MacBook Pros... Wherefore Art Thou?

18 Years Ago tamar 0 641 Views

So, MacWorld finally came and went. For months, I've anticipated this event. After Apple released in November, I had my eyes set on moving over to the Mac world. But without any guarantees that Apple would preinstall Leopard on existing laptops in their inventory and after hearing about numerous applications that weren't Leopard compatible, I told myself that I'd wait a little longer.

And after today, I'm waiting even longer.

The Macbook Air, an excellent addition to the Apple Macbook family, looks hot. Integrating iPhone/iPod Touch technology into the touchpad is just awesome. But did Apple forget about its other users? Sure, they can't roll out everything in a whole keynote -- though I was hoping. Really, I was. Perhaps it's just jealousy or the desire to get a nice big old Apple for the first time in my life that I actually intend to use, but I wanted a nice large Macbook Pro. And I wanted them to announce it. Today.

At least I'm not alone. Investors don't seem to be pleased with the announcements either. I'm in good company, then. Steve Jobs did say that there are another 50 weeks left of the year, but 50 weeks seems like way too long. That's 30,240,000 seconds. Or 504,000 minutes. You know, that seems like an eternity.

I still can't really believe that it's taking this long to get a laptop that I know will make me an Apple convert. I intend to use this Macbook like my own desktop. It's been at least seven months since I've anticipated this release -- my hopes were shattered in November and they're shattered again in January -- and I'm going to likely be waiting another three or four or seven. I just hope that's not going to be the case.

Let's just hope that new Macbook Pros come around next month with 17" displays and with the touch compatibility. Now that would be sweet.

mac-hardware

Dani AI

Generated 10 Months Ago

Short context and what actually happened (so the thread ages well): at Macworld 2008 Apple unveiled the MacBook Air (thin, multi‑touch trackpad and an optional SSD) but did not refresh the MacBook Pro line in that keynote. Within a few weeks Apple formally updated the MacBook and MacBook Pro models (adding the Multi‑Touch trackpad to the Pro line and shipping new models with Leopard). See Apple’s MacBook Air announcement and the MacBook/MacBook Pro update. (https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2008/01/15Apple-Introduces-MacBook-Air-The-Worlds-Thinnest-Notebook/; https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2008/02/26Apple-Introduces-New-MacBook-and-MacBook-Pro-Models/)

Notes tied to the posts here:

: wanting a large 17" MacBook Pro was reasonable — Apple did keep a 17" Pro in the refresh and later shipped bigger design updates in October 2008, so the specific machine you wanted did appear in Apple’s product cadence (and the Pro line gained the Multi‑Touch trackpad you liked in the Air). (https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2008/02/26Apple-Introduces-New-MacBook-and-MacBook-Pro-Models/; https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2008/10/14New-MacBook-Family-Redefines-Notebook-Design/)
: the Air’s SSD option existed (early SSDs were small and expensive but noticeably faster). If mobility and instant responsiveness matter, SSD was the right tradeoff then.
: the market reaction that day was negative — Apple shares dipped during the keynote, reflecting investor disappointment. (https://techcrunch.com/2008/01/15/apples-stock-dives-during-macworld-keynote/)

Practical takeaway and a short checklist before buying then or researching old inventory now:

If you need a desktop replacement (large screen, optical drive, higher GPU/headroom), prioritize a 15" or 17" MacBook Pro — Apple refreshed those models after Macworld 2008. (https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2008/02/26Apple-Introduces-New-MacBook-and-MacBook-Pro-Models/)
If you want portability and an SSD, Air works — but plan for external options (SuperDrive/external displays) and smaller storage. (https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2008/01/15Apple-Introduces-MacBook-Air-The-Worlds-Thinnest-Notebook/)
Check Leopard (10.5) compatibility before upgrading apps: Leopard shipped in late 2007 and some third‑party packages needed updates (Adobe listed specific video apps that required patches). Always consult vendor compatibility pages. (https://www.infoworld.com/article/2316372/leopard-ships-10-26-press-release.html; https://www.macworld.com/article/187902/adobelopard.html)
Use Time Machine and Migration Assistant (or an external clone) when moving data — they make switching far less painful. (https://support.apple.com/en-us/102551)

Short version: frustration at the keynote made sense in January 2008, but Apple moved quickly — the Pro updates you were waiting for arrived in the weeks afterward.

JonathanD 16 Marketing Consultant

18 Years Ago

I'm excited! I pre-ordered my Air yesterday. The option of SSD is quite a bit more expensive, but worth every penny. SSD is what I was really waiting for and I'm glad I waited for it.

tamar 31 Light Poster

18 Years Ago

It's exciting, but I can't be a MacBook Air convert until I'm a Mac convert. I use my 17" Dell laptop like a desktop and I know that it would take precedence over the Air if I took that direction. I did the same thing when I bought an iBook in 2002. I used it only when I could, which wasn't often, and then I got rid of it since it was collecting dust.

So I will only buy what I know I'll invest time and energy in. Unfortunately, while the MacBook Air is sweet, if I have to buy it for myself, then I'm probably not going to use it as often as I want to.

Infarction 503 Posting Virtuoso

18 Years Ago

I have noticed though, that the last couple years, AAPL has fallen on MacWorld. Strange, but the word does fit when considering stocks and investors.

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