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Don't flame, bro. :)

D

DriesDude

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 19, 2011
13
0
Hey guys. I've been lurking around on this forum for a month or so but this is my first post. :)

Anyway, I have a story and I want your opinion on it. I'm not looking for the regular "If you can wait, wait. If you can't, buy now." because I feel that this case is specifically different from others.
For the past +2 months, I've been anticipating on buying the next generation MacBook Pro 13-inch to replace my old Dell laptop. It has been a huge pain waiting, not (only) because I want the new computer, but also because my current one is literally falling apart. The screen is loosely attached by 1 hinge, I have to hold it up most of the time. Random wires are sticking out. The whole bezel came off. It's really beyond all imagination, everyone who sees it can't help but stare for half a minute. It looks like I dropped it but I didn't, it's just from regular usage. I don't know how this ever happened, I'm always extremely careful with my gadgets, but it did and it's not the point of my post here.

This laptop will have to last at least 5 years, and that's part of the reason I'm going with the (sturdy) aluminium MacBook Pro. However, today reports have turned up saying that Intel is recalling Sandy Bridge chipsets, the ones who would allegedly end up in MacBook Pros, because they were all faulty. The thing that bothers me about this is that not only I'll have to try to keep my current laptop alive for even longer (maybe even several months), it also opened my eyes: maybe instead of going for the newest tech, I should go with the things that have proven to work.

That said, I also don't want to settle for a Core 2 Duo processor, so my current plan is to wait until tomorrow to see for the last time if the MBPs get a refresh, and if they don't I'm going to pony up for the base 15-inch model.

Does this all make sense in my situation, or am I just overreacting to the Sandy Bridge recall news? What would you do? I'm sort of clueless here. This will be my first Mac and I want it to be absolutely awesome. :)

Oh, one last thing because I've often seen people ask this around this board: I use my computer mainly for internet, website development (including graphics) and a bit of gaming (Minecraft, Portal...).

Thank you very much in advance for the answers, please don't flame a newbie! ;)
 
Nothing wrong with a Core 2 Duo, but if you can wait, wait.

Really do whatever makes you feel better. There honestly isn't anything wrong with the current 13", besides a bit of price outdatedness.
 
GET OUT NOOB! NEWBIEEE!!!!

I am just joking. Welcome to Forum.

You should be very glad that intel caught this design flaw right before the general release. Other wise, it would have been much bigger issues.

Apple will not release any MBP until these sandy bridge issues are resolved.
Not sure exactly, what MBP you are trying to buy, but unless you are getting 13 inch, I would not worry too much.

13 inch MBP is the only MBP that is going to be affected most. While everyone is crying about their hate on Core 2 Duo, apple has to make a choice to either release 13 MBP with Core 2 Duo again soon, or delay MBP a little longer like until Summer.

Apple is always so careful about jumping into new technology and I expect they will take every pre-cautions about sandy bridge.
 
goMac said:
Nothing wrong with a Core 2 Duo, but if you can wait, wait.

Really do whatever makes you feel better. There honestly isn't anything wrong with the current 13", besides a bit of price outdatedness.
Click to expand...
Well, to tell you the truth it won't be me who will buy it: it'll be my parents. Now before everyone goes on a flame rage telling me how spoiled I am, I normally pay for my own gadgets. Everything I own is paid for by myself. This one laptop is the exception: my parents have always promised that they would buy me a computer one time and since I'm going to university next year I decided that this was the right time. :)

That said, it seems smarter in my case to get the 15-inch because it doesn't impact my own monies and I'll have better specs and more screen real-estate for graphic design.
 
DriesDude said:
Well, to tell you the truth it won't be me who will buy it: it'll be my parents. Now before everyone goes on a flame rage telling me how spoiled I am, I normally pay for my own gadgets. Everything I own is paid for by myself. This one laptop is the exception: my parents have always promised that they would buy me a computer one time and since I'm going to university next year I decided that this was the right time. :)

That said, it seems smarter in my case to get the 15-inch because it doesn't impact my own monies and I'll have better specs and more screen real-estate for graphic design.
Click to expand...

Go for the 15". my parents never bought me anything but an iPod Shuffle 1G. lol
If I had the money I would go for a 15" MBP over a MacBook. But it's all I can afford. Cool that your folks will do that for you. But, if you don't need an i5, get a C2D. There's nothing wrong with C2D's, yes there old but they still work great.
 
Thank you for all the kind replies guys! :D I think I'm going to stick to my plan then: I'll wait till tomorrow and buy the base 15-inch model, refresh or not. It feels good to say that after such a long wait. :)
 
DriesDude said:
Thank you for all the kind replies guys! :D I think I'm going to stick to my plan then: I'll wait till tomorrow and buy the base 15-inch model, refresh or not. It feels good to say that after such a long wait. :)
Click to expand...
Have fun with it and remember those of us still using PPC and pcs to get the job done till we can get a fine machine like that.
:cool:
 
I would definitely buy the 15" model. Especially if someone else agreed to pay for it. :D
 
DriesDude said:
Thank you for all the kind replies guys! :D I think I'm going to stick to my plan then: I'll wait till tomorrow and buy the base 15-inch model, refresh or not. It feels good to say that after such a long wait. :)
Click to expand...

Good plan. Regardless of the supposedly looming refresh, it's still a powerful machine, and for college uses, will be more than you should need.
 
macgeek18 said:
Have fun with it and remember those of us still using PPC and pcs to get the job done till we can get a fine machine like that.
:cool:
Click to expand...

Haha, will do! I know that I'm very lucky that my parents want to do this for me, it isn't exactly a cheap machine or so to speak. I'm obviously very grateful for this.

On a sidenote: the fact that you're still using PPC actually makes me confident that this is the laptop that'll get me all the way through university. I mean, if you're still actively using "old" (in tech-time) gear like that, it means that the build quality is excellent, and that's exactly what I need after this Dell nightmare. I suppose it's just a matter of perspective, really. :p
 
If you're only holding out for the latest processor, then I'd go ahead and get a MBP 15" now (probably refurbished through the Apple Store, if possible). More and more these processor jumps seem to make little difference in day-to-day performance of most tasks.

But, if you're like me and curious what kind of other improvements might be rolled out, like screen resolution, SSD and such, then wait.
 
i suggest you wait still because on the main page, it says that the faulty chipsets were for the imac and not the macbook pro.

i am in the same boat as you are, except my laptop is not falling apart but it really is just a piece of ****.

i have been waiting for months to get my new macbook pro, and a month or two longer won't be bad.

i really hope core 2 duo will be replaced with something else in the 13".
 
macgeek18 said:
Go for the 15".
Click to expand...

Double-dittos on what macgeek18 said. The main advantage of the 13" is it's size and weight. The main disadantage is the size of it's screen. Yes...those 2 extra inches really are a big deal - i.e. less eye strain.

Keep in mind the Sandy Bridge news today had to do with desktops (i.e. iMac) and not laptops.

Depending upon how well you treat your laptop (i.e. don't abuse it, spill stuff on it, drop it, etc.), it should last that long. As to suggestions, I use the Speck clear shell on my MBP, along with an Incase neoprene sleave, which then goes into my backpack. And yes, I do use a keyboard protector to keep crap out of the keys.
 
Yes getting the 15" now makes sense. :)

don't get the 13" mbp or either of the airs though, paying 1k+ for a c2d is seriously retarded.
 
with the imminent refresh close by I would wait... why pay apple for old technology when you can pay the same amount of money for thelatest? If you want a system that's going to be future proof for 5 years why not wait and get the latest technology?

You dont start college until september, you've stuck it out with your jacked up laptop this long, just stick it out a little longer.... don't fall into apples trap and give them full price for 2 year old technology.
 
The refresh could be tomorrow or next year; we don't know.

What we do know is , usually , Apple has the back to school event in may/June iirc and you can get the latest gear + a free iPod touch.

College doesn't typically start until September.

Do you see where I'm going with this?
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148a Safari/6533.18.5)

Can we see pics of that Dell laptop please?:D
 
Pooki said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148a Safari/6533.18.5)

Can we see pics of that Dell laptop please?:D
Click to expand...

Main reason why I'm in this thread :D:D
 
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