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Buy MBP this week or wait (College starts 16th)

E

Emrtr4

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 6, 2006
186
0
Okay, I know I know this has been asked by a lot of people a million times but I still can't decide.

I am going down to school on August 16th (yes its early, its a Freshman service experience program at my school).

In any case, I would like to have a new computer so that I can organize my files, arrange my calender, sync with my Iphone (which I still have to buy because no one has it in stock near me), etc... My dilemma is that I am obviously aware of the impending updates-however as I said, my school starts in less than 2 weeks.

I have been using (aka-stealing) my mom's one and a half year old blackbook and she want's it back; but I could probably convince her into letting me take it with me for the first couple months. But again, if I take her laptop and then buy the update I will have to transfer files, bring her laptop back to her, buy my laptop while I am in school, etc...

What would you do?
 
American University School of International Service in DC!
 
You could always use a loaner if you've got one until the new ones come out... that's what I'm gonna do.

Still, gonna be a pain in the ass not having the one I want till after school starts... =/
 
You're going to be a freshman so you don't even need the lastest and greatest; just be satisfied with the current model.
 
definitely borrow your mum's until the new ones come out. You could even create yourself a new user on it then transfer the whole account to your new mac and it will be as if you had owned it all the time!
 
I'm going off to college later than you and i got the current MPB a couple days ago and i love it. Yeah i wanted to wait for the latest, but i also know i'd love the current generation. I was buying applecare either way so the whole GPU "issue" doesn't bother me too much. If my computer lasts the years of my applecare i'll be very satisfied. I leave the 27th, so its possible the computer could have come out (still unlikely), but even if it did, you don't really want to purchase the products of a revision (whatever you wanna call it). I'm not too sure what the proper waiting time is, but someone was talking about how you should atleast wait 4 weeks to buy something new. Let yourself hear the early adopters opinions...etc, so i think you should go with the current model. I love it.
 
Which would be more reliable? A last revision current generation or first revision next generation? Look back at the current MB line-up, those first models had problems...
 
Im in similar position, i have been waiting all summer for an update but i just pulled the trigger on a new MBP. It sucks i waited so long to get it and a revision is right around the corner but that's part of life i guess..

:)
 
Just ask yourself what do you really want?

I'm moving in on the 16th as well and I've waited this long for the MBP. I know what I want and what I want is the new generation. Screw all these people telling you there are going to be problems. Says who? That's what applecare is for worst-case-scenario. That would be like you wanting an iPhone and saying ohhh nobody complained about the 1st gen so let me grab that on June 15th right before the 2nd gen comes out because the 2nd gen obviously must have problems. I got my iPhone 3G July 12th and it's worked perfectly. If it didn't I would have just taken it back and gotten a new one.

I'm going to do the BTO option so I will just have it shipped right to my dorm when it comes out because I honestly don't NEED one right when school starts seeing that I'm on a 4 year old IBM that still does you basic stuff (hate this POS) but it's lasted me this long and it can last me another month.

Oh and it's not like this is a minor purchase. It's close to/over 2 grand. This is something that will last me 4 years of college and why would I get the model now when I can wait a little longer and have the latest and greatest perform better longer down the road when technology demands faster computing...

Just my 10 cents (heh lil more than 2)

/end rant
 
If you need the computer by the end of August you shouldn't wait for the new ones as they probably won't be out until September, and even if they come out in August they might take at least 1-2 weeks to ship due to a stampede of orders from Mac Rumors users who have been waiting to buy them the minute they announce.
 
I'm in the same boat! My move in date is the 20th and I've been waiting to buy until the revision. I know I will be THAT GUY who comes to college without a notebook, but just wait until September. I figure that it's the beginning and hopefully I won't have any papers to write until at least October. I'm just going to rely on good old paper products and the school computers if I really need them.

I'll have my iPhone to help me stay connected/organize while I'm waiting. (That sucks that you can't get one of those yet either!!! I have the original and the 3G.....my local AT&T store got me one a week after the launch)

I think it's possible to survive the first few weeks of college notebook-less. I'm going for it.
 
Buy now

The computer you Buy Now will be a VERY good laptop and well worth the price

You will not be getting screwed by what you have paid or the performance of the computer
 
Minimoose 360 said:
I know I will be THAT GUY who comes to college without a notebook, but just wait until September. I figure that it's the beginning and hopefully I won't have any papers to write until at least October.
Click to expand...

Considering that university runs upwards of $40,000 a year to quibble over a $2000 computer is a real shame. Your education will last you a lifetime, you'll be treating your computer like yesterdays news in four years. You should be focused on having the right tools from day one to get the most value out of your education, and the current macbook pros will more than fulfill your needs. You can always sell it later, just take good care of it and sell it before its applecare is up and you should be able to get a fair price to finance the purchase of the new one.
 
McToma said:
Considering that university runs upwards of $40,000 a year to quibble over a $2000 computer is a real shame. Your education will last you a lifetime, you'll be treating your computer like yesterdays news in four years. You should be focused on having the right tools from day one to get the most value out of your education, and the current macbook pros will more than fulfill your needs. You can always sell it later, just take good care of it and sell it before its applecare is up and you should be able to get a fair price to finance the purchase of the new one.
Click to expand...

This is the most ridiculous advice I have ever heard. Education is what you make it, not what you pay for. My university costs 42k a year and not having a laptop for a few months won't hinder your education. Over 50% of doctors and lawyers went through college without personal computers, and many of them are very very good at what they do. All schools have computers now. Suck it up, use paper and pencils and reap the benefits of having the fastest MBP when it comes out in September
 
IconicIdentity said:
This is the most ridiculous advice I have ever heard. Education is what you make it, not what you pay for. My university costs 42k a year and not having a laptop for a few months won't hinder your education. Over 50% of doctors and lawyers went through college without personal computers, and many of them are very very good at what they do. All schools have computers now. Suck it up, use paper and pencils and reap the benefits of having the fastest MBP when it comes out in September
Click to expand...

I am well aware that its not the cost of the education which is important, but what you get out of it. Thats why i said he should try and get the most value out of it. Sorry if I wasn't clear on that. I was merely using the $40,000 figure to show that academic success at college is a much more significant thing to be concerned about than a $2000 computer.
 
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