Apple Refurbished Macbook Store

[macamateur]

Hey guys,

I'm new to the forum (and just switched over from a PC to a Mac) and would love to get your advice.

I'm thinking of picking up one of the MacBook Pros available on the Apple Refurbished Mac store: http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...browse&mco=MTIzMjc&node=home/specialdeals/mac

and was wondering which one would be best for my needs. I travel a lot for work and would prefer a smaller sized computer (15 inch?) I don't do any development so I don't need a powerhouse. As for the refurbished Mac store...I noticed that there are quite a few models available so I'm having difficulty picking one out. This is the spec I'm leaning towards...

Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
15.4-inch glossy widescreen display
2GB memory
120GB hard drive
6x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB of GDDR3 memory
Built-in iSight camera

A couple of questions:
- Is there a noticeable improvement in performance from 2.33GHz to 2.4GHz?
- I'm not planning on burning a lot of media so the superdrive isn't much of an issue. But, I was wondering if people had thoughts about the 6X Superdrive vs the 8X?
- Do you guys recommend a different spec on the refurbished mac store?
- I saw that the new MacBooks have multi touch and 802.11n support. Is this worth getting the newer models?

I'm all about getting a good deal but don't want to sacrifice performance.

Oh, and I don't really care for Bootcamp so that's not a factor...

Thanks guys!

 

[parapup]

A couple of questions:
- Is there a noticeable improvement in performance from 2.33GHz to 2.4GHz?
- I'm not planning on burning a lot of media so the superdrive isn't much of an issue. But, I was wondering if people had thoughts about the 6X Superdrive vs the 8X?
- Do you guys recommend a different spec on the refurbished mac store?
- I saw that the new MacBooks have multi touch and 802.11n support. Is this worth getting the newer models?

That's obviously not "couple" questions but that's ok

1) No
2) Does Not matter
3) I don't
4) Multi touch does not matter for me, more of a toy. 802.11n matters if you've got a 802.11n wireless router and do lots of data transfer (backups etc) on your local net. Otherwise 802.11g is sufficient. You might be able to get a USB 802.11n dongle - not sure how many will be compatible with MacOS X though.
Hope that helps.

 

[macamateur]

Hi parapup,

Yeah, sorry! But, thanks for your succinct answers! Take care!

 

[scienide09]

- I saw that the new MacBooks have multi touch and 802.11n support. Is this worth getting the newer models?

I can't speak to the multi-touch, but my refurb 2.33 12" MBP, purchased last April, came 802.11n enabled. I'd be surprised if Apple is still selling refurbs that haven't had this activated yet.

 

[Zephgx]

Hey guys,

A couple of questions:
- Is there a noticeable improvement in performance from 2.33GHz to 2.4GHz?
- I'm not planning on burning a lot of media so the superdrive isn't much of an issue. But, I was wondering if people had thoughts about the 6X Superdrive vs the 8X?
- Do you guys recommend a different spec on the refurbished mac store?
- I saw that the new MacBooks have multi touch and 802.11n support. Is this worth getting the newer models?


Thanks guys!

1. Not really any noticeable increase in performance, but in the chipset, yes
(2.4GHz can have the 4GB of RAM max while the 2.33GHz i think has only up to 3 or 3.3GB of RAM max) and maybe cooler than the 2.33

2. Can't say, probably will shave off a minute in burning or something.

3. Depending on your needs, but i think you will be fine with this

4. Multi touch is a nice and fun addition for me and i love it. Although it isn't worth it if you won't use it or such. Specs terms, a different story.

802.11n, it has it built in, but might/might not be activated. Useful if you do have that router that supports it.

 

[macamateur]

1. Not really any noticeable increase in performance, but in the chipset, yes
(2.4GHz can have the 4GB of RAM max while the 2.33GHz i think has only up to 3 or 3.3GB of RAM max) and maybe cooler than the 2.33

2. Can't say, probably will shave off a minute in burning or something.

3. Depending on your needs, but i think you will be fine with this

4. Multi touch is a nice and fun addition for me and i love it. Although it isn't worth it if you won't use it or such. Specs terms, a different story.

802.11n, it has it built in, but might/might not be activated. Useful if you do have that router that supports it.

Great, thanks guys!