almost ready to buy....

Alright, so now that wwdc is over and apple has not introduced merom in there notebooks should i go ahead and buy a macbook for college. What I dont want to happen is to buy now and on september 16th when the ipod deal is over have apple introduce a new and improved(no heat issues or other hardware issues) macbook. I could hold off buying a macbook and spend the first few weeks in university without a notebook. Do you guys think that it is likely for apple to release a improved macbook sometime in september. And how soon. I really want this purchase to go well it will be my first apple and first notebook!

 

Well, most feel that Macbook will be updated quite some time after the Macbook Pro.

Try your luck if you want to wait a bit longer, its really up to you, and how long your patience is. I personally just get something when I want it, I could play the whole game of waiting for the next big hardware update, but than I'd never get anything.

If you can go for a few more weeks, than by all means do so, but don't get your hopes up.

 

We are always playing catch up with tecnology. Apple will introduce Merom in its notebooks eventually. On the same chipset, performance seems to be around 10%-20% better at the same clock speeds, with the same battery life. Possibly with the new chipsets performance will be even better.

So it really amounts to how badly you need it now. I had the same doubt. I knew the Core 2 Duo were around the corner, I knew of the infamous 1st gen Apple problems (and my Macbook has 2 of them, it is very warm and it moos, but since I knew of these beforehand I don't feel spoiled), and I decided I would really like to have a Mac now, not in an undefined amount of time. It will get outdated, eventually - but then everything else will as well. It is pretty good as it is now, you must judge if that fits your expectations. If you will get annoyed by mooing or heat, or if you absolutely need 20% more CPU performance (or 64bit support, even if I doubt that will be useful in a notebook for a while), than by all means wait.

 

I agree on the "buy now and dont look back" thing because technology will never stop. But this is different. Macbooks suffer from some 1st gen quality issues. Weird noises, cosmetic defects, heat etc. All things that may leave you with a bad taste because Apple products should be better than this. So waiting may be the best thing to do.

Im ready to get back into mac but other than the quality issues, i just have that feeling a hardware update is right around the corner. Merom isnt too far away, and the vid card is underpowered for some of the cool leapard features. And also, its been months and the macbook costs the exact same price today as it did on launch (even with the same rebates) so im really stuck.

 

I say buy now

 

ya but with merom wont other upgrade come as well...like a new gma? and other new features and hardware that will work well with leapord? i think september is the longest i can wait. Would the upgraded macbook be out buy ealy/mid september? wen is the next big apple event? like macworld or sumthing?

 

There is no Apple event in the near future scheduled, although they may have one at anytime. I would go for it. There will not be a new GMA until Santa Rosa comes out next year, and I doubt the MacBook will get Merom anytime soon,

 

Isn't there one in September in Paris?

 

That's true I forgot about that one. I don't think they use it to announce many products though. As always with Apple you never know. I doubt a new MacBook though.

 

Actually, Apple has used it both for new products and significant product updates. I.e. they announced PowerBook G4 upgrades during the 2003 Apple Expo, and introduced the new iMac G5 during the Apple Expo in 2004.

I would actually expect Apple to announce Merom upgrades for the MBP prior to Apple Expo (since September 12th to 16th would be a few weeks later than other PC notebooks would start shipping with Merom).

A lot of people think that Apple Expo this year is perhaps the most likely time for them to actually make some significant announcements, especially in the area of new or updated iPods, and possibly the final unveiling of a movie store (especially if Apple is going to have any new stuff to release in time for the holidays).

-Zadillo

 

Also, just to say, if you're just getting a MacBook, I definitely wouldn't hold off. It seems really unlikely that the basic MacBook line will get Core 2 Duo processor upgrades anytime soon, and I don't think the kinds of stuff you'd typically use a MacBook for would make a whole lot of difference whether you had a Core Duo or Core 2 Duo in it.

In terms of the QC concerns, it does seem like the more recent MacBooks haven't had as many problems - and even in the worst case scenario that you do end up with one with problems, it seems like most people aren't having much difficulty getting replacements or fixes until things are working as they should be.

 

I was waiting until WWDC to see if the MBP would recieve any cpu upgrades.....nope. I need one for school at the first of Sept, so I went ahead and ordered one last night! Super excited. I went through the ADC student developer thing and saved around 20% since I didn't need a nano

I know there will be an upgrade, but I want some time with the notebok to see if has any problems before heading to school. Is a speed boost going to be noticable to me? I doubt it. This thing with fly through whatever I am going to be throwing at it.

Just order when your need of the notebook reaches a critical level. You won't be disappointed....I am pumped to recive that package in the mail.....can't wait....

 

It appears Apple will release both the MB and MBP with Merom in September.


http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/08/11/apple_macbook_to_get_merom/

 

I don't like people's mentality of "buy later, until the bugs are ALL fixed". Apple is going to release the next gen macbook a couple of weeks later when that happens.

 

It comes down to this, your MacBook will be as fast as the day after the new one comes out as it was when you bought it. It won't magically slow down. A CoreDuo is probably faster than 90% of people need at this point, so going to Merom won't show a huge difference in everyday stuff. Put it this way, you can't always chase the next great thing. Unless you got Bill Gates kinda money, then you can chase whatever you want!

 

the speed of the processor isnt really the issue. its more of the hardware upgrades (like a new gma), that will help with leapard. i just want to make sure that if I buy there wont be a upgraded computer to come out the next week. I would bite myself to not have waited. It seems like they are close to releasing something new. So I just think waiting is a good option right now. I have the patience. Then again if its very unlikely to be an upgrade i would be fine on buying now. I really like the look and components of the black macbook. Do you think they will upgrade the black one? like more ram? since its suposed to be the professional macbook?

 

So your feelling is to just accept products that dont work up to standard because waiting is for fools?

Apple has always been a company that rarely admits fault but quietly fixes its mistakes. Considering they've been surprisingly open with acknowledging faults like the scratch-tastic ipod or the yellowing keyboards then it would seem an updated rev.b unit is inevitable so that they don't have to keep fixing old problems.

 

Oh well, c'est la vie. By the time you buy rev. B, version 2.0 with merom is released and you'll "regret" your purchase.

Then, that version 2.0 will have its shares of problems. The vicious cycle begins again.