So, where the hell are our Core 2 Duo MacBooks?

The funny thing that happened when Apple decided to make the switch to Intel was they couldn't any longer espouse the merits of their typically non-standard processor architectures as, um, apples and oranges with PCs. In other words, Apple had to start keeping up with the jonses in a very flat, discernible, and easily quantifiable way: PC speed benchmarks (which were made even easier with Boot Camp). So yeah, you could say we find it a little odd that since being announced in late July (i.e. two months in real-life time, or six years in Engadget time) and shipping in August, we've yet to see only one prominent manufacturer neglect to launch some Core 2 Duo laptops of their own. So it's on shaky faith we tell you that the latest in an already irritatingly long line of C2D MacBook (Pro) rumors has Cupertino's entire line of laptops done with the damned upgrades, and company just waiting on the marketing department to line 'em up and knock 'em out. Of course, it would be market-suicide if they didn't launch these before the holiday season (unless they wanted to bundle them with Vista that is -- we kid!), so don't be surprised if you wake up to some new Apple laptops any day now.

[Thanks, Chris]

[blackout @ Sep 19th 2006 8:42AM]

only to annoy people like you i guess.

[Tito @ Sep 19th 2006 9:33AM]

For once, there was actually a period of a few days without one stupid Apple rumor. And you had to go and ruin it with this article... It'll be here when it's here. Like hUm said, nice article with no information. Must be a slow news day. (Wasn't this posted at 8:05 AM??)

[blackout @ Sep 19th 2006 8:12AM]

i know
i want a macbook,
but i'm waiting to see if the mbp gets redesigned/ core2duo

if it doesnt by january, i'll just get a macbook and be happy.

[Will @ Sep 19th 2006 8:14AM]

I am guessing a mid October release, no reason just a hunch.

[Ben @ Sep 19th 2006 8:15AM]

Heaven for me would be a 15" Black MacBook Pro with Core2Duo.

[blackout @ Sep 19th 2006 8:21AM]

if they re-do the mbp and make it with a macbook styled keyboard,
i'd buy one on the spot.

15 inch, or even the 12 inch that they now have missing.

[XiozTzu @ Sep 19th 2006 9:18AM]

Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why would you want that cheap plastic, non-backlit, no tactile feel pos keyboard?

[onebluehaze @ Sep 19th 2006 8:31AM]

sure hope they hurry up, looking to buy one in a few weeks... :
probably wouldn't make a huge difference for what I would be using it for, but it would be nice to have the current model for more than a week.

[Fitness @ Sep 19th 2006 8:38AM]

I'm waiting for the 12" Apple laptop with long battery life without the heat. Pretty please?

[Hammo @ Sep 19th 2006 8:50AM]

Why does it matter?

The Macbook is a great machine with the Core Duo installed. I would expect that it will NOT be upgraded to Core 2 Duo, to ensure a gap between MB and MBP.

[treetrunk @ Sep 19th 2006 9:19AM]

The whole point of the article is that NEITHER the MB or MBP have core 2 duo, while machines from other manufacturers do. Keeping a gap between models isn't the issue. Apple are behind the pack. Not that this is terribly surprising - they always have been - just now they can't use magic benchmarks to claim their processors are still 900% faster than Deep Blue, because they use the same processors as everyone else.

[Fred @ Sep 19th 2006 8:51AM]

Patience. Isn't there another "event" coming up in the near future?

[blackout @ Sep 19th 2006 8:56AM]

if there is a bigger gap, i'd buy the more expensive one...


that's probably what others are thinking as well.

[scinman @ Sep 19th 2006 8:56AM]

Way to make use of the newly achieved picture width. New design naysayers can observe the cool pic above to see why the new layout was worth the wait.

[Jacob Varghese @ Sep 19th 2006 9:13AM]

I've been waiting for this upgrade. I figure you should expect to keep a laptop for about 3 years. Considering Apple has already been creating 64 bit software, why would I want to be stuck with a 32 bit processor?

[Dr. Slump @ Sep 19th 2006 11:42AM]

It's going to be years before we see any consumer software that makes use of the 64 bit processor architecture. For now, there's not much advantage to having a Core 2 Duo.

[unsigned @ Sep 19th 2006 9:16AM]

@Fitness: No kidding. I moved from a 12" PowerBook to a 13" MacBook and pretty much hate it. The extra width is just irritating. I'm almost ready to dump the MacBook in favor of the MacBook Pro. The increased width is nominal and I get an express card slot and a real graphics processor(something I had in my PB). If they made a 12" again I'd buy a loaded model the moment it came out.

[TDEnterprises @ Sep 19th 2006 12:58PM]

I'm currently working on the 12 incher PB but if they do release a new version of it they better up the screen resolution. I'm currently waiting for the Core 2 Duo Macbook Pro at 15 inches but with the equipment of the 17 incher, Need the FW800 and Dual Layer burner. I definatly agree that the macbooks fault is the lack of graphics processor in the size of laptop people need.

[matthew House @ Sep 19th 2006 9:20AM]

Come on, guys! You've all been geeks long enough to know the deal: Apple does whatever they want pretty much.

Love it or hate (I love it, personally) Apple is nothing but a reflection of Steve Jobs. He's the last of the great captilaist icons in that he gets off on wielding power and doing his own thing. The truth is, he's actually much more business and profit-minded than he was with his first tenure with Apple.

That being said, Jobs is still extremely Howard Hughes-ish in his belief that his thoughts on things are far more important than shareholder considerations, press speculation, or pretty much anything.

[jps @ Sep 19th 2006 9:20AM]

apple has another "special event" schedualed for sept 25...the day before photonika (which is a huge pro photo event)

http://guides.macrumors.com/images/1/1b/Photokina.jpg

i am willing to bet, along with an update to aperture, that we will see macbook pro's with core 2 duos at this time, followed by macbook's with core 2 duo's before xmas sometime. any takers?

in other news, the second the core 2 duo mbp's come out. i will be ordering a 17"

[Dave Lehman @ Sep 19th 2006 9:37AM]

Is there a "free upgrade" time period before a model upgrade? If I order a MBP on Sept.24 and the new models are introduced the next day, will I get a Core2Duo version? What if I order, say, today?

[Kelmon @ Sep 20th 2006 5:09AM]

Yup, I'm expecting to see the update to the MacBook Pro line next week and I have the money ready for the baddest version that they announce (hopefully the 17" update will be released at the same time). I would not expect the MacBook to be upgraded at the same time but I've ended up having to eat my words a couple of times this year so I wouldn't bet money on it.

[Physical Original @ Sep 19th 2006 9:27AM]

I'm going to be buying my first macbook when 2 things happen:

-updated to core 2 duo
-Jaguar

when apple wants my money is entirely up to them at this point.

[Joseph @ Sep 21st 2006 12:52PM]

Jaguar already happened.

[Krzysiek @ Sep 19th 2006 9:34AM]

@Physical Original - Jaguar was released a few years back.

[Physical Original @ Sep 19th 2006 10:11AM]

I, of course, meant leopard (damn kitties)

[JG @ Sep 19th 2006 9:48AM]

Interesting... I ordered a MacBook last Friday to get an expiring student discount deal. My order status says the expected ship date is Sept. 26th... 1 day after the "special event" speculated by jps.

[Eugene @ Sep 19th 2006 11:16AM]

Hey, you're not the only one in that situation. I ordered on the 16th (last day of that free iPod promotion ;) and my expected ship date is Sept 27th.

I hope we both get a new/revised Macbook!

[JR @ Sep 19th 2006 11:20AM]

I ordered exactly a week before you and my expected ship date is today, exactly a week before yours. There's proabably just a standard estimated time.

[JEF @ Sep 19th 2006 9:57AM]

Actually two manufacturers. Lenovo hasn't launched yet either.

[friedriches @ Sep 19th 2006 10:11AM]

So, I just got my MacBook back from Apple after it started doing the random shut-down thing...

Powered it up, immediately crashed. Yeah, I'm a little ticked off. Apple can shove my MB up it's you-know-what.

I'm sending it back in again today. If they don't fix it this time, I'm asking for a refund. I had the thing for a week and it started dying. I need it for school. This sucks.

[Bert @ Sep 19th 2006 10:19AM]

So will this update only be for the MacBook Pros? Not for the 13.3" MacBooks?

[Andrew Paul Baisden @ Sep 19th 2006 10:36AM]

it will prob will come out with lepord

[Asad Hussain @ Sep 19th 2006 10:50AM]

Based on what I'm reading at Anandtech, wouldnt it just be possible to drop a T7400 2.16 Core2Duo in place of my T2600 2.16 CoreDuo and let er rip? Seems thats what theyre doing with Asus and Dell laptops sharing the same motherboard as the MBP, and having no problems at all. The system just recognized the new chip and adjusted accordingly. And as far as Apple specs go, the new chip requires LESS engergy and has the same heat rating (100 deg C). I know it'll void my warranty, but if I can do it, I'll forgoe apple care and upgrade my MBP with the same money. Any ideas?

[motech @ Sep 19th 2006 10:52AM]

the core 2 duo barely has any improvements over the normal core duo.
the thing im more interested in is the energy efficiency.

most mac users wont care either.
really - its barely an upgrade.

why waste the money on manufacturing changes?
this is already one of apples best selling laptops ever. . .

so maybe your advice about core 2 is just from
a keeping up with the jones standpoint,
where in reality, they can just skip that chip
and wait for something thats worth the $$.

and if you want to talk about the jones,
go look at the mac pros.

[SubGenius @ Sep 19th 2006 11:18AM]

I believe the delay has more to do with 802.11n
iTV will be using 802.11n and so it makes sense that it is going to be introduced first in their notebooks.
You don't want to launch a new product with unproven technology.
Getting 802.11n in MacBooks now will give them a few months to optimize them and get the bugs out.

[Asad Hussain @ Sep 19th 2006 11:24AM]

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=2808&p=1

There we go, I knew there was an article that said we could just drop in teh new chips. According to this our MBP mobos support the new Core 2 Duo chips, I plan on just swapping in a new chip and then selling my old one and eating the diff.

[Kenny @ Sep 19th 2006 4:03PM]

You could . . . if they weren't soldered on.

[your mom @ Sep 19th 2006 11:26AM]

they are, of course, waiting for the new airport extremes which are to be released the second week of november and utilize 802.11n. without the chips in the 'books for this they would just have to rev the line again. the timing is unfortunate, but it is, as they say, what it is.

[Physical Original @ Sep 19th 2006 11:41AM]

If they wait to get a whole set up upgrades such as 802.11n (which, I believe, is still on the drawing board *grouse*), C2D, and leopard then I'll be extra pleased when I upgrade. I would love to hear that the battery life is getting better, and maybe while they're at it they could increment upgrade the video cards (x1800 anyone?).

My iPod photo just died so I'm gonna need a new one at some point (I only have a mild addiction to my audiobooks). I would really appreciate it if they would add bluetooth to the damn things already.

[Duo @ Sep 19th 2006 11:50AM]

Don't we all have enough processing power? Do work for Pixar?
What are you guys crunching anyways? Are the fanboys gameboys?

[@ Sep 19th 2006 12:06PM]

Im a power user. I hate closing down applications when I boot up World of Warcraft. I need processing power and memory. I bought a laptop just before the the mactels were announced, so now I'm to the point where I can reasonably switch up.

[umijin @ Sep 19th 2006 1:27PM]

I think the real question is where the hell are the truly portable Apple laptops. 5lbs doesn't cut it in Japan or many other Asian countries.

[Steve @ Sep 19th 2006 1:46PM]

I think you may not see the core 2 duo upgrade done, at least not untill earily next year (March). I think what you'll see is the new 2core2duo, that's the chip intel just announce for first quarter next year, its a quad like amd's 4x4. The timing seems right, new OS, New wireless N and quad core.

[fak3r @ Sep 19th 2006 2:07PM]

My concern would be heat, the MBP are taking a beating by folks complaining of extreme heat, I wouldn't want the same thing in a MB. Perhaps the plastic of the MB wouldn't transfer as much heat as the MBP, but then more (or louder) fans would be in order, another thing I don't want in a MB! Really, this makes me think that a Pentium M might be a better fit (I know the perf wouldn't be the same, but if you're not looking for a desktop replacement, why do you want a desktop proc?)

[physorg @ Sep 19th 2006 2:20PM]

having used the MBP for various things I can tell you that its a very solid system. I didnt notice heat issues during normal usage, just while putting a lot of stress on the system (program-wise), but I wasnt looking for it either. There no reason to wait to upgrade to the core2duo, except to clear out current inventory, if it will reduce heat issues as its an incremental upgrade (nothing else on the system 'needs' upgrading to do this upgrade). I would be suprised if they were waiting for the core 2 quadros to do the next update. But I'm not buying until they at lease get the core 2 duos or better out, so I suppose for my dollar its better for them to wait so they can charge me more with the C2Q

[nicholas @ Sep 19th 2006 2:18PM]

A 12 inch Macbook Pro or a similar Tabletmac with real processors and graphics for that 30" Cinema Display would be my wish. I won't hold my breath!

BTW, I'd pay that extra couple of grand or so for 60 gigs of solid state storage and 4 gigs of ram. Thanks Steve!

[Doug @ Sep 19th 2006 2:26PM]

I am going to buy one regardless but I am waiting for the C2D MB to come out before I do...still waiting...damn you Steven!

[Picky @ Sep 19th 2006 2:26PM]

Dr. Slump, the Core 2 Duo is not about 64 bit processors. It is about multiprocessing with one hardware chip that holds two processor cores (hence the name).

A lot of software DOES use this and it will improve performance. Not to mention that the Core 2 Duo processor fits in the same motherboard as the Quad core chips, and the current MacBook chips.

In other words, they are just holding out on us. I agree with an earlier poster though, and I assume they are doing it to clear their inventory, but I think it was said because they are leaders not followers. I think it's because they are just kind of cheap.

I had been waiting to get a new MacBook with a Core 2 Duo, but the longer they put off releasing it, the sooner four core chips will be released, which is just going to delay me again. If it comes out in the next month, then I will probably get it, but any later and I will likely just wait it out for the Quad core with my Dell notebook and PC.

[Physical Original @ Sep 19th 2006 2:37PM]

Oh I almost forgot...


Avast! Who ye gots ta keelhaul ta get some grog around here?