MBP price drops after leopard & 'refreshes'?

[nbusse]

I have been eyeing a big purchase for a while now, I still can't afford top-of-the-line anything, but have been looking at refurb MBP and MP. I'll be doing music app's and want to run FCP (as efficiently as I can afford).
I know Leopard's due in November, and there should be some sort of refresher on both MBP & MP coming, one would expect.

Question is, how dramatically will upcoming changes affect price for stuff that's already out there (2.2g, current video displays, etc...)
Is it worth just buckling down and waiting to buy until the new bells-and-whistles stuff is released; or can I indulge immediately and know I won't be losing a great deal of $ by not waiting the extra month or 2?

Thanks for advice!

 

[Exodemia]

Well at this stage it's all a bit up in the air, so much is happening at the moment that it's hard to keep track of it all. I'd say that if there is a major update then yes prices will go down considerably for old MBPs, if only Leopard and a minor update is introduced then there will probably only be a small decrease in price. That's my view on it anyway.

 

[killmoms]

I know Leopard's due in November, and there should be some sort of refresher on both MBP & MP coming, one would expect.

First, Leopard's due in October. Second, the MBP and MBs were updated just a few months ago, so if you're waiting for Leopard, wait for Leopard, but I wouldn't hold my breath for new hardware.

 

[saxman]

I wouldn't expect a drop in the actual cost of the laptops (in the US anyway). When they are upgraded, you get the more for less thing, but I think the price-point will remain for a while.

Since the laptops are well established, they will likely just upgrade hardware and keep the prices the same. Notwithstanding the iPhone price drop, Apple has traditionally only dropped prices on computers when their processor speeds were languishing behind. But that was in the PPC days.

However, Apple has been doing things differently the last year or so. But this is my guess

 

[Squonk]

With Leopard we might see a speed bump (up to the 2.6GHz CPUs on the high 15 and 17 models) and possibly larger standard hard drive. Well, that is what I am hoping for anyway...

Price drop? No way. I don't see that happening. Sure, I'd like that too!

In the beginning of December I'll have all my pennies saved for a MBP replacement to my PB. My dilemma, buy in Dec or wait to see what MWSF brings fourth. I reckon I'll wait around a few weeks and see what Steve-o has up his sleeve.

 

[Exodemia]

Yeah I think the two things they could add or improve upon with the MBP is hard drive capacity and perhaps 1680 x 1050 on 15" MBPs. I also wish that Apple would sell ExpressCards because what's the point of having a port if no-ones know what to get for it.

 

[Squonk]

Yeah I think the two things they could add or improve upon with the MBP is hard drive capacity and perhaps 1680 x 1050 on 15" MBPs. I also wish that Apple would sell ExpressCards because what's the point of having a port if no-ones know what to get for it.

Ooh - I didn't think about a higher res 15" panel. Now THAT would be nice!

 

[aristobrat]

I wouldn't expect a drop in the actual cost of the laptops (in the US anyway). When they are upgraded, you get the more for less thing, but I think the price-point will remain for a while.

Same thought here.

Seems like the cheapest 15" Apple notebook has been $1999 since I bought my first G4 PowerBook a few years ago, and I know prices of everything have changed a lot since then.

 

[Squonk]

Well I think that would be an easy thing to update, new displays are coming out near enough every day.

So, then the $2,499.00 model of my dreams would be:
1680 display
2GB RAM
200GB HD
2.6GHz CPU
and the other usual suspects.

Yes, that would be a fine refresh!

I suppose the 1680 display would probably be a $100 BTO option, but I'm OK with that.

 

[flopticalcube]

Given the direction of the US dollar, no price drops in the US.

 

[zioxide]

ugh people are so dumb.

Just because Apple is releasing the new OS doesn't mean they're going to update all the hardware. There's nothing to update Macbook Pros too until the Penryn chips come out in 2008. Do some research.

And also, Apple never just drops the price of their computers.

 

[Squonk]

ugh people are so dumb.

Just because Apple is releasing the new OS doesn't mean they're going to update all the hardware. There's nothing to update Macbook Pros too until the Penryn chips come out in 2008. Do some research.

And also, Apple never just drops the price of their computers.

What about this?

Intel confirmed price cuts across its lineup of processors; some saw a 40 percent decrease in price. The company also updated and added new processors in its lineup, including a first-ever Core 2 Solo.

Intel introduced the Core 2 Extreme X7900 for notebooks, which runs at 2.8GHz. The T7800 was introduced and replaces the T7700 as the top-end non-Extreme chip, running at 2.6GHz. As a result, the T7700 and T7500 saw price cuts, going from $530 and $316 to $316 and $241 respectively. The T7800 will take over the T7700's previous $530 pricing position.

Would that not be an upgrade possibility?

And I don't appreciate being called dumb.

 

[zioxide]

Would that not be an upgrade possibility?

200mhz is hardly an update.

 

[Squonk]

200mhz is hardly an update.

Neither was 2.16 to 2.2 and 2.33 to 2.4. Yes, that was due to the move to SR.

I'm not saying that 200MHz will make me jump for joy, but there is the matter of being on par with or ahead of the competition and not behind them.

 

[Squonk]

Yes I agree with you Squonk although really you could say there a lot of things missing from Apple machines.

Without a doubt! Hopefully at lease some of those things will addressed in January...

But a minor refresh in the fall is possible. That's all I'm sayin'.

 

[tingly]

The last rumor I heard was macbooks within 2 weeks of halloween and Macbook Pros next year.

 

[cervaro]

Coming from a PC background, but having moved over to Macs a year ago, I find it frustrating to say the least that Apple are so secretive over changes to their range. I held off buying my original Intel iMac because of rumours there'd be changes to the range, and that paid off as I got the then new 24" iMac instead of the older choices. I'm now in a quandry as to whether to hang out until say January instead of October to purchase my MacBook Pro given the odds there'll be another change to the range (scale unknown). I've sold my iMac to fund the MBP, and would prefer to replace sooner rather than later, but will stick my Vista Media Centre PC in the meantime if I suspect things will be upgraded significantly given the amount of money involved in buying the MBP.

Surely this degree of uncertainty faced my upgraders/new Mac buyers can only hurt Apples sales whilst people hang onto their wallets in antipation of rumours actually coming to pass.

 

[Exodemia]

Yes but that's how Apple like to play it, keep everyone in the dark till they hold an event hence why there is always rumours and speculation.