probability of MacBook Pro release in June, 2008

[JulesK]

Depends on what you are looking for...

I dislike the new keyboard on the Macbooks and MacBook Air. Enough so that I'm very glad that I have the current keyboard on my new MBP 17". I may not use some of the other upgrades a "revised" MBP may have, but I use the keyboard all the time, and if they went with design they are using on virtually all the other Apple computers, that's a potential dealbreaker for me.

 

[macgroovy]

Make people buy a MBP because of the stupid added features such as Multitouch (which I remind was not elarged) and make them buy once again a redesign MBP.

I personally like the multitouch and see it as a handy feature once more applications start to utilise it. It's certainly fun to use!

 

[DOUGHNUT]

Montevina AKA Centrino 2 will allow faster bus speeds, smaller processor/motherboard size, better power efficiency etc etc. I wouldn't be surprised if it's announced during WWDC since it is significant enough of an update from Intel to warrant a case redesign. you know a redesign is coming (evident in the fact that the MacBook Pro trackpad is still smaller than the MBA trackpad even though it has been converted to multi-touch as well. it's obvious that Apple has something under wraps, and the Penryn update is just to hold the consumers over until Centrino 2 comes out.

 

[QCassidy352]

This front-page story from a little while back makes me think that we'll see new mbps and possibly macbooks by late June.

It seems that Intel wants to do away with older chips at a much faster rate than before, and is expecting Apple to play along.

I agree. If intel is pushing new chips, we'll see vastly accelerated upgrade cycles, so past history really doesn't mean much.

You might wanna think twice about how much you want to upgrade. From the looks of things, it seems the MBP/MB's will be getting a major (aka re-designed case) update within Q3 or Q4 this year. It might be worth the wait...

People have been predicting a redesigned case since the MBP came in to existence. Every new revision it's the same arguments and predictions. No reason to think this time will be the "big revision."

 

[applechick]

so I'm probably going to wait on the MBP. But anyone know anything about new iMacs and/or Cinema displays?

 

[Wolfpup]

Montevina AKA Centrino 2 will allow faster bus speeds, smaller processor/motherboard size, better power efficiency etc etc. I wouldn't be surprised if it's announced during WWDC since it is significant enough of an update from Intel to warrant a case redesign. you know a redesign is coming (evident in the fact that the MacBook Pro trackpad is still smaller than the MBA trackpad even though it has been converted to multi-touch as well. it's obvious that Apple has something under wraps, and the Penryn update is just to hold the consumers over until Centrino 2 comes out.

...
People have been predicting a redesigned case since the MBP came in to existence. Every new revision it's the same arguments and predictions. No reason to think this time will be the "big revision."

Yep, exactly. We keep hearing people insist whatever the latest update is will for sure have a redesign, based on nothing.

 

[jnc]

so I'm probably going to wait on the MBP. But anyone know anything about new iMacs and/or Cinema displays?

iMacs and Mac Minis are "next" considering everything else looks like it's been covered for now. Cinema Displays is anyone's guess - it's been two years.

I'm aching for a Dell 08-esque multiple input offering (come on, at least include Component and HDMI, Apple - so YOUR displays are tv-compatible!) with Apple's aesthetics... I want something that'll match my Mac Pro that I can also run my consoles on. I'm currently using a 1366x768 HDTV for component/hdmi gaming (ps3, wii) and computing via VGA...

I'd go for the Dell 2707 but for another £250 I could get a Dell 3008, so I'm waiting for either a 2707 price drop (or a 2708!) whilst futilely holding my breath for new ACD announcements.

 

[phrygiana]

...

Based on the opinions many of you have kindly written above,
there are some environmental variables that may affect the possible release
of new MBP that will have gone through plastic surgery and heart
transplantation - WWDC & new Intel platform. And also there is, though
very few of them, history of irregular product update like the last g5 iMac.
Or the prediction may turn out wrong after all. It may be futile
to discuss the unknown future. Therefore, it seems to boil down to whether
I need one immediately. The fact is I mainly do some programming with gcc that is
available on my linux-based notebook. Looks like I may wait until
MBP comes in totally different look like black Pismo.

 

[DOUGHNUT]

even if there's no case redesign, you should still wait until at least WWDC to make a decision. it's less than 3 months away, so if you don't need it immediately, there's no point in rushing to buy the Penryn models when everyone knows that it was released to sorta bridge the current Intel platform to Centrino 2. After Centrino 2 AKA Montevina, the next Intel processors won't be released until early 2009, so I say June or July would be a good time to invest.

 

[Wolfpup]

even if there's no case redesign, you should still wait until at least WWDC to make a decision. it's less than 3 months away, so if you don't need it immediately, there's no point in rushing to buy the Penryn models when everyone knows that it was released to sorta bridge the current Intel platform to Centrino 2. After Centrino 2 AKA Montevina, the next Intel processors won't be released until early 2009, so I say June or July would be a good time to invest.

Montevina is a new platform (ie chipset basically), not a new CPU. The only CPU update we're getting this year we just got.

The only thing the new chipset is going to give us is a faster front side bus. That's worth something, but it's not THAT big a deal. The update (probably) early next year should be a much bigger deal.

 

[illidian]

Traditionally, Apple has not released a new MacBook (Pro) model until students are already in school. See MacBook Pro release dates: June 07 (only update that year), October 06, October 05, September 03, November 02. Also see MacBook release dates: November 07, November 06, July 05 (only update of the year), October 04, October 03, November 03.

I'm not saying it won't happen - it seems as if Intel is pushing Apple to redo their notebooks with every new update - but history isn't on the side of a June release.

I see an August (MBP)/September (MB) update striking a nice balance between the two - late enough to still attract students with the previous model, or having them step up the new MBP.

As far as when to buy a new MBP - big things are coming. The new Intel processor with Quad Core capabilities and Blue-Ray DVD drive are two reasons to hold off if you can. It's been little tiny updates for some time now; a massive update (with at least those two capabilities) is coming soon. I don't see anything else "big" coming to the MBP for some time, but I'll admit that Apple has surprised me many times.

 

[CalBoy]

but history isn't on the side of a June release.

Your analysis left out the fact that many mbp updates (or Powerbook before Intel) happened in April or May.

2/2008
6/2007
10/2006
4/2006
1/2006
10/2005
1/2005
4/2004

Recent trends have strongly supported an update sequence of one Spring/Summer update and one Fall/Winter update.

 

[Wolfpup]

It's a nice problem to have-having to stick newer Intel chips in your system

Granted there's some inventory management stuff and whatnot, but new stuff practically twice a year!

Talk about a difference from competing with high end 686 chips with a G4

 

[xrxsxbx]

I was planning to get a MBP, but after reading this thread, its better to wait right?

until june - August.

I dont need it right now.

and i mean, its only 3 or 4 months so..

good things are coming

Anyone know when is the imac going to be updated?

 

[Gigemaggies06]

Running the numbers, a mid June update would be roughly 110 days since the last on February 26 while even an early November update would be over 250 days. The average release interval of 192 days would happen around the end of August beginning of September. Personally I think there will be an update in June with or without the case redesign. The only thing that has me questioning myself is that there appear to be upcoming updates for a lot products around that time: iPhone software update, possible 3G iPhone, MB/MBP, iMac, Mac mini, ACD; something has to give.

 

[DOUGHNUT]

by the way, Montevina platform is scheduled to be released June 3-7. WWDC 08 happens to be the week after. perfect timing for Apple to release the update.

 

[stainlessliquid]

Dell is coming out with some nice looking aluminum laptops soon so that might push apple to finally get off their asses and launch whatever design they have in the coffers so they still have a high aesthetic advantage. One of those new dell leaks I thought looked significantly better than the MBP, while another design looked too "Dodge Hemi" for me (probably an XPS gaming laptop) and a 3rd design looked great but not as awesome as the first. If they let pc makers catch up to their old ass designs then they are going to get hurt bad. They have to have several new designs for the MBP by now, its had the same exact look since the G4 came out.

 

[chrono1081]

I am going to get a laptop probably in the next month or so. If they update, don't care. Its gonna be a small leap anyways.

I agree completely. If you need it now, get it now. I was desperately waiting until I got my enormous dept paid off to buy one and now I was finally able to order it! Itll be about 7 - 10 days till it reaches me since I live at an APO address :'( I can't wait cause right now it should do everything I need it to do.

Just a heads up too everyone clamors over speed bumps and bench mark test results but bench mark tests really hold about 0 value when determining how a program appears to perform to the user when the components are in similar range of each other (2.5 processor vs 2.6 for example).

 

[illidian]

Your analysis left out the fact that many mbp updates (or Powerbook before Intel) happened in April or May.

2/2008
6/2007
10/2006
4/2006
1/2006
10/2005
1/2005
4/2004

Recent trends have strongly supported an update sequence of one Spring/Summer update and one Fall/Winter update.

There's one early update, and one late, per year. Intel is pushing things pretty fast right now though...

But with that said, I still see two updates coming this year. We've already had the first - is the second (and likely last, based on Intel) update of the year going to be in June? In the cases that you pointed out, it was the early (or only) release date of the year.

We have reasons to believe that Apple didn't want to do this update and has things under wraps that they simply weren't ready to introduce. Perhaps that makes a June release more favorable, we'll see.

 

[jay1097]

I think they are going to do an update this summer. It happened with the macbooks this year. They did an update in November 07 and then February 08.

The new intel platform will probably mean that the macbook pros get slimmed down a bit.

 

[Wolfpup]

I think they are going to do an update this summer. It happened with the macbooks this year. They did an update in November 07 and then February 08.

The new intel platform will probably mean that the macbook pros get slimmed down a bit.

Why?

If anything the Macbook Pros need to be thicker to accommodate better cooling so the hardware can actually be pushed. There's certainly nothing about a new chipset that would make them be able to be THINNER.

 

[Macmel]

Why?

If anything the Macbook Pros need to be thicker to accommodate better cooling so the hardware can actually be pushed. There's certainly nothing about a new chipset that would make them be able to be THINNER.

Actually, the new penryn processors and the ones that are gong to be released in the next few months/years do reduce wattage and thus heating. The trend is to increase the number of processors while reducing or stabilizing their clock speed in order to increase overall speed with arithmetical (not geometrical) growth of power consumption. This strategy will certainly allow for thinner laptops.

 

[Wolfpup]

Actually, the new penryn processors and the ones that are gong to be released in the next few months/years do reduce wattage and thus heating. The trend is to increase the number of processors while reducing or stabilizing their clock speed in order to increase overall speed with arithmetical (not geometrical) growth of power consumption. This strategy will certainly allow for thinner laptops.

But Penryn is already out-this June is just a chipset update. And while yes, they run cooler at the same clock speed than the Conroe based chips they replace, the Macbook Pro still isn't able to run at full blast, hence it needs to be THICKER, not thinner, for those that need to actually use the CPU.

 

[applechick]

Purchasing from Apple

Suppose the new MBP's do come out with an update feature I don't like (the chicklet keyboard is the first the comes to mind)...does Apple keep previous generation macs around when they release a newer model? Just want to know if I'll have my options open.

 

[CalBoy]

Suppose the new MBP's do come out with an update feature I don't like (the chicklet keyboard is the first the comes to mind)...does Apple keep previous generation macs around when they release a newer model? Just want to know if I'll have my options open.

You'll be able to find a few older models in the refurbished section of the online Apple Store, but there are no guarantees as to how long they will last before being sold out.