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MBP purchase/plans

  • purchased a new 13

    Votes: 88 43.6%
  • purchased a 15

    Votes: 75 37.1%
  • purchased a 17

    Votes: 6 3.0%
  • none: waiting for a 13 updated

    Votes: 33 16.3%

  • Total voters
    202

tim100

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 25, 2009
1,368
0
alot of threads about the 13 MBP. all macbooks, expect the air, have been updated. did you not buy a 13 or you will not buy a 13 because it did not get updated to an i3/5/7?
 
I will not buy a 13" because of the glass screen - i3 or C2D. The i3s don't benchmark much higher than the last C2Ds anyway, right? Hate to go bigger just for a matte screen, but at least the weight isn't that much more because they leave the glass off. 13" matte I'd be all over. Well okay, I guess the i5 is nice too :p
 
It's the low screen resolution that kept me away from the 13". If they had a hi-res version of the 13" I would have definately considered it.
 
I bought my 13 (arrived today actually) because it's all I needed. This is not my main computer and I bought it basically to learn OSX, expand my IT support knowledge and have a portable travelling machine. At most I will be doing light Steam gaming, nothing demanding enough to warrant an i5 (or waiting for a small upgrade to i3) and $600 more out of my pocket.

Do I dislike the resolution? Yes
do I dislike the older processor? Yes
do I dislike the lack of AG? You bet

but I bought based on what I needed, not what I wanted. Getting an MBP with those 3 "issues" fixed would have cost me an extra $800 for a HR-AG 15.
 
I bought the current 13" MBP to use as a "small grab & go" laptop for those times I want more resources than my MBA has.

That said, to those who are thinking of buying one, these are very good models. The C2D has served me well over the year or so that I used one in my prior 15" mid 2009 MBP. Why wait? If you have a need now, buy one. When it comes to laptops, product cycles are short. Whatever you buy will be obsolete in a matter of months anyway.
 
I would have bought one, had I not already had my computer. I could care less C2D or i3/i5/iWhatever. Yes the iX series is a bit faster, save the i3s really, but I don't need any super fast processor. I love my glossy screen (although I would consider AG if they put silver/gray rubber seal around the screen rather than black, that just bothers me for whatever reason), and I think it's got the right res for me, especially for a smaller screen (mind you, I use an external at 1680x1050). I can definitely see the use for AG and possibly hi-res, although 1440x900 isn't particularly high resolution, I just don't personally need it.
 
I ended up buying one. The resolution is fine for me and my needs, plus the size is a definite strong point for both portability and just form-factor.

As for the Core 2 Duo, I also view that as a plus. I'm coming off of a significantly higher powered Sony Vaio with a Core i7, 330M, 6GB RAM, etc. The machine ran hot, the fans were blowing, it throttled horribly on battery and whatnot.

The 25W C2D in this machine is plenty powerful for my needs, along with the 320M. I'm much happier that I got the balance of a cool running CPU along with moderate graphics performance, as opposed to a barely faster Core i3 and gimped Intel graphics. This machine runs well on tried and tested hardware, and I don't feel like I'm missing out one bit.
 
There isn't any lag when I'm using the computer. So i'm not sure how else the i Core processor would've helped me. Infact I took the 2.4 Ghz option, not the 2.66. And I still don't feel any slowdowns.

Does the basic stuff extremely well!! Well suited for my needs.
 
There isn't any lag when I'm using the computer. So i'm not sure how else the i Core processor would've helped me.
Precisely!

Most people do not need the "maximum speed" possible, all too often it's simply too easy to get caught up in the desiring the "latest". It's how they market to us. The bottom line from my perspective, is the current 13" C2D MacBook Pro is a fine machine... :)
 
Pentium 3 is a fine machine too, but i wouldn't pay over 1000 dollars for it just because it fits my need.
 
i am still currently undecided. my coworkers are getting crazy about my indecision :D

i am doubting between waiting for the 2011 iX MBP13 or getting a Envy14. The MBP15 is also high on my decision list until i today i realised it is more then an iPad more expensive then the MBP13 and i think i'd rather have an iPad + iPhone HD + MBP13 for the same money as an MBP15.

i just know one thing for sure (well more actually, but just 1 with regard to this subject), i won't pay €1150 for a 2010 MBP13, no matter if people like it or not. heck it doesnt even win the slim&light award on notebookreview, having the asus ul30 or so beat it.
 
Pentium 3 is a fine machine too, but i wouldn't pay over 1000 dollars for it just because it fits my need.

uhhh core 2 duo can not be compared to that, and your telling me you would pay under $1000 for one? cause I would not use a free P3 laptop.
 
errtt that's the entire point..not paying premium for 2007 tech. when it is time to replace it in let's say 4 years the p8600 will be like a p3 today.....which you wouldn't use free....
 
I bought the current 13" MBP to use as a "small grab & go" laptop for those times I want more resources than my MBA has.

That said, to those who are thinking of buying one, these are very good models. The C2D has served me well over the year or so that I used one in my prior 15" mid 2009 MBP. Why wait? If you have a need now, buy one. When it comes to laptops, product cycles are short. Whatever you buy will be obsolete in a matter of months anyway.

you have both a new 15 and 13?
 
I'm not going for a 13" Macbook because the screen is way too tiny for my tastes. I do a lot of graphic/web design work and like to have as much screen as possible. I'd hate to downgrade from the resolution I get with my 15" PC laptop.
 
I'm not going for a 13" Macbook because the screen is way too tiny for my tastes. I do a lot of graphic/web design work and like to have as much screen as possible. I'd hate to downgrade from the resolution I get with my 15" PC laptop.

You do that on the go?? An external display could easily solve that problem and save you hundreds :)
 
i wouldnt hook up a notebook to a display thats what an imac is for
 
Most people do not need the "maximum speed" possible, all too often it's simply too easy to get caught up in the desiring the "latest". It's how they market to us.

Very true what you've written there. The marketing is very good and for me, I get caught up in the numbers games of wanting the fastest/latest notebook.

I just happened to notice in your sig that you have the 15" MBP i7... :p
 
I just bought a new 13" MBP. I waited for the refresh and was a little disappointed in what was available, but in the end the 13" was the right choice.

I've owned a 15" before and I've had the 17" for the last 4 years or so. Although I really wanted to go with an i7 (I do graphic design, video editing, and use Pro Tools), my 2.16 C2C 17" handled all that stuff just great so I had to base my decision on what was the most important factor -- portability.

At first I thought the 13" display would just be too small for the work I do, but it actually turned out to be just fine. The resolution seems about right for the screen size, too. I absolutely hated my 17" MBP just because of the size -- it was virtually impossible to carry it anywhere. And although the 15" was a little better, it again came down to the compactness of the 13".

Since I plan on holding onto this laptop for at least another 4 or 5 years, my intention is to upgrade the ram and the HD to an SSD maybe a year from now once the prices have come down some more. That way, it will hopefully feel like I'm getting a substantial enough boost to feel like a new machine.
 
I just bought a new 13" MBP. I waited for the refresh and was a little disappointed in what was available, but in the end the 13" was the right choice.

I've owned a 15" before and I've had the 17" for the last 4 years or so. Although I really wanted to go with an i7 (I do graphic design, video editing, and use Pro Tools), my 2.16 C2C 17" handled all that stuff just great so I had to base my decision on what was the most important factor -- portability.

At first I thought the 13" display would just be too small for the work I do, but it actually turned out to be just fine. The resolution seems about right for the screen size, too. I absolutely hated my 17" MBP just because of the size -- it was virtually impossible to carry it anywhere. And although the 15" was a little better, it again came down to the compactness of the 13".

Since I plan on holding onto this laptop for at least another 4 or 5 years, my intention is to upgrade the ram and the HD to an SSD maybe a year from now once the prices have come down some more. That way, it will hopefully feel like I'm getting a substantial enough boost to feel like a new machine.

my concern is c2d macbook pro is short one year on how long I would keep it. i7 will last and be useful at least a year after c2d becomes obsolete. c2d is last years tech. next year i7 will be replaced by something better and c2d will be even older.

what are the odds of mba getting ulv i7?
http://gizmodo.com/5553902/wwdc-here-comes-the-new-iphone-but-what-else
 
I bought the least expensive 13" MBP because of size, my computing habits, and a sudden need to replace a HP notebook that died unexpectedly on me. Furthermore, I choose the 2.4 GHz 13" MBP over it’s more expensive 2.66 GHz because I didn’t see much benefit that the 2.66 has over the 2.4 with respect to my computing needs.

In fact, I probably could have done just fine with a 32 GB wi-fi iPad but I like to multitask and have ready-access to a DVD drive.
 
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