A few days ago, we relayed Digitimes' information according to which Intel had announced its partners that there would be delays before the Ivy-Bridge processors would be widely available.
Fortunately, it appears that this information was incomplete. Intel apparently decided to only delay the dual core processors due to stock management issues. There are too many dual core Sandy-Bridge chips, and replacing them too early would make those chips loose the biggest part of their value as well as the value of the left over stocks of all computer makers.
Therefore, the desktop processors should still be available in April and probably find their way into the new iMac.
We should also see the very first Ivy-Bridge laptop processors, but only with 4 cores. At that point, Apple will have several options:
- Wait until June to renew all models in the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lines
- Put quad-core processors in all models of macBook Pro, including the 13"
- Launch only the 15" and 17" models and waiting for June for all the models using a dual core processor.
In our opinion, here would be the calendar for the launch of the next products:
- In March, launch of the long awaited new Mac Pro,
- In April launch of the new iMac.
- In May, announcement of the new laptops with immediate availability of the 15" and 17" models and two weeks later for the other models.
To this, we will have to add the new iPad in March, Mountain Lion this summer, and the new iPhone. All that would be missing would be a new iLife suite and new Airport products with support for 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, and maybe the Apple TV and TV Apple that should come out before the end of the year.
