention Apple wont make any changes to the current lineup at all while Steve Jobs is off sick until July.

Apple has always updated the MB and MBP every six months... for the last three years. Why will this be another seven months (11.5 months total)? Why would it only be Snow Leopard? They are not going to make the usual speed bump with usually faster CPUs and sometimes different RAM type, and more graphics RAM or different type of graphics???

Nope, the price always stays the same... the value drops because, like right now, you are buying a 4.5 month old technology of MB or MBP. As soon as they are updated, it will be paying the same price for NEWER technology...

Just curious how all of the sudden you know that these things are changing when they have been this way for several years? Also, a price increase??? In this economy you think Apple is actually going to raise its prices??? WOW!

 

[Colin20]

Apple never drops its prices, its famous for that, infact its very likely theyre going to have a price increase soon as its due. I should also mention Apple wont make any changes to the current lineup at all while Steve Jobs is off sick until July.

LOL. Unless it's a completely revamped model, I find it extremely hard to believe Apple would increase the price for a simple spec bump 6 months after the introduction of the unibodys. Also you probably shouldn't mention that apple won't make any changes to the current linup while Steve Jobs is sick because you don't know that information. From what Tim Cook said at the shareholders meeting today, Apple is continuing right along on schedule.

 

[Colin20]

Apple has always updated the MB and MBP every six months... for the last three years. Why will this be another seven months (11.5 months total)? Why would it only be Snow Leopard? T

He probably says this cause it looks like he just got a loaded 17" MBP and wouldn't want to see any spec increases this shortly after purchase? That's the only thing I can think of because there is no reasoning or history behind his claims.

 

[kastenbrust]

He probably says this cause it looks like he just got a loaded 17" MBP and wouldn't want to see any spec increases this shortly after purchase? That's the only thing I can think of because there is no reasoning or history behind his claims.

I dont care if they introduce a new 17" Macbook Pro, i'll just sell this one and buy it, no issue for me, the reason i dont think there will be a spec update is because i honestly i dont see what they could do to make it a better laptop without disturbing the rest of the lineup. Portable i7's are coming around Q3 2010 (Late Summer 2010) and thats the next mobile processor Apple will be using, and so the only option to upgrade the standard Macbook would be to give the existing Core 2 Duo CPU's a slight speed bump or add more RAM, but then you would be making them too similar to the Macbook Pro 15" and noone would buy a Macbook Pro, so i dont think Apple's going to change their Macbook lineup for a while.

Plus the old 6 month system worked around Macworld which of course Apple are no longer taking part in, so the old system doesn't apply anymore.

Plus the Mac Mini and Mac Pro and iMac are all about 100 days overdue for a revamp, and working on your magical "6 month system" they should have been updated 3 months ago and due for an update in another 3 months? Thats ridiculous because its clear they wont be getting updated until August now when Snow Leopard is released, so thats more like a 14 month cycle, not 6.

Finally if you bought a Macbook right after their magical 6 month refresh you keep talking about then in August they release Snow Leopard, which they will by the way, we all know that, you'd be a bit angry you didnt get that as standard preinstalled, so thats why Apple wont change their Macbook lineup until after its released.

Do you need more logic lessons?

 

[alphaod]

Updates are always around the corner; if you play the waiting game you'll never win.

 

[Colin20]

i honestly i dont see what they could do to make it a better laptop without disturbing the rest of the lineup. the only option to upgrade the standard Macbook would be to give the existing Core 2 Duo CPU's a slight speed bump or add more RAM, but then you would be making them too similar to the Macbook Pro 15" and noone would buy a Macbook Pro, so i dont think Apple's going to change their Macbook lineup for a while.

Well they should upgrade the processor in the base MBP for one considering the blackbook had a 2.4, the alu macbook can get a 2.4, there is nothing pro about a 2.4 base MBP. Lots of people don't buy macbooks cause they can't stand the 13" screen and same with the graphics capabilities. Trust me, people will buy MBP 15's.

It makes more sense that Apple will update the MBP lineup in a few months than your so-called "logic lesson".

 

[Colin20]

Updates are always around the corner; if you play the waiting game you'll never win.

That is true that updates are always around the corner but if you're close to the period of a potential spec increase why would you rush out and buy a $2,000+ notebook? I mean it's your money and you can do what you want with it, but I intend to get the most out of my purchase since it is at least a 3 year investment.

 

[Scottsdale]

Well, it's definitely not "my" six month "mythical" spec update/speed bump change. This has been going on for three years just with the MBs and MBPs.

In time, we will see who is correct. I think, as the others have said, we will definitely see faster processors as "speed bump" updates and will happen closer to six months than 11.5 months. Look at what has happened to Apple's desktop sales due to its unwillingness to hurry the updates whether speed bump or complete redesigns. Its desktop sales have plummeted, because people don't want to pay full price for technology that is nearing a year old in Mac Pros and iMacs... and they definitely aren't paying for the Mac Mini that is two year old technology for the same price it cost two years ago.

Apple will NOT let that happen to its notebook division. It absolutely needs the MacBook and MacBook Pro sales. We all know what happens when Apple delays the updates, no matter how minor, everyone stops buying the notebooks while waiting for an update. We saw with just three months, that Apple used a faster processor in the 17" MBPs... and that is what keeps people buying - NEW and CURRENT technology. People just have to feel that it is new, NOT that Apple really is using the newest, but it is upgrading and using faster CPUs and bumping system components. People buy closer to releases, and they stop buying once a system gets to be 4.5 months old. The buyers are waiting for new systems because they don't want to pay $2500 for a MBP that might be updated in a week or two to have a 400 MHz faster processor or maybe faster RAM or upgraded video RAM or whatever. THAT is why Apple updates its most popular sellers (the MB and MBP) every six months.

Because of the system of updating, and keeping the same pricing model, it will have to update the notebooks. Its sales would simply stop cold, if people had to pay the same price in seven months for technology that was 11.5 months old. It just will not happen to the notebooks.

I really would be absolutely SHOCKED if Apple increases the prices of ANY updated computers in the next year or two. Analysts are stating that Apple needs to lower its pricing on iMacs and not raise it to make it through this economic downturn...

Not the $20 billion answer this time. No matter how much money Apple has in the bank, it has shareholders wanting the stock price to climb and that is finding the sweet spot of the proper pricing of its products to sales numbers. I am certain Apple will NOT be raising any prices. It understands just like we all do that the economy is not going to support higher prices.

So, let's all come back to this thread in two months and again in seven months and see the status of the speed bump updates to the MacBooks and MacBook Pros.

 

[adm19842]

Not going to happen. Prices in this economic climate will either stay as they are, or even go up. FireWire is a "pro" feature, and isn't going to drop down to the MacBooks either.

Prices go up? Wow, any company(Even apple) increasing their prices in this deflationary environment must have a death wish. I agree with you on firewire though.

 

[bartzilla]

Prices go up? Wow, any company(Even apple) increasing their prices in this deflationary environment must have a death wish. I agree with you on firewire though.

Prices are going up for major hardware deployments to business, that's for damn sure.

 

[adm19842]

Prices are going up for major hardware deployments to business, that's for damn sure.

Thats seems interesting. Out of curiosity- Why?

Thanks!

 

[peskaa]

Prices go up? Wow, any company(Even apple) increasing their prices in this deflationary environment must have a death wish. I agree with you on firewire though.

Tell that to Canon and Nikon - both companies have pushed 10%+ price rises through on their camera equipment.

So yes, prices can go up.

 

[PaulinMaryland]

Canon, Nikon are raising prices in the UK...

...because of the falling value of the pound. There are quite a few forum threads about this over at dpreview.

Tell that to Canon and Nikon - both companies have pushed 10%+ price rises through on their camera equipment.

So yes, prices can go up.

 

[brn2ski00]

dude, the friggin things just came out... what could you possibly be waiting for?!

fyi - the percentage of wait now/buy now threads has increased dramatically over the last 6 months -- getting out of control IMO

 

[Patriks7]

Apple has always updated the MB and MBP every six months... for the last three years. Why will this be another seven months (11.5 months total)? Why would it only be Snow Leopard? They are not going to make the usual speed bump with usually faster CPUs and sometimes different RAM type, and more graphics RAM or different type of graphics???

As far as I'm aware, there is nothing to change in the 9400 to change and there won't be a new card for AT LEAST another year or so, maybe the bump to 512MB once it's possible, but I highly doubt it. The current pricing difference between the 2.4 MB and 2.4 MBP is so bad, that there is nothing they can really change in the MB unless they make the MBP one step ahead. Also, one of the reasons Apple has left MacWorld is so that they don't have to have a strict schedule for updating products. That's why some people are doubtful it will be 6 months like usual. I'm actually thinking that the 15" and 17" MBP will be updated at the same time, with the MB following a bit later.

Nope, the price always stays the same... the value drops because, like right now, you are buying a 4.5 month old technology of MB or MBP. As soon as they are updated, it will be paying the same price for NEWER technology...

You're saying that as if the technology is bad. Sure, the newer ones will be a bit faster, but if 5% to 10% improvement is worth the couple month waiting, then you can wait.

Just curious how all of the sudden you know that these things are changing when they have been this way for several years? Also, a price increase??? In this economy you think Apple is actually going to raise its prices??? WOW!

Prices have been different with the MacBook for quite some time. I can see Apple either adding a smaller MacBook for the white one, or lowering the price a bit on the current ones (by 100$?) to make them more appealing.


BTW, I am really hoping for a smaller MacBook (NetMacBook? ) I just really like to be able to take out my computer no matter where I am, which is almost impossible with the 15"