MacBook, MacBook Pro To See Merom Upgrade Next Month?

[emotion]

Quite incorrect actually. The dfifference is not minimal and this isn't just a "speed bump". If you read up on the Yonah and Merom chip architectures, you'll see that that Merom has significant architectural improvements over Yonah, including a 4MB L2 cache and most notably 64-bit support over Yonah's 32-bit support. This is very significant since Jobs is pushing Leopard and its 64-bit goodness.

I think he means it's a speed bump in terms of sales. Not technically. Though I may have him/her wrong.

 

[BlizzardBomb]

Quad Xeons in the MacBook Pro, pretty please. After all, it is Apple's professional notebook line.

Hehe, that's the funniest thing I've read this week

Hopefully we'll see the MBP hit 2.33 GHz and the iMac get the 2.4 GHz Conroe.

 

[grockk]

Makes no sense to put these in Macbook so soon. Macbook Pro, yes, but not the macbook. Apple have always differentiated the two lines, the fact that current Macbooks are comparable to the Pros is just plain luck and won't last long, IMO.

You are reasoning from apple's history but it's all different now. The problem with this logic is that since Dell, HP and Gateway will be using the merom in consumer computers and apple is using the same chips as everyone else they have to use merom too or appear to be behind in the technology.

 

[fishkorp]

so once these are released, what are the chances if my MBP was broken Apple Care would replace it with a new Core 2 Duo one?

 

[Eidorian]

so once these are released, what are the chances if my MBP was broken Apple Care would replace it with a new Core 2 Duo one?

It's possible. I've heard of iBooks replaced with MacBooks and iMac G5's with Intel ones.

 

[dr_lha]

That's Conroe. Merom can be put into the current iMac/Mac Mini. If you're adventureous to open the machines up or getting a third party installation. Otherwise you're looking at an entire logic board replacement for the laptops. It's probably better just to wait and buy an entire new laptop.

http://guides.macrumors.com/Merom

Read the Guide...

Read the link, the chip on that link was a Conroe, not a Merom.

What exactly was wrong with what I posted?

 

[GFLPraxis]

This is good news for future Macbook owners. I'm interested in when the iMac will get Conroe. A friend of mine is switching from Windows and wants the iMac but is waiting for Conroe in the iMac. I only hope they go with the desktop processor in the iMac and not Merom since he's not interested in the mobile processor in his desktop.



Well, hopefully the iMac will be updated sooner than the portables. Conroe is out and available in quantities now where as Merom won't be as available in quantities until the end of this month.

Same here. I want a new iMac but I don't want to miss the Get A Free iPod With a New Mac deal.

 

[vand0576]

so once these are released, what are the chances if my MBP was broken Apple Care would replace it with a new Core 2 Duo one?

Absolutely slim to none. When my 4G monochrome iPod broke down after both the releases to the iPod photo and iPoc 5G, I thought for sure I'd get an upgrade but it's not the case. I'm sure somehow they still have 4G ipods in stock. My guess is they hold them for two years after the last sale of the product, so that the applecare is meant to replace, not upgrade.

No chance your computer will be simply replaced. They would work on it, not upgrade it. Intel still makes the chips, and remember Apple has to buy them in lots of 1,000. They have plenty.

 

[vand0576]

Same here. I want a new iMac but I don't want to miss the Get A Free iPod With a New Mac deal.

I don't want to miss the deal either, but if you are waiting for iMac upgrades before buying, it will be a while.

 

[Eidorian]

Read the link, the chip on that link was a Conroe, not a Merom.

What exactly was wrong with what I posted?

The link that was posted was to a Conroe chip. mashinhead asked for third party upgrades for the the current Yonah based line here. #64 emotion replied with this link #70

Conroe cannot fit into Yonah's socket.

 

[dr_lha]

The link that was posted was to a Conroe chip. mashinhead asked for third party upgrades for the the current Yonah based line here. #64

Conroe cannot fit into Merom's socket.

Which is exactly what I said in my post.

I'm totallly confused as to why you're saying I was wrong here. The chip linked was Conroe, I said:

There is no current Mac that this chip can "drop into", apart from maybe a Mac Pro, but going from a Woodcrest to a Conroe would be a downgrade in that case.

The Merom that should eventually go into the iMac, mini, MBP and MacBook are currently not on sale to the consumer.

Exactly what was wrong with this again, apart from your not reading it correctly?

 

[Eidorian]

Which is exactly what I said in my post.

I'm totallly confused as to why you're saying I was wrong here. The chip linked was Conroe, I said:

Exactly what was wrong with this again, apart from your not reading it correctly?

There is no current Mac that this chip can "drop into", apart from maybe a Mac Pro

You can drop in Merom into the current socketed Yonah lines. That is what I was getting at.

I know that the link that was posted was to a Conroe chip though.

 

[wildmac]

I'm waiting until revB MacBooks anyway, but it's nice to hear that Apple will aggresively upgrade the CPUs.

But if you think about it, they have to. Because Dell and every other PC vendor will be using the latest and greatest from Intel, so Apple will need to as well.

If they can drop in the newer chip without raising the price, go for it!

 

[gnasher729]

Merom and Yonah are replacements for Pentium-M. While Conroe is the replacement for the Pentium D.

That is just marketing. In reality, Merom, Conroe and Woodcrest are all based on exactly the same archicture, with Merom optimised for low power consumption and Conroe optimised for clock speed.

 

[dr_lha]

You can drop in Merom into the current socketed Yonah lines. That is what I was getting at. I know that the link that was posted was to a Conroe chip though.

I was responding to a link to a Conroe chip. Hence why I said that there is no Mac that the *linked Conroe* chip can be put into *apart from maybe the Mac Pro* which has the right socket.

Again, you're just reading my post incorrectly.

 

[Eidorian]

That is just marketing. In reality, Merom, Conroe and Woodcrest are all based on exactly the same archicture, with Merom optimised for low power consumption and Conroe optimised for clock speed.

Core Duo (Yonah) is derived off of Pentium-M much more directly then Core 2 Duo (Merom). You are correct though. Same chips, just picked to fit each form factor application.

I was responding to a link to a Conroe chip. Hence why I said that there is no Mac that the *linked Conroe* chip can be put into *apart from maybe the Mac Pro* which has the right socket.

Again, you're just reading my post incorrectly.

Woodcrest is a LGA771 (Socket J). Conroe is LGA775 (Socket T) You are correct that no current Mac can take Conroe.

However, there are Macs that can take Merom, faster Yonah, and faster Woodcrest chips. I guess that was the miscommunication.

 

[milo]

Apple is being more directly compared to Dell and such these days since they are running Intel chips. And the PC makers are going to put those processors in their computers as soon as they can. If Apple doesn't want to look like they are behind in the times, they have to put these processors in also.

Do you really think Dell will put merom in ALL laptops and not use yonah at all? I doubt it. Yonah will likely always be cheaper and we'll probably see it for a while in budget laptops. I could see yonah either staying in macbooks for a bit, or staying in the base model only (or even a special edu config like the iMac has).

MacBook and MacBook Pro are soldered. So no, you can't change it.

The iMac and MacMini are socketed.

And the Pro.

Are there any benchmarks for the Core 2 Duo chips? What would we be getting from the upgrade?

Supposedly about 20% faster at the same clock speed, plus they are 64 bit, but the benefits of that in these machines is somewhat debatable. It's a nice upgrade, but not a huge one.

Quite incorrect actually. The dfifference is not minimal and this isn't just a "speed bump". If you read up on the Yonah and Merom chip architectures, you'll see that that Merom has significant architectural improvements over Yonah, including a 4MB L2 cache and most notably 64-bit support over Yonah's 32-bit support. This is very significant since Jobs is pushing Leopard and its 64-bit goodness.

But that "goodness" mostly looks like greater memory access, which is a moot point in a machine with two ram slots. Most of the "goodness" isn't anything a laptop user will notice.

 

[rxse7en]

Could Apple technically squeeze a Xeon proc into the MBP?

 

[nomad01]

I'm holding off for the new MBP because from what I've seen, the current ones still have issues. It was Apple's first Mac to go to Intel, and although they've made some changes, it's still "first generation".

Yes but of course when this new MBP is released that will also be a first gen. Everytime there's some kind of redesign, you could be looking at teething problems.

As for the current MBP, I bought mine after the last revisions and it's perfect. No moo, no whine, no... well you get the picture. After reading negative comments on here I was almost dreading it arriving but it's been an absolute dream. No regrets.

 

[dr_lha]

Could Apple technically squeeze a Xeon proc into the MBP?

Have you seen the size of the heat sink in the Mac Pro?

 

[rxse7en]

Have you seen the size of the heat sink in the Mac Pro?

What's the difference? My PB G4 fried my testicles years ago...

 

[Eidorian]

Have you seen the size of the heat sink in the Mac Pro?

Why yes.

 

[nagromme]

My guess: it's a game of "telephone" in which someone misunderstood the meaning of "both laptops." I think it means the 15" and 17" MBP, not the MBP and MB.

Which does the bottom-end laptop buyer need the most? A lower price (with no reduction in Apple profits) or faster CPU? The former of course, so as Yonah drops in price I expect it to be used for some time to come.

Yonah is already a VERY fast, G5-class processor--and Apple's bottom model has two of them! It's not screaming for an upgrade when that would prevent a price drop.

The need for 64-bit will come to low-end users, but not yet.

 

[IlluminatedSage]

I would be happier if they announced the new model asap. and shipped asap. i need a new laptop now.

but... honestly, Apple needs to differentiate between macbook and macbook pro lines. so i bet the macbook update will merely be and update in speed to the higher speed versions of the chips they already have.

why? i just don't think Intel will be churning out the new merom chips fast enough to put them in all the Macbooks. and the mini's.

Also, isnt the Imac supposed to get the other version of the new Intel chip? you know... Core 2 Duo desktop (Conroe). cause They just came with a nice 64 bit chip. my bet is this chip will show up somewhere also. and it will be in the Imac and maybe even macmini.

Apple is probably going to spread out the chips they use, cause they won't be getting tons of each one in too much volume. and the desktop versions will offer better performance for the desktop models. ie imac and possibly the macmini.

 

[IlluminatedSage]

I'm holding off for the new MBP because from what I've seen, the current ones still have issues. It was Apple's first Mac to go to Intel, and although they've made some changes, it's still "first generation". I'm hoping the next revision will have more than just a processor upgrade.
.

Dude, they have made numerous fixes under the hood and revisions.

just not changes to the configuration.