Apple is doing a silent (and slight) refresh of it's MacBook and MacBook Pro line as supplies of the new machines hit retailers. While processor speeds, HDs and RAM specs remain mostly unchanged on the MacBooks, the motherboard chipset is being updated to include a 800Mhz bus and the GMA X3100 video card whose drivers had previously been spotted in Leopard (har). The updated motherboard also includes better power management and Pre-N wireless.
Unfortunately, it still comes with a combo (no super-) drive standard. :(
The MacBook Pros now offer the option of a 2.6Ghz chip at a $250 premium and still top out with 4Gb of RAM and 250Gb hard drive options.
This refresh is similar to the silent Mac Mini refresh earlier this year which was made with little fanfare.
Obviously, much bigger announcements are on the horizon in the portable space from Apple. If we had to guess... we'd say Macworld is looking like a pretty likely time frame...but our timing sucks.
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So big mac portable-centric
So big mac portable-centric event in Macworld 2008...obviously even Apple doesn't consider this an update: no one would notice at a glance, and in May they at least cut prices and put it in Apple home page for a while. The wait continues...
Big news! Apple, um,
Big news! Apple, um, releases a better front side bus and video card that improves performance up to 3% in some test.
On the Pro side, you now have the option to go to 2.6Ghz processor - which is a 8% speed increase - in certian tests!
OK, I got nothing. So you guys are thinking MAcworld for the Slimbooks? OK, my Xmas gift list is now officially all cash and Apple store giftcards :D
I think that the step up to
I think that the step up to Santa Rosa chip brings more that just 3% performance boots. Not sure about the videocard but surely there must be more to it than that.
It features larger cache, 4MB instead of 2MB
Better batteri performance
802.11n instead of 802.11g
This link shows a comparison between core duo (Yonah) og core 2 duo (Merom)
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2808&p=4'
My Macbook has always been
My Macbook has always been 802.11n? lolll
1. Old MacBook already had
1. Old MacBook already had 4MB Cache
2. Merom still consumes same amount of power - no better performance
3. Old MacBook already had 802.11n
Only the X3100 is the main (and supposedly only) improvement despite the few % performance boost.
Why didn't they lower the
Why didn't they lower the price to Canadians while they were at it? We pay 20% more than Americans for the same machine. Now THAT'S a performance hit....
Well, europeans pay even
Well, europeans pay even more - MacBooks cost roughly 30% more in Europe than in US.
why wait for aluminium
why wait for aluminium casing ect? is it just for the sake of having the newest and different model?
Don't forget about the
Don't forget about the ability to upgrad your RAM to 4GB instead of the previous max of 2GB...per http://www.apple.com/macbook/specs.html.
funny how this is the update
funny how this is the update that people have been clamoring for for months now on the various forums, and it gets a yawn in the headline. If I had a nickel for every time I've read from someone that they won't buy a macbook until it has Santa Rosa, or I won't buy a macbook until they improve the integrated graphics cards, I could probably buy a few shares of GOOG.
While Canadians pay 20%
While Canadians pay 20% more, Europeans are paying a way much more than you both. if not, compare the prices for a simple macbook.
macbook price in states= 1099 dolars=760 Euros
macbook euro price= 1049Euros= 1517 dolars
And you guess you are paying much in Canada? Here Apple has to make a little change I guess or Europe will never be Apple domain. And I have 2 macs and no windows at hand but an old ibm laptop. If the price was equivalent I would buy apple every single time I was going to the shop.
Low end Macbook still ships
Low end Macbook still ships with a Combo drive.
Pathetic.
You assume everyone needs a
You assume everyone needs a DVD Burner? I personally have never ever required one, consequently I am more than happy with a 'mere' SuperDrive.
The processors before the
The processors before the upgrade DID in fact have 4 MB L2 cache, the only difference between the chips is the faster FSB. Also the previous macbooks could handle a max of 3 GB iirc. I totally agree that it sucks for Canadians paying a premium when their dollar is actually worth more :O
So if I'm going to college
So if I'm going to college in January, would it be better to hold out on buying a macbook until then?
Definately. I would wait
Definately. I would wait until Penryn comes to Macbook, and when it comes, they probably will announce the aluminium enclosure with macbooks.
Aliminium Macbooks will probably have SO-DIMM DDR3 memory and Intel X3500 graphics with OGL 3.0 support.
This update is a nice gesture for the Christmas shoppers, though. GMA950 sucked big time...
why has apple not updated
why has apple not updated apple.com/ca? the macbook info still says the macbook ships with ilife o6 and there is no mention of the new upgrades. also under tech specs it says they ship with tiger and no mention of leopard. it does say other places on the site about leopard but i am wondering why they haven't taken the time to update their info pages? this seems silly that they wouldn't. I also hope the upgrade will be available in canada and i am waiting for a price drop especially with our rising dollar!
Also these upgrades seem a little more substantial to me but 9to5 mac doesn't seem very excited.
Love the integrated graphics
Love the integrated graphics "card." So crappy, it doesn't do 3D! Apples thinking about maybe fixing it in the future, maybe. (And this is from Apple's own tech article #306764.)
Have you ever used that card
Have you ever used that card on a laptop... AND which "3D" are you refferring about ?
I have personnaly a last-year HP laptop with Intel G945 Graphics (yeah... before the 950) and 2Go of RAM and a Core Duo (not the Core 2 Duo) AND I've been running 3D rendering and modelisation in AutoCad (which needs lots of RAM and Graphics, especially when DOING the render) and I could buckle-up a 4000x3000 pixel image in about 45 minutes... where Pentium 4 with 1Go of RAM and dedicated Graphic Cards (at school) would do the same task in about 6 to 7 hours!
SO NO! this is not a bad computer... BUT IT'S freakin' sure you won't be playin Crysis on theses... as you wont on a Dell 1330 with a CRAPPY upgrade to 8400m GS (Crappy because of the premium price for it!) (now answering to the nexts posts)
So better get informed OR give more info about WHICH 3D your are talking to!
Well I guess thats why they
Well I guess thats why they never announced it in the first place.
Joe
info@steamteam.ca
Hi, I have been waiting to
Hi, I have been waiting to buy a macbook for some time now, I really would like a aluminum one and increased speeds are nice. When are these comeing. I hear macworld, whens that? Thanks for the help for the noobie!
-Gigman
http://www.google.com/search?
http://www.google.com/search?q=macworld
January 14-18...
This is what I have been
This is what I have been waiting for ?
Pathetic.
Base Macbooks still come with a combo drive ?
The hard drive sizes are pityful and why rip me off so much if I want to fix the problem and upgrade the drive, talking about rip offs why should I pay so much more for the black Macbook. I can't stand the whitegoods styling of the other Macbooks.
It's a shame because I like Leopard but I do not like being ripped off and I cannot wait any longer, I am getting a Dell XPS1330, 13" screen, decent graphics and bumping up the hard drive and memory will not send me broke.
Yeah Yeah I know, Windoze, I'll just have to put up with it, I'll cozy up to Ultimate Ubuntu 1.6 to make me feel better.
All these things (like the
All these things (like the black tax) have been discussed to death. Ultimately it's your choice if you want the dell or not. But remember this one word: VISTA.
Yeah I know <sigh> Why
Yeah I know <sigh>
Why isn't the world perfect.
I wonder how it would go as a Hackintosh ?
You don't need to upgrade
You don't need to upgrade the HDD and RAM from Apple. 3rd party stuff will work no problem. Personally I'm not too worried about the issues you said, because it has always been that way. You are acting like these are new problems.
Sorry but I am fairly new
Sorry but I am fairly new to Macs so these issues are new to me and just because they are old it does not make them right.
I was really hoping to become a switcher but I like the odd game so I need a better graphics card and the Macbook pro is too big to lug around all the time, for me anyway. I also like to get value for money and I really get upset at paying so much extra just for the colour.
I am a bit scared letting someone gut my brand new machine and I should not have to, really.
Leopard is at least a generation ahead of Vista. I have not yet paid for the XPS1330, I am still struggling with the decision.
I need a new laptop NOW, on my old one the DVD burner and SD card reader have died and the battery is on it's last legs too.
Go for a mac. Unless you
Go for a mac. Unless you want to play 3D games, do 3D applications and so on, the new Macbook Graphics should be great for you.
Plus, once you go Mac you'll never go back. :D (seriously, once you join this gang, the only way out is DEATH. Heh heh.
Now that Apple is using
Now that Apple is using Intel and has to keep up-to-date with other vendors using Intel, there's going to be lots of upgrades like this, where it's just a speed bump and minor changes. Get used to it.
For those who are about to buy a MacBook, an upgrade is better than nothing. Also, I doubt Penryn will come to the MacBooks for a long while; at first, they'll be on the MacBook Pros, but not the MacBooks.
Hmmm, how much faster is
Hmmm, how much faster is 2.0ghz vs 2.2ghz? I don't care about the 40gb and Superdrive, since i have a huge external. Worth the extra $200?