I’d say this irresponsible and inflammatory rumor is half-true. With Snow Leopard likely being shown off at MacWorld (by Schiller, alas), Apple will want something to make the OS pop a bit. Since Intel’s new budget quad-core processor is just starting to make its rounds, it’s not totally out of the question that Apple will want to include it in the comparatively old 17-inch MacBook Pro.
The trouble is that the 17-inch already costs $2800. If you add the cost of a big unibody chassis, the improved guts, and a quad-core proc on top of that (even a budget one), you may break that magical $3000 barrier where people stop saying “oh, it’s okay, it’s the Apple premium” and they start saying “are you shitting me?” After all, Acer got a quad-core notebook out right off the bat for under $2000, and although a unibody 17-inch quad-core MBP would be a sexy beast indeed, that’s quite a chunk of change to be dropping.
What I’d like to see is a sub-$3000 price point for this mythical MBP, and a consequent minor price break on the smaller laptops, to make them more internally competitive. I doubt we’ll see that (it’s awful early to cut prices), but I think that’s the most logical way to introduce the things.
[via Tom's Hardware]
Hopefully it will also come with a matte option so I can buy one.
Dude, I wish. But that’s the least likely thing in the world now. Apple’s gone glossy and there’s nothing either of us can do about it.
To bad Apple has gone glossy. It really sucks when trying to do work in offices where you can control the white walls, flourescent lights, and other reflective crap. I will be keeping my existing 17″ MacBook Pro until they add more speed, memory, processing speed, and a high resolution MATT screen. Listen up Apple. We are MOBILE professionals and glossy screens don’t support mobile computing in the real world. THEY SUCK!
thank you flash..my sense exactly! GOSSY WAS AN F-U TO MACS ARTIST BASE…THE THOUGHT THEY’D GET THE BIZ ON THE OTHER END – WITH GAMERS..but they didnt count on the deep recession/depression, and so they shot themselves in the foot! COME ON NOW!
NEVER DISREGARD THE BASE!
lisa