Core 1 vs. Core 2 Duo; Buy now MBP 17" or wait?

Following a fresh Mac Rumor, see Intel announcement, the claim is that Core 2 Duo is on its way. They say the enhanced chips are expected to hit the market as early as July/August. As far as I am concerned, this vital piece of info has arrived just minutes before actually ordering the latest 17" MBP. Naturally, I got cold fit, and have to pose the immortal question: To buy now or wait a little?
Rμν - ½gμνR = 8πGTμν

I did a little investigating and here is an excerp that I pulled from an article at the register.com
The mobile Merom chips will ship as the 5000 and 7000 series. Again, the lesser numerical range represents single-core parts, and the chips will be prefixed with U, L or T, depending on their power consumption: T for 25-49W, L for 15-24W and U for under 14W. Typically, U-class chips as Ultra-low Voltage parts, while the Ls are Low-voltage chips.
So the main stream chips will be 25-49w I have no idea what clocks will be what watts. 25 watts would be pretty great if that is a decent clock speed. I would think the 49 watts would be a pretty tough match for the macbooks.
I also believe I heard the initial merom chips will be 65nm, but soon to be followd by 45nm. IF this is the case, I am sure Apple would wait for the 45nm and it could also explain the huge wattage range 25-49 as maybe this figure covers both 65 and 45nm. Again these are just my thoughts. Please no one base their purchase on this.
I will say that I personally will be picking up a 17" macbook as I think the wait for merom will be longer than we think. Heck look at how long it has taken them just to get this one out. These processors have been out for 4 months!! And they are just now shipping the 17"
Kal

Similar Messages

I just applied an EFI firmware update to a intel core 2 duo macbook, now it won't boot up

After applying an EFI firmware update, the Macbook just spins the optical drive when I start it up! I didn't see any indication that the EFI firmware update had any problems, so I'm stumped!

And if you can't get in, you can't read the Boot Rom version…
I suspect the update may have been OK for the MB but not for the OS version.
Unfortunately I have no idea if it's even possible to roll back a firmware update, or to maybe install a later OS like 10.6 while it's in that condition.
Bigger guns than me needed here, I'm afraid.

Need advice: Buy current MBP model or wait for the new MBP?

I am a commercial photographer. I shoot tethered with my medium format digital camera system using firewire 400 on my Powerbook g4 1.67ghz. I am 90% certain the rumors are true that the new MBP being announced today will not have a firewire 400 only Firewire 800. Now, my camera system is, lets just say, sensitive when it comes to connectivity to the laptop. If I use a firewire 800 to 400 adapter on the new MBP will I be apples to apples when it comes to firewire specs with regards to connecting my camera? Opinions everyone, please...
- Rudy Torres

Wait until today's event ends, see what results, and if the new MBPs are not what you want, there will still be plenty of the older ones available from retailers (smalldog.com for example). They'll be cheaper after today too.

OT: imac / macbook now core 2 duo - worth buying?

Hi all and a Merry Christmas,
I know that the following questions will be based on personal
preferences
but any constructive comments will be helpful (it's a lot of
dosh to pay
when thinking of getting a new computer). I've so far used
windows
machines, but am open to macs.
Now that the imac and macbooks have core 2 duo and can run
parrallels (for
windows software), is it worth transitioning to them or stay
with a windows
machine?
How good is the imac 20inch?
I know that windows software will run a liitle slower using
parallels, but
are the macs the way to go in respect to web designing?
Does the mac version of Dreamweaver run as good as the
windows version?
Thanks
BW

Hi david,
Thanks for the insight.
BW
"David Blomstrom" <[email protected]> wrote
in message
news:[email protected]...
> BW wrote:
>> Hi all and a Merry Christmas,
>>
>> I know that the following questions will be based on
personal preferences
>> but any constructive comments will be helpful (it's
a lot of dosh to pay
>> when thinking of getting a new computer). I've so
far used windows
>> machines, but am open to macs.
>>
>> Now that the imac and macbooks have core 2 duo and
can run parrallels
>> (for windows software), is it worth transitioning to
them or stay with a
>> windows machine?
>>
>> How good is the imac 20inch?
>>
>> I know that windows software will run a liitle
slower using parallels,
>> but are the macs the way to go in respect to web
designing?
>>
>> Does the mac version of Dreamweaver run as good as
the windows version?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> BW
>
> I bought a MacBook Pro a few months ago and love it.
MacBooks have become
> very popular with web designers. However, I haven't
actually begun using
> Dreamweaver on my laptop yet, so I can't vouch for its
performance. I'm
> still doing most of my web design on my PC until I can
afford a few more
> accessories I need to finish setting up my MacBook.
>
> I had planned on installing Parallels but decided not
to. I'd like to keep
> my laptop free of Windows software. Of course, I still
have access to my
> PC if I have to use Windows software. I bought a new
copy of Dreamweaver
> for Mac and am going to get Photoshop ported over to
Mac. One thing M$
> does excel at is Excel (spreadsheet software), so I need
to purchase M$
> Office for Mac (about $150).
>
> In general, I've found transitioning to Mac much easier
than I expected.
> One rude shock is a program called "Terminal," which is
somewhat similar
> to the command line client on a PC. You need to use it
to set up certain
> software related to MySQL, virtual hosts, etc. For the
life of me, I can't
> imagine why a company known for making user friendly
software would burden
> them with something like that. Weird.
>
> My computer doesn't run perfectly, but it's much better
than any Windows
> computer I've ever owned. Keep in mind that various
companies will soon be
> releasing software programs that have been upgraded to
work better with
> the new computers Apple has recently introduced. I don't
know if it's been
> officially announced, but I think most observers are
expecting a
> Dreamweaver upgrade sometime in 2007.
>
> In the long run, Mac's are probably cheaper than PC's.
Still, the initial
> expense is considerable. Apple's forums are a great
place for getting
> advice on how to save money on various accessories.
Overall, I consider my
> MacBook Pro one of the best buys I've ever made.
>
> --
> www.geobop.org - Family Websites
> www.invisible-republic.org - Adult political websites
(Mature adults only)

Want to buy MacBook Pro 13" (new Mac-user). Worried about the Core 2 Duo

I'm really eager to buy a MacBook Pro 13" right now, but core 2 duo feels pretty outdated, I remember my computer from 2006 having that CPU.
My greatest worry is that the computer will feel out-dated pretty fast, like for how many years will it be able to survive OS-updates? I really want to buy one now, but I don't know if i should wait. Do any of you mac-users feel it to be sluggish in any way?
Appreciate your help.

i don't have a lot of experience with this as we just made the switch about a month ago. it's mostly my wife's macbook pro and i wanted her to get a toshiba with i5 processor but she wanted to get the mac. i found this on cnet, which made me feel better about the core2. remember it is running apple stuff which isn't a drain on it like microsoft stuff:
The speed-bumped Core 2 Duo processor at the heart of the MacBook Pro isn't part of the 2010 Core i3, i5 and i7 processor family--it's a holdover from last year, and that's a bit of a shame. However, most mainstream users will find perfectly adequate performance in these Core 2 Duos--multitasking, video editing/playback, and photo and graphics work can all be handled, sometimes surprisingly well. *In our benchmarks, the 2010 MacBook Pro 13-inch outperformed the Core i3 Asus U30Jc and came close to the souped-up Core i5 Sony Vaio Z116GX/S. Against those laptops, it actually came out on top in multitasking by a decent margin, although some of the programs we use for our benchmark tests, such as iTunes and Photoshop, are very Mac-friendly.* The 15-inch Core i7 Spring 2010 MacBook Pro still outperforms this 13-incher by a considerable margin, but it also costs $1,000 more in the configuration we tested.

I have a Macbook 10.5.8 (Intel Core 2 Duo) and I need to update the software. What software should I buy snow leopard, lion, maverick?

I need to update my Macbook as many applications do not run in my computer.
It's a Macbook 10..5.8 Intel Core 2 Duo, with graphics X3100.
I don't want to loose money, so I need to know if I have to buy first the Snow Leopard and then going for the Lion or others, or if I can buy directly Lion...
What would you recommend_
Thank you!

Yes. Neil's is the right approach.
In my view, Snow leopard is an excellent OS for that model comnputer. You must remember that many programs that are part of Leopard and Snow Leopard would be lost if you went higher, and that is if you could go higher.
The DVD you will buy is 10.6.3 and will need updating to 10.6.8, plus the Combo updater to clear the needs for the best security. Snow leopard does not appear to be supported now.

I have Microsoft Office 2004 on my MacBook (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo). It is currently up to date with Microsoft updates. I am running Mac OS 10.6.8. I just updated my Mac software with "Security Update 2012-001". I am now unable to print (Epson NX510

I have Microsoft Office 2004 on my MacBook (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo). It is currently up to date with Microsoft updates. I am running Mac OS 10.6.8. I just updated my Mac software with "Security Update 2012-001". I am now unable to print (Epson NX510 printer) from Excel or Word. When I click on the Print menu item in Excel, there is a flash in the background like it is trying to open the print window, but nothing else. I am able to print from other programs like TextEdit, Mail or KakeidaGraph. As far as I know I have the latest Epson print driver.
Also, I am also unable to open an existing Excel or Word file from the open menu - both programs lock up and do not respond. I have to force quit. After I restart Excel or Word I can open an existing file by double clicking on the file, but if I again try to open another file from the open menu, Excel or Word lock up.
Any similar problems?

Howdy,
Apparently some are reporting that this causes the older PowerPC (PPC) applications that are supported in 10.6 via 'Rosetta' to crash upon attempting to open/save/print using any dialog box, or fail in other similar ways such as simply not printing or quitting, or freezing/hanging/crashing of the application.
I have read of some companies that have indeed submitted proper bug reports to Apple, but that is not a guarantee of a bug-fix being issued.
You might wish to read:
http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/snowleopard/index.html#d02feb2012
If you are unsure if you are still using PowerPC apps, if the application is currently running, look under the 'Activity Monitior' (in Applications -> Utilities), or alternatively you could check in the System Profiler, Applications. Check the column "Type".
Here is a fairly simple way you can restore you system and restore you applications functionality again, if you don't have a recent clone or good Time Machine backup that you can restore from. If you do, restore from your backup prior to having installed the Security Update 2012-001.
Time Machine restore: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1427
If you are restoring a backup made by a Mac to the same Mac
With your backup drive connected, start up your Mac from the Lion recovery partition (Command-R at startup) or Mac OS X v10.6 installation disc. Then use the "Restore From Time Machine Backup" utility. Select the backup prior to your issues, and it will be restored back to the state it was in at that time.
If you can't easily restore from a backup, you can instead do the following:
- You first start by reinstalling your OS X 10.6.x, this will preserve all your user data, your applications, no worries there.
- Then install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 (links provided below)
- Make sure you're printers are showing up correctly in your system preferences, if not, re-add the printers
- Then finally, run the Apple Software Update (by pulling down the Apple Menu), and install any and all remaining updates, except do not then re-install the Security Update 2012-001. It is possible that you may have to reboot after installing some of the updates, and you may even need to run it a 2nd time to make sure that you've got all updates, except NOT the Security Update 2012-001.
Links for 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399
or the link to directly download this 1.09GB combo updater:
http://support.apple.com/downloads/DL1399/en_US/MacOSXUpdCombo10.6.8.dmg
Cheers,
Daniel Feldman
=======================
MacMind
Certified Member of the
Apple Consultants Network
Apple Certified (ACHDS)
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 1-408-454-6649
URL : www.MacMind.com
=======================

Mac Mini Core 2 Duo died and now won't boot - any help or advice appreciated...

Hi, all
I have a core 2 duo Mac Mini (possibly a 2008 model?) which has been retro-fitted with a superdrive at some point in its life and was running Lion.
It used to be left running 24/7, but one day I returned to find it powered down and it will not boot up at all now. Applying power and then pressing the power button results in the cpu fan starting, and the HD spinning up - the white power indicator lights steady, but other than that there is no sign of life - no noises, beeps, no display, nothing.
I'm not averse to getting the lid off (I've opened up a fair few mini's before ) so any suggestions as to what my next step should be?
As an aside, the Intel minis have a small push button on the logic board, about half-way down the right hand side - what is this for?
Many thanks in advance for any help and advice you may be able to offer.
O.

Thanks for your reply, mooblie...
I have tried the SMC reset (which, unless I have misunderstood occurs as a result of removing all power for a while then reconnecting the psu and turning on as normal after a few seconds delay) with no luck.
The PRAM reset is a bit of a problem, though, as I do not appear to have any keyboard function - I'm using an aluminium Apple keyboard and mighty mouse (both are the wired variety, plugged into separate USB ports), but the 'boot' process doesn't appear to get far enough to enable operationof the keyboard (shift lock light doesn't light if appropriate key pressed), so I can't give it the 4-finger death grip at power up. The mouse illuminates, and I've tried all 4 USB ports, BTW...
I forgot to add to the previous post that there is 2GB RAM fitted, and both Bluetooth and Airport.
O.

Running an old MacBook Pro 2.5ghz core 2 Duo. Battery went chemical meltdown and expanded out of its housing. Removed it and was running off the power cord. This worked for a while. Now it won't start up. Have a Replacement on order. Is there a bigge

Running an old MacBook Pro 2.5ghz core 2 Duo. Battery went chemical meltdown and expanded out of its housing. Removed it and was running off the power cord. This worked for a while. Now it won't start up. Have a Replacement on order. Is there a bigger issue or does a battery need to be in the compartment to boot up? Appreciate any help. Thanks.

Working battery needs to be in for the computer to function.

Can I buy 1 TB of space for a iMac Core 2 Duo 2.16GHz 2GB 24'' Desktop?

My brother is looking to buy this computer:
iMac Core 2 Duo 2.16GHz 2GB 24'' Desktop
Specs are:
Item specifics - Apple Desktops
Condition: Used
Processor Type: Intel Core 2 Duo
Product Family: iMac Processor Speed (per Core): 2.16 GHz
Screen Size: 24 inches Processor
Configuration: Dual Core
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Memory (RAM): 2 GB
Primary Drive: Superdrive
Hard Drive Capacity: 250 GB
My question is, can he add 1 terabyte of space to this computer? The seller says the Hard drive is defective so he would need to replace it, or is the real capacity up to to 250 gigs?
Also, if the drive is defective and he buys an external drive can the defective drive ever affect the external drive and how it functions?
I dont even know why he would need a terabyte of space.... but he is guy what can I say lol

As long as the replacement HD is the same physical size the capacity doesn't matter. Be aware this is an old machine (about 4 years) so I hope he is not investing too much in it. If he's spending over $500 for it I would strongly recommend he buy an Apple Refurbished iMac instead. These machines are covered by Apple's 1 year warranty and are also eligible for AppleCare. Overall a much wiser decision.
Regards,
Roger

Macbook Pro 2,33Ghz Core 2 Duo Radeon X1600, it has been presentng screen artifacts since a year ago. It is not in warranty now, but I read in the web that plenty of people is having the same problem as an early degradation issue. Solution?

Macbook Pro 2,33Ghz Core 2 Duo Radeon X1600, it has been presentng screen artifacts since a year ago. It is not in warranty now, but I read in the web that plenty of people is having the same problem as an early degradation issue. Sometimes the system freezes and stops respondign so I have to restart and lose all the unsaved work. A few moths ago, the Superdrive stopped recognizing the disc because of a firmware update released by Apple!! It is not acceptable. Solution?
Apple should give a solution to all these people who spent more than 2500$ in a laptop that has stopped working in less than 3 years!
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10330060-263.html

Yes, it appears the X1600 has more than its fair share of issues. I've seen reports of people reflowing the solder joints on/around the GPU with success, even baking the LB in the oven.
The rest is something you'll have to take up with Apple.

Should I upgrade to Macericks now from 10.6.8 on my i-Mac(mid 2007, core 2 duo?). Will Mavericks be more secure than 10.6.8 ? 10.6.8 has been great, it runs great with all my apps but am concerned about future supportibility?

Should I upgrade to Mavericks now from 10.6.8 (i-Mac, mid 2007, core 2 duo)? Will Mavericks be more secure than 10.6.8 ? I have the latest version of 10.6.8 and have upgraded my memory to 4GB. This could be one reason for me to make the move now.
10.6.8 has been great, it runs great with all my apps but am concerned about lack of support now. I know my PC apps will not work but maybe some apps that work now will "walk away" from 10.6.8 and then there's the security question of above.
I am also concerned about iPhoto 9 transition to i-Photo 11 and compatibility of my Time Machine WD Passport HD (format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled) based on several questions in applicable forums.
Thanks for your help in this important decision!

If I were you I would stick with Snow Leopard. It's much better suited to your old hardware. That said:
Upgrading from Snow Leopard to Lion or Mavericks
To upgrade to Mavericks you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8, Lion, or Mountain Lion installed. Purchase and download Mavericks (Free) from the App Store. Sign in using your Apple ID. The file is quite large, over 5 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.
     OS X Mavericks- System Requirements
       Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mavericks
         1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) — Model Identifier 7,1 or later
         2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) —
             Model Identifier 5,1 or later
         3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer) — Model Identifier 2,1 or later
         5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         7. Xserve (Early 2009) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
To find the model identifier open System Profiler in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right.
Are my applications compatible?
         See App Compatibility Table — RoaringApps.
Upgrading to Lion
If your computer does not meet the requirements to install Mavericks, it may still meet the requirements to install Lion.
You can purchase Lion at the Online Apple Store. The cost is $19.99 (as it was before) plus tax. It's a download. You will get an email containing a redemption code that you then use at the Mac App Store to download Lion. Save a copy of that installer to your Downloads folder because the installer deletes itself at the end of the installation.
     Lion System Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7,
           or Xeon processor
       2. 2GB of memory
       3. OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
       4. 7GB of available space
       5. Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.

Whats the lastest software i can put on a macbook 2.2 GHz intel core 2 Duo. the software i have on the laptop right now is the Mac OS X (10.6.7)?

whats the lastest software i can put on a macbook 2.2 GHz intel core 2 Duo. the software i have on the laptop right now is the Mac OS X (10.6.7)?

It would help to know which one of the 9 different models of MacBook you have. To see which model you have go to the Apple in the upper left corner and select About This Mac, then click on More Info. When System Profiler comes up check the Model Identifier and post it back here.
If it's the Late 2007 model 3,1 then 10.7 is the most that it can run.
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook/specs/macbook-core-2-duo-2.2-white -13-late-2007-santa-rosa-specs.html
IOS software is only for the iPad and iPhone.

Hi, I have an old Mac 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo running OS 10.5.8. My iPhone now requires it to have 10.6.8 to be compatible. How do I go about getting it? Thanks

Hi, I have an old iMac with 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor running OS 10.5.8. My iPhone now requires it to have 10.6.8 to be compatible. How do I go about getting it? Thanks

Start by checking if you can run Snow Leopard:
Requirements for OS X 10.6 'Snow Leopard'
http://support.apple.com/kb/SP575
The OS 10.6 Snow Leopard install DVD is available for $19.99 from the Apple Store:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard
and in the UK:
http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MC573/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard
When you have installed it, run Software Update to download and install the latest updates for Snow Leopard to bring it up to 10.6.8, or download the combo update from here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399
Check via Software Update whether any further updates are required, particularly to iTunes.
You should now see the App Store icon in iTunes, and you now need to set up your account:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4479
You can now upgrade to Mavericks OS 10.9 for free IF you have one of the following Macs, with not less than 2GB of RAM:
iMac (Mid-2007 or later)
MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, Late 2008), (13-inch, Early 2009 or later)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2009 or later), (15-inch, Mid/Late 2007 or later), (17-inch, Late 2007 or later)
MacBook Air (Late 2008 or later)
Mac Mini (Early 2009 or later)
Mac Pro (Early 2008 or later)
Xserve (Early 2009)
If you cannot run Mavericks you can purchase the code to use to download Lion from the App Store (Lion requires an Intel-based Mac with a Core 2 Duo, i3, i5, i7 or Xeon processor and 2GB of RAM, running the latest version of Snow Leopard), by calling Apple Customer Care 1-800-692-7753 or 1-800-676-2775.

Macbook Pro Core 2 duo: could connect via airport before bootcamp. cant now

Hey there guys.. ive recently bought a macbook pro core 2 duo. i used wireless internet through airport all the time, even at home. when i installed windows xp via boot camp, my airport express simply stopped working, in both operational systems. it does work actually, but whenever i try to connect to my d-link router connection wirelessly, it gives the "There was an error joining the Airport Network Toska"
When i plug in an ethernet cable, it works fine. When i try to access it via my mac mini G4, it works smoothly. but my macbook pro cant connect to airport connections, although i can see them in the airport spot!! ive got a non encrypted connection, and it doesnt work neither in MAC OS X or in Windows XP. ive tryed removing windows and also formatting and reinstalling mac os x, but it still doesnt work. im desperate, can anyone help me? thank you

Cannock,
I am in exactly the same situation as you. I have a US MacBook Pro C2D and just received the new Airport Extreme (UK version).
In response to your question, I believe you must set up a 2nd wireless network for your Airport Express (with AirTunes), then duplicate your network port (in System Preferences > Network) and use that to configure. Not sure if that's the correct proceedure, however. Can someone else confirm?
With regards to setting the AEBS to a lower channel - this is only possible if using it in 802.11n g-compatible mode. If you set the base station to an 802.11n-only network, then channel selection is set to automatic (and will now allow you to change). Therefore, it seems there is no way to create an n-only network and have the US MBP on it!
Any further ideas?

Core 1 vs. Core 2 Duo; Buy now MBP 17" or wait?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for