I want to buy a macbook pro but need some convincing as I'm a macbook newbie

[Shisha]

Hey all,

I've never used a macbook before ever so don't know how good or bad it is and after looking at the price I've noticed how pricey they are compared to PC's and I feel they are under spec'd for the price.

However, after buying an iPhone 4 I realised that although on paper the iPhone 4 seems quite pricey compared to other similar phones, and other phones out their such as N8 seem to have much more features, the iPhone 4 is still miles ahead of these.

What I wanted to know was, is this also the case with Macbook Pros? What is so special about these, is it a case of once you use it you'll want one? (As happened to me with the iPhone).

Lastly, if/when I choose to buy one, I want the latest model so I wanted to know when the next Apple Macbook conference takes place? If it's sometime soon I'll just wait.

Regards

 

[snaky69]

Hey all,

I've never used a macbook before ever so don't know how good or bad it is and after looking at the price I've noticed how pricey they are compared to PC's and I feel they are under spec'd for the price.

However, after buying an iPhone 4 I realised that although on paper the iPhone 4 seems quite pricey compared to other similar phones, and other phones out their such as N8 seem to have much more features, the iPhone 4 is still miles ahead of these.

What I wanted to know was, is this also the case with Macbook Pros? What is so special about these, is it a case of once you use it you'll want one? (As happened to me with the iPhone).

Lastly, if/when I choose to buy one, I want the latest model so I wanted to know when the next Apple Macbook conference takes place? If it's sometime soon I'll just wait.

Regards

The overall experience and ease of use, same as the iPhone. I have an early 2008 MBP, it still runs like a champ, it has nearly never crashed, and the battery still lasts a good 3:30 hours under light usage. No complaints.

As far as the next macbook pro, it's anyone's guess, apple doesn't give release dates to rumor sites. All you'll hear here is speculation and wishful thinking.

 

[karohan]

If you can afford to wait, I would wait.

http://guides.macrumors.com/MacBook_Pro_Buyer's_Guide

It's been 200 days since the last update, and its on average 208 days. Now, I wouldn't expect an update later this year and it's probably more realistic to expect an update first quarter of next year but waiting 3-5 months is worth it in my opinion when you're going to have the laptop for 3-4 years.

 

[OptyCT]

You buy a Mac for the OSX operating system. There is no need to worry about a MBP being "under spec'd". OSX runs a lot leaner than Windows and doesn't need the latest hardware to operate optimally.

Unlike the iPhone, the MacBook is not something that you'll use once and be instantly blown away. What will happen is you'll come to appreciate your MacBook over time. I use my MBP every day for work, 9 hours a day. Like others have said, I've never had to reboot my MBP once in the year that I've owned it. Further, I've only had to force close a program a handful of times. The battery-life, boot time, shut down time, and overall responsiveness of the MBP is exactly the same as the day I purchased it.

In the past, Apple has hosted MacBook events in January. If they will this January is anyone's guess. Depending on what you need in a laptop, I would take a serious look at the new MacBook Air. It's been getting some great reviews.

 

[Eddyisgreat]

You buy a Mac for the OSX operating system. There is no need to worry about a MBP being "under spec'd". OSX runs a lot leaner than Windows and doesn't need the latest hardware to operate optimally.

With that said, my MBP is one of the quickest Win boxes I own, to include workstations and general desktop 'e-machine' crap.

 

[Adisah]

It's the same as it is with the iPhone.

You first use it and are realize that "Hey, this is pretty cool!"

Then as the other guy said you continue to develop more love for it as time goes on. You see it especially when you go back to windows.

Go to an apple store and play with one. That's the best way to know if you like it.

 

[Shisha]

After watching the OSX Lion conference is what officially got me interested, as I'm a Multimedia graduate all those cool bits of software seemed quite attractive to me. I have a sony viao running Windows 7 at the moment and it's only a few months old so it should keep me going for a while until the next line up of macbooks are released.

Thank you everyone for the comments it has helped me a lot, this will give me a few months to save up hopefully and I'll pick up my first ever mac at release, can't wait.

 

[josh1231]

To answer your second question, don't buy now, wait for sure, unless you have a specific need that can't wait.

As far as your first question. My viewpoints are of a person interested in performance. I'm completely independent and use both, and can speak as to the advantages and disadvantages of both. Some of their products in my opinion are massively overpriced, and some are not.

The 13" macbook and macbook pros and Imac's are decent buys. You can get a similar dell laptop for about $700 as the macbook pro, but the increased battery life, aluminum body, increased difficulty in getting viruses and far superior display are worth the extra $500 for me personally.

Where I draw the line is the 15 and 17 inch versions. They are great, however they are like you said extremely low-speced for the money. You can get a comparable pc for $1k less. For me, it just isn't worth it.

I have no real preference between Windows 7 64-bit and Mac OS 64-bit. Both require downloading updates frequently, both rarely crash (assuming you don't give yourself a virus or install malware on your pc), and they can accomplish about the same things. MAC people always say "it just works". My brother says this to me all the time. I don't have a problem getting Windows to work, so I discount that argument.

That being said, I'm typing this on my 27" Imac. I like the overall configuration and style for the price, mainly because of the high quality display. I would own this machine whether it had Windows 7 on it or Mac OS.

I bought my wife a 13" macbook pro, and not having to remove viruses she gets while on facebook has saved me a ton of time. That being said, even for a computer novice such as her, she has no preference between the two OS's as far as ease of use.

 

[Shisha]

I would be getting a 15" with SSD as a 13" is too small for me and I would be keeping it at home most of the time so portability isn't an issue for me. I have been looking at the Sony Viao Z series as well as it offers some good specs. The only thing pushing me to get a macbook is the ease of use and user-friendliness of the device which I haven't experienced myself but I'm starting to become a bit of an Apple fan after my iPhone 4 purchase but after saying that I do still have my head screwed on and not at all biased towards Apple.

 

[Akamatsu]

By all means, get a Mac. If you want a notebook now, get a Macbook air, as the pro is at the end of its refresh cycle.

Edit to above: I just noticed that you said 13" is too small. So if you can wait, it may be worth it.

 

[1BadMac]

By all means, get a Mac. If you want a notebook now, get a Macbook air, as the pro is at the end of its refresh cycle.

Edit to above: I just noticed that you said 13" is too small. So if you can wait, it may be worth it.

The 13" MBA has the resolution equivalent to the 15" standard. So it may be worth going into an Apple Store of Best Buy and using both before you decide entirely against the 13" MBA.

If you want a 15" due to wanting the newer processor family (i5) - I would definitely go with a refurb from the Apple store online. 15" entry model is $1,529 - which is $270 off of the regular price and will look and feel like new when you get it (Apple scrutinizes their refurb products and they get the same 12 month Apple Care as a new one does.)

Then take that savings and buy a decent SSD and you'll have one bad machine!

 

[Chase R]

The overall experience and ease of use, same as the iPhone. I have an early 2008 MBP, it still runs like a champ, it has nearly never crashed, and the battery still lasts a good 3:30 hours under light usage. No complaints.

As far as the next macbook pro, it's anyone's guess, apple doesn't give release dates to rumor sites. All you'll hear here is speculation and wishful thinking.

Speculation < Wishful Thinking

I still can't wait to see what Apple does with the 13" MBP, though.

 

[Shisha]

Thanks for the replies people. I visited the Apple store today played around with the 15", the look and feel of it feels great. However, I do have one question, The first thing I opened up was safari and it doesn't take up the whole screen? I'm used to Windows so the browser usually opens up and takes up the entire screen. Is this not the case with macs?

 

[MisterFeeney]

Thanks for the replies people. I visited the Apple store today played around with the 15", the look and feel of it feels great. However, I do have one question, The first thing I opened up was safari and it doesn't take up the whole screen? I'm used to Windows so the browser usually opens up and takes up the entire screen. Is this not the case with macs?

Correct. It can always be changed though.

 

[Resist]

However, I do have one question, The first thing I opened up was safari and it doesn't take up the whole screen? I'm used to Windows so the browser usually opens up and takes up the entire screen. Is this not the case with macs?

I asked the same thing, as I am a new mac user. All you have to do is stretch the window to full screen and then it will be full screen all the time.

I have found that now I like using my mac a lot more than using my PC. And while the specs on a mac might not seem that great for the price, don't be fooled. Especially with the Macbook Pro, you get alot for the price. The design is so much sturdier than most laptops. Once you experience the magsafe connector, lighted keyboard and glass trackpad you won't want to use a laptop without these features. And best of all is the long battery life!

 

[boontech]

Test of time

Hi,

I got my last mac at the same time my girl friend got a nice sony vaio, they were close in spec (i say were as i dropped mine recently and got a new one). from day 1 i could see the mac was quicker but the main point is that after about a year it was very noticeable in the difference in speed and reliability and this was after i had to reinstall the windows pc after a virus. I also have a friend who has a 4 year macbook pro and a 6 year old macbook and they still work very well.

I have been a PC user all my life and only moved over to mac in the past year and a half, its just a wonderful place to be, i no longer worry about the latest virus or how secure my firewall is, i still need windows for some work programs so i have a virtual boot in place for XP, Windows 7 and Ubuntu so i can use them.

They are more expensive than an identically spec PC but over the long run if you want something that will just keep going and going and dot want to spend more money later on a mac would be a good decision.

It may take a little time to get used to how it all works if you have been a windows user for some time, my brother has just moved to a imac and for the 1st few weeks has was a little unsure, 2 months on and he said he will never own a pc ever again which i agree with.

 

[Blu101]

I would be getting a 15" with SSD as a 13" is too small for me and I would be keeping it at home most of the time so portability isn't an issue for me. I have been looking at the Sony Viao Z series as well as it offers some good specs.

Specs are nearly useless. That was the first thing I realized when I switched to apple. Mac OS X >>>>>>> Windows whatever. A lower spec'd apple will still run better (and faster) than a higher spec'd pc. PC sells you specs on paper, Apple sells you a real end user experience. Come see why using a computer is so fun and exciting again.

...You can get a similar dell laptop for about $700 as the macbook pro, but the increased battery life, aluminum body, increased difficulty in getting viruses and far superior display are worth the extra $500 for me personally.

Not really "similar" then, is it? I find it funny how many people think that specs on paper are the only things for comparison. Construction details, materials, production processes, quality and A-Z engineering are far more important than processor clock speed. MBPs are not low end laptops. I think Dell's high end solutions are the XPS and Alienware lineups, and they're a little more than $700.

I have no real preference between Windows 7 64-bit and Mac OS 64-bit. Both require downloading updates frequently, both rarely crash (assuming you don't give yourself a virus or install malware on your pc), and they can accomplish about the same things. MAC people always say "it just works". My brother says this to me all the time. I don't have a problem getting Windows to work, so I discount that argument.

If my windows pc at work goes a whole day without a freeze or a crash, it's a miracle from St. Peter. A whole week - I'm on vacation. A whole month - hahaha. Windows 7 is a lot better than previous Windows, but it still freezes and crashes much more than OS X. As for the overall experience, there is no comparison, OS X >>>>> Windows.

 

[Blu101]

I got my last mac at the same time my girl friend got a nice sony vaio, they were close in spec (i say were as i dropped mine recently and got a new one). from day 1 i could see the mac was quicker but the main point is that after about a year it was very noticeable in the difference in speed and reliability and this was after i had to reinstall the windows pc after a virus. I also have a friend who has a 4 year macbook pro and a 6 year old macbook and they still work very well.

Same here, my gf has a 4 year old macbook, still runs perfectly, and on Snow Leopard. Her macbook is what got me into apple. It runs better and faster than pc laptops 1-2 years old. I couldn't believe it at first. The OS and the hardware + software optimization that you get from apple just trumps the chaos inside every pc.

I have been a PC user all my life and only moved over to mac in the past year and a half, its just a wonderful place to be, i no longer worry about the latest virus or how secure my firewall is, i still need windows for some work programs so i have a virtual boot in place for XP, Windows 7 and Ubuntu so i can use them.

They are more expensive than an identically spec PC but over the long run if you want something that will just keep going and going and dot want to spend more money later on a mac would be a good decision.

It may take a little time to get used to how it all works if you have been a windows user for some time, my brother has just moved to a imac and for the 1st few weeks has was a little unsure, 2 months on and he said he will never own a pc ever again which i agree with.

21 years pc user. As long as apple keeps doing what they're doing, and pc keeps doing what they're doing, I'll never go back to pc either.

 

[hamlin]

I used PC's until August 2010 when I got my first macbook. I have never used a mac before and was skeptical about buying one. Best choice I have made in a long time. I bought a refurb one from apple store and looks/runs like new. It never slows down, is light and thin and can do everything I want it to do. I play a little bit of games(mostly tf2)but not much. I play most of my games on ps3 or xbox anyways. For an average computer user a macbook is a good choice. OSX is very easy to learn. It might be hard for the first week but after that you should know it inside and out.

 

[TopHatPlus]

Hey you are 100% correct, the iphone is pricy regardless how you look at it, but after having my iphone 3G for 1 1/2 years i love it and the computers are the same, i am on my second mac and i bought my first one kind of on a whim and not have ever owned, used, or know anyone who owned or used one either, needless to say i bought my brand new 15" macbook pro in september this year and once again it blows me away.

key features on a mac

OS X - very very reliable operating system that runs amazingly smooth and has amazing applications.

apple software - pro tools for the mac are impeccable like aperture 3 and final cut pro, even more general programs like iLIFE are amazing.

Multi touch track pad makes doing everything 10000x faster

apple accessories are just second to none with there multi touch magic mouse is unreal >_<

backlit keyboard AMAZING

aluminum body

BATTERY LIFE

just the feel of the laptop when using it and when moving it around is splendid

try one before you buy one but you will love it regardless of what your thing it.

those are just a few =D

 

[aimbdd]

I agree to all of that! I love my mac! my parents have a 13 inch hp... and its almost double in weight, twice in thickness, and a lot better looking. The backlight keyboard makes worlds of difference. I don't have to reinstall my operating system every 6 months to keep it running fast like my windows rig.

I don't find the iPhone to be expensive... no more then any other smart phone. The only difference is it never goes on sale, in normal apple fashion.

 

[shiunn]

reading through all these posts just make me want to buy a new machine right away.

i have been using my macbook for 3.5 years but can't really justify upgrading as it is still running smoothly. everything is still intact, and it still works. no matter how hard i try, I can think of a good reason to.

i should just stop thinking and buy a new MBP now...

 

[Shisha]

I feel the same now shiunn, after reading all these posts I do feel like getting one now but not out of necessity, I'm going to be good and wait though.

My order will probably be as follows:

- 15" Macbook Pro i5 Processor
- 6GB RAM (Extra 2GB I'll buy from elsewhere)
- 128GB SSD

I think that should last me a good few years and I'll probably buy an additional 2TB external hard drive to store all my movies on.

 

[myessail]

I had a PC for 6 years, then my family finally got an iMac. We all felt the differance, and I've used macs my whole life at school. For your own good, buy one! (But wait for the next version, it's probably coming soon)

I have a mid 2009 and it runs perfectly.

 

[Blu101]

reading through all these posts just make me want to buy a new machine right away.

i have been using my macbook for 3.5 years but can't really justify upgrading as it is still running smoothly. everything is still intact, and it still works. no matter how hard i try, I can think of a good reason to.

i should just stop thinking and buy a new MBP now...

Make your Macbook last until next year and then you can get an MBP with the new Sandy Bridge processors