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Outdated 2009 MacBook Pro or 2013 IdeaPad Y500 Gaming laptop

U

Uchenna

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 25, 2013
3
0
hello and thanks for looking,

alright so i'm going away to university and i'm expected to find a decent spec'd laptop by the end of August for my graphic design course, the course is 3/4 years and my personal budget is £600/$1,000 so i've spent all day researching on possible laptops but i'm stuck between a used MacBook Pro 2009 modal in perfect condition and a new 2013 IdeaPad Y500 with an i7 processor (compared to the MacBook's Intel Core 2 Duo processor)

the MacBook Pro is £496, while the IdeaPad Y500 is £550.

i care about the look and feel of a laptop very much which is why i am considering a 2009 MacBook Pro over the IdeaPad Y500 even though it is also a beautiful looking machine but I think it's safe to say that MacBook Pro's have something about them that other PC's just don't quite have, it's a 'cooler' machine in a way and a more desirable machine - maybe it's the OS, maybe it's the prestige look and feel but i just can't seem to make up my mind!!

so my question is am i being ridiculous even considering an outdated MacBook Pro with outdated specs or is there a hidden feature that makes Macbook a must-have for more artier/creative people (silly i know) - in other words, why should i choose the MacBook Pro over the IdeaPad Y500 if at all?

thanks again,
Uchenna



IdeaPad Y500 Specs:
Processor Type Intel Core i7
Processor Speed 2.4 GHz
Processor Count 4
RAM Size 8 GB
Hard Drive Size 1 TB
Gfx: Nvidia GeForce GT650
Operating System Windows 8
 
C

COrocket

macrumors 6502
Dec 9, 2012
485
12
Does the school have any requirements/minimums to consider? They might if you have to install specific software for the class.
 
U

Uchenna

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 25, 2013
3
0
COrocket said:
Does the school have any requirements/minimums to consider? They might if you have to install specific software for the class.
Click to expand...

hello, the school doesn't have any requirements but i imagine i'd have to be able to run Photoshop and After Effects with some ease
 
keysofanxiety

keysofanxiety

macrumors G3
Nov 23, 2011
9,539
25,302
am i being ridiculous even considering an outdated MacBook Pro with outdated specs
Click to expand...

Hi Uchenna,

If you're going off to University it might be worth checking out Apple's education pricing. Typically for higher education, they come with a free 3-year warranty and you get 20% off if you order online.

If you're in the UK I'll be more than happy to assist you with direct URLs. 20% really is a hefty saving and I'm hoping it should help you find a Mac closer to your budget.

Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.
 
U

Uchenna

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 25, 2013
3
0
keysofanxiety said:
Hi Uchenna,

If you're going off to University it might be worth checking out Apple's education pricing. Typically for higher education, they come with a free 3-year warranty and you get 20% off if you order online.

If you're in the UK I'll be more than happy to assist you with direct URLs. 20% really is a hefty saving and I'm hoping it should help you find a Mac closer to your budget.

Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.
Click to expand...

thanks keysofanxiety, very much appreciated. i knew nothing about Apple's education discount store but the prices are still out of my budget, even with the generous 20% saving there cheapest laptop is still £800 for a 13".

on the upside, i was able to find an immaculate condition 2010 i5 Macbook Pro for £540 on eBay. it has 4GB RAM but i plan to upgrade the ram to 8GB for a further £40, hopefully this will do for University!

thanks,
Uchenna
 
Santabean2000

Santabean2000

macrumors 68000
Nov 20, 2007
1,883
2,044
Uchenna said:
hello and thanks for looking,

alright so i'm going away to university and i'm expected to find a decent spec'd laptop by the end of August for my graphic design course, the course is 3/4 years and my personal budget is £600/$1,000 so i've spent all day researching on possible laptops but i'm stuck between a used MacBook Pro 2009 modal in perfect condition and a new 2013 IdeaPad Y500 with an i7 processor (compared to the MacBook's Intel Core 2 Duo processor)

the MacBook Pro is £496, while the IdeaPad Y500 is £550.

i care about the look and feel of a laptop very much which is why i am considering a 2009 MacBook Pro over the IdeaPad Y500 even though it is also a beautiful looking machine but I think it's safe to say that MacBook Pro's have something about them that other PC's just don't quite have, it's a 'cooler' machine in a way and a more desirable machine - maybe it's the OS, maybe it's the prestige look and feel but i just can't seem to make up my mind!!

so my question is am i being ridiculous even considering an outdated MacBook Pro with outdated specs or is there a hidden feature that makes Macbook a must-have for more artier/creative people (silly i know) - in other words, why should i choose the MacBook Pro over the IdeaPad Y500 if at all?

thanks again,
Uchenna



IdeaPad Y500 Specs:
Processor Type Intel Core i7
Processor Speed 2.4 GHz
Processor Count 4
RAM Size 8 GB
Hard Drive Size 1 TB
Gfx: Nvidia GeForce GT650
Operating System Windows 8
Click to expand...


Whatever you do, don't buy a 2009 MBP. Old tech. Not worth it just 'for the look'.
 
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