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Is the 2010 13" Macbook Pro for $999 a good deal?

M

Meever

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 30, 2009
641
30
At first I wasn't very sure about the core 2 duo processor and the integrated GPU but after I put some thought into it I'm a little conflicted.

A i5 processor with turo boost and hyperthreading would be a huge leap above core 2 duo but isn't a highly clocked core 2 duo pretty comparable to a i3 processor? I can't image the performance would be THAT mind blowing.

Kind of the same deal for GPU the 320m seems perform very well for integrated and honestly, I don't really play games and when I do I don't mind playing on lower setting.

Your opinions would be greatly appreciate. Should I pull the trigger now or hold out and see if Apple puts in a i5 into the 13" models in winter?
 
That price is VERY good!
I bought myself a 13" MBP. The speed hasn't been an issue at all. It does all the normal things with a fair amount of ease. You don't need the i5 processor unless you're doing major editing and video processing.
 
Ultimately your call. $999 for a 13" 2010 MBP is a great deal considering the best you can get them for is $1099 with educational discount, although after getting a free iPod touch that you can probably pawn for $150 or so it'd be around that price anyways.

I had an i7 15" antiglare and sold it and got the base 13". With an SSD I just installed, its leaps and bounds above the i7 I had with a 5400rpm drive (of course, but it's interesting). Core 2 duo is still very capable.

If you're gaming, get the i5 because it comes with that discrete 330m. If not, the 13" is excellent. Great battery life too and portable and cheaper.

Your call about waiting to see if 13" comes out with the arrandale computers in the winter. I waited for arrandale and joined that thread, but honestly, I love my 13" more than my unibody 15" c2d (last year's model) and the i7 I had for about a month.
 
I bought mine from Fry's for that price so I think it's a good deal. :D

Get an SSD for it and it will be fast enough. I can still feel where the core 2 duo is lagging behind the i5 or i7 but for the most part it is fast enough.....I figure the computer will hold most of its value over the next year so that when Apple releases the i5 13" I can sell my 13" for a reasonable amount of money and upgrade.
 
If you're set on buying a Mac, the 320m is excellent, and if you aren't as serious about games, the C2D will do fine for the short term.

The opposite of both of those is true for me, of course.
 
if spend that much money on a laptop, might as well spend a bit more and go for the next generation, i5 that is
 
Ramphex said:
if spend that much money on a laptop, might as well spend a bit more and go for the next generation, i5 that is
Click to expand...

So are you waiting for the next macbook pro update? because i think im going to do the same.

But I have to admit the 2010 13" macbook is great, awesome battery life and a "not that bad" graphics card. Hope we get an update on october/november
 
For your needs the 13"will be great, and the price is pretty good; unless you need some more juice for video/3D/gaming, then get a 15" with i5/i7...
 
the C2D will do fine for the short term.
Click to expand...

i think that is the exact point right there. I am in the same boat as the OP, although i would be spending $1500 for the base 13" here in NL (EUR1150). spending that amount of money for a short term laptop really bugs me. My wife is fed up with it all and told me to just go ahead and get the 15" ...

so i am in serious doubt between waiting for a core iX MBP13 or just get it over and done with and get a base AG MBP15 for EUR1800.

at these prices i really can't be looking at a short term laptop. at $999 however it seems lie it could be okay. that's just EUR 790. At that price i would have gotten it no questions asked, at half the NL price.

S.
 
stefan1975 said:
i think that is the exact point right there. I am in the same boat as the OP, although i would be spending $1500 for the base 13" here in NL (EUR1150). spending that amount of money for a short term laptop really bugs me. My wife is fed up with it all and told me to just go ahead and get the 15" ...

so i am in serious doubt between waiting for a core iX MBP13 or just get it over and done with and get a base AG MBP15 for EUR1800.

at these prices i really can't be looking at a short term laptop. at $999 however it seems lie it could be okay. that's just EUR 790. At that price i would have gotten it no questions asked, at half the NL price.
Click to expand...

Just checked, 13" MBP is $1199 on US Store, and with current exchange rate $1393 on Netherlands store, but the $1393 include a rather high tax, where the $1199 doesn't include tax. The $999 is either a MacBook, not MacBook Pro, or it comes from a source that is cheaper than the Apple Store.
 
gnasher729 said:
Just checked, 13" MBP is $1199 on US Store, and with current exchange rate $1393 on Netherlands store, but the $1393 include a rather high tax, where the $1199 doesn't include tax. The $999 is either a MacBook, not MacBook Pro, or it comes from a source that is cheaper than the Apple Store.
Click to expand...

well the base MBP13 is EUR 1149 here:

http://store.apple.com/nl/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook_pro?mco=MTAyNTQzMzk

with an exchange rate of 1.26 that would amount to roughly $1450 (1150*1,26), so in that light a deal where the MBP would cost $999 in the US (which is EUR 790 converted) would be a bargain, at half my cost.

Here there are hardly any other stores that carry the MBP and if they do they are not *much* cheaper then the apple store. i haven't found the MBP15 below EUR 1700 here yet.
 
thadoggfather said:
If you're gaming, get the i5 because it comes with that discrete 330m..
Click to expand...

That could be a good idea.

But I have to say, I play Portal, TF2, AE3, HL2 in native res, on default settings without any problems.
I even play Trackmania in Crossover Games, at native resolutions.
And they all run perfect.

I know these aren't the most demanding games, but they are games that people play, and enjoy to play.

So no need for 330m for gaming, you can get away with a lot with the 320m. :)
 
330 didn't seem that great on paper. Maybe like 20-30% faster than the 9600, which the 320 almost matches.

The only game I play regularly is Starcraft. Starcraft 2. *insert random Valve game here* which are all very reasonable to the gpu and more cpu dependent.

BTW, yeah it is from microcenter. I got lucky and with some discounts I'm essentially getting out of paying tax.
 
Meever said:
330 didn't seem that great on paper. Maybe like 20-30% faster than the 9600, which the 320 almost matches.

The only game I play regularly is Starcraft. Starcraft 2. *insert random Valve game here* which are all very reasonable to the gpu and more cpu dependent.

BTW, yeah it is from microcenter. I got lucky and with some discounts I'm essentially getting out of paying tax.
Click to expand...

Actually the comparison to the 9600 was referring to the 320M that is not an integrated chipset (See here.) Comparatively the onboard memory of the 330M will give it much better performance.

The 320M in the 13" is still top of the line as far as integrated chipsets go.
 
What the duck?! So there's a discrete 320 AND a integrated chipset called the 320?!

God damnit Nvidia!
 
Meever said:
What the duck?! So there's a discrete 320 AND a integrated chipset called the 320?!

God damnit Nvidia!
Click to expand...

Yes. The 320 is an integrated gpu. But the deal is veeery very good. If you consider that new MBPs will come around January and core i5 chips all have intels integrated chips that means that Apple should also build them descrete graphics that will eat the battery and I don't know if Apple will do this . . .
 
BeachHead said:
If you go to Microcenter they are selling it that price right now.
Click to expand...

Yes they are. The only limitation is it's in store pickup only. I bought one at $999 I couldn't pass it up. Lucky to live near a Microcenter. Now I just need to sell my old MacBook 13 (last model b4 they became pro) for $650 to recoup some of that expense.

Cheers,
 
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