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Mac: Buyer's remorse?
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aNYthing
As some of you know, I just picked up a 17" MBP about 10 days ago. Well, lo and behold - immediately thereafter I start hearing rumors that a new MBP is coming in April. It supposedly will have Lightpeak, SSD, write epic trance all by itself and shoot unicorn crap out of all it's expansion slots and sockets.

And talk about double-meaning:

Product: MacBook Pro
Recommendation: Don't Buy - Updates soon *
Last Release: April 13, 2010
Days Since Update: 247 (Avg = 208)

Notes * The 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro received a new build-to-order option for a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 processor on October 20th, 2010. The new option does not constitute a full update to the MacBook Pro line, but does suggest that a more substantial update to the full MacBook Pro lineup is not imminent.

source: http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

I hate to spend so much money for a machine that will be significantly overhauled in a next iteration. It's one thing when CPU gets bumped up, that doesn't kill the price that much. But when a whole new internal architecture is introduced - last gens become significantly cheaper and drop their resale value.

Just ask those poor souls who bought PowerPC-based Macs shortly before Intel-based line was introduced.

So... should I stay or should I go? Plus... I'm seriously pondering whether it was a worth-while investment, considering I can get a better spec'd Quad Core ASUS for nearly 1/3 of the cost.

I know. Fail is me. Thoughts?
Mad for Brad
only ever had escort remorse.
DJ RANN
For s sake. I have been banging on about this for weeks (if not months now). I'm not sure, but I may have even mentioned it in your previous thread. I've tried to warn people about it. I know for sure I've mentioned it in just about every other thread Mac related on here recently.

Christ even if you ignore the posts on here I have no idea how anyone buys a mac without first visiting mac rumors to at least check the product cycles.

The simple answer, and without repeating myself, is yes, there will be a new generation of macs that will be substantially more powerful, thanks to lightpeak, better/cheaper SSD's and new processors.

I personally don't think it's going to happen until we're a few months in to 2011, but when it does, the current Mac range are going to look like the G5 generation when the Intel Macs came out.

It's basically going to be a significant leap in overall processing.

Now, having said that the MBP you have is more than enough processing power for producing, at least for a couple of years, but when the programmers catch up to the available potential of all that new processing power, the older ones are going to age even faster. For instance, Logic Pro 9 isn't G5 compatible anymore. I doubt that will happen as it's a different thing (the processors aren't changing that drastically) but you get the point.
aNYthing
quote:
Originally posted by DJ RANN
For s sake. I have been banging on about this for weeks (if not months now). I'm not sure, but I may have even mentioned it in your previous thread. I've tried to warn people about it. I know for sure I've mentioned it in just about every other thread Mac related on here recently.

Christ even if you ignore the posts on here I have no idea how anyone buys a mac without first visiting mac rumors to at least check the product cycles.

The simple answer, and without repeating myself, is yes, there will be a new generation of macs that will be substantially more powerful, thanks to lightpeak, better/cheaper SSD's and new processors.

I personally don't think it's going to happen until we're a few months in to 2011, but when it does, the current Mac range are going to look like the G5 generation when the Intel Macs came out.

It's basically going to be a significant leap in overall processing.

Now, having said that the MBP you have is more than enough processing power for producing, at least for a couple of years, but when the programmers catch up to the available potential of all that new processing power, the older ones are going to age even faster. For instance, Logic Pro 9 isn't G5 compatible anymore. I doubt that will happen as it's a different thing (the processors aren't changing that drastically) but you get the point.


You tell me how to interpret this:

Notes * The 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro received a new build-to-order option for a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 processor on October 20th, 2010. The new option does not constitute a full update to the MacBook Pro line, but does suggest that a more substantial update to the full MacBook Pro lineup is not imminent.

And then this:

quote:

MacBook Pro all-SSD rumor discredited
Electronista, like many others this week, received a rumor from a podcast (which we won't link to) that claimed to know the MacBook Pro will get a major redesign that would drop optical storage and move to an all-SSD lineup like the new MacBook Air with Intel's Light Peak for interconnects. It claimed that the system would ship in April with a new Final Cut Pro update. Unfortunately, this rumor simply isn't true.

The claims -- which were briefly published here -- didn't actually mention sources or even assert that these were definite facts. The podcasters said they "believe" there will be a redesign and "believe" Light Peak will be used, but there has been no evidence that the podcast was anything but speculation. We invite the podcasters to provide hard evidence if they have any.

Instead, most of the "leaks" seem to be based chiefly on inferences from what is on the record. Apple CEO Steve Jobs has promised a Final Cut Studio update early next year, and the National Association of Broadcasters expo is the best candidate, but it's not certain. There has also been a rumor of Light Peak launching early, but the company has gone on record as saying it didn't expect the 10Gbps fiber optics in computers until 2012.

More importantly, an all-SSD MacBook Pro line would simply contradict the nature of the lineup and potentially price it out of the market. A 13-inch MacBook Air with 2GB of RAM, a Core 2 Duo, a 256GB SSD and integrated graphics costs $1,599; even moving to a Core i5, 4GB of RAM, a larger screen and dedicated graphics would likely cost more than even the $1,999 speculated in the rumor. Professionals would also likely complain about the cost of a reasonable amount of space. While costs have gone down since the option became available, a 512GB SSD costs $1,300 as an upgrade at Apple's store; adding several hundred dollars or to get reasonable video space would likely drive many users away.

Also, having followed Apple for years, studied its corporate strategy and talked with Apple engineers, it's extremely unlikely that such detailed launch information would appear so soon. The company is well known for giving its staff information about a product on a need-to-know basis. Most teams only work on the components they need to test, and only some will ever see an assembled system. Most of the design process is kept even closer to the chest; it's often only Jonathan Ive's design team that knows the design of the casing itself until near the launch, and certainly not six months away.

While it would be improper to completely rule out such a shift, since Apple did declare the Air the "next generation of MacBooks," there's no indication so far that there is any substance. We can't claim to be completely accurate ourselves, but we've seen a large number of otherwise very credible sites take the SSD MacBook Pro rumor as fact when so much exists to suggest that it was primarily an attempt at driving podcast traffic. Again, we would love to see evidence to the contrary.


Sauce: http://www.electronista.com/article...or.discredited/

Like I said... Who do you believe?
aNYthing
More food for thought:

quote:
Apple*s intentions for their flagship laptop range, the MacBook Pro, made headlines this week with a new set of rumors suggesting 2011∩s model would mark the transition to not only solid-state storage but Intel*s Light Peak connectivity for high-speed data transfers. Whether this particular speculation turns out to be accurate or not, SSD 每 and abandoning optical drives 每 certainly seems the most likely route for Apple to take.

As the tipsters would have it, Apple*s 2011 MacBook Pro 每 set for an April launch next year 每 will see traditional, platter-based hard-drives dropped in favor of standard SSDs across the line. At the same time, Apple supposedly intends to throw out the integrated SuperDrive DVD burner, following the path set by the MacBook Air, instead relying on external optical drives should users want to burn discs. Finally, the last significant change is a new, high-speed connection type, bypassing eSATA and USB 3.0 and instead jumping to Intel*s Light Peak, capable 每 in its first iteration 每 of 10 Gbps bi-directional throughput.

SSD*s have been available as options on MacBook Pro notebooks for years now, and you can currently specify the existing 15- and 17-inch models with up to 512GB examples. Apple*s change would be remarkable because it would see, barring the fans, the MacBook Pro lose all its moving parts. It would also reintroduce a significant differentiator between the entry-level MacBook line and the high-end machines, where currently it*s all relatively blurry. Apple could also well use the MacBook Pro refresh to debut official SSD TRIM support in OS X, something that*s being mentioned in the About This Mac dialog in Snow Leopard but not currently enabled:

Dropping the SuperDrive, meanwhile, would create more space for batteries, which as we*ve seen in the iPad, the MacBook Air and other recent Apple models with non-user-replaceable power packs, have become the largest occupiers of the company*s sleek aluminum casings. Bigger batteries mean longer runtimes 每 the MacBook Pro line already offering significantly greater longevity than many Windows-based rivals 每 or the ability to offset faster processors. Steve Jobs has already said that he sees no place for Blu-ray in Apple*s machines, instead preferring online distribution of content and data; those still requiring ※legacy§ options would be welcome to pick from the low-cost array of external disc burners, but it*s clear that, by eschewing Blu-ray, Apple considers optical media a dying technology. We*ve seen the same ostensibly draconian decisions in the past, when Apple cut out floppy drives and parallel/serial ports.

It*s all a path to more speed, with the various components 每 and decisions on which to leave out or replace 每 conspiring to rid the flagship notebook line of its current weak links. Light Peak offers super-fast connectivity with peripherals and other hardware, but traditional hard-drives could present a weakness in the data chain. Fast solid-state memory would correct that. Simultaneously, Light Peak is intended not only as a USB 3.0 replacement, but a universal successor to SCSI, SATA, USB, FireWire, PCI Express, ethernet and HDMI. Rather than accommodating an array of ports 每 each taking up chassis space and making assumptions as to what connectivity users will demand 每 Apple could eventually offer just a few Light Peak ports. Not in this first new iteration, perhaps, but you can bet the company has an eye on the second, third and fourth revisions down the line.

Beyond bare speed, it also gives Apple more opportunity to keep users within their ecosystem: just as the Apple TV lacks a DVD player, meaning rentals and purchases generally have to be through iTunes, so the MacBook Pro will present another way for DRM-enabled content and connectivity to take hold. Oh, there*ll be a halfway house on offer, an entry-level ※legacy§ MacBook Pro for those not quite brave enough to make the jump, but from the shape of the rest of the range it*ll be clear that those who opt for it are missing out on what*s considered ※the future§.

That offering will be alluring, certainly. Fast, slim, slickly-designed and long-running notebooks, with access to Apple*s ever-broadening iOS and OS X software catalogs and the speed of consumer devices like the iPad. On the other hand, Jobs & Co. haven*t been shy in their play for a connected ecosystem, one in which they have a strong hand in how data is managed, distributed and paid for, and while abandoning things like optical drives could lead to lighter or otherwise improved notebooks, there are compromises that will turn off many who resist the relatively controlled Apple world. Still, where Apple goes, the PC industry arguably follows, and what*s considered high-end is likely to stick closely to Cupertino*s idea of MacBook Pro perfection.



Source: http://www.slashgear.com/why-apples...sense-28116552/
aNYthing
quote:
Originally posted by Mad for Brad
only ever had escort remorse.


Yeah, I hate Fords too!
Mad for Brad
I think it is natural to feel a little guilt when you spend alot of money. I felt really guilty both times I bought a mac pro but once that feeling goes away and you use them every day.
DJ RANN
quote:
Originally posted by aNYthing
You tell me how to interpret this:

Notes * The 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro received a new build-to-order option for a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 processor on October 20th, 2010. The new option does not constitute a full update to the MacBook Pro line, but does suggest that a more substantial update to the full MacBook Pro lineup is not imminent.

And then this:



Sauce: http://www.electronista.com/article...or.discredited/

Like I said... Who do you believe?


I personally think the lightpeak and SSD's as well as faster processors are on the way, very soon.

All you have to do,as ever, is follow the money:

Steve jobs has a vested interest in attempting to kill off bluray, and he can only do that by continuing his current path of making lightpeak the universal standard. If he does that, and soon, drives will not be on any machines and content will be downloaded rather than bought from retailers, thus making him more money. It also means apple (along with everyone else) can sell a whole new generation of peripheral devices for the new standard.

So yes, it's going to happen, and I reckon Jobs is pushing damn hard for it. It also makes sense as USB and FW need a proper replacement, and neither FW1600 or USB3 constitute enough of an upgrade, especially when compared to lightpeak technology. They are also not fast enough to cater to the full potential bandwidth of even the current rage of SSD's meaning data transfer would bottleneck. Even version 1 Lightpeak has excess bandwidth for any SSD technology we're going to see in the next few years.

I do not think however that apple will switch all models over to SSD and lightpeak straight away. The top models will get it first as standard and it will be optional extras on the lower models, until the next major update of them which will probably be towards the end of 2011.

Don't forget Apple stagger the release of different models MBP, Imacs, Mac Pro's, so they can roll out new technology as a cyclical process.
-FSP-
I read this as MacGuyver's remorse
johncannons1
quote:
Originally posted by aNYthing


Dude i did the exact thing. I bought a brand new Imac (the last of the white ones).
A few weeks later the new silver ones came out which were a hell of alot better. You were able to put more than 4 gb in them.

i was devo :(

aNYthing
lightpeak may or may not take off... I'm more intrigued by sandy bridge architecture. As a matter of fact, the major reason why Apple started killing off those Cardbus/Expresscard interfaces is because the speed improved on USB side of things due to improvement and closer integration with initial standards.

It would be terrific if at some point the CPU, RAM, VIDEO, HD all operated at the same speed - systems would be blazing! However, that's at least a half of decade away... it will happen in the next 5 years or sooner, though. That's going to be the next innovation - instead of improving the CPU speed, the focus will shift onto other peripherals and components.

Getting back to topic - I need some quick show of hands: keep it/return it?
DJ RANN
quote:
Originally posted by aNYthing
lightpeak may or may not take off... I'm more intrigued by sandy bridge architecture. As a matter of fact, the major reason why Apple started killing off those Cardbus/Expresscard interfaces is because the speed improved on USB side of things due to improvement and closer integration with initial standards.

It would be terrific if at some point the CPU, RAM, VIDEO, HD all operated at the same speed - systems would be blazing! However, that's at least a half of decade away... it will happen in the next 5 years or sooner, though. That's going to be the next innovation - instead of improving the CPU speed, the focus will shift onto other peripherals and components.

Getting back to topic - I need some quick show of hands: keep it/return it?


You're missing the point - lightpeak IS the solution for that. It's not just a form of connectivity for external devices, it will replace the bus and most internal data transfer operations. It's what they're looking to as the next step in overall system performance.

Whether it makes it or not is another matter.
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