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Dark_Lotus · Jul 4, 2006, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by Thinksecret

Meanwhile, sources say that a new enclosure is waiting for the MacBook Pro and will be released when that system adopts Intel's mobile Core 2 Duo processor; while desktop Core 2 Duo, code-named Conroe, is slated for release later this month, the mobile variety, code-named Merom, is not expected until the Fall. Accordingly, new MacBook Pro systems are not expected at WWDC, although a bump at the high-end to the recently announced 2.33GHz Core Duo processor is possible.

Source:
http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0606macpro.html

I was hoping to be able to purchase my MBP right after the WWDC, since I was waiting for Merom and was hoping for a new enclosure, but now I guess I will have to wait until the fall for both of those.

greenamp · Jul 4, 2006, 01:44 PM

Black is the new Aluminum.

Cadaver · Jul 4, 2006, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by Dark_Lotus

Source:
http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0606macpro.html

I was hoping to be able to purchase my MBP right after the WWDC, since I was waiting for Merom and was hoping for a new enclosure, but now I guess I will have to wait until the fall for both of those.

Did anyone really think the MBPs would be getting a new processor? I don't think the Meroms were supposed to come out until much later this year anyway.

Simon · Jul 4, 2006, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by Cadaver

Did anyone really think the MBPs would be getting a new processor? I don't think the Meroms were supposed to come out until much later this year anyway.

Merom isn't scheduled to be released until August so I wasn't expecting Apple to have a rev B Merom MBP ready for WWDC. The way I see it, WWDC will be all about the Mac Pro and Leopard anyway. Maybe the Woodcrest Xserve too, but I'd rather expect that one to be released a little bit before WWDC. If they launch the Merom MBP by October they should be able to have sufficient supplies for the Xmas buying season.

RevEvs · Jul 4, 2006, 04:25 PM

Merom wont be out till late August. The new MBP will come out in September (Paris Expo?)

Obi Wan's Ghost · Jul 4, 2006, 04:41 PM

Think Secret must be thinking stupid if they think thats news.

mnm2004bft · Jul 4, 2006, 06:25 PM

Who knows, Apple might accept orders around August, there'll be a Revision A fallout period until Apple fixes bugs, and then the 'green zone' to buy the new Core 2 Duo MBP's would be around October, and at that point, maybe even the knewer Merom processors are going to be coming out. Heh.. I'm fine with my 2.16ghz, its already more than fast enough for me

JoshuaZ · Jul 4, 2006, 06:47 PM

It is news. A big redesign could mean a lot of things. Better heat disipation, a new form factor, different port setups.

Who knows, we could be moving back to beige.

Obi Wan's Ghost · Jul 5, 2006, 01:32 AM

We're not getting any major redesigns. The vents of the Mac Pro is going to be more like the Power Mac G4's vents. The MBP can't go anywhere except reorder their internal layout and rear/side vents. It would still look 90% the same as ever.

brokenjago · Jul 5, 2006, 02:17 AM

I think September will bring several major revisions to the MBP line:

a) Dual Layer DVD Burning on both the 15" and the 17", instead of just on the 17".
b) Magnetic Latch ala the Macbook. (I really love that magnetic latch)
c) Possibly FireWire 800 on the 15"
d) Merom.
c) Possibly, Possibly black.

chipchen · Jul 5, 2006, 12:02 PM

back to beige? PowerBooks have never been beige.

Screwball · Jul 5, 2006, 06:25 PM

I have to get a notebook by the beginning of September...that leaves me some with rather serious questions...
If i should get a MBP 2.16 early September it will be most painful to see the Merom MBPs coming out in October...
a) I wouldn't call 20-30 % of performance increase negligible, and some other features Meroms come with
b) I have the intention of buying a 99% flawless notebook, since i'm probably not gonna have time nor patience to arrange a swap! I don't ask for too much here...i simply want it to work, whenever, wherever i want it to!
c) I want to get a 15-inch under any circumstances, because that's the version that really fits my idea of portability! Too bad, there are some features only the 17 inch version can call its own! That would probably change with the updates...the 15-inch version too will have them!
I stress that the so-called deadline is on the 5th of September! What would you guys do if you were me?

sieb · Jul 5, 2006, 08:12 PM

The next rev of MBPs wont be till xmas.

SpyManiac007 · Jul 5, 2006, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by sieb

The next rev of MBPs wont be till xmas.

I'm personally not so sure about that. Average update span for the PB's was about 160 days...the MacBook Pro was released at MWSF....I really believe we may see an update in late July or August. It's the closest to 160 days, and typically Apple remains pretty consistent with it's updates of it's pro lineup.

007

RajivRai · Jul 5, 2006, 11:45 PM

This is just Great wait 4mths to get the MBP and now im gonna have 2 put another 4mths oh well i hope its going to be worth the wait. what do u think the price difference would be like or are we expecting to out at the current prices?

chipchen · Jul 6, 2006, 12:04 AM

Haha... I love how EVERYONE knows for a certainty that they're the ones with the right information. (Heh, this may even be applicable to what I'm going to say!) The truth is, no one knows when the next revision of the MBP's will come out... sometimes not even Steve himself. There are a myriad of possibilities that can affect the release date.

Screwball, first, you should breath. Second, you should just buy your computer in the first few days of September. If there's nothing you can do about this "deadline"... then there's nothing you can do. Just buy whatever is available at that time. If you buy too early, you'll kick yourself if something comes out. Give yourself a few days though, just in case.

Third, you should probably relax your "requirements." Not every computer is perfect... or even 99% for that matter. I believe in good quality control, and actually see it in Apple products. The reason it seems bad is because we usually on hear from the people having issues. A few hundred (or thousand for that matter) complaints is not that much considering the hundreds of thousands of units sold. If Apple were even MORE stringent in their quality control, the cost of manufacturing would skyrocket so high these machines would be like $3500 instead of $2500. Basically, Apple finds a happy medium in their quality control is still good without giving the customer too much of a hit.

Forth, just about the only think I can think about that the 17" has that the 15" doesn't is dual-layer burning. That's a limitation to the extra slim DVD drive, not because they're trying to market the 17". If dual-layer burners are available in the extra slim size, then Apple will use them... if not, it'll be the same.

Fifth, take another deep breath. Don't get yourself worked up about things you have no control over. By mid-September you'll have been cruising on a nice MBP and all this anxiety will be a blur.

SpyManiac007 · Jul 6, 2006, 01:00 AM

Originally Posted by chipchen

By mid-September you'll have been cruising on a nice MBP and all this anxiety will be a blur.

Well hopefully it will blur...as long as there are no defects. Let's be frank, while I completely agree with your comments, it doesn't look the best for the MBP right now.

007

Screwball · Jul 6, 2006, 05:33 AM

"y mid-September you'll have been cruising on a nice MBP and all this anxiety will be a blur."

This made me feel a bit better...i, too know i'll be lovin my new MBP! OK, I quit complaining, surely it will rock, whatever model i choose to buy! Thanks for your say anyway

Seb G · Jul 6, 2006, 06:24 AM

Originally Posted by chipchen

Haha... I love how EVERYONE knows for a certainty that they're the ones with the right information. (Heh, this may even be applicable to what I'm going to say!) The truth is, no one knows when the next revision of the MBP's will come out... sometimes not even Steve himself. There are a myriad of possibilities that can affect the release date.

I would expect the update cycle to be quite close-coupled to Intel's processor releases. While it was easy for Apple to release PowerPC updates whenever they fancied (there's always been a disparity in performance between PowerPC and x86), they are now in a more direct competition with Dell, HP, Sony, Lenovo, etc. Releasing Merom MacBooks something like two months after the competition would be a bad idea.

P.S. of course I know for a certainty that my guesses are as good as anyone elses

Peter753 · Jul 6, 2006, 01:56 PM

The Meron is the Core 2 right? As I understand it, imacs and mac mini's are socketed and you can in fact just swap them in. This would seem to indicate to me that while the laptops aren't socketed it would at least not require a major redisign to move on to the Core 2. Looks to me like it all comes down to whether they're avaible, and not on apple having a lot of time to re-design.

Simon · Jul 6, 2006, 03:35 PM

Peter753, Merom is indeed the notebook version of the Core 2 Duo. It can be installed into the same socket the Core Duo (Yonah) used. So it is a drop-in replacement for the Core Duo.

However, there are also other Core 2 CPUs that aren't pin/socket compatible like Conroe or Woodcrest. The mini would certainly be fine with Merom, but for the iMac IMHO Conroe (faster clock, faster bus, lower price) would be a more adequate replacement.

Cadaver · Jul 6, 2006, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by Simon

Peter753, Merom is indeed the notebook version of the Core 2 Duo. It can be installed into the same socket the Core Duo (Yonah) used. So it is a drop-in replacement for the Core Duo.

However, there are also other Core 2 CPUs that aren't pin/socket compatible like Conroe or Woodcrest. The mini would certainly be fine with Merom, but for the iMac IMHO Conroe (faster clock, faster bus, lower price) would be a more adequate replacement.

I don't have a link handy, but there have been two internet-posted examples of pre-release Merom Core 2 Duo chips being swapped in to a Mac mini. Both were Japanese if I recall.

Anyway, aside from the Intel integrated graphics, the benchmarks they posted bested even the dual 2.7GHz PowerMac G5s. And these were pre-release processors in a Mac mini. Looks to be promising.

Simon · Jul 7, 2006, 02:46 AM

Originally Posted by Cadaver

I don't have a link handy, but there have been two internet-posted examples of pre-release Merom Core 2 Duo chips being swapped in to a Mac mini. Both were Japanese if I recall.

Yes indeed! Here's one:
http://macenstein.com/default/archives/323

And another one:
http://homepage.mac.com/macaholicg5/PhotoAlbum12.html

I started a thread about this a while back:
http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=298769

b3ns0n · Jul 7, 2006, 07:03 AM

So basically, from the fact that ThinkSecret says (pinch of salt) that the new enclosure awaits, and the news that swapping in the meroms is so simple that it just requires the processors to be available, it does seem that the MBP will be revised at the earliest convenient opportunity once Merom hits the market.

Seems fair enough. I might consider one now

mduell · Jul 7, 2006, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by Simon

Peter753, Merom is indeed the notebook version of the Core 2 Duo. It can be installed into the same socket the Core Duo (Yonah) used. So it is a drop-in replacement for the Core Duo.

However, there are also other Core 2 CPUs that aren't pin/socket compatible like Conroe or Woodcrest. The mini would certainly be fine with Merom, but for the iMac IMHO Conroe (faster clock, faster bus, lower price) would be a more adequate replacement.

I believe there are also Socket P Merom parts, which is not compatible with S478/S479.

gsxrboy · Jul 8, 2006, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by mduell

I believe there are also Socket P Merom parts, which is not compatible with S478/S479.

Which, by accounts, will come with the Santa Rosa chipset in March(ish)

wtmcgee · Jul 8, 2006, 01:13 PM

I think we'll see new enclosures and processors in January.

mduell · Jul 9, 2006, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by gsxrboy

Which, by accounts, will come with the Santa Rosa chipset in March(ish)

April.

Screwball · Jul 9, 2006, 08:02 PM

Guys...i've been thinking! If you may recall...i got a thing about this Merom

Now...What if got this 2.0 ghz 15,4" MBP with 2 GB of G.skill RAM, and then later, when the Merom is available, i'd do a swap? A 2 ghz, or a 2.16 ghz Merom would fit! Will it be possible?

mduell · Jul 9, 2006, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by Screwball

Guys...i've been thinking! If you may recall...i got a thing about this Merom

Now...What if got this 2.0 ghz 15,4" MBP with 2 GB of G.skill RAM, and then later, when the Merom is available, i'd do a swap? A 2 ghz, or a 2.16 ghz Merom would fit! Will it be possible?

No, the CPU is soldered to the motherboard.

Screwball · Jul 10, 2006, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by mduell

No, the CPU is soldered to the motherboard.

Ever heard of the notorius Yonah-Merom swap regarding the Mac mini? Then how was that possible? That was a Yonah too. What makes the difference?

ajprice · Jul 10, 2006, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by Screwball

Ever heard of the notorius Yonah-Merom swap regarding the Mac mini? Then how was that possible? That was a Yonah too. What makes the difference?

Because that was a Mac mini, which (like the iMac) doesn't have a soldered down processor, the MacBook & MacBook Pro have soldered processors. So you can upgrade a Mac mini or iMac, but not a Mac laptop.

Screwball · Jul 10, 2006, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by ajprice

Because that was a Mac mini, which (like the iMac) doesn't have a soldered down processor, the MacBook & MacBook Pro have soldered processors. So you can upgrade a Mac mini or iMac, but not a Mac laptop.

That hurts...at least if i could have a 256mb x1600 with the 2 ghz rig...
But i understand ( or at least gather ), that there's going to be changes taking place at WWDC! Speed bumps due to Yonah 2.33ghz, so forth...So maybe the "low-end" MBP will have a x1600 with 256 vRAM and a standard 2.16 ghz

Talking of which...is there a difference between the clock speeds of the different versions of the X1600? ( 128 mb vs 256 mb)?

workerbee · Jul 10, 2006, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by brokenjago

Dual Layer DVD Burning on the 15" + Magnetic Latch + FireWire 800 + Merom + black

= almost perfect! Add a full-speed GPU into the mix, and my PowerBook is history.

olePigeon · Jul 10, 2006, 12:57 PM

Anyone think that PowerLogix will do a MacBook or MacBookPro CPU upgrade? I think it was them, but maybe it was Sonnet. They do CPU upgrades for TiBooks. I think they actually desolder the CPU and put in a different one.

iREZ · Jul 10, 2006, 01:27 PM

i wouldnt be surprised to see that soon

Simon · Jul 12, 2006, 03:19 AM

The MBP might not get Merom at WWDC, but it should have it by this year's end according to this rumor.

real · Jul 13, 2006, 03:45 PM

Is the Merom chip different enough that the new MBP would be a version"A" again.

I guess it would be if Apple changes the enclosure.

thoughts

mduell · Jul 13, 2006, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by real

Is the Merom chip different enough that the new MBP would be a version"A" again.

No. It's a pin-compatible drop-in replacement for the current Yonah; you can continue using the same chipsets with it.