You fail to see the superior build quality, the quality the brand exudes for business professionals, the OS and the quality of 3rd party matching components.
You might consider a broader perspective when it comes to evaluating Apple technology...
Oh really? I fail to see a superior build quality? I've been using Apples and Macintoshes since 1984 and have never for a day prefered a Windows/DOS PCs over them... and I fail to see build quality? You're kidding me right?
People sticking up for Apple with arguments like this obviously have the "myopic" view.
So if you seek a broader view, here it is: The reason Macs sell is because of OS X. It's not extensive testing of units and "quality" of components. If you knew anything about the guts of computers, you'd know that Apple uses the exact same hardware as a decent windows box. The exact same. Oh sure, they might use a slot-loading drive here and they might use powered Firewire ports there, but as for the essentials, it's all the same. Then what's the difference? The code. Hardware only operates as well as it's told to, and with Apple's limited hardware set, it's much easier to acheive stable operation. Ergo, OS X is stable / crashes rarely, unlike some tormented PCs. Then of course there's the UI element to it, which is elegant and easy to use. There are no virii, no gimmick, there's quality software integration in place... It's just an easy-to-use and powerful OS. For some people, OS X alone is a great reason to buy a Mac. And for people who are just using their Macs for average tasks, long upgrade cycles are forgivable.
But where Apple fails is in delivering to the Pro & semi-pro market segments. If you're going to pretend to cater to professionals, you MUST deliver the latest and greatest.
Read on...
The only way Apple could one up [the 2.6GHz Merom] is switching to Penryns with up to 2.8GHz, and I hope this will happen very soon. But mobile Penryns are only available since the start of the year, so there isn't much to complain about. Now if they were delaying Penryn for another two months or so, then that would be another thing.
(We still don't know exactly when Penryn MBPs will be released, BTW. )
Apple's negligence has been witnessed as recently as a little over a month ago with the EXTREMELY long wait for updated MacPros, the processor for which was released last fall. Now, a two-month delay doesn't sound like much on paper, but retailers have
months of pre-release time to work with the new technology before it hits the market. There have even been instances of Apple selling Intel CPUs that haven't even been officially released. The first 3.0 GHz Core 2 Xeon, for example, and recently, the miniturized MBA CPU. There is absolutely no reason a new MacPro could not have come out the week of Yorkfield's debut, especially with Intel's preferential treatment of Apple.
Besides, I don't think anyone is demanding that Apple pre-release all of Intel's new tech. They're demanding that Apple offer new technology when it's still new, and lower prices or bump speeds when it's no longer new.
Take, for example, the MacMini, which is 6 months old, has a Combo Drive, 80GB HDD, (terrible) GMA 950, and a sub 2GHz CPU... for $600! You can price those exact mobile hardware components for well under half of that on NewEgg. Now of course there's assembly, software, yadda this and yadda that, but it's pretty plain to see that Apple is making an utter killing on the Mini. Would it hurt them to cut the price by $100, or hell, even $50?
For a company with $16 BILLION in the bank, such a small move would have a minimal impact on the company's bottom line and would be a noble courtesy to Apple's faithful customers.
what chaps my butt is how many people think Apple should cater to [blah blah blah] with little understanding about engineering and business practices.
Little understanding, huh? Like your statement to follow?
The fact is Apple's been working on your new MacBook Pro for months now, and when it's ready, they'll release it. Do you think it's as simple as replacing a CPU and a couple of chips? There's a lot of engineering and testing work, even for a simple speed bump.
For Penryn, which is socket-compatible with Merom, has the same front side bus speed as current MBPs and runs only 1Watt hotter than the original Meroms,
YES, it is actually a matter of just dropping the chip in and testing it. The real work that had to be done is with the SSE4 Instruction Set, which is a software issue that has been handled as a prerequisite to releasing new MacPros this January. Penryn upgrades, therefore, ARE just as simple as dropping in the chip.
Perhaps it's time to start knowing what you're talking about before trying to sound smart.
Apple is in a bit of a pickle. If they update a product or drop the price too soon, like the iPhone, everyone screams bloody murder. If they wait, more screaming. Is 3 months the unwritten standard?
I think 9 months is justified for screaming. If the price was reduced, as I suggested earlier, then it'd be a little more acceptable, but selling 9-month-old hardware at new-hardware prices is more than a little absurd.
-Clive
