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Is it worth it? (MBP/ RAM, etc.)

H

Hadi

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 20, 2008
57
0
So after a year of savings i finally have enough to get the MBP.
Music production is want i want to do with it.
I now wonder basci MBP upgraded RAM + 7200 rpm HD+ apple warranty.
Man, like seriously that's not much to ask for. but im gona be paying up to $2,648.00 + tax so lets say almost $3000 dollars. like that's insane man that's absolutely crazy. how happy are you with you MacBook Pro? sometimes i think im making a big mistake. i can buy 4 awesome PC laptops with this price.

and whats with this heating problem?
 

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Don't upgrade the RAM from Apple. Get the stock RAM and buy a 4GB kit from someone else—it's faster memory, and much cheaper.

As for the price, well...it is more expensive than an entry-level PC laptop, that's true. If you take a different approach, it's not so bad: $2000 gets you about the same hardware from Apple as it does from PC vendors.

And really, if it's going to be part of your career, just consider it to be amortized over the life of the laptop. Sure, you pay $2000 up front, but if it lasts for four years, that's not so bad for a tool that's critical to your job.

The reason Apple charges so much is because people will pay for what they perceive to be a better computer. Sure, it hurts when you plunk down the cash, but most people don't regret it. A lot of people find that it was worth it to save time and provide them with a really enjoyable computing experience. And for professionals, OS X is sometimes the most powerful tool available.

There are several places where Apple hardware has a leg up on the competition, particularly in laptops. The Penryn MacBook Pro trackpad is phenomenal. The trackpad surface is large, with an easy-to-click button and some very intuitive gestures. Scrolling in any direction on a Mac trackpad is even easier than using a mouse—most of the people I know with PC laptops carry a mouse with them, because using their trackpad is such a pain. And for the MacBook Pros and the MacBook Airs, there's an application available called Multiclutch that takes it to the next level.

As for the heating, there is a lot of hardware in there—it gets hot. It doesn't bother me, and the Penryn MacBook Pros are much cooler than their predecessors.

Ultimately, only you can decide if it's worth it. Buying a Mac doesn't mean you'll never have another computer problem, or that it'll be a perfect experience, but it's superior enough that millions of people are switching—and paying to do so.
 
I am very happy w/my laptop. But first of all;

You can't really buy 4 "awesome PC laptops" with that price. Good PC laptops are also expensive. Besides Apple Care is also included to the price you've said in your post, I don't think awesome PC laptops give away free 3-year warranty packages.

It heats up just as much as any other thin, powerful notebook. Only time it gets hot is when I use it on my bed/couch, and it never caused any overheating related problems.

Hmmm...and I guess I wouldn't bother buying RAM from Apple. RAM is user servicable on MBP's and you can purchase quality RAM for only 30-50$ from crucial, etc.
 
Hadi said:
sometimes i think im making a big mistake. i can buy 4 awesome PC laptops with this price.
Click to expand...

Hadi, the best advice I can give you: if you're so tensed and afraid, don't go for it. A slightest glitch -- and you'll be damning here everyone who's advised you to buy a MBP. Buy 4 awesome PC laptops instead. In this case you at least know what you're doing.

Hadi said:
and whats with this heating problem?
Click to expand...

Nothing. It's power comparable to a desktop computer, but enclosed in a very thin case. Its case serves as a cooler for the proc (hence almost no fan noise).
 
Hadi said:
i can buy 4 awesome PC laptops with this price.
Click to expand...

Not really.
Well, you CAN theoretically. But compare specs and you might get two. But it's still a lot cheaper to get a good PC laptop if it makes no difference what platform you'd need. Being a Mac user almost exclusively myself for quite some time, that doesn't make me blind to common sense.
 
To the original poster, head over to any computer store with the Macbook Pro and play around with it for ten minutes. Don't purchase memory and hard drive upgrades from Apple. You will save a significant amount of money buying from NewEgg, for example. I think Hitachi is doing rebates for some of their hard drives so look into that. Apple charges $200 for 4gb memory when you can buy it for under $75 elsewhere. There was a thread here saying someone got a 4gb upgrade for $35. :eek:

If you don't like it, you can always return the notebook within 14 days.

If you're a college student, you can get about a $200 discount on your Macbook Pro purchase from Apple. Or, you can head over to Apple's refurb section and pick up a notebook for a similar discount.
 
Buy a Macbook if all your doing is music ...there is no need whatsoever to buy a MBP for this purpose .
CPU speeds are the same basically !....

Never buy RAM from Apple ...Crucial or Kingston is the place for RAM. (it's guaranteed too )

User replaceable HD in the Macbook too so you can change that easy enough .


So you'll get a major saving by buying the Macbook and RAM from crucial ....the cash left over could be well spent on a decent soundcard and a low priced monitor . happy days no ? full set up for the price of a MBP ..they just are not worth the extra cash for what your going to do with it .
 
It's only worth it if YOU want it. If you want to buy it and you like it, go for it, but you cannot buy 4 good laptops for that price. My wife got a Toshiba and we paid $900.00 for it.
 
My advice to the OP is, try out both if you can. Professionals would never touch Vista for music production. They'd either use XP Pro or OSX. But, just go into an Apple Store nearby and play around with the MBP for awhile. Ask the store reps to show you around the OS and give you a small demo of some sort. Just tell them you're looking to buy your first mac and they are all over you. But, also check out the PC laptops at BB, Fry's or CC. If you like PCs more, go for it. But if you like Mac's more, bit the bullet and buy a MBP.

One last thing, Macs have a longer lifetime. My junior high school still uses OS 9 and the really old Macs with the Happy Mac icon or whatever it's called. It's the beige-ish color computers before ppl switched to black. A MBP should last you at least 6+ years, while 4+ years for a PC is like 100 years for a human being.
 
i bought a top of the line MBP last October (the one listed in my sig). even after ADC one-time student discount (20%), and ordering the stock amount of RAM and stock hard disk to be upgraded myself, the price was upwards of $2500.

my roommate bought himself a gateway last week... with a 2ghz cpu, 4gb of ram, 250gb hard disk, comparable video card (ATI) with more RAM (512 vs my 256) AND with HDMI out (I don't have that at all)... for freakin $350 plus tax.

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=347646&t=914486

he can upgrade more easily than i can, he has successfully installed leopard on it, and he paid just about 1/7th the amount i did. given, it was a year later, but that means i could buy one of those gateways every year for 7 years (each one with better specs) for the same amount of money i paid for this MBP.

sure, the MBP looks amazing, but was it really worth it? i don't think so. i'm just too lazy to sell this on ebay, wait for a few weeks without a computer until a deal like that shows up again, and reinstall everything.
 
and before someone gets upset about the questionable morals associated with using the $100 coupon from that slickdeals thread, the $350 price is dependent on the price being $449 BEFORE the coupon, which it was.

so, yes, you can literally (and 100% legally and ethically) buy at least five of these laptops:

2.0 core 2 duo
4gb ram
512mb ATI 2600 (same generation/performance as NV 8600m)
HDMI out (not on MBP)
250gb hard disk
802.11a/b/g/n
built-in camera, just like i-sight
vista 64-bit
5-in-1 memory card reader (not on MBP)

the only advantages the MBP has over this notebook:

aesthetics (inconsequential)
a 2.4 vs a 2.0 (the gateway can be upgraded, the MBP cannot, so this is a plus for gateway)
leopard (can be installed on a windows notebook)
the apple brand (questionable "advantage", these days)

if i were in the market for a notebook right now, it would be a pretty clear choice for me at least. maybe that will change in mid-october... but i doubt it. i tried my hand at apple and it just isn't worth it.

and the reason i still hang around here is because i'm trying to keep tabs on whether my $3000 investment will ever keep wireless signal over weeks and months like my 10 year old thinkpad, or whether my video card will defnitely die once a year forever like it already has. you guys are a great help :)
 
mgpg89 said:
Is this true?
Someone care to elaborate?
Click to expand...

the memory apple gives you is pc-5300, 667mhz. you can buy faster memory, but it will run at the same speed. speed is limited by the MB/MBP chipset, not by the RAM itself.

so yes, it's a lot cheaper (2 x 2GB SODIMMs can be had for $35 vs $200 from apple), but won't be faster in any way.
 
If you think you can get 4 "nice" pcs for the same price, why even bother asking about it? I've noticed when I build computers on other companies websites (ie. Dell, HP etc.) they end up the same price with the about the same specs. If you've found better deals though..take them
 
Thank you all

Ok.
A lot of you guys are right. first I didn't know about the student discount. I'm not a student anymore but my girlfriend is. (would I lose anything if she buys it under her name?)

Second: this RAM thing seems to be convincing. I though It'd be better to go Apple all the way. but I guess not.

what I understood is that upgrading the HD to 7200rpm isn't the smartest thing. so i think im gona keep it as is. 200 gb normal.

I am buying the basic MBP. because I have no video use for it. I only make music and sometimes sound editing.

It was probably an exaggeration for the 4 PC's but seriously If you get paid $11 an hour it takes you a long long time to save up for this laptop. and on top I might get an M-box 2 and Logic Studio.

I have a dream. and it seems like the MBP is what i need and it's good. and if so I'll just have to like some of you said consider it a business expense.

you guys are great help. a lot of people saying wait till mid-Oct. I'll and i'll let u know.
 
Hadi said:
Ok.
A lot of you guys are right. first I didn't know about the student discount. I'm not a student anymore but my girlfriend is. (would I lose anything if she buys it under her name?)
Click to expand...

No
Hadi said:
Second: this RAM thing seems to be convincing. I though It'd be better to go Apple all the way. but I guess not.
Click to expand...
Thank goodness ......I was really happy when I found out about this a while ago .

Hadi said:
what I understood is that upgrading the HD to 7200rpm isn't the smartest thing. so i think im gona keep it as is. 200 gb normal.
Click to expand...
swapping out the HD in a Macbook is easy

Hadi said:
I am buying the basic MBP. because I have no video use for it. I only make music and sometimes sound editing.
Click to expand...
So buy a Macbook ! .I will be buying a Macbook for the exact same purpose as you, making music .. therefore I (& you) Don't need to buy a MBP !! I'll buy a soundcard with the money saved :)

Trust me , if your just making music you don't need a MBP , I cannot emphasize this enough



......just trying to save you some coins ;)
 
If you getting the MBP thru your girlfriend...you should also get AppleCare, apple's service program which extends the warranty program to 3 years. It is way cheaper thru the educational channel and well worth it. Cost like $130 buck, the best investment i ever made.
 
marbles said:
No

Thank goodness ......I was really happy when I found out about this a while ago .


swapping out the HD in a Macbook is easy


So buy a Macbook ! .I will be buying a Macbook for the exact same purpose as you, making music .. therefore I (& you) Don't need to buy a MBP !! I'll buy a soundcard with the money saved :)

Trust me , if your just making music you don't need a MBP , I cannot emphasize this enough



......just trying to save you some coins ;)
Click to expand...

I THINK YOUR RIGHT MAN. i really do. If i get the black Macbook. it'd be the same exact specs as the basic MBP. and this way i can afford an M-box or Logic studio with the money saved!!!!!!! im gona think about it
 
ckseid said:
If you getting the MBP thru your girlfriend...you should also get AppleCare, apple's service program which extends the warranty program to 3 years. It is way cheaper thru the educational channel and well worth it. Cost like $130 buck, the best investment i ever made.
Click to expand...

thanks mate. but are you saying that the student discount actually covers the warranty as well???????????????
 
Hadi said:
thanks mate. but are you saying that the student discount actually covers the warranty as well???????????????
Click to expand...

Right. You get a huge discount on AppleCare by being a student. Of course, the only downside to buying it under your girlfriend's name is that it's hers, and well...make sure you stay together. :)

AppleCare is the way to go if you have an Apple Store nearby, but if not, I've heard some great things about buying one at Best Buy and doing their warranty thing. I might just be a little biased, since we don't have an Apple store here, and I've founding shipping it around to be a pain. You probably wouldn't get the student discount if you bought it there, though.
 
student discount

AquaMethod said:
Right. You get a huge discount on AppleCare by being a student. Of course, the only downside to buying it under your girlfriend's name is that it's hers, and well...make sure you stay together. :)

AppleCare is the way to go if you have an Apple Store nearby, but if not, I've heard some great things about buying one at Best Buy and doing their warranty thing. I might just be a little biased, since we don't have an Apple store here, and I've founding shipping it around to be a pain. You probably wouldn't get the student discount if you bought it there, though.
Click to expand...

SO. I'm kinda nervous about buying the Mac under her name. i mean you think they'd like question me when i go for repairs or something?
I know it's gona make big difference for me buck. it's lol as you said u never know what could go wrong man.
 
Pretend it's a birthday present from your girlfriend to you. Come on, you can't make things up? Seriously, just buy from the refurb section.
 
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