Revised macbook VS rumoured slimmer Mac

[DuRui]

Dear all,

I've been following the site for a while now, and was about to get a Macbook when the rumours about the revised version hit.

Now after the revised version finally came out (and is available here in Asia) rumours of the new slimmer more portable version are pretty persistant.

Since I travel a lot for work obviously I'd love one of those but a 860 euro macbook sounds like a pretty good deal to me (hurray for Hong Kong).
Question being, is it worth waiting? Or just get a revised macbook and be done with it and enjoy the Macishness of it?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Plymouthbreezer]

If you need a computer now, get one - you won't be disappointed. If you can afford to wait, than you'll get the newest. But remember, the newest will become "old" far more rapidly than you'd like.

In the tech world, having the "I'll wait it out" mindset does one no good, since it (technology) is always evolving; you can never be on top of the curve for more than a few months.

 

[DuRui]

Ain't that the truth, let's say they actually introduce a nice little new macbook (or..whatever they're gonna call it) I didn't really follow any previous products cycles but what's the normal wait time for a new product to be available to the market?

Also I'm guessing the new one is not going to costs the same as the "cheapest" Macbook? Thought I read somewhere something along the lines of $1500?

I could wait, my old laptop is one year old now...but..you know..it's a Macbook...

 

[ivan1234]

i say get the macbook, i have one and I really like it! affordable too!

 

[DuRui]

When did you buy yours?
I'd be running to the store right now actually...thing is when they actually announce that portable thing for like 1000$ .... I'd feel really stupid.

Unless they're basing that thing on the Penrys then I'm not interested...

 

[wheelhot]

What I do is to see if Intel is releasing any new big processor cause that what will make the difference between looks. So eventhough Apple released a alu macbook and lets say a new processor is coming next week, I will wait till Apple update with the new processor.

One thing I like bout Apple is they dont update their hardware as often as other manufacturers

 

[sublicon]

Folks, I gotta wonder if we're mis-interpreting what "ultra-portable" means. Everyone is just assuming that it's just a slimmer macbook, but if it's just slimmer, that doesn't really make it any more portable, does it?

I'm wondering if the new ultra-portable is going to be sort of an overgrown iPhone. Like, obviously a computer with full Mac OS X interface running, but something that is even more portable than what you would expect from a laptop - not just lighter, but also smaller too.

Any thoughts? I, for one, hope we're going to be blindsided with something we're not expecting. I guess we'll see in a couple weeks.

P.S. My thoughts are if you want a laptop type computer, buy now. If you're REALLY that curious and patient, wait. But otherwise, just buy. I did.

 

[heatmiser]

^ If we go by the orders of 13.3" screens, it's going to be a 13" laptop. All the signs point to it, as a small (12-sized) MBP is what's been missing from the line since the discontinuation of the 12" Powerbook.

 

[DuRui]

Slimmer and ultra portable aren't the same, at least from what I figured from specs around the web ultra portable's are about 7" and 10" screen sized "laptops".

They might release two new version though, a slimmer Macbook and a ultra portable (penryn?).

Guess I will wait for 15 Jan though...got flights coming up at the end of January even if they don't release the 12" version or if it's too high priced there's still enough time to head over to the store and pick up a revised Macbook. (Allthough I must say ...waiting sucks).

Like other users here I used to build my own computers, but the Mac UI (they use mac's here at work) is just great.
Plus I got tired of building a new computer every 2 years and tweaking it.
I'm figuring Mac's are what console's are for gaming?
Plug play and never worry again? (also the LCD screens I saw on the Macbooks floating around the office sure look much better then the one on this Thinkpad they gave me, not sure if it's better then my Compaq V3000 though?)

Thanks for the replies though!

 

[sublicon]

^ If we go by the orders of 13.3" screens, it's going to be a 13" laptop. All the signs point to it, as a small (12-sized) MBP is what's been missing from the line since the discontinuation of the 12" Powerbook.

Gotcha, but with all the hype over these new Intel chips being the size of a penny, I'm wondering why they'd put something that small in something as "big" as a 13" laptop.

That's where I'm a little confused. The word "ultra-portable" doesn't conjure up visions of 13" laptops. Maybe it's just me.

 

[CyberBob859]

I say we're going to see both

I think we're going to see BOTH - a revised MacBook AND a new slimmer ultraportable MacBook Pro.

The MacBook is now the only machine in Apple's lineup that has an all white plastic model - a previous design. I think we're going to see a new aluminum and black design in a slimmer MacBook, but the internals are going to be kept pretty much the same as what is available now.

Since there wouldn't be color differentiation anymore, I think we might see only 2 models - A lower end $999 model with combo drive and slower Core 2 Duo processor (even though I hate the Combo drive and think it should be retired), and a higher end model with SuperDrive and faster processor around $1199. The "Blackbook", and it's $150 color premium, will be dropped.

This leaves the door wide open for an Ultraportable 12" MacBook Pro based on mobile Penryn chips with the laptop styled similar to the Toshiba Portege R500 or the Sony Vaio TZ150. The price starts at $1499 and goes up from there with memory, hard drive, and processor speed options.

Current MacBook Pro gets a redesign to aluminum and black, and new internals to maintain speed advantage over just about everything else.

I have no advanced knowledge, but just looking at what's going on in the Windows world, and doing some wild, but hopefully intelligent, guessing.

 

[DuRui]

Well then lets hope that the slimmer (then in alu) macbook will be available soon...I mean based on previous experiences when did products (/ updates) introduced at macworld hit the stores?

Either way I'm buying one in January enough is enough can't wait forever right... I need the apple