MBP and Future Upgrades

[aaron.lee2006]

I am a highschool student and was looking at a refurb MBP. The refurb was in my price range as it would have cost just as much as the MacBook I was going to get with the upgrades. Anyway, say in like 3 years when I go to college is an MBP upgradeable, I am an experienced computer person so I would know how to do it, is it possible to upgrade these machines when they become outdated?

 

[hengyu408]

You can update the RAM and HDD, but the processor is soldered on.

 

[aaron.lee2006]

Do you think I should go for the MBP?

 

[Eidorian]

How long can you hold out?

 

[aaron.lee2006]

August

 

[Eidorian]

August

Wait until WWDC at least. If you're going the refurb route the price might drop even more. In fact, I'm in about the same situation.

 

[aaron.lee2006]

Great Do you think it will be a good machine for a 15 year old student in hs who takes mainly art courses?

 

[Eidorian]

Great Do you think it will be a good machine for a 15 year old student in hs who takes mainly art courses?

It's a bit overkill unless you're going to be gaming.

 

[aaron.lee2006]

oh no, I'm a gamer too.

 

[DJMastaWes]

Great Do you think it will be a good machine for a 15 year old student in hs who takes mainly art courses?

Yes. I'm waiting untill WWDC for my MBP (I'm 14) I can't wait for it. I really hope it IS updated at WWDC. Can anyone give me a % on the odds it WILL be updated? Thanks.

 

[aaron.lee2006]

50/50 at this point.

 

[Eidorian]

Yes. I'm waiting untill WWDC for my MBP (I'm 14) I can't wait for it. I really hope it IS updated at WWDC. Can anyone give me a % on the odds it WILL be updated? Thanks.

Merom is slated to ship in August but Apple might not have them for two weeks after Intel launches it. So we might or might not see it in August.

 

[aaron.lee2006]

Hope they drop the price on the refurbs. Thanks for all of your help!

 

[DJMastaWes]

Boy I hope it's mid augost or so. I would feel better if lets say they relisead it at WWDC but didint ship untill mid agoust, rather then waiting not knowing when its going to be annouced and waiitng untill augost. I'm not sure My computer will hold up untill like september or october, so augost is what I'm hopeing for.

 

[apunkrockmonk]

What do high school students need with the portability of a laptop?

I'm a sophomore in college but I sure as hell know there were no laptops allowed in class in my high school...

 

[DJMastaWes]

Were aloud laptops in class. But I probebly wouldnt bring it to school much. I just like the idea of being able to go outside on a nice day and sit in the sun while surfing the net, takeing it on trips and airplanes.

 

[The Senator]

I'm a senoir I took mine in after school to work on projects and stuff like that but never during school, I got madd props for it from all the ladies. mbp's are the best

 

[Josias]

You can easily upgrade RAM yourself up to 4 GB. If you want to replace the HDD, it will require a lot of technical skills, and may have to pay for a pro to do it. The screen can be upgraded pretty easily to 1920x1200. The processor is soldered onto the motherboard, and can not be upgraded. I dunno about GPU, but don't count on being able to upgrade it. If you're a gamer, buy a refurb., and 2 GB RAM from a 3rd party retialer, such as Crucial RAM. This way it will last you a long time. And BTW, get a glossy screen. Much better graphics during gaming. All these little weenies complaining about reflections are just little cry babies. It is true that there are feflections in very bright sunlight, but with a matte screen, you would get a big bright spot on the screen in the light, making it impossible to see anything at all.

 

[aaron.lee2006]

You have no idea how hard it is to get a computer at my school to use. It is jammed packed everyday so I'd rather save myself the trouble. Plus I could move it to somewhere more quiet and not be annoyed by my noisy school.

 

[Chundles]

Boy I hope it's mid augost or so. I would feel better if lets say they relisead it at WWDC but didint ship untill mid agoust, rather then waiting not knowing when its going to be annouced and waiitng untill augost. I'm not sure My computer will hold up untill like september or october, so augost is what I'm hopeing for.

Merom, the code name for the mobile version of the Core 2 Duo series of chips is due to ship in the week of August (spelling tyrant, sorry but it stands out like a sore thumb) 22nd. Apple would have to do a similar thing to when it released the MacBook Pro, announce at WWDC on the 7th and start shipping about 3 or 4 weeks later when they have sufficient quantity to try and avoid the backlog of the initial launch.

 

[DJMastaWes]

Do you think that's what they will do? I sure hope so.

Sorry for the spelling, I have problems with that, my whole life.

 

[Chundles]

Do you think that's what they will do? I sure hope so.

Sorry for the spelling, I have problems with that, my whole life.

I see three possible options for the MacBook Pro.

1. Apple gets advanced access to the Merom chip from Intel, announces and starts shipping the new Core 2 Duo MacBook Pros at WWDC. Possible, although it will seriously piss off Intel's larger, more powerful customers. Apple could announce and ship at WWDC but then "suddenly" claim a shipping delay until they can get the Core 2 Duos in bulk.

2. Apple announces the specs of the new MacBook Pro at WWDC, shipping from late August (that's Apple Shipping Time or AST. In real time it would probably be early September).

3. Apple says nothing about the MacBook Pro at WWDC, focussing instead on Leopard and the new PowerMac replacement. Once they have access to large shipments of the Core 2 Duo from Intel they announce an upgrade out of the blue similar to the release of the MacBook.

Options 2 and 3 are more likely in my opinion but you never really know with Apple, they have the ability to pull rabbits from hats when nobody thinks they could but they can also bollocks up fairly simple releases.

We will all know in August.

If you want some help with your spelling, just go to Edit -> Spelling -> Check Spelling As You Type. It's very handy and is system wide so any OSX application that relies on the inbuilt dictionary (not Firefox or Camino unfortunately) will check your spelling as you go.

 

[generik]

Laptop for gaming... sounds a bit dumb

That aside I do believe the MBP will easily have a useful life (for serious work that is!) for at least the next 3-4 years, even if you are some wizbang Photoshop "genius".

I'd wait till at least the Core 2 speed bump before committing though, at least that's what I am doing atm

 

[generik]

Ever thought of buying a separate desktop to suit your gaming needs?

You know you wanna.

Way more handy too, being able to leave a desktop on 247 leeching off your dorm's broadband while you are sipping some Mocha downtown with your MBP

 

[aaron.lee2006]

I have a PC, it runs COD2 with good FPS just bad graphics so that's why I was considering buying a regular MacBook, do you think I should just do that? I think it is other people who have made me think an MBP is an overkill but I love that machine. And my parents are like it will get stolen and i said not if I'm careful.