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investing in a laptop, worth it?

G

GeorgeD

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 10, 2007
66
0
Hello, first I would like to say this forum is excellent.

I am a Senior in high school and my PC is starting to really show its age. I finally saved up enough money to buy a MBP but I'm wondering if you guys think it's a good idea to buy one a year before college. I will need a laptop when I go to college as well. So..do you guys think it's a good idea to buy a MBP now and carry it on to college with me next year, or wait until next year (or at least a MBP update) to buy one. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. :)
 
yeah if you need it now then buy it now, if you just want it now but need it next year thne buy it next year if u cna take your comp for naohter year,,,
 
Not exactly sure if I NEED it now. My PC shuts down randomly sometimes, is very slow sometimes, freezes, and all the hassles that come with a 4 year old PC. I know if I buy a MBP now, it will be updated by the time I start college, this bothers me but I can live with it. How long do you think a SR 2.2Ghz MBP with 2 gigs of ram and 120 GB hd would last? Thanks for the advice so far :)
 
If you're using a PC now then do yourself a favour and get the Mac this year. You'll love how well it works and it'll give you a chance to get used to OSX before college. It should easily last you 'til the end of your studies, depending on what you'll be using it for... ;)
 
Mac Mini?


It could hold you over for a year easly. And in a year you could recoup that $$....this way you still have a nice new laptop for Uni, and a new Mac to finish out high school with.


Plus when you come home, or for the rest of the family when your away, will have a Mac to use.
 
I would have to agree with the two people above me.
If you need the laptop now then buy it but if you think your old machine will last another year than wait till college starts...no matter what (it sounds like your not in the situation that you need the MBP right now) wait maybe till Oct. since Apple is going to release their next generation OS then.

byakuya
 
I definitely do not need a laptop right now. I was just thinking I rather buy the laptop now so I can save it for college and not have to buy two computers within a year. Plus, if I buy it before September 16 (I think) I get a free printer and iPod. Also I would be able to get used to a mac during my senior year of high school so I'll be completely comfortable using it in college. :confused:
 
I say buy it now. I think that a macbook pro can easily last a college student 5 years. A friend of mine is still on his ibook that he bought in 2001 for his first year of college and he can still write up papers, listen to music, browse the internet, and talk to friends. It just depends on your needs.
 
If/When I get a MBP I will be using it to write up papers, research, video edit (most likely with final cut express), possibly some gaming, listen to music, browse the web, ect. :)
 
You know... I think you are one more of those people who would actually benefit from a mini. I am not sure of the specs of your current computer, but I think the baseline mini refurb or. who knows what would be plenty of computer for you right now, and in the next year i'm sure you can save up the difference again for a mbp (not to mention.. graduation gift money) and that way you can get the most updated version before school if you want (and they seem to run the ipod deal every summer too)

The mac mini can either stay at home for your family, or better yet, be used a a media station in college which would probably be a nice thing to have set up in school... tv tuner etc you could even record things with it too.

I really would say a mini now would be great, and useful in teh future and then macbook pro. You will get used to the mac system, have a good computer to use with your current peripherals... and then can get a fully updated system this summer before school


if you are worried you might spend the money (some people tend to spend money they have around) put it in a savings account (if you dn't already have one) or... perhaps check with your bank and see what kind of short term COD or high interest savings account that could be open with over a grand... I am not sure of the short terms.. but some 6 month high yield account could let that grow a bit while you are waiting for school next year.
Just my 2 cents :)
 
thanks for all the suggestions guys. You guys have some pretty good ideas. I will definitely take them into consideration. =)
 
Just wanting to add to the mac mini idea, you can always sell it when you get your mbp next year. With the rate that Apple is updating the minis, it might not even be updated when you sell it next june! Anyhow, macs hold their values pretty well, so you won't lose out on much. Come to think of it, if you put $2000 on a high rate interest saving account, 3% of $2000 over 9-10 months will cover a refurb mini.
 
GeorgeD said:
I definitely do not need a laptop right now. I was just thinking I rather buy the laptop now so I can save it for college and not have to buy two computers within a year. Plus, if I buy it before September 16 (I think) I get a free printer and iPod. Also I would be able to get used to a mac during my senior year of high school so I'll be completely comfortable using it in college. :confused:
Click to expand...
stop second guessing yourself and buy it already before you discover how quick you can blow the cash on beer, chicks, and pizza. you'll thank me one day. you will avoid hangovers, heartbreak and indigestion. not neccessarily in that order...
 
Definitely just buy it now. When I was in high school I went through 4 Macs that I bought myself and never regretted any of the purchases. Especially because of the excellent resale value.

In three years you can sell that Macbook Pro and will be extremely close to buying that years Macbook. Just look at the G4 Powerbooks value.

Another reason to get it now is since you are going onto your senior year it is much harder to save your money. As I recall a lot more partying, skipping class, driving around and other unwise choices.

If you are curious to what the macs were. I started with a Centris 650 8/250 then a used PowerMac 7100/66AV 32/2GB to a Performa 6200/75 64/4GB and ended with a Performa 6400/180 192/8GB. I had other Macs in Junior High I bought but those were the High School Machines.
 
If I was in your position, I would wait a year and buy the mbp when the iPod sale starts again. This way, you get the most bang for your buck, and you'll have a more up-to-date product for college. For now, maybe an older Powerbook or even a used Macbook would be good. This would give you a good computer for a lower cost.
 
CalBoy said:
If I was in your position, I would wait a year and buy the mbp when the iPod sale starts again. This way, you get the most bang for your buck, and you'll have a more up-to-date product for college. For now, maybe an older Powerbook or even a used Macbook would be good. This would give you a good computer for a lower cost.
Click to expand...

who says they're going to do that again?
 
techlover828 said:
who says they're going to do that again?
Click to expand...

It's been an Apple tradition for a few years to give away a free iPod (or rather a rebate equal to about $150-200). It's been going on for a few years now, and I don't see any reason for Apple to stop.
 
jczubach said:
stop second guessing yourself and buy it already before you discover how quick you can blow the cash on beer, chicks, and pizza. you'll thank me one day. you will avoid hangovers, heartbreak and indigestion. not neccessarily in that order...
Click to expand...

Hahaha! We will see how this year goes I guess!

Thanks velocityg4 for some pretty good info. as well. =P

As for the iPod rebate, I heard some pretty horrible things about it so I am not sure I will even go through that if I purchase a MBP. Still deciding! It's a big investment!! especially for a highschooler!! :p
 
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