Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Comparing MBP 13 inch

M

macappletex

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 18, 2009
35
0
I need to buy my son a new MBP for college-he is an architecture major. We are doing the education pricing. We waited for the new line to come out. I would like to buy a 15 inch but by the time I add 750 hard drive and at least 8 gb of ram the price is getting out of reach ( plus AppleCare and 1 to 1)! Not even considering the new Retina screen model-too much. I've compared the two new 13 inch MBP and configuring both machines to the above specs and the difference is about $100 more for the i7. Is it worth the additional money? Are there any 15 inch previous models left in stores for decent discounts? Can't find any in the Apple online store. Any suggestions are welcome.
 
Check the Apple Refurbished store for some deals on previous gen models:

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_pro

I'm not sure I would buy a 13" Macbook Pro at this point unless you really need the disc drive built in. You can get a new 13" Air for the same price. It's thinner, lighter, has a higher resolution screen, and will be faster in day to day tasks because of the SSD.

If you think a dedicated graphics card and a large amount of storage would be better, a refurbished early or late 2011 15" model should be great.

Apple refurbished computers come with the same 1 year warranty as new computers, and you can buy the extended AppleCare too. They're basically indistinguishable from new machines except that they come in a different box.
 
For an architecture major student a bigger screen will work out so much better than a smaller screen. With saying that 15" has a better graphic card which will help your son on 3D modellings and stuff(13" has a great performance too but I'm not sure about the graphics tho).
macappletex said:
I need to buy my son a new MBP for college-he is an architecture major. We are doing the education pricing. We waited for the new line to come out. I would like to buy a 15 inch but by the time I add 750 hard drive and at least 8 gb of ram the price is getting out of reach ( plus AppleCare and 1 to 1)! Not even considering the new Retina screen model-too much. I've compared the two new 13 inch MBP and configuring both machines to the above specs and the difference is about $100 more for the i7. Is it worth the additional money? Are there any 15 inch previous models left in stores for decent discounts? Can't find any in the Apple online store. Any suggestions are welcome.
Click to expand...
 
Definitely need the hd space for software and projects in his major. I've been looking at the refurb store-bought there before with some great deals! My thinking is that this will be the last computer I buy him and it needs to last at least 4 years and I'm thinking that the latest specs ( no matter how small) would be the most beneficial. I would love to buy a 15 inch MBP!
 
For his needs, I would lean towards a 15" Or, the 13" + External Monitor combo.

Besides checking the Apple store, keep an eye on Macmall and Amazon :)

Finally, I agree that the Retina MBP pricing is pure extortion! :eek: and adds nothing of real value except bragging rights!
 
Looking at this 15 inch MBP in refurb store--Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.2GHz quad-core Intel i7-4gb plus 750gb hd--price $1529. I would need to upgrade his memory but that is easier done plus cheaper on my own. How does this machine compare to 13 inch i7? Not good with tech specs
 
The 13" Macbook Pros all have dual core processors. That 15" has a quad core processor, should be much faster in certain applications. The graphics card will also outperform the 13" Pro's integrated graphics.
 
That makes sense to me now! Thanks Stetrain! I wonder how much yesterday's 15 inch MBP will be discounted now? Do Apple Stores carry any now that new models have come out?
 
macappletex said:
That makes sense to me now! Thanks Stetrain! I wonder how much yesterday's 15 inch MBP will be discounted now? Do Apple Stores carry any now that new models have come out?
Click to expand...

You might be able to get one at an Apple Store or a reseller like Best Buy. The Apple Certified Refurbs are pretty good deals though.
 
Just looked at MacMall and refurb is still a better deal than their new discounted price on 15 MBP. The only thing I regret (that is my son) is he loses out on the $100 back to school iTunes card! :eek:
 
Looking at two refurbed 15 MBP i7's-identical in everything except size of hd. One was released in Feb '11 and one in Oct '11-what would be the difference?
 
Yeah! This is driving me nuts! I was already to buy the new 13 MBP i7 and now I think a slightly older 15 MBP i7 is better deal-considering my sons's major choice of architecture. I was a little disappointed in the upgrades for 13 inch and appalled at pricing on the "new" 15!
 
Wait until August for the new chassis to come out. Then buy. It will be at least a pound lighter.
 
Why not add new chassis now? August is only 6 weeks away! Didn't think a new body style would come out that quickly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back