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Buy now or wait a year

M

Meever

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 30, 2009
641
30
I'd like to buy a macbook. I can't stand the windows environment anymore! Especially in laptops. With desktops you can build yourself a unnecessarily powerful rig that'll run Windows well, but with laptops.... you really can't do all that much without alot of work, warranty voiding and expensive components.

I borrowed a unibody Macbook for a few weeks and it was.... friggen awesome.
ANYways, that's needless backstory.

I was wondering if I should get a macbook pro 13" or 15" now or wait a year?

Laptop technology is constantly moving forward but next year seems to be kind of a big hurdle.

USB 3.0 and the new intel processors are coming out right?

Would it be smarter to just hold out a year hoping for i3 and USB 3.0? Or should I just buy a mac now?
 
Usb 3.0 wont be in Macs till like 2013.

As to the new Intel processors, they would likely come out by next year, so if you can wait, wait for them to come out.
 
Buy when you need to buy
If you don't need to buy now... wait
If you need the computer now, then waiting is not an option

Make the best decision with the information you have at the time and don't second guess yourself with information you didn't have

USB 3 is still a ways away on the Mac I would think
Besides, it will take a while before anything will utilize it

Nobody can answer this question for you
It will be your own personal decision
But just realize, once you buy... they will update soon... regardless of when you buy

Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
 
Rule of thumb.

Buy what you need wait for what you want.

No one knows when new features such as USB3 will be introduced. And by then we may see FW3200. Who knows?

It's up to you.
 
MacDawg said:
Make the best decision with the information you have at the time and don't second guess yourself with information you didn't have
Click to expand...

Words of wisdom, MacDawg. I would add that when you buy, your machine doesn't stop working or doing what you bought it for when a newer machine is released.
 
So no USB3 for a while..... hmmm.... Well, I'd really like a mac now, the laptop I'm using is frustratingly sluggish and technically already has a new owner.

Does anyone know if i3 is going to be way better? Is it going to be quad core? Is OSX going to utilize the multicore?
 
They just upgraded the MBPs so if that is what you are looking for now seems to be a good time to buy. If you wait a year will it be outdated, yes, but if you wait a year will your old computer drive you up a wall? That is the question you have to ask yourself...will a new computer now really help me or if i wait will it not make much difference. Another thing to consider...what if you wait a year and there are no major upgrades, you buy one and then they make a major upgrade? The advance of now is that the just did the upgrade (semi-major) so you wont have something too dramatic for awhile i think.
 
Wait until you can't wait anymore!

I waited about a year for my first Macbook pro! I got the first release of the 15" unibody Macbook pro! I was glad I waited, but I was also saving while doing it.

Once you have made the decision to buy, wait until the next refresh if you can. Which is what I did.

They were just updated about a month ago, so if you are buying now would be the time.

Only you can make the decision! I have been happy with my purchase!
 
On top of the good advice given so far, I'd like you to ask yourself this:

You used a MacBook for a few weeks and said it was awesome. During those weeks of use, was it too slow? If it wasn't, then why are you worried at all? Buy it today.
 
Futureproofing is impossible in the laptop market. Especially this day and age, but I figured I'd ask around and see what was on the horizon. I know physically they won't be making any drastic changes for a while, but with all this rumor about new platforms and possibly changing to a new graphics card provider I figured I'd at least ask around before making my final decision.
 
Dude, just buy it now. I'm going to law school this fall, I'm typing this on an HP laptop I've had for nearly 5 years. This thing has been driving me off the wall for the past 2 to 3 years (since warranty expired, ugh). Sure, I COULD use this for law school. If I reformat and restore it'll do what I need. It'll run office apps, which is what I'll be using my laptop for in school anyways, primarily at least. So I COULD wait for quad cores, or usb 3, or until the cows come home...

But no way. I'm getting my mbp as soon as my *&^*ing check clears through the bank. Ugh, I won't be able to order probably until monday, my bank takes forever. I've been really pissy the past few days because of this delay.

But anyways, yeah, I'm getting the 2.26mbp w/ 4gigs. Why? Cuz this HP laptop is and has been turning me into Captain Insano for far too long. For what I'll be using it for, 2 cores will be plenty for me for the next 3 years. My only thing is now I'm just wondering if I should get the white one instead. I've been hearing the aluminums dent really really easily and I'm getting paranoid/worried. The way some people talk about it, it's like the mbp is this delicate fragile thing that will bend on touch. I plan to get an invisible shield, actually, I already ordered it. So if I go with the white one I'll have to send it back. ugh. But the shield should be here next tuesday or wednesday.

God, I'm waiting for that too. It's shipped from zagg, ups ground, and it says it'll take a week to arrive. Shipped already from Utah, coming out to PA. Delivery date of the 14th I believe. Wow is UPS slow. I should have gone for Fedex.

Also, apple customer service is really amazing. I called and talked to a guy and we've been chatting about my questions and such over email. He's great. When I spoke to him on the phone, he asked me why I was switching, and as I've used windows since 3.1, I gave him the rundown. He was impressed and we talked for a good 15/20 minutes minimum about how great these mac machines really are. He was just an awesome rep. He also said something about throwing in free express shipping (is that 2 day shipping or something?). Anyways, you're definitely going to love the customer service pre-sale. And I've heard they're great post-sale too.

And I know it's generally better to buy in the store, but the closest one to me is 3 hours away in Pittsburgh. Won't actually be there though until law school starts next month. And I'd like to get my machine ASAP to get used to all the changes so I'm not wondering how to do things with my computer while starting back up in school.

Anyone have any comments on the mbp denting thing though? I'm kind of sad cuz now I'm thinking I may have to go with just the whitebook when I really did want that mbp. :(
 
I guess the question really is, do you really need USB3 and a quad core CPU? You said you borrowed a Macbook and it was friggin awesome. What made it not awesome enough to buy now?

I guess I don't see why you'd need USB3 or a quad core notebook.
 
Well it's a long term investment. I remember having to use a USB1.0 after USB2.0 became mainstream. It was painful. I do a lot of raw editing and it'd be friggen awesome knowing that like a year and a half from now my downtime (waiting for my data to load) could be seconds opposed to minutes.

The Quad core? yeah, no real biggie for me, but who wouldn't want a cooler lappie that runs longer?
 
Meever said:
Futureproofing is impossible in the laptop market.
Click to expand...
Yes, technology changes quickly.

However, just because something new comes out doesn't mean that your current system no longer works. My 5 plus year old PowerBook 15 and my 7 year old PowerMac work just fine.
 
I don't get the whole USB 3.0 hype. The only thing that will benefit is external hd and Firewire 800/esata already saturate a regular drive...and USB by design eats more CPU than firewire or esata. So..when usb 3 comes out I'd prob still recommend esata or firewire anyways.
 
Freyqq said:
I don't get the whole USB 3.0 hype. The only thing that will benefit is external hd and Firewire 800/esata already saturate a regular drive...and USB by design eats more CPU than firewire or esata. So..when usb 3 comes out I'd prob still recommend esata or firewire anyways.
Click to expand...

Well the jump to USB 2 was significant; I suppose it's just the idea that the jump to 3.0 will be as good. It's not just hard drives though - it's iPods and flash drives and all that, but the thing about it is we'll need to buy all new of those things to benefit too, so it's not worth holding out on the computer side for I think.

Lots of great advice in here though. It's a personal thing and it sounds like you've got your heart set on it now. By the time the new chips and USB 3 are on Macs there'll be something else on the horizon that people want. Ask yourself if the features now are worth having to you. For example, the new battery in the MBPs really pushed me to buy now because it's something I will make plenty of use of in the coming year, whereas I wouldn't the following year so much.
 
Meever said:
So no USB3 for a while..... hmmm.... Well, I'd really like a mac now, the laptop I'm using is frustratingly sluggish and technically already has a new owner.

Does anyone know if i3 is going to be way better? Is it going to be quad core? Is OSX going to utilize the multicore?
Click to expand...

What i3; what's all this i3 nonsense?! We're not getting i3; we're getting i7!

Screw Clarksfield, we're getting Arrandale.
 
To the OP. As a recent Switcher I can only say... Go for it! Buy the MBP! Stop your suffering man. I have the 15-inch MBP / 2.66GHz / 9600M GT and it is the single best computer I have ever had. It's brilliant, best choice ever. :cool:

As for waiting for USB3. What for? Seriously, you have Firewire 800 on MBP - how about 15GB in ~5 Minutes. Sweet, right? :)
 
Hellhammer said:
Arrandale is i3? Or did I miss your point totally?
Click to expand...

Arrandale's i7, I thought... :confused:

Clarksfield is i3... :confused:

See, THIS is why you say, "Hey, there, Intel, you fricking suck at naming things. I'm just going to go ahead and use your codenames to talk about your products, because, gee, not only is your marketing department a bunch of idiots, you keep CHANGING your useless product names, and now you have laptop chips being called the same thing as your enthusiast desktop chips."
 
Just don't buy when there are imminent upgrades (check the buyer's guide), otherwise, as you'll be reminded constantly here, you'll be waiting.... FOREVER!!!!!!
 
jackc said:
Just don't buy when there are imminent upgrades (check the buyer's guide), otherwise, as you'll be reminded constantly here, you'll be waiting.... FOREVER!!!!!!
Click to expand...

So never buy a monitor, huh. :D Oh, and you only have a seven month window to buy a Mac Mini, as they're updated every two or so years. :p

The Buyer's Guide is NOT a flagship of accuracy.

Just know these things:

iPhone in July
iPods in September
Notebooks in September/October*
iMacs in November/May*
Mac Pro every year and a quarter*
Mac Mini when someone at Apple accidentally finds the page on the website*

*All computer updates are completely tied into the existence of chips from Intel. There can be NO updates without chips; end of story. iPods are set in stone.
 
Tallest Skil said:
Arrandale's i7, I thought... :confused:

Clarksfield is i3... :confused:

See, THIS is why you say, "Hey, there, Intel, you fricking suck at naming things. I'm just going to go ahead and use your codenames to talk about your products, because, gee, not only is your marketing department a bunch of idiots, you keep CHANGING your useless product names, and now you have laptop chips being called the same thing as your enthusiast desktop chips."
Click to expand...

I agree with you, those code names sucks. I think even Intel does not know what are their products code names. Here is an article from Wikipedia, quite a mess, thought. It says Clarksfield and Lynnfield are both Core i7 but Q3 '09 Lynnfield is Core i5 :confused: What a mess...
 
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