Afraid to leap...Please Help

[cbell86]

I scan in my school ID for authentication, take out my credit card and configure the high-end 2.4 ghz 15" MBP with applecare and the 7200rpm hard drive. I tack on the free ipod and the free printer and hit 'check out'. With tax and shipping, I'm now staring at a $3000 price tag (after rebates)......so i choke.
here's my final thread. i've made about 5 in the past two weeks and i'm starting to feel like a troll. Please Help

In the next two years (junior/senior) I will be enrolled in a fast-paced upper division design program at my university. We will be doing mostly illustration/conceptart/print/packaging/web design/etc. I will be working in Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Corel, Maya, 3DsMax, Motion, and will be doing light video editing in Final Cut (no full-length videos or AAA shorts here).

After my senior year, I plan on attending grad school for a 2-year degree in game design (graduating four years from now), where I will likely have an elite studio to do more heavy-duty work.

*In my own time, I will be continuing to prepare for game design by teaching myself to code, model, and animate while also gaming when i can...WoW, bootcamped Starcraft2, Crysis, etc.

Do i....
A) Buy the 2.4ghz with 2G RAM, 256mb 8600, 7200 rpm, applecare and still purchase a display afterward
B) Purchase a refurbished 2.33ghz with 2G RAM, 256MB ATI1600, 5400 rpm w/ applecare at $2417. Buy a display and possibly get some more RAM. (with the $526.96 difference)

Note that I'm losing an ipod with option 2

Please not too many benchmarks, I've seen 'em all. What I really need is opinion from experience.
What is the better option and schedule-wise (my calender for the next 4 years), what would each of you do? I promise I'll go away after this :o

[WildCowboy]

One thing to note is that the AppleCare on the MBP also covers a display, but only if it's purchased at the same time as the computer.

[iBookG4user]

The new MacBook Pros are a vast improvement over the older ones, do not go with an older one even with the price difference. Go with option A.

[emw]

Based on your use predictions, buy the best one you can, which is option A. Assuming you can afford the $3K, which it sounds like you can.

You won't need an external display right away.

[pcorajr]

Based on your use predictions, buy the best one you can, which is option A. Assuming you can afford the $3K, which it sounds like you can.

You won't need an external display right away.

Buy it enjoy it and never look back. I have done the same you are doing but my dilema is that i want to wait until the new iMacs.

[Zel]

I scan in my school ID for authentication, take out my credit card and configure the high-end 2.4 ghz 15" MBP with applecare and the 7200rpm hard drive. I tack on the free ipod and the free printer and hit 'check out'. With tax and shipping, I'm now staring at a $3000 price tag (after rebates)......so i choke.


The price shown online does not include the rebates, it shows the full price of the ipod and printer. This scared me too, since my MBP + ipod cost about $2800 and I have to wait on that rebate. Stupid sales tax just about revoked my student discount!

[cbell86]

Thanks for all the help this week guys. Great community here. Wild and ibookG4user specifically, you guys probably don't realize how many times you've helped me these past two weeks :cool:.

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR ORDER"

Option A is on the way...

omg time to freak out :eek:

[Aea]

I'd go over your needs one more time and ask yourself if you could go with a 2.2 Ghz MBP, the only *real* difference is the Video RAM, which probably won't matter unless you want to play ultra-modern games on the most RAM devouring settings.

Personally, I'd go for the base line, and then add in a large hard drive, upgrade to 4GBs of ram, and then get whichever display you may need. Also, the display is simply gorgeous, it's blindingly bright and overall excellent. I haven't loaded up photoshop or done design yet, but I don't think I could be any happier with the actual display.

Edit: Too late

[CalBoy]

omg time to freak out :eek:

Don't worry. By the time it gets to your door, you'll be looking back at this thread and laughing. Enjoy:)

[iBookG4user]

Thanks for all the help this week guys. Great community here. Wild and ibookG4user specifically, you guys probably don't realize how many times you've helped me these past two weeks :cool:.

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR ORDER"

Option A is on the way...

omg time to freak out :eek:

Glad I could help you out :), enjoy your MacBook Pro!

[scienide09]

You'll be fine. Purchases this size while on a student budget are always a source of second guesses. Think of it this way: just like the tuition you're going to have to pay, this purchase is a good investment in your education and your future.

Enjoy the new gear!

[Tommy Tallarico]

bootcamped Starcraft2What for? All Blizzard games come with PC and Mac versions on the same disk.