Do I wait for Broadwell?

[cbautis2]

Is it worth waiting 6 months using an old acer computer that can barely load up chrome and Microsoft Office, just so I can the new macbook pro with whatever the new processor will be? Can someone tell me how much more speed and battery the new processor will be? It it's only an extra hours battery then I won't bother waiting

If Apple decided to use Core M, it'll be the same performance as the current Haswell, but battery life will definitely go up to even 17 - 20 hours on a single charge, considering that it only sips as much power as Intel Atom / high end ARM processors if Apple can cram 50 whr battery in there.

If Apple decided to stick with Core i5 Broadwell ULV, it'll be 10 - 20 % faster while having at least 15 hours of battery life on a single charge.

 

[ixxx69]

If Apple decided to use Core M, it'll be the same performance as the current Haswell, but battery life will definitely go up to even 17 - 20 hours on a single charge, considering that it only sips as much power as Intel Atom / high end ARM processors if Apple can cram 50 whr battery in there.

If Apple decided to stick with Core i5 Broadwell ULV, it'll be 10 - 20 % faster while having at least 15 hours of battery life on a single charge.

I might be wrong, but I think the OP is talking about the MBP now.

Is it worth waiting 6 months using an old acer computer that can barely load up chrome and Microsoft Office, just so I can the new macbook pro with whatever the new processor will be? Can someone tell me how much more speed and battery the new processor will be? It it's only an extra hours battery then I won't bother waiting

Maybe you're just waiting for the answer you want to hear, so I'll shut up about it after this, but you keep asking for information that isn't publicly available. We can guess that the new Broadwell CPUs will be about 5-10% faster than their predecessors because that's how it's been for the last few gens. No one knows anything about how much longer the battery will last (just likely longer). People will talk like they do, but they don't. And no one but you knows whether it's worth waiting.

Here's a thought. Buy the MBP now (or maybe even consider a refurb or used one), and when the updated MBP arrives, if it's so incredibly wonderful that you have to have it, sell what you've got and buy the new one.

 

[Shadwmaster]

I might be wrong, but I think the OP is talking about the MBP now.



Maybe you're just waiting for the answer you want to hear, so I'll shut up about it after this, but you keep asking for information that isn't publicly available. We can guess that the new Broadwell CPUs will be about 5-10% faster than their predecessors because that's how it's been for the last few gens. No one knows anything about how much longer the battery will last (just likely longer). People will talk like they do, but they don't. And no one but you knows whether it's worth waiting.

Here's a thought. Buy the MBP now (or maybe even consider a refurb or used one), and when the updated MBP arrives, if it's so incredibly wonderful that you have to have it, sell what you've got and buy the new one.

Yeah considering I need it for school I'm just gonna get the mbp now. I think to justify waiting at least 6 months it would have be a massive difference and i just can't see it being a big enough difference. Thanks every one for all your help and input unless something massive changes my mind I'll be getting the macbook pro 2.6ghz, 8gm ram and 256 gb storage with a 2tb western digital hard drive. Now all I have to do is wait till next week to get paid and buy the thing!

 

[dgonzales]

I would not wait. I have a 13 inch 2013 model and love it The battery life and speed are amazing.

Before you decide go try out the 11 inch and 13 inch MBA in the store. Imagine how you would feel with a 12 inch size. Maybe it's just me, but I do not want a computer with a screen size smaller than 13 inches. Personally, the 11 inch felt too cramped and the screen size would only be good on a plane. I use my computer for school and having a screen size that is easy to read for long periods is important.

Maybe a 12 inch screen is fine for some, but I am very skeptical. If Apple does move to a 12 inch screen for the MBA I will probably have to move to a MBP

 

[Davidglenn]

I have no problems with the 12 inch screen as I have a 11 inch MBA.

The question in the post is do you wait for Broadwell? Then do you wait for Skylake which is even better, plus it will probably get Bluetooth 4.2. The do you wait for the next processor which will be even faster, smaller and more powerful?

The answer for me is if I need something to continue my work or make my work life easier then, yes buy it now. If I don't need it immediately can I wait till the next possible update.

The advantage of waiting for the new model is that I see the specifications of the new model. But can still purchase the older model at a discounted rate if there is no significant advantage.

 

[redheeler]

Is it worth waiting 6 months using an old acer computer that can barely load up chrome and Microsoft Office, just so I can the new macbook pro with whatever the new processor will be? Can someone tell me how much more speed and battery the new processor will be? It it's only an extra hours battery then I won't bother waiting

Get one now, It'll be a huge improvement compared to what you have now and plenty powerful to do basic tasks like browse the web and take notes for years to come. Battery life is already quite good and any improvements would be marginal.

I'm certainly not going to see any immediate need to upgrade from my late '13 rMBP to Broadwell/Skylake when it comes out.

 

[0983275]

Keep in the mind the pictures you saw of the upcoming retina MacBook Air is only artist's rendition, it doesn't mean the final product will be like that.

I don't see Apple doing the dumb thing and release a laptop with only 1 port for both data and power, but I'm probably expecting too much.

The current MBAs are decent, I own the current version of 13" and it's one of the best Mac product I own, the battery life is amazing, the performance from both CPU and GPU isn't bad, the screen isn't that bad (at least it's 16:10), whatever tasks your school requires you to throw at the MacBook Air, it will handle them without any problems (unless you're doing some 3D work, which is still doable anyways.)

 

[motrek]

If Apple decided to use Core M, it'll be the same performance as the current Haswell, but battery life will definitely go up to even 17 - 20 hours on a single charge, considering that it only sips as much power as Intel Atom / high end ARM processors if Apple can cram 50 whr battery in there.

If Apple decided to stick with Core i5 Broadwell ULV, it'll be 10 - 20 % faster while having at least 15 hours of battery life on a single charge.

Nonsense. Current Haswells use between 0.5 and maybe ~2W when doing light web browsing work. That's about 25% of a MBA's total power consumption. So if the processor took literally no power at all (which is impossible), the highest battery life you could possibly see is 16 hours, not 17 to 20.

And if you go by Intel's numbers, Broadwell uses 30% less power than Haswell. So realistically you are looking at an ~8% increase in battery life, which translates to about an hour. One. Not 5 to 8.

And it's generally accepted that if Apple switches to a retina display, it will use more power than the current display, so battery life will almost certainly go down vs. the current models, Broadwell or not.

 

[mi7chy]

Definitely wait for Broadwell. I find myself using my Broadwell device more because graphics related tasks like watching high definition videos like twitch.tv doesn't run down the battery as fast, it's fanless so more reliable over the long run as there's no fan to wear out or accumulate dust that'll cause overheating and it's not even warm to the touch.

 

[motrek]

Definitely wait for Broadwell. I find myself using my Broadwell device more because graphics related tasks like watching high definition videos like twitch.tv doesn't run down the battery as fast, it's fanless so more reliable over the long run as there's no fan to wear out or accumulate dust that'll cause overheating and it's not even warm to the touch.

Are you kidding me? iPads get warm to the touch when they're doing something CPU/GPU intensive; what makes you think a Broadwell device wouldn't?

Fanless means higher temperatures and bigger temperature swings. Wonder what that'll do to reliability and longevity.

 

[GoingDark]

I would absolutely wait for the next MacBook Air refresh, for two reasons.

1) It's going to be out in less than 6 months
2) Even if the current MBA suits your needs perfectly, the worst thing that can happen by waiting is that the current MBAs drop in price

My personal rule of thumb is never wait, always buy what you need when you need it (otherwise you'll forever be waiting for the next version which is always better/faster/cheaper). UNLESS the next version is going to be out in less than 6 months, which in this case it almost certainly is (and likely will be out closer to 3-4 months from now).

 

[mi7chy]

Are you kidding me? iPads get warm to the touch when they're doing something CPU/GPU intensive; what makes you think a Broadwell device wouldn't?

Fanless means higher temperatures and bigger temperature swings. Wonder what that'll do to reliability and longevity.

Didn't believe it myself. It's pretty amazing what Intel has done with these 4.5W Broadwell Core M in Thinkpad Helix2. I was able to watch twitch.tv in browser full screen in theater mode with chat at 1080p and got a little over 4 hours on about 50% battery and the back isn't even warm. In comparison, Haswell would probably be near empty in the same amount of time starting with 100% battery and run warm.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I need a new laptop for school so I decided I would try for the first time a macbook. I was hoping to make this a computer I can use for everything. I was going to get the 13 " MBA with 8gb ram and 512gb flash SSD. My school starts end of January so I need to make a decision relatively soon. Should I wait the 4? Months until it has broadwell or is it not going to be that much of a difference and just get the current model. Thanks for helping

I'd give thought to (a) waiting and (b) upgrading to the 13" MacBook Pro.

If these rumors about the MacBook Air are true, and if Apple's trend of slapping in the low-end MacBook Air processors into the low-end Mac models continues, then what will probably happen is:

- 13" MacBook Pro gains a lower entry level model at the price of the still-sold Mid 2012 non-retina MacBook Pro (which will then finally get discontinued). This price is also close enough to the current price of the MacBook Air models.

- This will effectively replace what we currently know as the MacBook Air.

- The new retina MacBook Air will be marketed at a lower price-point given its reduced functionality and positioned to better compete with lower-cost Chromebooks and Windows convertibles.

Either way, both the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lines are soon due for refreshes, so you might as well wait and see what happens.

If you need something now, go to the Apple Certified Refurbished Mac section of their online store and you'll find a pretty decent deal on most MacBook Air configurations. If they don't have what you want, go to www.refurb.me and you can have them alert you when the refurbished MacBook Air that you are looking for comes back in stock.

I'm facing the exact same question at the moment as you can see, but I certainly will wait. These are rumors, right? Once they announce a redesigned Air, and not just boosted tech specs (and they certainly will after 5 or 6 years) I would be quite p***** if I would have purchased an old one right now.

Depends. If your software isn't retina-optimized, I'd imagine you'd be more upset to not have the older model. Similarly, if you're limited to a single port, and only Core M (as opposed to a legit ULV Core i5 or Core i7), I'd imagine that wouldn't make you happy you waited.

Yeah I was just looking up about that, If those rumors are correct then I'm definitely getting the 13" MBA now. I can't see why on earth they would get rid of the ports as well as not offering the 13" screen.

Given:

a. Redundancy between the 13" Air and the 13" Pro

b. Apple's push of the current low-end MacBook Air CPU (1.4GHz ULV Core i5) into other lower-end Macs (such as the Mac mini and the 21.5" iMac)

c. Competition from Google (with Chromebooks) and Microsoft (with low-cost convertibles):

Apple may very well be looking into giving the 13" MacBook Pro a model or two with the CPUs previously in use by what we know today as the MacBook Air. In which case, a 13" MacBook Pro model with that kind of CPU could very easily supplant the 13" MacBook Air as we know it today, as it would essentially be the same thing as a retina MacBook Air. That would free Apple to make the next MacBook Airs an entirely new product.

Consider that before Late 2010, the MacBook Air was positioned as an entirely different product. Come the Late 2010 and Mid 2011 models, the MacBook Air was positioned as the natural successor product to the plastic MacBook line. If Apple further merges things with the 13" MacBook Pro line (as it makes sense to do), it would free them up to use the MacBook Air line to once again become something else.

Get the current model. If rumors are true, you'll only get ONE port on the rMBA and this is detrimental to your school work. Broadwell or Haswell CPU don't matter for typical school work anyways.

If the rumors are true, then users such as the OP will only be more encouraged to buy a 13" MacBook Pro for their needs. The pricing on the retina models will only come down to match it, if the rumors are true, as the rumored machine will surely have to cost less for its reduced functionality.

 

[cbautis2]

Nonsense. Current Haswells use between 0.5 and maybe ~2W when doing light web browsing work. That's about 25% of a MBA's total power consumption. So if the processor took literally no power at all (which is impossible), the highest battery life you could possibly see is 16 hours, not 17 to 20.

And if you go by Intel's numbers, Broadwell uses 30% less power than Haswell. So realistically you are looking at an ~8% increase in battery life, which translates to about an hour. One. Not 5 to 8.

And it's generally accepted that if Apple switches to a retina display, it will use more power than the current display, so battery life will almost certainly go down vs. the current models, Broadwell or not.

I'm talking about Core M, not a 15 watt ulv CPU so 17-20 hours is not unrealistic.

 

[motrek]

I'm talking about Core M, not a 15 watt ulv CPU so 17-20 hours is not unrealistic.

It's completely unrealistic for the reason I wrote in my post. Did you even read my post?

If Core M used zero watts you would get 16 hours of battery life. Do the math yourself if you don't believe me.

Are you saying Core M uses negative watts?

 

[mutsaers-vr.nl]

Core U (15 W incl. GPU like the present ones) will be used if Broadwell at all (else the MBA will be crippled compared to the present ones). Rumours are that maybe Apple will skip Broadwell and us sky lake at the end of Q2 2015

I think it's important to remember that - according to rumors - the 12" will not have Broadwell, but the lower powered Core M.

Apple will likely continue the 11" and 13" for the time being, probably updating them to Broadwell. Either way I think waiting is the best option at this point.

 

[iphonedude2008]

I'll probably get slammed for this, but why do you want a mac? I've used Mac for 4 years now as a student and honestly, the differences between Windows and Mac at this point comes to visual preference (when it comes to school work, not for everything). If I were to buy a laptop now for school, I would first look at the Windows laptops. They offer screens higher res than the Macs for cheaper prices and Dell's new laptops already have Broadwell. More things are compatible with Windows than Mac, and though there are ways to get around it (Wine, VMs), Windows has much more supported options.

I'm not saying don't get the Macbook. I have a 15" rMBP and love it. All I'm saying is think about why you want it and see if that justifies the price and headache of switching platforms.

 

[Shadwmaster]

I'll probably get slammed for this, but why do you want a mac? I've used Mac for 4 years now as a student and honestly, the differences between Windows and Mac at this point comes to visual preference (when it comes to school work, not for everything). If I were to buy a laptop now for school, I would first look at the Windows laptops. They offer screens higher res than the Macs for cheaper prices and Dell's new laptops already have Broadwell. More things are compatible with Windows than Mac, and though there are ways to get around it (Wine, VMs), Windows has much more supported options.

I'm not saying don't get the Macbook. I have a 15" rMBP and love it. All I'm saying is think about why you want it and see if that justifies the price and headache of switching platforms.

I'm wanting to get the computer for both school but life in general. So use at home and travelling. My MacBook will be strong enough to run parallels or boot camp anyway so the whole compatibility doesn't bother me to much. I just want a laptop that's gonna last me a long time and is fast. I feel like I would end up replacing a windows computer or have to pay extra for anti virus and spend extra time making sure it's running fast all the time.

 

[iphonedude2008]

I'm wanting to get the computer for both school but life in general. So use at home and travelling. My MacBook will be strong enough to run parallels or boot camp anyway so the whole compatibility doesn't bother me to much. I just want a laptop that's gonna last me a long time and is fast. I feel like I would end up replacing a windows computer or have to pay extra for anti virus and spend extra time making sure it's running fast all the time.

After seeing my mom do it I strongly recommend you just stick with windows if you'll end up having to run a vm. It's really not ideal and negates the great battery life of the air. Also, windows computers run plenty fast and if you stay away from spammy programs.

 

[Shadwmaster]

After seeing my mom do it I strongly recommend you just stick with windows if you'll end up having to run a vm. It's really not ideal and negates the great battery life of the air. Also, windows computers run plenty fast and if you stay away from spammy programs.

I don't plan to actually use windows. My cousins use there macs for school and after talking to them they have been able to show me how to use it for school and especially for the school I'm going to I don't need any special program's that only windows has. And I've decided on a MacBook Pro so it will also be more powerful

 

[iphonedude2008]

I don't plan to actually use windows. My cousins use there macs for school and after talking to them they have been able to show me how to use it for school and especially for the school I'm going to I don't need any special program's that only windows has. And I've decided on a MacBook Pro so it will also be more powerful

That's good. I just want to make sure you've considered the alternatives and know why you want Mac over windows. While the prices are more competitive now, you're still paying a premium for Mac.

 

[Isamilis]

You should try Ulysses for school, to make Mac worth it. Also, PDF handling is much more natural (highlighting, comments, etc). Battery life with app nap is also factor, if you want to avoid always bringing charger.