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Should I have waited for the 2018 MacBook?

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PistachioLover

macrumors Chihuahua
Original poster
Feb 7, 2018
9
17
I just bought a brand new, sealed, 2017 MacBook with the 1.3Ghz "i5 (haha)" processor and 512 GB of storage for a whopping $1500 Canadian. Yes this was an amazing deal and one of those rare deals you can find on Kijiji or Craigslist. The MacBook is still under warranty until the end of this year.

But alas, despite getting this great deal, a part of me still feels some regret and that I should've waited...

There's always something better around the corner, but was the 2018 MacBook worth waiting for, at least for the potential CPU improvements? Would there have been a quad core fan-less M processor?
 
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Do we even know for sure there will be a 2018 model? I don't think Intel has any newer 5W processors that would go into a refresh?
 
BeatCrazy said:
Do we even know for sure there will be a 2018 model? I don't think Intel has any newer 5W processors that would go into a refresh?
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According to MR:

https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/retina-macbook-air/#whats_next_for_the_macbook

In May of 2017, Intel unveiled its next-generation chips designed for notebook machines. These chips could eventually find their way into future MacBook models.

Intel says its 8th-generation chips can deliver a 30 percent performance boost over 7th-generation Kaby Lake chips. Intel made the chips available to manufacturers in August of 2017, but it's not clear when we will see new MacBooks with the chips.
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BeatCrazy said:
There nothing relevant to the low-power 5W Intel chip successor that the 12" MacBook replacement would need/use :)

Someone can correct me, but I don't think Intel has announced any replacement for the 7Y32/7Y54/7Y75.
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Yeah, nothing announced yet, but I think that’s a good sign. The longer the time between announcements, the higher the chance it’s something significant.
 
17 model is pretty perfect as is to be honest, only feature that would be nice to me is inductive charging, just set it on the desk at night and charge.
 
Can we expect an upgraded resolution? 2340x1440 would be a golden ratio...
Also 10nm cannonlake most likely in next mb with gen10 igpu

P.s. Link above has Mobility Y-Series 2.2ghz
 
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I don't think we will see any new MacBooks for a while - and when we do, I don't know how much of an improvement it might be. My best guess is that the improvement will probably be like we have seen going from 6th gen to 7th gen. My real hope, from the Intel side of things, is maybe improved graphics - but who knows...
 
OldMike said:
I don't think we will see any new MacBooks for a while - and when we do, I don't know how much of an improvement it might be. My best guess is that the improvement will probably be like we have seen going from 6th gen to 7th gen. My real hope, from the Intel side of things, is maybe improved graphics - but who knows...
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Nonetheless, since it is the 3-year anniversary of the MacBook, Apple could still improve on the display, the frontside-camera and add another USB-C port.
 
Legionnaire said:
17 model is pretty perfect as is to be honest, only feature that would be nice to me is inductive charging, just set it on the desk at night and charge.
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The 2017 MacBook is nice as it is, I agree, and I pulled the trigger mainly because of the keyboard improvement. I wonder if Apple will improve the keyboard with the 2018 models...
 
PistachioLover said:
The 2017 MacBook is nice as it is, I agree, and I pulled the trigger mainly because of the keyboard improvement. I wonder if Apple will improve the keyboard with the 2018 models...
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Yeah, my main list of improvements which would make me pull the trigger:
- Better keyboard (the keyboard still really sucks, even on the 2017 model)
- Better/stiffer hinge
- More perfomance (quad core CPU), or longer battery life with current performance levels
- Better front facing camera (I rarely use it, but when I do it's pretty bad, especially in low light)
 
I don't get it. How was that an amazing deal? I would not expect to see quad core and fanless together just yet or anytime soon. Even the 13" macbook pro lacks a quad core unit. It will happen at some point, assuming process shrinks are able to continue. Most software doesn't scale that well with cores anyway. To scale well, they need independent tasks that each require a large number of cycles.
 
The latest rumors talk of a late 2018 release of Coffee Lake Y processors, so a 2019 spring release is likely IMHO. That would make a 2018 spring Macbook update focus on keyboard, camera, maybe SSD, and most importantly, price.

konradsa said:
- Better front facing camera (I rarely use it, but when I do it's pretty bad, especially in low light)
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That is also the area where I think the Macbook can be improved the most at the moment. And perhaps keyboard (I am getting my '16 keyboard replaced for a second time now).
 
thekev said:
I don't get it. How was that an amazing deal?
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Well that MacBook sells for $1999 on the Apple Store in Canada, and with taxes it would be around $2260.

Considering that I got a brand new, still sealed one for $1500 flat makes it a hell of an amazing deal.
 
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PistachioLover said:
Well that MacBook sells for $1999 on the Apple Store in Canada, and with taxes it would be around $2260.

Considering that I got a brand new, still sealed one for $1500 flat makes it a hell of an amazing deal.
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Oh man I had no idea it was that high over there. In that case I think it's probably worth it. I know I wouldn't feel bad about that one, considering what a 2018 release would cost in CAD.
 
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