Waste of money at this point?
This is the week I planned on buying my 15" MBP loaded, but with all this talk about new chips, I am contimplating waiting. How long do you guys think it's going to be before the new chips (Duo 2?) start to come around. I could use a laptop now, but If it's a month or so, I could possibly wait. Any predictions as of when these new chips are going to be seen in MBPs?
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Originally posted by Digital Disasta
This is the week I planned on buying my 15" MBP loaded, but with all this talk about new chips, I am contimplating waiting. How long do you guys think it's going to be before the new chips (Duo 2?) start to come around. I could use a laptop now, but If it's a month or so, I could possibly wait. Any predictions as of when these new chips are going to be seen in MBPs?
Just how fast do you need your computer to be? At this point it is like putting off the purchace of a 500hp car because next year's model will be 700hp.
A G4 mini is most likely as much as you need. Even the current MBP is way more than you need, unless you are ray-tracing or something.
Originally posted by e1618978
Just how fast do you need your computer to be? At this point it is like putting off the purchace of a 500hp car because next year's model will be 700hp.
A G4 mini is most likely as much as you need. Even the current MBP is way more than you need, unless you are ray-tracing or something.
The faster the better! And next year they'll be even faster. You must like the waiting period when encoding something, you must like drinking tea or coffee
Originally posted by Digital Disasta
This is the week I planned on buying my 15" MBP loaded, but with all this talk about new chips, I am contimplating waiting. How long do you guys think it's going to be before the new chips (Duo 2?) start to come around. I could use a laptop now, but If it's a month or so, I could possibly wait. Any predictions as of when these new chips are going to be seen in MBPs?
I think you'll see the 15" MacBook Pro bumped up from 1.87/2.0Ghz to 2.0Ghz and 2.16Ghz standard. The 17" MacBook Pro started shipping Friday, and at this point if you BTO a 15" model with the 2.16Ghz processor and a 120GB hard drive, it costs more than the 17" does. So obviously the 17" price already reflects the Intel price cuts that make the 2.16Ghz chip almost $300 cheaper. Plus, the rumor is the Macbooks will be arriving Tuesday, so if the 15" MacBook Pro doesn't get updated it's going to look like a bad deal from both ends of the price spectrum.
At least wait and see what happens Tuesday. You may find that the announced MacBook more than meets your needs, saving yourself a thousand bucks.
But Core Duo 2 is not only faster, it also uses less battery power which means longer battery life.
In any case, I'm in the same boat as I'm a Mac guy but I use Windows for my software development and I'd love to dump my windows laptop for a MBP to run both at full speed. I need faster CPUs to bring my compile times down as well as run the ARM emulators with less CPU use that we develop against. I'm OK now, but would sure benefit from the Core Duo now. Then again, I can wait until Core Duo 2 is out but its quite difficult. The Core Duo 2 is expected to be released in August/September according to Intel's announcements.
As such you can potentially see a MacBook Pro upgrade around September is my guess and while thats 4.8 months from now and at a limit for my own impatience, it also would be Gen 2 of Apple's MacBook Pro so its a really tough decision.
We already have a MBP that my wife uses, but I'm not about to take that from her.
Originally posted by Akac
As such you can potentially see a MacBook Pro upgrade around September is my guess and while thats 4.8 months from now and at a limit for my own impatience, it also would be Gen 2 of Apple's MacBook Pro so its a really tough decision.
We already have a MBP that my wife uses, but I'm not about to take that from her.
If you can wait 5 months, that indicates to me that you don't really need the extra CPU speed. If you need for speed was that acute, you would upgrade every 6 months anyway, and ignore the possibilities new computers coming out soon.
For the work you're doing, I would recommend the 17" MacBook Pro for the additional screen resolution, unless you feel the footprint will be too much to lug around. They just started shipping this past Friday, so they're not going to change for at least three months. You can guarantee the 2.33Ghz Core Duo is going to show up as a $300 BTO option for all MacBook Pros sometime in May if you want to wait for that. Otherwise, the "next generation" Intel ship won't show up till WWDC in August, at the earliest.
Originally posted by e1618978
Just how fast do you need your computer to be? At this point it is like putting off the purchace of a 500hp car because next year's model will be 700hp.
A G4 mini is most likely as much as you need. Even the current MBP is way more than you need, unless you are ray-tracing or something.
Who died and made you Megahertz Nazi??!?
Bet they would love you as a salesperson at the local Apple Store?
"What? You're NOT ray-tracing? Sorry, i can't sell you a MacBook Pro, you are gonna have to go with this outdated iBook. Thanks for stopping by!"
Puhleeze?!
Originally posted by Cory Bauer
Digital Disasta,
For the work you're doing, I would recommend the 17" MacBook Pro for the additional screen resolution, unless you feel the footprint will be too much to lug around. They just started shipping this past Friday, so they're not going to change for at least three months. You can guarantee the 2.33Ghz Core Duo is going to show up as a $300 BTO option for all MacBook Pros sometime in May if you want to wait for that. Otherwise, the "next generation" Intel ship won't show up till WWDC in August, at the earliest.
Wow a 2.33Ghz would make me happy I think. If that is really going to be around this month, I can hold out for that, but is this another rumor, or is that a fact? I see a lot of rumors around here, I'm not doubting your credibility, I just want to make sure I don't wait for no reason. I would really like to buy one within this month. I just want to click that checkout button already!!
Originally posted by MacRonin
Who died and made you Megahertz Nazi??!?
Bet they would love you as a salesperson at the local Apple Store?
"What? You're NOT ray-tracing? Sorry, i can't sell you a MacBook Pro, you are gonna have to go with this outdated iBook. Thanks for stopping by!"
Puhleeze?!
I don't care if people buy more than they need, in fact I do it myself all the time. I just think that it is foolish to wait for a more powerful powerbook at this time, because either you need high horsepower very badly (in which case you buy both now and when the new one comes out also), or you don't (in which case you get 5 months extra fun by buying now).
In neither case does waiting make sense.
Originally posted by Cory Bauer
Digital Disasta,
For the work you're doing, I would recommend the 17" MacBook Pro for the additional screen resolution, unless you feel the footprint will be too much to lug around. They just started shipping this past Friday, so they're not going to change for at least three months. You can guarantee the 2.33Ghz Core Duo is going to show up as a $300 BTO option for all MacBook Pros sometime in May if you want to wait for that. Otherwise, the "next generation" Intel ship won't show up till WWDC in August, at the earliest.
Forgot you mentioned the size part. I was thinking about buying the 17". I was talking to a few people on these boards about it, but I decided to go with the 15" for a few reasons. One being the fact that I need to take this thing every where and I think the 17" would be a little to big. Another big reason why I decided not to look aty the 17" anymore was because DJ booths are very tight in most cases. You really need to think about space when your up there. Even bringing to many crates of records could be a problem in some cases. That's why I started using Final Scratch, for marathon sets, all you need is a laptop and two time coded vinyls and you can spin for days...literally. So I think the 15" would be my best option. Plus I can always use one of my 2 LCD screen (one in the bedroom, one in the living room
Originally posted by Cory Bauer
Digital Disasta, sounds like a very good logic not to get the 17" model. I think you'll definitely see the 15" models boosted in May. But that's just my speculation. The 2.33Ghz option is all but guaranteed, however. Samsung already announced a laptop that uses it, and any story about Intel's May price cuts also mentions a 2.33Ghz chip taking over the current 2.16Ghz's price point. Since the 2.16Ghz chip is currently a BTO option on the 15" model, I would wager that'll become the new $300 BTO option on both the 15" and 17" Macbook Pros.
Yeah I thought it out long and hard because the 17" with the 2.1Ghz chip and similar specs is cheaper, but at the same time, space is an issue, so to me it's worth it to get the smaller laptop. I guess I'll wait to see if the 2.33Ghz comes with the price cut, hopefully it happens this month. If not, I'm going to buy the 2.1Ghz. Then you know what's going to happen, the 2.33Ghz BTO option is going to be avalible the next day lol, my sh!t luck. I'll just need to wait and see.
Originally posted by Digital Disasta
Wow a 2.33Ghz would make me happy I think. If that is really going to be around this month, I can hold out for that, but is this another rumor, or is that a fact? I see a lot of rumors around here, I'm not doubting your credibility, I just want to make sure I don't wait for no reason. I would really like to buy one within this month. I just want to click that checkout button already!!
i'm in the same boat as you! as you can see, i'm new around here. but i've been reading these threads for the past few months as i've been planning to get a MPB once i had the money at the beginning of summer. and here it is.. the month of may and i planned on buying my MBP before the end of the month. then i come on here today and read all the hype about the new merom chips on the way... i see all this 64-bit stuff, and it's really having me think twice about the purchase i have been soooooo anxiously awaiting!!! i'm a college student and need a laptop the sooner the better. but it's gotta get me through the rest of college and grad school. i don't want to have the problem i have now... which is all these cool apps i can't have because my processor is too outdated!!! (by the way, this will be my first mac)
mac experts out there: any recommendations on what us soon to be switchers should do?
Originally posted by maccabea
i'm in the same boat as you! as you can see, i'm new around here. but i've been reading these threads for the past few months as i've been planning to get a MPB once i had the money at the beginning of summer. and here it is.. the month of may and i planned on buying my MBP before the end of the month. then i come on here today and read all the hype about the new merom chips on the way... i see all this 64-bit stuff, and it's really having me think twice about the purchase i have been soooooo anxiously awaiting!!! i'm a college student and need a laptop the sooner the better. but it's gotta get me through the rest of college and grad school. i don't want to have the problem i have now... which is all these cool apps i can't have because my processor is too outdated!!! (by the way, this will be my first mac)
mac experts out there: any recommendations on what us soon to be switchers should do?
Well, since it is the beginning of summer, there shouldn't be a HUGE rush for you to get a laptop, since school doesn't start back until the fall?
So wait and see, get a Core2 when they become available?
I always said that the Yonah/Core series of CPUs were just transitional chips, until the real roadmap Stev-o was looking at came around?
Me, I would love a loaded up 17" MBP w/a Core2 Duo?
If not the same in a 17" tablet w/docking station (keyboard, mouse, second display. more HDDs, optical, etc.)?!