Apple Releases Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro

[tedster]

Ordered mine this morning

I am lifelong PC user - first mac purchase ever. I hope I won't regret it! I got the 2 Gb 2.3 with the 200Mb drive, glossy screen, direct from Apple.

I shucked out the extra money for the Apple Care. Since I don't have any idea how good the support is (never used it before!) I hope that was extra money well spent. The mac rep really pushed the case but I didn't bite.

When they say, "Shipping in 5-8 days," do they usually mean it? Or, as my past computer purchases have been, am I going to be waiting 2-3 weeks or more?

 

[moonzilla]

why is the 160gb better than the 120gb hd? (other than the obvious fact that its 40gb larger) both run at 5400rpm, no? shouldnt the difference between the two be negligible?

 

[eidrunner247]

Is it just me, or does it seem like a screaming good deal to get one of the older MBP?

Here is what they had on the apple store:

Refurbished MacBook Pro, 15-inch, 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo
15.4-inch widescreen display (1440x900 resolution)
1GB (single SODIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
100GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB GDDR3 memory
Built-in iSight Camera
Front Row and Apple Remote
Learn More
• Save 37% off the original price
$1,599

This looks like a great deal, especially since it doesn't seem like there is a world of difference between the 'old' MBP and the updated model..

 

[mac4evan]

I am lifelong PC user - first mac purchase ever. I hope I won't regret it! I got the 2 Gb 2.3 with the 200Mb drive, glossy screen, direct from Apple.

I shucked out the extra money for the Apple Care. Since I don't have any idea how good the support is (never used it before!) I hope that was extra money well spent. The mac rep really pushed the case but I didn't bite.

When they say, "Shipping in 5-8 days," do they usually mean it? Or, as my past computer purchases have been, am I going to be waiting 2-3 weeks or more?

Apple has been consitently rated as having the top customer service support. And unless you have seen and or used a glossy screen before... I would say that you may want to reconsider. Also PLEASE don't get the 200gig drive! You will be sorry. get the 160gig. It is the best all-around choice.

Unless you need speed like me and will settle for 100gigs and use a lacie FW 800 drive at all times for the extra space.

 

[phototravel]

15" 2.16 Core Duos ON SALE!!!

So here's the question...do I spend $2499 on a new 2.33 model OR do I get the 2.16 model on sale for $1599 - is the Core Duo with slightly faster processor speed and 4mb L2 cache vs. 2mb cache, 1 more gb of RAM (which I can buy for $125), and 20gb more on the hard drive worth an extra $900??

 

[mac4evan]

Is it just me, or does it seem like a screaming good deal to get one of the older MBP?

Here is what they had on the apple store:

Refurbished MacBook Pro, 15-inch, 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo
15.4-inch widescreen display (1440x900 resolution)
1GB (single SODIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
100GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB GDDR3 memory
Built-in iSight Camera
Front Row and Apple Remote
Learn More
• Save 37% off the original price
$1,599

This looks like a great deal, especially since it doesn't seem like there is a world of difference between the 'old' MBP and the updated model..

It is and isn't. I feel that the price is great but am afraid of it's longevity in comparison to the new MBP... The price to life time ratio to consider seems to lean towards the new one. But thats just me.

 

[Zadillo]

No graphics bump most likely because it's still the same logic board. That and I don't think there's any other mobile GPUs out there that will fit within this design as far as cooling goes. Anything else out there that's better draws a lot more power and puts out a lot more heat. I'd like to have a 512MB 7950GTX GO in there as much as the next guy, but how do they cool it? Sager/VoodooPC has that GPU in a 1.1" thick 15" notebook design, but they had to make several other design compromises to get it in there. And it still run HOT. Battery life is pretty pathetic with the X1800 and or nv7800 and faster GPUs and that's a big issue to a lot of buyers too.



I did it with my current MBP and stumbled my way through it after briefly glancing at an online tutorial on it a few days before. I've taken apart several notebook PCs before, so it wasn't too bad. But there's absolutely no reason for it to be designed this way. I don't know what's changed inside the new MBP systems, so I would wait for someone else to do it first and follow their notes. And with the current HD options in the new MBP line, there's not really a reason to pull it apart for an HD swap. But If you're buying the 2GHz refurb 15" w/60GB HD, then a swap is a must.

What laptop does Sager/VoodooPC have that is a 15" 1.1"thick model with a 7950GTX? The only ones I know of are the Envy I;534, but that only has a GeForce 7600. Their Envy U:709 only features a 7800GTX and is 1.95" thick and is 13 pounds, and is a 17" model.

The only laptop I think I've even seen with the 7950GTX is the Dell XPS, but that is also a much heavier 17" model.

I can't think of any 15" 1.1" thick laptops with anything close to that kind of graphics card.

 

[mac4evan]

So here's the question...do I spend $2499 on a new 2.33 model OR do I get the 2.16 model on sale for $1599 - is the Core Duo with slightly faster processor speed and 4mb L2 cache vs. 2mb cache, 1 more gb of RAM (which I can buy for $125), and 20gb more on the hard drive worth an extra $900??

The C2D is faster in other ways too. (I don't know how many times I have to say this )

Ripping, encoding, and rendering will be much faster. For anything.

 

[Zadillo]

Is it just me, or does it seem like a screaming good deal to get one of the older MBP?

Here is what they had on the apple store:

Refurbished MacBook Pro, 15-inch, 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo
15.4-inch widescreen display (1440x900 resolution)
1GB (single SODIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
100GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB GDDR3 memory
Built-in iSight Camera
Front Row and Apple Remote
Learn More
• Save 37% off the original price
$1,599

This looks like a great deal, especially since it doesn't seem like there is a world of difference between the 'old' MBP and the updated model..

Seems like a very nice deal indeed actually, especially if you're someone who might want the 256 meg video card but doesn't necessarily want to pay such a huge premium. And you get the other benefits (a single 1GB DIMM so you can easily buy another DIMM to upgrade, and the 100GB HD is still pretty nice, and could always still be swapped out later).

 

[barkins]

I called up the 3 Apple stores in my area and all of them haven't received the new MBPs. All of them told me they don't know when they'll receive them and one of them was nice enough to put me on a waiting list.

Although I'm happy Apple has finally announced them, I'm very disappointed I can't get my hands on one right away.

But I guess what's another week or so when I've waited this long already for an announcement.

 

[Zwhaler]

We've alreaddy seen threads entitled "Waiting for Santa Rosa" though, I think this will be a never ending cycle under intel.

Oh, don't worry, as soon as the thing everyone has been waiting for is released, then everything will soon enough find something else to ask weather or not they should wait for.

 

[dgdosen]

I was thinking the same thing..

Is it just me, or does it seem like a screaming good deal to get one of the older MBP?

Here is what they had on the apple store:

Refurbished MacBook Pro, 15-inch, 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo
15.4-inch widescreen display (1440x900 resolution)
1GB (single SODIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
100GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB GDDR3 memory
Built-in iSight Camera
Front Row and Apple Remote
Learn More
• Save 37% off the original price
$1,599

This looks like a great deal, especially since it doesn't seem like there is a world of difference between the 'old' MBP and the updated model..

Now, I see two of them up there:

Two configurations that look identical - one for 1599 (original 2499) and one for 2149 (original 2799).

What's the difference?

 

[mac4evan]

Seems like a very nice deal indeed actually, especially if you're someone who might want the 256 meg video card but doesn't necessarily want to pay such a huge premium. And you get the other benefits (a single 1GB DIMM so you can easily buy another DIMM to upgrade, and the 100GB HD is still pretty nice, and could always still be swapped out later).

The new MBP ram is a single dimm setup and not a paired 512...

 

[kresh]

I am lifelong PC user - first mac purchase ever. I hope I won't regret it! I got the 2 Gb 2.3 with the 200Mb drive, glossy screen, direct from Apple.

I shucked out the extra money for the Apple Care. Since I don't have any idea how good the support is (never used it before!) I hope that was extra money well spent. The mac rep really pushed the case but I didn't bite.

When they say, "Shipping in 5-8 days," do they usually mean it? Or, as my past computer purchases have been, am I going to be waiting 2-3 weeks or more?

Of all the things I have ever had "Buyer's Remorse" over, AppleCare has never been one of them.

It's is truly an awesome program!

edit: Welcome! We're glad to have you on the Mac platform

 

[phototravel]

Glossy vs. Flat

Anyone

 

[barkins]

Anyone

Flat all the way.

 

[phototravel]

Glossy vs. Flat

Any one out there have a MBP with a glossy screen - I use my 12 " Powerbook mostly indoors, but occasionally outside - how is the glare/refection issue? I like the idea of more contrasty, saturated colors, but concerned about glare...any thoughts?

 

[mac4evan]

Anyone

Matted Anti-glare for sure.

Glossy has not just a little glare but a ton of glare.

But in the end it is a personal preference but for me a no brainer.

 

[phototravel]

Still unsure

Is it just me, or does it seem like a screaming good deal to get one of the older MBP?

Here is what they had on the apple store:

Refurbished MacBook Pro, 15-inch, 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo
15.4-inch widescreen display (1440x900 resolution)
1GB (single SODIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
100GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB GDDR3 memory
Built-in iSight Camera
Front Row and Apple Remote
Learn More
• Save 37% off the original price
$1,599

This looks like a great deal, especially since it doesn't seem like there is a world of difference between the 'old' MBP and the updated model..

Still not sure what to do here - I understand that the C2D is going to be faster - do I wait until the MAcWorld benchmarks come out and see if Apple's 39% claim is true in the real world? Seems as though if it ISN'T, and I wait to find out, those $1599 MBP's with a 2.16 will be gone....

 

[mac4evan]

Still not sure what to do here - I understand that the C2D is going to be faster - do I wait until the MAcWorld benchmarks come out and see if Apple's 39% claim is true in the real world? Seems as though if it ISN'T, and I wait to find out, those $1599 MBP's with a 2.16 will be gone....

I truly believe it is faster. I am buying one. (with my retail employee 25% disocount) but no matter... I would still get it even without the discount. If you read up on the C2D chip for just 10 minutes then you will agree with me.

 

[phototravel]

I truly believe it is faster. I am buying one. (with my retail employee 25% disocount) but no matter... I would still get it even without the discount. If you read up on the C2D chip for just 10 minutes then you will agree with me.

Yes, I realize it is faster, but the real question is, is it $900 faster? $2499 vs $1599 for the C2D, 20gb more of space, 1 gb more of ram and slightly faster Superdrive...that's what I'm trying to figure out

 

[BoMo]

If this is true, it is very very rare and you are very very lucky!

I have been around Apple a long long time. Since November of 1986 and I have never had AppleCare do this for me or any other mac user that I know personally. I have only read of this happening and never to the level that you describe.

When Apple has bumped a repair it was usually like a new screen, or a bumped graphics card, etc in an older system.

Didn't the poster you are referring to sell his older model and order a new one?

No, the poster took his machine to the Apple Genius Bar, who declared it DOA due to a problem with the screen, and the poster then ordered the new one to replace it.

 

[BWhaler]

Anyone

I was torn to pieces over this decision.

I leaned heavily to the glossy since I give a lot of 2-4 person presentations, and I wanted my Keynotes to sparkle.

But then common sense settled in. Yes, Apple has done a great job minimizing glare. But lighting and reflection is still an issue with the glossy screens, to say nothing of keeping them clean. (I do a lot of international travel, so this is a big deal to me.)

At the end of the day, I think it is a matter of choice. But for me, I feel great about the decision to get a matte screen (and I am not a designer...those folks seems to all agree that matte is the only way to go.)

Good luck with your decision.

 

[thunda32]

Now, I see two of them up there:

Two configurations that look identical - one for 1599 (original 2499) and one for 2149 (original 2799).

What's the difference?

Yea I was musing about this earlier too. Seems to be exactly the same. I think it's a great deal and I intend to buy one as soon as my bonus comes in. Hopefully there will be some left!

 

[thunda32]

I was torn to pieces over this decision.

I leaned heavily to the glossy since I give a lot of 2-4 person presentations, and I wanted my Keynotes to sparkle.

But then common sense settled in. Yes, Apple has done a great job minimizing glare. But lighting and reflection is still an issue with the glossy screens, to say nothing of keeping them clean. (I do a lot of international travel, so this is a big deal to me.)

At the end of the day, I think it is a matter of choice. But for me, I feel great about the decision to get a matte screen (and I am not a designer...those folks seems to all agree that matte is the only way to go.)

Good luck with your decision.

Totally personal preference. I really believed the glossy would bother me until I stepped into a store numerous times and it never did. And when I switched to the matte they just looked so dulled down. It just depends on what your eyes focus on... if it doesn't bother me in a store with tons of light I think I will be okay anywhere else.