First Mac ever help

[ocgirl]

Hello all,

So my brother just got a macbook pro a few months ago and convinced me to buy one. However, I need some help to figure out which model what to do (will buy in Canada however).

First, I'm a college student so I need something portable and lower price so I conclude 13" is the way to go.

However, I have been hesitating between the two i5 and i7, and 2.3 vs 2.7 ghz. Or is it better to add 4 GB of RAM to the low end one?
I plan to do regular stuff (ie: office tasks, web surfing and video watching) but also play the Sims 3 (from time to time) and maybe some light online gaming with my brother.

There is a considerable 300$ difference, so is it worth it?

Also, is the Apple care really worth its price of 250$? Do they give you a replacement laptop while they are repairing your own ?

Finally, can you return your laptop if unsatisfied to the Apple Store even if opened, without any fee? I heard about 14 days, but my brother told me about a fee and I didn't see it on the Canadian Store FAQ.

 

[alust2013]

As for your choice, I'd probably just go with the i5. It doesn't sound like you need the extra power of the i7 too much, so I'd just save your money. Also, for normal uses, the standard 4GB RAM should be fine.

 

[app fanboy]

Hi

i actually have a mid 2010 macbook and i do some heavy online gaming
my specs are:
Intel Core 2 Duo
2.4 GHz
4 GB of memory (it includes stock 2gb but bumped it to 4)

games include:
left 4 dead 2
starcraft 2
modern warfare 1
counter strike source
Portal with an expected buy of Portal 2

i do not believe that the extra 250 is worth because not only do i have the macbook and not the pro but i can play all of these games at medium or high settings like mw1

your also playing sims which frankly isn't graphic intensive and light online gaming seems to be fine too

apple does not give you a replacement laptop though they have an excellent turn around time of 1-3 days unless they have to order a part until then you could just use the library's computers or your friends

i took this word for word from their return policy

"If the item is returned unopened in the original box, we will offer you a refund based on your original method of payment. The product must be returned to the Apple warehouse within 14 calendar days of the issuance of the RMA. All products must be packed in the original, unmarked packaging including any accessories, manuals, documentation and registration that shipped with the product. A 10% open box fee will be assessed on any opened hardware or accessory."
so basically just keep it in the box completely unopened then you should be fine, keep the recipet, and you have 14 days

 

[Wehrwolf]

You probably won't even notice the difference between the i5 and i7 processors. That makes the HD size the only difference between the two.

You can upgrade (yourself, or pay someone to do it) the HDD and memory later on if you don't want to pay for them up front.

Applecare is just like any extended warranty. Most people won't end up using it. The majority of failures in consumer electronics will happen within the first year of ownership. That being said, people who have had to use it will swear by it, as it generally pays for itself. You can buy Applecare anytime during the factory warranty period (1 year) to extend it by an additional 2. So you don't have to buy it with the computer, but if you decide to get it, you have to do it before the 1 year warranty is up.

 

[acedickson]

Get the base model and use the money you save to double the ram and get applecare. As a student, you get a discount on the applecare, instead of $250 it's $183 but remember you have up until one year from the date of purchase to buy applecare. I would suggest upgrading the ram yourself unless you're not comfortable with that.

An SSD for the money you saved would be nice too.