cMBP be updated again in 2013?

[teerexx52]

My wife would like to upgrade from her current 13" MBP to a 15". She does not want the retina model. She is wondering if she should wait until the classic MBP are upgraded again next year to get the latest processor and such. What we were both wondering is the way Apple is moving to retina will the classic MBP be updated again period or phased out? I know no one knows the answer to this for sure but can anyone offer advice on this? Thanks!!!

 

[Maczor]

I doubt you'll see upgrades on the cMBPs.
I'm expecting Apple to remove them completely later next year.

 

[Wafflausages]

I'd buy the cMBP now. They've already shown the new MBP so I dont think there would be much expectations from them now aside from spec bumps. They've put in thunderbolt, and usb 3.0. The only thing missing is a "fusion drive" but that is pretty diy-able.

 

[pgiguere1]

I think that if it wasn't of the fact that a rMBP costs significantly more to make than a cMBP, Apple would have discontinued the cMBPs already. I don't think their plan is to offer choice, Apple likes to have a streamlined product line, and right now is the largest number of models their notebook line has ever had.

They kept offering the cMBP mainly because they knew it's hard to sell new MBPs at a $400-$500 premium over the old ones. I think it's just a matter of time before price of rMBPs drop. SSDs are getting cheaper every month and yields of Retina displays will increase with time.

Once Apple will be able to keep their usual margin and sell a 15" rMBP for under $2k, I think the cMBPs will be discontinued. $1999 was the original price of the 15" cMBP too, and they discontinued the model before as soon as it was released.

If I had to guess, I'd say cMBPs won't be updated to Haswell, but that's just my guess. History has shown that Apple discontinues models they see as useless pretty early even if they still sell well, just look at the white MacBook.

Simplifying the product line will let them make fewer components but in larger quantities. They'll have only 2 bodies to make instead of 4, 2 screens to make instead of 6, use custom flash in all their laptops instead of a mix of 2.5" HDD, 2.5" SSD and custom flash, use soldered RAM in all their laptops instead of a mix of regular SODIMMs and soldered RAM, etc. That alone will let them reduce the price of rMBPs without reducing their margins.

 

[teerexx52]

We are thinking that it might be time to go ahead and do this. She was thinking of buying the latest 13" but with no dedicated graphics and dual core I am not sure it is the best choice for the "long" term. She wants to keep this computer 4-5 years if possible. So waiting until spring will not offer any advantages I would say

 

[mrsir2009]

right now is the largest number of models their notebook line has ever had.

It's the largest number of models for anything... Three models of iPad and two older phones that are crazy similar (4 & 4S). They need to do some major spring cleaning like they did at the turn of the century.

 

[CASLondon]

I'd buy the cMBP now. They've already shown the new MBP so I dont think there would be much expectations from them now aside from spec bumps. They've put in thunderbolt, and usb 3.0. The only thing missing is a "fusion drive" but that is pretty diy-able.

Frankly, the advantage of the classic is the options for DIY, and that you could do a dual drive set up, SSD and Optical slot HDD (or if you just want screaming banshee set up, a dual SSD raid 0). Whatever advantage the complexity of a fusion drive might offer is bettered with this option.

I agree to buy now, who knows when they do drop it

 

[Liquinn]

What can the retina MBPs do that the Classic MBPs can't?

Quick question ^^

 

[Spink10]

I would wait - if they replace the cMBP - I would buy a 2012 for a significantly lower price.

 

[CASLondon]

We are thinking that it might be time to go ahead and do this. She was thinking of buying the latest 13" but with no dedicated graphics and dual core I am not sure it is the best choice for the "long" term. She wants to keep this computer 4-5 years if possible. So waiting until spring will not offer any advantages I would say

She's right, that 13 might be found wanting down the road. This 15 is a mature machine that offers a lot of advantages to make that 4-5 year goal easily. Putting your own SSD, putting a dual drive set up of SSD and HDD, or dual SSDs are all options.

 

[bill-p]

What can the retina MBPs do that the Classic MBPs can't?

Quick question ^^

15" rMBP can display a 1920 x 1200 desktop. So you get a lot more screen real estate to work with.

Also better cooling... and overall more quiet operation.

We are thinking that it might be time to go ahead and do this. She was thinking of buying the latest 13" but with no dedicated graphics and dual core I am not sure it is the best choice for the "long" term. She wants to keep this computer 4-5 years if possible. So waiting until spring will not offer any advantages I would say

If she can tolerate the weight of the 15" version, I'd say... she should grab the 15" version. The quad-core CPU will be the deciding factor for the next 4-5 years... especially if she plans on doing a lot with the MacBook. If she doesn't want to do a lot, I'd think... the 13" version should do fine.

 

[pgiguere1]

What can the retina MBPs do that the Classic MBPs can't?

Quick question ^^

Be thinner and lighter, have higher contrast, better viewing angles, full sRGB gamut, higher resolution and possible higher screen estate, lower reflectance than even the matte cMBP, Power Nap, double Thunderbolt, HDMI, triple display support, have better speakers and cooling system, factory OCed GPU.

 

[bill-p]

lower reflectance than even the matte cMBP

That's not true, by the way. It still reflects to some extent. Just less than the glossy rMBP where the reflection completely obscures the screen.

 

[pgiguere1]

It's the largest number of models for anything... Three models of iPad and two older phones that are crazy similar (4 & 4S). They need to do some major spring cleaning like they did at the turn of the century.

True, but at least iPhone and iPad sales are going up every year so it already makes more sense. With Macs being pretty much stalling lately, this doesn't make much sense.

There was a quote by Steve Jobs about having a simple product line, I can't seem to find it. That's one of the major things that saved Apple when he came back.

He drew that simple graph and it was basically his vision for the Mac:

Now it's more something like:

 

[mrsir2009]

True, but at least iPhone and iPad sales are going up every year so it already makes more sense. With Macs being pretty much stalling lately, this doesn't make much sense.

There was a quote by Steve Jobs about having a simple product line, I can't seem to find it. That's one of the major things that saved Apple when he came back.

He drew that simple graph and it was basically his vision for the Mac:
Image
Now it's more something like:
Image

I reckon this would make the most sense. Although the iMac is a tough cookie to categorise, as it can potentially be a real consumer computer (family computer) or a real pro computer (27" with two externals).

 

[Liquinn]

Looks like my 13" cMBP is in the middle then? XD

 

[CausticPuppy]

True, but at least iPhone and iPad sales are going up every year so it already makes more sense. With Macs being pretty much stalling lately, this doesn't make much sense.

There was a quote by Steve Jobs about having a simple product line, I can't seem to find it. That's one of the major things that saved Apple when he came back.

He drew that simple graph and it was basically his vision for the Mac:
Image
Now it's more something like:
Image

I think the mac line is temporarily a bit cluttered because they're in a transition to the retina displays.

Remember we used to have Macbook (plastic), Macbook Air, and Macbook Pro. Then when the Air finally got cheap enough they could get rid of the regular Macbook.

The same thing is happening now on the pro side. When the rMBP's get cheap enough, they'll get rid of the classic MBP's. Then we'll be back to a tidy consumer/pro lineup with the Air and Pro.

 

[Maczor]

I reckon this would make the most sense. Although the iMac is a tough cookie to categorise, as it can potentially be a real consumer computer (family computer) or a real pro computer (27" with two externals).

There are many companies using Mac Minis for software development. They don't need an iMac cause it's not worth their investment... they just get a Mini and hook it up to whatever monitors they already have.

Mac mini is definitely not just Consumer.
I doubt that "consumers" wanting a desktop mac get Minis... they get iMacs.

 

[Liquinn]

I think the mac line is temporarily a bit cluttered because they're in a transition to the retina displays.

Remember we used to have Macbook (plastic), Macbook Air, and Macbook Pro. Then when the Air finally got cheap enough they could get rid of the regular Macbook.

The same thing is happening now on the pro side. When the rMBP's get cheap enough, they'll get rid of the classic MBP's. Then we'll be back to a tidy consumer/pro lineup with the Air and Pro.

Is my 13" classic MBP obsolete?

 

[mrsir2009]

There are many companies using Mac Minis for software development. They don't need an iMac cause it's not worth their investment... they just get a Mini and hook it up to whatever monitors they already have.

Mac mini is definitely not just Consumer.
I doubt that "consumers" wanting a desktop mac get Minis... they get iMacs.

Yeah... When it comes to the desktops now there's not really a clear line. Either can be used for either. But nevertheless, it's still a nice simple product line: Two desktops, two laptops. One cheaper, one more expensive.

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Is my 13" classic MBP obsolete?

Welcome to the club

 

[CausticPuppy]

Is my 13" classic MBP obsolete?

Only when it stops doing what you need it to do!

I Just VPN'd in to work on my old, old 2006 black macbook, and did some actual work. It's obsolete but still runs like a champ.

 

[M5RahuL]

Is my 13" classic MBP obsolete?

It'll be obsolete when it stops performing to your expectations.. Other than that, tech. will always keep advancing and you'll never have the latest and greatest for more than a few months!

Budget permitting, upgrade the RAM [I did it to 16GB] and replace [ the HDD or Optical ] with a SSD, and watch that 13" fly thru any tasks!!

Enjoy that 13" MBP. It's a great portable. I had one and loved it!!

 

[pgiguere1]

I reckon this would make the most sense. Although the iMac is a tough cookie to categorise, as it can potentially be a real consumer computer (family computer) or a real pro computer (27" with two externals).

Like you say, a single product line (iMac) can target both consumers or Pro. Steve wanted to make each line obviously target one type of market without any ambiguity or overlap.

Now even the MBP line is weird. The 15" targets Pros while the 13" is more bought by regular consumers. IMO they should have kept the "MacBook" name like in 2008, so that all MacBook Pros continue the trend of PowerBooks and represent Apple's high-end laptop offering with the best CPUs on the market and discrete graphics, while MacBooks aims the mainstream consumer market who don't need that much power.

Instead they messed up the naming convention saying the 13" MBP was "Pro" since it now had FireWire and an SD card reader, even though past consumer MacBooks already had FireWire and that SD is a consumer format.

IMO the best radical simplifying we could have would be to discontinue everything except the 13" MacBook Air and 15" rMBP, and just call them MacBook and MacBook Pro, respectively. A single 24" iMac model could do the job, and I would also discontinue the iPad 2 and one of the two older iPhones.

We would have something like: MacBook, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, iPad mini, iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 5... Basically two of each.

 

[Lukewarmwinner]

I think they'll discontinue the cMPB-models.. Maybe keep them with same specs and design, and just update the CPU when a new one is available, like Haswell next year. Just to keep a another budget laptop beside the Air.

It's their alltime great seller, so maybe they can't throw it out right now - some like the optical drive (God knows why.. )

 

[A Hebrew]

15" is going. 13" might have a shot at another refresh, because it seems like it is still selling very nicely, and the rMBP 13" is far too overpriced (Just like the 13" cMBP )