I fully agree. I just don't get all the speed junkies out there. I have a C2D 27" iMac and the speed junkies tell me I could get a Sandy Bridge PC for less than what the iMac cost me. I am not sure the Sandy Bridge will help me code PHP/MySQL on the VI editor any faster.
People who're looking for newer more expensive models of computers likely need something the most recent models offer them, otherwise they wouldn't be in the market. Almost every manufactuerer offers performance bumps across the board, meaning the logical assumption for the majority of the market is that they're looking for more power to perform many processor intensive tasks faster like video processing, playing games, model rendering, file transfers ect. Because life is short, people don't want to be waiting around a second longer than they have to, and as technology improves, these tasks become even more processor intensive, so the desire for people doing this stuff to have the absolute fastest device they can afford is understandable.
What's harder to understand is that for somebody who works primarily with more basic functions such as word processing and web browsing, the overall performance of older models may appear to be more than sufficient. This makes it appear as if these people aren't in the market for an upgrade at all, which isn't necessarily true since there are other factors of efficincy to consider.
In the case of the 27 inch iMac for example, the unusually high 1440p resolution gives you more workspace which is conducive to multitasking and side by side comparisons. IPS panels are considered the best when it comes to color accuracy and sharpness, while the larger screen size keeps pixels large, making everything more visible. Many of these purposes could be served by a standalone monitor, allowing independent upgrades to the computer or screen as needed with less waste. However this assumes you have a computer that's sufficient enough for you rneeds to begin with, plan to upgrade frequently and perhaps most importantly may clutter up the physical workspace with unnecessary clutter that could get in your way, namely a tower and many connective wires. For these reasons a 27 inch Core Duo 2 iMac can make plenty of sense for somebody who doesn't need a more powerful device. I should probably factor in operating system preferences, unix certification and Apple's legendary customer support however these benefits are marginally less model specific and their utility may not ultimately be so widespread.
As for the main topic of when our upgrades might be, I'm guessing that it'll be sooner rather than later, say maybe 43 days from now when the iMac is due for its refresh. This theory is based primarily upon information from the buyer's guide, which shows some rather suspect behavior on apple's part regarding their laptops. Namely they've rehauled the seemingly abandoned Macbook Air line and only offered the option for a minor processor bump for the more popular Macbook Pros when they were due for a refresh. This is rather unusual behavior to exhibit in the last quarter, being a time most companies expect to make most of their sales for the holiday season when people are most willing to empty their pockets. What could be the reason for this hiccup?
Well, Intel's leaked roadmap shows that Sandy Bridge was already planned to be released by the beginning of this year as early as august. I'm thinking that this is what threw a wrench in Apple's plans, primarily because as far back behind the competition's performance as they are already, they can't afford to fall back much further. Hence locking themselves into the old processors just as they were on their way out would be unwise.
Having performed these stalling tactics however gives Apple a fair bit of time for Apple to sit and wait on the upgrade, giving them time to prepare for large scale operations. With the iMac being only 43 days away from its usual upgrade, and the mac mini being due for a refresh in almost only half as much time (23 days to be exact) it could be unwise for apple to pull the trigger on Macbook Pro upgrades too soon. It might eat into the sales of their other models, oversaturating their capacity for total production. So I think they've decided to wait on the issue, deciding to do something highly monumentus with a wider sweeping refresh of all three models.
Of course this purely speculation on my part and perhaps all rather too unlikely. However I do think it would be very exciting for everybody involved if in the course of their normal refreshes, Sandy Bridge gave Apple the opportunity to make their infamous "Tax" apparently dissapear at no extra cost to them. Good timing on their part may allow for this, at least temporarily. Of course if it does happen, I'd then expect them to greedily sting us with a major OSX upgrade a few months after the fact, in order to soak in the extra premium they've grown so accustomed to.
next gen.update .. when?? march, april, may, july?? plzz tell me anyone..