Leopard, To Wait Or Not To Wait?

Ugh! Apple is delaying its release of Leopard OS until October of this year. But you already knew that...
I was anticipating on buying the Macbook by the end of June. However, I just learned about Leopard and is contemplating whether or not to wait. SHOULD I?!?!?!?! I will be entering University in September and would love a Macbook by at least September if I don't get it for the summer...
And will prices be higher for the macbook because it's integrated with Leopard now?

 

If you need it by September, it's pretty simple: DON'T WAIT

You can always buy Leopard afterwards if you want to have the latest OS.

 

The price of the MacBook isn't going to change, and it's not going to include Leopard if you buy one in September anyway.

The academic price of Leopard should only be about $69 or so (and possibly less, if your university has a special deal on it). I don't see any harm in getting the MacBook now.

If you do decide to wait til September though, it's possible the MacBook might be updated by then (or they could possibly wait til October to do an update to coincide with Leopard).

 

I'd prefer it for September but I don't need to have it by then because I have another laptop at home that I can use until then.

 

So, then yeah..... if you don't mind using the laptop you already have, and you don't want to pay $69 extra for Leopard, the safest bet would be to wait for Leopard to ship and buy a MacBook with it (which would also likely come with iLife 07).

It's also very plausible that by October, the MacBook could have a more significant update/revision (the previous update last month was basically just a slight spec boost to CPU, RAM and Hard Drive to keep with the times).

 

Yeah, didnt jobs say he was actively trying to move the entire line of notebooks to LED back lighting before '08? Theirs a chance it could get a update for that to go with the release of leopard. That would be worth waiting for in my opinion.

 

Yeah, forgot about that.

You're right, he had said the plan is to have LED-backlighting across the board by the end of this year (I'm not sure how that will work with the larger displays though, as I don't think there are any panels larger than 15.4" right now).

There had already been rumors a while ago about Apple getting a bunch of 13.3" LED-backlit screens, which would seem to be either intended for MacBooks, or for the long-rumored 13.3" MacBook Pro.

 

If you are being realistic, you will need a new laptop before college starts. You want to make sure you know how your new laptop works, have all your needed programs installed, etc. If you are going to switch during the academic year, you will have to mess with all that stuff during your precious time that you will be spending on studying/partying/going to class, plus moving all your files.

It's your choice in the end, but if the idea is to get the laptop for college, you are best off having one before the year actually begins.

 

Will upgrading to Leopard be a nightmare like the upgrade to Vista was? I am new to the mac and this is a concern of mine. Thats why I just bought a mbp with the top specs now so I could be assured that I wont have a hardware issue when I upgrade. I still feel the Pain of my vista upgrade.

 

I'ld wait for the Leopard. Why bother upgrading? It's a waste of time. If you're buying a laptop, almost everyone knows that something new happens every 6 months.

These are the questions you need to answer yourself when buying a desktop or laptop.

1.) Do you really need it NOW?
2.)If you know if the price is going to drop, why bother to buy it NOW?
3.) Is it necessary for you to get something new before anyone else does? ( I Hope not.lol)
4.) Can you wait for desktops/notebooks to have better parts?

The reason behind of why the Leopard is being delayed because apple is needing its OS crew to help with the iPhone. The iPhone will have the Tiger OS X 10 on it. So you can use safari, ipod, etc etc. They're spending more time on the iPhone than the Leopard because the iPhone is very sophisticated.

 

i agree. i bought my MBP 2 months before school ended and it was a pain in the assto move all my files and get all the settings the way i wanted it. especially because i had exams to study for.

 

true that. And if you forget to transfer important files over that is even worse. Many prof's do not give you leeway on that excuse anymore.

 

They gave no time table for the move to LED. As I recall Jobs said they would move to LED as it became feasible. As for other hardware upgrades, they may come before Leopard, but don't be surprised if they don't. Apple finally has good separation between the MB and the MBP, they may want to keep it that way.

As for Leopard, I blame this on Vista. Vista was a rather hefty upgrade in terms of the hardware required to run it. Understand that XP is 6(?) years old, so the hardware requirements are very different. Tiger is only 2 years old, so the hardware requirements won't be much different. So as far as the experience, any modern Mac should run Leopard no problem. Also, Vista seems to run much better pre-installed vs. being upgraded. Lastly, Leopard is not nearly as hard on the wallet as Vista, so there won't be a huge savings.

Basically, if you are going to wait, wait for new hardware, not Leopard.

 

But what is the conclusion then??
That if we need a new laptop (or maybe our first latop ever), by August for school.. should we then wait 'till october and buy one with Leopard built in and maybe an updated version of the MBP and MB?? or maybe buy one now and just upgrade to Leopard in october??

Is it sure that the MBP and MB laptops will be upgraded before October?
What I mean is, that you can wait and wait, because there will always be someting new coming..

 

The MBP, being just updated last week, is unlikely to see another one in just barely a month. They were referring to the MacBook.

The conclusion is...if you need a new laptop by August for school, get a laptop by August - in fact, start shopping around now because depending on the parts you customize it with, shipping may take a month or more.

Then, when October rolls around you can buy Leopard and install it.

 

If you need a new laptop by August for school, you should buy either the MacBook (for $1099-1399 depending on model with educational discount) or the new MBP (for $1799 or $2299 with discount). There definitely won't be another MBP update by then, and it isn't likely there would be a MacBook update (but it's possible).

Best to buy what meets your needs now and pay another $69 in October to upgrade to Leopard (if you want to, of course - it isn't like you'll have to upgrade to Leopard)

 

I too was referring to the macbook.. so you guys would recommend to buy one now, get used to it and transfer all files..?? instead of having to deal with that in august..??

You know what.. you guys just saved my summer..

MacBook, here I come !!!

 

Well, by "now" - we basically mean, however early you need to order so that you will have the laptop in your hands, ready to go, and familiarized by the beginning of the school year.

 

This is really offtopic, I know.. But I would really apreciate your help on this on?

Now I just came to a thinking..
The situation lies like this. I would really like to have a MacBook, "but" I have to commute a full three hours every day, by train. That, of course, involves doing a lot of homework, at my MacBook, in the train. My questions is then. What color will suit me best?
I know it's a matter of taste, but at this point I'm kind of crossed. The black MacBook will (I think) not become as dirty as the white, which will (I think) becom really dirty in a matter of weeks, and then the "cool factor" of a white MacBook lies behind. Where as the black MacBook is, in my point of view, too ordinary.
Would you guys go with a black one just because it's more practical??

Oh and by the way, I hope I'm in the wrong forum area.

Thanks in advance

Sander

 

The white MacBook has a glossy finish, it can't really get "dirty" (and as for the interior, this can easily be prevented with something like the Marware Protection Pack).

The black one is susceptible to fingerprints/grease/etc. that can be fairly noticeable against the matte black finish.

 

Zadillo, you are one of the MOST patient I have ever "met" at a forum..

Thanks a lot for your answer.

Do you have a MacBook, in that case, what color is it? are you satisfied with that color?

 

I don't currently own a MacBook. I briefly owned a C2D MacBook, and liked it a great deal, but decided I really wanted the extra screen res and GPU of the MBP.

The MB I owned was a white one (at the time I bought it, the price disparity between the white and black one was much larger than it is now), and I liked the color just fine.

Personally though I also do like the look of the black MacBook (I was only cautioning that the black one has the possibility of showing fingerprints and grease, etc. so it also needs to be cleaned up). As a long-time Mac fan, I was glad to see them do a black MacBook because it is the closest thing in a while to the old black PowerBooks....... Apple's PowerBook line had been black prior to the introduction of the titanium PowerBook G4 in 2000. Personally I always liked the look of black PowerBooks; not a big deal now, but at the time they were also more distinct because a lot of PC laptops were beige or grey.

-Zadillo

 

Okay. Is there actually a big difference? I mean, I'm going to use my MacBook for school and internet and sort of things.. is it then nice to have the extra screen res?

So if you were to choose between a BlackBook or WhiteBook, you would take a BlakBook? or shall I stand corrected?

 

I would say the only difference that matters to most people is the gpu & screen size. If you plan on using the Macbook for normal usage I would say its sufficient enough for you. You can probably even do some light gaming on it as well.

As for color go for the white one, the black one isn't worth it.

 

Well, I just finished wathing the WWDC '07 keynote.. Will I be able to play the games that were mentioned? (Command & Conquer 3, Need For Speed; Carbon and Madden 08)

Why the white macbook? what are your reasons?

 

thanks everyone for your input
and others that chose to use my thread for your own purpose lmao

i've decided to wait because it made sense to just use the laptop i already have for a month after school starts and then switch in october AND GET LEOPARD WITH IT
i also decided to wait so i dont have to go through upgrading for 69$
also i like the earlier comments about possible new upgrades with the LED's and what not
plus it wouldn't hurt to have extra time to save up money right now
last but not least im waiting so i wont be in doors addicted to my macbook during the summertimes

 

white is beautiful im definitely getting the white
plus you cant see your finger prints on them!

 

I'm sorry that I "stole" "your" thread, I really am. And I just want you to know that I didn't mean to, in any possible way.
But as you, I too was in the same "problem" as you were. Should we wait or should we go for it.?
You went for the "wait" option, and I am going for the "Go for it" option, which is the only reason I can think of, as to why a brought this thread one step further.

So, A.Woods, I hope you will accept my apology and will not take it personal.

One more time, I'm sorry.

 

haha are you being sarcastic? because i really don't mind that you did...
i was joking

annnnnnyway....... well i shared my reasons why i'm waiting
why are you in such a rush to buy a macbook now?

 

I've asked myself this question many times before and I finally came to the conclusion that I just dont think the MBP is worth it. I wanted an Apple notebook for music, web browsing, & 3D rendering so of course people suggested the MBP but after researching on my own I found out the Macbook is sufficient enough for my needs.

If you going to play any of those games that you mentioned I think you should consider purchasing the MBP. The Macbooks integrated gpu isnt strong enough to handle any of todays games. When I meant "light gaming" I was taklin about CS 1.6, WoW, & Halo 1, sorry I'll be more specific next tmie.

 

Those games are probably not going to run well with the MacBook's GMA950 graphics, I don't think. Frankly I don't know that they'd run that well if you booted into Windows with Boot Camp either.

The color issue is really more about personal preference at this point. It used to be that there was much more of a premium for the black version (i.e. the black MacBook cost an additional $150 than a similarly configured white one). Now it is only like a $50 premium over a similarly configured white model though.

But personally though, if I were prepared to spend $1399 on a black MacBook, I'd look to try and come up with a bit more to get the $1799 base model MacBook Pro, just because of the difference in power (and the MBP is only .2 pounds heavier than a MacBook).

 

No I'm not sarcastic. I really mean.. I'm sorry.. because, you know, I just fell into it, so to say.. but then again i'm glad that you weren't that serious

well and, of course, I accept you choice(s)..
actually, I'm not really rushing into it.. I will first be able to buy the WhiteBook, end of july, so on one hand that's waiting, on the other hand I really need the WhiteBook, because I've never ever used a Mac before (I live in Denmark, in a small town, so I can't just go to the local store a check out a MacBook.. unfortunatley..) so I would like to get used to it before school, be prepared for my new High School and that sort of thing..
And my opinion is, that there will be so many hardware changes all the time, so if I wait 'till october, there will maybe come an update in december/jan.. In my world, I could wait 'n wait 'n wait, and there would always be something new to wait for.. but that's my opinion..

 

No need to be sorry.. I just didn't think of those games, because I don't play games, at all (not yet though)

Yes, the color is personal preference. Of course it is.. I was just looking for good and bad experiences with both colors..

You are absolutley right on the last on, but I still doubt that I will be able to use a 15" screen laptop at a 12" deep table, on a train, two hours a day? I may stand corrected, but the ordinary MacBook might not fit there at all either..

 

Yeah, I don't know. You'd probably be OK, but it would probably involve having the laptop hanging a bit over the table, so you could lean the lid back comfortably.

The depth of the MB vs. MBP isn't all that different. The MBP itself is 9.6 inches deep, while the MacBook is 8.92 inches deep. I don't think there'd be a huge difference in depth, frankly as far as using it on a 12" deep table.

In terms of the two different colors of the MacBook, the big thing to keep in mind is that the white model has a glossy finish on the outside (matte white on the interior); it will show fingerprints, etc. but they are only really noticeable in certain lighting conditions.... and they are easy to wipe off). The black model has a matte finish inside and out, and can also show fingerprints, although again they're mainly noticeably only up close and from certain lighting conditions. Sometimes over long periods of time the trackpad will become "shiny" where you use it a lot.

The glossy white one is probably more susceptible to "microscratches", although these can normally be polished out, etc. and can be minimized by using a case, etc.

-Zadillo

 

Yes, that might be the only solution..

The "problem" about the country i live in, is that the 2.2 MBP (with iWork) costs a whooping.... hang on.... 2750 $
and the BlackBook with 2GB ram and iWork a whooping 2350 $!!!
That's the catch here in Denmark..

How is the MBP to work with, in class, in the bed, in the garden, in the living room? Does it Get hot,? Is there enough battery life? (more than 3-4 hours?)
What about scratches?

 

Yeah, I've heard that....... crazy crazy prices.....

Generally speaking I've found the MBP (only used the previous gen, but most applies to the same now) is still possible to use on a classroom desk, in a bed, etc. (although in bed, I like to combine the MBP with the iLap: http://www.raindesigninc.com/ilap.html )

These laptops don't get too hot, but over a period of time they can get warm enough that it can be uncomfortable on bare skin..... and depending on what you're doing, they can get hot enough on the bottom that you would want to stop using it, which is why I like something like the iLap).

Battery life is usually fine............. around 4-5 hours (especially with the new models, which gain some extra life thanks to the LED-backlit screen).

One thing I like about the MacBook and MBP both is that the power adapters are very well designed; it's a small thing, but they are very compact, and they have "flip out wings" that the chord is designed to wrap around....... the power outlet prong flips inside the adapter, and the MagSafe adapter on the other end is also very small.... and finally, the chord itself is thinner than what I've seen on most of my PC laptop adapters. Essentially, it makes me not mind carrying the power adapter around with me as much as I did the bigger ones that have come with previous laptops I've owned like a Toshiba P105 and a Sony SZ.

 

Um I'm considering getting a macbook but I too face the same issue that others in this thread face. I start school some time during August and I really want a macbook BEFORE school starts. So I'm wondering, I mean I could try to wait for leopard to come out but I'm not sure what my course load will be like. I want to get a computer for multitasking (i.e. web browsing, instant messaging, iTunes, and probably something cool like garageband). I can't exceed like $1100.

Anyway, I was wondering, the price to upgrade from 80GB 5400RPM to 120GB 5400RPM on Apple's site is $75. But, on newegg, I can get a 120GB 5400RPM hard drive for $75 and then buy an external hard drive enclosure for $11. So do you guys think I should pay the extra $11 or just upgrade from apple?

 

It's actually quite funny how I get more and more hooked on the MBP.. And I can deal with the crazy prizes. though I'm only 15 I have a work which will give me between 400 and 500 $ in the first week of july.. so I'll just have to work my butt off, and then buy a MBP when I get my paycheck the 31st of july.. (school starts 14th of august.)

I trust you on that one.. actually I've drawn both the MB & MBP on big piece of paper, and the difference isn't as big as I thought in the forst place.. I'm quite confident that the MBP will suit my needs and more, which will mean that it last more than 2 years, which is great.

The battery life may also be improved because of the move to Santa Rosa, right?
I saw that system on the internet, and it looks sleek.. and as you said the cord(s) are really thin. that's also a positive thing about apple (and Mac).. They have some really great solutions for small annoyances.. (thank you Apple)

Have you guys ever thought about going back to Windows, full-time??

 

Just play it safe and get a MacBook now; you won't have to get Leopard right away, and if you decide to, it's only going to be another $69 or so (or less if your school has a special deal).

Might as well get the hard drive and external enclosure from newegg. Replacing the hard drive in a MacBook is incredibly simple.... see this video:

http://eshop.macsales.com/tech_center/index.cfm?page=Video/macbook/macbook/high.html

Certainly worth it since you end up with with an external drive which will come in handy for backups, etc.

 

Yeah, if you actually stack them up on top of each other, they aren't that much different in size (and the MBP is actually slightly thinner).

Santa Rosa might contribute some battery savings, but I doubt all that much.......... the LED-backlit screen is probably having a more noticeable impact.

I am actually currently Mac-less right now, so I only have XP at home currently, and I use OS X at work (although on a slower PowerPC G4-based Mac). As soon as I do get a new MBP though, I'll spend as much time as I can on OS X, and probably only use Windows when I need to (I plan on installing Vista on the MBP though, and at least using it for Office 2007 and probably some gaming at least).

Although I've primarily been using XP at home for a while now, if given a choice I'll always choose OS X. Just like the experience more, and I like a number of Mac-specific apps and utilities (BBEdit, Coda, Transmit, Quicksilver, etc.).

 

That's right.. and pretty cool too.. I think..

well okay.. at my house we only run windows, so I'm about to bring new life to the family, so to say.
And as far as games go, I'll not really be playing any.. And that is where my brain tells me: "Hey.. why spend 300 dollars on a slightly
bigger laptop with a .04 faster processor, led backlit display, santa rosa and a aluminum casing?"
i come to doubt when i think through what i will be using the laptop for.. I ubviously won't be playin' no games.. I will be doing 4 hours of homework a day, watch a dvd every weekend, surf the internet, organize and edit pictures, making at least one homemovie, listen to and organize about 30 gb of music and chatting alot.. that's what I'll be doing with it.. plus i'll be in a train for over two hours a day, and in a cross-atlantic plane for at least one time per year.. based upon that, would you then recommend the MBP or white MB with 2 GB of ram?

 

um basically if you have no need for a graphics card- there is no need to spend the extra grand.

for "homework" (i assume that means writing papers) watching dvd movies, internet, basic picture editing, music, chatting- those are macbook tasks

with 2 gigs of ram, you can make that one home movie without too much trouble.

your macbook battery will last 2 hours easy. your battery will not last a cross atlantic flight. but if you only have to make that trip once a year (both ways, i assume) you can buy a book or a plane power adapter thing (i think those exist)

 

4 hours of hmwk?! and you're only going into highschool...
i never spent more than 2 hours ever...... maybe that's why i'm doing so bad
but i got into university nonetheless, ha.

and my friend just recently bought herself a macbook and said her battery life is 6 hours..
so lasting 2 hours should not be a problem whatsoever

 

Based on that, I think you'd be just fine with the MacBook (might consider buying the RAM separately, as that might be cheaper).

 

Yeah, Apple makes a MagSafe Airline Adapter:

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=MA598Z/A

 

Hey Zadillo do you think you could help me find an external hard drive enclosure that's compatible with the hard drive in the macbook? My only requirements are that it be as cheap as possible, as simple as possible and white to match the macbook and hopefully my parent's new computer, an iMac.

 

Well, I've slept on it and I thought of a factor that may contribute to my decision of buying the laptop now.
We have until the 16th of September, I believe? to buy a Macbook and get an Ipod Nano with the education discount...
Well, I've already made two deals with two different people that if I were to buy the Macbook, I would sell them the Ipod for only $100...

I can save that $100 for October to upgrade to the Leopard if it will only be $69........right?? smart decision?

ANNNNNND...
I didn't know you can only use your education discount once a year (or something)..?!
Can I get some else to confirm this?

Because I can't believe it!

 

That's also my thought.. And as Zadillo wrote, that Airline thing isn't a bad thing either..
About the battery.. I will actually be able to have an outlet near me almost all of the time.. In the train at school at home (except when I am in the garden )

Yea, it sounds kinda of crazy and it is, but I know I will be spendin 3 hours at least, because I have to ride a train for 3 hours every day.. and

Now I'm curios.. first you go to elementary school, then you go to middle school and then comes high scchool.. But what are your possibilities after high school?? College?? University? what is the difference between College and university?

and about the battery... the longer, the better

But will a person, like me, that has no experience what so ever with installing anything on computers, be able to do that

Tha's a cool thing though..

Sleeping on a problem is always good I give you that one..
that is really a great decision..
If I lived in the US I would have done that too..

Regarding the education discount, I've got no idea??
I hope it isn't true though..

 

Yeah, replacing the RAM (and hard drive for that matter) on the MacBook is very simple. You just take the battery out, loosen the screws in the plate that covers the RAM and hard drive and remove it, pop out the old RAM (has little arms to help push it out for you) and stick in the new RAM.

This video shows what the process is like:

http://eshop.macsales.com/tech_center/index.cfm?page=Video/macbook/macbook/high.html

 

You shouldn't need anything special really; any enclosure designed for 2.5" SATA hard drives should work. Not sure about a white enclosure though. Haven't seen many recently in that color.

Personally I like OWC's On-The-Go Mercury enclosures, which are transparent:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/MOTGSU2/