Core 2 Duo (Merom) Release Date

When exactly is the Core 2 Duo (Merom) Processor coming out? I have read that it will be released in August, but does this mean that manufacturers such as Dell, Lenovo, Sony, etc. will start selling new machines with these new processors in August? I will be starting college in the beginning of September and want my laptop by then. If manufactureres will not begin to sell laptops with the new Core 2 Duo chips in them by August, I might as well purcase a regular Core Duo machine now. What do you guys think?

I guess my actual question is: When will companies such as Dell, Acer, Lenovo, Sony, Gateway, etc. start to sell laptops with the Core 2 Duo processor - anytime in August?

 

Please search through the forums for this topic, it has been discussed in detail in other threads.

The Core 2 Duo is "expected" to be released in August, but that's just a release date on paper--it is extremely unlikely (if not impossible) for laptops to be sold with the Merom that soon.

Read through these threads for more information on your question:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=55029&highlight=core+duo+merom+release

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=53248&highlight=core+duo+merom+release

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=53299&highlight=core+duo+merom+release

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=53073&highlight=core+duo+merom+release

 

I'm in the exact same boat here. I'm going off to university next year to study architecture, so I'll need a fairly good laptop. I want to get a Core 2 Duo laptop, but I have to buy it before september...

 

I decided to purchase a laptop NOW instead of waiting for the Core 2 Duo to come out. Just buy the top of the line tech right now and it should be futureproof for the next 4 years.

 

I might even suggest going "second tier" or "second best" to get the best performance-to-dollar value on some components. The CPU and HD come to mind--sometimes getting the best available makes you pay a lot for relatively small performance increases (i.e. the T2400 and T2500 are much better values than the top-of-the-line T2600 CPU).