Like many, I was anxiously awaiting the Macbook Pro refresh. And, like many, I was disappointed that 13″ model didn’t see the more significant processor upgrade that its 15″ brethren were treated to. The new 13″ MBP features astounding battery life, on par with the iPad, that I’d most definitely appreciate (along with a backlit keyboard and SD slot). But my primary complaint with the current 13″ unibody Macbook (late 2008 model) is that spinning beach ball. Something I’d hope to see significantly less of with an Intel Core i5 processor. Incidentally, this same sort of Apple decision is why we don’t own a 21.5″ iMac. The fact that I don’t want a larger screen shouldn’t imply that I don’t want larger processing power.
ZNF regular Greg Glockner suggests my response is one of a fanboy. However, I imagine a true fanbois would be one who thanks Steve Jobs for his insight and makes a purchase without evaluating his computing needs. I had a buyer lined up for my current 13″ model at half of what I originally paid, never minding those Snow Leopard and 2GB upgrades (bringing me to 4GB total). But I can’t justify the ~$600 out of pocket expense for marginal improvement in processing power… especially when I could find a similarly equipped Windows laptop for much less. Then again, Apple’s portable laptop hardware is generally more thoughtfully designed than the MS contingent.