Longer Wait Better Specs or Shorter Wait Time Small Improvement

[iSax1234]

Ok, so everyone around here has gone crazy waiting for new macbook pros, not really just some people want to buy a new one and want their money's worth really bad. Also it seems many members are trying to predict what the new specs are and WHEN it will be released. So the question comes to mind .... "Would you rather wait say till mmm June? for a MPB with a serious improvement?" or "Have your MPB in your hands by March, but only slight improvement say just different processors or something a little less substantial?

Personally, I would rather wait for a better computer, then again I really don't need mine untill the fall for school, but still! Also how much longer would you be willing to wait for much better computers?

 

[chopper dave]

Let's be realistic- It's not late because Apple is working on some crazy new features- it's late because they pulled people off macbooks to work on the ipad. We're probably going to get a late delivery and only improvement in the CPU, maybe GPU.

 

[iSax1234]

But ipad or not don't they have a "MAC" team working on macs all the time? or do do you think they stole from the "MAC" team to contribute to the "IPAD" team.

 

[Nein01]

i'll take one now thanks.

i7 + gpu upgrade will be fine with me.

...and i hope they improve the isight camera.

 

[lefse]

Let's be realistic- It's not late because Apple is working on some crazy new features- it's late because they pulled people off macbooks to work on the ipad. We're probably going to get a late delivery and only improvement in the CPU, maybe GPU.

Listen carefully: IT IS NOT LATE.

Late would be after the end of February. If you (and others) bothered to look at the (excellent) Buyer's Guide, you will find that Apple's been consistently updating every 8-ish month. The longest wait is the wait between a June-to-February release, which will take 8.5 months.

And no, "Days since last update", with its average measure is not indicative of anything. Look at the dates.

 

[6-0 Prolene]

Let's be realistic- It's not late because Apple is working on some crazy new features- it's late because they pulled people off macbooks to work on the ipad. We're probably going to get a late delivery and only improvement in the CPU, maybe GPU.

Right, because Apple is such a small company that there are no divisions working on multiple projects simultaneously.

 

[m85476585]

Your poll doesn't make sense. If you assume Apple always uses the latest components at the time of release, the obvious choice is less waiting, which would imply more updates, unless you don't need a new laptop in X time frame before the longer wait release would come out. Taken to extremes, less waiting would be no waiting and imply continuous updates as new parts are available, and more waiting would imply new products never being releases but always promised.

It takes Apple some time between new parts being available and releasing a product, and that time is relatively constant unless they are developing something themselves. To determine the specs, I guarantee Apple does tons of market research to decide what the specs will be given what new components they can use. If the market doesn't want USB3 or won't pay for it right now, they won't add it. If the marked demands USB3 and an i7 and they can produce it with a good profit margin, that's what the next MBP will have. Of course there are other factors too, like a partnership with Intel to push LightPeak later when it becomes available.

Finally, don't confuse the demands of some very vocal members here with the demands of the market, or what Apple thinks the market demands. If Apple decides they want to make cheaper consumer-grade laptops (maybe they will make more money selling to more people), that's what they will do, and we can just hope they still offer a more expensive model with all the features we want.

 

[Cali3350]

Your poll is flawed. There will not be new technologies in June. In terms of CPU/GPU/Motherboard Chipset/etc the components out right now (if Apple were to update today) would be the same as they would be in June.

 

[maflynn]

It's only late based on peoples preconceived notions of what apple should do and when

They've done this before, i.e., extended periods before an update and in some of them the long wait didn't equate to lots if changes. I'm not saying this next refresh will be large or small or will arrive now or in June because I don't know.

It would be late if they promised delivery of the new MBPs last week or last month since they hadn't it's not late

 

[apolloa]

Shouldn't vote for either option as there is nothing on the road maps for hardware that is due in the next few months that isn't already out really?

 

[gfiz]

Listen carefully: IT IS NOT LATE.

Late would be after the end of February. If you (and others) bothered to look at the (excellent) Buyer's Guide, you will find that Apple's been consistently updating every 8-ish month. The longest wait is the wait between a June-to-February release, which will take 8.5 months.

And no, "Days since last update", with its average measure is not indicative of anything. Look at the dates.

It's late to market, ok? Maybe not late by Apple's historic update schedule...but unfortunately, Intel doesn't follow Apple's schedule when developing their new chips, and neither does Apple's competition. So please stop hanging onto limited samples of the last few Apple updates as justification for Apple being last to market of the top 10 computer manufacturers with i3/i5/i7 technology...

 

[kny3twalker]

It's late to market, ok? Maybe not late by Apple's historic update schedule...but unfortunately, Intel doesn't follow Apple's schedule when developing their new chips, and neither does Apple's competition. So please stop hanging onto limited samples of the last few Apple updates as justification for Apple being last to market of the top 10 computer manufacturers with i3/i5/i7 technology...

There are many windows laptop manufacturers that have updated to i core processors either, so I do not see what all the uproar is about.

 

[barkomatic]

There are many windows laptop manufacturers that have updated to i core processors either, so I do not see what all the uproar is about.

The uproar is from fanboys who only follow Apple technology--and are unaware that other computer makers have already included features that fanboys can only dream about in an Apple laptop. They then bash those same advanced features as being "unnecessary" or "not ready" simply because Apple doesn't include them. Once they are finally released by Apple, again those same features will become "game changing" and "innovative". This happens over and over again.

 

[kny3twalker]

The uproar is from fanboys who only follow Apple technology--and are unaware that other computer makers have already included features that fanboys can only dream about in an Apple laptop. They then bash those same advanced features as being "unnecessary" or "not ready" simply because Apple doesn't include them. Once they are finally released by Apple, again those same features will become "game changing" and "innovative". This happens over and over again.

Yeah.... I do not think its this either. I think its the people wanting a new computer not available and then complaining about having to wait. Like I said not every windows laptop currently made carries an i core processor, and complaining about apple not updating yet is not going to change a thing.

And barkomatic, if you feel apple computers suck so bad, why are you here?

furthermore apple has done some innovative things, titanium laptop, touch screen phone with capable/more usable os with strong market and infrastructure from itunes and ipods, and aluminum shelled desktops, all in ones, monitors, and notebooks

These ideas are innovative because not everyone thinks plastics are an end all solution.

 

[barkomatic]

And barkomatic, if you feel apple computers suck so bad, why are you here?

One can still generally like Apple computers but criticize them for what I believe are their shortcomings. I never said they "suck so bad"

 

[phrint]

If they don't make an announcement by next Tuesday then I am jumping on a MBP 2.8 15" for dirt cheap. Apple should at least announce then give provide shipping dates. Come on Apple!

 

[gfiz]

There are many windows laptop manufacturers that have updated to i core processors either, so I do not see what all the uproar is about.

which one?

HP - check
Dell - check
Acer - check
Toshiba - check
Apple - NO
Sony - check
Asus - check
Lenovo - check
Gateway - check
Samsung - check

(though gateway is owned by Acer, still considered a separate PC provider)


So anyway, just wondering who exactly you were referring to when you say "many" laptop manufacturers haven't updated to the new processors. Yes, they may still have a few lines using C2D, but all of them have at least one line that offers the latest technology.

 

[lefse]

It's late to market, ok? Maybe not late by Apple's historic update schedule...but unfortunately, Intel doesn't follow Apple's schedule when developing their new chips, and neither does Apple's competition. So please stop hanging onto limited samples of the last few Apple updates as justification for Apple being last to market of the top 10 computer manufacturers with i3/i5/i7 technology...

Arrendale was released one and a half month ago. Nothing would be better than an update the day after, but that's not how it works and we now it.

They follow their product cycle, and the only hitch the we know of was in 2005, when updating the last PowerBook took ten months, only to see a new MacBook Pro being introduced two months later.

They're late compared to others? Sure.
Though they didn't even include a card reader until 2009, so what others do is immaterial, as long as Apple continues to out-profit them.
Contrary to what people claim in here, core2 duos still sell very well. We know that too.

23rd maybe..

 

[chopper dave]

Right, because Apple is such a small company that there are no divisions working on multiple projects simultaneously.

yeah, they "magically" got enough people to design a new piece of hardware from the ground up in little more than a year. This is not the kind of thing new hires would do.

Plus, it's late when I say it's late!!!

 

[gfiz]

Arrendale was released one and a half month ago. Nothing would be better than an update the day after, but that's not how it works and we now it.

They follow their product cycle, and the only hitch the we know of was in 2005, when updating the last PowerBook took ten months, only to see a new MacBook Pro being introduced two months later.

They're late compared to others? Sure.
Though they didn't even include a card reader until 2009, so what others do is immaterial, as long as Apple continues to out-profit them.
Contrary to what people claim in here, core2 duos still sell very well. We know that too.

23rd maybe..

You're excusing their lateness with a self imposed product cycle (which, btw, 5 updates do not make...but everyone likes to think they've "cracked the code" and come up with 8 month product cycles).

Anyway, their internal product cycle is not an excuse, it's the issue at hand. They have in the past sometimes had advanced access to some of the latest and greatest technology and that's been one of their redeeming sales points in the past and why they've been afforded longer than usual product cycles. That is not the case, and mark my words, if this becomes a trend, it will adversely affect them in the long run. Non essential amenities like a card reader you can get by on, or even a speed bump....but something as integral as a complete change to the brains of the computer...nope, not even remotely acceptable in such a volatile and rapidly changing market.

 

[lefse]

You're excusing their lateness with a self imposed product cycle (which, btw, 5 updates do not make...but everyone likes to think they've "cracked the code" and come up with 8 month product cycles).

Anyway, their internal product cycle is not an excuse, it's the issue at hand. They have in the past sometimes had advanced access to some of the latest and greatest technology and that's been one of their redeeming sales points in the past and why they've been afforded longer than usual product cycles. That is not the case, and mark my words, if this becomes a trend, it will adversely affect them in the long run. Non essential amenities like a card reader you can get by on, or even a speed bump....but something as integral as a complete change to the brains of the computer...nope, not even remotely acceptable in such a volatile and rapidly changing market.

For Christ's sake... No one disagrees with you (and others) when it comes to it being bad that they don't update right away...

Cracked what? They even dropped Macworld because it didn't fit in with their product cycles.. How blind must one be not to see that they're pretty nazi when it comes to this sort of thing.
Like with the MacBook Air, there are going to be products that come out first - but in this case; clearly not.

If it lags and comes out in March, then fine, they've changed... But as longs as they update in February, then no one should be surprised. This takes two working brain cells figure out.

 

[gfiz]

For Christ's sake... No one disagrees with you (and others) when it comes to it being bad that they don't update right away...

Cracked what? They even dropped Macworld because it didn't fit in with their product cycles.. How blind must one be not to see that they're pretty nazi when it comes to this sort of thing.
Like with the MacBook Air, there are going to be products that come out first - but in this case; clearly not.

If it lags and comes out in March, then fine, they've changed... But as longs as they update in February, then no one should be surprised. This takes two working brain cells figure out.

calm down and stop contradicting yourself. You're viewing past product cycles when they DID go to macworld and other expos...now that they're not, what makes you think they'll stick to this 8 month cycle that you're clinging too? Isn't that the whole point you just made (yet came to the opposite conclusion?)

 

[ronjon10]

I'll take the first one that comes with a bumped processor, updated gpu & hopefully a resolution bump. If that happens soon, great. If I get one of those and something comes out this summer with USB 3, bluray, light peak, esata, firewire 16000, and dancing bears, I really won't care as I have no use for any of that.

 

[lefse]

calm down and stop contradicting yourself. You're viewing past product cycles when they DID go to macworld and other expos...now that they're not, what makes you think they'll stick to this 8 month cycle that you're clinging too? Isn't that the whole point you just made (yet came to the opposite conclusion?)

They dropped Macworld because they've aligned the MBP/Air-line, and iPhone comes out every summer...
Consumer software that traditionally use to come out in January, now only seems to come out every other year.
Macworld did no longer fit in.

If they don't update the MBP-line in February, I'll stand corrected.
I do however agree that it would be better if they could update it right away, after an intel release - but that is not the path they have chosen.
There is no code to crack; there is only common sense when it comes to given release dates, that we already pretty much know.

Edit: I forgot to add that they never released a MBP for shipping at Macworld. When they released the first MBP at Macworld in 2006, they shipped it in late February/March. So there you go. And that was the start of the current cycle. It would be a significant change if they were to stop that now.

There is no contradiction on my part.
I think they'll stick to the 8 month-track, because that's the evidence at hand. If it changes, I'll be the first to adapt.

 

[kny3twalker]

which one?

HP - check
Dell - check
Acer - check
Toshiba - check
Apple - NO
Sony - check
Asus - check
Lenovo - check
Gateway - check
Samsung - check

(though gateway is owned by Acer, still considered a separate PC provider)


So anyway, just wondering who exactly you were referring to when you say "many" laptop manufacturers haven't updated to the new processors. Yes, they may still have a few lines using C2D, but all of them have at least one line that offers the latest technology.

Their consumer lineups, but not the business lineups. And just because a couple models (1 or more) are using i core processors, does not mean every computer they sell is.

I can post quite a few too, to show you are being naive.