Tax return time is here and I really need to get out there and start giggin, so It’s time to upgrade. My current MB is way too sketchy to gig so its kind of holding me back.
I know new MBPs are on the way and I was just wondering if anyone was “in the know” or heard any legit news.
I all keep seeing is they will be coming (announced or released?) in Q2. Getting the Retina Display screens is the most significant change I’ve seen.
Everything is just a rumour to be fair until Apple announce it or add sneaky speed increases to current lines, you’ll always see the rumours doing the rounds but I always think, “I’ll believe it when I see it”
Last rumour I heard was a 15" MacBook Pro but size wise it’ll be like the MacBook Air
Well it is at the end of March in UK and thats when my next Mac will be bought.
Yeah rumour shmumour. Believe when I see.
Ive always used that guide and its always pretty spot on. Mid cycle for the MBP means id have to buy this series of MBP which might mean I can get a decent deal.
Not really gonna bother me as i have waited before and i have twice bought the top of the line machine and although i have never regreted it this time im not bothering.
My next machine will be a Traktor only laptop. Im getting the base 13" with a 750GB HD and 4GB RAM which will serve me perfectly for my weekly gigging machine.
My current 2.5ghz with 8GB is pointlessly over the top for Traktor and i barely use it for anything else.
I can quite understand someone sweating on the next cycle if your new to Macs or you really want a super-duper machine and will maybe use it for Logic or P.Shop but im going for something that will just do the job and thats it.
They should be out in Q2. Pros & Airs … and I’m pretty confident it’ll happen.
The reason i’m as confident is Intel’s release of Ivy bridge - the next generation CPU/chipset architecture, which will allow higher performance and lower power consumption modes. It’s likely that there will be QUAD Core i7 on the 13" Pro with Ivy Bridge.
If you can wait, I believe that it should be worth to.
Now on the rumors side, I tend to think that the Pro series will get a major revamp with this release. It’s believed that it’s about time Apple to get rid of the optical disk drive. That is likely to result in thinner Pros. Also, there are a lot of reports about mass production of “Retina” displays for the Pros - the expectations are to 2880x1800 (double 1440x900) on the 15. Perhaps we could see improved resolution & density on the 13" too, to match the MBA 1440x900 (or the Retina equivalent).
On the wishes side, I hope to see an afordable option for a 13" with 500G SSD and 8G RAM, preferably an Air.
Generally, all manufucturers are eager to get the Ivy bridge and the expectation is that the entire industry will be shiftinng to the MB Air (a.k.a Ultrabooks) format. Apple will rush to present a strong contender before everyone else, i’m sure about this
On the UK Apple store the minimum RAM you can purchase is 4GB dude otherwise i would do the same.
Every Mac i have bought ive always bought the least option and added 3rd party RAM cus Apple RAM is re-donk-ulously priced.
I might upgrade the HD to 750GB cus its only £80 or i may just get a 1TB as they are around £120 now but i cant find a Seagate and i no longer trust Western Digital after the fiasco of my last one. To be decided.
Also noted that the Non-Glossy option is not possible on the 13".
This will be my first 13" and my first with a glossy screen but like i say its for regular gigs so i dont much care.
Ill still have my 15" non glossy for any special gigs such as festivals etc.
Ivy bridge is said to ship in late early April. Apple would be from the first to sell products based on it (if not ultimately the first).
I’m following the macrumors site (and a couple of more) closely and all the leaks are in-line with an early Q2 scheduled release. The date hasn’t come from Apple, rather than from Intel. Would you expect Apple to miss the “invation” oportunity?
The buyer’s guide has the key rumors stories next to the MBP & MBA sections.
A stock model and an aftermarket upgrade. RAM is dirt cheap these days, but the drives became very expnsive because of the Taiwan floods (at least that’s the official version).
Only the MBA does not allow aftermarket RAM upgrade, as it’s slodered. The SSDs can be upgraded, but I find Apple’s offering to be reasonably priced. That’s why I’m hoping for a 500G SSD option - i’d expect it to be affordable. But yet, the performance test reports say that the Apple stock SSD is poor, compared to the high-end SSDs available …
would a preorder (full payment and delayed shipment) work for the taxes thing ?
I hope for you to meet the deadline, although, I believe that for the purpose you want it, the current 13" models will do just fine. The Retina display may be the attractive thing for you, but it’s purely in the rumors area at this stage. It will come, but it might not be for this release at all, although there are reports of mass production here and there.
If they release a 2880x1800 resolution I can guarantee that the base model will be well above $2500…have you ever looked at the monitor market for 2650x1600 screens? not to mention they would have to fit those pixels in an extremely dense area, so 3k for the ‘macbook pro’ may be the future…they have already shown that their focus will be on the macbook air or future equivalent, they need to do that anyways or else cheaper machines with equal quality will take that market share.
the 256 SSD offering in the Air is very reasonably priced. The bad with the current Air is the 4GB RAM limitation. I need to use Windows VM at times, and the 4G is a no go for me to use the Windows VM accpetably.
So considering the reasonable cost of the 256 MBA, I can still say that I hope for a reasonably priced 500G .
This and the Retina Display thing - Apple are industry changers. If they decide that they want to SHIFT UP by few levels, they can simply do it - it’s the volumes which work for them. If they offer the 500G SSD in a 13" with Retina for about 2k EUR (current is 1500EUR), that’ll be a reasonable price for me and it seems doable.
One thing I’ve noticed about Apple - they tend to keep the price ranges across the updates. If as rumored they are doing the Retina display, they will likely keep the price ranges. The SSD upgrade for the Air - maybe they can do it, IDK …
I surely had to pay for my 256GB SSD…
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