[Gamoe]

To the those with buyer's remorse:

Call me crazy, but why would someone who regularly visits Mac forums and sites, who is in on the latest, most prominent Apple rumors, and knows how to do research on a product before buying, buy a MacBook at a time when everything points to an update, and then regret it later?

If buying a MacBook is imperative at the time, then there is no room for regret. It was simply needed at the moment, and waiting was not an option. Obviously, it must have been pretty important and worth more than waiting for an update.

If the decision was made for no other reason but impatience, then buying a MacBook and expecting reality (an impending update) to conform to one's whims (no update) is rather unrealistic and self-centered, considering one would rather everyone else be robbed of an update simply to satisfy one's own egotistical desire.

If you buy a MacBook knowing full well that an update may be around the corner (considering not only the rumors, but the fact that the MacBook was due for an update simply because of the time since the last one and the holiday season) then please live up to your decisions and just bite the bullet. You can either choose to be happy with what you've got or simply learn for next time.

Almost every time I've bought a new Mac I've been faced with this issue, and I've never been unhappy with my choices, because I consider it very carefully considering that once I buy a Mac, it'll be the one I'll be using for the next four or more years.

Even back in 1994, doing research I found that a new kind of Mac was coming and held off my purchase a few months. I was able to get one of the first Power Macs instead of a Performa. The same deal with the eMac I use now-- I got it right after an update because I read up on it before buying.

For a few weeks now my dad has been asking me about the MacBooks. He told me he wanted one soon. I told him to wait if he could, but that it there were no updates before the first half of November to by one. Now he can get a more powerful MacBook for less. And if the updates had not come in time for him, I know he would not have complained, simply because he really needed one before the end of the year.

In no way am i suggesting that I am "better than" those who got the short end of the stick this update around. And in fact, I wish you luck if you did, and hope you can get a trade or an offer from Apple.

What I am saying is that a little research pays off. And if you decide to buy in spite of good evidence for updates soon, for one reason or another, then live with your decisions without complaint. After all, your Mac will not be top-of-the-line for long anyway, no matter when you buy.

[CheesePuff]

Good work. Not only to mention, if you purchased the top of the line model a month ago, you are only getting a 40 MHz speed up, the frontside bus speed won't affect too much since the RAM is still the same speed, and the graphics is still integrated although be it slightly better. That's it.

[Scarpa]

I did express a little frustration in the new macbook thread, seeing as my macbook is only a week old today. I've since realized that really, the macbook suits my needs in either form and since the update was largely irrelevant to me that I'm happy with what I have.

I had been waiting about 5 weeks, cash in hand, for Leopard to release which was part of it too. I knew something may be coming but if you wait for everything you'll wait forever.

And aside from that it looks like they messed with the function keys anyway, which is one of my biggest peeves about the macbook line, I wish the F keys were default instead of the brightness controls, etc.

[HowEver]

Originally Posted by CheesePuff 

Good work. Not only to mention, if you purchased the top of the line model a month ago, you are only getting a 40 MHz speed up, the frontside bus speed won't affect too much since the RAM is still the same speed, and the graphics is still integrated although be it slightly better. That's it.

There's an entirely new CPU, also.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by CheesePuff 

Good work. Not only to mention, if you purchased the top of the line model a month ago, you are only getting a 40 MHz speed up, the frontside bus speed won't affect too much since the RAM is still the same speed, and the graphics is still integrated although be it slightly better. That's it.

The CPU upgrade is token, the GPU upgrade is much more significant. GMA 950 is over 2 years old, and it really can't even play today's games (BioShock, HL2 HDR, etc) at low resolutions. GMAX3100 is a huge step up; GMA X3100 is 250% faster than GMA 950 in 3DMark 06, which should translate to a similar performance bump in recent games.

Originally Posted by HowEver 

There's an entirely new CPU, also.

Same CPU, just minor clockrate/FSB changes.

[Simon]

I'm with Gamoe on this one. This update is nice, but it's not something to go crazy about if you got the previous generation. If you're into serious games, you'll be looking at a MBP anyways. And if you really really just must have that X3100, well then go buy it and let eBay take care of your previous MB.

[CheesePuff]

I am anxious to see the benchmarks between the previous and the new model graphics wise.

[Muahdib]

Well I think Apple needs to work on the X3100 drivers. I was one of the ones that bought a Macbook 4 days before the new ones came out. Went and exchanged it yesterday. Anyways I ran Quake 3 on the default settings and got 158 fps on the old Macbook. On the new one I could only squeeze out 97 fps. I hope that this is driver related.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by Muahdib 

Well I think Apple needs to work on the X3100 drivers. I was one of the ones that bought a Macbook 4 days before the new ones came out. Went and exchanged it yesterday. Anyways I ran Quake 3 on the default settings and got 158 fps on the old Macbook. On the new one I could only squeeze out 97 fps. I hope that this is driver related.

GMX X3100 should be doing much better than GMA 950; certainly not worse. Sounds like a driver issue again.

P.S. Isn't Quake 3 like 8 years old?

[Muahdib]

Yeah it's old but still just OpenGL. Figured it certainly wouldn't run slower. I've also heard (secondhand) that it actually runs WoW slightly worse than the previous Macbook as well.

[Simon]

MacBook (Late 2007): Applications that use intensive 3D graphics may not run correctly

[mduell]

Yow, second Mac release in a row with poor graphics drivers.

Let's hope this doesn't continue with next week's Mac Pro release.

[Simon]

More problems reported here: The quiet update: MacBook now Santa Rosa - Topic Powered by eve community

[turnedge762]

Well said Gamoe.