Rumor: New MacBook Pro models coming in March?

Jos

Posts: 3,073   +97

It's been a couple of years since Apple first introduced the unibody MacBook range, and in that timeframe it has delivered a handful of updates to keep their hardware current. But anyone who is familiar with the company's fairly consistent release cycles (yearly for iOS devices, roughly every nine months for Macs, with new designs every two years) will know that a more significant update to their notebook line is just around the corner -- or so say the latest rumors.

According to a couple of alleged Best Buy inventory system screenshots obtained by 9to5Mac, Apple could refresh its MacBook and MacBook Pro range on Friday, March 11. At least that's when Best Buy is expecting to have them on store shelves, which means you should probably expect a formal announcement from Apple a little earlier.


There's little indication thus far of what the update would entail but Sandy Bridge processors seem like a given. Apple went on record during its Q1 earnings call that it viewed the MacBook Air as the "future" of the MacBook line, thanks to its slim form factor and almost instant-on capabilities. It's a reasonable possibility that new MacBooks could feature flash memory and an aesthetic makeover. Axing the optical drive to make more room for battery has also been suggested, a notion that doesn't seem too far-fetched given Apple's success with the Mac App store for digital software distribution.

For now this is based on no more than speculation and conjectures, but with inventories reportedly running low on MacBook Pros at official Apple retailers, all seems to indicate that at least some kind of update is on the way. We should also point out that Intel is officially resuming shipments of their Sandy Bridge chipsets to certain companies, with fixed parts arriving in mid-February, so maybe there won't be much of a delay for Apple's MacBook update.

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I'm not trying to start a war here, but the statement, "handful of updates to keep their hardware current." is highly incorrect. By taking a look at their tech specs you can see that their CPU and GPUs are generally 1-2 generations behind.
 
Guest said:
I'm not trying to start a war here, but the statement, "handful of updates to keep their hardware current." is highly incorrect. By taking a look at their tech specs you can see that their CPU and GPUs are generally 1-2 generations behind.

*Gasps* How dare you?!
 
Guest said:
I'm not trying to start a war here, but the statement, "handful of updates to keep their hardware current." is highly incorrect. By taking a look at their tech specs you can see that their CPU and GPUs are generally 1-2 generations behind.

Because they have a mix of Core 2 and Core iX for the most appropriate applications, instead of blindly using all Core iXs, lowering battery life for the ultraportables and accomplishing nothing?

Let me get this out of the way: I hate Apple. HATE them. Their prices suck. Their ethics suck. Their fanboys suck.

But there is a reason why they're pretty much the only computer maker whose models are distinguishable to the general public, and that is because they get their lineup right. It's very concise and more often than not, they use the appropriate parts for the job.

The other OEMs just spew out 40 new models with progressively crappier screens, worse battery life, and functionally, no tangible improvement at all, every time a single new platform shows up. The old is quickly discarded, even if it was cheaper and worked better. General use laptops have actually been taking steps back for a while instead of improving. It really is getting old and everyone else ought to take a page out of Apple's book, at least in that regard.

I want to see new computers actually work better. Please don't encourage the race to the bottom.
 
So a new Macbook Pro comes out and the old ones instantly look out of date. Such is the circle of life.
 
Yes many of the Apple laptops are now a cpu generation behind due to the Intel\NVidia lawsuit compromising the ability to use potent enough graphic chips with the last generation of mobile CPU's. That and the realization that the next gen CPU's didn't offer much of a compelling bang for the buck anyway. Sandy bridge, of course, changes this landscape with the 2x++ more powerful graphics on-die and the impressive efficiency vs performance improvements in general. NVidia Optimus should work as well.

Should be a nice upgrade though I'm sure many of you will wine that it's not the child-slaving Yangtze-river-polluting profitless piece of plastic landfill that so many of you seem to crave. ;)
 
Guest said:
the statement, "handful of updates to keep their hardware current." is highly incorrect.
I read this and think differently. I thought about why that was and then I realized that my idea of "current" isn't cutting edge. I think "current hardware" is subjective and for that reason, I think it is a little unfair to hold any manufacturer to that standard.

I think "is somewhat incorrect" would be more accurate, since there is some opinion at play here.
 
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