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spitty27 · Aug 13, 2006, 01:56 AM

i just switched over one of my best friends and she ordered her blackbook last week and its due to arrive around monday or tuesday. all over the web im seeing these new rumors about the mbp going merom as well as the macbook (early kickstart). do you think its possible apple will put the merom chips in the macbooks within the next month? i feel really bad because i told her two weeks ago that it would be a few months before they'd do that and now she could have just waited a few more weeks. if so, is it possible to just, "return" an unopened macbook to any apple store? ship it back to cupertino/tx/elk grove?

what are your thoughts

http://www.macosxrumors.com/articles...d-macbook-pro/
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/08..._to_get_merom/

Big Mac · Aug 13, 2006, 02:19 AM

I have to doubt that the MacBook will go to Merom so quickly. If Apple acts like it has traditionally, it will reserve Merom for the MBP for quite some time. On the other hand, the Intel defection means we have to learn to expect the unexpected from Apple, so the rumors could very well be true.

wilsonng · Aug 13, 2006, 02:35 AM

i also think the MBP will get Merom first before the MB will...

If your best friend is gonna use her MB for general stuff like Microsoft Office, e-mail, web surfing and such, today's MB is perfectly suited.

How much speed does she really need? She'll only notice the speed difference if she's doing something really CPU-intensive like a high-end game...

Heck, even iDVD and iMovie appears to be working well with the MB. It's certainly fast enough for most of us...

An analogy: We'd all love to drive around in a Ferrari but we function perfectly well with our Toyota/GMC/Ford/Chevy/<insert brand name of your car here>.

Besides the MB just got released a couple months ago. It's not like it's outdated already...

Simon · Aug 13, 2006, 04:16 AM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

I have to doubt that the MacBook will go to Merom so quickly. If Apple acts like it has traditionally, it will reserve Merom for the MBP for quite some time. On the other hand, the Intel defection means we have to learn to expect the unexpected from Apple, so the rumors could very well be true.

Seconded.

In the old days I would have been sure Apple would wait till at least MWSF to put Merom in the MB. But now with the Intel switch things have changed. They could surprise us and swap Merom into both the MBP and MB at the same time.

OTOH looking at the MB's bang-for-buck ratio compared to most PC notebooks I still think Apple could wait till MWSF.

harrisjamieh · Aug 13, 2006, 04:52 AM

All I will say is now that Apple uses the same chips is basically everyone else, they can't hide behind the 'megahertz myth', giving products patheticly small speed bumps. When the industry goes Core2Duo on their consumer lines, then so will Apple (Apple may do it just before the mainstream)

ak1nza · Aug 13, 2006, 05:02 AM

The Core2Duo chips are not much more expensive than the current Core Duo chips. It wouldn't make sense for Apple to continue using Core Duo chips if newer chips were out.

I think they will go Merom but just for marketing sake, I do agree that the MBP will get it first but sooner or later the MB will get them too. Who knows when. Could be next month, could be next year.

paulccpaul · Aug 13, 2006, 06:24 AM

I just bought myself the parts off of ebay to build a powerbook 1 ghz and 1.33ghz (one for my brother) and the only reason I didn't go with a macbook (other than price ;P) is that I don't like the gma950. As a gamer, my only hope is that they go with the G965 (X3000) IGP in the next macbook. If they go with the Q965 (butchered G965 more like the 950) then I don't think I will get it. I love OSX though, and I love small laptops

but I may end up trying another laptop that matches apple hardware and running a hacked version of osx on it. I would hate to have to do that, but if sony releases a vaio with with an ati x1300 instead of the geforce 7300 then i could get it working with osx's drivers. Only thing holding me back is drivers. The Macbook is sexy, but the video card matters to me ! I hope Apple doesn't plan on making the macbook and pro lines significantly different by butchering the macbook video card performance permanently throughout its life cycle. That to me, just plain pisses me off considering how much I like it otherwise

. I hope it comes out with a g965. At least then it could OPEN games like battlefield 2, where as with the g950 it wont open at all.

Simon · 06:52 AM

Originally Posted by ak1nza

The Core2Duo chips are not much more expensive than the current Core Duo chips.

Do we know that? The prices I've seen for Merom are identical to the last Yonah 1k prices. I suppose we'll have to wait till Merom actually ships to see how much Yonah prices come down.

http://www.intel.com/intel/finance/p...price_list.pdf

It wouldn't make sense for Apple to continue using Core Duo chips if newer chips were out.

Why not? If they save $10 on every MB, that's millions of $ saved across the product cycle. Apple is ahead of the mainstream. Don't forget that many PC notebook manufacturers are selling Pentium M or even Celeron M notebooks as we speak.

That said, I'm all for Merom in the MB ASAP. But from a business perspective I'm in doubt if Apple will switch right away.

bergy · Aug 13, 2006, 09:46 AM

Don't know if this means anything ... but would be great ...

I'm waiting for yes/no before making my purchase next month ....

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20060811PB201.html

mmike70 · Aug 13, 2006, 02:32 PM

Then on the other hand, how much will apple lose in sales by not putting it in? Save $10 but lose market share? The other cpus you mention are put in notebooks that are much cheaper than the macbook.

Since the switch to intel, apple is on a more level playing field when it comes to marketing their notebooks against every other notebook manufacturer out there. With the price point the macbook is at, apple cannot afford to not put them in ASAP because you know others will (hp, ibm, sony, etc..). From a business perspective, apple must put them in as soon as they can.

Originally Posted by Simon

Do we know that? The prices I've seen for Merom are identical to the last Yonah 1k prices. I suppose we'll have to wait till Merom actually ships to see how much Yonah prices come down.

http://www.intel.com/intel/finance/p...price_list.pdf

Why not? If they save $10 on every MB, that's millions of $ saved across the product cycle. Apple is ahead of the mainstream. Don't forget that many PC notebook manufacturers are selling Pentium M or even Celeron M notebooks as we speak.

That said, I'm all for Merom in the MB ASAP. But from a business perspective I'm in doubt if Apple will switch right away.

Simon · Aug 13, 2006, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by mmike70

With the price point the macbook is at, apple cannot afford to not put them in ASAP because you know others will (hp, ibm, sony, etc..). From a business perspective, apple must put them in as soon as they can.

There are plenty of $1099 notebooks out with P-Ms. Apple is far ahead just by not using Celerons or P-Ms. The MB package with Yonah at $1099 is very attractive.

Apple is winning market share right now. Putting in Merom in Sep or Jan is not going to change anything about that.

From a business perspective Apple needs to put them in just before others put them in $1099 notebooks. Not a moment earlier. That is the business perspective.

mmike70 · Aug 13, 2006, 03:26 PM

The P-M cpu notebooks near the same price (~$900-1000) are ones like the Lenovo Z series where you're also paying a premium on the small size or if it has a discrete video chip. The macbook is up to 40% more expensive than laptops with the celeron w/ integrated graphics (look at the hp dv1000t for an example).

I agree with your last sentence though because it's pretty much what I said. That's exactly the reason Apple will put them in next month.

Originally Posted by Simon

There are plenty of $1099 notebooks out with P-Ms. Apple is far ahead just by not using Celerons or P-Ms. The MB package with Yonah at $1099 is very attractive.

Apple is winning market share right now. Putting in Merom in Sep or Jan is not going to change anything about that.

From a business perspective Apple needs to put them in just before others put them in $1099 notebooks. Not a moment earlier. That is the business perspective.

Dillon-K · Aug 14, 2006, 02:49 AM

I honestly don't care if the MB doesn't get the merom for a while... I even hope so, because if it does, I'll have the yonah one. Honestly, what are you guys doing with your macbooks that requires so much CPU? I understand about upgrading the video chip, and even if they make that an addon option for the MB's that would be great. You [b]know[b] when you buy the smaller, consumer-level laptop that you're not going to get the best performance. So yes, the MacBooks are really sexy, but for the time being, if you want more, you pay more. Yes, Apple will need to introduce a new MacBook that is neither the pro nor the regular MB, but that hasn't happened yet... and for now, I'm not fussed.

masugu · Aug 14, 2006, 12:21 PM

Tech buyers always want the latest / greatest. Nothing much will ease the pain of something new coming out after a purchase... I sorta feel like I should have waited, but I wanted to get my hands on a Yonah BlacBook.

Landos Mustache · Aug 14, 2006, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

I have to doubt that the MacBook will go to Merom so quickly. If Apple acts like it has traditionally, it will reserve Merom for the MBP for quite some time. On the other hand, the Intel defection means we have to learn to expect the unexpected from Apple, so the rumors could very well be true.

I have to agree. Apple has to put a bigger gap in performance between the pro and consumer models.

pheonixash · Aug 16, 2006, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by mmike70

The P-M cpu notebooks near the same price (~$900-1000) are ones like the Lenovo Z series where you're also paying a premium on the small size or if it has a discrete video chip. The macbook is up to 40% more expensive than laptops with the celeron w/ integrated graphics (look at the hp dv1000t for an example).

I agree with your last sentence though because it's pretty much what I said. That's exactly the reason Apple will put them in next month.

The Z Series are the only widescreen ThinkPads and are not at all small! They have 15.4" inch screens. Lenovo is charging a premium for the widescreen, cause their business oriented laptops, the T Series, with the Core Duo's are in the same price range. (1000+)

thesearcher · Aug 16, 2006, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by Simon

There are plenty of $1099 notebooks out with P-Ms. Apple is far ahead just by not using Celerons or P-Ms. ...

I don't agree. The machines I'm seeing with core duo are quite a bit cheaper than MacBook, with better specs, other than OSX.

Simon · Aug 17, 2006, 02:46 AM

Just saw a Core Duo notebook add from Dell this morning. The price was indeed about $150 lower than the MB's but then again it's got some kind of down-clocked CD (T2050 - what's the deal with that, it's not even on Intel's price list) with a lower speed FSB, VGA instead of DVI, 4pin FW, etc. Of course that crippling comes together with the lack of OS X, iApps, slick form fator, etc.

If you don't care about all those things, fine. But if you do, Dell seems a bad place to buy.