Just wondering because I really want to get the unibody. I know your opinion isn't mine, but I'm just curious.
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How much extra would you pay to go from Early 2008 to Unibody?
- Thread starter thadoggfather
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$2500 like I did. 
So you have an early 08 and want to upgrade? You could always try selling it on ebay. Depending on the software you include, you could probably get $1400+ for it.
So you have an early 08 and want to upgrade? You could always try selling it on ebay. Depending on the software you include, you could probably get $1400+ for it.
I got a early 2008 2.5 Macbook Pro right before they upgraded it to the unibody. According to most review sites the performance is about the same. If I was really hellbent in making the upgrade to the updated to the unibody I would wait at least for rev.b and see if that offers better performance.
Yes. Normally I wait longer between upgrades but this time I really fell for the new unibody design, display, trackpad, performance boost, better sound quality, etc. Btw, I forgot to mention earlier it was time to buy AppleCare for the old one so saved a little there by dodging that bullet another year.
I went from a 2.6 Macbook Pro 3,1 to the 2.4 unibody MBP for free via Apple Care.
If I was to spend money, I would put a $300 limit. The machine is a beauty, runs well (and with Snow Leopard should run faster than the 2.6) and the true multi-touch trackpad is great(the old one was the normal 2 finger one) but I honestly wouldn't break the bank for it.
It really is a nice upgrade, but it's not earth shattering. I'd save up and upgrade to the rev b unibody if the whole processor upgrades are true.
If I was to spend money, I would put a $300 limit. The machine is a beauty, runs well (and with Snow Leopard should run faster than the 2.6) and the true multi-touch trackpad is great(the old one was the normal 2 finger one) but I honestly wouldn't break the bank for it.
It really is a nice upgrade, but it's not earth shattering. I'd save up and upgrade to the rev b unibody if the whole processor upgrades are true.
I sold my old MBP for $1400 and got a unibody MBP. I love the new model! Wish I could have gotten more for the old MBP but was happy to get something for it.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9117598
"The keyboard isn't the only change. There's a new, glass-coated trackpad (slick!) that's 39% larger than the old one and does away with the clicker button completely. The stunningly bright 15.4-in. LED screen (sharp!) sports a shiny, piano-black bezel. A new magnetic latch has replaced the annoying release button.
The peripheral ports have been relocated so that they all run along the left side of the MacBook Pro, with the optical drive now located to the right. There's also a different video out port -- the new industry-standard Mini DisplayPort. All of the ports are more deeply inset than before.
There is also a notable update of the hardware under the hood. The MacBook Pro has a new Intel Core 2 Duo processor (you get either a 2.4-GHz or 2.53-GHz chip, depending on which MacBook Pro you buy), two new Nvidia graphics processors, a faster 1,066-MHz front-side bus and multiple hard drive options, including a 128GB solid-state drive. And for those who like to track Mac OS X build versions, this one's running 10.5.5 build 9F2114."
I currently have an Aluminum iMac 20" (Base Model) which is about a year old and a white MacBook which is a couple of years old. I just saw the same iMac go on eBay used for £575 and the old MacBook's seem to be going for around £500, knocking off £100 for the plastic which has came away at the bottom, so looking close to £900.
Then going for the base model MacBook Pro with the 24" Cinema Display, coming to £1,843.45 at the Apple Store. Looks expensive, although I could leave the Cinema Display for now and just make do with the built-in monitor, but I love my iMac and its bigger screen I just want to have one machine that is going to last me that has the same or more power as my iMac and the portability of the MacBook. I do not do a lot of stuff, mainly music and surfing the net, so maybe the high-end MacBook would suit me fine? £1k is a lot to spend when just wanting the one machine. Will the MacBook look at great as the MacBook Pro running the 24" Cinema Display?
Then going for the base model MacBook Pro with the 24" Cinema Display, coming to £1,843.45 at the Apple Store. Looks expensive, although I could leave the Cinema Display for now and just make do with the built-in monitor, but I love my iMac and its bigger screen I just want to have one machine that is going to last me that has the same or more power as my iMac and the portability of the MacBook. I do not do a lot of stuff, mainly music and surfing the net, so maybe the high-end MacBook would suit me fine? £1k is a lot to spend when just wanting the one machine. Will the MacBook look at great as the MacBook Pro running the 24" Cinema Display?
It failed 5 times (3x logic board, 2x screen) so they offered to replace rather than repair.
Oh yeah, someone did mention this. The usb ports on the same side, the dropping of firewire 400, the move of the superdrive to the side, the mini display port are all cons.
I like the glass screen, it's really easy to clean and has a really nice picture. The reflection issue does bother me sometimes, but not enough for me to hate it.
I paid 1500 for a (slightly used) 2.4, but I also sold an older MacBook and Powerbook so it wasn't too expensive added to the 1500. I like the new design far more than the old and haven't really had any problems.
I have the same ports that the previous MBPs had (I still have FW400 connectivity with the extra FW400>FW800 cable my external drive came with); however, since I only use FW for TDM and drives the single port isn't an issue. The reports are that there are separate FW busses so daisychaining 400 & 800 isn't a problem. My MacBook had the ports on the left so I knew this wouldn't be an issue either.
The location of the superdrive is better when you have it on your lap. When its not on your lap its even less of an issue for me. I don't have an external LCD display (my existing one is CRT/vga so the adapter sorts me out) so when I do get one the MDP won't be an issue as I'll just get a monitor that has that capability.
I have the same ports that the previous MBPs had (I still have FW400 connectivity with the extra FW400>FW800 cable my external drive came with); however, since I only use FW for TDM and drives the single port isn't an issue. The reports are that there are separate FW busses so daisychaining 400 & 800 isn't a problem. My MacBook had the ports on the left so I knew this wouldn't be an issue either.
The location of the superdrive is better when you have it on your lap. When its not on your lap its even less of an issue for me. I don't have an external LCD display (my existing one is CRT/vga so the adapter sorts me out) so when I do get one the MDP won't be an issue as I'll just get a monitor that has that capability.
Nothing.
HP Just released a new machine. Full HD Screen, blur ray drive, remote included, VGA AND HDMI outputs, and a numbers keypad built in.
£28 off half the price of the 4gb MBP.
You pay >£800 for 0.3ghz and OSX. You also drop all the features mentioned above.
I just can not justify buying a new MBP. It's £500 more than it should be.
Doug
HP Just released a new machine. Full HD Screen, blur ray drive, remote included, VGA AND HDMI outputs, and a numbers keypad built in.
£28 off half the price of the 4gb MBP.
You pay >£800 for 0.3ghz and OSX. You also drop all the features mentioned above.
I just can not justify buying a new MBP. It's £500 more than it should be.
Doug
Dude, Its a HP!
I wouldnt buy a HP, even if it was the last notebook on the planet..
And another thing.. IT DRIVES VISTA!!!!!!
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9117598
"The keyboard isn't the only change. There's a new, glass-coated trackpad (slick!) that's 39% larger than the old one and does away with the clicker button completely. The stunningly bright 15.4-in. LED screen (sharp!) sports a shiny, piano-black bezel. A new magnetic latch has replaced the annoying release button.
The peripheral ports have been relocated so that they all run along the left side of the MacBook Pro, with the optical drive now located to the right. There's also a different video out port -- the new industry-standard Mini DisplayPort. All of the ports are more deeply inset than before.
There is also a notable update of the hardware under the hood. The MacBook Pro has a new Intel Core 2 Duo processor (you get either a 2.4-GHz or 2.53-GHz chip, depending on which MacBook Pro you buy), two new Nvidia graphics processors, a faster 1,066-MHz front-side bus and multiple hard drive options, including a 128GB solid-state drive. And for those who like to track Mac OS X build versions, this one's running 10.5.5 build 9F2114."
industry standard display port?????????
im sorry im gonna have to stop you right here...
im a mac fan as much as the next guy here but HDMI out is the industry standard but apple is too stingy to pay what is probably like a $0.50 royalty fee to add it to their machines.
dvi was more of the standard than the display port.
display port is purely a business cost saving move, not something revolutonary.
IT COULD DRIVE OSX.
Are you prepared to pay >£800 to NOT install one OS (Vista), and then install another that costs £83.
I'm not.
Seriously - Apple's gone too far with a £1700 mid-range MBP.
We've had a very large number of laptops here. The HP/Compaq's have done better than average in terms of failures etc. Certainly better than my Mac experiences.
I am! It's in violation of the OS X license agreement to run a hackintosh & it is not reliable beyond being an experimental machine (although I would rather deal with those issues than Windows!!).
The HP is heavier, thicker, slower, noisier, shorter battery life, older RAM, relatively cheap build quality, single GPU, not even in the same design league, no backlit keyboard, no magsafe, lacking multi-touch trackpad gestures, no Firewire 800 (400 only)?, greater environmental impact, etc., etc. Major parts of the OS X tight integration experience are lost on hackintoshs.
You could pay me $1000 to downgrade to a Unibody MBP. Otherwise I wouldn't.
Hate the glass-covered screen, don't care about the trackpad, ultra-hate the MiniDisplayport and HDCP. Performance isn't sufficiently improved. (I'd get better bang for my performance buck dropping an X25 SSD into my Santa Rosa MBP than buying a unibody.)
Hate the glass-covered screen, don't care about the trackpad, ultra-hate the MiniDisplayport and HDCP. Performance isn't sufficiently improved. (I'd get better bang for my performance buck dropping an X25 SSD into my Santa Rosa MBP than buying a unibody.)
Fyi, there are instrux on this forum to get the new multi-touch gestures working on your machine and it's free