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waiting for wwdc vs. refresh/REBRAND vs. free ipods

M

mikejtl

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 27, 2009
50
0
OK, so like many I've been waiting for WWDC to see if the uMB's get a refresh, but I just thought of a potential lose-lose situation, would love peoples thoughts on this.

I'm likely buying a 2.4 uMB, if I buy today I can get it for $1500 (educational discount) and get my free iPod. My plan was to wait till WWDC in case there are any minor bumps, but it occurred to me last night that if the REBRAND rumors are true, and the uMB becomes a uMBP, come monday morning there maybe no more uMBs. Sure I could still get one from Macmall or bestbuy or any other reseller, but if Apple stops selling them the second they make the announcement, then I wouldn't get my free iPod, unless I go for the alleged 13" uMBP, but I'm worried that price tag could be up around $2k.

So, should I buy the 2.4 uMB this weekend (get my free iPod) and sit on it until WWDC ends so if there is a refresh I can return the one I've bought?

Is it really "no questions asked" for 14 days?

Any other thoughts, ideas, suggestions, I'm all ears.

thanks
 
mikejtl said:
OK, so like many I've been waiting for WWDC to see if the uMB's get a refresh, but I just thought of a potential lose-lose situation, would love peoples thoughts on this.

I'm likely buying a 2.4 uMB, if I buy today I can get it for $1500 (educational discount) and get my free iPod. My plan was to wait till WWDC in case there are any minor bumps, but it occurred to me last night that if the REBRAND rumors are true, and the uMB becomes a uMBP, come monday morning there maybe no more uMBs. Sure I could still get one from Macmall or bestbuy or any other reseller, but if Apple stops selling them the second they make the announcement, then I wouldn't get my free iPod, unless I go for the alleged 13" uMBP, but I'm worried that price tag could be up around $2k.

So, should I buy the 2.4 uMB this weekend (get my free iPod) and sit on it until WWDC ends so if there is a refresh I can return the one I've bought?

Is it really "no questions asked" for 14 days?

Any other thoughts, ideas, suggestions, I'm all ears.

thanks
Click to expand...

I'm sure Apple will honor the free iPod if they uMB becomes a uMBP.

But you know if that happens, the uMB's value will skyrocket.
 
mikejtl said:
OK, so like many I've been waiting for WWDC to see if the uMB's get a refresh, but I just thought of a potential lose-lose situation, would love peoples thoughts on this.

I'm likely buying a 2.4 uMB, if I buy today I can get it for $1500 (educational discount) and get my free iPod. My plan was to wait till WWDC in case there are any minor bumps, but it occurred to me last night that if the REBRAND rumors are true, and the uMB becomes a uMBP, come monday morning there maybe no more uMBs. Sure I could still get one from Macmall or bestbuy or any other reseller, but if Apple stops selling them the second they make the announcement, then I wouldn't get my free iPod, unless I go for the alleged 13" uMBP, but I'm worried that price tag could be up around $2k.

So, should I buy the 2.4 uMB this weekend (get my free iPod) and sit on it until WWDC ends so if there is a refresh I can return the one I've bought?

Is it really "no questions asked" for 14 days?

Any other thoughts, ideas, suggestions, I'm all ears.

thanks
Click to expand...

I am in the exact same position as you - I am looking to buy a uMB 2.4GHz but I don't want to miss any updates! I am tempted to buy it now, but I really want there to be an update.

Agh, I hope those rumors are true.
 
I'm confused, why wouldn't you be able to get a free iPod if there's a rebrand? If it's not that Mac mini, it qualifies?

Anyway, the price tag definitely wouldn't start at $2,000. That would be retail suicide in a recession. Apple generally keeps roughly the same price, but adds features/ value for money with every update. I'm sure writing the word "Pro" on the machine isn't too hard and doesn't instantly add $700 to it's worth ;) Also while a new MacBook lineup could come around WWDC, there's the possibility of it not being on the keynote date.
 
mikejtl said:
...wait till WWDC in case there are any minor bumps...
Click to expand...

What's the point of that?

...there maybe no more uMBs... ...I wouldn't get my free iPod...
Click to expand...

Wrong.

...unless I go for the alleged 13" uMBP...
Click to expand...

Which would be the exact same computer that it is now, just with the word "Pro" glued to it.

but I'm worried that price tag could be up around $2k.
Click to expand...

Not even remotely possible. Don't worry about it.
 
Same situation here. I'm hard pressed to pay huge price premium for MBP and would feel better about it w/ at least a speed-bump. But I need a replacement machine in the next week. I don't think the poster got an answer for the basic question which is..

What is Apple's policy and practice in regard to purchases before major upgrades? They do have a 14-day price guarantee but that's kind of chicke-*&(# as they don't really drop prices -- as someone else noted, they add features. So -- ignoring issue of wether there will be an update -- if I bought a new MBP at x date and Apple introduces a speed-bump at x + 7, would I have any chance of a) returning / exchanging or b) getting some money back? Has anyone out there had any actual experience with this?
 
MilesParker said:
Same situation here. I'm hard pressed to pay huge price premium for MBP and would feel better about it w/ at least a speed-bump. But I need a replacement machine in the next week. I don't think the poster got an answer for the basic question which is..

What is Apple's policy and practice in regard to purchases before major upgrades? They do have a 14-day price guarantee but that's kind of chicke-*&(# as they don't really drop prices -- as someone else noted, they add features. So -- ignoring issue of wether there will be an update -- if I bought a new MBP at x date and Apple introduces a speed-bump at x + 7, would I have any chance of a) returning / exchanging or b) getting some money back? Has anyone out there had any actual experience with this?
Click to expand...

30-day price, 14-day return. Something comes out within 14 days of purchase, you can return your perfectly good computer for free to get the newest one. If you have opened it, you pay 10% of the price of your computer.
 
Tallest Skil said:
30-day price, 14-day return. Something comes out within 14 days of purchase, you can return your perfectly good computer for free to get the newest one. If you have opened it, you pay 10% of the price of your computer.
Click to expand...

Cool, that's exactly what I needed to know. ~$200 would be a pretty big hit but at least I'd know that would be the maximum pain I'd feel. Thanks.
 
Buy from Apple online; in most countries, for ALL online shopping, it is required by law that they let you return the goods (don't even open the box!) simply if you change your mind. This is because you can't see the goods before you buy.

So buy online just before WWDC and you're good.
 
Tallest Skil said:
I just mean that it's operationally impossible to notice a difference in the only potential bump from the current model.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but you don't think you'd be slightly chagrined if Product A was upgraded just days after purchasing it (regardless of whether or not it was safe to return)? It's not about the hardware, it's about the mindset.
 
I'm assuming that this applies only to Apple Store or Apple online purchases, i.e. other retailers will have their own policies?
 
Same here. I feel like if I buy the 2.4 now and they bump the specs A) I won't tell the difference and B) I'll still have a better computer than the base model post-update.

Another thing about the update, Will there be anything to go wrong like a 'revision A' or will the updates be mostly problem free? I just figure that the current Macbooks are now the most perfect that they will be in terms of hardware quality. I'd hate to end up waiting to buy a new machine with a problem that arises later only affecting the Revision B model.
 
Thanks to Mr. Briteside, well said.

Original Poster here, other thoughts:

1. My suggestion of a post rebrand price in the $2k range was based on Apple actually turning the thing into a MBP with all the MBP trappings, not just etching Pro on the casing. And I know I would still get the free iPod if I bought one of these suggested computers, but I don't need the pro, so I don't want to spend the extra $500 to get a 13" unibody mac.

2. Operationally, I know there would be essentially no difference, but I've been burned by this mistake in the past. I bought a 933mhz iBook because everyone said there would be no difference between it and the 1ghz iBook, which was the high end at the time. Then within a year I was seeing software with the recommended system requirements of 1ghz, and pretty soon after that it was minimum requirements. The result was that software just wouldn't install. I'm sure there was a way around this, but I'm not tech savvy enough to know what it is. So now I'm always shy about processors speeds that are just under a round number, like 2.0 or 2.5 or even 2.66 I know I'm probably being paranoid,but....

3. Tallest Skil, what did you mean when you said that "Wrong" about Apple ceasing to sell a previous generation. I'm asking this sincerely, because my observation has been that when apple does a refresh, they no longer sell the previous model at all (except for refurbs and the odd clearance item) they all seem to go to Macmall and similar places to be sold off. Am I wrong about this?

I'm still open to opinions, so if anyone else has any other thoughts, I'm all ears.
 
Mr_Brightside_@ said:
Yeah, but you don't think you'd be slightly chagrined if Product A was upgraded just days after purchasing it (regardless of whether or not it was safe to return)? It's not about the hardware, it's about the mindset.
Click to expand...

The tech is already outdated. Penryn has been outdated by Nehalem, Nehalem has already been outdated by Westmere, Westmere has already been outdated by Sandy Bridge, and OH, guess what? Sandy Bridge has already been outdated by Haswell.

To the people WITH this mindset, I say: get over it. You can't ever have the newest tech. Ever. Buy what you need WHEN you need it and be happy.
 
Tallest Skil said:
To the people WITH this mindset, I say: get over it. You can't ever have the newest tech. Ever. Buy what you need WHEN you need it and be happy.
Click to expand...

Very true, although it is difficult to not want the newest and greatest.

To the OP: just wait until WWDC so you won't regret anything.
 
Tallest Skil said:
I just mean that it's operationally impossible to notice a difference in the only potential bump from the current model.
Click to expand...

So if they make more RAM standard or bump the Hard Drive, that's "operationally impossible" to notice? With each update you get better value for money, buying just before an update gives you the least value for money. It's not just about having the latest and greatest, it's about getting the most bang for buck out a Mac.
 
BlizzardBomb said:
So if they make more RAM standard or bump the Hard Drive, that's "operationally impossible" to notice? With each update you get better value for money, buying just before an update gives you the least value for money. It's not just about having the latest and greatest, it's about getting the most bang for buck out a Mac.
Click to expand...
I would choose a 2.53 GHz CPU over a 2.4 GHz any day.
 
iMacmatician said:
I would choose a 2.53 GHz CPU over a 2.4 GHz any day.
Click to expand...

I think anyone would. It's like walking into a car dealer and being offered a faster engine for free if you turned up a few days later. You wouldn't say no thanks, I know there are better engines coming out in the following years so I'll just stick to the slower engine.
 
Let's just say that they rebrand the line to 13" mbps, like the 12" powerbook which was basically the same as an ibook.

Wouldn't that also mean that you would have to pay for a macbook pro applecare plan instead of a macbook package?
 
I'm going to be buying a new uMB/MBP soon and the only thing I'm hoping for in any refresh is higher resolution screens, the 13" is a good size but the resolution is not great.

Going back to 800 pixels high is not going to make working on it fun. But it will be easier to carry around than the 15" models.

What I'd like to see is 1920 x 1200 on the 15's and the 17's with at least 1050 pixels height on the 13". (feel free to point out if there's not this res on a 13" panel as I is too lazy to check ;))

Processor speeds seem ok to me at 2.4ghz, maybe the only other thing would be 4gb standard on both 15's and the 13" uMB as 2x 1GB means loads of people are going to be throwing away dimms which in terms of the environment and consumer waste is a bit poop.
 
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