I was ready to get an MBP for my dad. but I waited, thinking that I shoudl wait for macworld. He needs it as soon as spooibal, but I'm not buying it until an update is announced
I have a new MacBook Pro....(2.4GHz C2D, 2GB Ram, 160GB HDD, 8600GT 256MB, 15" Glossy LED) .....but you can bet your backside I'd replace this one with a MBP that has a Penryn CPU, multitouch pad and blu-ray...maybe an 8800 too if we're lucky
A timeline for the next MacBook Pro is a real guessing game now. I was almost sure that it was getting a major revamp at Macworld. Oh well. I am pretty confident we will not see the MacBook Pro update in the next three weeks. Apple needs to get the MacBook Air shipping and then let it have a honeymoon period.
Apple is releasing an iPhone SDK in February which could be at any time during the month's 29 days knowing how Apple is. But I would think that Apple might dovetail the announcement of its availability with other updates in a special event. And, of course, the other updates would be the MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro is going to need a special event because I really feel that it's going to be overhauled. It needs some of the design elements of the MacBook Air (new keyboard, magnetic latch, multi-touch trackpad, alternate MagSafe connector, and perhaps the drop-down port access.
If I had to guess on a date for MacBook Pro updates, I would guess Tuesday, Feburary 19th or Wednesday, February 20th.
I certainly agree with all the comments that a MacBook Pro revamp is way overdue.
While there is an obvious need to give the New MacBok Air time to establish itself without competing with Apple's own products, the real reason for the delay is that Intel won't be launching the next iteration of the mobile Centrino platform 'Montevina' until May 2008.
Montevina is an important development, because it offers a slew of important new features. Chief among them is a reduction in the chip-size architecture from 65nm to 45nm which will allow a 60% reduction in the processor and motherboard component sizes. Montevina chips will offer lower power consumption options (25 watts instead of 35 watts) allowing for longer battery life. They will offer better support for NAND flash memory, BlueRay DVDs, and WiMax/ 802.11n.
These advantages will allow Apple to deliver thinner, lighter and more powerful MacBook Pros with a longer battery life. Obviously, they cannot arrive before May, so reports that suggest a February MBP revamp may be somewhat wide of the mark. My guess, and it is only a guess, is that we will see an upgrade to the current model design in May or June (around the time of the next WWDC).
I am hoping we see a redesigned MBP that is similar in dimensions and foot print to the current MBP 15" and 17" models, but thinner and lighter. When it comes, I expect we'll also see a revised track pad with the functionality of the MacBook Air's. The keyboard should also be similar to that of the MacBook, MBA and iMac. It should be a cool machine.
That said, however, Apple may choose to upgrade the MBP line-up without incorporating full Centrino features or changing its current appearance. It could do this as soon as February. But given that everyone is saying that the MBP is due for a makeover, simply stuffing a new chip set in the existing model may not be enough to maintain Apple's competitiveness versus Windows PC competitors. Moreover, if Apple inserts a new chip in February, a proper redesign in May would be unlikely. IMHO an upgraded MBP without Montevina would be a missed opportunity. Given Apple's commitment to BlueRay, my money is on a May/ June MBP redesign. This lead time would also give the MBA plenty of time to gain a market toe-hold. If Apple revamps its MBP line-up now, then a redesign may not come before September.
While we all lust after 'new and improved' technology, the sheer amount of time that the current MacBook Pro has been around shows how good it is. Apple got it right first time. And, if it ain't broke, why fix it? Beyond improving the chip set to make it run faster, reducing the weight and physical size, the ergonmoics of the existing model are damn near perfect and don't need changing. So my advice to anyone who needs a new Apple is wait until February to see if an upgraded MBP arrives, if it does buy one. If it doesn't buy one anyway or wait until May/ June.
a February MBP revamp may be somewhat wide of the mark.
Sorry, I don't think so. Apple will not lose its momentum and competitiveness by skipping a generation of processors by waiting until May. MacBooks perhaps. But Penryn is here now and all of Apple's rivals are launching notebooks with it. You may be right in regards to the redesign, but be that as it may (no punn intended), I think Apple will be out of the gate with Penryn-based MacBook Pros in February at the latest.
I too am holding out for a MBP update. The MBA is just not for me. I love the exterior design of the current MBP, I hope they keep it the same. But the inside needs updating..keyboard..trackpad.
Sorry, I don't think so. Apple will not lose its momentum and competitiveness by skipping a generation of processors by waiting until May. MacBooks perhaps. But Penryn is here now and all of Apple's rivals are launching notebooks with it. You may be right in regards to the redesign, but be that as it may (no punn intended), I think Apple will be out of the gate with Penryn-based MacBook Pros in February at the latest.
If Apple updates the MacBook Pro design in February, we'll all be laughing, Montevina Centrino chipset or not. But if they just upgrade to a Penryn processor without doing anything else, then it looks like we'll have to wait until September before getting a proper redesign. I say this because Apple has now been burned a couple of times for having product lifecycles that are too short. It is easy to get into a situation where everyone puts off buying a new PC because they're waiting for the next thing to arrive. Six months seems to be the shortest acceptable cycle.
On the other hand, given cosyness of Steve and Paul's relationship, maybe Apple will get the jump on other vendors and get the new chipset before the rest. In that case, maybe the redesign could come before May.
As I already said in an other forum, the 12" design was dropped mostly because of the intel chips design limitation at its time.
Now, if we look at the Montevina specs, it sounds like there is no reason Apple could not bring the ultra compact design back... *Wasn't the MacBook Air a first step?*
Will the new MacBook Pro be 12" or 13"?... I don't know, but for a lot of people including me, there's something missing in the Pro line-up in terms of portability. *I even signed that petition almost 2 years ago...*
Anyway, I think the new MacBook Pro design will share some specs with the MacBook Air: same keyboard, same magnetic latch, same trackpad, aluminium still... but sure, not as thin.
A seemingly innocuous blurb over at Engadget might explain why Apple chose not to announce MacBook Pro updates at the MacWorld conference last week. I hope that I wasn't the only one that thought there seemed to be a gap in the show's keynote presentation! Usually the keynotes have run approximately 2 hours, but there seemed to be a good half hour lopped off.
A seemingly innocuous blurb over at Engadget might explain why Apple chose not to announce MacBook Pro updates at the MacWorld conference last week. I hope that I wasn't the only one that thought there seemed to be a gap in the show's keynote presentation! Usually the keynotes have run approximately 2 hours, but there seemed to be a good half hour lopped off.
Interesting. I hope you're right. A redesigned 12 or 13" penryn MBP would be worth waiting out last week's disappointment.
I think the MBP does need a redisgn now, it is getting on in age, although the original design was so good it is still doing its job well.
However, I can't see a major redesign happening without a full 'show' announcement, be it WWDC or Macworld.
I personally think we'll keep seeing minor updates throughout this year. I hope I am wrong, but I can't see it any other way. As for 12"/13" MBP, hmm, now we have the MBA, I really don't see it as a posibility... where would it fit in to the price matrix without canibalising the MBA sales?
i think the MBP will get an simple update to penryn in the next month or so, but won't get a redesign til when nehalem is out.
Simple update to Penryn 2.6GHz and new MBA-style keyboard sometime in February sounds about right. I wouldn't mind an 8800M, but this would probably be a little too hot... and BlueRay would be nice too, but apparently Apple wants us to rent all movies over iTunes.
In looking back at the sources of the most accurate rumors, we also find enticing reports of items that didn't come true at Macworld, but did come from credible sources.
The MacBook Pro updates are certainly coming -- and soon. Even without our rumor sources, the MacBook Pros are simply due for refresh. But the most interesting tidbit is that there have been reliable reports that the Pro machines will incorporate Apple's new multi-touch trackpad.
Given Appleinsider's accuracy with their ultra-portable report, it is increasingly likely that we will see a mini-tablet device coming from Apple. Apple is said to be working on a multi-touch OS X device about 1.5x the size of the iPhone with a 720x480 screen. Initial reports had suggested the possibility of a Macworld launch, but was delayed and may instead be seen later this year.\t
....yeppers; countin' the minutes till I can turf my HP/Vista.
I wonder if it will come in an anodized black aluminum? I think the aluminum silver/black keys combo might be the new consumer look...then again with the Mac Pro refresh staying silver and also inheriting that newer Apple keyboard perhaps the next MacBook Pro is just going to be the same overall color scheme as the new Air. Just thinking aloud here of course.
I wonder if it will come in an anodized black aluminum? I think the aluminum silver/black keys combo might be the new consumer look...then again with the Mac Pro refresh staying silver and also inheriting that newer Apple keyboard perhaps the next MacBook Pro is just going to be the same overall color scheme as the new Air. Just thinking aloud here of course.
The updates are delayed because of reasons that might seem silly. At issue is the keyboard. For anyone who is a super fast typer (myself included) you are probably skeptical of the new (spaced) apple keyboard design. I initially thought it would be bad, but typing 70wpm I can tell you the new keyboards with space around they keys is the best thing to happen in keyboards in 20 years.
Apple will have a hard time convincing users to change their keyboard without them having time to play with it. So it's tough to take the current macbook pro, ditch the keyboard for the new style when so many people are used to the current design.
there won't be any major update for MBP expect intel penryn; most properly apple won't release any new design for laptop without presented in to the public in steve keynote. But how much will be the price of MBP if it release with the top of the line intel chip?
Comments
I was ready to get an MBP for my dad. but I waited, thinking that I shoudl wait for macworld. He needs it as soon as spooibal, but I'm not buying it until an update is announced
Apple is releasing an iPhone SDK in February which could be at any time during the month's 29 days knowing how Apple is. But I would think that Apple might dovetail the announcement of its availability with other updates in a special event. And, of course, the other updates would be the MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro is going to need a special event because I really feel that it's going to be overhauled. It needs some of the design elements of the MacBook Air (new keyboard, magnetic latch, multi-touch trackpad, alternate MagSafe connector, and perhaps the drop-down port access.
If I had to guess on a date for MacBook Pro updates, I would guess Tuesday, Feburary 19th or Wednesday, February 20th.
While there is an obvious need to give the New MacBok Air time to establish itself without competing with Apple's own products, the real reason for the delay is that Intel won't be launching the next iteration of the mobile Centrino platform 'Montevina' until May 2008.
Montevina is an important development, because it offers a slew of important new features. Chief among them is a reduction in the chip-size architecture from 65nm to 45nm which will allow a 60% reduction in the processor and motherboard component sizes. Montevina chips will offer lower power consumption options (25 watts instead of 35 watts) allowing for longer battery life. They will offer better support for NAND flash memory, BlueRay DVDs, and WiMax/ 802.11n.
These advantages will allow Apple to deliver thinner, lighter and more powerful MacBook Pros with a longer battery life. Obviously, they cannot arrive before May, so reports that suggest a February MBP revamp may be somewhat wide of the mark. My guess, and it is only a guess, is that we will see an upgrade to the current model design in May or June (around the time of the next WWDC).
I am hoping we see a redesigned MBP that is similar in dimensions and foot print to the current MBP 15" and 17" models, but thinner and lighter. When it comes, I expect we'll also see a revised track pad with the functionality of the MacBook Air's. The keyboard should also be similar to that of the MacBook, MBA and iMac. It should be a cool machine.
That said, however, Apple may choose to upgrade the MBP line-up without incorporating full Centrino features or changing its current appearance. It could do this as soon as February. But given that everyone is saying that the MBP is due for a makeover, simply stuffing a new chip set in the existing model may not be enough to maintain Apple's competitiveness versus Windows PC competitors. Moreover, if Apple inserts a new chip in February, a proper redesign in May would be unlikely. IMHO an upgraded MBP without Montevina would be a missed opportunity. Given Apple's commitment to BlueRay, my money is on a May/ June MBP redesign. This lead time would also give the MBA plenty of time to gain a market toe-hold. If Apple revamps its MBP line-up now, then a redesign may not come before September.
While we all lust after 'new and improved' technology, the sheer amount of time that the current MacBook Pro has been around shows how good it is. Apple got it right first time. And, if it ain't broke, why fix it? Beyond improving the chip set to make it run faster, reducing the weight and physical size, the ergonmoics of the existing model are damn near perfect and don't need changing. So my advice to anyone who needs a new Apple is wait until February to see if an upgraded MBP arrives, if it does buy one. If it doesn't buy one anyway or wait until May/ June.
a February MBP revamp may be somewhat wide of the mark.
Sorry, I don't think so. Apple will not lose its momentum and competitiveness by skipping a generation of processors by waiting until May. MacBooks perhaps. But Penryn is here now and all of Apple's rivals are launching notebooks with it. You may be right in regards to the redesign, but be that as it may (no punn intended), I think Apple will be out of the gate with Penryn-based MacBook Pros in February at the latest.
I also hope they reduce the weight.
Sorry, I don't think so. Apple will not lose its momentum and competitiveness by skipping a generation of processors by waiting until May. MacBooks perhaps. But Penryn is here now and all of Apple's rivals are launching notebooks with it. You may be right in regards to the redesign, but be that as it may (no punn intended), I think Apple will be out of the gate with Penryn-based MacBook Pros in February at the latest.
If Apple updates the MacBook Pro design in February, we'll all be laughing, Montevina Centrino chipset or not. But if they just upgrade to a Penryn processor without doing anything else, then it looks like we'll have to wait until September before getting a proper redesign. I say this because Apple has now been burned a couple of times for having product lifecycles that are too short. It is easy to get into a situation where everyone puts off buying a new PC because they're waiting for the next thing to arrive. Six months seems to be the shortest acceptable cycle.
On the other hand, given cosyness of Steve and Paul's relationship, maybe Apple will get the jump on other vendors and get the new chipset before the rest. In that case, maybe the redesign could come before May.
Enough second-guessing already...
Now, if we look at the Montevina specs, it sounds like there is no reason Apple could not bring the ultra compact design back... *Wasn't the MacBook Air a first step?*
Will the new MacBook Pro be 12" or 13"?... I don't know, but for a lot of people including me, there's something missing in the Pro line-up in terms of portability. *I even signed that petition almost 2 years ago...*
Anyway, I think the new MacBook Pro design will share some specs with the MacBook Air: same keyboard, same magnetic latch, same trackpad, aluminium still... but sure, not as thin.
Rendez-vous at the WWDC...
A seemingly innocuous blurb over at Engadget might explain why Apple chose not to announce MacBook Pro updates at the MacWorld conference last week. I hope that I wasn't the only one that thought there seemed to be a gap in the show's keynote presentation! Usually the keynotes have run approximately 2 hours, but there seemed to be a good half hour lopped off.
Interesting. I hope you're right. A redesigned 12 or 13" penryn MBP would be worth waiting out last week's disappointment.
However, I can't see a major redesign happening without a full 'show' announcement, be it WWDC or Macworld.
I personally think we'll keep seeing minor updates throughout this year. I hope I am wrong, but I can't see it any other way. As for 12"/13" MBP, hmm, now we have the MBA, I really don't see it as a posibility... where would it fit in to the price matrix without canibalising the MBA sales?
i think the MBP will get an simple update to penryn in the next month or so, but won't get a redesign til when nehalem is out.
Simple update to Penryn 2.6GHz and new MBA-style keyboard sometime in February sounds about right. I wouldn't mind an 8800M, but this would probably be a little too hot... and BlueRay would be nice too, but apparently Apple wants us to rent all movies over iTunes.
-from Mac Rumors:
Macworld San Francisco 2008 Rumor Wrapup: Winners and Losers
What's to Come: MacBook Pros, Mini Tablet
In looking back at the sources of the most accurate rumors, we also find enticing reports of items that didn't come true at Macworld, but did come from credible sources.
The MacBook Pro updates are certainly coming -- and soon. Even without our rumor sources, the MacBook Pros are simply due for refresh. But the most interesting tidbit is that there have been reliable reports that the Pro machines will incorporate Apple's new multi-touch trackpad.
Given Appleinsider's accuracy with their ultra-portable report, it is increasingly likely that we will see a mini-tablet device coming from Apple. Apple is said to be working on a multi-touch OS X device about 1.5x the size of the iPhone with a 720x480 screen. Initial reports had suggested the possibility of a Macworld launch, but was delayed and may instead be seen later this year.\t
....yeppers; countin' the minutes till I can turf my HP/Vista.
I wonder if it will come in an anodized black aluminum? I think the aluminum silver/black keys combo might be the new consumer look...then again with the Mac Pro refresh staying silver and also inheriting that newer Apple keyboard perhaps the next MacBook Pro is just going to be the same overall color scheme as the new Air. Just thinking aloud here of course.
carbon fibre please
Apple will have a hard time convincing users to change their keyboard without them having time to play with it. So it's tough to take the current macbook pro, ditch the keyboard for the new style when so many people are used to the current design.