Mac tidbits: 17-inch MacBook Pro shipping, new iMacs soon?

Apple's new 17-inch MacBook Pro is shipping on schedule.

(Credit: Apple)

A couple of tidbits surfaced Friday related to Apple's current and future Mac lineup.

First of all, the 17-inch MacBook Pro introduced at Macworld 2009 is now shipping, MacNN discovered. Apple is quoting a 7- to 10-day lead time for shipments from its online store, which means it won't arrive until February, but Apple had only promised to start shipping the notebook by the end of January. It doesn't seem to be available in Apple's retail stores yet; at least, it wasn't available at the downtown San Francisco store as of Friday.

Secondly, AppleInsider reports that Apple resellers are being told to expect limited quantities of 24-inch iMacs in the coming weeks, which generally means that the current model is being phased out. There have been several signs that Apple is planning to tweak the iMac in the coming weeks, most recently via an analyst report suggesting Apple was weighing whether to use dual-core or quad-core processors in the new models.

[templetonrl]

I hope they fixed the hinge problems that are so bad on the 15 in Macbook Pros, in the new 17 in model. My 15in Oct 2008 MBP display moves constantly and forget about it staying open on an aircraft. The display closes with every bump.

[Fil0403]

That goes to show how good they are at making hardware, as Steve Jobs likes to say.

[Fil0403]

If only that was Macs' only problem.

[Understarsidream]

They really need to go to a quad core with more ram capabilities for the next imacs (and a 30 inch screen would be nice).

[goodspeed8701]

Stupid apple.

[shellcodes_coder]

I have agree with AppleSucks1963, Crapple sucks

[shellcodes_coder]

*to

[Goodbye Helicopter]

Moron. Read the owner's manual!
At a certain angle, the hinge will move.
It is engineered to do that.

[ckurowic]

These comments make me want to vomit.

[svermill]

I find it a little shameful that people are trying so hard to "get the scoop" and are willing to misrepresent facts to get it. Do you have first-hand knowledge that peoples' credit card are being charged as these items ship? If I order one with overnight shipping will it arrive on Monday? If not, why are you reporting that they are "now shipping?" It's shameful. It reflects poorly on you and cnet.

[betrayer_]

dude.. u could buy them off the website a while ago, so the ones that are now ready to ship will go out monday

i think u just grumpy cuz u're not getting one.. i just ordered mine :D

sorry bill, finally gave into crapple

[Fil0403]

@ betrayer: Enjoy your over-expensive, non-customizable, and tightly-controlled Mac, I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with its kernel panic attacks and hinge problems.

[Fil0403]

Does the price include the compatibility problems, kernel panic attacks, and hinge problems, or that is an extra?

[Dalkorian]

It also comes with iNotVulnerableToAllThoseWinblowsViruses (in fact, so far it still comes with iNotVulnerableToAnyVirus and has for the last 8 years, though that offer may expire someday).

I haven't run iKernelPanicAttacks in over a year and I have no idea what iCompatibilityProblems are, but at least the local resident troll has something to use to beg for food. We wouldn't want our little troll to go hungry now, would we?

[svermill]

So in Betrayer we have yet another person who simply isn't prepared to let pesky facts get in the way of what he wants to say. No, nothing is going out on Monday morning. Call Apple. I have one on order and have since the 8th of Jan. I have been informed by Apple that if I drop my matte finish I can shave a few weeks off my delivery time. But even then, they are projecting it would ship in another week or week-and-a-half. Sound like "now shipping" to you?

Facts, stick with the facts people.

[ferretboy88]

I wanted to buy one then I checked my shopping cart and it said $5200. No way Jose.

[Dalkorian]

You must have tweaked the daylights out of it. They start at $2799 ...

Uh huh, got it. You upgraded the processor (from 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo to a 2.93GHz Core 2 Duo), maxed out the RAM (from 4GB to 8GB of DDR3) and replaced the 320GB 5400 RPM drive with a 256GB SSD. Slick machine you built, where will you find it cheaper?