Well if that's the case then that means that it wasn't defective in the first place right?
Wrong!
Let me help you (and everyone else) understand the issue. It's a known fact (and acknowledged by Nvidia) that the graphics cards have an issue that "might" cause them to fail over time. The issue has to do with the card heating up and cooling down multiple times - over a period of time. Nvidia took out a projected $250 million charge against earnings due to expected video card replacements. The Macbook Pro uses this video card!
Okay... got that?
Now, you could say... "well, if the card goes out, Apple will replace it... especially if you bought Applecare." Yes and no. First off... it might take awhile for the card to fail because it's a thermal issue that builds up over time depending on use. It might take 3 months... it might take 3 years and one month. The point being... it's a problem waiting to happen. The kicker is, if the card does fail, Apple will replace it with the exact same defective card! This of course just restarts the problem and it will happen again. Only, the next time it will probably be out of warranty. Plus, if the card goes out on you... you'll have to be without the computer while it's sent in for repair.
Dell and HP are the only PC manufacturers that have acknowledged the issue (that I'm aware of) and Dell submitted a potential work around. They sent out a software update that causes the fans to kick on a bit sooner so that the video card doesn't get quite as hot (which in turn lowers your battery life). They assume by evening-out the thermal range, it will lessen the fail issue. Apple is doing nothing... other than silently waiting out the problem to see if it will go away. And of course, it will go away in Sept. or Oct. - when they release new Macbook Pros with ATI video cards.
The only people who should be buying the currently shipping Macbook Pros are those who absolutely need it now, and usually replace their computers within 3 years. However, if you do buy with plans to sell it in a year or so, just be aware if the issue becomes widespread, it will be very difficult to sell any computer that has the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor. Of course, there are going to be people who aren't aware of the severity of the issue (like some of the posters on this thread), so you might be able to sell it if you don't have a conscious that bothers you.
As for when the update will come? It's been a year since the Macbook Pros with Santa Rosa (Merom) were released. It's been 6 months since the last refresh (Penryn). If you look at Apple history, they usually update within a 6 month timeframe. It is extremely doubtful that they will wait until early winter or January MWSF to update. The line will be too old by then; it already is! They will want to get an update released before the holiday season. My guess is that they will update the line 2nd week of October.... then do a total refresh next spring.
Source
Source
