Demand for Apple's 13" MacBook Pro may be outpacing supply

[AppleInsider]

Apple's newly-coined 13-inch MacBook Pros appear to be off to a hot start, with the company reportedly having difficulty keeping some of the new models in stock as it enters the heart of the back-to-school buying season.

In a note to clients Tuesday, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster pointed out that the Apple online store is currently reflecting lead times of 7 to 10 business days for the faster of the two 13-inch MacBook Pros. He notes this is the most extensive delay affecting the company's 13-inch notebook models ever.

The analyst, which regularly tracks and records lead times for products on the Mac maker's online store, said he had to look back more than two years into his records to find similar delays, and even then they spanned just 5 to 7 business days.

With the entry-level 15-inch MacBook Pro using the same 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo chip also reflecting such delays, Munster put in a call to 10 Apple retail stores and found that 7 of them were short at least one of the 13-inch models, but not always the speedier model.

"We see this as a sign that demand is outpacing the company's build expectations, and it may take several weeks to reach a supply demand equilibrium," he told clients.

Shortages of Apple's mainstream notebook offerings comes just weeks after the company kicked off its back-to-school promotion offering students a free iPod touch with each Mac purchase and then rebranded its 13-inch unibody MacBooks as more premium offerings under the MacBook Pro moniker.

Meanwhile, Munster cited a series of recent disclosures in concluding that domestic sales of the new iPhone 3GS may also be tracking ahead of Apple's internal expectations. He notes that despite launching the device in just 8 countries this year (compared to 21 last year), the Cupertino-based company still managed to meet -- and likely beat -- its opening weekend iPhone 3G sales.

In particular, the analyst nodded towards a leaked memo from AT&T that suggests Apple may have been playing modest when it announced sales of "more than" 1 million iPhone 3GS units during the handset's first three days on the market.

"While Apple has indicated the 3GS launch was as good as the 3G launch a year earlier (both reached 1m units), AT&T has indicated that the June 2009 launch was its best-ever retail sales day and the largest order day in att.com*history and (i.e. an improvement from the iPhone 3G)," he wrote.

As such, Munster said he flirted with raising his June quarter sales estimate of 5 million iPhones but ultimately decided to maintain his current numbers given that a successful iPhone 3GS launch had previously been baked into his model. His figures are also "significantly above" Wall Street consensus estimates for the quarter.

For Macs, the Piper Jaffray analyst said he's increasingly confident Apple will report sales of 2.2 million systems for the June quarter when it announces results a bit later this month. That compares to the nearly 2.5 million Macs the company sold during the same quarter one year ago.

[Jerseymac]

I was at the Apple Store in Paramus NJ last Friday and saw four people buying 13 inch MacBook Pro's. These things are hot.

[joe in miami]

Even though its about 4.5 lbs. it still feels lighter.

[saarek]

I have the previous 13" Alu MacBook, it's awesome!

I went into an Apple Store to get my iPhone replaced and saw around 7 or 8 going thorughout the check out process, these certainly seem to be moving off the shelves fast.

[teckstud]

I plan to get that 13" MBP next. Right now I'm having a blast with my new iPhone.

[MacTripper]

Mac's never cease to amaze me, even today I learned a new trick

command option eject


cool huh? sleeps it right off.

And here I thought I knew it all.


In my opinion, Apple is about to retire their MacBook Pro line next, shifting all mechanical devices to external sources in favor of MacBook Air type laptops.

Now that memory like SDXC can hold up to 2TB with 2x the speed of a 7,200 RPM hard drive, why use SSD or HD's anymore?


Also Intel is coming out with a new line of processors with integrated GPU and memory controller, we might be seeing the end of dedicated GPU's as well.

http://www.hardmac.com/news/2009/07/...ile-processors


So the new MacBook line coming might possibly have everything on the logic board, even the memory/storage, making them even cheaper to produce and thinner than before.

[fulldecent]

That's because... they're lower priced.

Sorry to break it to you.

[Lancelot9201]

i'm so surprised to hear that any of the MBP line is selling well. I never would have thought that anyone would want an internal battery, which guarantee's a service need at some point, & the totally unacceptable Glossy screen. I've been waiting & had planned to upgrade soon until I saw Apple's new MBP offerings. I'm so disappointed that i"m going to a "hackintosh" when my current 15" MBP dies. I guess you could say that my 12 yr. love affair with Apple has finally ended..

[Mr. H]

Originally Posted by Lancelot9201

i'm so surprised to hear that any of the MBP line is selling well. I never would have thought that anyone would want an internal battery, which guarantee's a service need at some point, & the totally unacceptable Glossy screen. I've been waiting & had planned to upgrade soon until I saw Apple's new MBP offerings. I'm so disappointed that i"m going to a "hackintosh" when my current 15" MBP dies. I guess you could say that my 12 yr. love affair with Apple has finally ended..

No, the internal battery does not guarantee a service need a some point. It is trivial for a user to replace the battery themselves. The benefits of internal batteries considerably outweigh the drawbacks. Read my posts in this recent thread.

I've got to give it to you on the glossy screen front - they really do suck. But for me, that's one minus point against a huge list of plus points. It's not bad enough to make me want to buy a PC.

I would genuinely like to know which PC you are planning on purchasing.

[Booga]

Originally Posted by Lancelot9201

i'm so surprised to hear that any of the MBP line is selling well. I never would have thought that anyone would want an internal battery, which guarantee's a service need at some point, & the totally unacceptable Glossy screen. I've been waiting & had planned to upgrade soon until I saw Apple's new MBP offerings. I'm so disappointed that i"m going to a "hackintosh" when my current 15" MBP dies. I guess you could say that my 12 yr. love affair with Apple has finally ended..

As has been stated time and again, almost no one actually ever changes a laptop battery. And the new ones should last a couple times longer than the old ones... they should be at 80% capacity at 5 years. If you still want to use your laptop after that and that capacity isn't good enough for you, it can be swapped out quickly at an Apple Store for under $200. So I'm surprised that you're surprised that these things aren't wildly popular.

The glossy screen-- well, yeah, that's a bigger issue but a lot of people don't seem to mind.

[xtxad]

i was skeptical about the glossy screens, but honestly, it's not even an issue for me. sure, sometimes i'll catch a glimpse of my reflection, but overall, the screens are not as bad as some people make them out to be.

and about the battery... sure, it'll be a minor inconvenience to have to take the computer into the store to get the battery replaced, but it's not like you'll have to do it every year. really. apple says it will last 5 years (which remains to be seen i suppose) and most people get a new computer way before that 5 year mark, so i really don't see the issue. i just replaced a 3 1/2 year old powerbook and i never replaced the battery (granted, i only got about 30 minutes of life out of it by the time i retired the computer). but i don't think the majority of users will worry about replacing the battery.

anyways, i can see why the 13" computers are selling fast, they are nice computers. and the price isn't bad either.

[MacTripper]

Originally Posted by Lancelot9201

i'm so surprised to hear that any of the MBP line is selling well. I never would have thought that anyone would want an internal battery, which guarantee's a service need at some point, & the totally unacceptable Glossy screen. I've been waiting & had planned to upgrade soon until I saw Apple's new MBP offerings. I'm so disappointed that i"m going to a "hackintosh" when my current 15" MBP dies. I guess you could say that my 12 yr. love affair with Apple has finally ended..

You can get to the battery in the MacBook Pro models by undoing a few screws, see Other World Computing videos to learn how.

Replacing it with a third party alternative or refurb that's sure to come from online Mac retailers.


The screen can be replaced with a matte on MacBook Pros via TechRestore for a fee, violating your warranty I'm sure.

Or one can spring $6000 for this ultra matte one.

http://www.colorwarepc.com/p-183-ste...cbook-pro.aspx


Funny now matte screens have become a option only for the super rich.

What a way to force a upscale on people, give them eyestrain and headaches.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by xtxad

i was skeptical about the glossy screens, but honestly, it's not even an issue for me. sure, sometimes i'll catch a glimpse of my reflection, but overall, the screens are not as bad as some people make them out to be.

About the glossy screen. This screen on the MBP is a big improvement over the prior 13" MB screen. It is brighter with better contrast and the glossiness therefore appears reduced because of the intensity of the image emanating from the LED screen itself.

[Jerseymac]

The glossy screen is a drawback. Try surfing in the back yard on a sunny day.

But are there not sheets you can buy to put over the screen to make it less reflective? Has anyone tried that? If so how do you like it?

[macmatte]

I argue that, in spite of soaring MacBook sales, it could be better if Apple offered matte screens.

This argument below is an excerpt taken from http://macmatte.wordpress.com where the raw poll data is found.

Most online polls show that 40% prefer matte, but 20% would still buy glossy if forced to do so. This means that 20% of past Apple users refuse to buy glossy Macs.

Skeptics have tried to dismiss the poll results by asserting that, if that many Mac purchasers really did prefer matte, then Apple’s sales figures would be falling, so the argument goes. That is not true.

Those people – who point to Apple’s upward growth as vindication of the glossy-only policy – are not taking into account that most of the impetus to switch to Apple comes from other factors, namely: the window of opportunity created by Microsoft Vista’s inadequacies, the halo effect of the iPod/iPhone, and from OSX’s perceived advantages over Windows Vista/XP. All these factors combined mean that, even if a substantial number of people detest glossy screens, Apple’s sales figures would still show an upward trend – not because everyone loves glossy screens … but in spite of it.

Read the user comments at http://macmatte.wordpress.com Many users said they’ll be forced to keep using their existing matte hardware rather than upgrading now. Therefore, a deleterious effect on sales may only become noticeable until around 3-5 years later when these holdouts are forced to replace hardware, and then have to make the choice of whether to stick with Apple.

Others dismiss the matte-trend in the polls by rationalizing that the type of people who post comments on websites tend to be professional computer users and computer geeks, i.e. by inference, not representative of the total, overall market that Apple is trying to reach. In other words, what they’re arguing is that even if the polls indicate 40-75% like matte, that’s a minority because the majority of Apple users don’t read Mac website or post comments on Mac websites.

I would argue differently. In sales & marketing, the Pareto principle – 80/20 Rule — applies, namely that most sales come from a core of users. Equal sales are not generated equally across the population. The 80/20 Rule says that 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients. Therefore, I would argue that people who post comments on Mac websites are more representative of this minority that generates the most sales. Why do we read Mac websites? So we can buy the stuff that interests us. Mac website readers would tend to be more representative of this core of high-volume purchasers who get multiple Mac’s not just one, and who upgrade more frequently than the peripheral buyers. Any marketing-savvy person will laugh if you think you can ignore the core minority who are fanatical about your products – because they’re the minority that bring the bulk of your sales. For this reason, the online polls are telling Apple that their core, fanatical minority are crying out loudly for a matte screen option on all Macs.

In other words, Apple’s figures could have been better, if the matte option had been there. Example: if Apple’s profits increased to $6 billion, when it might have increased to $7.2 million – the glossy people argue the increase to $6 billion proves everyone loves glossy – whereas, the matte crowd argue it could have instead been $7.2 billion in higher sales, if not for the people turned away because of all-glossy screens.

Where do I get the hypothetical increase from $6 billion to $7.2 billion potential? At comment No. 88 below, the polls indicate that close to 20% will not buy Macs with glossy screens – this includes people like myself who outright refuse, and also those who did buy glossy but later regretted it. Therefore, $6 billion x 1.2 = $7.2 billion. (Of course this is just a rough calculation for the sake of argument, and I haven’t factored in what percentage of Apple’s sales are made up of Macs.)

And since when does it require sales figures to slope downwards before a company listens to the needs of its customers? Let’s be reasonable: any company that would require its sales chart to head downwards before it heeds the calls of its customers will not be in business for long. The converse is true: any company that refuses to listen to its customers’ needs, simply because its sales figures are climbing, is …..

[Mr. H]

Originally Posted by macmatte

I argue that, in spite of soaring MacBook sales, it could be better if Apple offered matte screens.

This argument below is an excerpt taken from http://macmatte.wordpress.com where the raw poll data is found.

etc. etc.

Well said. Extra points for correct apostrophe usage!

[piot]

Originally Posted by Lancelot9201

I've been waiting & had planned to upgrade soon until I saw Apple's new MBP offerings. I'm so disappointed that i"m going to a "hackintosh" when my current 15" MBP dies. I guess you could say that my 12 yr. love affair with Apple has finally ended..

My advice. Don't fall in love with tech companies ... or their products.

Plus... how many times do you have to tell this forum that you aren't going to buy another Apple laptop?

[backtomac]

Originally Posted by Booga

As has been stated time and again, almost no one actually ever changes a laptop battery. ...

Are you sure of that?

I'm on my third battery for my 2006 MBP. They don't seem to last worth a shit IME.

Having said that the new battery technology looks pretty intriguing. If they do live up to Apple's claims of 1000 cycles of charging then that would truly represent a big improvement in battery tech. I'm a little skeptical just based on my experience with the batteries for my current MBP but I'm trying to keep an open mind.

[Mr. H]

Originally Posted by backtomac

If they do live up to Apple's claims of 1000 cycles of charging then that would truly represent a big improvement in battery tech. I'm a little skeptical just based on my experience with the batteries for my current MBP but I'm trying to keep an open mind.

The main reason for the increase in load cycles is that the internal battery is lithium-polymer. Your current MBP battery is lithium ion, hence the more limited lifetime.

[acslater017]

Originally Posted by Lancelot9201

i'm so surprised to hear that any of the MBP line is selling well. I never would have thought that anyone would want an internal battery, which guarantee's a service need at some point, & the totally unacceptable Glossy screen. I've been waiting & had planned to upgrade soon until I saw Apple's new MBP offerings. I'm so disappointed that i"m going to a "hackintosh" when my current 15" MBP dies. I guess you could say that my 12 yr. love affair with Apple has finally ended..

I helped my girlfriend by a 13" MBP on the first day they came out (WWDC). It is a GREAT computer - ESPECIALLY the battery. Even in real-world conditions, it routinely gets 4, 5, or 6 hours of use! She's a summer camp counselor, so she brings it charged up at the beginning of the day and lasts the whole camp day of being used on and off...

To me, the battery is just brilliant. Having to use a screwdriver to replace it every 1,000 charges seems inconsequential - though I've yet to try. The only scenario where having a swappable battery is much better would probably be on the road, where you could use a backup battery to quickly get 3.5 hours...But in everyday situations, this battery is REALLY convenient.

BTW the MBP is light, strong, runs cool, is very quiet, has a wonderful screen. Quite a step up from the eMachine she was previously using.

[acslater017]

Originally Posted by backtomac

Are you sure of that?

I'm on my third battery for my 2006 MBP. They don't seem to last worth a shit IME.

Having said that the new battery technology looks pretty intriguing. If they do live up to Apple's claims of 1000 cycles of charging then that would truly represent a big improvement in battery tech. I'm a little skeptical just based on my experience with the batteries for my current MBP but I'm trying to keep an open mind.

By "changes laptop batteries", I think Booga's saying that people very rarely swap their batteries in everyday situaitons to get more life - say, on a train.

People DO have to replace their batteries when their old one dies though. Usually this takes about a year and a half.

[zeromeus]

I'm not surprised. I went to the Apple store two weeks ago to get a 13" MacBook Pro 2.53GHz and was in for a surprise. The first store I went to didn't have the higher speed 13" pro in stock. They tried to sell me a EOL model which I promptly declined. Did I mention I had to get IN LINE OUTSIDE THE STORE? Yeah! The store was packed with customers and I had to get in line to get in. Upon finding out they didn't have what I want, I went to a different store and guess what??? I had to get in line again! I also found out that I got the last 13" 2.5GHz that they had left.

[macxpress]

I'm strongly thinking about selling my Aluminum MacBook and 24" iMac and just get a 13" MBP with the 24" LED Cinema. I haven't yet decided though. The 13" MBP is probably one of the best laptops Apple has released in quite a while. Everything about this laptop is awesome!

[MacTripper]

Originally Posted by xtxad

i was skeptical about the glossy screens, but honestly, it's not even an issue for me. sure, sometimes i'll catch a glimpse of my reflection, but overall, the screens are not as bad as some people make them out to be.

Well I had the white MacBook with glossy screen and set it up for a girlfriend, despite my misgivings about the glossy screen.

I used it for quite some time as not to be bias, and noticed I started having eyestrain and headaches, the same ones I had back in the CRT days.

I stopped using her glossy MacBook and a week later I was fine, used it again and the eyestrain started again.

So there is a problem, I think it has to do with the eye having trouble focusing on the slightly out of focus reflections and the main image.

This eye trouble with glossy screens might not be a problem for everyone, but it does affect a rather large portion of the population as the online polls and "i hate glossy" post complaints multiply.

If I were developing a computer, I would make it easy to use so people would spend more time using it and surfing the internet, thus feeding the addiction.

Apple has seemed to deviate from this track with their latest products. Notably the iPhone's small screen, limited battery life and the glossy screen computer reflections.

Apple has got the software angle locked tight, it's the hardware choice that's starting to become a problem as they increase in market share.

Apple needs to break out and make a large selection of hardware choices now, instead of the limited choices they offer. Time to mature Apple!!

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by macmatte

I argue that, in spite of soaring MacBook sales, it could be better if Apple offered matte screens.

…..

I agree with you. I would most likely have bought a new laptop and iMac by now (3 years and counting) if it weren't for the glossy issue. At this point I need a new laptop and will get the 13" MBP as the quality is much improved over the prior 13". However, if there were a matte version (which I really think will happen- who expected a 17" matte?) I would be much more eager to buy right now. It's just getting really old to wait and wait. So much for Apple getting a higher enviro friendly rating- at the expense of their long time customers.
But you can forget a glossy iMac- no way wil I go that route. That screen looks like a solar panel when turned off- a real eyesore in any living situation IMO.

[Nanotech]

I just hope that these new apple-made batteries will be higher quality than those old sony ones. Had my battery on my 2008 mbp replaced recently because it was defective. Though hey, I did get a new battery out of it for free (it was still under warranty)

[charlituna]

Originally Posted by MacTripper

In my opinion, Apple is about to retire their MacBook Pro line next,

doubtful. if anything there will be a merging of the lines as component prices come down. but it will be more a dumping of the Macbook line. not the pro. We're more likely to end up with the current Macbook gone in favor of a better and cheaper Air which will gain a built in 'cellular' antenna (3g or whatever the flavor of the time is) to become the companies entry into the netbook realm. and the pro machines. which will still have the optical drives etc.

Originally Posted by fulldecent

That's because... they're lower priced.

that is probably one factor. the inclusion of firewire would be another. plus the laptops always have a peak this time of year cause of back to school. especially with some colleges starting to require laptops and or an ipod touch. and now some high schools and even middle schools (private ones mind you) are making a home computer a requirement. at least in LA. I was stunned to overhear this when I slipped into local store to check my email on a break.

Originally Posted by Lancelot9201

I never would have thought that anyone would want an internal battery, which guarantee's a service need at some point,

yeah, in 4-5 years. 3 at the shortest. and that's only if you are running games, editing video or the like on the battery like crazy. and the price would be the same as buying a current battery. I wouldn't be surprised if it was something you could have done in a 15 minute Bar appointment. so what's the grief. it's not like now where they only guarantee a battery for 1 year of normal use

& the totally unacceptable Glossy screen.

unacceptable to you.

i wouldn't be shocked to see sales numbers on the old matte options and have it turn out that at both points the matte didn't sell in great numbers. except perhaps in the 17 inch model. which is why that is the only one with that option.

Originally Posted by MacTripper

You can get to the battery in the MacBook Pro models by undoing a few screws, see Other World Computing videos to learn how.

good thing that the battery is spec'd to last past 3 years. cause it is probably no longer a user upgradable item. and doing the above would void the warranty. at the point you would need to do it, that issue isn't one anymore.

The screen can be replaced with a matte on MacBook Pros via TechRestore for a fee, violating your warranty I'm sure.

most certainly. same for having it turned into a tablet. then again, those with the money for such things probably have the money to buy a new computer if something goes south.

as for all this "If Apple really wants to sell" talk. stop and consider. One major winning point on the whole Psystar issue is that tying is not inherently evil or anti-trust. it is only when a company has the dominant share of the applicable market that anti-trust comes into play. Psystar tried to argue that there is such a thing as the Macintosh Computer Market and thus Apple had a clear monopoly. The courts ruled no, the market is Personal Computer Systems. and in both the hardware sector and the software sector, Apple lacks any kind of dominant share. so it is totally legal for them to tie the two and thus anti-trust is not a valid defense against what is clearly a DCMA violation, forcing Psystar to now go with the long going but yet to be successful "EULAs are evil" argument.

IF Apple were to cut prices, open up more configurations etc. they would most likely raise their market share. likely not in hardware but in software. the OS would gain status and probably very quickly hit 40-60% at which point someone like Psystar could win the anti-trust fight and force cloning. Which Apple doesn't want. Thus they are happy staying at a lower share.

Also, folks on a board like this are maybe 5% of the Apple user base. a very vocal 5% but still peanuts in the end. And it's a simple truth that those in that group that want to find something to bitch and moan about will do it no matter how much catering to your whims Apple does. So since they know you are going to go off and make your hackintosh no matter what, they are better off paying attention to the folks that will actually buy their computers.

[shanmugam]

1) Both mention models were best bang for bucks

2) 8GB RAM upgradeable (lot of pend up demand i guess)

3) better screens

4) $10 Snow Leopard upgrades

5) iPod back to school program

Yeah!, it is selling like hot cakes, whether can sustain the same in Oct to dec quarter? no one knows...

[MacTripper]

Originally Posted by charlituna

...as for all this "If Apple really wants to sell" talk. stop and consider. One major winning point on the whole Psystar issue is that tying is not inherently evil or anti-trust. it is only when a company has the dominant share of the applicable market that anti-trust comes into play. Psystar tried to argue that there is such a thing as the Macintosh Computer Market and thus Apple had a clear monopoly. The courts ruled no, the market is Personal Computer Systems. and in both the hardware sector and the software sector, Apple lacks any kind of dominant share. so it is totally legal for them to tie the two and thus anti-trust is not a valid defense against what is clearly a DCMA violation, forcing Psystar to now go with the long going but yet to be successful "EULAs are evil" argument.

IF Apple were to cut prices, open up more configurations etc. they would most likely raise their market share. likely not in hardware but in software. the OS would gain status and probably very quickly hit 40-60% at which point someone like Psystar could win the anti-trust fight and force cloning. Which Apple doesn't want. Thus they are happy staying at a lower share.

It does seem Apple wants to remain the minority in computer systems or else they would offer more hardware options, notably a mid range tower and more matte screen options, especially laptops.

But a higher price can keep Apple market share low just the same.

Apple had not problem taking over the iPod market and hell bent on taking over the cell phone market. Don't see why they shouldn't just go for it on the computer side.

A larger customer base means more hardware options, if Apple offered what Pystar provides, they wouldn't be in business. Trying to sue cloners after the fact is like a game of whack a mole, it's pointless.

Give the people what they want if you can make a profit at it. Simple really.

[Hattig]

Originally Posted by Lancelot9201

i'm so surprised to hear that any of the MBP line is selling well. I never would have thought that anyone would want an internal battery, which guarantee's a service need at some point, & the totally unacceptable Glossy screen. I've been waiting & had planned to upgrade soon until I saw Apple's new MBP offerings. I'm so disappointed that i"m going to a "hackintosh" when my current 15" MBP dies. I guess you could say that my 12 yr. love affair with Apple has finally ended..

1. 95% of laptop users never replace their internal battery.

2. Of those 5%, many do it because the battery isn't lasting long.

3. Apple made the battery last 3x as long (1000 full recharge cycles), with longer inbetween charges due to a higher capacity.

4. Therefore only a tiny minority will need to replace the battery ever.

5. 95% and more of users benefit outright.

6. Most of the other users can just use an external battery pack, and thus not need to power down their laptop.

7. Many users prefer the clarity that glossy screens give, and will put up with awkward reflections. But yes, this should be an option.

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by macmatte

I argue that, in spite of soaring MacBook sales, it could be better if Apple offered matte screens.

This argument below is an excerpt taken from http://macmatte.wordpress.com where the raw poll data is found.

Most online polls show that 40% prefer matte, but 20% would still buy glossy if forced to do so. This means that 20% of past Apple users refuse to buy glossy Macs.

…

I can't imagine how this could reflect reality. This site has a fairly specific audience; how many people that don't have an issue with the glossy screens would go to a site like this.

Try standing outside a mac store and ask people if they would have preferred to have a matte screen for their new laptop. How well would that correspond? Not well I think.

The glossy screens are sexy looking, and that's the bottom line. Most of us are shallow.

[Hattig]

Originally Posted by backtomac

Are you sure of that?

I'm on my third battery for my 2006 MBP. They don't seem to last worth a shit IME.

Having said that the new battery technology looks pretty intriguing. If they do live up to Apple's claims of 1000 cycles of charging then that would truly represent a big improvement in battery tech. I'm a little skeptical just based on my experience with the batteries for my current MBP but I'm trying to keep an open mind.

In AnandTech's testing, the 2006 MBP had appalling battery life. It was an early Intel machine, and it suffered greatly with battery life. Certainly in comparison to the 5 hour battery lives of the PowerPC laptops beforehand, it was half as long.

I still get 4 hours on my iBook battery, and that was new in 2006 (the Apple/Sony battery replacement).

[Boogerman2000]

Originally Posted by MacTripper

Mac's never cease to amaze me, even today I learned a new trick

command option eject


cool huh? sleeps it right off.

And here I thought I knew it all.


In my opinion, Apple is about to retire their MacBook Pro line next, shifting all mechanical devices to external sources in favor of MacBook Air type laptops.

Now that memory like SDXC can hold up to 2TB with 2x the speed of a 7,200 RPM hard drive, why use SSD or HD's anymore?


Also Intel is coming out with a new line of processors with integrated GPU and memory controller, we might be seeing the end of dedicated GPU's as well.

http://www.hardmac.com/news/2009/07/...ile-processors


So the new MacBook line coming might possibly have everything on the logic board, even the memory/storage, making them even cheaper to produce and thinner than before.

Absolutely agree. I think that the Air was a little ahead of it's time with regards to the market. It's funny how Apple will take the "wait and see" approach with certain products/features while simultaneously releasing other items well ahead of the pack. Anyway, I believe the Air could/should be a killer device with possibly a few added ports but more importantly, a substantial decrease in price. An all Air lineup does seem imminent.

[Mr. H]

Originally Posted by Boogerman2000

Absolutely agree. I think that the Air was a little ahead of it's time with regards to the market. It's funny how Apple will take the "wait and see" approach with certain products/features while simultaneously releasing other items well ahead of the pack. Anyway, I believe the Air could/should be a killer device with possibly a few added ports but more importantly, a substantial decrease in price. An all Air lineup does seem imminent.

The only way to deliver a substantial decrease in price is to make it less powerful. The Air uses a special low-package-size Low-Voltage Core 2 Duo which is considerably more expensive than the standard Core 2 Duo in the MacBook and MacBook Pro, which in turn is much more expensive than the Atom chips found in netbooks.

I'm not sure, but it's also possible that the more complicated shape of the Air's underside and the door flap for the ports make it more expensive to manufacture than a 13" MacBook Pro.

Expecting the Air to ever cost less than a 13" MacBook Pro whilst maintaining performance is unrealistic.

I'd rather just see a 10" MacBook with Atom etc.

Given the explosion of netbooks, the Air looks more and more like another Cube (form over function, offering less flexibility and less power for more money). When the Air first came out, it was competing against very expensive ultra-portables, and it delivered - it was cheaper, more powerful, weighed about the same but had a full-size keyboard and screen. But that was then. Now, netbooks have destroyed the ultra-portable market. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple stop making the Air.

[faithfulFrank]

Well, I plan on buying a 13" MacbookPro this week. But sadly, I'm not excited.

I currently have a 17" G4 imac and my beloved 12" 1.5 ghz Powerbook. My mac guru friends tell me that it is time to upgrade. My 12" Powerbook battery doesn't last even 30 minutes, and I suppose it is getting a bit long in the tooth.

I have one question NO ONE seems to be able to answer for me. If I buy this new 13" MacbookPro, will it pick up wifi signals from farther away then my 12" Powerbook? I really need it to.

Also, I'll need to buy a new laptop backpack for this new laptop, but every one I've seen is for a 15" laptop or bigger. does ANYONE make a backpack just for this size laptop??

I think I'll get the entry level one....should be good enough for me, since I'm still extremely happy with my 8 year old imac....

I'll buy this soon because of the ipod deal, the $10 snow leopard and the $100 dollars off a printer deal....but I'll miss my matte screen and I am hoping I will not have buyers remorse. I also hope the new laptop will have a better wifi range......but no one at Apple can tell me it will.....

[knownikko]

I've been waiting for my University's bookstore to get some of the upper-config 13" MBPs in stock since the day they were announced. Still waiting. They claim to be receiving a shipment tomorrow, but it's been a long couple of weeks.

[LE Studios]

Originally Posted by MacTripper

Mac's never cease to amaze me, even today I learned a new trick

command option eject


cool huh? sleeps it right off.

And here I thought I knew it all.


In my opinion, Apple is about to retire their MacBook Pro line next, shifting all mechanical devices to external sources in favor of MacBook Air type laptops.

Now that memory like SDXC can hold up to 2TB with 2x the speed of a 7,200 RPM hard drive, why use SSD or HD's anymore?


Also Intel is coming out with a new line of processors with integrated GPU and memory controller, we might be seeing the end of dedicated GPU's as well.

http://www.hardmac.com/news/2009/07/...ile-processors


So the new MacBook line coming might possibly have everything on the logic board, even the memory/storage, making them even cheaper to produce and thinner than before.

Thanks, that Command - Option - Eject also works on the Mac mini too. I'm glad you posted this because it save me time from doing it in the Menu.

[Boogerman2000]

Originally Posted by Mr. H

The only way to deliver a substantial decrease in price is to make it less powerful. The Air uses a special low-package-size Low-Voltage Core 2 Duo which is considerably more expensive than the standard Core 2 Duo in the MacBook and MacBook Pro, which in turn is much more expensive than the Atom chips found in netbooks.

I'm not sure, but it's also possible that the more complicated shape of the Air's underside and the door flap for the ports make it more expensive to manufacture than a 13" MacBook Pro.

Expecting the Air to ever cost less than a 13" MacBook Pro whilst maintaining performance is unrealistic.

I'd rather just see a 10" MacBook with Atom etc.

Given the explosion of netbooks, the Air looks more and more like another Cube (form over function, offering less flexibility and less power for more money). When the Air first came out, it was competing against very expensive ultra-portables, and it delivered - it was cheaper, more powerful, weighed about the same but had a full-size keyboard and screen. But that was then. Now, netbooks have destroyed the ultra-portable market. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple stop making the Air.

True enough. I guess it was naive to have overlooked the whole netbook craze. A 10" macbook would be great especially if it were as slim and lightweight as the air. Not so sure about all the rumors of a tablet though.

[Gmac]

Originally Posted by Jerseymac

The glossy screen is a drawback. Try surfing in the back yard on a sunny day.

Do you own one and have you tried this? I own one and an HP for work that has a matte screen. I have used both side by side on my backyard deck in the sun. The Mac's was infinitely more readible.

The glossy screen concern is overblown IMO. In the stores you do see quite a lot of reflection from overhead flourescent lights and track lights. In regular use at my home and office, I don't notice reflections at all and the screen just seems so much brighter and sharper than my HP.

It's funny, when LCD's began replacing CRT's, people were lamenting the 'screen door' effect you get from the matte screen compared to the glass of CRTs. We've come full circle!

[ghostface147]

I am I the only who feels that a 13 inch laptop should not be a Pro laptop?