ive had 2 macbook pros both older ones and im looking to buy a new one this year im pretty sure the macbook will be out soon but is the wait worth it? i kinda need a laptop by the 25th of this month anyone know when and what the specs will be for a new one vs the one out now
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question - is the wait worth it (Haswell)?
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Your question is quite open ended. We don't know your needs as you do. So use those or post them so we can gauge your level or MBP trim.
If you need it now, buy it.
If you can wait, wait.
Simple as that.
Also if you need the latest CPU speed/GPU, Id suggest waiting.
If you can wait, wait.
Simple as that.
Also if you need the latest CPU speed/GPU, Id suggest waiting.
There will probably be no 2013 MacBook Pros until October 2013, since September is reserved for the iPhone and iPad and iPod.
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I would say the opposite.
If your primary concern is performance, you might as well buy now. The CPUs won't be any faster. The 13" will get faster GPUs the 15" probably won't have a dedicated GPU.
If you want battery life and ergonomics the next gen will be worth a wait.
The 13" will if GPU speed and battery life matters.
I wouldn't say it is completely unlikely that Apple piggybacks the MBP refresh on the iphone event. The often show of two or three things at one event.
The notebooks will *always* have dedicated graphics. A *discrete* graphics chip is another question, which can be studied in the "waiting for Haswell" thread.
The x264 H.264 encoder (used in ffmpeg & HandBrake) is up to 2x faster on the Haswell platform, because Haswell has new integer vector instructions (AVX2). If you use only one thread (unrealistic), x264 is still ≈ 30 % faster on the Haswell platform, compared to the Ivy Bridge platform.
Source:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/574869/137419114-Introduction-to-AVX2-optimizations-in-x264.pdf
Haswell & Mavericks can do more in less time, which reduces the heat production and your energy bill.
Apple Mavericks Technologies Overview said:
some peeps here have been waiting since March, when they swore the new Haswells would bring all day battery and all sorts of power to the MBP
I didn't wait and got MBPR/13 about month ago. But I got good discount and I don't care about possible improvements of Haswell, it will be some but not in performance site much. Battery is great now, I could overplay my former Sony 13 inch about twice in battery time.
I don't really understand why this is is so funny. I've been waiting since June 2012. And I returned a cMBP in October, been waiting on pins and needles ever since. Why? I don't buy 1st generation anything. And that's exactly what's still in the stores as we speak. That refresh in Feb is a very minor spec bump and is still a 1st generation product.
Well if they update them with haswell soon, wouldn't they still be a first generation product? Updating the processor and graphics with 5100 won't make it a 2nd gen product? Or will it?
Well, yes, it will be a 2nd generation product. New processor, new components such as the SSD, new Wifi, probably a more reliable display, improved camera, possible TB2, Etc. and god only knows what other little tweaks and improvements. All this makes it the 2nd generation of the MacBook Pro with Retina
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Well, the new MacBook Air's released in June 2013 were not first gen, yet they had issues with Wireless AC in addition to graphics issues with pro apps like Photoshop. All fixed of course, but it still doesn't mean because it will be second gen, it won't have any problems.
I do agree, the MacBook Pro is a first gen of a new line of Apple notebooks and the evidence is there with amount of issues I have read about on this forum, UI lag, over heating and apps not optimized for the Retina Display, yellowing and many more. Just like the MacBook Pro was a first gen in February 2006, I don't blame anyone for waiting.
I am sure a lot of users were not happy when Apple updated the processors to Core 2 Duo that same year, considering the first gen came with Core Duo. Just waiting a little bit, instead of being an early adopter, you could have gotten a better processor.
With the next gen MBPr expected to carry a number of improvements:
- Haswell
- Wireless AC
- PCIe SSD storage
- Discrete graphics update (Apple is not dropping it, but will likely utilize the integrated graphics on the CPU for power efficiency when needed and accelerate by off putting intense graphics work to the discrete GPU when using Photoshop and Video editors.
Actually most people call it dedicated. Though it actually refers to the GPU having dedicated memory not the GPU being dedicated to graphics which would already be included in the abbreviation GPU anyway
. Integrated GPUs used to be on a seperate chip too and therefore would have been discrete yet not have dedicated memory buses.
From what I have heard AVX2 is only responsible for some 5-10% performance gains in x264 encoding over the old AVX on IB according to some dev. If some algorithms run faster it doesn't do all that much for the whole process where a lot is going on.
You have benchmarks that support your claims.
The edram seems to do something for x264 but avx2 is nowhere near double performance. Some algorithms running way faster than standard C code also doesn't tell much of a story given that Ivy Bridge already has AVX and one should compare to that.
Oh, there will be issues, to be sure. You can bet on it. Maybe they'll address and fix all the issues that people have been crying about, but there will be a host of new issues to pop up with the new processor or Wifi or SSD or who knows what. That's why it would probably be smart to wait for the spec bump. But I just can't do that. I've waited long enough and my current computer is one Rainbow of Death away from establishing a intimate relationship with my wall
Oh, there will be issues, to be sure. You can bet on it. Maybe they'll address and fix all the issues that people have been crying about, but there will be a host of new issues to pop up with the new processor or Wifi or SSD or who knows what. That's why it would probably be smart to wait for the spec bump. But I just can't do that. I've waited long enough and my current computer is one Rainbow of Death away from establishing a intimate relationship with my wall
In your case, you need a new computer and any of the current model MB Pro's will do you fine. Wanting the Haswell model is just a case of 'wanting' to have the latest and greatest. Personally, I will be purchasing my first Mac later this year, an iMac and I am waiting because I have no other choice. My vacation leave doesn't go into effect until then, so might as well wait, although I could buy it now if I wish, but its not necessarily a necessity like your case.
When you take into account computers last so much longer these years, buying now will be a great value anyway.
It depends on what you're doing.
For me, I'm going to be light gaming (Dota 2 specifically) and school work plus medical conference and travel before I start med school.
I got a 2.8GHz, 256GB SSD, 16GB of RAM for about $2300. Overkill, but it should last me three years.
I mainly went for it because unless you're doing production / workstation type stuff, the 5200 won't really benefit for you much based on Anandtech's results. In an application sense, 5200 > 650M.
If you're gone from wherever you are for a long period of time, Haswell may be worth it. But I carry around a second MagSafe 2 charger so that I can charge anywhere I go if I have to.
For me, I'm going to be light gaming (Dota 2 specifically) and school work plus medical conference and travel before I start med school.
I got a 2.8GHz, 256GB SSD, 16GB of RAM for about $2300. Overkill, but it should last me three years.
I mainly went for it because unless you're doing production / workstation type stuff, the 5200 won't really benefit for you much based on Anandtech's results. In an application sense, 5200 > 650M.
If you're gone from wherever you are for a long period of time, Haswell may be worth it. But I carry around a second MagSafe 2 charger so that I can charge anywhere I go if I have to.
Back to my original point. I've been waiting for over a year for the 2nd generation. It would be foolish at this point to give up and buy the current one. If I was going to do that then I should have done it long ago. It really has nothing to do with Haswell, which appears to be underwhelming, or even to have the latest and greatest. It has everything to do with my gut telling me for over a year not to get the 1st generation. And I'm well aware that my gut could be wrong, but I've had bad experiences with 1st generation MBPs in 2002 and 2006.
I agree on first generation products in general. But it is over a year and they are working out the kinks, anytime new hardware is used more issues can arise.
I think you are better off buying now as the 1st gen. is matured and they have fixed most issues.
The new hardware changes when first are released in new the new rMBP could have issues that may need to be worked. Maybe not.
All I can say is I got my Apple refurb 13in rMBP in March/April and it is a flawless machine. Whatever needed to be refurb was and the machine and software have had 0 hiccups. There are no lag issues. No screen issues, no overheating etc.
I wish, I could say Apple quality is top-notch but my experience with iMacs, iPods, iPhones and iPads begs to differ despite their high cost, the first unit released in any generation seem to have issues.
I cant say the upgrades wont be worth the wait but just because it will be a 2nd generation does not promise no issues.
What if the PCie SSD interface has issue with intermittent data corruption or something, on some but not all machines. or whatever, I just would not hold my breath that all things will be perfect with an Apple product
I bought my wife 2-3yrs ago a 21in iMac, 8 months in the HDD drive failed. Apple fixed it but they were not helpful with my data issues and how it affected my wife's business. When we bought the machine they never told us about their business services they were harping we should have gotten
I know HDD fail(though never had one die like this one). Apparently Apple was aware of big issues with the drives failing, they eventually recalled them. But we were made to feel like we at fault for the drive dying and not having paid for their extra services. My backups were corrupted because the drive was dying.
I had to beg for the old drive back to see if I could retrieve the data myself as they were not helpful at all.
So my personal experience says buy when you need but do not hold your breath about issues. Just hope they work well. Apple in the past loved their consumers but now that they are so large alot of the excellent CS is lacking IMHO.
I plan on waiting, but I'm waiting for Christmas and also the promised battery life with Haswell. Not sure I want to move to a MBA from my current MBP.
As a college student logic says the MBA would suffice for my needs, but I prefer the pro's form factor and the faster processor. I've had a pro for four years, so it seems silly to downgrade just for price and portability.
As a college student logic says the MBA would suffice for my needs, but I prefer the pro's form factor and the faster processor. I've had a pro for four years, so it seems silly to downgrade just for price and portability.
Yeah, you make some very valid points, and I have thought about that maturity issue. That's most likely what that seemingly tiny spec bump in Feb was all about. At the very least I will wait until the release and the hard facts come in about what really is inside the new computer. If I decide to get the current one the price will have dropped. But it's likely that I will be getting the new one. I don't think the DGPU issue effects me at all. I use office, mostly exel for my production forms, I use film production scheduling software, I surf and watch movies. Nothing too intensive
The February 2013 rMBPs are already second generation. At the same time that they switched to slightly faster processors, Apple updated many minor internal components in response to problems reported with the first generation. Even the unibody cases are slightly different from those of the 2012 rMBPs.