When to buy new Macs

[mindgrowz]

I have a 6 year old iMac that has a failing screen and a 7 year old MacBook Pro that works fine with the latest operating system but is getting a slow. Does anyone have any idea when Apple will be coming out with new models of the iMac and MacBook Pro? They seem overdue.

When I bought the iMac Apple almost immediately came out with new models. Same thing with the Macbook Pro. I do not care to repeat those errors.

 

[bick]

October. Apple will update the iMac and/or MacBook Pro when macOS Sierra is released in October.

 

[duncansby]

I have a 6 year old iMac that has a failing screen and a 7 year old MacBook Pro that works fine with the latest operating system but is getting a slow. Does anyone have any idea when Apple will be coming out with new models of the iMac and MacBook Pro? They seem overdue.

When I bought the iMac Apple almost immediately came out with new models. Same thing with the Macbook Pro. I do not care to repeat those errors.

It is infuriating when that happens. Check out
https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//#Mac

 

[maflynn]

Does anyone have any idea when Apple will be coming out with new models of the iMac and MacBook Pro? They seem overdue.

They're very over-due but we really have no idea. People are hoping that this fall, we'll see something. Since Kaby Lake (Intel's latest chipset) won't be out until 2017, who knows what apple will do

 

[theluggage]

I have a 6 year old iMac that has a failing screen and a 7 year old MacBook Pro that works fine with the latest operating system but is getting a slow.

As has been said - nobody really knows - the MacBook Pros are seriously overdue due an update, and if it doesn't come soon Macs are going to start losing credibility, but there's still the outside chance that Apple will wait for the next generation of Intel processors before making a big change. The 27" iMac and the 12" MacBook (if that floats your boat) are probably the most up-to-date.

You need to moderate your expectations about how much better any update is going to be c/f the 2015 models - processors are only improving incrementally these days. If you buy today and a new model comes out tomorrow its not going to turn the current model into a doorstop in terms of performance.

The big likely change is the shift to Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C - we don't know exactly how Apple are going to approach that but it would be quite typical for them to go the whole hog and drop everything except combined USB-C/TB3 connectors. The smart money is on USB-C (& maybe TB3) becoming the new, cross platform standard across PC & Mac so that should be great future-proofing, but I don't think the jury's in yet - especially on PC laptops/desktop stuff. USB3 (full size) peripherals won't be going away anytime soon - and I doubt TB1/2 stuff will vanish overnight. If you've got a lot of USB and Thunderbolt 1/2 stuff that you want to use, being an early adopter of TB3/USB-C might be a pain (Even TB3 -> TB1/2 needs a $100 adapter). Something to muse on when you're debating whether to buy or wait.

Have you put a SSD in your MacBook Pro yet? The switch to SSDs is probably the biggest single improvement in general speed and smoothness over the last 7 years. It won't turn your MBP into a new machine, but it might squeeze another 6 months out of it & leave you with a usable spare after that.

Summary: I really wouldn't buy a new MacBook Pro now but I might consider the current 27" iMac (but only consider the 2TB fusion drive or an all-Flash one) if the need was pressing.

 

[mtneer]

They're very over-due but we really have no idea. People are hoping that this fall, we'll see something. Since Kaby Lake (Intel's latest chipset) won't be out until 2017, who knows what apple will do

Well they could at least update to Skylake, the current gen that all other OEM's are shipping.

 

[mindgrowz]

It is infuriating when that happens. Check out
https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//#Mac

Thanks. I have been keeping an eye on this, and MacBook Pro is 1,500 days plus. Yikes.
[doublepost=1470584460][/doublepost]

As has been said - nobody really knows - the MacBook Pros are seriously overdue due an update, and if it doesn't come soon Macs are going to start losing credibility, but there's still the outside chance that Apple will wait for the next generation of Intel processors before making a big change. The 27" iMac and the 12" MacBook (if that floats your boat) are probably the most up-to-date.

You need to moderate your expectations about how much better any update is going to be c/f the 2015 models - processors are only improving incrementally these days. If you buy today and a new model comes out tomorrow its not going to turn the current model into a doorstop in terms of performance.

The big likely change is the shift to Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C - we don't know exactly how Apple are going to approach that but it would be quite typical for them to go the whole hog and drop everything except combined USB-C/TB3 connectors. The smart money is on USB-C (& maybe TB3) becoming the new, cross platform standard across PC & Mac so that should be great future-proofing, but I don't think the jury's in yet - especially on PC laptops/desktop stuff. USB3 (full size) peripherals won't be going away anytime soon - and I doubt TB1/2 stuff will vanish overnight. If you've got a lot of USB and Thunderbolt 1/2 stuff that you want to use, being an early adopter of TB3/USB-C might be a pain (Even TB3 -> TB1/2 needs a $100 adapter). Something to muse on when you're debating whether to buy or wait.

Have you put a SSD in your MacBook Pro yet? The switch to SSDs is probably the biggest single improvement in general speed and smoothness over the last 7 years. It won't turn your MBP into a new machine, but it might squeeze another 6 months out of it & leave you with a usable spare after that.

Summary: I really wouldn't buy a new MacBook Pro now but I might consider the current 27" iMac (but only consider the 2TB fusion drive or an all-Flash one) if the need was pressing.

Thank you. We will seriously consider the 27" iMac. We updated everything we could on the MacBook Pro except to SSD. I need to check out the prices.
[doublepost=1470584685][/doublepost]

They're very over-due but we really have no idea. People are hoping that this fall, we'll see something. Since Kaby Lake (Intel's latest chipset) won't be out until 2017, who knows what apple will do

Thanks. We may have to buy one this year, and the other next year. We have been Mac since 1986 and the average useful life is way beyond anything a PC could dream of. But 7 years is stretching it a bit.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Thanks. I have been keeping an eye on this, and MacBook Pro is 1,500 days plus. Yikes.

That is the non-Retina one though (with an optical drive). It's likely Apple are either going to discontinue it or never update it.

But yes, best to wait until the rest of the line is updated. As another poster suggested, it would be worth looking into upgrading your existing Mac with an SSD, if you haven't already.

 

[GizmoDVD]

It is infuriating when that happens. Check out
https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//#Mac

Follow the guide or...oh well. New models of everything one out all the time. If you are not an informed consumer the blame is on you.

 

[Andres Cantu]

It is infuriating when that happens. Check out
https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//#Mac

Yes, it is. So Apple wants to spread-out revenue more evenly in their quarters, yet they release everything in a single month. Makes no sense.

 

[shaunp]

I just bought a Dell XPS 15 as I was sick of waiting for the update. I have to say so far I'm impressed. The screen is very sharp, I prefer the keyboard to that on the rMBP and overall the machine is a nice size and weight. The trackpad isn't quite as good as the rMBP, but it's as good as a PC gets. I just love that I can put 32GB of RAM and put my own SSD's into a machine that weighs less than 2KG. I currently have 1.5TB of SSD in there. Perfect for a mobile VM lab.

I also have a 13" rMBP that I bought a couple of months ago as a stop-gap while I was waiting for Apple to get their act together, but events have taken over and I need a more powerful machine now. The rMBP will become the family laptop and a device for managing all the iPads, etc. If yo have to get a Mac laptop now, this is the one I would go for. It's fairly light and is a much better machine than the Air or the Macbook. If you can wait though, then wait. And if Apple don't deliver in October (with an announcement at least) then Dell's new laptops are great. Microsoft also make some good kit these days too.

 

[chscag]

And if Apple don't deliver in October (with an announcement at least) then Dell's new laptops are great. Microsoft also make some good kit these days too.

While I agree that Dell makes some good notebook computers, they still don't run OS X. Windows is Windows, regardless of what hardware it's running on.

 

[shaunp]

While I agree that Dell makes some good notebook computers, they still don't run OS X. Windows is Windows, regardless of what hardware it's running on.

And Apps are Apps - and that's the bit where I actually do my work, not the OS. I can run Photoshop, Lightroom and VMware on Windows. Sticking with OS X leaves me with crippled hardware choices.

 

[bopajuice]

I have a 6 year old iMac that has a failing screen and a 7 year old MacBook Pro that works fine with the latest operating system but is getting a slow. Does anyone have any idea when Apple will be coming out with new models of the iMac and MacBook Pro? They seem overdue.

When I bought the iMac Apple almost immediately came out with new models. Same thing with the Macbook Pro. I do not care to repeat those errors.

Just about all Apple products are a generation behind and playing catchup. I am so frustrated.
[doublepost=1470627744][/doublepost]

As has been said - nobody really knows - the MacBook Pros are seriously overdue due an update, and if it doesn't come soon Macs are going to start losing credibility, but there's still the outside chance that Apple will wait for the next generation of Intel processors before making a big change. The 27" iMac and the 12" MacBook (if that floats your boat) are probably the most up-to-date.

You need to moderate your expectations about how much better any update is going to be c/f the 2015 models - processors are only improving incrementally these days. If you buy today and a new model comes out tomorrow its not going to turn the current model into a doorstop in terms of performance.

The big likely change is the shift to Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C - we don't know exactly how Apple are going to approach that but it would be quite typical for them to go the whole hog and drop everything except combined USB-C/TB3 connectors. The smart money is on USB-C (& maybe TB3) becoming the new, cross platform standard across PC & Mac so that should be great future-proofing, but I don't think the jury's in yet - especially on PC laptops/desktop stuff. USB3 (full size) peripherals won't be going away anytime soon - and I doubt TB1/2 stuff will vanish overnight. If you've got a lot of USB and Thunderbolt 1/2 stuff that you want to use, being an early adopter of TB3/USB-C might be a pain (Even TB3 -> TB1/2 needs a $100 adapter). Something to muse on when you're debating whether to buy or wait.

Have you put a SSD in your MacBook Pro yet? The switch to SSDs is probably the biggest single improvement in general speed and smoothness over the last 7 years. It won't turn your MBP into a new machine, but it might squeeze another 6 months out of it & leave you with a usable spare after that.

Summary: I really wouldn't buy a new MacBook Pro now but I might consider the current 27" iMac (but only consider the 2TB fusion drive or an all-Flash one) if the need was pressing.

How sad is that? Apple is so far behind that they will have to skip a generation of processor and wait for the next big release to appear relevant and up to date?

 

[theluggage]

How sad is that? Apple is so far behind that they will have to skip a generation of processor and wait for the next big release to appear relevant and up to date?

Bit of perspective: the MacBook Pros are probably a few months behind when you compare like-with-like - which means, e.g. looking at the specific model, power-rating and graphics specs of the CPUs used. The "wait for the next generation" thing comes up because Intel have kicked off the hype for "Kaby Lake" before they've finished rolling out the complete "Skylake" range - and the same thing happened with the last generation.

The raw power of Skylake CPUs is only incrementally better than the last generation - and can easily be lost if you compromise on a lower-wattage processor or weaker graphics. Most of those nice Dell XPS13s have 15W/Intel HD graphics chips that put them more in Air territory - the top-end model with the 28W chip and "Iris" graphics that represents a clear upgrade over the MacBook Pro is a fairly recent addition. The XPS15s have plain old Intel HD integrated graphics (not so good) supplemented by a discrete GPU (good - but reduces battery life) - c.f. the rMBP 15s which all feature premium "Iris Pro graphics" which even the top-end model with the optional discrete graphics can use to save battery power.

Just to be clear here: I'm not saying that Apple's old CPUs are better than Skylake - just that there's no huge advantage to upgrading before the correct "like-for-like" CPU is available. As far as I know, all the chips are now available to bump the rMBP range so there's no excuse.

One thought, though - maybe with Kaby Lake (which has Thunderbolt 3/USB-C/USB3.1 on-board unlike Skylake which needs a discrete controller) Apple could produce a rMBP with *4* TB3/USB-C ports (2 on the CPU, 2 on a controller) - which would be more palatable if they're going USB-C only. Having been "stuck" with a 2011 MBP with only one Thunderbolt port, that would be worth waiting for...

 

[campyguy]

They're very over-due but we really have no idea. People are hoping that this fall, we'll see something. Since Kaby Lake (Intel's latest chipset) won't be out until 2017, who knows what apple will do

With a budget and need for a couple of laptops on either OS platform for work, I went with a couple of Dell Precision 5510s with the Xeon chip and Quadro GPU. So happy with them... Your turn, Apple?!?

As to Kaby Lake, Intel's recent Quarterly Earnings Call a couple of weeks ago included their CEO stating that Kaby Lake processors had already started shipping - whether they're the Core M- or Core i-Series, I didn't pay more attention. We'll know more after next week's IDF...

 

[shaunp]

Bit of perspective: the MacBook Pros are probably a few months behind when you compare like-with-like - which means, e.g. looking at the specific model, power-rating and graphics specs of the CPUs used. The "wait for the next generation" thing comes up because Intel have kicked off the hype for "Kaby Lake" before they've finished rolling out the complete "Skylake" range - and the same thing happened with the last generation.

The raw power of Skylake CPUs is only incrementally better than the last generation - and can easily be lost if you compromise on a lower-wattage processor or weaker graphics. Most of those nice Dell XPS13s have 15W/Intel HD graphics chips that put them more in Air territory - the top-end model with the 28W chip and "Iris" graphics that represents a clear upgrade over the MacBook Pro is a fairly recent addition. The XPS15s have plain old Intel HD integrated graphics (not so good) supplemented by a discrete GPU (good - but reduces battery life) - c.f. the rMBP 15s which all feature premium "Iris Pro graphics" which even the top-end model with the optional discrete graphics can use to save battery power.

Just to be clear here: I'm not saying that Apple's old CPUs are better than Skylake - just that there's no huge advantage to upgrading before the correct "like-for-like" CPU is available. As far as I know, all the chips are now available to bump the rMBP range so there's no excuse.

One thought, though - maybe with Kaby Lake (which has Thunderbolt 3/USB-C/USB3.1 on-board unlike Skylake which needs a discrete controller) Apple could produce a rMBP with *4* TB3/USB-C ports (2 on the CPU, 2 on a controller) - which would be more palatable if they're going USB-C only. Having been "stuck" with a 2011 MBP with only one Thunderbolt port, that would be worth waiting for...

For me the 16GB RAM limit is an issue with the current range. Technically they can support 32GB on that chipset, but Apple never implemented this. Skylake laptops often have a 32GB limit and sometimes 64GB. And yes some people do need this. I can't think of a single excuse for Apple not to have released a Skylake update to get around this issue with the existing form factor for the rMBP and then released a complete new machine next year. I've bought a Dell laptop for this reason as I can no longer afford to wait.

 

[iShater]

Wait until they release and buy the older generation to save $$.

Or just go to ebay or PowerMax and buy a decent used system and save lots of $$.

 

[Tech198]

How can Apple loose credit-ability if they don't release this October ? Users will still buy Mac's... More people may go elsewhere it there is no update, but that would be a small fraction. Why would the average consumer *need* Touch ID for example ? It would be quicker, but that is not to say "we must have Touch ID to unlock our Mac's"

False

 

[shaunp]

How can Apple loose credit-ability if they don't release this October ? Users will still buy Mac's... More people may go elsewhere it there is no update, but that would be a small fraction. Why would the average consumer *need* Touch ID for example ? It would be quicker, but that is not to say "we must have Touch ID to unlock our Mac's"

False

it won't matter to many, but these are your typical consumer users, of which are the majority I agree. However these consumers often ask advice on 'what should I buy' from those of us that are wanting a bit more from our machines and we know the hardware simply isn't a good deal right now. We also know that if an update isn't forthcoming or heaven forbid the mac and iPad lines are merged (migration from Intel to ARM for Macs) then we simply wouldn't recommend Apple to our friends any longer. The professional and enthusiast market may be a small proportion of the overall Apple sales, but we influence the masses.

 

[317342]

Well, the Surface Book issues made it obvious enough that Apple would [likely] wait for the Kaby lake over buggy, freezing Skylake.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

it won't matter to many, but these are your typical consumer users, of which are the majority I agree. However these consumers often ask advice on 'what should I buy' from those of us that are wanting a bit more from our machines and we know the hardware simply isn't a good deal right now. We also know that if an update isn't forthcoming or heaven forbid the mac and iPad lines are merged (migration from Intel to ARM for Macs) then we simply wouldn't recommend Apple to our friends any longer. The professional and enthusiast market may be a small proportion of the overall Apple sales, but we influence the masses.

As one of those people who gets asked about computers a lot, I would not hesitate to reccomend a current Mac to most people who would ask me. For almost all of them it will make no difference if they buy the current or next generation machines. I Might reccomend they go refurb, or try and get a deal from another vendor or even a used machine, but most people who need to ask people like me would not notice any spec bumps at all in their use of the computer.

I do in fact suggest a lot of them move to iPads for their internet shopping and media consumption. Yes we can influence sales as enthusiasts but there is no reason not to reccomend a current Mac for almost anyone who needs to ask.

 

[Razzerman]

Yes we can influence sales as enthusiasts but there is no reason not to reccomend a current Mac for almost anyone who needs to ask.

I would disagree with this statement. We, as 'enthusiasts', would be shooting ourselves in the foot by recommending a Mac from the current line up. If we say to people who ask us, 'sure, go by an imac, they're great', this will encourage apple to carry on thinking that there is no need to update their products, as consumers keep buying the old stuff anyway. And, probably quite selfishly, that's the exact opposite of what I want apple to think. Plus I wouldn't sleep very well either.

Cheers,

Razzerman

 

[Samuelsan2001]

I would disagree with this statement. We, as 'enthusiasts', would be shooting ourselves in the foot by recommending a Mac from the current line up. If we say to people who ask us, 'sure, go by an imac, they're great', this will encourage apple to carry on thinking that there is no need to update their products, as consumers keep buying the old stuff anyway. And, probably quite selfishly, that's the exact opposite of what I want apple to think. Plus I wouldn't sleep very well either.

Cheers,

Razzerman

Well if you advise other people depending on what you want I'm glad your not my friend.

 

[Razzerman]

I'm glad your not my friend

Well, what kind of friend would I be recommending overpriced, out of date products? And what a patronising friend I would be if I did, suggesting that 'it'll do for your needs'. If someone asks me, I don't advise them depending on my 'wants', but I do try and lay out the pros and cons, and let them decide.

Cheers,

Razzerman