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Next Rev MacBook Pro???

eddx

eddx

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 12, 2005
231
0
Manchester, UK
So I have made the decision to buy a MacBook Pro rather than a MacBook for university in September. Hopefully going to get one of those new Cinema displays with iSights (rumoured) maybe in a year or two.

When should I buy my MacBook Pro. I would like (not necessary need) 8x dual layer DVD burner and Firewire 800 and at a cheaper price - definitely don’t want the 17inch, it HAS to be 15.4 inch MAX.

I was thinking of buying in the next three weeks, as I want a period of time before university to switch from windows to mac fully. I predict that a new rev. MacBook Pro will be out in August (at that big developer conference, when the MacPro should be realised). My friend who has a MacBook Pro told me to wait as there should be updates in July. The way I look at it, if this laptop was realised in January then 6 months on makes it July / August when the next version should be out.

Do you think waiting is worth it? I want it now but I can happily wait until July or beginning of August if the next rev. would be worth it. When is the WWDC??? I know it’s in August sometime.

What do you think? MacBook Pro in a month or wait till the next rev.
 
The OP is talking about buying a MacBook Pro. Personally I couldn't be bothered waiting the MBPs just got a speed bump and all the issues should be fixed by now so I ordered 1. I'm still staring out the window waiting for delivery. The MBP is the same as any computer though if you can wait you should wait... something better is always coming out. Or so they say, personally I'd rather be using it now than in a few months. ;)
 
Buy now

I highly doubt a revision in July; and if you mean by "revision" the Merom chips, it's even more doubtable.

Intel is sampling those now. And seeing that most PC Manufacturers are just now adopting Yonah in mass quantity, I don't think you'll see major revisions from Apple or anybody for that matter ... maybe a minor bump or two (which Apple just did by the way).

It's not a capability issue but a marketing one. WWDC will see new Powermacs .. at Paris, probably the true iPod video and Airport Express A/V, and a nano bump just in time for the holidays. Hopefully, an LCD update in between, but that's doubtable too.

Buy now if you need it. Don't lose time over a few hundred bucks.
 
I like this thread. I'm in the same boat. I also think I will wait just because I need a little more time to get the $, and hopefully there will be a new revision.

BTW, has Apple started correcting the amount of thermal paste that is being used on the chips?

- Steve
 
Well, I have the money but I think that they might drop the price, although saying that, they did just upgrade the MacBook Pro I wish from 2.0GHZ (dual core) to 2.16GHZ (dual core). Thats not much but could mean that they will not upgrade these machines until 1st quarter 07.

I would be annoyed if I waited and waited any no upgrades came, but I would be more annoyed if upgrades came and I hadn't waited.

If you want some background, I was original going to buy a first rev iMac 20 inch in September 2004, but my parents convienced me it was too expensive and to buy another windows box and wait till uni. Now nearly two years later I want my laptop, I have waited a long time and this is a very important decision, it HAS to last me the three years of my degree MINIMUM.

Anybody else got any tips or advice for me???
 
eddx said:
Well, I have the money but I think that they might drop the price, although saying that, they did just upgrade the MacBook Pro I wish from 2.0GHZ (dual core) to 2.16GHZ (dual core). Thats not much but could mean that they will not upgrade these machines until 1st quarter 07.

I would be annoyed if I waited and waited any no upgrades came, but I would be more annoyed if upgrades came and I hadn't waited.

If you want some background, I was original going to buy a first rev iMac 20 inch in September 2004, but my parents convienced me it was too expensive and to buy another windows box and wait till uni. Now nearly two years later I want my laptop, I have waited a long time and this is a very important decision, it HAS to last me the three years of my degree MINIMUM.

Anybody else got any tips or advice for me???
Click to expand...

buy now and be done with it. You're only going to lose time, torture yourself with circular arguments, etc. all to save a few hundred bucks. No machine will "last" for three years if you want the latest and greatest. It's about usage, not boasting rights to specs. The MBP's are terrific. Buy it!
 
I think that the chance of a july update are slim to none.

However, I do think that August and September holds a lot of promise, if you're willing to push the time envelope a bit.

August holds the release of the Merom processor, a 64bit up from Yonah's 2x32bit, better power management, and slightly faster. Someone said earlier that a speedy switchover from Yonah to Merom was unlikely - I disagree. Dell is already announcing desktops using Conroe, I can't imagine Merom is far behind. And if other companies are pushing for a fast chip switch, everyone must. We're not comparing apples-to-oranges like we were with ppc, it's an easy numbers comparison. Once a few laptops are announced with Merom, Apple can't afford to be left too far behind. While it is possible that everyone will hold out till Q1, I don't think it's probable. I would expect to see the next MBP revisions around a month or two after Merom hits the markets. In addition, after the Core 2 Duo line begins release, the Yonah chips will get a price drop from intel - this savings may or may not be passed on to consumers.

My advice? Wait as long as you possibly can. Better things are just around the corner, and wouldn't hate to be the guy who got a 1.83 gHz MBP just before the speed bump? New and better things are always happening, even if they're not announced as major releases. Quality control improves the comps with each passing week and problems/bugs are taken care of. late july/august also sees more special deals for back to school. So, just bite your lip and wait some more.
 
I thought about waiting, but in and of itself I think the MacBook Pro is a great machine, regardless of what might come out in the near future. Something is always in the pipeline that'll make your machine look outdated an obsolete, so I choose to enjoy what I've got now.

My MacBook Pro is the best computer i've owned, and I couldn't be happier with it. I'm not worried about what is coming out next, because I'm happy with what I've got. :)
 
I'm in the same boat (it's turning out to be a pretty big boat), and I have to say: WAIT. All these people who say "buy now" are evil temptress fun-suckers. The 15.4 MBP hasn't really ever had an update... I don't know why people keep on referring to the recent price drop as a speed bump - all those processor speeds were already avaliable in the unit.

I'm quite sure that soon enough, a 15.4 MBP with FW800 and a dual layer burner will be released. You don't want to be stuck with a lamezor superdrive for three years... and all this stuff about the 15.4 being too small to handle the drive is bollocks.

When they release a 2.33Ghz, then it's time to buy.
 
So .17GHz is worth the wait? I personally don't think it is (or was, in my case). We can speculate all we want about what we think the Rev B mbp's will have, but we have no way of knowing.
 
You're going to wish that had switched before school started so you can get familiar. I switched in may before school began in august of 04 as a business major, my friend switched in the 1st week of August of the same year as a Comp Sci major, and for the 1st 2 months was asking me little quirks of Word, entourage, itunes, etc.
 
i would skip the pro altogether for the time being. buy a macbook. it has most of the capabilities of the pro, more than enough for university, is much cheaper, and is only going to see speed bumps, not major upgrades, for some time.

take good care of it. if the MBP genuine upgrade happens soon, sell the MB, and you will only be out a few hundred dollars, but you will have a great computer in the meantime. more likely, the upgrade won't be for a while, and you will find the macbook is more than enough, and very slick.

full disclosure: i am not following my own advice, i am waiting for the real upgrade on MBP, but then I already have a tibook that is limping along just fine. but i really want a MBP. for me, however, waiting until both merom and Photoshop UB makes the most sense.
 
btw, eddx, i liked your photographs on your webpage.

only question is, isn't it ever sunny over there??
 
I feel that the MacBook specs are very good for the price. Unless you really need a bigger screen, go for the MB.
 
If you want a MacBook (Pro or non-pro) and not loose to much money while owning it, get a white MacBook. You will loose a lot less if you sell it in the fall to get an updated one, than if you bought a MBP.

If you want to wait for a MBP update, be prepared to wait until november or longer. If a MBP is not out in september, will you still wait?
 
I would recommend waiting till early August for the student offers, there should be an undate by then plus you'll get it cheaper!
 
steve jr. said:
BTW, has Apple started correcting the amount of thermal paste that is being used on the chips?
Click to expand...

That's what I was wondering. Doesn't Apple read these forums? It seems to me, that would be the smart thing for them to do. :cool:
 
jaydub said:
I thought about waiting, but in and of itself I think the MacBook Pro is a great machine, regardless of what might come out in the near future. Something is always in the pipeline that'll make your machine look outdated an obsolete, so I choose to enjoy what I've got now.
Click to expand...

Jaydub here has the right idea. Honestly.

Who cares whether you have the 2 Ghz or 2.16 Ghz machine. In 1 year, the difference is going to be so small that you'll be laughing at yourself for even worrying about the 0.16 GHz difference in speed. And look at benchmark tests........the performance difference is there, but very very very very small.

And if you're worried about all this silly "obsolescence" bull, all the current models will be obsolete at around the same time, whether it's the 1.83 Ghz MacBooks or the 2.16 GHz MBPs.
 
I echo another poster- if the rumours aren't true, and august doesn't bring forth a rev. B, what will you do then? What if it becomes late september? At some point you have to buy a computer that will probably not be on the bleeding edge of technology after 7-12 months. Personally? I'd buy a macbook. Sell it when rev. B comes out. That way you're not playing the guessing game, and going off of rumors. As a fellow soon-to-be switcher, I think you'll want time to adjust to the OS.
 
Just like most of the people in this thread, I'm in the same boat as well. I'm all for buying in mid-to-late July to get the extra education discount and having a full month & a half to get used to my first Mac before college. Also, I really don't care about an extra 0.16ghz or future price reductions.

However, the one thing that I'm debating about waiting for is the 64 bit capabilities that Merom will bring us. I plan on keeping this laptop for 3 years - until Apple Care runs out - and don't want to be held back from certain future features of the OS or new (non-math & science related) applications just because I couldn't wait 1 more month to get a 64 bit processor. I know it's impossible to know for sure, but does anybody think something that significant will be offered exclusively to 64 bit users in a 3 year time frame?

Regardless of how long it takes for Merom, I MUST buy in mid August at the latest. So the only scenario (for me, at least) that will make it worth waiting for is if Merom MBPs are readily available at WWDC. Any advice for my situation? Thanks in advance for your help!
 
AF443XM said:
Regardless of how long it takes for Merom, I MUST buy in mid August at the latest. So the only scenario (for me, at least) that will make it worth waiting for is if Merom MBPs are readily available at WWDC. Any advice for my situation? Thanks in advance for your help!
Click to expand...

Be careful about waiting on ordering. If a new rev is introduced, its shipping date will be a bit out, and you run the risk of getting/not getting your machine when school rolls around. Besides, as many posters have mentioned, I'm sure that the "Powermac" will receive an update before any other line, and its unlikely that there will be a MBP and Mac Pro update at the same conference.
 
The Meron will be out in August or September, so its kind of risky waiting. I assume you want a computer by the beginning of the school year.

However, one important thing - I predict that we will see many more speed bumps from Apple than previously, as it has to continue to maintain speed parity with the PC world. So even if the MBP isn't reved before August, it could definitely be bumped to, say, 2.33 or 2.5 ghz. Which means that you would still benefit by waiting.

I say, just wait until late July and the picture will be a little clearer hopefully.
 
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