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]
posted Sep 19th 2006 8:05AM
only to annoy people like you i guess.
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??)
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.
Heaven for me would be a 15" Black MacBook Pro with Core2Duo.
I am guessing a mid October release, no reason just a hunch.
I think they are just depleting inventory. With somewhere between 6-8 weeks of inventory a PROFITABLE manufacture just can't put in a new chip as soon as it's released. Apple doesn't follow they lead they do it there way. You can't make everyone happy all the time. You make the shareholders happy or the consumer... very hard to make everyone, especially engadget users Happy. Anyhow I'm still about $200 bucks short before I can afford a new macbook. I'm guess either later today or tomorrow they will be released... Aperture update and the new cameras will be out next week.
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.
Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why would you want that cheap plastic, non-backlit, no tactile feel pos keyboard?
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.
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.
I'm waiting for the 12" Apple laptop with long battery life without the heat. Pretty please?
I am frikkin praying that they do release them soon. I'm starting college in three weeks, and am looking to buy a MacBook. Would be sweet if they release them by the time i've started. but knowing my luck, they'll probably release them the day after i buy my one!
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.
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.
Patience. Isn't there another "event" coming up in the near future?
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.
if there is a bigger gap, i'd buy the more expensive one...
that's probably what others are thinking as well.
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"
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?
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.
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?
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.
@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.
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.
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.
Jaguar already happened.
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.
@Physical Original - Jaguar was released a few years back.
I, of course, meant leopard (damn kitties)
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!
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.
Actually two manufacturers. Lenovo hasn't launched yet either.
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.
So will this update only be for the MacBook Pros? Not for the 13.3" MacBooks?
it will prob will come out with lepord
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?
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.
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.
To Asad Hussain: Yes, you can take a Core Duo and replace it with a Core 2 Duo, assuming that Apple hasn't crippled the upgradability of the hardware or firmware in any way to prevent this. The chipsets are identical AND as I'm sure you read on Anandtech's site Intel is pushing the C2Ds.
To Motech (and others):
The switch is good since you get a faster CPU speed, better performace CPU and lower energy consumption for the SAME PRICE as a lower rated Core Cuo. This really is a very nice bump by Intel, and as mentioned earlier theya re agressively pushing this chip.
Not all manufactures have released C2D notebooks as of yet and Apple is certainly different than most computer companies. With so few overall choices for notebooks Apple can't easily move around it's inventory to make low grade configurations like Dell and HP/Compaq often do with their leftover stock.
NOTE: There is no free upgrade if they release a new model soon after your purchase. You know that Apple will be upgrading to C2D shortly so wait if you can, if you just to have to have one now then don't get pissed that when Apple moves it's technology ahead.
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.
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.
You could . . . if they weren't soldered on.
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.
Don't we all have enough processing power? Do work for Pixar?
What are you guys crunching anyways? Are the fanboys gameboys?
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.
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.
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?)
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
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.
I'm going to be buying my first macbook when 2 things happen:
-updated to core 2 duo
-non-glossy (15.4" :-D) screen