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Are Macbook Pro's a good buy with all the problems they've had?

M

Misgreen

macrumors newbie
Original poster
I'm currently in the market for a new Apple laptop. I have a late 2011 15" MBP. It served me well for a couple of years, but now it runs really hot and sounds like a plane is taking off. I've heard of other 2011 models having this problem as well as the new rMBPs having display problems. And then there were all the MBPs that had the video problems.

I'm depating upgrading to either the 13" MBA or the 13" rMBP. There are definitely benefits to the retina display as well as some increased power behind the system. However, the MBP's legacy of issues is scaring me. What does everyone think? I can't afford to buy a $1500 laptop every two years.
 
1) Try opening your 15" MBP and removing any dust clogging up the fan (or have it done at an Apple store).

2) I have never had any of the supposed "legacy of issues" with my 13" MBP. It's been pretty much flawless.
 
ZBoater said:
I think you spend too much time at MacRumors....
Click to expand...

This is coming from my personal expeience, and a couple friends of mine. Anytime you get on forums they will be flooded with issues. That's why people get on forums! 😉
 
Misgreen said:
...I've heard of other 2011 models having this problem as well as the new rMBPs having display problems. And then there were all the MBPs that had the video problems.
...
However, the MBP's legacy of issues is scaring me. What does everyone think? I can't afford to buy a $1500 laptop every two years.
Click to expand...

All computers have issues, but they tend to affect only a small number of systems. I've owned an iBook, two MacBooks, and and a 15" MacBookPro that just turned 3 years old (a late 2011 model). Every one of them has run more than three years without repair except for the case of one water spill.

I'd suggest buying a refurb and Applecare (since you are nervous) and expect to keep it 3+ years.
 
Rigby said:
1) Try opening your 15" MBP and removing any dust clogging up the fan (or have it done at an Apple store).

2) I have never had any of the supposed "legacy of issues" with my 13" MBP. It's been pretty much flawless.
Click to expand...

Thinking of this one in particular:
http://www.macworld.com/article/288...xes-for-macbook-pros-with-video-problems.html

Glad your MBP is flawless! What year is it?

----------
talmy said:
All computers have issues, but they tend to affect only a small number of systems. I've owned an iBook, two MacBooks, and and a 15" MacBookPro that just turned 3 years old (a late 2011 model). Every one of them has run more than three years without repair except for the case of one water spill.

I'd suggest buying a refurb and Applecare (since you are nervous) and expect to keep it 3+ years.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response! This is comforting. My mom owned the old white macbook and it lasted her 6 years! and that's the kind of longevity I'm used to with apple. My Dad and I both had this same late 2011 MBP model and we both started having issues with it at the same time (about 2.5 years later). In addition, I have a college friend with close to the same model and also had similar issues. That's what's causing my concern primarily. Definitely investing in AppleCare.
 
Misgreen said:
Thinking of this one in particular:
http://www.macworld.com/article/288...xes-for-macbook-pros-with-video-problems.html

Glad your MBP is flawless! What year is it?
Click to expand...

We have around 8 or so 2012 15" rMBP, and only one of them has suffered from the GPU issue (albeit two times). Both times it was repaired by Apple within a day free of charge — the first repair was after the warranty has expired btw and long before they have issued the recall.

I am still using my 2012 model and it has been doing great.
 
Misgreen said:
I'm currently in the market for a new Apple laptop. I have a late 2011 15" MBP. It served me well for a couple of years, but now it runs really hot and sounds like a plane is taking off. I've heard of other 2011 models having this problem as well as the new rMBPs having display problems. And then there were all the MBPs that had the video problems.

I'm depating upgrading to either the 13" MBA or the 13" rMBP. There are definitely benefits to the retina display as well as some increased power behind the system. However, the MBP's legacy of issues is scaring me. What does everyone think? I can't afford to buy a $1500 laptop every two years.
Click to expand...

Absolutely not. Do not get a Mac. IMO, I would just get a PC. Apple has a quality control problem. Radeongate, bendgate, the surface of the MBPr coming off, the creaking, the buggy yosemite, beach balls everywhere for some people, etc.

People will say " So does PC yadda yadda" but what they wont tell you is that PC is SO much cheaper! Macs are expensive AND buggy!

The list goes on forever in terms of the problems people are having including screen that are yellow, which was a problem for me until I found one I liked. If I was you, save your money and buy something cheap.

That way, if there's problems, at least you'll have a load of cash in your pocket to feel better about. "My PC crashed today, but I've got $1,100 bucks in my pocket woohoo" Is a lot better than "My graphics card failed, too bad I spent $1500 on this"

People will say all kinds of things. IMO, the bottom line comes down to the price you pay for what you are getting. And again, IMO, the price they charge for these laptops is not worth the laptop you are getting.

Let me add 1 thing: I use Mavericks 10.9.5. And the software I'm using is PERFECT. Seriously, no stuttering, no lagginess, always works, all of the time, every time. It is BLAZING fast, and I love it. So, if you get a mid 2014 MBPr with Mavericks, it might be worth it for you. For me, even though the software is great, I would've taken the money and gladly used Windows 7 or 8. Essentially, it would be like getting paid $1,100 to use Windows. That's how I would've seen it.
 
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I must just be unlucky. I haven't had a MBP last over 2.5 years without major hardware problems. I feel like Apple focuses too much on aesthetics and "industrial design" but not enought on longevity of the internals.

Worth it? Borderline for me. I will never buy another Mac without the extended warranty and Amex warranty on top of that. Too low quality for the money.
 
Hieveryone said:
Absolutely not. Do not get a Mac. IMO, I would just get a PC. Apple has a quality control problem. Radeongate, bendgate, the surface of the MBPr coming off, the creaking, the buggy yosemite, beach balls everywhere for some people, etc.
Click to expand...

It only happens to you and a small but very vocal minority who give the products a bad name and generalise them.
 
Misgreen said:
However, the MBP's legacy of issues is scaring me. What does everyone think? I can't afford to buy a $1500 laptop every two years.
Click to expand...

Then get Apple Care in the end of the first year, so you'll have a fully covered Mac for almost 4 year. Otherwise, sell it every two years for a bit less (let's say $1000?) and get a new one... So you'll have new Mac every two years for $500, and you don't let pass enough time to see problems appearing.
 
Woochoo said:
Then get Apple Care in the end of the first year, so you'll have a fully covered Mac for almost 4 year. Otherwise, sell it every two years for a bit less (let's say $1000?) and get a new one... So you'll have new Mac every two years for $500, and you don't let pass enough time to see problems appearing.
Click to expand...

He can put it on an AMEX which adds 1 year warranty as well.
 
Misgreen said:
However, the MBP's legacy of issues is scaring me. What does everyone think? I can't afford to buy a $1500 laptop every two years.
Click to expand...

You will never, ever, be free of issues with computers. Apple just happens to be a computer maker that has a reputation to uphold, hence the interesting, passionate, crazy, happy, angry, frustrated, elated responses you read on MR and other Apple related forums.

Nothingʻs perfect, including Apple, but (to Mac loyalists) the next best alternative is so far below the mark that itʻs simply not worth the consideration. You could say itʻs like choosing the lesser of two evils. 😉

Personally, Iʻve not had any major issues with the Macs Iʻve owned and itʻs been a great ride, but should they arise it wouldnʻt deter me from sticking with Apple.

At the end of the day, however good or bad Appleʻs been in maintaining their reputation. Iʻd rather be on the team that at least gives a whoot or is so defined by the reputation that they give a whoot that Iʻm hypnotized into thinking, Iʻm being taken care of. 😛

Iʻll never feel that way about Acer, Dell, HP, ASUS, Samsung, etc...
 
nobodyjustwalks said:
You will never, ever, be free of issues with computers. Apple just happens to be a computer maker that has a reputation to uphold, hence the interesting, passionate, crazy, happy, angry, frustrated, elated responses you read on MR and other Apple related forums.

Nothingʻs perfect, including Apple, but (to Mac loyalists) the next best alternative is so far below the mark that itʻs simply not worth the consideration. You could say itʻs like choosing the lesser of two evils. 😉

Personally, Iʻve not had any major issues with the Macs Iʻve owned and itʻs been a great ride, but should they arise it wouldnʻt deter me from sticking with Apple.

At the end of the day, however good or bad Appleʻs been in maintaining their reputation. Iʻd rather be on the team that at least gives a whoot or is so defined by the reputation that they give a whoot that Iʻm hypnotized into thinking, Iʻm being taken care of. 😛

Iʻll never feel that way about Acer, Dell, HP, ASUS, Samsung, etc...
Click to expand...

I agree with some of this. No computer company sells 100% of their computers bug free.

And yes, Apple's service is phenomenal. Apple truly wants you to be happy. They work with you until you are. I don't think other brands even have service? I certainly never called HP or Compaq for anything when I had windows.

I will say you are indirectly paying for that service. Personally, I'd rather pay $500 for a PC no service then $1500 for a Mac with service.

But that's not true for everyone. Some people like Whole Foods because, while it costs more, the "experience" is superior to Walmarts. They smile at you, greet you, cut your meat perfect, treat you like a king, and basically never say no to anything you want. At walmart, don't even bother asking. lol. But it's a lot cheaper. You'll walk out with more $ in your pocket.
 
Relative to the high purchase price my experience doesn't indicate that Apple is any better than a quality model like the long lasting ThinkPads we have at work.

I like my Macs so I'm willing to pay the premium. But they do run hotter by design, are easily scratched, and are missing some common standard features like the absence of cellular connectivity and a selection of ports. They don't have spill proof keyboards like ThinkPads and the list goes on...
 
To add a little more perspective to this thread:

I own the original 13" MBP retina from 2012, 8GB/256GB. It's been dropped twice (I used to keep it on the couch arm rest; I know, i know), one time landing on its lid that I had to "twist" the lid back into alignment. It's even had Jamba Juice Mango-A-Go-Go spilled on it. The keys would stick so I hit the keyboard with MAF cleaner and let it drip dry. Not for the faint of heart btw. MAF cleaner swells whatever is under the keys and my MBP had unpressable keys for about half hour.

Here it is still (functionally) perfect. No hanging beach balls, no random crashes, no display artifacts, it does everything I need it to and the battery still holds 6400mAh+. It's the most quality hardware and software combo I've experienced. My computer ownership includes 4 work laptops (PC), 2 personal laptops (PC), a 2006 MB and this 2012 MBP.

I have 0% hesitation on what I'm buying next when it's time to replace this machine.
 
Misgreen said:
I'm currently in the market for a new Apple laptop. I have a late 2011 15" MBP. It served me well for a couple of years, but now it runs really hot and sounds like a plane is taking off. I've heard of other 2011 models having this problem as well as the new rMBPs having display problems. And then there were all the MBPs that had the video problems.

I'm depating upgrading to either the 13" MBA or the 13" rMBP. There are definitely benefits to the retina display as well as some increased power behind the system. However, the MBP's legacy of issues is scaring me. What does everyone think? I can't afford to buy a $1500 laptop every two years.
Click to expand...

Nearly all of the issues with logic board problems on MBP and MBPrs is with the 15 inch model, and then those with the discrete GPUs. The 13 inch MBPr, and the MBA DO NOT have discrete GPUs. For that reason, I'd say you're pretty safe getting one and having it be reliable.
 
If MacBook pros really had such problems would Apple be one of the largest companies in America?

Also people are much more inclined to post about their negative experiences than they are with their positive ones. You should be just fine with any current laptop you find from Apple
 
My mid-2009 13" MBP had some issues, but I had AppleCare on it, and Apple consistently offered free repairs for over four years. Basically it had a recurring sleep/wake issue that led to a lot of hard restarts and friend SATA cables. The only thing I ever paid for was a RAM upgrade and a new battery. It's still going as my secondary machine at almost six years old.

Now my late-2013 13" rMBP has had none of the display issues and runs as well as it did it of the box at launch. It had the trackpad issue and has some wifi trouble now, but I believe that's a software issue. Hopefully 10.10.3 fixes it finally. Once I get wifi to connect it's perfect.
 
3 iPhones, 4 Macs, 4 iPads with none of the issues people complain about on the forum.

Most people come to a forum seeking help for issues. It's like going to a hospital and concluding that there must be an epidemic in the general population because it's full of sick people.
 
I love my early 2013. I installed the qcard upgrade to gain wireless AC. Since then, yosemite has been behaving nicely. The screen needed replaced early on and they did it without trouble. I locked down the firmware, stupidly, and they removed the lock for free. Every experience with them has been amazing, rivaled only by getting a surface at the microsoft store.

However, the mac was more reliable than the surface, so guess which got returned?
 
Hieveryone said:
That way, if there's problems, at least you'll have a load of cash in your pocket to feel better about. "My PC crashed today, but I've got $1,100 bucks in my pocket woohoo" Is a lot better than "My graphics card failed, too bad I spent $1500 on this"
Click to expand...

With all due respect, your advice is absolutely ridiculous. A PC that costs $1100 less is not only much more likely to develop an issue, but its also borderline unusable for any serious work. I need my laptop to pack a punch, have great ergonomics and mobility, and excellent battery life. In that regard, Apple computers are among the most flexible on the market.

Bottomline: I (and my employer) are not rich enough to waste money on cheap equipment. Cost of labour (+comfort) >>>> cost of hardware. This is why we buy the hardware that actually increases the work efficiency.
 
leman said:
With all due respect, your advice is absolutely ridiculous. A PC that costs $1100 less is not only much more likely to develop an issue, but its also borderline unusable for any serious work. I need my laptop to pack a punch, have great ergonomics and mobility, and excellent battery life. In that regard, Apple computers are among the most flexible on the market.

Bottomline: I (and my employer) are not rich enough to waste money on cheap equipment. Cost of labour (+comfort) >>>> cost of hardware. This is why we buy the hardware that actually increases the work efficiency.
Click to expand...

Well since you've never owned one, how would you know?

I've owned not 1, but 2 cheap PCs that worked FLAWLESS for years. I also know people who have as well.

So this notion that expensive = better is misleading the OP and 100% false.

To the OP, try out a cheap PC. Trust me, I've owned Macs and cheap PCs and I'd rather have the cash in my pocket because the PCs did everything I needed them to do.
 
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