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Steve.P.JobsFan

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 27, 2010
1,010
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Columbus
Hello, all!

Somebody just took a bid on my iMac that's on eBay. So, I now will no longer have possession of the iMac once January 7th rolls around. The good news, is I am making a HUGE leap from a 2007 C2D to a new MacBook Pro! The thing is, should I go ahead and buy it (I was planning to buy around mid Feb.), or should I wait until April/May for Ivy Bridge? I'm planning to get a 13 inch MBP.

Thanks, Mates!

- William
 
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On almost every thread I recommended buying now since Ivy Bridge is not a stellar improvement over current MBP. It will be a more significant one of the MacBook Airs. But since it will basically be just 2 months, I'd wait if I were you.
 
To be really honest, the reason of why I would wait is because of a possible better graphics card, but I wouldn't count on it.
 
Hello, all!

Somebody just took a bid on my iMac that's on eBay. So, I now will no longer have possession of the iMac once January 7th rolls around. The good news, is I am making a HUGE leap from a 2007 C2D to a new MacBook Pro! The thing is, should I go ahead and buy it (I was planning to buy around mid Feb.), or should I wait until April/May for Ivy Bridge? I'm planning to get a 13 inch MBP.

Thanks, Mates!

- William

Do you need a computer for the time being? Do you have a spare one?

If no for either or both, then buy the current MBP in jan.
 
I'd wait!

If you don't and buy the current model it will surely burst into flames the very day IB macs are released. And if you mange to put the fire out in time the software on your mac that ran fine the day before will suddenly run at half speed.
 
Why sell your iMac so early? Sell it around April 2012 and buy the updated MBPs in April/May 2012.

Personally, I'd wait. I'm debating if I should sell my early 2011 MBP 17" before the update or wait to see what the update is like before listing it for sale.
 
Hello, all!

Somebody just took a bid on my iMac that's on eBay. So, I now will no longer have possession of the iMac once January 7th rolls around. The good news, is I am making a HUGE leap from a 2007 C2D to a new MacBook Pro! The thing is, should I go ahead and buy it (I was planning to buy around mid Feb.), or should I wait until April/May for Ivy Bridge? I'm planning to get a 13 inch MBP.

Thanks, Mates!

- William

I'd say buy it now. Aside from being faster, I don't think Ivy Bridge offers much over Sandy Bridge.

Of course that depends on whether or not you are okay with Sandy Bridge as it is right now. The leap from the 2007 C2D to Sandy Bridge might not be as significant as you'd hope. But the same thing can be said about Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge.
 
I'd say buy it now. Aside from being faster, I don't think Ivy Bridge offers much over Sandy Bridge.

Of course that depends on whether or not you are okay with Sandy Bridge as it is right now. The leap from the 2007 C2D to Sandy Bridge might not be as significant as you'd hope. But the same thing can be said about Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge.

Coming from an 15" Early 2008 2.4Ghz Penryn MBP to a Late 2011 2.4 i7 SandyBridge I can assure you the difference in performance is staggering, the new MBP out performs the 2008 machine by several magnitudes; buy now you won't be disappointed.

If Apple produce a MBP in 2012 with a major redesign it may be wise to wait until they iron everything out for the first 6 - 12 months. Personally I would go with the 15" truly a desktop replacement :apple:
 
Depends on if you need USB 3.0 or not. If you don't need it you should buy one now because refresh was only 2 months ago in October.
 
I do have a spare computer, it's my 2009 Dell gaming machine. I don't really need USB 3, and I could wait, but I want one so bad right now! :p
 
I do have a spare computer, it's my 2009 Dell gaming machine. I don't really need USB 3, and I could wait, but I want one so bad right now! :p

Then your solution is easy; go to Apple, return home with new MBP and enjoy, or you can sit it out for 4 - 6 months and see what Apple comes up with for IvyBridge, which as ever will be far less than speculation ;)
 
Hello, all!

Somebody just took a bid on my iMac that's on eBay. So, I now will no longer have possession of the iMac once January 7th rolls around. The good news, is I am making a HUGE leap from a 2007 C2D to a new MacBook Pro! The thing is, should I go ahead and buy it (I was planning to buy around mid Feb.), or should I wait until April/May for Ivy Bridge? I'm planning to get a 13 inch MBP.

Thanks, Mates!

- William

I'd say buy now.

The current models are excellent. Well debugged and reliable, there's no reason to wait for an unknown machine.

I buy a new MBP at each new release. Prior to... the rumors tend to be about how much faster & better the next CPU will be. But in reality during normal day to day usage, they simply don't live up to the claims. Speed increases are always incremental & not stunning.

I have no doubt if you buy now, you'll be very pleased. :)
 
I can't buy now. I made a deal with my Mom's BF that we'd go half and half because he's so nice. So, I have to wait until the auction on my iMac ends (Jan. 6th), then send in my netbook to Best Buy Trade-In, and trade the card with my Mom for cash. Then I have to keep reminding my Mom's BF to take his share of the MBP, and put it in his savings account, then my Mom is going to be nice, and put my Speck case and AppleCare on an Apple Store Barclaycard, but she has to apply first.

BASICALLY:

1) I have to sell the iMac

2) Trade in netbook

3) Trade B-BUY card from Netbook trade-in with Mom for cash

4) Remind Mom's BF to take his share of the dough, and put it in savings account (He's really forgetful)

5) Drive 80 miles to another state (Michigan), and hang with my friend, Annie (She's a Genius!)

6) Buy my MBP, and say "Pinch me!"

7) Be in love with my MBP FOREVER. :apple: :D
 
I'd say buy it now. Aside from being faster, I don't think Ivy Bridge offers much over Sandy Bridge.


Benchmarks say you're pretty wrong. Especially when it comes to graphics.

56% faster performance in ArcSoft Media Expresso
192% higher overall 3DMark Vantage Performance Preset - Score
17% faster performance in 3DMark Vantage Performance Preset - CPU benchmark
199% faster performance in 3DMark Vantage Performance Preset - GPU benchmark


http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Benchmarks-Intel-Ivy-Bridge-CPU-sandy-bridge,14144.html
 
^ That is helpful if we are talking about MacBook Airs. I still think he could easily buy now and not look back. Ivy Bridge seems (for a high 15" at least) a 15-20% at most performance upgrade. Is it worth the wait ?

Let's put this way. He waits until May, he finally gets the so called major upgrade (which is btw hinted even in the name, being a remixed name of Sandy Bridge, rather than a new name), then Bulldozer or whatever it's called next really changes things.

If I were in that position, I would be annoyed that a 50-70% performance (a la Core2Duo -> iSeries) would be released at only 12 months. YES, this is how the industry works, but if I buy now, upgrading to a significally better CPU after 2 years would be better than switching computers every 12 months.

At least, this is how I do things. A minimum overall 70% performance improvement must be made for me to upgrade. You won't even feel it in daily use when it's even 30%. It makes you really feel you have upgraded.

The 2011 MacBook Pro is a perfectly fine and fast machine.
 
Benchmarks say you're pretty wrong. Especially when it comes to graphics.

56% faster performance in ArcSoft Media Expresso
192% higher overall 3DMark Vantage Performance Preset - Score
17% faster performance in 3DMark Vantage Performance Preset - CPU benchmark
199% faster performance in 3DMark Vantage Performance Preset - GPU benchmark


http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Benchmarks-Intel-Ivy-Bridge-CPU-sandy-bridge,14144.html

Unfortunately that website compares the Intel HD 4000 to the HD 2000. It's a pity it was not a comparison between the Intel HD 4000 and the HD 3000.
 
Next year it'll be a debate over whether to wait for Haswell. The debate will begin the day after Ivy Bridge ships :rolleyes:. I'd personally suggest you check around for the best price and include the early 2011 models in your considerations as they aren't very different from the late 2011 machines.
 
I've been on the forums since April (and a lurker since 2010) and before the Sandy Bridge MacBook Pros came out, people were saying, "Just buy it now, the current models are fast enough."

As soon as the Sandy Bridge Pros came out, everyone who bought one a month earlier were clamoring with buyer's remorse as soon as the benchmarks came out and SB destroyed the previous models.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that it is easy to tell someone to buy what is out now since the new model isn't out yet. Since there is nothing to compare it to, the desire to own one triumphs any thought of future models being a vast improvement. But once Ivy Bridge does come out in a few months, you (and others here) will have buyer's remorse.

It is an endless cycle that always happens. The other thing I wanted to add is, when has Apple NOT made a vast improvement to every refresh? That is the whole point of a refresh, to release something that is significantly better than the current models. If it weren't, they wouldn't release a refresh now would they?
 
I can't buy now. I made a deal with my Mom's BF that we'd go half and half because he's so nice.

No offense but I've been around the block enough to get an idea that you're mom's BF did it most likely to stay in good with your mom, not because he's so nice. Unless someone's your parent they generally don't put up half the cash of a $2000+ computer for their significant other's children out of sheer niceness but anything's possible I suppose. :p
As for your thread question, get the Macbook when you need it. Think about it, do you really think the apps that you need to run will outpace even last year's Intel processors?
 
No offense but I've been around the block enough to get an idea that you're mom's BF did it most likely to stay in good with your mom, not because he's so nice. Unless someone's your parent they generally don't put up half the cash of a $2000+ computer for their significant other's children out of sheer niceness but anything's possible I suppose. :p
As for your thread question, get the Macbook when you need it. Think about it, do you really think the apps that you need to run will outpace even last year's Intel processors?

I figured he was doing it to get 'niceness points' with my Mom. :p

No, they won't outpace the Sandy Bridge processors. I only use a few games, OnLive, Photoshop Essentials 10, Mail.app, Safari, Chrome, Spotify, etc.

Just out of curiosity, could the 13 inch MBP run Final Cut Pro X?
 
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