Apple tells some stores to expect 'sealed packages' early this week
Evidence that Apple plans to introduce new MacBook Pro notebooks as early as this week continues to mount, with the company reportedly providing some dealers with strict warnings not to breach the integrity of sealed pallet shipments that may begin arriving as early as tomorrow.
More specifically, the Mac maker this weekend began informing some of its larger European resellers that they could expect delivery of sealed product pallets to their brick-and-mortar stores as early as Monday, which coincides with one of ten federal holidays (President's Day) in the United States.
Apple has historically avoided making major product launches on federal holidays, and as such is telling these partners that an official announcement pertaining to the shipments would follow shortly, according to a person familiar with the matter. The same person said that Apple is vocalizing its right to yank reseller licenses from any dealer who tampers with the sealed shipments ahead of that said announcement.
The move underscores the complications Apple faces in attempting to equip its expansive supply chains for major product introductions on the scale of MacBook Pros ahead of formally unveiling such products, especially in the face of sprawling stock-outs on existing models that impede new customer purchases.
As such, the Cupertino-based company has in the past commissioned its freight carriers to provide drop-shipments of new products to its distribution points across the global in the days and hours before an impending announcement, concealing those shipments in black plastic wrap before sealing them further with "Apple Confidential" tape (as can be seen in the below photo of a pallet of unannounced Power Macs back in April of 2005.)
According to those same people briefed on this week's shipments, Apple's major European distributors ran out MacBook Pros near the top of the month, regional resellers have not been able to place new orders for the notebooks for over two weeks, and Apple has not shipped a single unit of its own to the channel during the same period of time.
For more on Apple's plans for its MacBook Pro line, please see AppleInsider's MacBook Pro information archive.
More specifically, the Mac maker this weekend began informing some of its larger European resellers that they could expect delivery of sealed product pallets to their brick-and-mortar stores as early as Monday, which coincides with one of ten federal holidays (President's Day) in the United States.
Apple has historically avoided making major product launches on federal holidays, and as such is telling these partners that an official announcement pertaining to the shipments would follow shortly, according to a person familiar with the matter. The same person said that Apple is vocalizing its right to yank reseller licenses from any dealer who tampers with the sealed shipments ahead of that said announcement.
The move underscores the complications Apple faces in attempting to equip its expansive supply chains for major product introductions on the scale of MacBook Pros ahead of formally unveiling such products, especially in the face of sprawling stock-outs on existing models that impede new customer purchases.
As such, the Cupertino-based company has in the past commissioned its freight carriers to provide drop-shipments of new products to its distribution points across the global in the days and hours before an impending announcement, concealing those shipments in black plastic wrap before sealing them further with "Apple Confidential" tape (as can be seen in the below photo of a pallet of unannounced Power Macs back in April of 2005.)
According to those same people briefed on this week's shipments, Apple's major European distributors ran out MacBook Pros near the top of the month, regional resellers have not been able to place new orders for the notebooks for over two weeks, and Apple has not shipped a single unit of its own to the channel during the same period of time.
For more on Apple's plans for its MacBook Pro line, please see AppleInsider's MacBook Pro information archive.
Comments
If apple indeed does release MBPs this week it seems their cone of silence may of finally been repaired. While there have been rumors and vague details, there haven't been the concrete tangible leaks seen before the last several product releases.
Wasn't John Gruber leaking product releases days before as well?
But yes I'm looking forward to this announcement as well. I hope that there's at least a small event of some kind to watch on the Apple site.
No event = speed bump or relatively minor upgrade. No big deal.
not true at all. redesigned iMac and white macbook were both released with out an event before hand
No event = speed bump or relatively minor upgrade. No big deal.
I don't think they'd threaten to revoke a reseller license if it was just a CPU bump. This is a redesign.
SSD, Sandy Bridge, Mac App Store = no optical drive, high speed connector to replace FW and ethernet, thinner MBA-like design as announced, possibly liquid metal alloy with a different metal shade, higher resolution and possibly higher quality displays (if they get IPS screens, that would be nice).
I wonder, out-loud and anonymously through the internet, if it's worth her waiting possibly until as late as April or May...
I think they'll drop the plastic MB line in favour of the 11" Air and it would be a good move to drop the 13" Air in favour of a thin 13" MBP.
No event = speed bump or relatively minor upgrade. No big deal.
Totally Agree.
On to more rumours of the iPad 2, 3 & 4?...
Even the iPad 2 should be a 'No really big deal' as camera, 512MB RAM, etc. should of easily been put into the current one from the get go.
No event = speed bump or relatively minor upgrade. No big deal.
It is not wise to underestimate Steve.
SSD, Sandy Bridge, Mac App Store = no optical drive, high speed connector to replace FW and ethernet, thinner MBA-like design as announced, possibly liquid metal alloy with a different metal shade, higher resolution and possibly higher quality displays (if they get IPS screens, that would be nice).
Expect half of those things and maybe you won't be disappointed.
I think they'll drop the plastic MB line in favour of the 11" Air and it would be a good move to drop the 13" Air in favour of a thin 13" MBP.
Replacing the MacBook with the less-expensive Air sounds plausible now that's it's entered my mind, but I almost somewhat doubt that that wouldn't happen for at least another year, giving the Air models one more update or revamp and price adjustment. I am suddenly just a little worried though about that happening sooner than not.
Replacing the 13" Air for a thinner MacBook Pro doesn't sound as likely though -- I would think that they're hoping and aiming ultimately to go in the opposite direction.
Whatever. U.S. Customs and the Dept of Homeland Security have already opened the packages, taken it out, turned it on, taken it apart, sold photos to Gawker, and taped it back up again.
No they didn't. That's what Steve worked out with the President at dinner last week.
Expect half of those things and maybe you won't be disappointed.
I always expect nothing but hope for everything and a $100 price drop.
Does anyone have a guess at what the new graphics chip will be?
One of the Radeon 6000-series GPUs but not sure which one. They usually go for the lower-end so it could be the 6530M. There's not much to choose between them performance-wise anyway. Plus the 6530M has the same TDP as the 6550M but the 6550 is faster.
Whatever. U.S. Customs and the Dept of Homeland Security have already opened the packages, taken it out, turned it on, taken it apart, sold photos to Gawker, and taped it back up again.
Expect half of those things and maybe you won't be disappointed.
Ah, but disappointment - regardless of what Apple does - is the name of the game.
Wait for all the inevitable whining that will fill these boards in a few days' time. You'll need a drink afterwards, if you read them all.
No event = speed bump or relatively minor upgrade. No big deal.
Events have only ever been held for chassis redesigns and that's only for the MacBook Air twice and the MacBook Pro once. All other times have been press releases. With Apple no longer going to MacWorld, they don't have announce a laptop only to have it ship 6 weeks later.
No they didn't. That's what Steve worked out with the President at dinner last week.
(Sorry, couldn't resist).