A few questions (new mac buyer)

[mrcrunchynut]

First of all, I would like to know if anyone has used the financing offer that Apple have on at the moment. Basically it is the offer that allows you to pay back over a 10 month period.
Also I am torn between two macbook pro's. I would ideally like the 13 inch Pro 2.4ghz as it's £500 cheaper. However, news of an updated line coming and the removal of the C2D imminent i am unsure if this is a wise purchase. I therefore am also considering the 15 inch i5 model and paying extra.
If the 10 month financing offer is what i believe it to be then it will work out an extra £50 a month im paying.

So basically i just want to know if i should embrace the C2D (it is a brilliant processor as i know from my friends MB) and buy it as a fitting farewell, or grit my teeth and buy the 15 inch i5 for the extra money. I also want to know more details about peoples experience of the financing and as an extra note, what other financing options are available? I believe its a 36 month plan isnt it? but APR is extortionate.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[Ifti]

What will be using the system for??
In my opinion, the C2D still far exceeds most people's requirements anyway. If you dont need it, why bother spending all the extra? I would rather spend it on accessories or software etc......

 

[maflynn]

To be sure, the C2D is at EOL, intel has already stated as such and apple is charging a premium for a chipset that has already been replaced (core i5/i7).

It really depends on what your intentions are for the laptop. For me, processing power was secondary as I have a desktop for my heavy lifting and I'd rather use a smaller laptop. Price was also a large factor as well.

The C2D while long in the tooth is certainly a capable processor, and the GPU is powerful enough to handle many of today's apps/games, but if you're looking to run some pro apps then the i5 based MBP may be a better option.

 

[mrcrunchynut]

I will be a casual user. Mainly i will be using Pages, as well as surfing and watching videos. I know that the C2D will be more than capable of my needs, i just hope that getting the C2D at the EOL won't affect my overall experience. I can't see why it should. Unless i discover i want to become a film-maker or photographer.

And like you said, the £500 could go on accessories, I could even buy a new iphone or ipad! I'm pretty convinced now.

 

[gwsat]

I will be a casual user. Mainly i will be using Pages, as well as surfing and watching videos. I know that the C2D will be more than capable of my needs, i just hope that getting the C2D at the EOL won't affect my overall experience. I can't see why it should. Unless i discover i want to become a film-maker or photographer.

And like you said, the £500 could go on accessories, I could even buy a new iphone or ipad! I'm pretty convinced now.

C2D or no C2D, the entry level 13 inch 2.4 GHz MBP is a wonderful laptop. My grandson got one for college in August and loves it. He uses it heavily every day. I think this machine now represents the best value in the entire Macbook lineup.

 

[talmy]

I will be a casual user. Mainly i will be using Pages, as well as surfing and watching videos. I know that the C2D will be more than capable of my needs, i just hope that getting the C2D at the EOL won't affect my overall experience. I can't see why it should. Unless i discover i want to become a film-maker or photographer.

And even if you do -- I use my 2 year old Aluminum MacBook (basically a 13" MacBook Pro) with Aperture and Photoshop, and I regularly video capture and process lectures I give, which also involve running engineering CAD tools in a Windows virtual machine. Plenty of power for what you want to be doing.

 

[ashman70]

As already mentioned the C2D processor is very capable and unless you are going to do heavy workloads where a more powerful processor is better suited, for average use the C2D is more then capable.

 

[adnoh]

I would wait mate. The MBP will be refreshed early next year with better technology.

You will get more for your money if you wait just a little but longer and that will help you futureproof your laptop which saves money in future. Also stick with the 13" and buy an iphone - they are a great combo!

See what other people are saying on the same topic here.

 

[ashman70]

True if you wait you'll get something more powerful, but do you need the extra power? As for 'future proofing' I'm not sure what is meant by that, a processor refresh in the 13" model macbook pro will not render all previous models obsolete overnight, in fact most users, I think, will still be quite happy with the performance their macbooks give them. Lusting after the 'latest and greatest' is one thing, buying a macbook that suites your needs more then your wants can be more of a challenge.