Buy now or wait? retina MBP pricing in next cycle? retina/ssd worthwhile now?

Retina from Amazon - no tax in some states (if you dont report it) - something like this an option?

If you dont know - just wait until you need to make a move.

I would try a fresh install of OSx. If that seems to improve things I would max out the RAM and purchase an inexpensive SSD and replace the battery if necessary. A 2009 model with a SSD will feel much faster than a new rMBP without a SSD, and you'll save over $1500.

There is nothing you need to do as a student that your existing laptop can't do with a do few minor upgrades.

Baya87 said:

This is a particular question about my situation, I am hoping that those of you experienced with the trends of Apple can help.

I am a college student graduating in December. My comp is 3.5 years old (mid-2009 15" MBP). It is on it's last legs. As in it frequently overheats, battery says "service batter" (I think that is relating to the overheating). It lags freezes for short periods of time on a semi-regular basis. Sooo, I need a new computer.

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Less than $300 for a new battery, a modern hard drive, some additional RAM, and your MBP is as good as new. The battery is probably the most expensive bit. If you can handle a screwdriver, you can do it. So far you MBP cost probably about $500 / year. For $300, it will last another 3 years.

You can check your battery health with cocoanut battery, and you can try running Apple Hardware Test (http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11342) to see if it finds anything.

Next refresh of Apple laptop lines will be in second half of 2013 because that's the earliest availability of Haswell (about 8-9 months from now). So I don't think we'll see any update to Ivy Bridge macs in February. Mac Pro might see an update in the first half of 2013, if Apple still wants to continue that line.

I think it'll be 2014 before the price of retina decreases somewhat significantly.

Take the advice of others and see if your current laptop can be resuscitated. If you don't NEED to buy now, it's always better to bite the bullet and wait until you actually do.

I would also recommend just upgrading your existing machine. You'll save tons of money in the end, and the Core 2 Duo in your current Macbook should be fine for you.

Check out ifixit for instructions on adding RAM, and replacing the battery and hard drive.

Baya87 said:

hmm. I hadn't really considered that option of just revamping it! Not a bad idea. Is there a webpage/how-to on where/what to buy? I think I could figure it out, however, not sure if advice was already all in one place?

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Where are you?

http://www.crucial.com is a good place for RAM. There are other good places; Crucial is not the cheapest, but the advantage is that they don't sell this and that kind of RAM, but they sell specifically for all the different Mac models. So you look up your Mac, then buy 8 GB for it (likely very cheap). And RAM for a 2009 MBP is so cheap, it doesn't make much difference where you buy.

Hard drives: Many places. In the UK, http://www.dabs.com as an example. Replacing the hard drive in a MBP is very easy (you do need a tiny screw driver, Philips #0 or #00; I got a set for £2 at a DIY store). You do need a complete Time Machine backup - but if your Mac is "on its last leg" then you need a Time Machine backup anyway (and if it is brand new, you also need a backup). A 2009 hard drive will be _a lot_ slower than a new one. SSD is even faster, but even a 500 GB 7200 rpm drive is likely a _huge_ improvement. (A tip: If everything else is equal, a bigger hard drive will be faster).

The battery: I'd go to an Apple Store. I bought a replacement for a 2006 MBP off eBay. I swear it looked identical to an Apple battery, but it didn't last very long. But just go to the Apple menu, "About This Mac", click on "More Info", "System Report", then click on "Power" and it tells you everything about the battery. If you ask them nicely at the Apple Store they will first check if there is anything really wrong with your Mac.