Apple can do it, why would you think they couldn't? Don't confuse not wanting to do something with an inability to do something.
I believe the Core i7 is only available on the 15" Envy and note that it's 5% thicker than the MBP. I haven't compared the width and depth to determine volume yet, but it's likely close o the 15" MBP. Note that you can get 2 HDDs totaling 1TB of storage but this is done at the expense of losing the internal optical drive, something I feel is the inevitable trend.
Why oh why does everybody assume that the next MBP will be built to the same exact dimensions? Get this the chassis is milled out on a CNC machine, if they need for that chassis to be deeper all they need to do is reprogram the mill and modify a few fixtures. That is if they continue to use the same manufacturing methods which by the way they are free to change anytime.
It just amazes me that people compare a future Apple product to a current HP product and apparently decide that Apple is frozen into the dimensions that their current product has. Apple has all sorts of choices with respect to managing the point power load of Clarksfield. They could go with a better heatsink/fan combo in the current case, install a larger more capable heatsink/fan combo in a deeper chassis, or look towards the new carbon or ceramic tech.
I just have a hard time here with the idea that people can't see beyound the current platform. After all going to Clarksfield implies a major overhaul of the internals. For one the PC board will be dramatically different.
Quote:
One manor caveat with the Envy is that even with these new CPUs you have to get the battery extender to equal the reported 7 hour battery time that Apple reports for its MBP. Thi becomes even more of an issue when the Ebvy looks to be 0.18lbs over the 15" MBP in it's base configuration without the extra battery weight and, perhaps more importantly, I only know of Apple and Sony using "realistic" testing for measuring their battery durations on ther system. This coupled with Windows have worse power management than OS X may make this attractive machine less desirable than it could be.
The major problem with Envy is that it is built by HP to run Windows and this being a Mac forum not many people really care. Before you get real excited about this platform you need to sit back and think a bit or look at envy bench marking. For example can it make full use of Turbo Boost and if it does how long can it run in boost mode before thermal throttling kicks in? See I know this machine exists from HP but I don't know if it is a great machine. By grat I mean a machine that gets as much out of Clarksfield as is possible. The problem is knock offs are seldom well engineered so I wonder if HP has risen above the average here. It could be well engineered or it could be crap, we won't know until competitive products and good benchmarking appears.
Quote:
That said, if the OSx86 Project can get all the drivers fo this machine and Apple doesn't have a Core i7 option without the optical drive in the next 15" MBP, I may very well switch to a Hackintosh HP Envy 15.
Why does it have to be i7 without an Optical Drive? Does HP supply Envy in this configuration? Further would it be as easy to pull the Envy appart to swap or remove the optical drive?
Frankly I'm of the opinion that HPs marketing and it's use of the word Envy, has you by the short hairs. You seem to be going nuts over something that hasn't been on the market for more than a few days. The rational approach here is to see what the market place delivers in the coming weeks, Apple included. Then start to worry about battery lifetimes and performance considerations. The reality is if you are on the waterfront waiting for the first boat to ship out on you may find yourself riding through a storm.
There will always be an iPhone/ iPod/ Mac/ MacBook "killer" around the corner promising to be the next biggest and best thing... Pre, Envy, Dell Adamo, etc. Whether they "kill" any Apple product is yet to be seen... Not that Apple shouldn't stay competitive.
Why oh why does everybody assume that the next MBP will be built to the same exact dimensions? Get this the chassis is milled out on a CNC machine, if they need for that chassis to be deeper all they need to do is reprogram the mill and modify a few fixtures. That is if they continue to use the same manufacturing methods which by the way they are free to change anytime.
It just amazes me that people compare a future Apple product to a current HP product and apparently decide that Apple is frozen into the dimensions that their current product has. Apple has all sorts of choices with respect to managing the point power load of Clarksfield. They could go with a better heatsink/fan combo in the current case, install a larger more capable heatsink/fan combo in a deeper chassis, or look towards the new carbon or ceramic tech.
I just have a hard time here with the idea that people can't see beyound the current platform. After all going to Clarksfield implies a major overhaul of the internals. For one the PC board will be dramatically different.
The major problem with Envy is that it is built by HP to run Windows and this being a Mac forum not many people really care. Before you get real excited about this platform you need to sit back and think a bit or look at envy bench marking. For example can it make full use of Turbo Boost and if it does how long can it run in boost mode before thermal throttling kicks in? See I know this machine exists from HP but I don't know if it is a great machine. By grat I mean a machine that gets as much out of Clarksfield as is possible. The problem is knock offs are seldom well engineered so I wonder if HP has risen above the average here. It could be well engineered or it could be crap, we won't know until competitive products and good benchmarking appears.
Why does it have to be i7 without an Optical Drive? Does HP supply Envy in this configuration? Further would it be as easy to pull the Envy appart to swap or remove the optical drive?
Frankly I'm of the opinion that HPs marketing and it's use of the word Envy, has you by the short hairs. You seem to be going nuts over something that hasn't been on the market for more than a few days. The rational approach here is to see what the market place delivers in the coming weeks, Apple included. Then start to worry about battery lifetimes and performance considerations. The reality is if you are on the waterfront waiting for the first boat to ship out on you may find yourself riding through a storm.
Dave
1) What evidence do you have that supports Apple ever adding noticable, thickness, weight and volume to a product generation-over-generation. Again, Apple can do this or that if they choose bit I see no historical evidence to suggest that they willl.
2) I don't see how a CNC alters Apple's obsession with thinness.
3) Check out the 15" Envy's specs to answer some of your questions.
4) My use of words like 'if' and 'may' aren't exactly the wharf-waiting terms one would expect from someone deadset on an Envy.
5) I am deadset on buying a new MBP if it mimics the previously noted inclusions and exclusions of the Envy, but like all my purchases I can wait for their arrival and for a couple weeks of reviews.
6) You shouldn't discredit a PC simply because of the company or product name. Apple makes a lot of products I love, but they also make some that I don't care for. The Envy so far is looking to be the most ideal notebook HW configurations for my needs, but needs vary. Again check it out.
7) I am typing this on an iPhone so editing your message would have taken too long. My apologizes to the board for my poor forum etiquette.
There will always be an iPhone/ iPod/ Mac/ MacBook "killer" around the corner promising to be the next biggest and best thing... Pre, Envy, Dell Adamo, etc. Whether they "kill" any Apple product is yet to be seen... Not that Apple shouldn't stay competitive.
Apple's dominance in their respective markets makes "killing" an impossibility with an initial release product, but getting a fair amount of business to support these company's decision to venture (back) into the high-end market can certainly be achieved. Any real competition for Apple is a good thing.
The Mac mini might get an update, but only because Intel no longer has any Core 2 Duos under 2.26GHz on their price list.
This is Apple we're talking about -- they could be using 3 GHz parts in the mini, just underclocked to maintain artificial product segmentation that Apple is so fond of.
Considering Apple are making a big push towards being "green" the macbook is somewhat of a relic in that respect, personally i think they'll push out a new chassis material soon, possibly with a LED backlit screen (hey, netbooks have them, it's hardly a 'pro' feature)
So what materials can apple go for, i'd say carbon fiber possibly, but for a out of field and possibly stylish look.. how about wood, bamboo specifically, Asus put out some pretty classy wood shelled laptops
My school district purchased 3,000 MacBooks 2.5 years ago and supporting them have not been to bad due to the easy hd swap. If they require a return for a dead hd please help me! Don't get me started with the battery, I have seen teachers leave their macbooks sleeping over the weekend after using it on Fridays and wonder why they go through 2 batteries a school year! Apple has been cashing in on us and now they are trying to convince our ISD to go with 13 in mbp, we will be mailing laptops more than troubleshooting them!
My school district purchased 3,000 MacBooks 2.5 years ago and supporting them have not been to bad due to the easy hd swap. If they require a return for a dead hd please help me! Don't get me started with the battery, I have seen teachers leave their macbooks sleeping over the weekend after using it on Fridays and wonder why they go through 2 batteries a school year! Apple has been cashing in on us and now they are trying to convince our ISD to go with 13 in mbp, we will be mailing laptops more than troubleshooting them!
My iBook G4 (just used for reading blogs in bed) has been left sleeping weekends for 6 years and I have never needed a new battery what's up with MacBooks? I ask as My wife has one and it sleeps weekends too (the latest type) and she did the same with the previous MacBook too for several years, again no battery problems.
Considering Apple are making a big push towards being "green" the macbook is somewhat of a relic in that respect, personally i think they'll push out a new chassis material soon, possibly with a LED backlit screen (hey, netbooks have them, it's hardly a 'pro' feature)
So what materials can apple go for, i'd say carbon fiber possibly, but for a out of field and possibly stylish look.. how about wood, bamboo specifically, Asus put out some pretty classy wood shelled laptops
I think they can keep the MacBook for another year before transitioning to metal... However by end of this year they have to give it LED display... This one is a tough one to call.
I think they can keep the MacBook for another year before transitioning to metal... However by end of this year they have to give it LED display... This one is a tough one to call.
I hope to see more LCDs from Apple too. I have to say the 24" LCD is excellent. My wife uses one with her MacBook and it makes my 30" ACDs, although they are great, feel inferior!
I have come to expect small things from Apple so with this new line, how about 4 GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM be made the standard and no more 2 GB 800 MHz DDR2. In addition, I say go with possibly a 64 GB SSD option as well.
I have come to expect small things from Apple so with this new line, how about 4 GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM be made the standard and no more 2 GB 800 MHz DDR2. In addition, I say go with possibly a 64 GB SSD option as well.
I thought the rumor was that they would be more affordable.
I hope not. How am I suppose to rip my DVD's for AppleTV and iPod? Some of up really have no interest in buying from iTunes. Besides, isn't that what Macbook air is for?
The air was a bad idea, overpriced and now has them painted into a corner. I want to know more about the so called pro features. ProSumers make up one heck of a lot more than the pro user, thus avid purchasing maudio. Todays gamer, video enthusiast, audio project rooms and mobile need at least quad core, headless mac,( ala mid range), dedicated gpu, esata, express slot and FireWire 800. Not a SD card and more ram. Againg. There was a time matte iMacs were in studios, ad just gng alone outsells the music business. Time for apple to stop catering to iPhone and iLife users and start to ficus on the prosumer who then become pro users. They font need ecc memory and sever chips. An i7 setup would more than suffice. I mean cmon apple, every machine except the pro , uses older mobile parts. Geeeh.
The air was a bad idea, overpriced and now has them painted into a corner. I want to know more about the so called pro features. ProSumers make up one heck of a lot more than the pro user, thus avid purchasing maudio. Todays gamer, video enthusiast, audio project rooms and mobile need at least quad core, headless mac,( ala mid range), dedicated gpu, esata, express slot and FireWire 800. Not a SD card and more ram. Againg. There was a time matte iMacs were in studios, ad just gng alone outsells the music business. Time for apple to stop catering to iPhone and iLife users and start to ficus on the prosumer who then become pro users. They font need ecc memory and sever chips. An i7 setup would more than suffice. I mean cmon apple, every machine except the pro , uses older mobile parts. Geeeh.
Peace.
Small point. About your post regarding "today's gamer". We don't need a Intel quad core, just a good fast Intel dual core or the new AMD Athlon2 quad core. RAM, yeah, 4GB is fine. As for GPU, nothing short of an ATI 5850 1GB or equivalent performance to drive the latest graphics at 1080p resolution.
How exactly is $999 in the sub-$1K category? It's a dollar less. Apply sales tax and it's over the magic threshold.
$999 is this week's price. To me it def looks like there will be a model below that in the new line-up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism
If all the next Mac desktops have SD card slots I think that will be an indictation that Apple is planning to obsolesce optical drives from their notebooks and move their OS install disks to SD cheap read-only SD cards.
I also think that Apple may have two sizes of the MacBook now that the aluminium MB has gone pro. Basically back to the days of the 12” and 14” iBook, but with 13” and 15” versions that use TN displays and last generation Intel C2Ds. I assume these will be plastic as well. I predict this as they seem to have saturated their current demographic pretty well at this point.
This sounds close to me. A 15" would be logical if there's going to be "a MacBook line," and 15" is bread and butter for most notebooks, so there are sales to be had there waiting to be scooped up.
Of course, Apple could confound us all, even in this era of leaks from overseas suppliers, third-party vendor website premature SKU postings, etc., and bring out a 10 or 11" model, sub three pounds and take on the space between netbooks and notebooks. But I'm not expecting this - and still using my 12" iBook on occasion, I'm in no rush to seriously depend on living on OS X in a 10" frame - with real estate limited even at 1280 and text too small at any higher res. So I do expect sub 12" devices to go with either a scaled up version of the Phone OS or a variant between the two, though that would add a whole 'nother code base to sync and I believe that at least for now Apple would like to hold at two (or "two and a half").
As for the pricing of a 13-15" line, I've skimmed the thread and haven't seen anyone else mention this, but one key for future developments will be the bottom end price of the new machines, as that will give a pretty clear read on what an iPad might go out the door for next spring.
$899 would presage a touch-centric device somewhere around $799, e.g. while $849 for the MB (I doubt we'll see lower, but would welcome a surprise) could possibly indicate a touch on steroids starting point around $699, e.g., $699-799 for two configs. Finally, $949 is the highest I can imagine for the base plastic Mac, with a 15" coming in around $1299-1399(?).
Apple, of course, never wants to steal sales from higher-priced Apples, so they're always trying to balance general competitivness against internal cannibalization - and they've gotten better at this, i.e., making the highest end a decent "premium value for price" with lesser priced machines which seem less artificially crippled and nearly totally functional on their own merits.
In any case, the lower the base price of the new MacBook, the lower the price of any tablet/pad/pod device between the Phone/Touch and MacB's.
(Edit: Subject of course to any subsidized pricing if any new device is sold through a telco partner with a subscription.)
Timing is everything...and my female cost center at St Andrews University in Scotland has dumped a glass of water on her MacBook. I suspect that a new computer will be less expensive than treking over to Glasgow to get the thing fixed. Is there any hope that the new line will be out by mid-October?
Timing is everything...and my female cost center at St Andrews University in Scotland has dumped a glass of water on her MacBook. I suspect that a new computer will be less expensive than treking over to Glasgow to get the thing fixed. Is there any hope that the new line will be out by mid-October?
Comments
Apple can do it, why would you think they couldn't? Don't confuse not wanting to do something with an inability to do something.
I believe the Core i7 is only available on the 15" Envy and note that it's 5% thicker than the MBP. I haven't compared the width and depth to determine volume yet, but it's likely close o the 15" MBP. Note that you can get 2 HDDs totaling 1TB of storage but this is done at the expense of losing the internal optical drive, something I feel is the inevitable trend.
Why oh why does everybody assume that the next MBP will be built to the same exact dimensions? Get this the chassis is milled out on a CNC machine, if they need for that chassis to be deeper all they need to do is reprogram the mill and modify a few fixtures. That is if they continue to use the same manufacturing methods which by the way they are free to change anytime.
It just amazes me that people compare a future Apple product to a current HP product and apparently decide that Apple is frozen into the dimensions that their current product has. Apple has all sorts of choices with respect to managing the point power load of Clarksfield. They could go with a better heatsink/fan combo in the current case, install a larger more capable heatsink/fan combo in a deeper chassis, or look towards the new carbon or ceramic tech.
I just have a hard time here with the idea that people can't see beyound the current platform. After all going to Clarksfield implies a major overhaul of the internals. For one the PC board will be dramatically different.
One manor caveat with the Envy is that even with these new CPUs you have to get the battery extender to equal the reported 7 hour battery time that Apple reports for its MBP. Thi becomes even more of an issue when the Ebvy looks to be 0.18lbs over the 15" MBP in it's base configuration without the extra battery weight and, perhaps more importantly, I only know of Apple and Sony using "realistic" testing for measuring their battery durations on ther system. This coupled with Windows have worse power management than OS X may make this attractive machine less desirable than it could be.
The major problem with Envy is that it is built by HP to run Windows and this being a Mac forum not many people really care. Before you get real excited about this platform you need to sit back and think a bit or look at envy bench marking. For example can it make full use of Turbo Boost and if it does how long can it run in boost mode before thermal throttling kicks in? See I know this machine exists from HP but I don't know if it is a great machine. By grat I mean a machine that gets as much out of Clarksfield as is possible. The problem is knock offs are seldom well engineered so I wonder if HP has risen above the average here. It could be well engineered or it could be crap, we won't know until competitive products and good benchmarking appears.
That said, if the OSx86 Project can get all the drivers fo this machine and Apple doesn't have a Core i7 option without the optical drive in the next 15" MBP, I may very well switch to a Hackintosh HP Envy 15.
Why does it have to be i7 without an Optical Drive? Does HP supply Envy in this configuration? Further would it be as easy to pull the Envy appart to swap or remove the optical drive?
Frankly I'm of the opinion that HPs marketing and it's use of the word Envy, has you by the short hairs. You seem to be going nuts over something that hasn't been on the market for more than a few days. The rational approach here is to see what the market place delivers in the coming weeks, Apple included. Then start to worry about battery lifetimes and performance considerations. The reality is if you are on the waterfront waiting for the first boat to ship out on you may find yourself riding through a storm.
Dave
Why oh why does everybody assume that the next MBP will be built to the same exact dimensions? Get this the chassis is milled out on a CNC machine, if they need for that chassis to be deeper all they need to do is reprogram the mill and modify a few fixtures. That is if they continue to use the same manufacturing methods which by the way they are free to change anytime.
It just amazes me that people compare a future Apple product to a current HP product and apparently decide that Apple is frozen into the dimensions that their current product has. Apple has all sorts of choices with respect to managing the point power load of Clarksfield. They could go with a better heatsink/fan combo in the current case, install a larger more capable heatsink/fan combo in a deeper chassis, or look towards the new carbon or ceramic tech.
I just have a hard time here with the idea that people can't see beyound the current platform. After all going to Clarksfield implies a major overhaul of the internals. For one the PC board will be dramatically different.
The major problem with Envy is that it is built by HP to run Windows and this being a Mac forum not many people really care. Before you get real excited about this platform you need to sit back and think a bit or look at envy bench marking. For example can it make full use of Turbo Boost and if it does how long can it run in boost mode before thermal throttling kicks in? See I know this machine exists from HP but I don't know if it is a great machine. By grat I mean a machine that gets as much out of Clarksfield as is possible. The problem is knock offs are seldom well engineered so I wonder if HP has risen above the average here. It could be well engineered or it could be crap, we won't know until competitive products and good benchmarking appears.
Why does it have to be i7 without an Optical Drive? Does HP supply Envy in this configuration? Further would it be as easy to pull the Envy appart to swap or remove the optical drive?
Frankly I'm of the opinion that HPs marketing and it's use of the word Envy, has you by the short hairs. You seem to be going nuts over something that hasn't been on the market for more than a few days. The rational approach here is to see what the market place delivers in the coming weeks, Apple included. Then start to worry about battery lifetimes and performance considerations. The reality is if you are on the waterfront waiting for the first boat to ship out on you may find yourself riding through a storm.
Dave
1) What evidence do you have that supports Apple ever adding noticable, thickness, weight and volume to a product generation-over-generation. Again, Apple can do this or that if they choose bit I see no historical evidence to suggest that they willl.
2) I don't see how a CNC alters Apple's obsession with thinness.
3) Check out the 15" Envy's specs to answer some of your questions.
4) My use of words like 'if' and 'may' aren't exactly the wharf-waiting terms one would expect from someone deadset on an Envy.
5) I am deadset on buying a new MBP if it mimics the previously noted inclusions and exclusions of the Envy, but like all my purchases I can wait for their arrival and for a couple weeks of reviews.
6) You shouldn't discredit a PC simply because of the company or product name. Apple makes a lot of products I love, but they also make some that I don't care for. The Envy so far is looking to be the most ideal notebook HW configurations for my needs, but needs vary. Again check it out.
7) I am typing this on an iPhone so editing your message would have taken too long. My apologizes to the board for my poor forum etiquette.
There will always be an iPhone/ iPod/ Mac/ MacBook "killer" around the corner promising to be the next biggest and best thing... Pre, Envy, Dell Adamo, etc. Whether they "kill" any Apple product is yet to be seen...
Apple's dominance in their respective markets makes "killing" an impossibility with an initial release product, but getting a fair amount of business to support these company's decision to venture (back) into the high-end market can certainly be achieved. Any real competition for Apple is a good thing.
The Mac mini might get an update, but only because Intel no longer has any Core 2 Duos under 2.26GHz on their price list.
This is Apple we're talking about -- they could be using 3 GHz parts in the mini, just underclocked to maintain artificial product segmentation that Apple is so fond of.
"low-cost polycarbonate Macbook" = "plastic Macbook that still costs a thousand dollars"
"embrace Apple's cutting-edge internal battery technology" = "make the battery non-removable"
So what materials can apple go for, i'd say carbon fiber possibly, but for a out of field and possibly stylish look.. how about wood, bamboo specifically, Asus put out some pretty classy wood shelled laptops
@ Gazoobee:
How about "Yank"?
Those born south of the Mason-Dixon line would love that!
My school district purchased 3,000 MacBooks 2.5 years ago and supporting them have not been to bad due to the easy hd swap. If they require a return for a dead hd please help me! Don't get me started with the battery, I have seen teachers leave their macbooks sleeping over the weekend after using it on Fridays and wonder why they go through 2 batteries a school year! Apple has been cashing in on us and now they are trying to convince our ISD to go with 13 in mbp, we will be mailing laptops more than troubleshooting them!
My iBook G4 (just used for reading blogs in bed) has been left sleeping weekends for 6 years and I have never needed a new battery what's up with MacBooks? I ask as My wife has one and it sleeps weekends too (the latest type) and she did the same with the previous MacBook too for several years, again no battery problems.
You are not the English teacher I assume?
Considering Apple are making a big push towards being "green" the macbook is somewhat of a relic in that respect, personally i think they'll push out a new chassis material soon, possibly with a LED backlit screen (hey, netbooks have them, it's hardly a 'pro' feature)
So what materials can apple go for, i'd say carbon fiber possibly, but for a out of field and possibly stylish look.. how about wood, bamboo specifically, Asus put out some pretty classy wood shelled laptops
I think they can keep the MacBook for another year before transitioning to metal... However by end of this year they have to give it LED display... This one is a tough one to call.
I think they can keep the MacBook for another year before transitioning to metal... However by end of this year they have to give it LED display... This one is a tough one to call.
I hope to see more LCDs from Apple too. I have to say the 24" LCD is excellent. My wife uses one with her MacBook and it makes my 30" ACDs, although they are great, feel inferior!
I have come to expect small things from Apple so with this new line, how about 4 GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM be made the standard and no more 2 GB 800 MHz DDR2. In addition, I say go with possibly a 64 GB SSD option as well.
I thought the rumor was that they would be more affordable.
I hope not. How am I suppose to rip my DVD's for AppleTV and iPod? Some of up really have no interest in buying from iTunes. Besides, isn't that what Macbook air is for?
The air was a bad idea, overpriced and now has them painted into a corner. I want to know more about the so called pro features. ProSumers make up one heck of a lot more than the pro user, thus avid purchasing maudio. Todays gamer, video enthusiast, audio project rooms and mobile need at least quad core, headless mac,( ala mid range), dedicated gpu, esata, express slot and FireWire 800. Not a SD card and more ram. Againg. There was a time matte iMacs were in studios, ad just gng alone outsells the music business. Time for apple to stop catering to iPhone and iLife users and start to ficus on the prosumer who then become pro users. They font need ecc memory and sever chips. An i7 setup would more than suffice. I mean cmon apple, every machine except the pro , uses older mobile parts. Geeeh.
Peace.
For 2 hours now http://www.pingdom.com/reports/6cndu...th=9&year=2009
Just nice for Tuesday update? Given it is late night Monday USA Pacific time?
The air was a bad idea, overpriced and now has them painted into a corner. I want to know more about the so called pro features. ProSumers make up one heck of a lot more than the pro user, thus avid purchasing maudio. Todays gamer, video enthusiast, audio project rooms and mobile need at least quad core, headless mac,( ala mid range), dedicated gpu, esata, express slot and FireWire 800. Not a SD card and more ram. Againg. There was a time matte iMacs were in studios, ad just gng alone outsells the music business. Time for apple to stop catering to iPhone and iLife users and start to ficus on the prosumer who then become pro users. They font need ecc memory and sever chips. An i7 setup would more than suffice. I mean cmon apple, every machine except the pro , uses older mobile parts. Geeeh.
Peace.
Small point. About your post regarding "today's gamer". We don't need a Intel quad core, just a good fast Intel dual core or the new AMD Athlon2 quad core. RAM, yeah, 4GB is fine. As for GPU, nothing short of an ATI 5850 1GB or equivalent performance to drive the latest graphics at 1080p resolution.
I'm sorry, this just keeps bugging me:
How exactly is $999 in the sub-$1K category? It's a dollar less. Apply sales tax and it's over the magic threshold.
$999 is this week's price. To me it def looks like there will be a model below that in the new line-up.
If all the next Mac desktops have SD card slots I think that will be an indictation that Apple is planning to obsolesce optical drives from their notebooks and move their OS install disks to SD cheap read-only SD cards.
I also think that Apple may have two sizes of the MacBook now that the aluminium MB has gone pro. Basically back to the days of the 12” and 14” iBook, but with 13” and 15” versions that use TN displays and last generation Intel C2Ds. I assume these will be plastic as well. I predict this as they seem to have saturated their current demographic pretty well at this point.
This sounds close to me. A 15" would be logical if there's going to be "a MacBook line," and 15" is bread and butter for most notebooks, so there are sales to be had there waiting to be scooped up. As for the pricing of a 13-15" line, I've skimmed the thread and haven't seen anyone else mention this, but one key for future developments will be the bottom end price of the new machines, as that will give a pretty clear read on what an iPad might go out the door for next spring.
$899 would presage a touch-centric device somewhere around $799, e.g. while $849 for the MB (I doubt we'll see lower, but would welcome a surprise) could possibly indicate a touch on steroids starting point around $699, e.g., $699-799 for two configs. Finally, $949 is the highest I can imagine for the base plastic Mac, with a 15" coming in around $1299-1399(?).
Apple, of course, never wants to steal sales from higher-priced Apples, so they're always trying to balance general competitivness against internal cannibalization - and they've gotten better at this, i.e., making the highest end a decent "premium value for price" with lesser priced machines which seem less artificially crippled and nearly totally functional on their own merits.
In any case, the lower the base price of the new MacBook, the lower the price of any tablet/pad/pod device between the Phone/Touch and MacB's.
(Edit: Subject of course to any subsidized pricing if any new device is sold through a telco partner with a subscription.)
Timing is everything...and my female cost center at St Andrews University in Scotland has dumped a glass of water on her MacBook. I suspect that a new computer will be less expensive than treking over to Glasgow to get the thing fixed. Is there any hope that the new line will be out by mid-October?
course there is.