Report echos imminent MacBook sentiment
While Apple Computer has been working hard to meet demand for its new MacBook Pro notebooks in the UK, recent moves also offer evidence that the company will soon introduce its MacBook line of consumer notebooks, Jonny Evans reports for MacWorld UK.
"Today, the UK Apple Store has been updated to match the US store, with a small green circle atop the MacBook Pro listing that promises customers that their new pro notebook will ship in just 24-hours," Evans reported on Thursday. "Availability at Apple's flagship Regent Street store has also been improving in recent weeks. Spot checks mid-month showed no available stock, but a check last week showed all MacBook Pro models were available."
Meanwhile the same report comments on speculation that Apple will announce an Intel-powered replacement for its current iBook models, explaining that an announcement could come as soon as next week on the eve of the company's financial release (April 19).
"Apple has an arrangement with a UK firm under which that firm disposes of all Apple's ex-demo stock," Evans wrote without specifying the firm's identity. "That company this week announced a number of iBooks and eMacs at slightly discounted prices, inadvertently furnishing potential evidence that a move to release new consumer portables could come soon."
"Today, the UK Apple Store has been updated to match the US store, with a small green circle atop the MacBook Pro listing that promises customers that their new pro notebook will ship in just 24-hours," Evans reported on Thursday. "Availability at Apple's flagship Regent Street store has also been improving in recent weeks. Spot checks mid-month showed no available stock, but a check last week showed all MacBook Pro models were available."
Meanwhile the same report comments on speculation that Apple will announce an Intel-powered replacement for its current iBook models, explaining that an announcement could come as soon as next week on the eve of the company's financial release (April 19).
"Apple has an arrangement with a UK firm under which that firm disposes of all Apple's ex-demo stock," Evans wrote without specifying the firm's identity. "That company this week announced a number of iBooks and eMacs at slightly discounted prices, inadvertently furnishing potential evidence that a move to release new consumer portables could come soon."
Comments
What if they were told: "Slightly discount now to start flushing stock in preparation for June."
None of what was said promises or even hints at it being next week.
Originally posted by Commodus
It's funny how just about everyone, even analysts, have to scrounge for any hint of product updates from Apple. If this were just about any other company, they'd probably have had their plans made public for a month now.
Yup. And would another company have a group of people like us and sites like this feverishly speculating as we all forever do?
That's why.
This deal includes many, many of these new MacBook, at an incredible rebate.
This pre-announce (Apple never comments about future products) and more, this strange big rebate (on a brand new and very awaited Mac) puzzled me and I initially believed the writer had been mistaken and that it should have been written "MacBook Pro", but the few written specs didn't match: Superdrive, 512MB & 60GB for an introduction price-point a little over the current 14" iBook (market price without the special rebate). So I think this is about an hypothetical 2nd model of the MacBook replacing the 14" iBook G4.
Originally posted by Cosmos 1999
I can't tell you anymore but this: I fugitively saw last week the paper contract which clearly says Apple and my company are making a deal starting 1st June.
This deal includes many, many of these new MacBook, at an incredible rebate.
This pre-announce (Apple never comments about future products) and more, this strange big rebate (on a brand new and very awaited Mac) puzzled me and I initially believed the writer had been mistaken and that it should have been written "MacBook Pro", but the few written specs didn't match: Superdrive, 512MB & 60GB for an introduction price-point a little over the current 14" iBook (market price without the special rebate). So I think this is about an hypothetical 2nd model of the MacBook replacing the 14" iBook G4.
You can't give any more specs than that? Core solo, core duo? Price?
Originally posted by ecking
You can't give any more specs than that? Core solo, core duo? Price?
I don't want to make any teasing here. It was a draft and I had the feeling the writer didn't know much about the specs (ie he wasn't an Apple employee). No mention of the type of the processor Core Solo or Core Duo (just "Intel") nor the graphic card. It was written in addition Airport Extreme, Bluetooth2.0+EDR, Sudden Motion Sensor (but this is already in iBook). Weird enough, the price was "between ?1500 and ?1550 including VAT" (compare this with the different european prices for the current 12" iBook, which range from ?1029 to ?1059, and the 14" between ?1319 and ?1369...). But I repeat: this was a draft subject to change.
I was thinking to explain this higher price (+?200 that is to say +US$240)... do you think MacBook could come in two screen sizes: 13.3" wide for the first model, and 15.4" wide for a second one? Nobody seems to talk about this eventuality.