Considering upgrading to a MacBook Pro

[GrimmPenguin]

I currently have a black MacBook, the last model they made, and I'm considering taking advantage of the college student deal they have going on right now and buying one of the 13" model MacBook Pro's.

I have a couple of things to consider first:
1) Which model:
The only difference between the $1,099 and the $1,399 model is a slight bump in processor speed and a 70GB difference in hard drive space. To me, that doesn't seem like a legitimate reason to pay $300 dollars more for the next model up. Is that small of a bump up in processor speed really noticeable? I wish they would have put and i5 or i7 processor in them or something... not C2D.

2)Is it really worth it?
Should I stick with my MacBook for now and wait until later to get a newer model laptop down the road, or is this a pretty good idea? The more time passes, the lower resale value my MacBook has. Is there enough of a difference between my MacBook and the MacBook Pro models in terms of performance and quality that will make the transition worthwhile?

Thanks for all your help in advance!

 

[jbyun04]

I say if you have the money now, maximize what you can get for your Macbook. As for the differences in the two 13" models, it depends on what you're doing on your computer. If I really needed more power, I would opt for the base 15" so if you're doing basic stuff, not graphic intensive, definitely go for the 13" base.

 

[sidesh0w]

My idea is to buy an iPod and get a rebate on it, and then turn around and sell the iPod for close to it's retail value since it will be brand new.

Just remember that there's jillions of people eligible for the rebate, and it may actually drive down second-hand ipod prices, at least temporarily. Check craigslist et al to see how much they're selling for at the moment.

 

[jolawson]

I went with the base 13" MBP. You can upgrade the HD and the RAM later on, at a cheaper price. I dont game or anything like that, so mine is mainly used for business and home use. It will be more than enough for the normal user.

 

[runebinder]

1, $300 for a 260MHz CPU boost and a 70GB HDD increase is most definitely not worth it. Put the money towards an SSD and upgrade it yourself. That will give you a way bigger performance increase.

2, Is it worth it? Suppose it all comes down to what you use it for and is your current MacBook still sufficient for your needs?

If it isn't then yes the 13" would be a good upgrade, don't know much about the Black MacBooks but guessing you have an Intel IGP? The Nvidia 320M is going to be much better so if you use it for anything graphically you'll notice the difference, and if we do finally see some OpenCL apps it'll give you a nice performance boost.

Plus you have the option to upgrade to 8GB of RAM down the road, faster bus speed etc, better display and MiniDisplay port now supports audio as well so good for hooking up to a TV with the right adapter. Then there's the claimed 10 hour battery life. So I reckon if you can afford it go for it.

Who knows when the next refresh will be? It was a lot later than most of us expected for the last one and that was only 2 months ago, could be another 8 months or so for all we know.

 

[jackiecanev2]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3Gs: Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A293 Safari/6531.22.7)

What kind of work do you use your computer for, and is there a reason you need to upgrade? If you just want one, then it doesn't matter... But I'd your current computer suits you fine then I'd say keep it until it's not enough for what you do. There's always something better coming, forever and ever and ever.

 

[GrimmPenguin]

I don't know... the idea of better battery life and a backlit keyboard almost just seem to do it for me. They aren't a necessity, but it would be nice.

Another thing is, I thought that this would be a good way for me to build credit (if I can get approved for the "12 months no interest card" that is). August will be the start of my first year in college, and I thought that taking advantage of the college student discount by selling the "free" iPod in conjunction with selling my current MacBook would be a great way to pay off a laptop without putting me too much in the hole while building credit as well.

 

[FieryFurnace]

Your MacBook will probably be fine for college. What's your major?
I was using my MacBook C2D 2.1Ghz,X3100 with CS4 and it did all I ever wanted: Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Flash and inDesign.

If you just want something new and a little faster (depending on your use), go for the new MBP! I can totally understand that!

 

[EasyJW]

Go with the base and upgrade if the need be