Advice on a Macbook Pro Purchase

[babbuglen]

Hey Everybody,

I really appreciate any advice I can get on this matter.

Here are my 2 options -

$1350 - A friend will sell me a slightly used 15 inch Macbook Pro 2GHz Intel Core Duo with 1 gig of RAM and an 80 GB hard drive. If anything happens to it within the year, he'll take care of it (he's a computer guy)

$2199 - I purchase the 15-Inch 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2 gigs of RAM and a 120GB hard drive. After tax and the extended warranty, im looking at almost spending $3000.

Im not really concerned with the graphics card or the Super Drive.

What would you guys do???? Im really torn...

Id be using the computer for light-moderate photoshop/illustrator/in-design work. Web surfing. Music/movies...

thank you guys!

 

[Eidorian]

Don't get the Core Duo and wait until MacWorld 2008.

 

[babbuglen]

I know I can wait...but im REALLY itching to get a machine now. I know realistically if something new is announced end of Jan., it won't ship until March...I can't wait that long.

 

[alex1]

I would enroll at the local Jr college for a flower arranging class to get the educational discount, then order the Mac-Book Pro 15" 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2 Gigs of memory and 120 gig hard drive for $1,799 and call it good.... Welll OK.. bump up the hard drive to 250 gigs for $2,001. Yeah.. ok.. extended warranty would be smart to.... wireless mouse... hmmm... well you get the idea.

 

[babbuglen]

Alex, is the used Macbook too old or something? Am I at a huge disadvantage with the Intel Core Duo vs. the Intel Core 2 Duo?

 

[basesloaded190]

I know I can wait...but im REALLY itching to get a machine now. I know realistically if something new is announced end of Jan., it won't ship until March...I can't wait that long.

not necessarily. you said it yourself, you can wait so if i were you i would with out a doubt wait. if they are announced in jan they could very well ship at the end of the month, i don't think it would take till march..

 

[macpluslaptop]

You should try out your friend's MBP. If you trust him, and it does what you want it to do, you'd be saving a lot of money. That's so cheap that you could buy the MBP now, use it for a while and upgrade yourself to something else later. Why spend more than $1300 if you'd be happy with his?