Full Laptop Refresh By Holidays?

[clintob]

Haha... I love the rumors and information that are entirely based on shipping quotes. Apparently none of you have ever tried to call UPS or FedEx to get information on a package. If you have, you'd know that it's about as easy as giving a Rhino a bubble bath.

It's not really rocket science, nor is it the most precise system in the world. Shipping estimates are just that - estimates. Sometimes the package shows up when they say, sometimes before, and sometimes after. Sometimes it ships earlier than expected, and sometimes they delay it for weeks at a time. Apple's delivery system, albeit a pretty good one in the scheme of things, is FAR from perfect. So if your MBP just got pushed back a week, it's not because it's getting a shiny new Core 4 Trio processor. It's because Ching Ling decided to take his 5 minute break right before yours came down the assembly line.

 

[AppliedVisual]

Do they sell refurbished items (macbook pros) at store locations?

Bigger store locations will sometimes have one or two. Often you can find an open-box system that's not an actual refurbished unit. But then you have to wonder why it's open and why the original buyer returned it... Call and ask them. It's worth a shot because then you could actually see the system before you take it home (if it's an open box item). Refurb units usually come in a sealed brown box and other than being cheaper and in a different box, Apple treats them just as if it were a new system. So if you want to open and inspect it, you have to buy it first.

 

[daneoni]

In the meantime i've edited my about this mac panes to show 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, silly i know but it'll gimme the placebo effect and maybe i wont be so antsy for a while. It actually looks cool..if only it were real.lol.

 

[laprej]

Everyone on here seems so belligerent

Why?

Because a new chip came out like a month ago? Do you think integration time is zero? Apple portables are some of the thinnest and lightest on the market - if not the thinnest and lightest. So the Merom was a pin-for-pin drop-in replacement for the Yonah. It still gets a lot hotter if you stress it - with the thinnest laptops, where is that heat supposed to go? Trust me, no one wants a new MBP more than me. And I think Apple knows they have people lined up to throw money at them. But you know what? If they need a little more time to make it a little closer to perfect, I'm willing to wait. The engineers know what they're doing - and management is right to listen to them. If the Merom came out and Apple just swapped it into their portables, you know half of them would melt! So please stop whining, Apple knows you want it and they want you to be able to buy it - but these things take time.

 

[AppliedVisual]

No spyware. If Apple continues to entice the switchers of the world...how long before someone starts writing viruses for Mac? So from a certain perspective (a selfish one, granted...and not likely one that Apple would endorse ) it isn't all bad if switchers switch back, or potential switchers, don't.

Yep. Because the reality of it is, OSX can be targeted the same as Windows, same with Linux or any other OS. There are documented virus and spyware/malware for OSX, they exist. Just very rare. I do keep virus scanners available for my Mac systems, but it's more to scan incoming and outgoing files so I don't play an unknowing part in transfering such things. I've caught a few nasty things embedded in Word documents and other files that if I had not scanned them these nasties would hve been passed right on through to the next person and I may have never known. ...Just doing my part.

But OSX continues to grow in popularity and Apple's sales are surging with the switch to Intel and the ability to run both operating systems. It's huge... And I fear that as this trend continues (and it will for the foreseeable future), OSX becomes more and more a prime target for creators of virii and spyware.

FWIW, I think that many of the problems with Windows is how the "security" companies and Microsoft handle the security issues. A potential exploit is found by some security software company (take your pick of Symantec, Norton, etc... they're all guilty of this), they publicly blow the whistle when telling MS. MS publicly documents the exploit and then we see a dozen nasty pieces of software show up on the net over the next 72 hours while we wait for those "security" software companies to create a scanner and cleaner entry for programs that may use this exploit and more entries for the new documented ones. And it takes 10 to 20 days for MS to plug the hole with a downloadble update. It's irresponsible business and reporting, IMO.

 

[thunda32]

The refurb discount is more. Have you looked at the SAVE page at the online store yet? Lower right column big red SAVE tag is the link to it. Welcome. All the MBPs are available there for as little as $1549 up to $2399 for the top 17" model.

The cheapest I see for a MBP is $1699... am I missing something here? Great deal on ipods though, half off! I may have to finally pick up either a nano or a mini (size vs space is the only factor right? Same price for a 2gb nano or a 4gb mini).

 

[AppliedVisual]

Why?

Because a new chip came out like a month ago? Do you think integration time is zero? Apple portables are some of the thinnest and lightest on the market - if not the thinnest and lightest.

It's been over a month since Apple put these new chips (which were available over a month before that) into their iMac line.

Sager (hence VoodooPC and others using the same manufacturer and base design) offers a 1.1" thick 15" C2D notebook and it's been shipping for over a month. C2D engineering samples have been available for MONTHS. It's not like Apple to just wait until retail shipments and then say "gee, maybe we should put that chip in our systems". ...Or maybe it is, I'm currently an owner of my first Apple notebook (15" MBP). Before that my Apple experience was limited to a dual G4 and two G5 quads. Back in the day, I owned a IIe and later a IIgs, but does that really count? Maybe I'm just out of touch...

People are grumpy because Apple has fallen behind in terms of CPU power and while the lack of an update is discouraging, the fact they haven't adjusted prices is downright insulting. The only good reason for a delay is because Apple is making additional changes to the notebook line, which is a good thing. But it also makes people wary of what may be going on because any updates now will likely be too little too late since there are new Intel chipsets and CPUs (which would require yet another update) only a few short months away.

 

[xVeinx]

But staying on topic, I really hope Apple is holding out to release something really grand, if not, we'll all be really disappointed.

I think that the recent releases for intel have been quite spectacular. Yes, it took time for apple to get around to making certain upgrades, such as with the ibook->macbook, but the quality and "wow" factor was there. Apple may never cater to the "I have to upgrade every 4 months" crowd, but they will churn out some very nice hardware/software. I really do feel bad for those in the film industry who need the better hardware, and I hope that you do get it soon. My only point is that for most people, apple's current methods work out well enough.

 

[AppliedVisual]

The cheapest I see for a MBP is $1699... am I missing something here? Great deal on ipods though, half off! I may have to finally pick up either a nano or a mini (size vs space is the only factor right? Same price for a 2gb nano or a 4gb mini).

The 1.83GHz 15" MBP comes and goes for $1549. So it's not always there...

 

[maverick808]

Why?

Because a new chip came out like a month ago? Do you think integration time is zero? Apple portables are some of the thinnest and lightest on the market - if not the thinnest and lightest. So the Merom was a pin-for-pin drop-in replacement for the Yonah. It still gets a lot hotter if you stress it - with the thinnest laptops, where is that heat supposed to go? Trust me, no one wants a new MBP more than me. And I think Apple knows they have people lined up to throw money at them. But you know what? If they need a little more time to make it a little closer to perfect, I'm willing to wait. The engineers know what they're doing - and management is right to listen to them. If the Merom came out and Apple just swapped it into their portables, you know half of them would melt! So please stop whining, Apple knows you want it and they want you to be able to buy it - but these things take time.

Apple, along with all other Intel customers, get pre-production chips to test with at least a month before they become "buyable". Furthermore, they knew months and months before this that the chip would be drop in replaceable. They also knew the specifictions of it regarding current draw, size, etc. So, they had the chips for testing for ages before they were publicly available, and even before this they had the full specs, and could have been planning design changes based on those alone.

 

[clintob]

Everyone conveniently forget that processor speed really is irrelevant in a machine that can't utilize it properly.

Front-side bus speed, RAM speed and connectivity, independent video processing, these are the things that really allow your processor to run to its potential. Otherwise, all you have is a nasty fast processor with a bottleneck everywhere else so it's useless.

Sure, Apple can slap C2D into notebooks right now. Other people are doing it. But why waste processors on that, if they can instead spend a few extra months nailing down a better system without bottlenecks.

We all switched to Apple at some point because they MAKE A BETTER MACHINE. Guess what... open up your computer - there's nothing inside your MBP or your Powerbook that's any different than what's in PCs. The difference is that the parts are all high-end, they're put together so that they avoid conflict, and the entire package is more elegant. That's what you're paying for with Apple. Stop whining that they're "falling behind" or that they're "alienating the technology world". Bull. Apple is so far ahead of the curve is laughable, even with slightly-less-than-current processors.

Please, do a little research and learn about computer architecture before attempting to proclaim that Apple is inexplicably behind.

 

[xVeinx]

Apple, along with all other Intel customers, get pre-production chips to test with at least a month before they become "buyable". Furthermore, they knew months and months before this that the chip would be drop in replaceable. They also knew the specifictions of it regarding current draw, size, etc. So, they had the chips for testing for ages before they were publicly available, and even before this they had the full specs, and could have been planning design changes based on those alone.

Based on the fact that their portables are already struggling with heat issues, I think that the current design has reached it's limits. Further upgrades will likely require a re-design, which takes a bit more time than 1 month or however long we postulate they had. Planning design changes on specs is good, but pretty limited; until one can actually see and test the hardware in their own conditions, the design will be little more than ballpark. Trust me, if I were to design my PC based on specs alone, I'd have a messed up piece . Only after reviews and time playing with parts do they fit together. They are still a piece, but then that's the PC world

 

[Zadillo]

Well, I'm one of those "you-can't-pry-OS X-from-my-cold-dead-fingers" Mac loyalists. So, no. I may be frustrated, but I won't say "Screw you Steve."

Are there other Mac users who feel differently? Probably. But you know what? As much as I want Apple's bottom line to do well, I am real nervous about all the PC switchers around. I find more and more of them every month where I work.

One of the best things about the Mac OS is that it is rock solid. You turn it on. It stays on. No virus. No spyware. If Apple continues to entice the switchers of the world...how long before someone starts writing viruses for Mac? So from a certain perspective (a selfish one, granted...and not likely one that Apple would endorse ) it isn't all bad if switchers switch back, or potential switchers, don't.

I think this is still one of those sorts of common misconceptions; namely that the only reason Windows has so many virus problems is just because it is popular..... and if Linux and OS X had similar userbases, there would be a bunch of viruses for them as well.

No doubt there would be more people writing viruses, but the main difference with Linux and OS X is that, by design, they don't have quite the same kind of gaping security holes that have allowed some of the most serious Windows viruses to take hold. Linux and OS X of course have vulnerabilities as well, but you'll notice that most of the time when people do bring these up, they require a significant amount of work to often function, and for them to actually even spread is more difficult.

Vista seems to be going in a lot of this direction as well, with a lot more locked down.

 

[thunda32]

The 1.83GHz 15" MBP comes and goes for $1549. So it's not always there...

I will keep my eyes out for that one. Where would I really see a difference between 1.83 and 2GHz? Mostly I'll be writing/surfing the web with it but I will be doing some audio and possibly video editing in the future which is why I would rather go with the pro if I can get one that is affordable to me. Thanks for the help!

 

[Mr.Gadget]

OK... Ordered & it is Steve's fault...

OK, I figure I am done waiting & ordered a refurbed 17" MBP. Darn it Steve, why can't you just tell us when they are coming?

At that price, I think it is a good deal. I used a student discount to get the Apple Care for $239 too. They say it will ship in 1-3 days and I opted for the faster delivery since I am in Idaho. The refurb price is $200 less than the student discount.

When the C2D lappys come out within the next 90 days (I expect) then I may have my 17" MBP for sale. My wife loves her Macbook so far, so that is staying...

Since I didn't use the student discount on the lappy this time, I figure I can use it when the C2D comes out, if I go that route since the current MBP is pretty snappy as-is.

 

[Gogeta]

It's just been frustrating that NO LAPTOPS on the market have what I've been looking for, and to see the MBP come so close but use an outdated processor. Been waiting for the Apple laptops to become reasonable for a long, long time and now it seems like the wait may never end.

However... did just find this Acer which seems to have just about everything at a lower price =o

2GHz Core 2 Duo
2GB RAM
256MB ATI x1600
160GB HD
15.4" Widescreen, 1680x1050
Bluetooth
Built in webcam (rotating)

$1890 at http://www.cdwg.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=1058092

All in a 1" thick, black, carbon fiber case

Seems like the only thing I could ask would be a Draft N wireless card (and OS X) But with that hard drive I could throw linux on there as well and be pretty happy.

Any good reason not to go for this one instead ? (Yea, I'm the potential switcher Apple has been pushing away with the delay)

 

[Dublinstiofán]

Guess what, the C2D hasn't been out for 6 months.

Even if you knew Intel was going to release it in August to PC manufacturers, it's your problem (and other people who say they've been waiting for more than x number of months) that you didn't purchase the current technology when you had the chance.

It's very frustrating when people say Apple is so far behind in their release.
Sure they're behind, but how much?
Now think of it in reality terms, not in the terms that people like me (who check this board 100 times a day)...damn, I really don't have this kind of time, where does it come from!

Maybe you should read posts before you start a personal attack on indivituals!

1.I have made it quite clear that i don't want the current technology, so why would i want to 'buy it when i had the chance'?

2.I didnt say the C2D has been out for 6 months. I said i have been waiting for the C2D's to be integrated into the MBP for roughly 6 months now before i buy one.

3. I never mentioned anything about Apple being 'so far behind in their release' you invented that yourself. I merely stated that they are loosing business because they:
A) Haven't made the switch to C2D and every other manufacturer has and
B) Don't ever tell any of their loyal customers even a rough date to avoid any trouble.

4. the reason i haven't bought the old one is as in April when the 17" MBPs were released my college year was over and i had a three month break so couldn't justify buying one to leave it sitting there for 3-4 months gathering dust.

And finally the last part of your post does not make any sence. I'm sure if i cant understand what your saying many others cant either.

 

[shadowlander]

Any good reason not to go for this one instead ?

OS X

 

[djkny]

Trust me, if I were to design my PC based on specs alone, I'd have a messed up piece .

But of course. You're not Jonathan Ive.

 

[Bidochon]

I'm waiting for more than 3 months now and I'll wait !

OS X

That's the main reason, I agree. I just think that windows gives cancer. Every 3 months my PC needs a formating ! Who can just waste one day every three months to back up and restore data ? Who can waste 30% of the cpu everytime to run norton, firewalls...
Windows integrates the graphic interface in the kernel providing all the security issues...
Windows is prehistoric. That's all !

 

[ct-scan]

OS X

Best reason I ever heard!

I'm a 6 year switcher (sounds like a rehab thing...oh yeah, it is), and I would never turn back.

Yeah, I have to use Win32 now-and-then for stupid things...mostly to see how IE will react to a website I'm developing (since MS can't get standards right).

If someone wants to compare their Acer, Sony, or Dell to a Mac...well, it's like comparing Apples to rotten-oranges

 

[33scottie33]

I am not happy with this delay, but I'm trying to be resonable about it. There must be (1) a lack of C2D chips or, (2) the MBP will be redesigned.

When I look at Dell's site, out of all their notebook models, the only model I can see with C2D is the XPS. When I check Toshiba's site, the only model is the Qosmio. Correct me if I'm wrong, but both did not need a redesign. If Apple were to do the same, the MBP line would have been upgraded or just the 17" MBP.

There has to be a BIG reason for this delay. Definitly a redesign, like a MBP with a slot to put your iPod.

 

[ct-scan]

I just think that windows gives cancer.

It also gives me extra work from breaking all the damn time (and when you're billed out hourly, that's sweet).

Sure, usually it's from a stupid user with a virus issue, or some standard (ID-10T) problem...but cash is cash

 

[Bidochon]

Sure !

 

[daneoni]

OS X rocks! i'm typing this on my XP running MBP and its frustating that i don't have dashboard around nor expose to toggle between windows/apps, i miss the ability to look up words in the dictionary whilst browsing. I want to burn a CD but again i need to go find nero. On OS X i just fire up Disk Utility. Even nero has its issues, my brother had to borrow my PB to burn a CD last night because nero was acting out.

I dont see myself using XP as a main OS anymore, i'd just get frustrated and be reminded of why i switched two years ago.

The compromise for me now ould be Parallels. In fact i hope Apple releases their own full fledged Office suite (not iWork) so i can be done with MS Office as well. The boring Powerpoint presentations by lecturers/students are starting to take their toll