New MacBook Pro

I personally think the core 2 duo's that are out now are awesome and for everyday use they are more then powerful at least for me... i use mine for internet, chatting, music, isighting and watching movies.....i couldn't be more pleased with my purchase...i reccomend getting one if u got the money to spend!

I think you will be ok if you just use it on the couch but even then the dimensions are just so big my 15" im on right now is having trouble fitting in the chair im sitting in but it's all about prefrence if screen size outweighs the dimensions then get it.

heck, my CD runs faster than any computer i've ever owned. the C2Ds are even better. you won't be disappointed if you buy now.

i personally think the 17" notebooks are too big to use as a notebook. 15" is the maximum screen size i'd get for a notebook.

i've heard but i've not confirmed that developers get free software. i'm not sure to what extent or after how long. i've heard you have to be signed up for a year before you get the free software, but again this is not confirmed.

AuricBlue said:

to get a 17" MBP at a $60 discount

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i presume you meant a $600 discount.

Yes, you should get leopard. I am a student developer, and in the past even students got new OS releases free. I am 99% sure you will get Leopard when it is out. However, you won't get final cut...that was very wishful thinking! The MBP's were updated towards the end of October 2006, so they won't get updated till at least end of April. But, it will most likely be longer, maybe June or so? What kind of things will you be using it for? The ones now are pretty nice. I don't have one, trying to decide either MBP or Mac Pro, and waiting for revisions.

AuricBlue said:

Well 2239+500 = 2739

Apple Retail is 2799

2799-2739 = 60

I would have to still pay $500 for the Select developer membership.

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oops! forgot about the membership fee.

pianoman said:

heck, my CD runs faster than any computer i've ever owned. the C2Ds are even better. you won't be disappointed if you buy now.

i personally think the 17" notebooks are too big to use as a notebook. 15" is the maximum screen size i'd get for a notebook.

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I agree 100%. While I'd love to get a 17" MBP, it wouldn't be practical. When I attend school I travel on the train alot, and having that monster on my lap would be tedious and annoying. I'm not saying that I wouldn't like the awesome real estate (1680 x 1050 is teh rox0rz), but that would really limit my portability with it. I take my current, partially dead (dead DVD-ROM) iBook G3/600 MHz (April 2001 model, xmas 2001 gift) with me almost everywhere. It's my travel companion, as is my iPod mini.

Pianoman, how fast a Core Duo you got?

I plan on getting a 15" Core 2 Duo 2.16 GHz MacBook Pro as soon as I can raise the remaining $867.36. I'm posting this from my 2001 model Dell (no I didn't purchase it. It was a hand-me-down). My iBook is torrenting. ^_^ Plus, this machine has a seductive 19" monitor I run at 1280 x 1024. You get used to it quick, but when you stare at a screen that's at 1024 x 768 and then come back to this higher res, your eyes really get strained. That happened to me over the summer when I went to France and when I came back to this res I was like WHOA~

Anywho...........

AuricBlue, I suggest you get the 15". Even though you only use laptops to use within your house/apartment, having a 15" vs. 17" would really allow you to travel with it easier should you decide to.

My C2D 15" Mac Book Pro is by far the best computer I have ever owned. It replaced and outperforms a Dual 2ghz G5 with 3gb ram.

ShiggyMiyamoto said:

Pianoman, how fast a Core Duo you got?

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it's as fast as lightning (well, maybe not as fast as lightning but pretty darn fast).

AuricBlue said:

Becoming an Apple Developer for $500 lets me buy a 17" MBP for $2239 instead of $2799. A refurbed 17" MBP is $2299.

An educational MBP is $2599. Since I'm not keen on getting a refurbed mac, and I'm not a student, to get a 17" MBP at a $60 discount I'll probably sign up for the Dev program.

Rumor is that developers get Leopard and Leopard Server free when they are final. Does anyone know if that is true? That increases the savings.

Does anyone know if developers get other free software like final cut or iWork or anything like that?

I could really use some advice here. I don't have a desperate need to get it right now, either. Should I wait till March or April till Leopard comes out anyway? Will there be updated MBPs soon?

My current mac is 6 years old (Dual G4 533). (I am also replacing a slowly failing windows laptop as well.) I am wanting a new notebook badly.

I'm considering getting the 15" instead. Is the 17" unwieldy? I won't be taking it out much and I use my current laptop in the living room almost exclusively and would probably continue to use my new one that way as well.

Thanks everyone for you help!

Ben

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I have signed up for the Student Developer program in the past. Everytime I got a copy of the current OS and new OS when it came out. I never got the server version, though I did purchase one at a significant discount.

I know you're not keen on a refurb, but I don't see what you have to lose. Will save $500 and if the machine is not up to your standards just send it back.

I've never been a refurb person myself, but a week ago ordered a C2D 15", had it overnighted, and it has been perfect both cosmetically and functionally. Worth a shot.

I would go with the 15", the 17" is a bit big. You should see an INCREDIBLE difference coming from a G4 dual 533. When you get it, enjoy

I have a 17" and it's fine where portability is concerned... just get a good bag for it... it's not that much bigger than the 15"... and you aren't really saving that much if you join as an Apple Dev. though the perks are great.

I am more than happy with my 17" MBP CD2. I routinely work with it on my lap, I think due to its larger size it dissipates heat better than 15". I had a 15" C2D for a while but gave it up as I needed tons of desktop area to work with several applications at the same time, while travelling. The width of the 17" is also really helps if you read a lot of PDFs.

Had my 17"MBP since Dec, am truly loving the experience!

If you are reasonably fit, it shouldn't hurt you much to carry it around in a good bag, I couldn't have made do with the 15" personally - I love the extra real estate!

Also, I think it works just great on your lap or on a table.

The 15" vs. 17" debate is entirely dependent on your uses of the machine. If you're doing a lot of stuff where a big screen will be helpful (ie photo or video editing, audio recording, etc.) and you won't be carrying it around much then the 17" might be worth it. However, if you really don't need the portability that much you could just get a 20" or even 24" iMac for considerably cheaper, and it's a roughly equivalent computer. I've got a 15" PB and it's a fine size for me. I move it around some, but not all the time. Just decide based on how you'll be using it, and enjoy it once you get it.

AuricBlue said:

From what I can tell the C2D macbook pros have had the buzz and other noise problems fixed, right? Do they still get super hot?

What's the deal with reports of spots on the screens? Are those fixed with the latest MBPs?

I'm guessing that your MBP doesn't have any of these issues or the infamous "buldge" above the latch or dvd slot, right typerlover?

Ben

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I purchased a new 15" MBP a couple of weeks ago, and it's been as resilliant as my old Powerbook (and that's saying A LOT). Runs cool enough to use on a lap, generally it's just warm to the touch at worst. No issues with the screen, no bulges, nothing! I thought I couldn't be more satisfied with Macbook that I bought last year... I was wrong. This machine is incredible. You won't regret it. (That is, of course, unless apple releases rev. c next week ;-))

I don't think the 17" is unwieldy. If it wasn't widescreen, it would really be 15". So in that sense 15" is almost too small for my taste.

It is remarkably light and thin nonetheless. Though I wish they'd shave off that extra thickness added to the display with the isight now built in.

-=|Mgkwho

I just received my 17" mbp last night. I was shocked at how much smaller it was then I had heard about. It's a perfect size for me. I do not think its hard to carry around or is a lot larger than a 15". I'd get the 17" for the screen size. I adore my new MBP!!

Edit: I have a matte screen - I adore it. The glossy had too much glare for me.