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Buying tip for MacBook? Should I wait?

S

SeanWalsh16

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 30, 2009
6
0
Hi guys, I was just wandering if you could help me out?

I was planning on buying the Aluminum MacBook at the beginning of this summer. With WWDC coming up I was wondering how long it would be to wait until 10.6 comes out. Do you think that it would have a release date in June? or even later than that? I think that if the release date is set in July or later then I would just get the uMB as soon as WWDC is over. Also, now that the MacBook White got a spec bump, do you think the Alu will get one too? Because that would be nice. ;)
 
For sure wait, unless you've got an urgent reason to buy now, waiting and buying right when the next model is released is an excellent way to get better value.
 
i am having the same dilemma, about buying the MBA (according to buyer guide, finished its cycle). So i am waitingfor the conference. However, can anybody give his/her opinion about; if no update happens in this conference, is it safe to buy soon after it, i.e. the next day or two? I heard some people saying that if no update occur in the conference then it may occur 1-2 weeks after. is that true? ( i think the op was also asking this)...thanks
 
u49aa2 said:
i am having the same dilemma, about buying the MBA (according to buyer guide, finished its cycle). So i am waitingfor the conference. However, can anybody give his/her opinion about; if no update happens in this conference, is it safe to buy soon after it, i.e. the next day or two? I heard some people saying that if no update occur in the conference then it may occur 1-2 weeks after. is that true? ( i think the op was also asking this)...thanks
Click to expand...

According to the Buyer's Guide, you should only buy the MBA if you reeeally need it, so even if no updates come @ WWDC, the longer you hold out, the better.
 
Shawny D said:
According to the Buyer's Guide, you should only buy the MBA if you reeeally need it, so even if no updates come @ WWDC, the longer you hold out, the better.
Click to expand...

To be honest, i am not in a hurry, however i will be leaving scotland for a long period around septmeber and i want to buy the MBA before i leave. From what i heard from some MBA users, i will need to test the product for a while, as it has very high potential (if you are unlucky) to be faulty! and i it won't be very convenient to send a laptop for repair when you are travelling.
 
the most certain issue that the macbook and macbook pro will be updated is that the new white macbook has a faster processer than the low-end aluminum book and a bto hard drive up to 500gb - thus surpassing the rest of the line-up.

It seems like the Spring 2007 update where the macbooks were updated, followed by the macbook pro.

Macbook Air could be entirely different.
 
u49aa2 said:
what do you mean by entirely different?
Click to expand...

I had a first generation air and was nowhere near faulty. The veracity of percentage of faulty machines is usually tied to the vocal minority. Sure there are known issues, but it is difficult to assess their accuracy.

As to why entirely different. I think there is a faster processor that can be put in the Air, maybe some more memory, but are there any larger SSDs or hard drives in production that can fit? I am unsure.

Are they redesigning it to put in 3G?

The updated White macbook clearly created some overlap in the notebook line that points to the rest of the line being updated. As the lightweight and thin notebook that is more of a luxury item, it is difficult to see how it interacts with the rest of the notebook line.
 
jb1280 said:
I had a first generation air and was nowhere near faulty. The veracity of percentage of faulty machines is usually tied to the vocal minority. Sure there are known issues, but it is difficult to assess their accuracy.

As to why entirely different. I think there is a faster processor that can be put in the Air, maybe some more memory, but are there any larger SSDs or hard drives in production that can fit? I am unsure.

Are they redesigning it to put in 3G?

The updated White macbook clearly created some overlap in the notebook line that points to the rest of the line being updated. As the lightweight and thin notebook that is more of a luxury item, it is difficult to see how it interacts with the rest of the notebook line.
Click to expand...

Sorry to bother you again; so if you are in my situation (described above) would you just order one immediately after the conference? or wait just before your travel?
 
jb1280 said:
the most certain issue that the macbook and macbook pro will be updated is that the new white macbook has a faster processer than the low-end aluminum book and a bto hard drive up to 500gb - thus surpassing the rest of the line-up.
Click to expand...

That's really a non-issue given the fact that the HDD of the UMB/P are easily user-upgradeable and that a 500 GB HDD, like a WD Scorpio Blue, costs less than half of what Apple is charging for a similar hard drive. Even a Seagate 500 GB 7200.4 costs some $60-70 less than the 500 GB 5400 RPM one that Apple provides.
 
u49aa2 said:
Sorry to bother you again; so if you are in my situation (described above) would you just order one immediately after the conference? or wait just before your travel?
Click to expand...

If you need the machine now, or if your work/overall life will improve by purchasing the machine now, buy it after the conference if nothing is updated.

Here's the thing about waiting when you have a time deadline, if you are forced to buy because of time and the update doesn't happen, you had less time with a machine if you had purchased it earlier.

Say you were purchasing a new macbook for university last summer. You heard that new aluminum macbooks were coming, so you waited until the very end of the promo with the iPod to purchase one in September. You were still forced to buy the same plastic notebook that you could have bought in June for the same price, you just had it 2 or 3 months later than you could have.

What could be reasonable with the macbook air is that if/when the other notebooks are updated, they cut the price on the SSD - they did that last June.
 
Shawny D said:
That's really a non-issue given the fact that the HDD of the UMB/P are easily user-upgradeable and that a 500 GB HDD, like a WD Scorpio Blue, costs less than half of what Apple is charging for a similar hard drive. Even a Seagate 500 GB 7200.4 costs some $60-70 less than the 500 GB 5400 RPM one that Apple provides.
Click to expand...

Of course it's a non-issue in the big scheme of things. It still doesn't change the fact that of the configs Apple offers, at the moment you can go higher on the white macbook than on the low-end aluminum notebook.

There are people who are not going to want to install their own hard drive.
 
jb1280 said:
the most certain issue that the macbook and macbook pro will be updated is that the new white macbook has a faster processer than the low-end aluminum book and a bto hard drive up to 500gb - thus surpassing the rest of the line-up.

It seems like the Spring 2007 update where the macbooks were updated, followed by the macbook pro.

Macbook Air could be entirely different.
Click to expand...

Yes, I also believe that now that the White MacBook can have a bigger HDD and that the processor is faster, Apple would update the Alu's pretty soon.
I don't think they would EVER have a cheaper machine permanently have better specs than machines that have a higher price tag. That would kill sales, at least you would think so... :confused:

:apple::apple::apple::apple::apple::apple::apple::apple::apple:
 
Do you guys think that apple will official announce the new MB screens? maybe they wait for cleaning up their old screens backlog:)
 
i want to buy macbook pro, but the 10.6 or hardware update will bts after ?

i am in hong kong , bts can refund?

Should Apple reduce its price on any shipped product within 14 calendar days of shipment, you may contact Apple Store Customer Service at 1-800-676-2775 to request a refund or credit of the difference between the price you were charged and the current selling price. To receive the refund or credit you must contact Apple within 14 calendar days of the price change.
 
u49aa2 said:
Sorry to bother you again; so if you are in my situation (described above) would you just order one immediately after the conference? or wait just before your travel?
Click to expand...

there have been instances where a new model was released 2 weeks after a conference. wait till end of july.

my 2 cents.
 
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