My 2 cents on the new Macbook Pro Updates

[wnxgenral]

So after much thought and speculation about the new macbook pros, I went ahead and purchased the 2.4GHz model last week! I have since upgraded to 4GB of ram and couldn't be more happy with my purchase! Here is my 2 cents on the subject about upgrading and selling your current model to get the new intel montevina chip is this... I say get the last REV On this MBP and be happy because Montevina isn't going to bring that major or substantial changes to the computing experience. I figure that by mid 09 when Nehalem is ready for notebooks, that will be the next time to buy a new MBP since the computing experience will truley change with Nehalem whereas with Montevina its not the big of a deal... Idk just my 2 cents from going insane and wanting to post my new baby on craigslist! What do you all think?

Jack

 

[shmutheprophet]

So after much thought and speculation about the new macbook pros, I went ahead and purchased the 2.4GHz model last week! I have since upgraded to 4GB of ram and couldn't be more happy with my purchase! Here is my 2 cents on the subject about upgrading and selling your current model to get the new intel montevina chip is this... I say get the last REV On this MBP and be happy because Montevina isn't going to bring that major or substantial changes to the computing experience. I figure that by mid 09 when Nehalem is ready for notebooks, that will be the next time to buy a new MBP since the computing experience will truley change with Nehalem whereas with Montevina its not the big of a deal... Idk just my 2 cents from going insane and wanting to post my new baby on craigslist! What do you all think?

Jack

Yup. Nothing new in Montevina. Nehalem will include a socket refresh.


- This is in terms of processing power. If you plan on using your MBP for heavy gaming, than the update may bring a better video card. Either way I don't see the MBP as an intense gaming machine.

 

[TheFinale]

oops wrong post

 

[Abhorred]

Then you have faith and strength where I do not, wnxgenral.

I'm in a situation where I more or less need to get some sort of working laptop ASAP, and the current generation MBP would suit me just fine, but I'm doing everything I can to hold out for the refresh in hopes that: A) the new GPU won't be plagued by the "nVidia Heat Cycling of Doom," B) the CPU power will be boosted, even slightly, since I often tend to max out CPUs in my work, and C) the price will go down. If the case is redesigned and allows for user serviceable hard drives, then bonus; 320gb @ 7200rpm with no risk of voiding the warranty, here I come. Yeehaw.

At the same time, if there is, indeed, a case redesign, then it's almost certainly going to suffer some Rev A Troubles. Do I really want to deal with that? Not especially. Plus, supply will be low for a while, meaning some inevitable bloodshed in my attempts to procure one of the new lappys. This means that I'm really, really having to fight off the urge to buy now and just be done with it. Long in the tooth or not, the MBP is still a damned sexy design, and its power is still up there compared to other laptops. At the same time, no one really knows how widespread the current GPU issues are, and whether anyone buying the last (er, current) generation is really just buying admittance into a future class action lawsuit. Do I really want to deal with that? Not especially.

So I commend you for taking the plunge at this tumultuous time. Me, I'll be back in the corner, biting my nails and frequently weeping, looking up every couple of days to see if the announcement has been made by Apple and incessantly repeating "Monte is coming, Monte is coming, Monte is coming..."

 

[ManWithhat]

My purchase won't be because of a hardware update, but rather when Diablo 3 comes out.

That being said, I'm hoping it comes out just after the Nehalem shrink comes in 2010.

Also, the Montevina refresh will be worth it if JUST for the platform. It's not just that the processor is faster or the larger front size bus, but the CPU will run cooler.

Then you're going to get all the other neat stuff that comes along with it, like a better or cooler graphics card that isn't defective (hopefully), a probable case redesign (some will count this as a negative), and possibly a multi-touch screen or higher resolution (which is just speculation).

Face it, because Apple doesn't change their prices, if you buy late in the cycle from Apple, you're getting ripped off. When you buy early in the cycle, you're getting your money's worth and then some.

 

[Dan Lorth]

all I care about is when Apple decides to dump the current macbook pros under their clearance section so I can pick one up for hundreds less than what it was a few weeks prior

 

[Chris Rogers]

all I care about is when Apple decides to dump the current macbook pros under their clearance section so I can pick one up for hundreds less than what it was a few weeks prior

DITTO

BUT I'm also going to see if the price points on the newer versions are lower - so it may be more or just as economical to get the phantom updated MBP

 

[Dan Lorth]

DITTO

BUT I'm also going to see if the price points on the newer versions are lower - so it may be more or just as economical to get the phantom updated MBP

Pay many dollars more and get a few hz and a better gpu or save that money? It is a toughie for me too.

 

[iSpoody 1243]

omg omg omg!!!

i seriously dont know how you do it, it would feel worse for me to buy a last gen laptop than sell my soul, lol

 

[Dan Lorth]

i seriously dont know how you do it, it would feel worse for me to buy a last gen laptop than sell my soul, lol

haha, i think it is all about personal preference. I dont mind a "previous gen" (which will be current gen) because the generation now does exactly what I want at a speed that is more than fine for what I want it for. So the issue becomes do I really want to spend that much more just because it has a few larger numbers? To me the answer is almost always a no.

 

[ejack24]

I need to buy within the next month, ideally by mid-August. Since I am so close to the update, I am going to try to wait for it. I just hope the rumored case and/or keyboard redesigns aren't a step backward in some way.

 

[mac jones]

So after much thought and speculation about the new macbook pros, I went ahead and purchased the 2.4GHz model last week! I have since upgraded to 4GB of ram and couldn't be more happy with my purchase! Here is my 2 cents on the subject about upgrading and selling your current model to get the new intel montevina chip is this... I say get the last REV On this MBP and be happy because Montevina isn't going to bring that major or substantial changes to the computing experience. I figure that by mid 09 when Nehalem is ready for notebooks, that will be the next time to buy a new MBP since the computing experience will truley change with Nehalem whereas with Montevina its not the big of a deal... Idk just my 2 cents from going insane and wanting to post my new baby on craigslist! What do you all think?

Jack

It may be true. Intel say's that the Nehalms are a major upgrade whereas the Montevina is a minor one (I suppose).

But it's a mistake to regret a tech purchase due to an update.

Best to ignore and enjoy

 

[Elven]

Yeah I got mine in late May, and runs nice I could not be more happy, when the new MB's come out I may save and snag one and let the GF have this MB, then again I may just get the iPhone

 

[asd31083]

I have a dying 17" PB G4, and here's why I'm waiting.

1. My latch is broken. I use tape to close my computer. I'm hoping the new design will have a no-moving-parts magnetic latch.

2. My display is screwed up - it has the vertical 1px lines that this batch of PB suffers from. See http://www.crosspond.com/apple/home. I'm hoping the new ones will have no weird display issues involving the graphics card (several threads on NVIDIA) or the display backlighting (several threads on LED backlight striping).

3. I want a cooler computer. This thing gets hot, and I've heard the current MBPs get even hotter. I think Apple has had some innovative approaches to this in the past i.e. case design of Mac Pro, even the G4 cube with the flow-through air vents that kept it quiet. I have no doubt that they'll come up with an answer to this.

Overall, I think Apple is behind the 8 ball here. These problems reduce the value (for me) of a late revision MBP. With respect to design updates, consider the Sony Vaio Z that will be released in mid-August - the specs blow away the MBP and does so in a 3.4 lb carbon fiber / aluminum package. If it had Leopard (where *everything* works, not some Hackint0sh nonsense), I would pre-order it tomorrow.

 

[masse]

Here's my 2 cents.

Wait 2 days and buy on tuesday.

 

[winninganthem]

I say get the last REV On this MBP and be happy because Montevina isn't going to bring that major or substantial changes to the computing experience.

I completely agree. That's what I was thinking when I bought my MBP last week. Even if they released a new version, the features rumored that Montevina would bring didn't seem all that important to me.

The next MBPs are rumored to have new cases, faster speeds, possibly bluray, whatever. These changes aren't dramatic enough for me to wait. Rev.A products are always messy, the current MBPs are fast enough for me, and bluray just saps power.

 

[Tallest Skil]

The next MBPs are rumored to have new cases, faster speeds, possibly bluray, whatever. These changes aren't dramatic enough for me to wait. Rev.A products are always messy, the current MBPs are fast enough for me, and bluray just saps power.

They WON'T have Blu-ray BECAUSE it saps power. There isn't a laptop out there that gets over an hour's battery life with Blu-ray.

The not-over-a-year-old, non-potentially-borked GPU is worth the wait.