I can't help but let out a good, Nelson-style "Ha ha!" at this news. But the cynical side of me also can't help but say, "Apple's never shipped on time before, why is it such a big deal this time?"

Steve Jobs has been able to stick it to the man (aka Michael Dell) and hit him where it hurts, the bottom line.

It may be a short lived glory, but hey, I'm not above celebrating it.

Life is short, eat desserts first!

So some corporate buyer is pissed that Apple is accepting pre-orders for Core Dual based notebooks, while Dell is not?
From everything I've read it sounds like both Apple and Dell will have the same basic ship times. Talk about a non-story.

Corporate Buyers Upset That They Can't Order Holographic Simulation Laptops Yet

Dell are accepting orders for their dual core Inspiron 9400 notebook (shipping date Feb 14), and Gateway are offering the S-7510N, shipping date Feb 8.

What's the problem? If Gateway and Dell haven't announced that they're taking preorders, how is that Apple's fault?

Don't forget that the new iMacs have Core Duo chips too and they're listed as shipping in 3 days on the UK Apple store, so Apple are shipping before Dell!

I am upset! I want one, but I can't order it yet because it is not in my budget, maybe in a few months.

As to Dell never being late with an Intel laptop. Well this isn't your friend's Dell, this is a Mac and it is new system not some existing chip thing wrapped up in new case.

What planet is this guy from? I mean, we haven't even upgraded to Tiger yet, and he's worried about an order for an un-anounced product? Whose IT departments move that fast? Certainly not ours. It will be years before we get Intel Macs, since we only got G5s last year. And this guy is crying about maybe having to wait another month... surreal.

Why don't tell that Supply Division "What's going to be needed".

Dell announced at CES. You can order their Core Duo from their website. No vendor is shipping till February! This bonehead "buyer" now looks like he's either incompetent or lazy. Stay up with the news, pinhead!

I can just see those IT guys, so upset that they might have to wait a few weeks to order new laptops. "It's 2006! I G*O*T*T*A order those brand-new laptops N*O*W! I just G*O*T*T*A!!!!!!!!! NOW!!!! NOW!!!!!" Sounds like a 4-year-old complaining that he has to wait for desert until after dinner. Petulence isn't atrractive in young children; it's positively disgusting in adults.

This bozo is not upset, he is jealous!

If he wants a computer with the Core Duo, order a Mac. Simple as that.

Dell has avoided AMD in its laptops until now; expect to see more AMD chips in Dell machines!!

You can buy a Core Duo machine from Acer, however.

What's the story? I really don't see the point.

When I saw the headline I assumed there was some corporate absurdity that made businesses unable to order decent numbers of the machines, but clearly that's not the story. Apple offers preorders, so the headline is, as far as I can tell, flatly false.

Apple's offering preorders, and nobody's shipping these things until February. That's...all normal. Is the point that the shipping date doesn't fit their timelines? In that case, well, sucks to be them, but it's nobody's fault (except maybe Intel, but even that's pushing it).

And Dell apparently HASN'T missed this new chip. They said February, same as Apple. Or do they not realize that Apple isn't actually shipping the MacBooks yet?

I don't get it.

Oh, wait, it's from the Inquirer. It all makes sense now. Things like "points", "content", and "facts" are not required over there.

You mean Dell Core Duo laptops like this?
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2699