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2.4 GHz Merom Macbook Pro - Should I buy?

S

simplified587

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 28, 2008
43
3
My college campus has a deal on the old 2.4 GHz Merom MBP for $1599 this week. I know that some of the posters here got theirs for $1500 (which I would have jumped all over it at that price) but this seems to be the lowest price that I can get the MBP over here. I can also get the new baseline MBP for $1800 (with student discount)

I guess my question is that is the new baseline model MBP worth the extra $200 + tax? I do not really care for either the multi-touch feature or the extra 40 GB HDD space. However, I read that the new MBP has improved battery life and runs cooler. These are considered big improvements for me since I carry my laptop around a lot.

So, would anyone be able to comment on the performance of the new MBP in regards to battery and heat?
 
simplified587 said:
My college campus has a deal on the old 2.4 GHz SR MBP for $1599 this week. I know that some of the posters here got theirs for $1500 (which I would have jumped all over it at that price) but this seems to be the lowest price that I can get the MBP over here. I can also get the new baseline MBP for $1800 (with student discount)

I guess my question is that is the new baseline model MBP worth the extra $200 + tax? I do not really care for either the multi-touch feature or the extra 40 GB HDD space. However, I read that the new MBP has improved battery life and runs cooler. These are considered big improvements for me since I carry my laptop around a lot.

So, would anyone be able to comment on the performance of the new MBP in regards to battery and heat?
Click to expand...

I have to say that I think the new penryn would be worth it. It has quite a bit better battery life, multitouch and, as you've pointed out, does not get as hot. In fact, under normal everyday use for me (word processing, internet with video, video, photoshop stuff) it's always comfortable both underneath and on top. That's worth quite a bit if it's your main machine.

If this is going to be your main machine, it's important to get something that is as comfortable to use as possible. Better battery life and less heat are both important in making your experience pleasant and hasslefree.
 
PDE said:
I have to say that I think the new penryn would be worth it. It has quite a bit better battery life, multitouch and, as you've pointed out, does not get as hot. In fact, under normal everyday use for me (word processing, internet with video, video, photoshop stuff) it's always comfortable both underneath and on top. That's worth quite a bit if it's your main machine.

If this is going to be your main machine, it's important to get something that is as comfortable to use as possible. Better battery life and less heat are both important in making your experience pleasant and hasslefree.
Click to expand...

I guess you're right about the heat, but I just ordered my 2.2ghz SR mbp from newegg for 1474$ :D!!

If you were to buy the baseline 2.4ghz with the education discount, it comes out to be 1800+tax, which is 100$.. which = 1900$ total. That's not much of a discount, and i'd rather save the 400$, which I did.

It comes down to what you have and what you are willing to spend, ultimately.
 
I say get the penyrn because if you keep it for a long time you will appreciate the lack of heat(thighs won't burn) and the better battery will help.

ChrisN
 
Ahhh, Yes, the MBP I was talking about is the last gen one. So I guess I meant Merom processor. I was really confused of all the terms: Santa Rosa/Penryn/Montevina/Merom. Just found a post that explains those terms.

That aside, I went ahead and brought the laptop but I still have it sitting in my room unopened.... Anyone else that have used both current gen and last gen MBP can comment on the improvement of battery life or heat? I'll be most likely keeping it though. $200 is a lot of money for college students......

Thanks
 
i get a solid 5 hours of internet use. i also manage to get about 2-3 hours (not from fully charged but about 80 percent) from serato which is a program i use to dj with. the usb card powers off the usb buss from the macbook pro. the mbp penryn only gets hot wen doing things that are processor intense like reinstall osx or suttin. even then its bearable. but like now since im just surfing the web its not hot at all. i actually like that its a bit warm keeps my legs warm lol. machine is very fast i have the basemodel penryn. MULTITOUCH!!!! is wicked i use it allot and dont need a extra mouse at all i can use the trackpad all day long with no issues doesnt slow me down.
 
One option as you are a student would be to buy the student ADC membership for $100 then purchase a new penryn mbp for $1599. That way it's only a $100 difference if you did want the new one.
 
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