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Full Laptop Refresh By Holidays?

Hahah... is there a high res version of that PB G5? It just about sums up all my frustration :p

Been waiting forever and wasting time looking at this thread, but one of these days I really do need to have a laptop... would hate to have to settle for a Dell or something, but these MBPs are just not cutting it without C2D :mad:
 
macman2790 said:
thats what poppe's friends friend will be playing with after mwsf. :)
Click to expand...

oops didn't mean to qoute this but t lazy to hit the back bugton.

in other words. my roommate is curious he is from london and has both PAL and NTCS videos and was wondering if there was a way to watch both with out being limited to the amount of times he can switch the settings that apple offers.

Also his MBP burns in PAL even though its NTCS mode right at the moment. did he screw something up or is there a way to make it burn correctly? my guess is he screwed something up since he doesn't know much about computers.

So what are his options??

thanks
 
barkins said:
However the likelihood of a Merom MacBook Pro release anytime soon is diminishing as each week passes. :(

They'll probably release them in January.
Click to expand...


Now let's look at this logically... With each passing day or week, we are closer to the release, regardless of when the actual date may be, even if they release them in January. Unfortunately, for each day that passes, we are also one day closer to the end of the Merom life cycle and current Meroms will already be obsolete come April or May when Santa Rosa notebooks ship and the updated Merom CPUs ship along with it. They will offer faster clock speeds, an 800MHz FSB and possibly true SSE-4. If Apple waits until MWSF to release C2D, then they will be releasing a product that will be behind one CPU generation cycle within 2 months.

If Apple doesn't release C2D updated notebooks with updated configs/prices by the end of this month, then they may as well just wait for Santa Rosa and adjust prices on the current notebooks to be more competitive.
 
More Speculation

Keep in mind that what is written here is nothing more than pure speculation based on widely scattered bits of data.

Several people are now starting to comment that they are not expecting to see the new MB/MBP ship until MWSF. Several commenters (Multimedia being one of them) are expecting some major design changes. I completely agree with both ideas, here's what I think and why......

First some data......

1) Anandtech is reporting that although the new Merom chip runs cooler than Yonah when idle, it is hotter when doing any significant processing. Also don't forget that Yonah is already hotter than the G4. This is supported by another test run by GamePC.

2) The current Yonah equipped MB/MBPs have been suffering from several problems relating to heating, some of which have been addressed but in doing so they may have maxed out the design capabilities of the current MB/MBP form factor with regards to heat dissipation.

3) Information just out dealing with Foxconn receiving build orders from Apple for one of the Apple MBs.

4) A recent comment (slip of the tongue?) by the chief of AMD about seeing AMD chips in Apple. (this comment was NOT refutted by S.J.)

5) A complete lack of any form of serious/confirmed leaks from Cupertino regarding imminent releases of notebooks (they have gone completely quiet) whereas there have been several leaks pointing to upgraded Mac Pros and there is usually a fairly reliable leak whenever a new product is near to being released (iMac as an example).

6) The longer than expected delays for the release of Merom based notebooks when there had initially been some apparently reliable leaks about a September release.

7) Apple released a Merom based iMac instead of using Meroms for their notebooks. Probably because they had already commited to a volume purchase of Meroms before finding out about the serious heat problems. (iMacs have a bigger chassis therefore more room for air flow).

8) Intel has already published a list of PC makers who will be using the Santa Rosa platform and Apple is conspicuous in its absence from that list.

My speculation is........

A) I agree with Multimedia and the statements from other posters commenting on the release of a significantly redesigned notebook line.

B) I believe that Apple may be bringing an AMD 64 bit processor into the notebook lineup as the current roadmap from Intel does not address the heating issues despite having better Processess per Watt numbers. (remember that SJ jumped to Intel because IBM was not able to deliver either a cooler running G5 or a more energy efficent chip for use in the notebooks, as well as a lack of 3 Ghz speeds)

C) Using AMD for their notebook line releases Apple from having to play the _keep up with everybody else_ routine that other Intel based companies have to do, and puts them back in the "Apple thinks different" mode.

D) The AMD roadmap specifies a constant current draw regardless of the number of cores on die as well as a low current draw line for laptop use. Whereas Intels current draw ramps up with more cores on die.

E) Using AMD does not require software developers to recode x86 based code or 64 bit applications as both AMD and Intel use similar instruction sets so cross compatablility is not a problem.

F) Unrelated perhaps but a local company has recently shifted to an AMD platform for a new compact RTU that they are developing due to similar concerns regarding the heat problems that the Intel chips have.

G) Going to AMD complete with a new form factor would give SJ a monumentally huge announcement for MWSF.

There you have it, speculative thoughts regarding a possible rational behind the delay in getting new notebooks out.....

What are everyones thoughts on this? (and I hope I'm proven wrong in my thoughts when the Apple Store opens on Wednesday).

Sopranino
 
I've been following all the Merom MBP threads on this forum for the last couple of months, and I finally broke down and joined up to participate in this group therapy.

Face it, you're just bored like me and tired and have nothing better to do. You can't sleep because this thread beckons to you every waking moment and you just know that the MBP update is going to happen tomorrow. And if not tomorrow, it will be next Tuesday, and if not then, probably wednesday, or perhaps the following tuesday... You see, you now belong to us as a collective. You have been assimilated by the great Steve Jobs MBP Mind-F**(n)K Experiment.
Click to expand...

Spooky. I mean, that um... doesn't sound like anyone I know.

Resistance is futile. Must eat brains... until next Tuesday... unless it's this Wednesday. See, there I go already.
 
AppliedVisual said:
Now let's look at this logically... With each passing day or week, we are closer to the release, regardless of when the actual date may be, even if they release them in January. Unfortunately, for each day that passes, we are also one day closer to the end of the Merom life cycle and current Meroms will already be obsolete come April or May when Santa Rosa notebooks ship and the updated Merom CPUs ship along with it. They will offer faster clock speeds, an 800MHz FSB and possibly true SSE-4. If Apple waits until MWSF to release C2D, then they will be releasing a product that will be behind one CPU generation cycle within 2 months.

If Apple doesn't release C2D updated notebooks with updated configs/prices by the end of this month, then they may as well just wait for Santa Rosa and adjust prices on the current notebooks to be more competitive.
Click to expand...
i wouldn't say obsolete. but i do agree on the price adjustments to be more competitive.
 
Sopranino said:
7) Apple released a Merom based iMac instead of using Meroms for their notebooks. Probably because they had already commited to a volume purchase of Meroms before finding out about the serious heat problems. (iMacs have a bigger chassis therefore more room for air flow).
Sopranino
Click to expand...
this makes lot's of sense. I'm not so sure about the amd thing but, sounds like a reasonable idea. But I think we will see something with merom in it probably at mwsf.
 
This is probably the wrong thread for it, but I'm looking to buy a Mac model that shall run only Keynote - to present videos etc onto 2 Sony FWD-50px plasma screens. I would like to have the image "stretched" over both displays, meaning I need dual-dvi connectors.

The only Mac I see in the current lineup that does that - is the Mac Pro? That's too expensive...
 
AppliedVisual said:
Now let's look at this logically... With each passing day or week, we are closer to the release, regardless of when the actual date may be, even if they release them in January. Unfortunately, for each day that passes, we are also one day closer to the end of the Merom life cycle and current Meroms will already be obsolete come April or May when Santa Rosa notebooks ship and the updated Merom CPUs ship along with it. They will offer faster clock speeds, an 800MHz FSB and possibly true SSE-4. If Apple waits until MWSF to release C2D, then they will be releasing a product that will be behind one CPU generation cycle within 2 months.

If Apple doesn't release C2D updated notebooks with updated configs/prices by the end of this month, then they may as well just wait for Santa Rosa and adjust prices on the current notebooks to be more competitive.
Click to expand...

What makes you think Apple will release Santa Rosa in April or May?

Furthermore, their have been discussions here regarding whether or not Apple should stay toe-to-toe with PCs anyway.

Macs are in a league of their own, so perhaps they don't necessarily need to stay up to speed with Intel's upgrades.

So, as each week passes, the more I believe they will hold out till January to release something really new and special, but who the heck really knows at this point - I'm just speculating, much like everyone else here.

I'm also very frustrated with this entire fiasco.
 
barkins said:
That's hot. :cool:
Click to expand...
yeah thats why you need this g5 poewrbook carrying case :D (ice not included)
g5_cooler.jpg

stay :cool:
 
Sopranino said:
Keep in mind that what is written here is nothing more than pure speculation based on widely scattered bits of data.

Several people are now starting to comment that they are not expecting to see the new MB/MBP ship until MWSF. Several commenters (Multimedia being one of them) are expecting some major design changes. I completely agree with both ideas, here's what I think and why......

First some data......

1) Anandtech is reporting that although the new Merom chip runs cooler than Yonah when idle, it is hotter when doing any significant processing. Also don't forget that Yonah is already hotter than the G4. This is supported by another test run by GamePC.

2) The current Yonah equipped MB/MBPs have been suffering from several problems relating to heating, some of which have been addressed but in doing so they may have maxed out the design capabilities of the current MB/MBP form factor with regards to heat dissipation.

3) Information just out dealing with Foxconn receiving build orders from Apple for one of the Apple MBs.

4) A recent comment (slip of the tongue?) by the chief of AMD about seeing AMD chips in Apple. (this comment was NOT refutted by S.J.)

5) A complete lack of any form of serious/confirmed leaks from Cupertino regarding imminent releases of notebooks (they have gone completely quiet) whereas there have been several leaks pointing to upgraded Mac Pros and there is usually a fairly reliable leak whenever a new product is near to being released (iMac as an example).

6) The longer than expected delays for the release of Merom based notebooks when there had initially been some apparently reliable leaks about a September release.

7) Apple released a Merom based iMac instead of using Meroms for their notebooks. Probably because they had already commited to a volume purchase of Meroms before finding out about the serious heat problems. (iMacs have a bigger chassis therefore more room for air flow).

8) Intel has already published a list of PC makers who will be using the Santa Rosa platform and Apple is conspicuous in its absence from that list.

My speculation is........

A) I agree with Multimedia and the statements from other posters commenting on the release of a significantly redesigned notebook line.

B) I believe that Apple may be bringing an AMD 64 bit processor into the notebook lineup as the current roadmap from Intel does not address the heating issues despite having better Processess per Watt numbers. (remember that SJ jumped to Intel because IBM was not able to deliver either a cooler running G5 or a more energy efficent chip for use in the notebooks, as well as a lack of 3 Ghz speeds)

C) Using AMD for their notebook line releases Apple from having to play the _keep up with everybody else_ routine that other Intel based companies have to do, and puts them back in the "Apple thinks different" mode.

D) The AMD roadmap specifies a constant current draw regardless of the number of cores on die as well as a low current draw line for laptop use. Whereas Intels current draw ramps up with more cores on die.

E) Using AMD does not require software developers to recode x86 based code or 64 bit applications as both AMD and Intel use similar instruction sets so cross compatablility is not a problem.

F) Unrelated perhaps but a local company has recently shifted to an AMD platform for a new compact RTU that they are developing due to similar concerns regarding the heat problems that the Intel chips have.

G) Going to AMD complete with a new form factor would give SJ a monumentally huge announcement for MWSF.

There you have it, speculative thoughts regarding a possible rational behind the delay in getting new notebooks out.....

What are everyones thoughts on this? (and I hope I'm proven wrong in my thoughts when the Apple Store opens on Wednesday).

Sopranino
Click to expand...


I don't think Apple would climb into bed with intel and then jump ship a year later. They really just started making a good deal of money for the first time and I don't think they want to give up on it yet. They may not have even broken even on the whole thing yet.
barkins said:
Furthermore, their have been discussions here regarding whether or not Apple should stay toe-to-toe with PCs anyway.

Macs are in a league of their own, so perhaps they don't necessarily need to stay up to speed with Intel's upgrades.
Click to expand...

They do need to keep up with PCs. I am not going to pay a premium price for a product that doesn't use the newest technology, even if they are already ahead in some ways. That is why nobody buys Jaguars any more. Looks pretty, rides ok, but still has a POS Ford under the hood and every where else in the darn thing.
Apple's OS is great, but really, their hardware is crap (or at least below par compared to their OS). They have had heat issues for years, but still haven't got off their butts to fix it.
 
Andrew F said:
I don't think Apple would climb into bed with intel and then jump ship a year later. They really just started making a good deal of money for the first time and I don't think they want to give up on it yet. They may not have even broken even on the whole thing yet.


They do need to keep up with PCs. I am not going to pay a premium price for a product that doesn't use the newest technology, even if they are already ahead in some ways. That is why nobody buys Jaguars any more. Looks pretty, rides ok, but still has a POS Ford under the hood and every where else in the darn thing.
Apple's OS is great, but really, their hardware is crap (or at least below par compared to their OS). They have had heat issues for years, but still haven't got off their butts to fix it.
Click to expand...

This is precisely why I believe that they may go to a different CPU platform so that they don't have to "keep up with PCs".

In reference to not jumping ship I think you will find that Apple may move back to using two chip vendors. (in this case they would continue with Intel for some of their computers and move to ,possibly, AMD for their notebooks) This is no different than when they were being supplied by both Motorala and IBM.

You are completely correct when you say that they wouldn't jump ship and I wasn't proposing a complete shift to AMD, my fault for not being clear on that.

I believe, as you have stated, that they are just starting to make money on the Intel side of things and may not have broken even yet.

Sopranino
 
MacAMD?

Will it make business sense to use two different chips for the notebook and desktop lines? I know that AMD and Intel are very much alike (both being x86), but there is still sufficient difference between them.

Another issue is that of performance - supposing that Apple opts for AMD notebooks, how will this affect their peformance in multimedia and numbercrunching?
 
Maybe it'll come out today. Here im thinking i'd be sending my MBP back for a Mac Pro but im starting to love this thing. Installed Vista RC2 on it with no major hiccups and it ran fast, just installed XP last night and the thing screams. Even took a Pcpitstop evaluation and got the highest score for a machine in this class. The MBP even runs somewhat cooler under XP and doesn't whine at all. Hmm go figure.

Gotta say feels good being able to play launch videos again, i also now know Firefox for Mac OS is ***** compared to windows. AVG anti-virus also seems way better than Norton and its not because its free, its just seemless and doesnt hog system resources.

Anyway enough talk about old hardware on subpar OSes, we need us some C2D portables.....NOW!
 
daneoni said:
i also now know Firefox for Mac OS is ***** compared to windows.
Click to expand...

Are yous serious? Firefox for mac is, whilst not as good as the original Linux version still a reasonably good port -- the windows port is famously flaky.
 
bazzalisk said:
Are yous serious? Firefox for mac is, whilst not as good as the original Linux version still a reasonably good port -- the windows port is famously flaky.
Click to expand...

Weird, I use it all the time in Windows and I've noticed none of that. Except that it bombs out sometimes when using QuickTime. But I blame QuickTime :)
 
bazzalisk said:
Are yous serious? Firefox for mac is, whilst not as good as the original Linux version still a reasonably good port -- the windows port is famously flaky.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, well the FF sitting on my dock is DEFINATELY slower than the one on windows and i have no add-ons installed.
 
Am3822 said:
daneoni

While you're at it, could you run a few benchmarks?
Click to expand...

Sure, but you'll have to tell me which ones to use, the only benchmarking tool i have is Xbench and thats for OSX only.....i think.
 
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