Apple's MacBook and MacBook Pro quietly updated

The rumors were rampant about the pending upgrade; now the deal is done. The Apple MacBook has finally moved to the Santa Rosa architecture with a healthy GMA X3100 video bump from the lethargic GMA 950 of yore. Available now starting at $1,099 for the 13-inch, 80GB, 2GHz white model on up to $1,499 for the 160GB, 2.2GHz black variety of hard-posing laptop.

Update: The MacBook Pro can now be configured with an optional 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo for a $250 premium over the previous 2.4GHz flag-ship configuration.

[Via MacRumors, thanks Sam]

[JJ @ Nov 1st 2007 5:28AM]

Wow!
Finally!

[pkilla @ Nov 1st 2007 6:58AM]

Im pissed I just brought a new Mac 4 days ago. I want to turn it back in a get the new hardware. This is BS!!!!!!!!

[SteveJ @ Nov 1st 2007 7:25AM]

So, precisely when should they have released these new models such that they never upset anyone? Never?

[kcar @ Nov 1st 2007 8:36AM]

pkilla,

Talk to the Apple store about returning your machine. I imagine that you'll be able to return it and possibly get a free upgrade to the new model.

It really, really pays to read the rumor sites before buying a new computer, esp. a Mac. The companies are under NO obligation to pre-announce new models for the enlightenment of prospective buyers. In fact, those who have pre-announced in the past lower the number of sales before the release because everyone's waiting for the new models.

And the Mac rumor sites have gotten pretty good about finding out when new computers are coming out, so you can rely on them. Ultimately though, the same rule of thumb applies to all PC manufacturers as well as almost all retail sellers: "caveat emptor" ("let the buyer beware").

[Ethan @ Nov 1st 2007 9:15AM]

Yeah, I bought a mac roughly a month ago, I would've waited longer if I could but I couldn't. In my country it's a lot better a deal (for students, it £100 off, free iPods, you get leopard, and of course new integrated graphics). I got the £100 off, but it absolutely pales in comparison. But I don't think I have a reason to be angry at apple, and I've got a great laptop.

[FK @ Nov 1st 2007 10:19AM]

From: Steve Jobs
To: Apple Memo
Subject: Release for New Macbooks
Message:

I have been informed that user "pkilla" on a blog called Engadget FINALLY bought his Macbook. I would now like to move forward on upgrading the platform. Please see attached procedure and spec sheets for details. Thanks!

Love,
Steve

[d sanford @ Nov 1st 2007 11:18AM]

I bought my MacBook on the release day of Leopard. I called my local Apple store and they exchanged it for the upgraded one with no hassle.

If you bought your laptop less than 14 days ago, give your Apple store a call and they will probably switch it out for you with a new Macbook.

I was the first one to leave the store with the new, upgraded Macbook.

[p-diddy @ Nov 1st 2007 6:39PM]

I try to tell as many people as I can about http://buyersguide.macrumors.com. It tells you whether you should or shouldn't buy any apple product based on release dates.

I guarantee if you pay attention to it, you will never have the "crap I should have waited" blues again.

-p-

[pkilla @ Nov 24th 2007 11:24AM]

Thanks everyone for you comments, I called and will be able to return it. But i ordered the new one online so i could customize it.

[hanren @ Nov 1st 2007 5:34AM]

........comes with Tiger???!!!

[applefreak @ Nov 2nd 2007 3:48PM]

it comes with Leopard, even with the firewall sttings the same as 9A581
the reason that they updated to Santa Rosa is because OS10 uses the graphics card alot

were yoou in coma the past 4 weeks?

[Sam @ Nov 1st 2007 5:37AM]

Check out the speed bump on the MacBook Pro - 2.6Ghz.

[Huy @ Nov 1st 2007 5:48AM]

Comes with Leopard!

[XDreX @ Nov 1st 2007 5:55AM]

Any word on whether this will happen in Europe (specifically Ireland). I just configured a MacBook on the Irish Education site and didn't see a mention of 2.6GHz anywhere.

[Jason @ Nov 1st 2007 6:57AM]

macbook PRO gets 2.6Ghz... and the extra 200Mhz is really really NOT worth the price unless you charge and do hours and hours of encoding or rendering daily.

[Austin @ Nov 1st 2007 6:03AM]

I know somebody with a Vostro. It's much thicker and heavier than a Macbook.
When buying a laptop, look at more than just the processor and ram... size and weight are a premium in this field.

[Will @ Nov 1st 2007 6:10AM]

Hi,

You can get $100 off in Canada if you buy it through the Apple Education store. You "must" be either a student or staff member. Rumor has it they do not check:)

[surreallogic @ Nov 1st 2007 6:10AM]

No Mac mini update??!? How sad. :(

[SteveJ @ Nov 1st 2007 7:29AM]

The Mac mini was updated at MacWorld.

[fatty @ Nov 1st 2007 11:09AM]

it'd be nice to see the mini upgraded to the specs of the mb/mbp.

[Devin Epstein @ Nov 2nd 2007 2:18PM]

They should replace the mac mini with something different like something better and have more space or they should take the Mac Mini off the Market

[yoshi @ Nov 1st 2007 6:17AM]

I just went to dell and tried to configure the options above and came out to $1149. Note that the options they list on the first few pages are really scams. They'll say "up to 2.x GHz", and list a low low price. But when you go to configure, you find that the low low price is actually for 1.4GHz.

When trying to match feature for feature, the prices came closer together. Although the Vostro was still lower than the Mac.

[Brian @ Nov 1st 2007 6:28AM]

New Vostro, last you a few years if your lucky
New MBP, last several years

Look at the build quality from Dell now, we never used to return machines to Dell but now 1 in 5 are either faulty (things not connected) or DOA

I like(d) Dell and own shares in them but they really are at the bottom on their quality curve just at the moment.

[nak @ Nov 1st 2007 6:32AM]

I was planning to put my old MacBook on eBay today in anticipation of this being released next week. Now my MacBook's lost a bit of value, so upgrading won't be quite the near wash I was hoping for. Oh well! Ordered the new one anyway.

[Nicolas @ Nov 1st 2007 6:33AM]

i was looking forward for an aluminium update .... i will buy one on february... but as this has been the update i dont think i will see an aluminium model :(... (a mbp is too expensive for me) anyway... as apple website says... "lovable macbook" i think we dont need to start a poll to see what ppl thinks the sexiest laptop is... jeje

[webon @ Nov 1st 2007 6:41AM]

5 pounds??!! jeez thats heavy stuff
ultra-portable for me please

[Vasilis @ Nov 1st 2007 6:50AM]

They can also now be equipped with 4GB of RAM instead of up to 2GB before. That's great news although typical Apple is charging an arm a leg and your first born for 4GB at 850$... I have never understood those way crazy prices for memory upgrades. I can get 2x2GB DDR2 667MHz SODIMMs with lifetime warranty for less than 250$ !!! And if I sell the 1GB already in there in SODIMMs I will pay less than 1/4 of what Apple charges!

[yoshi @ Nov 1st 2007 7:02AM]

Again, you cannot get it for the price you are listing. Example:

(1) I think you are including the wrong processor. There are two @ 2GHz. The Macbook uses the one with the 4MB L2 cache, not the cheaper one.

(2) The default Vostro uses Business Vista. Update that to Ultimate for a fair comparison.

(3) The Vostro only contains wireless 802.11g. Update that to N.

(4) The Vostro does not include Bluetooth. Add that.

(5) The Vostrol does not include a camera. Add that.

When I do all that, the Vostro comes to $1,117. The Macbook then needs to be bumped to 2GB RAM and 120GB HD for the comparison. That brings the Macbook price to 1,324.

You can argue that you don't want/need those features that were added but it's really not a fair comparison unless you attempt to make both systems as identical as possible.

[Arjy @ Nov 1st 2007 7:06AM]

Just bought a black macbook 2.16GHz with 2 gigs of RAM last saturday. Worth it to take it back and get this new one? I'm still under the 14 day policy.

[Matt @ Nov 1st 2007 11:26AM]

Yes.

[M @ Nov 1st 2007 7:09AM]

Also now up to a 250 gig hard drive in all macbooks/macbook pros

[Devin Epstein @ Nov 2nd 2007 2:23PM]

I go with what you say and they should put 250gb hard drives in the Mac book Pros

[JJ @ Nov 1st 2007 7:11AM]

@Arjy:
Take it back for sure!
Even though it may not make much of a difference, you can, so you might as well!

[Darren @ Nov 1st 2007 7:28AM]

Do you have to pay the restocking fee for an exchange within the 14 day grace period?

[peter @ Nov 1st 2007 11:19AM]

If you opened it, yes. I bought an iMac right before they came out with the aluminum ones, so I went back, returned it, and paid a 10% restocking fee to get the new one.

[Shippy @ Nov 1st 2007 11:01PM]

Yes. 10% if you open the box and return unless it is in need of repair.

[JJ @ Nov 1st 2007 7:37AM]

No.
Restocking fee does NOT apply.

[Tiago Bugarin @ Nov 1st 2007 7:38AM]

In fact it is US$ 125 plus for the black. If you choose to BTO the top-white macbook and add a 160GB HD you will get the same spec of the black for US$ 1,374.
I would spend this US$ 125 + 25 to double the RAM. 2GB is better than black, IMHO.

[Hace @ Nov 1st 2007 7:38AM]

So I'm in a similar situation as Nicolas, since I was planning on buying a MacBook Pro in February, 'cause that's when I was expecting an update.
Do people think that a bigger update is still in the works for February (or thereabouts) for the MBP?

[Cloudane @ Nov 1st 2007 7:42AM]

While it isn't relevance to this piece of news, when will the rumours of the new so-called 'super thin' MacBook surface? It would be a mild shame to buy these recent upgrades to find out that in a month or two, the new MacBook will be released.

Good job on the switch to the Santa Rosa tech though!

[magne @ Nov 1st 2007 7:54AM]

These alu-macbooks were rumoured to be either a Macbook replacements or a new ultraportable in the Pro series. To me this Macbook update indicates that the latter is true, i.e. we'll get a new Macbook Pro "Nano" in January, and no new Macbook.

[Karan @ Nov 1st 2007 7:47AM]

Still shared memory :(

[Jorun @ Nov 1st 2007 7:48AM]

hey! these new macbooks also suport uptoo 4 gigs of ram!

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Nov 1st 2007 7:54AM]

@will
Thats true actually. I put my self as a northwestern medical student and got a benjamin off of a mac mini.

[Mark @ Nov 1st 2007 7:57AM]

I'll echo the absolute BS that the iBook is still $1249 in Canada. With the US dollar tanking, the Cdn prices should be actually less than the US prices, not a $150 premium. It should be $1049 at best, and par pricing at worse.

Once again, pass. Once they fix their screen issues with the new iMacs, and put the real pricing in place, I may take a jump.

[Shane Harley @ Nov 1st 2007 8:23AM]

Yeah, i was thinking of holding out on getting a MBP until about January, but if there aren't really going to be any changes i have no need to wait.
What does everyone think

[long @ Nov 2nd 2007 2:22AM]

Intel will release core 2 DUO T8100@ 2.1GHZ T8300@2.4 T9300@ 2.5GHZ AND T9500@2.6GHZ the differences are fsb 800MHZ instead of 677MHZ and CL2 6MB instead of 4MB all coming in jan2008 if you interested to wait and hopefully will come with DDR3 800 9bottle neck) and SSD instead of HDD and ATI HD2900 or NVIDIA 8800GTS and HD-DVD or blueray

[shaun @ Nov 1st 2007 8:29AM]

They don't check. I am a student but my dad bought my mac on his credit card using his details and then used my discount, and while I'm sure it's probably allowed to use it if someone is buying on my behalf, they never asked or anything

[Jason Jones @ Nov 1st 2007 8:33AM]

Great timing. My Macbook Pro ships today. I just spent 4K on the cutting edge that is no longer the cutting edge. That's technology for you....

Maybe Apple will be kind to me and not just clear out old inventory- but bump mine out the door with the new specs :) (I can dream anyway...)

[shifuimam @ Nov 1st 2007 8:42AM]

*sigh*

It's NOT Santa Rosa. Santa Rosa is a specific name tied to a three-part Intel thing, including the motherboard's chipset, the processor, AND THE WIFI CARD. Since Apple uses Broadcom-based cards, these laptops are NOT Santa Rosa. You can say it has the Crestline chipset, which is accurate, but calling it Santa Rosa is a misnomer. I'm surprised that Intel's not keeping a tighter rein on this misuse of their much-lauded Centrino labeling.