New Macbook - When?

[dmw16]

The wife really wants (and needs) to upgrade her 3 year old gateway that cost $350 and she is leaning towards a macbook. I dont want to get one only to see the new one come out soon after.

Any remotely concrete data on when the new macbooks will hit stores?

 

[Kaido]

Yeah I'm chomping at the bit for the new ones. 13" with LED sounds awesome...

 

[dmw16]

So should I wait or try to get her a used one off ebay?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: dmw16
So should I wait or try to get her a used one off ebay?

Well it depends. The biggest new features that the updated Macbook will have are (1) an LED-backlit screen and (2) a multi-touch trackpad. I personally use a mouse and hate trackpads, but as a graphic designer I love the LED screen. But, not everyone really cares about those features. It really depends on what she'll use it for. The current crop of Macbooks are fabulous...other than those two features, I don't think there will be too many other changes other than perhaps cosmetics (rumor sites say silver shell and slightly tapered and a tad thinner).

 

[ubercaffeinated]

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

i would wait. if you can hold off just a bit longer it might be worth it. then again you might never know when apple refreshes. you might have to wait until next feb like i did to get the penryn mbp. it was a hard 6 month wait. :<

 

[Agentbolt]

The current macbooks are rock solid, cheap, and perform extremely well. The new macbook is going to have worse Wifi signal (screw you aluminum enclosures), a few yawn-inducing new features (Yay! Fancy new trackpad! LED display I can't really see the difference of unless I'm comparing the two side by side!) and you also get to play that most wonderful, exciting of games: "Buy a 1st Gen Mac product and see what happens after the warranty runs out."

I'm sticking with my Santa Rosa 2.2 for awhile.

 

[ubercaffeinated]

Originally posted by: Agentbolt
The current macbooks are rock solid, cheap, and perform extremely well. The new macbook is going to have worse Wifi signal (screw you aluminum enclosures), a few yawn-inducing new features (Yay! Fancy new trackpad! LED display I can't really see the difference of unless I'm comparing the two side by side!) and you also get to play that most wonderful, exciting of games: "Buy a 1st Gen Mac product and see what happens after the warranty runs out."

I'm sticking with my Santa Rosa 2.2 for awhile.

Heh. I had a first gen macbook and it was great. Never had a problem with it, and using it is what convinced me to get a macbook pro.

With that said, earlier this year I picked up the penryn macbook pro, and I can tell you firsthand that that I have better WiFi signal on the mbp than on any of my friends macbooks (amongst all revisions, in a school setting). I don't know where you got the information that the casing would cause a worse signal. While I understand the mbp has a different airport card, there is still no basis to make this assumption. My biggest gripe about the anodized aluminum is that it gets scratched really easily.

I will agree with you that the multitouch is more of a gimmick, but it is still nice to have.

Your last comment on the LED display bothers me the most, and is what prompted me to make a reply - to me the difference between LED backlit displays and normal LCD displays is huge. I simply cannot go back to an older display as it looks too dull and dark, and anyone who has made the jump between model revisions will tell you the same. The LED backlit display was a pretty huge selling point to me.

As for warranty, I think it is wise to always pick up the extended applecare warranty for a number of reasons. 1) Apple's customer service is pretty damn awesome. 2) Extended warranty will increase the resale value of the laptop later on down the road. 3) Being an early adopter may carry some risks, but none that apple won't fix.

 

[TheStu]

I too have a first gen MacBook that has been going strong for 2 years now, basically no hardware problems whatsoever. The sleep light hasn't worked in a few months (I probably bumped the wire out when I replaced the keyboard, which had the staining problem) and in the past week or so the fan has been making a weird noise at low speed... a sort of incredibly quiet grinding noise which might just be dust or something in the fan.

Other than those minor issues, my MacBook has had no issues whatsoever and has been an absolute champ. And I have not noticed much signal difference between my MacBook and my friends' MacBook Pros.

I think that a new MacBook with MacBook Air stylings, but thicker, an LED backlit screen and multi-touch trackpad would be awesome. Even cooler would be if they did colored anodized aluminum like the iPod Nano.

 

[Tyranicus]

Originally posted by: makoto00
With that said, earlier this year I picked up the penryn macbook pro, and I can tell you first that that I have better WiFi signal on the mbp than on any of my friends macbooks (amongst all revisions, in a school setting). I don't know where you got the information that the casing would cause a worse signal. While I understand the mbp has a different airport card, there is still no basis to make this assumption. My biggest gripe about the anodized aluminum is that it gets scratched really easily.

Well, I can tell you for a fact that my 1st-gen MacBook Pro doesn't get quite as good a Wifi signal as TheStu's MacBook. In the same room, he can sometimes get a better signal.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: makoto00

Originally posted by: Agentbolt
The current macbooks are rock solid, cheap, and perform extremely well. The new macbook is going to have worse Wifi signal (screw you aluminum enclosures), a few yawn-inducing new features (Yay! Fancy new trackpad! LED display I can't really see the difference of unless I'm comparing the two side by side!) and you also get to play that most wonderful, exciting of games: "Buy a 1st Gen Mac product and see what happens after the warranty runs out."

I'm sticking with my Santa Rosa 2.2 for awhile.

Heh. I had a first gen macbook and it was great. Never had a problem with it, and using it is what convinced me to get a macbook pro.

With that said, earlier this year I picked up the penryn macbook pro, and I can tell you firsthand that that I have better WiFi signal on the mbp than on any of my friends macbooks (amongst all revisions, in a school setting). I don't know where you got the information that the casing would cause a worse signal. While I understand the mbp has a different airport card, there is still no basis to make this assumption. My biggest gripe about the anodized aluminum is that it gets scratched really easily.

I will agree with you that the multitouch is more of a gimmick, but it is still nice to have.

Your last comment on the LED display bothers me the most, and is what prompted me to make a reply - to me the difference between LED backlit displays and normal LCD displays is huge. I simply cannot go back to an older display as it looks too dull and dark, and anyone who has made the jump between model revisions will tell you the same. The LED backlit display was a pretty huge selling point to me.

As for warranty, I think it is wise to always pick up the extended applecare warranty for a number of reasons. 1) Apple's customer service is pretty damn awesome. 2) Extended warranty will increase the resale value of the laptop later on down the road. 3) Being an early adopter may carry some risks, but none that apple won't fix.

Brushed aluminum? Anodized aluminum is almost as hard as diamond...

 

[TheStu]

The MacBook Pros definitely use Anodized Aluminum and it definitely gets scratches and dented easily, and worse, shows all the scratches and dents.

 

[ubercaffeinated]

Originally posted by: TheStu
The MacBook Pros definitely use Anodized Aluminum and it definitely gets scratches and dented easily, and worse, shows all the scratches and dents.

yeah...

 

[Agentbolt]

Originally posted by: makoto00

Originally posted by: Agentbolt
The current macbooks are rock solid, cheap, and perform extremely well. The new macbook is going to have worse Wifi signal (screw you aluminum enclosures), a few yawn-inducing new features (Yay! Fancy new trackpad! LED display I can't really see the difference of unless I'm comparing the two side by side!) and you also get to play that most wonderful, exciting of games: "Buy a 1st Gen Mac product and see what happens after the warranty runs out."

I'm sticking with my Santa Rosa 2.2 for awhile.

Heh. I had a first gen macbook and it was great. Never had a problem with it, and using it is what convinced me to get a macbook pro.

With that said, earlier this year I picked up the penryn macbook pro, and I can tell you firsthand that that I have better WiFi signal on the mbp than on any of my friends macbooks (amongst all revisions, in a school setting). I don't know where you got the information that the casing would cause a worse signal. While I understand the mbp has a different airport card, there is still no basis to make this assumption. My biggest gripe about the anodized aluminum is that it gets scratched really easily.

I will agree with you that the multitouch is more of a gimmick, but it is still nice to have.

Your last comment on the LED display bothers me the most, and is what prompted me to make a reply - to me the difference between LED backlit displays and normal LCD displays is huge. I simply cannot go back to an older display as it looks too dull and dark, and anyone who has made the jump between model revisions will tell you the same. The LED backlit display was a pretty huge selling point to me.

As for warranty, I think it is wise to always pick up the extended applecare warranty for a number of reasons. 1) Apple's customer service is pretty damn awesome. 2) Extended warranty will increase the resale value of the laptop later on down the road. 3) Being an early adopter may carry some risks, but none that apple won't fix.

Yeah, Macbooks didn't really have any issues. Any early adopter Ibook G3 or G4 owners here? The Ibooks were HORRIBLE, especially the early models. That's why I said it's a crapshoot (a bigger one than most other company first revisions, in my opinion.)

There is EXTENSIVE anecdotal evidence that the Macbook pros got worse wireless reception than the plastic macbooks. It was the same with the Ibooks vs Powerbooks. It has nothing to do with the airport card, the entire wireless antenna is shielded by ALUMINUM. It's like a 2nd rate Faraday cage in there. Your MB pro is in the extreme minority by having better wireless signal. Do even a tiny bit of research and you'll see I'm correct.

I have seen plenty of LED lit displays and plenty of regular LCDs and I can tell you that if you look at them side by side, you see a difference, but other than that I don't really notice anything compellingly different. Again, maybe you're just a videophile or something, but regular LCD displays are fine for most people. There'll be some marginal battery life improvement, maybe, but that's it.

 

[JJChicken]

Originally posted by: dmw16
The wife really wants (and needs) to upgrade her 3 year old gateway that cost $350 and she is leaning towards a macbook. I dont want to get one only to see the new one come out soon after.

Any remotely concrete data on when the new macbooks will hit stores?

There's many sources saying that it will be released on October 14th. I'm strongly considering getting one (it'll be my first mac - im so excited!)

 

[JJChicken]

Guys should I wait a month or so because of Apple's quality control issues with 1st gen?

 

[JJChicken]

Originally posted by: Barack Obama
Guys should I wait a month or so because of Apple's quality control issues with 1st gen?

BUMP.

 

[Kmax82]

Well, I would say you will probably be alright if you really need one. However, if you can wait. I always find that it gives it that much more time to mature. I waited a few months before I got my iPhone3G and I got in once the majority of the FW issues had been fixed. Still a couple nagging issues, but nothing like when it was launched. However, actual hardware can be different since that can be defective. I bought a Santa Rosa MBP as soon as it was released and while I love it, it has had it's fair share of issues (and that wasn't first gen equipment)... so I think it all just depends.

 

[Gooberlx2]

wouldn't it be safe to expect some standard hardware upgrades compared to the current macbooks? Faster processor and/or FSB, larger HDD, more or faster memory, maybe a standard superdrive on the base model, upgraded integrated graphics to whatever intel's latest is, etc...?

Either way, one would hope that prices on the current macbook should go down as soon as the new one is released. If the upgrades aren't all that impressive, I wouldn't mind buying a cheap blackbook.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Gooberlx2
wouldn't it be safe to expect some standard hardware upgrades compared to the current macbooks? Faster processor and/or FSB, larger HDD, more or faster memory, maybe a standard superdrive on the base model, etc...?

Either way, one would hope that prices on the current macbook should go down as soon as the new one is released. If the upgrades aren't all that impressive, I wouldn't mind buying a cheap blackbook.

Absolutely. I also predict LED screens + Multi-touch trackpads...the 13" Macbook is the only laptop that doesn't have those upgrades yet, and they already exist in the Air so it's completely logical for the 13" MB to get them next.

 

[Ns1]

I'm waiting.

Either jumping at a new one or praying for sale @amazon.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

They say sometime in October. I know they'll refresh it before the holiday season. Apple is pretty good at supporting problems that come with 1st Gen products, so if you wanted to you could.

 

[Agentbolt]

Originally posted by: Gooberlx2
wouldn't it be safe to expect some standard hardware upgrades compared to the current macbooks? Faster processor and/or FSB, larger HDD, more or faster memory, maybe a standard superdrive on the base model, upgraded integrated graphics to whatever intel's latest is, etc...?

Either way, one would hope that prices on the current macbook should go down as soon as the new one is released. If the upgrades aren't all that impressive, I wouldn't mind buying a cheap blackbook.

It's safe to assume that, yes, and because it's safe that's likely what Apple will do.

When a Macbook comes out that's as big a jump as the Ibook-Macbook was, I'll get it. Heck, that might be an impossible bar to set, if it's even in the same league as that, then I'm passing. A few more mhz, fsb, gb in the hard drive, and a vaguely fancier display (maybe) doesn't impress me much, my current Macbook can do anything these new ones can do.

 

[JJChicken]

Originally posted by: Kmax82
Well, I would say you will probably be alright if you really need one. However, if you can wait. I always find that it gives it that much more time to mature. I waited a few months before I got my iPhone3G and I got in once the majority of the FW issues had been fixed. Still a couple nagging issues, but nothing like when it was launched. However, actual hardware can be different since that can be defective. I bought a Santa Rosa MBP as soon as it was released and while I love it, it has had it's fair share of issues (and that wasn't first gen equipment)... so I think it all just depends.

Thanks for the insight :thumbsup: