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Notebook Refresh to Be Highlight of WWDC, Non-Retina MacBook Pro to Continue?

The Mac Book "Pro" line used to mean:

1) faster processor/bus
2) more memory
3) faster drive
4) maximum I/O types and I/O expandability thru PCI card slot or similar
5) diy customization (RAM, HD, replaceable battery)

I see that NONE of the current crop of MBPs with retina offer FW800. For many people with video/audio equipment we are already forced to have a FW800 to FW400 adapter. I hope at least one model retains FW800 otherwise the string of adapters just to talk to an older device (e.g. FW400) will be cumbersome and expensive...or perhaps impossible.
 
SeattleMoose said:
The Mac Book "Pro" line used to mean:

1) faster processor/bus
2) more memory
3) faster drive
4) maximum I/O types and I/O expandability thru PCI card slot or similar
5) diy customization (RAM, HD, replaceable battery)

I see that NONE of the current crop of MBPs with retina offer FW800. For many people with video/audio equipment we are already forced to have a FW800 to FW400 adapter. I hope at least one model retains FW800 otherwise the string of adapters just to talk to an older device (e.g. FW400) will be cumbersome and expensive...or perhaps impossible.
Click to expand...


FW800 is dead. Move on.
 
I've searched this place many times in the past but just signed up and have a question for you guys.

I have been under the impression for a good while now that the 15" cMBP was going to be discontinued. I have a 6 1/2 year old 15" MBP that is not cutting it for work anymore. I finally bit the bullet and ordered the 15" cMBP. I don't want the retina due to price and not needing that screen. I also can't stand not being able to upgrade and get in the box. My machine has worked 6 1/2 years doing heavy architectural drafting, BIM modelling and graphics because I could swap things and fix things as they break or become outdated.

I got the machine last week. I am still within the window of returning my new computer.

I wanted to get it before they upgraded the line figuring I'd be stuck with a soldered retina box that's more expensive if I waited too long.

What are the realistic chances this rumor of them keeping the cMBP is false? Should I chance it and return this and buy a new one a month and a half from now when it's upgraded?

I'm really torn here. I want the cMBP and plan on using it for years. I don't want to return it with the chance that I can't get it later if they discontinue the model. I also don't want to be stuck with a computer that could be potentially nicer for the same price because I took the leap a month too soon.

Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 
mad5427 said:
I've searched this place many times in the past but just signed up and have a question for you guys.

I have been under the impression for a good while now that the 15" cMBP was going to be discontinued. I have a 6 1/2 year old 15" MBP that is not cutting it for work anymore. I finally bit the bullet and ordered the 15" cMBP. I don't want the retina due to price and not needing that screen. I also can't stand not being able to upgrade and get in the box. My machine has worked 6 1/2 years doing heavy architectural drafting, BIM modelling and graphics because I could swap things and fix things as they break or become outdated.

I got the machine last week. I am still within the window of returning my new computer.

I wanted to get it before they upgraded the line figuring I'd be stuck with a soldered retina box that's more expensive if I waited too long.

What are the realistic chances this rumor of them keeping the cMBP is false? Should I chance it and return this and buy a new one a month and a half from now when it's upgraded?

I'm really torn here. I want the cMBP and plan on using it for years. I don't want to return it with the chance that I can't get it later if they discontinue the model. I also don't want to be stuck with a computer that could be potentially nicer for the same price because I took the leap a month too soon.

Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

If you like it, it meets your expectations and computing needs - keep it.
No way of telling if they discontinue or not.
Maybe they'll cut the 15" cMBP leaving the 13".
Maybe they'll leave both... No way to tell for sure and if they release an updated cMBP the bump won't really be that huge.
It's your call - if you know you can wait for a new laptop, then return the one you bought and wait.
Even if they cut the cMBP there will still be some cMBPs in stock to buy - new or refurbs.
 
Holy ****. A new Macbook lineup to be the highlight of a WWDC. Now that´s impressive!
Apple seems to be innovating like crazy these days.

Let´s make a big deal out of it, guys.

Phil? You got your marketing slides ready?
 
GizmoDVD said:
FW800 is dead. Move on.
Click to expand...

FW800 may be dead for your home setup, but there's a lot of Pro Audio/Video equipment that ONLY runs on Firewire, so I don't think it will be dead for quite a while.

New iMacs come with Thunderbolt instead of FW800, but you can get a converter as it would be similar to adding a PCI-E FW800 card to a MAC Pro or a PC.

Calling FW800 dead is not yet an accurate statement; it may be dying, but not completely dead.
 
Liquinn said:
So my two cMBPs aren't obsolete then?
Click to expand...
They are only obsolete of you don´t have any use for them anymore or if you need something faster, because of time or other constraints, not because a marketing department announces new models.

The cMBP is still the best Macbook ever. Built like a tank and built to run for years. Just because Apple has a retina screen on a more expensive model and an SSD, doesn´t mean that an cMBP suddenly lost it´s value. Do an upgrade to a good SSD (Crucial m500 960GB, I love it), max. the RAM and go with the new processors. Done. No need for overpriced crap with less connections and without an optical drive.

That´s not to say that I love how Apple pushes the boundaries for the whole industry in some areas. If it weren´t for them, we would probably still be with 1200p screens. But it´s not like that suddenly changes my own preferences.

And it would be great if Apple would finally show something of added value instead of just upgrading the internals of something they´ve already built.
 
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EwanMcTeagle said:
If you like it, it meets your expectations and computing needs - keep it.
No way of telling if they discontinue or not.
Maybe they'll cut the 15" cMBP leaving the 13".
Maybe they'll leave both... No way to tell for sure and if they release an updated cMBP the bump won't really be that huge.
It's your call - if you know you can wait for a new laptop, then return the one you bought and wait.
Even if they cut the cMBP there will still be some cMBPs in stock to buy - new or refurbs.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I just called and talked to an apple store employee. They of course have no idea or won't hint even if they do. He did say that his opinion is that if the 15" cMBP is still around, the current base model is 4gb of ram with maximum apple upgrade of 8gb. He feels that they'd probably make 8gb the base and 16gb the upgrade. Since I already ordered it with the 4gb and upgraded myself to the 16gb from OWC, it would be moot. He also felt that they'd probably have a slightly higher processor speed but that wouldn't be too noticeable. I don't care about HD's as I can upgrade that down the road as I see fit.

The only concern is if they have a 15" cMBP with the new processor. I don't know how much faster it would be than the current gen, but that's the only thing I would be bummed about being a month or two late in regards to having.
 
DBZmusicboy01 said:
If apple doesn't announce iOS 7
I will move to android and lose all hope in apple
They have billions and they have no excuses to delay anything. If they disapoint
It's doom for apple
Click to expand...

blah blah blah, DOOM, blah blah....

if only you realized how many people have been saying that the past 15 years...
 
Though this analyst has been right a few times...

...I just feel 2 things. One you can not update your predictions as time approaches the event. If defeats the point of a prediction, obviously you know more then you did in the past. Perhaps we can call this an constant changing educated guess. It's not like this guy is a physic.
My second thought is, he's not really telling us anything we don't already know or are surprised about. Did anyone read the post and fall back due to the new magical predictions he proposed. Of course not, it's all pretty much common sense. What is pat is prologue. Of course there will prob be an minor upgrade to all the models, better video cards, faster Ram, lighter & more energy efficient processors are a constant, more & lighter battery, brighter screens. Faster, lighter, brighter, louder, more responsive. Pretty much sums it up
 
mad5427 said:
Thanks. I just called and talked to an apple store employee. They of course have no idea or won't hint even if they do. He did say that his opinion is that if the 15" cMBP is still around, the current base model is 4gb of ram with maximum apple upgrade of 8gb. He feels that they'd probably make 8gb the base and 16gb the upgrade. Since I already ordered it with the 4gb and upgraded myself to the 16gb from OWC, it would be moot. He also felt that they'd probably have a slightly higher processor speed but that wouldn't be too noticeable. I don't care about HD's as I can upgrade that down the road as I see fit.

The only concern is if they have a 15" cMBP with the new processor. I don't know how much faster it would be than the current gen, but that's the only thing I would be bummed about being a month or two late in regards to having.
Click to expand...
I would say go with what EwanMcTeagle already suggested.

The new Haswell chips have their focus on small IPC improvements (read: more processing power per core at the same core speed) between 5-10% (depends on your work, but even when multitasking or on multiprocessor workloads, 10% is not something you can feel), but more importantly, more integrated graphics performance. That won´t matter at all though, since you already got 650M GT discrete graphics, which Intel cannot reach for some generations to come. They may show you some slides that come close, but the truth couldn´t be farther away from that. Intel still has alot of driver and other work to do to reach a GT 650M.

If you can wait, wait, of course. But it´s not going to be a major difference at all in the end. If you had someone that would compare a current cMBP to an upcoming Hasweel cMBP at the same clock speed, no one would ever see a difference. It´s just mind tricks that always want you to have the latest and best. But if you´re satisfied, why would you change it? And since you plan on using it for years anyway, resell value isn´t a concern at all for you.
 
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Thanks for the responses.

I was talking to my boss for awhile about it and taking the suggestions from here as well, it just seems like I'd be fine keeping this as it is now.

I'm working on a Macbook Pro 2,2 that has 2.33 core 2 duo and only 3gb of total ram. I've been working in it for so many years successfully. A main reason I also want to upgrade now is that I want to pass this to my wife while it still works well. She will only use it an hour every day or two at most while I use it 8-9 a day doing heavy graphics. The top case was scuffed up from years of use and the disk drive didn't work. I found a top case with keyboard, etc. online for $80 in perfect condition and a replacement disk drive for $20.

$100 later this thing is in as good of condition as when I got it. It truly still works great but I just need something faster.

This new machine now has 16GB ram, a much faster processor and with the HD anti-glare display, a 15% better screen than my old MBP. And I can still upgrade HD's down the road when I'm ready to lose the disk drive and go to a dual SSD and HD combo.

I'll be happy for at least a few years with this regardless of what is released in a month. I just hate the uncertainty and second guessing because of the secrecy. Any other time I'd be fine but with them continually moving toward non-accessible boxes, I felt I just needed to jump.
 
Shaun said:
He wasn't a rep but never mind. The point still stands that Ultra HD TVs will start to replace current HD TVs over time starting later this year. Technology naturally moves on from one thing to the next. You will see a big push by the manufacturers for Ultra HD ahead of next summers football (soccer) World Cup and a major push on BluRay Ultra HD films by Christmas 2014.

There is nothing "fake" about Ultra HD films being made. The 4K cameras have been around for a while and film makers have been gradually migrating across.

Comparing this to 3D is complete nonsense. Just look at the way BluRay has taken off once they lowered the price of the HD flat screen TVs and lowered the price of the BluRay disks. Nobody would buy a DVD instead now.
Click to expand...

Actually almost all films made in the past fifty years are either 4k or 8k, so the content is there. Streaming will be difficult, requiring 50Mb speeds. Downloading will be easier, but requires no data cap on your service. Each film could be 100gb. Apple doesn't like BR for obvious reasons and will not go that direction.

I have a BR drive in my MP but it takes about 30 minutes to put the film into a format I can view, since there are no reliable BR reading apps for Mac OS.

Apples 4k TV is due in about 5-9 months and will be able to play whatever you hook to it, upscaling all the time. There is a 4k available now for $1200, Sony for $5000, and more to come. My hifi preamp has the ability to upscale video to 4k.

MacPro (new model) will need a video card that has the capability to view and edit 4k video. A modular MacPro should work pretty well.
 
mad5427 said:
I'll be happy for at least a few years with this regardless of what is released in a month. I just hate the uncertainty and second guessing because of the secrecy. Any other time I'd be fine but with them continually moving toward non-accessible boxes, I felt I just needed to jump.
Click to expand...
And that´s what counts in the end. Satisfaction with the product you bought. The only way companies derive from their plans is customer feedback and buying products they love instead of the company telling you what you need. I would expect that there´s still quite a huge customer base out there that loves the cMBP, therefore I am pretty sure that Apple won´t dump it.

And to be quite frank, making a Macbook thinner isn´t exactly a concern, since the cMBP never felt thick anyway. It is a solid piece of machinery and robust and you feel it in daily usage (or if you´re on business trips a lot like me).

There´s nothing more annoying for an IT infrastructure architect to have to use adapters for LAN access. It´s simply the dumbest thing I have ever seen. Therefore I hope they don´t discontinue it for years to come. WLAN alone is not the solution for everything, but Apple also knows that.
 
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skaertus said:
Disappointing. Very disappointing. No rMBA. Delayed Haswell rMBP. And the cMBP will continue in production. I hope Kuo is wrong this time.
Click to expand...

I prefer the standard MBP. I hope he is correct. And my current AIR meets my needs. Retina would be nice, but I don't wish to pay extra for it.
 
GizmoDVD said:
Because it's HD. Makes everything look prettier.

I'm sure the "wedding photographers" group will survive. Maybe Apple can send all 8 of them free External superdrives or something?
Click to expand...

This is where Apple needs two product lines. Firstly the cMBP for those of us who work for a living (needing our optical drives and physical ethernet ports, etc), building IT infrastructure. And secondly the rMBP for you 'artistic' types to connect to wifi (using the infrastructure we built) while in Starbucks.
 
HenryDJP said:
The biggest annoyance from Apple enthusiasts is that Apple doesn't put forth enough efforts to the Mac and OS X. iOS is doing well, the Mac and OS X could use a huge upgrade. Let alone the Mac has always been the main event at WWDC. Let me guess, you're a Windows user? :rolleyes:
Most people that have both a Mac and an iOS device are pretty excited to see both products forthcoming at WWDC.
Click to expand...

I have an iMac but am generally more excited for iOS 7.
 
mdelvecchio said:
...that word, obsolete. i do not think it means what you think it means.

an annual upgrade in no way obsoletes current equipment. is your car obsolete? stereo? tv?
Click to expand...

Exactly. Obsolete might actually begin when the machine is no longer capable of running the newest version of OSX.
 
I'm buying only if.......

the macbook pros will be future proof.
fast WIFI ac, SSD with min 768gb or would be happy with the new and cheaper 960gb ssd.

I would like 13' with dedicated grafic card and 16gb ram.
 
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