Any other Alu 13" MB users feel screwed?!?!

[ftaok]

Do these types of threads appear after every update Apple makes?

Typically, yes. And it stems from how Apple handles updates.

Just about every other PC vendor have price decreases (or incremental hardware updates) every month or so. So if you buy a, let's say, Dell XPS when it first comes out, it's $1500. If you buy that same model 6 months later, it's $1300. If an update comes out that day, it's $1500. So no matter when you bought it, you either pay full price to enjoy for the full six months, or less money to enjoy for fewer months.

Apple charges full price up until the day of the update. If you buy right after a particular model comes out, you're golden. If you wait 3 months to check out user reviews, you still pay full price. If you wait until the day before an update, you still pay full price.

So the frustration is mostly due to how Apple handles updates and pricing.

ft

 

[Sipheren]

I got mine about a month ago, I don't mind that they got updated at WWDC, I was expecting a faster CPU and what not, but they completely ditched the MacBook and replaced it with a Pro version that has a max of 8GB of RAM, SD card reader and Firewire for less than what I paid for mine.

That pisses me off, but, such is life, you live and learn.

 

[chstr]

imagine how the people who bought powerbooks just before the switch to intel felt? this isn't nearly as bad as that was

 

[Sipheren]

imagine how the people who bought powerbooks just before the switch to intel felt? this isn't nearly as bad as that was

Good point, that would have really sucked...

 

[stevejobbers]

I see your point but the OP purchased at the beginning of the year. I don't think you can really complain about apple, or any other company, updating an 8 month old computer.

unless my math is seriously wrong, the earliest i could have purchased it, this year, would be 1/1/09, making it ~6 months old. however i said "early this year" and in my case was february making it less than 4 months old.

i'm very happy with my machine, i just wanted to vent because i consider myself an educated apple user and i've never seen such a drastic upgrade to hardware accompanied by a cut of $400 so quickly.

and for the record, i'm sick and tired of seeing posts that people shouldn't purchase "first versions of hardware", "near product cycles", "near macworld", "near WWDC", "when rumors are flying around".... when the hell ARE we supposed to purchase?!?!?

 

[xraydoc]

and for the record, i'm sick and tired of seeing posts that people shouldn't purchase "first versions of hardware", "near product cycles", "near macworld", "near WWDC", "when rumors are flying around".... when the hell ARE we supposed to purchase?!?!?

You buy when you need and don't freak out when new stuff (invariably) comes out. If you wait for the next new version, you'll never buy it ever. If you suffer buyers remorse every time an update comes out, you'll never. ever be happy with your purchases.

If you're within the 14 day grace period, you can return it. Otherwise, your machine works just as well as it did the day before.

Everything is the same way - cars, TV, stereo equipment, refrigerators... something new will always come out. Sometimes announced. Sometimes not.

And even though Dell or others may lower the price near a product update to clear out old inventory, you'll never find two people who pay the same price for a Dell item - their prices can change daily and even be different in the same day depending on if you enter their web store through the business or consumer portals. I know people who feel screwed out of money even before their item has shipped. For what its worth, at least Apple's pricing is consistent.

 

[Zafeer]

I dont necessarily feel screwed, but more disappointed and jealous of the new macbooks. I got my first unibody when they first came out and have switched a few times due to a few problems that I faced like a few dents from dropping it. 2 months ago, i went and paid 400$ at the apple store to change my macbook from the 2.0ghz to the 2.4ghz. Now for the same thing, i could've got a 2.53ghz, more ram, better screen, better battery, an SD slot, and firewire. Im not sure of what I am gonna do now. I might pay more to upgrade, or might just stick with mine. The only thing that is really pushing me away from the new MBP is the non replaceable battery. For some reason, I like being able to switch my battery without having to pay 150$ for apple to keep my macbook for a few days and replace the battery.

 

[rgarjr]

I dont necessarily feel screwed, but more disappointed and jealous of the new macbooks. I got my first unibody when they first came out and have switched a few times due to a few problems that I faced like a few dents from dropping it. 2 months ago, i went and paid 400$ at the apple store to change my macbook from the 2.0ghz to the 2.4ghz. Now for the same thing, i could've got a 2.53ghz, more ram, better screen, better battery, an SD slot, and firewire. Im not sure of what I am gonna do now. I might pay more to upgrade, or might just stick with mine. The only thing that is really pushing me away from the new MBP is the non replaceable battery. For some reason, I like being able to switch my battery without having to pay 150$ for apple to keep my macbook for a few days and replace the battery.

I wonder how many uMB owners have a spare battery though. How easy is it to replace batteries on these new books? Is it just a plug n play thing?

 

[unixufan]

To get the machine you have it is not $400 cheaper. $250 at the very most, but that's including a slower processor.

Does the fact that a new computer is available make yours work worse?

Actually no. I guess most ppl are fine with their current macbooks, but the MBP 13'' makes their deals seem to be the worst deals ever, especially for ppl who bought UMP during the WWDC.

 

[torbjoern]

The UMB is the best MB ever made. Just compare it with other MBs and you will see what I mean. Not only the specs, but also the construction and aesthetics should be taken into the equation. The forthcoming models will look like plastic toys, just like the predecessors of the UMB. The 13" MBP, however, is merely a prototype of it's kind, i.e. not even a beta version. SATA 1.5 Gbps?? Built-in battery??? If I were to buy a 13" MBP, I would have to wait at least 6-12 months from now until all the bugs were out of it (more likely 18, actually). And then something even more "flashy" would be out on the market, causing people to get upset for the great computers they just bought, while others find out that these newest flashy models are merely prototypes or in best case beta versions. And so the cycle goes...

Be happy for what you have. The computer industry wants you to chase for the next at all times, no matter how crappy it is. Now - would you like to have the greatest MB of all times, or do you prefer the crappiest MBP of today? The choice is yours.

 

[Sareth]

Bought mine in April and I'm not fussed about the changes, if I needed firewire I wouldn't have bought a macbook, sd card is irrelevant to me, I have one of the updated screens and I carry it around the house not on the road so battery life not really relevant.

Not worth the new expensive item stress that I endure when buying a new piece of electronics.

 

[eightyfiver]

Got mine in april too, and I really don't mind... it replaced a late 2006 Powerbook (jup, I got screwed with january 2007 MPB too, haha, maybe I need to stick with iMacs) but it's a great machine, and does everything I want and more..

And hey, this Macbook is kinda unique, since it only lasted for a few months pride yourself in having a collector's item

 

[mosx]

I don't see why some people get so excited over these updates.

I mean, it was obvious they were going to be updated. They hadn't been updated for the better portion of a year and had fallen way behind the curve. Though one can argue the updates didn't do anything to help bring them back into the game as far as specs go.

I spent a decent amount of time playing with the new MacBook "Pro" and I'm very unimpressed. For all the nonsense made about the new screen, it looks like the same LG screen on my unibody unit but with the color saturation turned up a bit. With the screen turned down to 50% brightness there is no difference.

Bringing back Firewire was stupid too. Whats the point? eSATA is faster and in far more devices. And the beauty of it is they could have shared eSATA with USB. Make one regular USB port, one shared USB/eSATA, take out the mini-DisplayPort, and put in HDMI! Also, why only an SD card reader? PCs ship with 5 in 1 and 8 in 1 card readers that occupy the same amount of physical space. And knowing Apple, they won't release firmware updates for the card reader the same way PC manufacturers do, so you won't get compatibility updates for updated SDHC capacities and specs the same way you do with a PC.

The integrated battery is a TERRIBLE idea as well. All of that nonsense about "300 recharges" and "1,000 recharges" is both misleading and just flat out stupid. Nobody who knows anything about technology in general believes that bit of marketing BS. Integrating the battery is all about tying people into Apple services and forcing them to go directly to Apple rather than a higher capacity and much cheaper 3rd party battery.

 

[Sareth]

I don't see why some people get so excited over these updates.

Probably buyers remorse on both sides of the fence, people who recently bought macbooks want to justify their purchase compared to the new machines so will talk down the new macbook "pro" features*, people who bought new machines and sold off / returned their macbooks want to justify their actions so will talk up the features on the new macbook "pro". The result is a bunch of unnecessary friction.

Me I'm getting pretty bored with all of this.


*yes, I know what I just posted...

 

[iann1982]

I got a Macbook 2.4Ghz just over three weeks ago - It's got one of the newer screens and I'd sort of guessed they'd rebrand them Pro's.

I'm not too fussed, I've had a few weeks out of the machine, I really needed it there and then - I have one Firewire accessory, and I can use it via USB or eSata as well, no no worries. The only thing I feel I'd have liked is the new battery, but that's life.

I think I'd rather have the faster SATA over any of the other things - I plan on keeping the machine for 2-3 years and will stick a 256 / 512 gb SSD in when prices drop enough.

I'm sure people buying MBP's today would get a better deal if they hold off, but what's that 6 months of happy macbook usage worth?

 

[morrisman1]

i dont feel screwed at all!!

i bought my 2.0 8 months ago when they came out, ive had a great run and just because a new one comes out doesnt mean that mine is a paperweight now.

The new zealand price hasnt changed for buying new, although i could buy the same model in refurb for the same price i paid for it last october (i bought second hand but unopened).

The upgrade wasnt really for me, i dont need the full 4 hours that this macbook offers in the battery department, so an extra 2 would just be pointless. The cpu bump was marginal to say the least, an extra 233MHz doesnt make it 10x faster than my 2.0GHz. No more ram, no more HDD, SD card slot would be nice to have on the laptop but i do have one on my screen.

I would like the new screen but i dont use the small screen for movies anyway so the only reason to upgrade would be to make myself feel better about the screen. The 9C89 is tolerable and on the same level as most PC laptop screens but i do expect better out of apple.

No i dont feel shafted/ripped/fooled or whatever. The only people who do are those who cant accept that technology moves on and that apple wont hold back with their business plan just to keep you happy.

 

[iann1982]

Oh - as for the battery, I've got a 3 year old white book, it still has it's originally battery despite being used every day, I think the battery tech is fine, if they can make it that much longer by integrating it than so be it. It's the price you pay for the battery life / slim form factor trade off.

 

[morrisman1]

The batteries last a long time anyway if you actually use them!

A friend has got a early 07 macbook, with 1.8 C2D and gma950, she has done nearly 500 cycles and cocoanut battery reports 5300mAh, which is a couple hundy above factory. The thing is, the battery gets used much of the time which i think is what makes the difference.

 

[åidån]

Concur with those saying we didn't get screwed. I got mine on the 2nd of May, it's the way technology works, and I'm finding it intensely amusing that adults are having a hard time dealing with this! My MacBook fitted the bill when I got it, and it fits the bill now. This Collectors Edition is here for a hell of a long haul, and when it is replaced, well it be a hell of a lot better than a 1st gen 13in MBP, that's for sure!

 

[clyde2801]

The tech industry in general, and apple in particular, punishes early adopters. Period.

I bought a used 2.4 uni off of craigslist for 1k @2 weeks before WWDC. Turns out I could have waited for 2 weeks and bought a base 13" mbp for 200 more plus tax. I'm okay with that, since it merely turned the deal of the century into merely a good deal. It's still covered under warranty, and works just as well as it did when it was made. I also knew enough to make sure it didn't have the 9c89 screen.

IMO, the people who did get screwed are the people who bought the unis when they first came out and got a 9c89 screen, and are stuck with it. If you got one of those, and it's contrast is all washed out, take it to the apple store with a black and white movie to show how crappy it is and at least ask for a screen replacement. Apple should have never put those screens on any of it's models, except for possibly a netbook. Cupertino did see the errors of its way after all of the complaining and bad press about the screens, but in their true fashion they simply upgraded their models and never admitted any fault or mistake.

 

[ux4all]

I bought a uMB in February as well. The only frustrating thing is the backlit keyboard and the 8GB RAM with the new release over my existing model.

I just can't see the uMB getting a fix to allow 8GB RAM (pre WWDC). It's the same bottleneck I have my MBP. It has 3GB of RAM and that's the limit.

 

[angemon89]

I held off because I know that rev A users always get screwed.

 

[opinioncircle]

I don't see where the "screwing" part comes from. When you bought your machine, you're fine with what you purchased. Why would you come complain about it some time later? Doesn't make sense to me...

 

[polaris20]

I don't see why some people get so excited over these updates.

I mean, it was obvious they were going to be updated. They hadn't been updated for the better portion of a year and had fallen way behind the curve. Though one can argue the updates didn't do anything to help bring them back into the game as far as specs go.

I spent a decent amount of time playing with the new MacBook "Pro" and I'm very unimpressed. For all the nonsense made about the new screen, it looks like the same LG screen on my unibody unit but with the color saturation turned up a bit. With the screen turned down to 50% brightness there is no difference.

I thought the screen was definitely improved, but everyone has their own opinion.

Bringing back Firewire was stupid too. Whats the point? eSATA is faster and in far more devices. And the beauty of it is they could have shared eSATA with USB. Make one regular USB port, one shared USB/eSATA, take out the mini-DisplayPort, and put in HDMI!

Here's a couple good reasons for FW800 for those people that like the 13" form factor:

http://www.rme-audio.com/english/firewire/ff800.htm
http://www.aja.com/products/io/io-hd.php
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/c...ategoryid=175&modelid=14061#ModelTechSpecsAct

eSATA, while being a great port (and should also be included on Macs in addition to FW and USB) is not a replacement for FW or USB.

Also, why only an SD card reader? PCs ship with 5 in 1 and 8 in 1 card readers that occupy the same amount of physical space. And knowing Apple, they won't release firmware updates for the card reader the same way PC manufacturers do, so you won't get compatibility updates for updated SDHC capacities and specs the same way you do with a PC.

I agree, the SD only slot is plain stupid.

The integrated battery is a TERRIBLE idea as well. All of that nonsense about "300 recharges" and "1,000 recharges" is both misleading and just flat out stupid. Nobody who knows anything about technology in general believes that bit of marketing BS. Integrating the battery is all about tying people into Apple services and forcing them to go directly to Apple rather than a higher capacity and much cheaper 3rd party battery.

I disagree. With most batteries costing close to or more than the $129 replacement cost for the integrated battery, coupled with the 8 hour battery life, I'd say the integrated battery was/is a great idea.

https://www.macrumors.com/2009/06/13/15-macbook-pro-battery-tests-eight-freakin-hours/

The only real problem is of course if you need more than 8 hours, and you don't pony up the buck for the external batteries.

http://www.hyperdrive.com/HyperMac-External-MacBook-Battery-and-Car-Charger-s/91.htm

$199 for an extra 10 hours is pretty reasonable.

 

[Wicked1]

I have a 2009 Special Edition Unibody MacBook with the 2.4/2GB/250HDD and I paid $1599, so basically the model that replaced mine is now 2.53/4GB/250HDD with a better battery and screen...Huh


I love my unit, I was contemplating getting an early 2009 MBP with the 2.66 just for the Discrete Graphics, but I do not think I need it, and the loss I would take on eBay or somewhere else can not justify me Backing up and restoring everything all over again just to get a few minor improvements, I love my 2009 uMB SE, I just Wuv it....

My uMB has the 3.0 GBit Sata Controller although right now I have a Hitachi 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache HDD which works fine, when the 256 SSD's come down in price I will upgrade and get the better use out of the 3.0GBit SATA controller, but for now, it works basically perfect...