HD Died: New Computer Time?

[TrevorBaum]

Hopefully this won't come off as another "do I buy now or buy later" threads:

So I'm in a bit of a pickle. I've had a late 2007, non-unibody MBP with 2GB RAM for almost 4 years now. It's decent, but hardly ideal. The battery lasts 3 minutes and the HD just finally died on me this weekend.

Luckily, the MBP line was just refreshed! However, as we all know there will ostensibly be the "big redesign" and Ivy Bridge coming out early next year.

I do graphic design work in Adobe CS (Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign - no video editing), Coda, word processing, and a little gaming. Essentially, I need a computer right now. I've pretty much settled on a 15" MBP with a SSD, but the question is:

• Do I splurge on a top-of-the-line MBP now?
• Do I buy a refurbished model or a MBA as a sort of placeholder computer, and then sell it for the redesigned MBP when it is released?
• Do I just buy an SSD (which I want to buy anyway) and use it to replace my dead HD until the Ivy Bridge redesign?

Thanks for your help!

 

[mrat93]

If I were you, I'd get a cheap hard drive (less than $100) to hold you over until the next refresh. MBP hard drives are pretty easy to replace. Here's a guide on how to do it. I believe that's the model you're using.

I believe Apple sells replacement batteries for $70 - $80.

I think the ~$160 would be worth the wait for the next MBP.

 

[rbrian]

The new hard drive would be my advice too - but it's hard to resist the lure of the new shiny shiny. You could justify it by buying a top-of-the-line one now, and then selling it to buy the next new shiny shiny. Macs hold their value very well, and you can look at the loss as a rental fee - then it seems tiny! I can talk myself into buying almost anything...

 

[shyam09]

i definitely agree with the above posters.
1. get a cheap hard drive so it last you until the new models and Ivy Bridge!
i might even sell my current 2010 13" MBP for one of those babies

2. i suggest putting some extra bucks in upgrading your RAM. you are doing Adobe stuff, so try maxing out the RAM? [or at least 4 GB?]

3. Get a new battery from apple

i think the total should be about 200 bucks +/-

i think that this is the best direction to head in for now because Ivy Bridge is plain AWESOME!!

 

[iRCL]

Your computer isn't that old, I'm sure it can still run lion and so on.. replace the hdd and maybe even replace the battery too. Those would set you back $175-$200. You'll probably recoup that when you sell it and get a new computer. And doing those things will indeed allow you to sell it much much easier.. tough break though

Oh - and whatever you do, I would NOT buy an SSD. Because with the MBP supposed redesign in progress, they could end up going with an MBA style blade and then you would be absolutely SOL because nobody wants a used SSD!

And, based on my experience, if you buy an MBA when it hits refurb, you will have no problem selling it for 90% of its value on craigslist later down the road. So that could be a great move.

 

[velocityg4]

I'd say get the SSD you want. Be sure to get one of the really fast SATA 3 ones. Though you won't be able to take advantage of the full speed now, it will still max out the SATA 2 bus. When the MBP is released you can just pop out the SSD and toss it into the new MBP. Then boot and get it's full SATA 3 performance and have all your settings and files in place.

For the battery I would just get a cheap third party one on eBay. Sometimes you can find genuine Apple ones for a good price. Anyways the cheap one should last you till you get the new Macbook.

Given how regular hard drive prices have been skyrocketing, due to the flooding of factories, and that you want an SSD. It makes more sense than ever to buy the SSD over the Hard Drive.

 

[Nick McEnjoy]

I do graphic design work in Adobe CS (Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign - no video editing), Coda, word processing, and a little gaming. Essentially, I need a computer right now.

I would say get the best iMac for your job. Get something else for mobile computing needs.
Do the jobs on the serious computer. Present them on the mobile (i.e. an Air).

 

[shyam09]

I'd say get the SSD you want. Be sure to get one of the really fast SATA 3 ones. Though you won't be able to take advantage of the full speed now, it will still max out the SATA 2 bus. When the MBP is released you can just pop out the SSD and toss it into the new MBP. Then boot and get it's full SATA 3 performance and have all your settings and files in place.

i kinda see what you are saying however the price of SSD's will decrease [im not talking about immense decreases, but minor ones, maybe a couple of bucks??]
this is also a great idea. the thing is we aren't sure about what apple will do to the hard drive. They might go to the blade SSD's, who knows. You can very well buy an SSD and then connect it to your new computer and load all your files [so basically an external HD] ... i think, not 100% sure

 

[Cheffy Dave]

I'd say get the SSD you want. Be sure to get one of the really fast SATA 3 ones. Though you won't be able to take advantage of the full speed now, it will still max out the SATA 2 bus. When the MBP is released you can just pop out the SSD and toss it into the new MBP. Then boot and get it's full SATA 3 performance and have all your settings and files in place.

For the battery I would just get a cheap third party one on eBay. Sometimes you can find genuine Apple ones for a good price. Anyways the cheap one should last you till you get the new Macbook.

Given how regular hard drive prices have been skyrocketing, due to the flooding of factories, and that you want an SSD. It makes more sense than ever to buy the SSD over the Hard Drive.

SATA 3 will not work in his Laptop, anything but will!

 

[The-Pro]

His MBP has SATA I by the way, max 150MB/s

 

[luke.mac1]

I think if I were in your position, I would buy the cheapest HDD I can find; there are some massively cheap ones now...
I'd be tempted to get some ram too... also really cheap, just to last you until the redesign...

I don't know about you, but I'd be gutted to buy a laptop now that is supposed to last me for 4yrs and for it to be redesigned a month or so later... I'm almost regretting having bought my iMac when the SSD ones started shipping

 

[gnasher729]

I think if I were in your position, I would buy the cheapest HDD I can find; there are some massively cheap ones now...
I'd be tempted to get some ram too... also really cheap, just to last you until the redesign...

Not worth going for the cheapest HDD; Hitachi 500 GB 7200 RPM is very big, very fast, and very reliable and still not expensive. With that and double the RAM the OP gets a brand new computer for very little cost.

I suppose with 3 minutes battery time now he is probably used to using the Mac permanently plugged in My wife's 2006 MacBook is like that; she won't change it as long as it doesn't die in a way I can't fix.

 

[velocityg4]

SATA 3 will not work in his Laptop, anything but will!

SATA 3 is backwards compatible.

Also the point of buying the SATA 3 drive is that the OP is planning on getting a new MBP next year. This drive should be transferable to the new computer so no need to wait on migration assistant plus any potential headaches. The drive will max out his SATA II BUS and get a speed boost on the new MBP. There is also little difference in price between the average SATA II SSD and SATA III SSD though the SATA III one is capable of far greater performance when chosen correctly.

 

[TrevorBaum]

Wow, thanks for all your replies.

A couple of updates:

• My current MBP has a few other issues that would make it probably not worth reselling. The top case is scratched and indented around the hand position areas, there's a crack in the metal on the left side of the screen, and I'm not sure the optical drive works either. It would probably take $400-600 of work and parts to get it back to selling condition, and even then I'd probably only get around 7 or 800 from it.
  
• My dad just made me a potentially great offer. He said that if I buy a new MBA or MBP now, and I choose to sell it when the redesign comes out, he would most likely be willing to buy it from me. That makes me lean towards buying a new MBP. Does anyone have experience selling a fairly new MBP?

That said, do I go all-out and get the 15" MBP with 8GB RAM and the hi-res antiglare screen? Those are upgrades that I want, but will they make it harder or easier to sell?

Thanks again!
Trevor

 

[The-Pro]

SATA 3 is backwards compatible.

Also the point of buying the SATA 3 drive is that the OP is planning on getting a new MBP next year. This drive should be transferable to the new computer so no need to wait on migration assistant plus any potential headaches. The drive will max out his SATA II BUS and get a speed boost on the new MBP. There is also little difference in price between the average SATA II SSD and SATA III SSD though the SATA III one is capable of far greater performance when chosen correctly.

Like I all ready posted. he has SATA 1 (150MB/s). So it would definitely max that out. I used a 15" MacBook Pro late 2007 with an Intel SSD in it. System booted in 30-40 seconds, compared to 20-25 on a friends 15" 2010 MacBook Pro with an Intel SSD. Both running 10.6.8. The 2007 one felt very snappy and quick none the less, much quicker than my 2010 i7 with a 7200rpm HDD.
It would be a significant speed improvement but not the same as going from a 7200rpm drive in a SATA II bus to a SSD.

 

[robbie12345]

wait it out

I would say buy an extra battery and buy an extra HD not ssd, if u buy an extra battery and hd ur commuter will be able to last a few more months and also yes my guess is there will be an upcoming mbp upgrade in june right around when mba comes out, if apple doesn't release new laptops eat least every year and a half people get angry and since they didn't say that the new mbp was an upgraded model (not listed as new on the apple website) I'm sure they will probably announce one in early to mid 2012 with ivy bridge when it is available

 

[LeandrodaFL]

In order to sell your current computer, you need to arrange a new HDD for it anyway, so get a cheap one and a replacement battery.

If you are ok with the current design of the mbp, get one. As said above, the new design may have a standart diferent than 2.5" so the ssd is diferent. You may even not like the new design.

Either way, a refresh for the mbp is in my opinion gonna happen in 7 months, they gonna first update imac/macmini/air, probably at the same time february, shortly after ivy bridge release.

the newly desging mbp may be an air...