'Bulk' of first wave of Intel's next-gen Ivy Bridge chips bound for desktops
CEO Paul Otellini relayed the information to investors during a quarterly earnings call on Tuesday, as noted by CNet.
"The first versions of Ivy Bridge that we're shipping are quad cores, and then bulk of those are going into desktops," Otellini said, according to a transcript by Seeking Alpha.
"And then the second launch of the products is in the dual core, which is the mainstream notebooks. So I think that helps put a profile over the course of quarter as well."
Intel pushed the Ivy Bridge launch back by three weeks in order to "make sure that there was enough inventory in the pipeline," the company's CFO said. The chipmaker is expected to launch its first batch of Ivy Bridge chips next week.
Otellini's comments could still leave room for a MacBook Pro release within the first wave of chips. Apple could potentially obtain enough inventory for initial MacBook Pro shipments even if the "bulk" of Intel's new processors are headed for desktops. Currently, both the 15-inch and 17-inch versions of the MacBook Pro make use of a quad-core Intel processor, while the 13-inch model has a dual-core processor.
Availability of 15-inch MacBook Pros has been constrained among authorized resellers, often a reliable indicator of an imminent update.
AppleInsider reported in February that Apple is planning a slimmed-down version of its 15-inch notebook that will draw upon the design traits of the MacBook Air, while a similar redesign of the 17-inch MacBook Pro is expected later this year.
An illustration of Apple's notebook lineup planned for the 2012 calendar year.
The lack of dual-core options in the first round of Ivy Bridge chips has led to speculation that an updated MacBook Air is not likely to arrive until the end of the second quarter at the earliest. The processors bound for Apple's next-generation MacBook Air and rivals' ultrabooks are expected to arrive in June.
62 Comments
I also thought the MBP would come out before the iMac, but if this is true the iMac may well be first. It is well overdue already (by historical standards).
Er... A new Mac Pro?
Otellini's comments could still leave room for a MacBook Pro release within the first wave of chips. Apple could potentially obtain enough inventory for initial MacBook Pro shipments even if the "bulk" of Intel's new processors are headed for desktops.
Apple's volumes are so low, I think they they'd have no problem with an iMac and MBP release. They only ship 1.5 million total Macs per month so if you cut out the high volume, cheap Macs like the Mini and Air, you are left with under 300k iMacs and MBPs each.
By comparison, HP sells 5 million PCs per month so they'd need about 5-10x the chips Apple does for a proper launch as they don't have the same distinctions in product lines.
I wonder if we'll hear about a press event this weekend or if this will be a silent update. I still think a 15" MBP overhaul would make the 13" MBP look very odd as they are advertised in the same lineup.
To me, it would make more sense to update the iMac (and maybe the Pro) next week and then wait until June to update the other 3 models.
Er... A new Mac Pro?
I really hope so!
This just confirms that there will be few laptop capable processors shipping. If anything they will be limited to 15 @ 17" MBPs. Sad really but what can you do. Intel has slipped up big time over the last year and a half.