First Time MBP User

[Corey Grandy]

Hi everybody,

I'm just about to buy a MBP for school. I'm not sure which model quite yet; the 17" offers a better resolution stock, but I fear that it may be too big for me and on the other hand, while the 15" is a little small, it does come with the i7 for a lower price. Honestly, it's between the following two right now:

But, I suppose I'll have to take a good look at both and make a choice. Feel free to offer advice in that regard though.


What I'm really looking for is advice on accessories that you've all used and have had good experiences with. Bags, cases, etc. anything goes.

Thanks in advance

 

[iBookG4user]

Have you considered the 15" with the high resolution screen? That should be a good compromise between the two choices

 

[Corey Grandy]

I have, but I'm not sure I can get it.

I have to buy it from Best Buy and I'm not sure if they'll have one. The 1680x1050 would be fine, I've been using the same res. on my 20" iMac for years. It's just a matter of what's available to me then and there.

 

[iBookG4user]

Perhaps call them and ask them if they have any in stock. And if they don't, you might consider asking them if there's any way that they could order one for you.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

I love my 17". It's really just a matter of price and size. The footprint is noticeably larger than the 15", the weight difference is something like a pound, which is the weight of your MagSafe adaptor.

 

[Corey Grandy]

I think I am going to end up going for a 15", hopefully with the Hi-Res screen for the 1680x1050, but if I have to go for 1440x900 I won't complain.

My only dilemma now comes from the processors available.

I could get a 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo on clearance for $2289, a 2.53 GHz i5 for $2358, or the 2.66 GHz i7 for $2586. I have no idea what the difference in the three processors is and I don't know if what amounts to ~300MHz is worth buying a clearance item (though, I suppose with AppleCare, it should make no difference) or whether I should perhaps spend the extra $70 for the i5.

I'm in over my head

 

[EzhnoWolf]

I just bought a i5 2.4 MBP and I would recommend going with the base model and using all the savings to buy accessories/etc.

Unless you are going to be doing some really intensive graphics work or run CPU intensive program, the base model 15" is perfect.

I even feel like I am underusing the potential of my base model 15" MBP!