Apple Releases New MacBook Pros with Santa Rosa

[RawisJericho]

I really hope students are taking advantage of the ADC Student Membership. It's even better than the Educational Discount. It dramatically drops the prices on these more expensive Apple machines (20% off, to be exact). Yes, it does cost $99, but you also get a free copy of Tiger and exclusive developer downloads.

With the ADC Hardware Discount:

2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1440 x 900 resolution
2GB memory
120GB hard drive1
8x double-layer SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with 128MB SDRAM
Ships: 1-3 business days
Free Shipping
$1,599.00

2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1440 x 900 resolution
2GB memory
160GB hard drive1
8x double-layer SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with 256MB SDRAM
Ships: 1-3 business days
Free Shipping
$1,999.00

2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1680 x 1050 pixels
2GB memory
160GB hard drive1
8x double-layer SuperDrive
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with 256MB SDRAM
Ships: 1-3 business days
Free Shipping
$2,239.00

So basically I was able to upgrade to the better 15" and get an extra Tiger disk for only $99 more than the standard price.

I have a couple questions. This will be my first Mac and I want to make sure I get the best deal possible on it.

Do I have to buy the ADC student membership separately, and then go back and buy the laptop? Or will I be able to buy everything at once?

Will I get a bigger discount on apple care using the ADC discount?

Also, my school is offering a free iPod shuffle if I buy a laptop with applecare, so this might work out better for me. If I want an iPod later I could just buy one from the store I work at and I can get 10% off of it. So I should be able to come out ahead still.

What accessories should I buy for the laptop? I am going to get a case for sure, but would I need anything else?

Should I go with the glossy or antiglare screen?

and lastly, I will for sure be able to get the free leopard upgrade if I use the ADC student discount? If I use a regular education discount I won't be able to get leopard for free correct?

Thats all I can think of for right now, thanks for any help at all!

 

[oscuh]

hey guys, this is to discuss the MBP upgrade, not MBP vs iMac ... You're BOTH right ... does that settle it?

Digital ... I'm tempted to break out "obtuse" again if need be

 

[diamond.g]

what is that application that tests the speed of the gpu? i would like to know if it is same mhz as pc notebook models. if it is underclocked - ill wait another half year

Bootcamp-> 3dmark05/06
or
Bootcamp-> Everest Home Edition

 

[MagicWok]

Laptops WALK... and fast... get one stolen and see. All those places you said you will bring you laptop are prime places to get one stolen. Not every college has a requirement to have a laptop, if your school does then you must be rich and going to a private school. Most schools won't provide the student with a laptop that they will have stolen, they will give them desktops, that cost less and are much heavier. Some guy running down the street with a 20" iMac is very conspicious. But the same guy can slip a MBP into his bag and walk off.

That's just a gross mis-generalisation.

When I went to uni 4 years ago, I bought a powerbook for around £1,500.

I did not got to a public school, and I am in no way rich - neither were the 20+ others in my graphics year.

We all did however work our ass off over the summer to save up. Having gone through the experience, I would have never wanted to have an iMac - no matter how powerfull - over the sublime advantage of being portable.

I look back, and I can't even remember the number of times bringing my powerbook saved me at Uni. I would have been stuck and immobile with an iMac.

Granted, iMacs do have their rightful place - but you can't generalise them off like you have been doing in our posts. They work for some, not others.

 

[wHo_tHe]

Did you manage to compare the new LCD screen on the 15" MBP, to that of the HD 17" non-lcd panel?

Sorry, no. There were no HD 17" models on display yet at the S.F. Apple store.

 

[Zadillo]

Really? Everything I've read pointed to monthly developer CDs as well as any OS updates.

If that's the case then I may as well buy Leopard for the student price as well.

Yeah, those are what you get with the $500 ADC Select membership, but they aren't included with the $99 ADC Student membership. At least this is what ADC told me when I inquired about it.

 

[toxic-waste]

True. But the odds are good that after the official Steve note send off of Leopard. All new macs purchased after WWDC will contain free or low cost upgrade coupons for Leopard when it is released.

So it only makes sense to wait until after WWDC before buying the MBP. I can't see where the 6 day wait could matter much to anyone and it could mean a free upgrade coupon.

I read that apple has never given upgrade coupons or a free copy.

 

[Eric1285]

Oh man, now I want one of the new ones. I wonder if I can convince Apple to replace my 4 month old MBP, because the lcd screen is degrading. I've started to notice banding and it's developed a stuck pixel (and I very carefully made sure I got one with no stuck/dead pixels at the store).

 

[digitalbiker]

How would that change anything? Do you believe that if you buy your computer after WWDC, you get Leopard for free? Uh, it doesn't quite work that way. Besides, Leopard has already been announced, remember?

This has happened before. I wouldn't be so quick to discount the possibility. Especially when you consider that Leopard was due to be released at WWDC and then was subsequently delayed.

After Steve runs through the official demo of Leopard and he announces the handout of the feature complete Leopard Beta to WWDC attendees, the odds are very good that he will also announce free or low cost upgrades to the final release with the purchase of a new mac.

Apple does this routinely but usually it turns out the the final release of the OS is available within one month of the official announcement.

There is also a strong rumor that Steve will be demoing powerful new Desktop systems. If this is the case, he will demo Leopard on one of the new macs and will announce the fact that Leopard will come with all new macs purchased after the WWDC.

Apple will not want sales of new $2000 - $4000 macs to be lost while people wait for a new $130 OS.

 

[MagicWok]

Sorry, no. There were no HD 17" models on display yet at the S.F. Apple store.

Oh well - congrats on your purchase!

 

[zioxide]

New MBP just came out... I was referring to the previous model... in particular the low end which is the same price as the high end consumer 24" iMac. Some pros use it instead of the MacPro because of its size and built in 24" monitor, or as a second system. Desktops are still the best option for college students.

Laptops WALK... and fast... get one stolen and see. All those places you said you will bring you laptop are prime places to get one stolen. Not every college has a requirement to have a laptop, if your school does then you must be rich and going to a private school. Most schools won't provide the student with a laptop that they will have stolen, they will give them desktops, that cost less and are much heavier. Some guy running down the street with a 20" iMac is very conspicious. But the same guy can slip a MBP into his bag and walk off.

The only way your laptop is going to get stolen is if you're very careless. As long as you keep it with you when you're out with it or leave it locked in your room, it's going to be fine.

I don't go to a private school or anything. I go to a cheap state college in MA. They have a program where you can get a dell d620 for $599 which is included in financial aid if you need it.

Desktops may have been more practical when you were in college, but they aren't now. Schools have wifi and you can go to the library with your laptop to work on research or homework, you can take it to class to take notes, and you can take it to friends rooms or other places if you want. You're not stuck in your room the whole time if you need to use your computer. Additionally, dorm rooms are very small and a laptop is going to take up less room than a desktop.

The fact is that laptops are just easier for students now. If you're going home or going to visit friends at another school for a weekend or something, you can just throw your laptop in your bag and you have it with you in case you need it.

Out of all of my friends who I graduated with last year who went college (about 130 people), I can tell you that every single one of them bought a laptop. No desktops.

The graphics may be better on the new one but the screen still tops off at 17" for $2600. You can get a 24" screen with the same graphics for $600 less, then get a G-Tech G-Raid 2 640GB and still have money left over for a FCP certification book.

I understand that internal disks aren't used for capture, so why get a laptop with a 5400 rpm disk and a portable 5400 rpm disk. OR you could get a portable 7200rpm disk for twice the price, OR you could get a 3.5" disk and have to carry around a heavy drive and power supply that wasn't built to be comfortable to carry. Just get the desktop.

The 17'' MBP has the same resolution as the 24'' iMac (1900x1200), so it doesn't matter that the screen is bigger.

Additionally, 7200rpm 2.5'' drives are not that much more expensive than the 5400rpm drives, so if you are editing, you can easily get one. Or you can just get a 3.5'' drive and enclosure. They aren't that big.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Even considering the Napa MBP and iMac they're using the exact same components short of the 3.5" hard drive in the iMac. Laptops are becoming increasing popular in college.

An obvious point but not relevant.

But you can upgrade any model to the 7200 RPM hard drive.

I'm sure to lug my iMac around when I want a laptop then. What's the point of bring the desktop into play? It's always going to be cheaper.

As a college student on a budget the theft point is very relavent. If it isn't then forget about the portablility point, of couse the laptop wins out, and besides, an actual notebook is cheaper than anything so why not carry that and take notes like most people.

The main point is that the iMac is always going to be cheaper. It will offer you more bang for your buck. More screen space, HDD space and speed, and more ports and functionality... so buy that and not the laptop. It will serve you better in video editing and most other areas better... outside of taking it with you.

 

[oscuh]

Oh man, now I want one of the new ones. I wonder if I can convince Apple to replace my 4 month old MBP, because the lcd screen is degrading. I've started to notice banding and it's developed a stuck pixel (and I very carefully made sure I got one with no stuck/dead pixels at the store).

Start the process. I have a friend who bought a G5 iMac ... by the time he was done with them correcting his issues, they ended up just replaced it with a new (at the time) CD iMac.

 

[Eidorian]

As a college student on a budget the theft point is very relavent. If it isn't then forget about the portablility point, of couse the laptop wins out, and besides, an actual notebook is cheaper than anything so why not carry that and take notes like most people.

The main point is that the iMac is always going to be cheaper. It will offer you more bang for your buck. More screen space, HDD space and speed, and more ports and functionality... so buy that and not the laptop. It will serve you better in video editing and most other areas better... outside of taking it with you.

If you're a starving college student then your better off served by a MacBook. My university recommends the MacBook as the default student Mac as it is. (With security cable mind you.) I've never encountered any incidents of laptop theft on campus or in the dorms.

Then again starving college student is a generalization as well.

 

[oscuh]

... outside of taking it with you.

what ... an iLugger isn't practical to and from class?

 

[xStep]

Take a mirror and use the Isight to take pics

Kidding, but how about some gaming benches or audio encoding

The Huckleberry.

 

[anirban]

I cannot believe that this thread is growing at such an alarming rate...... and half of it contains totally superfluous stuff...like do the new machines have LED or not... do they have SR chips or not..... and totally pointless stuff like that. Please check Apple's website. its insane!

 

[zioxide]

As a college student on a budget the theft point is very relavent.

You seem to be misinformed or something. Theft in dorms and stuff is waaaay less than you think. Plus, they sell $30 locks that will keep your laptop locked to your desk.

Besides, colleges offer cheap insurance for students that cover things such as robbery. I have a $4000 insurance policy on all of the stuff for my dorm room from my college, and it cost only $100 bucks for the year.

 

[digitalbiker]

I read that apple has never given upgrade coupons or a free copy.

Not true. I have had the opportunity to use upgrade coupons twice. I have a bunch of old ones that I have never used.

I used one coupon about three months after I bought my new mac. I forget which OS it was but I think it was Jaguar (10.1)

 

[Evangelion]

This has happened before. I wouldn't be so quick to discount the possibility.

Sure it COULD happen. But I really don't see it happening. And when was the öast time it happened? It was in the early version of OS X. I believe 10.1 and 10.2 were free updates? After that, each update has cost money.

 

[Zadillo]

Oh man, now I want one of the new ones. I wonder if I can convince Apple to replace my 4 month old MBP, because the lcd screen is degrading. I've started to notice banding and it's developed a stuck pixel (and I very carefully made sure I got one with no stuck/dead pixels at the store).

Just to ask, how did you make sure to get one with no stuck/dead pixels at the store? It seems like the only way to do that would be if they let you open the box and turn it on before purchasing it, which I didn't think they'd let you do. Or even if you opened it in the store after buying it, I would think they would charge you with the restocking fee if you wanted to exchange it for just a single stuck/dead pixel.

 

[oscuh]

Plus, they sell $30 locks that will keep your laptop locked to your desk.

In my experience, those are at best a visual deterent. My old work had locked up iBooks ripped off when we were offsite ... if a thief is determined, the laptop will disappear.

 

[Digital Skunk]

The only way your laptop is going to get stolen is if you're very careless. As long as you keep it with you when you're out with it or leave it locked in your room, it's going to be fine.

I don't go to a private school or anything. I go to a cheap state college in MA. They have a program where you can get a dell d620 for $599 which is included in financial aid if you need it.

Desktops may have been more practical when you were in college, but they aren't now. Schools have wifi and you can go to the library with your laptop to work on research or homework, you can take it to class to take notes, and you can take it to friends rooms or other places if you want. You're not stuck in your room the whole time if you need to use your computer. Additionally, dorm rooms are very small and a laptop is going to take up less room than a desktop.

The fact is that laptops are just easier for students now. If you're going home or going to visit friends at another school for a weekend or something, you can just throw your laptop in your bag and you have it with you in case you need it.

Out of all of my friends who I graduated with last year who went college (about 130 people), I can tell you that every single one of them bought a laptop. No desktops.



The 17'' MBP has the same resolution as the 24'' iMac (1900x1200), so it doesn't matter that the screen is bigger.

Additionally, 7200rpm 2.5'' drives are not that much more expensive than the 5400rpm drives, so if you are editing, you can easily get one. Or you can just get a 3.5'' drive and enclosure. They aren't that big.

Ummm... careless.... what if someone sticks a gun in your face? Be reasonable.

If the resolution is the same, then the 24" iMac still wins out. You will have much more screen real estate to work with, as opposed to 15" of screen space, or getting another display, which you can still hook up to the iMac.

Just because your friends buy a laptop, and probably will get their stolen, doesn't mean that the laptop is a better more cost effective solution for college students or anyone looking to do intense graphics work. I am not that old, desktops are more practical now, just as they were then, laptops have become more preferred.

3.5" drives are cheaper and still offer you more space. There is no way you can debate that. 7200rpm drives are still more expensive and offer you much less space.

And if I could do it all over again... having $2000 to blow on a computer, I would have gotten a 17" iMac and a low end MacBook. My MacBook for taking notes in class like a doofus, trying to type and keep up with my professor and trying to figure out how to draw the diagram they made on the board in Pages, and a desktop at home for the video editing.

Everyon's point is true and very understanable... but it doesn't negate the fact that the desktop is more practical, affordable, and capable at handling heavier use than the laptop.

I am getting tired of repeating myself so I think I will stop here. I wasted the better part of my day off.

You seem to be misinformed or something. Theft in dorms and stuff is waaaay less than you think. Plus, they sell $30 locks that will keep your laptop locked to your desk.

Besides, colleges offer cheap insurance for students that cover things such as robbery. I have a $4000 insurance policy on all of the stuff for my dorm room from my college, and it cost only $100 bucks for the year.

Not everyone is rich and lives in perfect. Inner city Baltimore.... not going to happen. You stuff will get stolen and you would never even know it.

Do you know why the FBI doesn't use $30 locks for their stuff? Because someone will cut right through that thing.

 

[Squonk]

I cannot believe that this thread is growing at such an alarming rate...... and half of it contains totally superfluous stuff...like do the new machines have LED or not... do they have SR chips or not..... and totally pointless stuff like that. Please check Apple's website. its insane!

Well much of it lately is the soon to be famous - laptop VS iMac for college students debate. I wonder if the mod could strip those out into their own thread...

Regardless, yes there are a ton of posts here. I like the new MBP. I am bummed that the "base" model only has a 120GB drive. I was hoping it would be a 160GB and then I'd wait for a 1599 refurb to be available and then I'd pounce on it. Now I need to decide between refurb 2.4 or refurb 2.2 and void the warranty and upgrade the drive myself.

And no, I don't want an iMac instead. Although I do like them a great deal, it would be hard to see over the 24" iMac on my lap to watch TV...

 

[Leraste]

Ok, I have about 30 gigs+ of music and 10 gigs+ of pictures. I have a digital slr and take a bunch of pictures. Should I go for the 160 gig/5400 rpm or the 200/4200 rpm?