Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
2.16ghz Macbook pro for $1300 from Apple worth it?
- Thread starter Mjmar
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Tough call to make. Do what you think is best for you. Go with the one you really want, because you don't want to say to yourself "I should have gone with the other one" sometimes down the road. I know some really want MacBook Pro, but because of finance problems don't. They have never been truly happy because deep down they wanted the other one.
I went for the MacBook because I, too, could only afford a MacBook. I could have gone with MacBook Pro, but I would have had to stretch my budget a bit. And having never used a Mac before, I did not want to invest too much money. It does everything I need it to do. That being said I don't do any video editing or any other activity that requires a lot of from the video card, although picture editting with PSE does stress the MacBook. I don't know if it's much better on a MacBook Pro as I've never owned one.
--
Patrick
I went for the MacBook because I, too, could only afford a MacBook. I could have gone with MacBook Pro, but I would have had to stretch my budget a bit. And having never used a Mac before, I did not want to invest too much money. It does everything I need it to do. That being said I don't do any video editing or any other activity that requires a lot of from the video card, although picture editting with PSE does stress the MacBook. I don't know if it's much better on a MacBook Pro as I've never owned one.
--
Patrick
Go with the MBP 
I was in a similar situation and I am happy I went the MBP route because I knew that was what I REALLY wanted. I'm glad I paid the extra (I really wanted the VRAM).
Though, I know you'd be happy with the BlackBook too.
I was in a similar situation and I am happy I went the MBP route because I knew that was what I REALLY wanted. I'm glad I paid the extra (I really wanted the VRAM
).Though, I know you'd be happy with the BlackBook too.
I was in a similar situation last year. I decided to go for the Macbook and use the money difference to max it out (memory and HD). It has been better than I expected so far.
The way I made up my mind went down by making a list of everything that definitely I would use. This allow me decide the real relevance of a dedicated graphics card. For instance, I knew I would not use Final Cut Pro even if it was free (if I had to, Macbook would never be an option). How serious gamer you are ? If you can live with a GMA X3100 in Windows, definitely Macbook gains another point. It is not that bad as you think (I run a OpenGl based molecular visualizer - VMD - and it is quite decent).
I moved from a 15'4 inch Asus Z70Va (GPU ATI X700) dual boot Windows XP/linux to a 13'3 inch Macbook (no GPU) with virtualized XP/linux (through Parallels). Hardware speaking sounds a terrible decision but it is the software that matters.
Good luck !
The way I made up my mind went down by making a list of everything that definitely I would use. This allow me decide the real relevance of a dedicated graphics card. For instance, I knew I would not use Final Cut Pro even if it was free (if I had to, Macbook would never be an option). How serious gamer you are ? If you can live with a GMA X3100 in Windows, definitely Macbook gains another point. It is not that bad as you think (I run a OpenGl based molecular visualizer - VMD - and it is quite decent).
I moved from a 15'4 inch Asus Z70Va (GPU ATI X700) dual boot Windows XP/linux to a 13'3 inch Macbook (no GPU) with virtualized XP/linux (through Parallels). Hardware speaking sounds a terrible decision but it is the software that matters.
Good luck !
I don't think the 2.16 Ghz MB/Ps can take 4 GB.. which I would think would be the most important factor. The Ghz shouldn't mean a whole lot.. they're all fast. My iMac is still plenty fast, but the 2 GB limit is going to make it age pretty quick in the coming months.
don't think the 2.16 Ghz MB/Ps can take 4 GB.. which I would think would be the most
One of MB refurbs at Apple today for $949.00 can take up to 4G of ram, but it does not have a super drive. The other one takes 3G max and has a super drive and the graphics card is Intel'sGMA 950. For $999.00 you get the better graphics card the Intel GMA 3100 and it takes 4G of memory.
I bought the refurb MBP 2.16 from Apple for $1299.00 a month ago and it came with an extra G of Ram. It has the warranty and is eligible for Apple Care. I love it. Because of the warranty and refurb it's like buying a brand new machine..
If I were you I would buy the MB for $999.00 save the $300.00 toward what you really want and sell it when you have enough money.
Good luck,
OZ
One of MB refurbs at Apple today for $949.00 can take up to 4G of ram, but it does not have a super drive. The other one takes 3G max and has a super drive and the graphics card is Intel'sGMA 950. For $999.00 you get the better graphics card the Intel GMA 3100 and it takes 4G of memory.
I bought the refurb MBP 2.16 from Apple for $1299.00 a month ago and it came with an extra G of Ram. It has the warranty and is eligible for Apple Care. I love it. Because of the warranty and refurb it's like buying a brand new machine..
If I were you I would buy the MB for $999.00 save the $300.00 toward what you really want and sell it when you have enough money.
Good luck,
OZ
What will you do with it? How long do you plan to keep it? What's your budget?
A blanket question of "should I buy this computer" is impossible to answer. It's like asking, "Should I used Camry for $15000?" Who knows, without knowing your purposes.
A blanket question of "should I buy this computer" is impossible to answer. It's like asking, "Should I used Camry for $15000?" Who knows, without knowing your purposes.
If you're worried about the computer becoming outdated, I'd go with the MBP (with its graphics card) rather than the MB (with its anemic built-in Intel graphics chip). A 2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo should serve you well for several years (at least that's what I tell myself as I eye my 2.16 GHz iMac), the extra screen real estate will be nice, and the 3 GB RAM limit shouldn't be a big deal unless you're a major power user or plan on running Vista in Fusion or Parallels.
I plan on using iLife for editing photos and movies. I like all of the extras that a Mac offers. Honestly, I don't plan on using this Mac as a professional would. Mostly all of the things that I'll be doing are hobbies. Obviously, the Macbook has enough power, but I don't know if the screen is large enough. That's pretty much the only reason why I'd buy the Pro, and I'm not sure if it's worth the extra $350. I'm just scared that I'll regret my decision if I get the Macbook.
here's what I did:
I bought myself a macbook
I bought also a 19"widescreen monitor (same res as a macbook pro) for 200$
now I have 2 screens for less money...
One remark though: i bought the first macbook available, and with the intel gma950, editing in imovie wasn't exactly that great... all my other programs worked like a charm!
maybe with the new gma chip this problem is solved?
I'd go for the macbook with an external screen when your at home...
I bought myself a macbook
I bought also a 19"widescreen monitor (same res as a macbook pro) for 200$
now I have 2 screens for less money...
One remark though: i bought the first macbook available, and with the intel gma950, editing in imovie wasn't exactly that great... all my other programs worked like a charm!
maybe with the new gma chip this problem is solved?
I'd go for the macbook with an external screen when your at home...
I knew that, I was refering to my iMac's limit.
I just thought it was kind of a good comparison where lower ram limits can start to be a pain rather quickly.
I think that is a steal of a price. It is a way to get your feet wet with the higher-end Apple laptops. My machine can only handle 2 GB of RAM (Core Duo) and I'm fine with the limitation. It is nowhere near slow or unuseable. Some people just buy more RAM then they need. You really need to look at activity monitor and/or iStat and see how much RAM is active, etc. Also, if you decide you can't stand the MacBook Pro or th 2 GB limitation.. you're going to lose VERY little on the machine. I do not see MacBook Pros going for less than $1300+ on Craigslist.
I just got back from the Apple store, and have to say that the Macbook Pro and the Macbook Air sweep the floor with the Macbook when it comes to screen quality. Honestly, the 13" screen on the Macbook Air was great, but the one on the Macbook bothered me. As expected, the MBP has a near perfect screen. I just wish that it wasn't so darn expensive. I have a feeling that I'm going to wind up with a Macbook anyway. Why does Apple need to do this to me!
I thought Core Duos' chipset recognizes 3.3 GB too
I vaguley remember this.. I believe the Core Duo chipset does recognize 3.3 GBs put Acitivty Monitor may not show the extra RAM in use (I may be wrong).
here's what I did:
I bought myself a macbook
I bought also a 19"widescreen monitor (same res as a macbook pro) for 200$
now I have 2 screens for less money...
One remark though: i bought the first macbook available, and with the intel gma950, editing in imovie wasn't exactly that great... all my other programs worked like a charm!
maybe with the new gma chip this problem is solved?
I'd go for the macbook with an external screen when your at home...
I did the same thing, really worked out well having a desktop and a notebook by only plugin some cables! Upgraded the ram too.
I thought i'd need the Vram too but the gma X3100 is a massive improvement on the gma 950, I can play halo, halo 2 (with vista
) and css on 1024x768 and cod 2 for mac on native res (1280x800) and Imovie is doing a pretty good job. though, I don't know if you are in to gaming or something but if portability is important for you, I would go for the macbook with an external screen.
I just sold my MBP 2.16 C2D for $1800 so that's a very good price.
It's not outdated at all. 2GB is plenty unless you're running VMware Fusion constantly and need XP to be fast.
It's not outdated at all. 2GB is plenty unless you're running VMware Fusion constantly and need XP to be fast.