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Am I waiting for nothing?!

G

Germwise

macrumors regular
Original poster
First I apologize since I posted something a bit similar a few days ago in the buying advice forum but I never got my question answered.

I'm eyeing a new macbook aluminum.

Still not sure if I want the 2.0 or 2.4.

Here is what my dilemma comes down to. My biggest concern is $$$$ I'm a grad student which means I don't have a lot of it. Frankly I don't even really need a macbook. I have all the computing power I really need.

I have been waiting for the refresh, not for the faster speed, (.13 ghz, HA!) but for a potential drop in prices. However, now that the whitebook has been updated, I don't see any price drops on the old ones from the macstore.

That is to say, they aren't for sale new on the clearance section so that I would get a free ipod and on the refurbished end there is the same discount you would expect from the 2.13 refurbished.

So it comes down to this. Am I waiting for nothing?

Even if I wait for the 2.13/2.53 upgrade, how long until these are available refurbished?

My biggest concern is $$$$ and NOT getting one of the old screens. To me, they look terrible.


Please help me!
 
Germwise said:
My biggest concern is $$$$ I'm a grad student which means I don't have a lot of it. Frankly I don't even really need a macbook. I have all the computing power I really need.
Click to expand...

Well in that case, perhaps you should wait 'til you have a little more money available before making the purchase. It's possible that a drop in prices could happen at WWDC in two weeks... but if it doesn't, it could be even a few months after that before we'd see changes.

The MacBook is a great machine, but if you don't have the money right now, I'd hold off a little longer. 🙂
 
aaronearles said:
yes
Click to expand...

Nice answer, really helpful 🙄



To answer the OP's question, if you have adequate computing power, then why upgrade if you barely have any money anyway? Seems a bit pointless to me. You don't lose anything by waiting, and you could even see a price drop, so it could end up being beneficial!
 
Apple tends to increase their models' specifications and keep the price stable versus lower their prices. If you are waiting for the price to drop on particular model you might be waiting a long time.

I would wait long enough to save up for you really "want" and then purchase. I put "want" in quotes because if we all only purchased what we really "needed" most of us would only ever purchase Apple's low end products. 😛
 
sorry, I don't think I was clear.

Its not that I think uMBs will become cheaper. Its that with a new "updated" model, the 2.4 for example will be dropped in price as the "old model".


Also don't get me wrong, I'm not skipping meals to buy this. I am very good with money. Its just that frankly 200 dollars saved for being patient is worth my time. however, 0-50 isn't!


most important thing is getting new screen.

If I buy new from apple the 2.0=1249+229(ipod)*1.055(tax-CCcashback)=1560 -229 rebate-150 sale ipod.= $$$1181

If I buy refurb 2.0=1099*1.055=$$$1159

This is a 22 dollar difference, I rather have it in person at the store.

If I buy the the 2.4=1499+229*1.055=1728-229-150= $$$1444
Refurbished 2.4= 1299*1.055=1370

Difference is 74, get tougher to make that call


Ok I have made a decision!

I will wait until the upgrade and buy a 2.13 at the store! This ensures i'll get the new screen and I won't have to wait

Seriously, the stress of waiting is costing me years off my life expectancy!
 
I just called my local apple store and asked if I bought my 2.0ghz unibody and there was a price drop in the next 14 days whether I could get it price matched. They said yes.

So as we are expecting a bump to 2.13 in the next 12 days or so, would you do this?


I hate to wait to find out they run out of stock of the 2.0 when the 2.13 comes out.

Difference between the 2.0 and 2.13 white book is 100 dollars now. Thats not bad at all.
 
Well, look at MR's homepage. Looks like the screens were already upgraded to the same one the MBA has. Being a MBA owner, I can tell you that's a HUGE upgrade.
 
I'm in the same position as the OP. I was just thinking the same exact thing today. I have the money for the 2.4 and was thinking, if I buy the 2.4 today, with the newer screen, then how much would i benefit for waiting another week or two? I guess I'd be a little tiffed if the 2.4 changed to 2.53 (not THAT big of a deal) and if I could get an extra 70 gigs (250-320) for waiting another week, but What else would change? New Graphics? RAM?

But with people saying that it could be months before a spec bump, i feel like I might as well get the 2.4. It'll still be better than the base model after the spec bump.

Oh the temptation of the :apple:uMB. It's even worse when you're getting whatever computer you want for Grad present and your parents tell you "Whenever you're ready!" It's like Christmas.
 
BlackMax said:
I would wait long enough to save up for you really "want" and then purchase. I put "want" in quotes because if we all only purchased what we really "needed" most of us would only ever purchase Apple's low end products. 😛
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, I mean this in the nicest of ways, but WOW you have a long list of expensive Apple products in your signature! 😱
 
Apple is pretty methodical w/ their updates. Wait til WWDC. If no update comes, the next time Apple usually updates their macbooks is around back-to-school time. They also are bound to Intel's roadmap. Arrandale, their next big notebook chip, is due for a late 2009 release / early 2010 production.
 
Germwise said:
Here is what my dilemma comes down to. My biggest concern is $$$$ I'm a grad student which means I don't have a lot of it. Frankly I don't even really need a macbook. I have all the computing power I really need.
Click to expand...

Maybe your undergrad wasn't in finance .....

In a subsequent post you say you are weighing ~20-150 savings. You have it backwards. You are still at ~$1100 of unjustified spending. You have all the power you need, this becomes a discretionary spending item (luxury) not a dilemma. 😉
 
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