Waiting to buy new Macbook until Leopard? :-)
I am jonzing for a new Macbook. Gotta get my Mac on. Can't wait.
But I am waiting. Waiting for the release of Leopard. I won't buy a Macbook till it comes bundled with the new operating system update. <sigh>
I am also thinking that since the Macbook is currently in its mid life cycle(last updated in Nov 06) that perhaps it may also see some sort of minor update while I am waiting. I am not waiting for a Macbook update, but that'd be nice too.
I do have a question tho....will the Macbook in its current configuration be able to run Leopard like its meant to be? Of course it will run. I am just wondering if it'll be ideal.
Also...if....IF....the Macbook sees an update...what kind of update would you expect? Just a price drop...or maybe something more significant like this "Santa Rosa" new chip I've been hearing so much about.
Chances are the Macbook Pro willl get this new chip and the Macbook will get the old MBP's chip?
I dunno. Just fishin.
Any and all comments appreciated.
Anyone else waiting for the Leopard update to buy a new laptop?
But I am waiting. Waiting for the release of Leopard. I won't buy a Macbook till it comes bundled with the new operating system update. <sigh>
I am also thinking that since the Macbook is currently in its mid life cycle(last updated in Nov 06) that perhaps it may also see some sort of minor update while I am waiting. I am not waiting for a Macbook update, but that'd be nice too.
I do have a question tho....will the Macbook in its current configuration be able to run Leopard like its meant to be? Of course it will run. I am just wondering if it'll be ideal.
Also...if....IF....the Macbook sees an update...what kind of update would you expect? Just a price drop...or maybe something more significant like this "Santa Rosa" new chip I've been hearing so much about.
Chances are the Macbook Pro willl get this new chip and the Macbook will get the old MBP's chip?
I dunno. Just fishin.
Any and all comments appreciated.
Anyone else waiting for the Leopard update to buy a new laptop?
Comments
Fingers crossed new imacs and mac pros will follow suit of the high end macbook pros and have 2GB memory as standard
RE macbook update, I would guess the following
LOW END
* 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 1GB memory
* 80GB hard drive
* Super drive
* X3000 Integrated Graphics
HIGH END
* 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 1GB memory
* 100GB hard drive
* Super drive
* X300 Integrated Graphics
Just my opinion
- Mark
Chances are the Macbook Pro willl get this new chip and the Macbook will get the old MBP's chip?
Warning! Long-winded answer coming up:
Currently, the MacBook and MacBook Pro use the same motherboard chipset ("Calistoga" from the "Napa" Centrino platform) and the same processor (Merom).
Neither, strictly speaking, use Centrino because they don't use Intel's wireless chipset.
The MacBook Pro uses a GPU with dedicated VRAM, and has higher clock-speed options available on the CPU.
The next MacBook Pro update will bring the "Crestline" motherboard chipset from the "Santa Rosa" Centrino platform. This will deliver higher FSB speed (up to 800 MHz from 667), this will be clock-speed variable, to run at lower speed when it can to save power. The processor will remain Merom.
Hopefully, the MacBook will move to Crestline at the same time, as this will replace the GMA950 integrated graphics chip with the much better X3000. The processor will remain Merom.
The age old adage 'buy a Mac if you need one now, but wait if you can," no longer applies. Except for Core8Pros, nothing is worth buying until Leopard and Santa Rosa arrive. Nothing.
That's how I feel, but I pretty damn well expect to be dissapointed with santa rosa, Apple won't launch on the day intel launches you know, It'll take a while.
Then we'll get the first-gen-product-woes again.
RE macbook update, I would guess the following
LOW END
* 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 1GB memory
* 80GB hard drive
* Super drive
* X3000 Integrated Graphics
HIGH END
* 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 1GB memory
* 100GB hard drive
* Super drive
* X300 Integrated Graphics
Just my opinion
That wouldn't work, because the bus speed of Intel's "Santa Rosa" architecture (which you need for the X3000) wouldn't allow for a 2.13GHz (or rather, 2.16GHz) chip. I also wonder how readily Apple can step up the low end's CPU, RAM, hard drive, and optical drive all in one shot. My guesses:
2GHz: Combo drive
* 1GB of memory
* 80GB hard drive
* Combo drive
* X3000 graphics
2.2GHz: Superdrive
* 1GB of memory
* 120GB hard drive
* Superdrive
* X3000 graphics
And I'm still holding out for a 15-inch 'regular' MacBook with modest dedicated graphics, though I'm more doubtful that it'll happen than I was before.
2GHz: Combo drive
* 1GB of memory
* 80GB hard drive
* Combo drive
* X3000 graphics
2.2GHz: Superdrive
* 1GB of memory
* 120GB hard drive
* Superdrive
* X3000 graphics
Those look like reasonable guesses, but I'd hope that if Apple do stick with a combo drive in the lowest-end, that they drop the price. A lack of a DVD burner in a laptop over $1000 is a rather unfunny joke.
The age old adage 'buy a Mac if you need one now, but wait if you can," no longer applies. Except for Core8Pros, nothing is worth buying until Leopard and Santa Rosa arrive. Nothing.
What??
The current Macbooks and MBPs are fine machines.
It's unbelievable to me how so many think that the machines are outdated within a few months of release.
The "old adage" always applies. Especially for those that make a living using the machines.
The age old adage 'buy a Mac if you need one now, but wait if you can," no longer applies. Except for Core8Pros, nothing is worth buying until Leopard and Santa Rosa arrive. Nothing.
No. The current MBPs and MBs are fine machines. Santa Rosa will bring some improvements but nothing major, especially for the MBP. Apple could surprise us, but I'd be surprised if Leopard didn't run well on Core 2 macs.
No. The current MBPs and MBs are fine machines. Santa Rosa will bring some improvements but nothing major, especially for the MBP. Apple could surprise us, but I'd be surprised if Leopard didn't run well on Core 2 macs.
It would be plain stupid of Apple if leopard would not run fine on last years machines. Leopard is a major money maker for them, and for them to make any inroads in the desktop market they need to be reliable. That means making sure your software runs on your hardware.
As to Leopard running on current product, that is just about a certainty. Look at our experience with Tiger. We run it on all the Macs here including an old 500MHz G3 iMac. It definitely runs slower there but that iMac is used many hours everyday. I imagine Leopard will run fine on all Macs made in the last several years.
My impression is that more of the new features to come in Leopard will be clever by their use of the computer and graphics power we have as opposed to horsepower related features, like Quartz, that put dramatic new demands on hardware. TIme Machine requires tight integration with the OS more than it needs lots of computing power. Integration of media between Pages/Keynote/iMovie/Garage Band requires a lot work on the part of the engineers but it doesn't put dramatic new demands on the machine. The same with syncing cell phones, backing up to .Mac, improving the scriptability of Apple products and such.