Full Laptop Refresh By Holidays?

[crashnburn275]

Recent Blackbook Purchase

I finally cracked last week and bought a MB. I need it for school. Now. My order status says it'll ship the 22nd and arrive the 29th.

I also ordered a new iPod nano which has already arrived. Took only four business days to ship after I ordered. Chances are the Macbook will arrive within about four days, putting me at the 26th. Smack in the middle of Photokina.

Who knows? Maybe a shiny new Merom MB will arrive next week

 

[CPTMONK]

Well, like I have said before, brenthaven is releasing new "macbook pro" carrying cases next week the same time around the photokina event, and they are about 1/4" thicker in terms of "minimum/maximum" laptop specifications. This gives me reason to believe the case will be approx. .1-.3 inches thicker than current models, possibly making room for a better graphics card and dvd drive? Don't know...

is there a link for this?

 

[n00bst3r]

Except that:

(1) Meroms in other brands of laptops have been shipping for nearly 3 weeks. A quick Google shows that some people have been receiving them on their doorstep by the first day of September.
(2) Those of us that buy Macbook Pros are throwing down $2500+ for top-of-the-line laptops. Sub-$1000 laptops have had a better processor than Apple's flagship laptops for nearly a month now. If you can still defend Apple after this, do a reality check on the fanboyism.

I love you.

 

[HecubusPro]

Nonetheless, you can rest assured that C2D MBPs will be SHIPPING by Sept. 25.

I would like to be rest assured of that, but other than a few rumors, how can you be sure that Photokina will actually be the event where MBP's with C2D finally drop? I'm just curious, because I want one and I'm grasping on to straws here.

 

[daneoni]

Long live the G4

 

[ergle2]

For practical purposes, the only differences at this time between CD and C2D are SSE3 instructions and slightly better power management. Nonetheless, you can rest assured that C2D MBPs will be SHIPPING by Sept. 25.

I disagree, there's quiet a lot that's significant, not least the doubled L2 cache and EM64T modes, or the extra ALU.

There's a whole bunch of other interesting improvements, but I won't go into them since it's pretty much CPU-geeks only...

 

[ergle2]

Presently Dell does offer core 2 duo processing chips, but only in their $2,500-3,000 laptop systems.

Dell offers C2D in $729 E1505 (or $854 for the 2GHz C2D model).

 

[Unspeaked]

There's a whole bunch of other interesting improvements, but I won't go into them since it's pretty much CPU-geeks only...

The fact of the matter is, these many improvements mean very little in the real world benchmarks that have been posted online.

I think the C2D is more of a placebo at this point than anything else; you'd probably get a better speed bump on a CD system by turning off animations and using a solid background pattern!

 

[ZoomZoomZoom]

Sorry, but you're in an Intel RDF if you think that a 1.66 GHz C2D is a better processor than a 2.33 GHz CD. For practical purposes, the only differences at this time between CD and C2D are SSE3 instructions and slightly better power management. Nonetheless, you can rest assured that C2D MBPs will be SHIPPING by Sept. 25.

I didn't say that they were better. I just said that C2D is making its way even to budget laptops.

But yes, Sept 26 or bust.

 

[ju5tin81]

Merom schmerom

Long and short of it, it'll just be nice to be able to buy an apple laptop that doesn't immediately need BTO'd to have enough HD and RAM to last a decent length of time without 'upgrading' (Selling to a relative and gettin' a new one)...

Never mind the processor, just ship the MacBooks with more than 60GB's! (And stick in at least a gig of Ram in the Pro's...)

Never gonna fit all those movies (That we can't burn to DVD ) onto a 60 Gig disk....

 

[ergle2]

I think it's neither worse or better. Tests showed only a slight bump in speed and reduction in energy consumption. At least it's the best 64-bit Intel mobile processor we got until the next one comes in April/May.

Benchmarks show it's 5-20% faster in most tasks and sometimes over double for certain specific instances, while having roughly equivalent power draw, plus the addition of EM64T.

So, faster, sometimes significantly so, with equivalent battery life or better.

How is that "neither better or worse"?

I believe April will only bring a bump in clockspeeds, btw. Penryn looks like a 3/4Q07.

 

[Maccus Aurelius]

Dell offers C2D in $729 E1505 (or $854 for the 2GHz C2D model).

I just checked and you're right, but that must've been added just this month, as the September catalogue i receive from dell didn't have C2D as an option, only the more expensive system. touche

 

[hcuar]

I just checked and you're right, but that must've been added just this month, as the September catalogue i receive from dell didn't have C2D as an option, only the more expensive system. touche

Yes... it's a C2D... but it's a 1.66 Ghz C2D... I'd take the CD over that one.

 

[ergle2]

I just checked and you're right, but that must've been added just this month, as the September catalogue i receive from dell didn't have C2D as an option, only the more expensive system. touche

Merom supplies were very limited initially. They're still not as plentiful as vendors might like, but the situation is improving.

That's the sole reason I expect Apple to not relese both C2D MBP and MacBook at the same time. Well, that and maybe they feel they can create more of an impact by having two product announcements instead of one.

 

[ergle2]

Yes... it's a C2D... but it's a 1.66 Ghz C2D... I'd take the CD over that one.

In my post above I specifically pointed out the 2.0GHz model was available.

They also offer a 2.16GHz E1505 for $1029.

 

[direzz]

Does it even MATTER if Apple keeps up? Do we actually WANT Apple to release a new computer every month when Intel bumps up their chips a few megahertz?

See, it's easy to get lost in the specs war. The Mac Pros came out and I was salivating, even though I have a dual 2.0GHz G5 sitting at home. And then one day, as I was editing some HD footage, it occurred ot me that my G5 here - my now outdated G5 - was editing 1080p high-def footage without so much as a flinch. It was SO fast it was not even necessary at all.

So I really have to ask - does Apple really need to get into that stupid-ass PC specs war? Is it really hurting you guys that Apple has been slow to update? Are you really doing tasks that the current computer lineup cannot do?

yes.

apple is a corporation, and corporations love to make money. Apple has made the switch to intel to a) make their machines faster/better for their customers and b) compete with PC's and make money.

MAKE MONEY. COMPETE WITH PC's.

Apple is ridiculously behind. I almost want to buy another pc laptop.

Apple: If you aren't able to keep up, then this whole intel thing has gone to hell. And as sad as it may be, if this contiunes, Windows will forever be the dominant operating system.

Take your pick.

 

[ergle2]

Does it even MATTER if Apple keeps up? Do we actually WANT Apple to release a new computer every month when Intel bumps up their chips a few megahertz?

Yes.

Apple already has you. Apple already has the people who love Apple or love OS X. Those people will exhibit brand loyalty, no matter what.

Where Apple is competing - now more than they have for years - is in the PC market place. Apple wants switchers. Apple needs switchers.

Most switchers aren't already users. Many are already comfortable with Windows, enough that a change might not be something they desire.

I suspect a good number of them would never even consider Apple pre-boot-camp. Now they have a Windows safety-net.

BUT, Apple can't be selling systems at their current price-points if they're not maintaining parity. People can read the Sunday 'paper bullet-point ads. If they see Dell has Core 2 Duo and Apple doesn't...

... and then they look at HP/Compaq, Toshiba, Sony, Acer, etc.

Guess who would be the only one left with Core Duo?

Apple could dodge the issue somewhat with the G4 but with the same hardware platform, they have to play the same game if they want to expand.

 

[Reach]

Apple could dodge the issue somewhat with the G4 but with the same hardware platform, they have to play the same game if they want to expand.

They couldn't really dodge the issue there either, they did 3 or so years with small speedbumps mainly, and of course people understood that wasn't good enough, but there was nothing to compare with, no alternative. Now we see what kind of chips other Intel-based machines have, and it's a no-brainer that we want the same. But I was kinda happy with the misearble G4-situation, since I bought a 1,33 GhZ, and went for a long long time without Apple pushing out anything that could significantly push me into wanting to replace my Powerbook... 0,34 GhZ in 2,5 years or so is patethic, I'm glad we got to Macbook Pro, now I want one as my old is sold, but I'll wait for Merom, hopefully the wait won't be much longer.

 

[generik]

Yes... it's a C2D... but it's a 1.66 Ghz C2D... I'd take the CD over that one.

If you can't find a valid argument perhaps you should zip up =)

Your fanboism is showing. So... what is your post trying to say? That Dell is swimming in C2D chips that even Apple is hardpressed to procure?

 

[MacinDoc]

yes.

apple is a corporation, and corporations love to make money. Apple has made the switch to intel to a) make their machines faster/better for their customers and b) compete with PC's and make money.

MAKE MONEY. COMPETE WITH PC's.

Apple is ridiculously behind. I almost want to buy another pc laptop.

Apple: If you aren't able to keep up, then this whole intel thing has gone to hell. And as sad as it may be, if this contiunes, Windows will forever be the dominant operating system.

Take your pick.

It's ridiculous to say that Apple is ridiculously behind. Dell has only been shipping C2D laptops for 1 week, and only in limited quantities. The main difference consumers will see today between CD and C2D is moderately better vector performance. Period. Yes, C2D can support 64 bit operations, but can the motherboards and OSs these machines use support 64 bit operations?

Relax, it is now clear that Apple will announce that redesigned C2D MBPs will be shipping by the time of its press conference on Sept. 25, just prior to Photokina (there is no way Apple called a press event just to announce a minor update of Aperture). If there was no redesign, Apple would have announced them by today. The redesign will include a number of improvements, including an easily swappable HD, and if some rumors are correct, dual layer DVD writer. I suspect that battery life will also be improved.

 

[Maccus Aurelius]

Apple: If you aren't able to keep up, then this whole intel thing has gone to hell. And as sad as it may be, if this contiunes, Windows will forever be the dominant operating system.

Take your pick.[/QUOTE]


Actually, one of the reasons that windows IS the dominant operating system despite being inferior is because apple didnt want to hamper hardware sales by licensing their operating system on other machines, since microsoft is not quite the same kind of company as apple, which generates most of its profits from hardware, not software.

and actually the intel transition has not gone to hell, because right now the only macs that dont feature the latest chips are just the 2 laptops and the mac mini. all the rest are pretty up to date, and the mac pro has the fantastic xeon woodcrest processors in them, which i dont see in many desktops. apple is not ridiculously behind, its just that their laptops havent been equipped with 64-bit support, which, i might add, isnt exactly necessary at the moment. all the macs will have 64-bit before leopard and other 64-bit optimized software makes the scene.

regardless of how successful the intel transition is for apple, the windows operating system will remain dominant (at least for the time being) because most businesses still rely on windows software and there are many consumers so innerd with windows that they wouldnt go with mac os x despite the many virii that strike their emails. the only real way apple's operating system would make a bigger impact and take over a larger segment of the market would be to license it out to other manufacturers like dell sony hp et al. but since apple likes to see good sales on its hardware, that's probably never going to happen. but time will tell on that one.

 

[MacinDoc]

I disagree, there's quiet a lot that's significant, not least the doubled L2 cache and EM64T modes, or the extra ALU.

There's a whole bunch of other interesting improvements, but I won't go into them since it's pretty much CPU-geeks only...

I did say that those were the only differences that CONSUMERS would notice AT THIS TIME...

Benchmarks to date have shown remarkably few differences (yes, there is a slight advantage to the C2D, but not enough that most ppl would notice). And 64 bit support is pretty limited right now. Just because a CPU supports 64 bit extensions does not mean that the rest of the hardware and the software do. Yes, it will make a difference in the future, but I was referring to the present.

 

[islanders]

Now that the PC world has announced C2D, Apple isn’t going to wait until November. I’m thinking first week of October, MBP, at the latest.

My official prediction is October 4th, but it could happen sooner. (I said this three weeks ago)

 

[ergle2]

They couldn't really dodge the issue there either, they did 3 or so years with small speedbumps mainly, and of course people understood that wasn't good enough, but there was nothing to compare with, no alternative. Now we see what kind of chips other Intel-based machines have, and it's a no-brainer that we want the same. But I was kinda happy with the misearble G4-situation, since I bought a 1,33 GhZ, and went for a long long time without Apple pushing out anything that could significantly push me into wanting to replace my Powerbook... 0,34 GhZ in 2,5 years or so is patethic, I'm glad we got to Macbook Pro, now I want one as my old is sold, but I'll wait for Merom, hopefully the wait won't be much longer.

I agree with your points entirely -- what I meant was, it was easier for Apple to obfuscate the performance deficiencies of the G4.

 

[AppleKrate]

30 days on refurbs might mean something actually...

Any ideas?

Macbook Random Shutdowns: Update