04 Mar 2010, Posted by Takashi Doscher in Articles,General, 0 Comments

Where are the Apple Pro Updates?

For many creative professionals, Apple computers and Mac OS X are not just the tools of choice, they are a lifestyle.  As a Mac user myself, I appreciate the attention to detail and tight integration of hardware and software (even if it does come with a much higher pricetag).  However, Apple’s current update schedule has caused uproar on the internet, prompting many people to declare that the company has turned its back on the creative professionals that depend on them. It has been over a year since Apple has updated its MacPro towers, over 8 months since they have updated their MacBook Pros, and have recently laid off around 50 former Final Cut Pro programmers.  Many Windows-running competitors are starting to release new laptops with the much faster Arrandale-grade Intel processors,  causing many people to ask, what is taking Apple so long?

There are a few theories to the madness. After perusing over some 20,000 posts in the “Still Waiting for Arrandale” thread on MacRumors.com, I have found that most people think the delay is being caused by Intel/Nvidia lawsuits, component manufacturing shortages, or some marketing strategy to maintain public focus on the iPad release. Whatever the reason, one thing is for certain – updates are coming soon. If you are in the market for a new Apple Pro machine, I would wait to click that buy button if you can. If you have to have a new machine right now, keep in mind that Apple allows returns up to 14 days after purchase. You will have to pay a 10% restocking fee, but I think you will be much happier with the brand-new hardware.