[capl]

Hmm, I was thinking of buying an M3 Pro 16” this summer, but maybe I should wait then

[deergomoo]

Since the move to Apple Silicon you are realistically never more than 12-18 months away from a new chip generation in a MacBook. An M1 is still plenty good for the vast majority of workloads, especially if it's an M1 Pro/Max/Ultra.

Actually probably the best thing to do is wait until the M4 machines launch then bag a good deal on a clearance M3.

[rbanffy]

The next ones to get M4 will probably be the Mini, the Studio, and the Pro. iMac and MacBooks got an M3 refresh, but the other desktops have M2s now.

[rkuska]

That’s actually a nice side effect of all the *rumors pages. The rumors of future products keep me of buying the current products. I keep on using my previous products while saving money and planet and being excited about what future holds.

[sitkack]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_effect

[usefulcat]

> The rumors of future products keep me of buying the current products.

For myself, I like to think of it as applied procrastination. I could buy that new thing I want today.. but something better will come along in time, so I can afford to put it off a while longer yet..

[repelsteeltje]

> The rumors of future products keep me of buying the current products.

Spot on!

Back in the nineties, Intel managed to push competing RISC architectures (UltraSparc, MIPS, DEC Alpha, PowerPC) out of the market using nothing but promises that Itanium was going to blow them all out of the water.

And apparently Apple is okay with procrastinating and cannibalizing current sales of M1, 2, 3 if it helps prevent some Snapdragon (or Ampere) sales.

[thisislife2]

> The rumors of future products keep me of buying the current products.

You may have heard of the 5-minute rule - "Will doing this take me less than 5 minutes? If the answer is yes, do it now." An adaption of that to reduce impulse purchases is - "Do I really need this product right now? If the answer is no, don't buy it."

[tonyarkles]

And on the flip side I am generally hesitant to buy first-release Apple hardware. Over the 20 years I've been buying Apple kit I've generally found it to be exceptionally robust but newly released hardware has had enough bugs (either hardware or OS) that I just sit back and let other users find the issues first. But I do simultaneously have the same issue: if WWDC is coming up within a month or two I'm not going to be buying any hardware because there's a good chance that something new will be released or the hardware I was going to buy is going to get a refresh or a price drop.

[tedivm]

I wait until the new release, and then look at the refurbished store to get a discount on the last generation model. I do this every four years or so.

[a13o]

I do this technique too, and it's a great time for it. The OLED screen on the new iPad signals that Apple devices are moving to a better panel. If you've been waiting for the right time to move off an Intel Mac and onto a SoC Mac, it's now. Pick up a refurbished M2 MacBook. They're in the sweet spot for support, power, and cost.

The next one will probably have an OLED screen; so if you wait til then, your refurb M1/2/3 will be on Apple's short list of devices they don't want to support. (And you might have panel FOMO.) Or you'll have to pay the premium price for the latest model.

[yardie]

I'm still on a i7 MBP because everytime I think I'm ready to update the next one is announced.

[0_____0]

These machines are great. I still use my 2015 rMBP as a secondary. It's a little slow now but a couple years ago I was still running Solidworks (in Bootcamp) on it with minimal issues.

[gtirloni]

Besides maybe battery life (which is a huge win), anything you'd benefit from the M's? I only had a 2008 macbook so I'm curious.

[lowbloodsugar]

I've got a top spec i9 MBP and my same-price M1 Max blows it out of the water, while being vastly cooler and lasting forever on battery.

[grecy]

I just upgraded from a mid 2014 MBP to a used M1 air.

It is much, much faster, silent, and I use it for days without power. Editing 4K video is not just possible, it is a non event.

[opan]

If you care about Asahi support, an M1 or M2 would probably be better short-term anyway.

[Waterluvian]

Apple’s tempo is so regular that this has been a problem my entire adult life.

I’ll buy a little later. I’ll buy a little later!

[a-french-anon]

The way to exit that loop is to convince yourself that the next one will bring a truly lasting difference. Which is why I'm still waiting for GDDR7 GPUs with my 4GB RX 480.

[vundercind]

I just only buy every fourth or fifth whatever it is. Usually the previous model, too, when I do, sometimes used or official-refurb. Works great.

[MrFantastic]

I've had several devices fail right before the new model was released.

So frustrating.

[2OEH8eoCRo0]

That's why my desktop CPU is 11 years old.

[capl]

Hehe yeah, same when I think about it… I guess best thing to do is buy on launch and update every 2-5 years.

[wombat-man]

Yeah, feels like if you don't buy in the first few months you might as well hang on for the next one.

[alwillis]

For those with MacBook Pro FOMO, do not read about the rumored foldable 18.8-inch screen MacBook Pro running on the M5 coming in 2026 [1].

[1]: https://www.macrumors.com/2024/05/23/18-8-inch-foldable-macb...

[JulianWasTaken]

Without anything but a skim, surely there is no way a MB Pro ships with a virtual keyboard, that is pure torture.

[cjk2]

Kill me with a blunt spoon before I take on a foldable touch screen.

[threeseed]

macOS does not support touch input.

It would require the biggest UI redesign in the history of the company to ensure every input control is at least a centimetre away from anything else.

And would require every Mac developer to absorb the cost for major updates to their apps as well.

This would almost certainly be an iPad.

[yumraj]

The rumored price is enough to make me not worry about those.

[andy_ppp]

I just bought a second hand M2 Air in perfect condition and it feels faster than my M1 Max in a really beautiful body for travel. I’m not certain it matters that much anymore to be honest. What are you using it for?

[throw0101d]

> this summer

In recent years the MBP line has been updated towards the end of the year (Oct/Nov) or early (Jan):

* https://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#MacBook_Pro_16

So if you can 'limp' along towards the autumn/winter/Christmas, then it's probably worth the wait to get the M4 (or pickup an M3 when the price presumably drops to clear inventory).

[jascination]

I just bought a refurbished 16in M3 pro, no regrets at all. There's always a new one around the corner, it's really just about whether your setup achieves what you need it to.

Look at real world differences between M2 and M3, it's not a massive jump at all.

I do cross platform app development and the machine is excellent for that. Glad to have it now rather than waiting months for a slightly better system

[pmontra]

Osborne effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_effect

[zorrn]

This is so real. I have this exact problem... but I think I'm just buying a? refurbished MacBook Air M2 13"