Buying advice for a Switcher

[MacTime]

I am switching from Dell to Apple and I am getting a laptop. That much is clear to me. My use: graphics such as Publisher for making my own greeting cards, internet surfing and writing.

I think I am going to go with a refurbished MBP 15" and here are the specs:
Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
15.4-inch widescreen display
2GB memory
200GB hard drive
8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB of GDDR3 memory

I am looking for feedback on this - does it seem sufficient? I have a backup HD with 500GB so hd room is not an issue.

Then I figured I would get an Airport Extreme, applecare, and iwork.
Do I have to buy Windows xp to run the one windows program I have? Is it better to get Parallels?

Any tips appreciated. Thanks!

 

[xhambonex]

Thats a great computer and will do everything you want it to do. A higher end macbook would work too, but I like MBP. You can buy parallels, and it will work for most of the programs you'll probably want to run. Since you probably don't want to reboot between two partitions all the time. I would recommend parallels for you. I use bootcamp because I will be doing 3d rendering and modeling on my XP side, parallels would have a tough time handling that.

 

[dacreativeguy]

That machine is overkill for what you need but if that's what you want, get it. If you are buying the refurb from the Apple site you should buy it quickly. Refurbs don't last long there.

 

[7031]

Like has just been said, the MBP is a complete overkill. What you want to do would be perfectly feasible with the baseline Macbook.

Don't spend more money than you need to.

 

[MacTime]

Thanks. I have been given all kinds of advice - MB is sufficient and then that MB has some problems with the memory attached to the motherboard making it run slower, etc.

I am going to look at the MB again...
Joanie

 

[MacTime]

So, with MB, do you think this is sufficient, or should I up the memory now...?

* 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
* 250GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
* SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

Appreciate the feedback. Joanie

 

[surferfromuk]

If you can afford it get the MBP - if only for the great graphics card.

Don't care what anyone say's - shunting large images around the screen uses the graphics card - plus you'll be ready for CS4 which will use Core graphics GPU for real-time filters in Photoshop (pixelmator already does this and it's a revolution - you should check it out if your creating image's )

Plus it'll last a lot longer and the extra screen space does make all the difference - and it's got Firewire 800 and firewire 400...oh and the backlit keyboard means you can use it in low light (I never thought the backlit keyboard would be worth a bean but it's just invaluable)

 

[CWallace]

There is "overkill" and there is "overkill".

I just bought a 15" MBP with exact specs you are looking at. It replaces a 2.0GHz Core Duo MacBook I upgraded to 2GB of RAM and a 120GB HDD.

Why did I buy a new laptop? I wanted 802.11n.

Why did I pay $600 more for an MBP then an equivalent MB? Future-proofing.

I don't play many games, but one that I do really needs the dedicated GPU. Also, the next version of PhotoShop can leverage that GPU for better performance and the Core technologies likely also perform a bit better. I also like the larger screen (and the footprint/weight is not much greater for it). And FW800 makes my external HDDs a bit faster for data transfer. And the ExpressCard slot means that if new features come out (eSATA, WiMax, etc.) I can likely add them to my MBP.

I don't expect to get a new laptop for at least three years and hopefully longer. As such, I feel spending an extra 25% now is cheaper then spending an extra 100+% later should the MB not have the legs I expected...

 

[Eric.]

Do I have to buy Windows xp to run the one windows program I have? Is it better to get Parallels?

Any tips appreciated. Thanks!

You still have to buy XP if you use Parallels. I'm not sure if you knew that or not but your wording made it sound like you didn't.

 

[agentphish]

Buy that refurb. It's a great machine that will last you a long time.

Definitely get Applecare.

No matter which machine you get, max out your ram to 4gb from www.macsales.com (because it's really cheap right now) and you'll be as future proofed as you can be.

Maybe you see yourself getting more into graphics/video etc...then the MBP is probably a good choice. If you don't see yourself getting into that stuff, you could shoot for the top of the line macbook, but I think overall the build quality and everything is better on the MBP...

That said you might want to wait until after June 9 to see what, if anything, apple does to the MacBooks because you might just want to get a new one at that point.

 

[alphaod]

No matter which machine you get, max out your ram to 4gb from www.macsales.com (because it's really cheap right now) and you'll be as future proofed as you can be.

I have always agreed going future-proof is nice, but 2GB of RAM is enough, especially since the MB is already adequeate; why spend the extra money on memory you'll never use?

That said, if you do want the upgrade, I would say this is the best deal:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227247

It's sold ATM 'cause it's such a steal!

 

[amac4me]

First off ... congrats on your decision to switch.

I'd say the model will suit you fine. I own a 15" MBP (Penryn) and couldn't be happier. It's a great machine. Upping the memory to 4GB isn't very costly. I bought a 4GB kit from Crucial.com for $100. I run XP (when I work from home) via VMWare Fusion.

Good luck with your purchase and switch!