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Is this the worst time to buy a Mac?

V

Vancouvercanuck

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 25, 2009
33
0
I have been saving money to buy a Macbook Pro, but is this the worst time to do it because

1)they usually update their computer in spring tilme and they might consider upgrading their 512MB video ram? Internal blu-ray player? Better SSD drive? Quad-core?

2)Snow Leopard will be coming out soon, i dont want to buy Leopard now, only to be replaced by Snow leopard the next day!

3)Back to school promotion with free ipod in june

So i should probably wait for a few months? How about the CPU? Is it worth the price to upgrade it to 2.8GHz instead of the standard 2.53? I am also considering the 7200 or SSD instead of the standard 5400 but would battery consumption be too much if i upgrade to 7200? Thanks
 
We're probably halfway through the cycle... if you can wait, then wait. If you don't want to wait, then don't. Unless you're talking about the new 17 inch... then go ahead and buy it.

I don't imagine the next update will be major... probably just slightly better CPU clock speeds and maybe better HD options.

Snow Leopard shouldn't make you wait... but if you decide to wait for other reasons, then by all means wait for Snow Leopard and the next revision of the mbp.

Getting a 7200rpm hdd is a good idea... but as for 2.53 vs 2.8 it depends what you need it for. I'd say it's not worth the money *shrug*
 
Waiting games are just that, games. You have asked questions that you have also basically answered. Save your money then when the next best thing comes out and you buy it, know that a refresh is around the corner again. There's a word for it that escapes me ... oh yes, technology. :cool:

If the current lineup does what you need it to do then buy now. The only time I tell people to wait is if there is an event literally around the corner and by literally, I mean within 14 days.
 
Vancouvercanuck said:
I have been saving money to buy a Macbook Pro, but is this the worst time to do it because

1)they usually update their computer in spring tilme and they might consider upgrading their 512MB video ram? Internal blu-ray player? Better SSD drive? Quad-core?

2)Snow Leopard will be coming out soon, i dont want to buy Leopard now, only to be replaced by Snow leopard the next day!

3)Back to school promotion with free ipod in june

So i should probably wait for a few months? How about the CPU? Is it worth the price to upgrade it to 2.8GHz instead of the standard 2.53? I am also considering the 7200 or SSD instead of the standard 5400 but would battery consumption be too much if i upgrade to 7200? Thanks
Click to expand...

I'd say it's still a pretty good time to buy a MacBook Pro, seeing as its last refresh was more revolutionary than evolutionary.

I think it's reasonable to expect a VERY minor spec bump around June (certainly no Blu-Ray, probably no graphics update, probably no quad-core processor).

Regarding the SSD, assuming speed is your primary concern, it's probably better to buy an aftermarket one (so you know exactly what you're getting). I went for the Apple 7200rpm 320GB and am waiting for 256GB SSD prices to fall and performance to increase.

It's true that Snow Leopard is an unknown, though a benefit is the inclusion of iLife '09.

Personally I think that the next MacBook Pro won't be a very good one to get, because at that point, the Nehalem MBP (which will be revolutionary internally) will be on the horizon.
 
SFStateStudent said:
I couldn't hold it any longer! Went out and picked-up the MBP 2.5 250GB for $1199, plus AppleCare, HP Printer, plus tax for a grand total of $1543 OTD...:p
Click to expand...

Ebay? I know someone who works in Bestbuy, he said he might able to give me discount, hopefully i can save some from there.
 
Vancouvercanuck said:
Ebay? I know someone who works in Bestbuy, he said he might able to give me discount, hopefully i can save some from there.
Click to expand...

Mine was the EDU discount at the University of California, Berkeley. They only had (3) left at their Scholar's Workstation. I stayed away from CL & EB, only b/c I kept checking EDU discounts throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco State had the same deal on all of their MBP, but it was $200 more without the AppleCare...
 
I would say that now's a good time to get a new MBP. As someone mentioned already, the big change in the line happened back in October. You'll only be getting minor upgrades if you hold out. The MBPs now have the Nvidia chipset, and Apple's going to be running on that for a while. Plus, you have 4 iPods... there's no need to wait IMO.
 
darwinian said:
For the record, the worst time to buy is during a keynote, while a new product you might need is being announced.
Click to expand...

Except the Apple Store is down, so you'd be buying from Best Buy or Macmall...

And then you can just blame them for not taking their stores down. :p

Actually, the worst time to buy would be from a physical, non-Apple store SEVERAL DAYS after the release of new products, because they'll still probably only have the old stock... :rolleyes:
 
darwinian said:
For the record, the worst time to buy is during a keynote, while a new product you might need is being announced.
Click to expand...

Well seeing as Apple has a 14 day replacement/refund program (as do almost all manufactures) if they introduce a new product or lower the price, I'd say the worst time would be 15 days before the new product is on the market.
 
Just bought a MBP. I think it's a great time. The instant I bought mine, there is something better in the works. But that will always be the case in my lifetime. I'm psyched. But I needed a new computer now. If you can wait, and you have doubts, I'd wait. But I don't think it's a bad time to buy at all.
 
Tallest Skil said:
You bought Leopard for $129.

You will buy Snow Leopard for $129.

Same for everyone.
Click to expand...

this guy is expecting an education purchase, hence, the summer ipod promo. he won't be paying $129. to the op, os x prices vary by school. the standard price on apple's edu site has os x listed at $69 (i think), but a lot of schools sell it for cheaper still (though i have no idea how pricing works in canada). regardless, if you can wait for the summer ipod promo, you'll likely be able to wait for snow leopard. i think people are expecting it to ship near wwdc time, typically in june.
 
Tallest Skil said:
Except the Apple Store is down, so you'd be buying from Best Buy or Macmall...

And then you can just blame them for not taking their stores down. :p

Actually, the worst time to buy would be from a physical, non-Apple store SEVERAL DAYS after the release of new products, because they'll still probably only have the old stock... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

It would be amusing to see not only signs on all internet retailers but sticky notes on the sliding glass doors of brick & mortar stores saying, "The Apple Section Will Be Back Soon."

I have to admit that it bothers me slightly that retailers have the 17" MBP at full price currently. I realize the new ones aren't available yet, but something about it rings sneaky to me. Here are some things to consider:

--The new ones are really not available yet, so in a sense they really don't exist
--But at least with Apple, they are guaranteed to arrive, and most probably soon
--When the new ones are available, they will be the same price as the current ones
--Retailers should be trying to get rid of stock in anticipation of the new ones with aggressive discounts NOW, not just once the new ones arrive
--I know sales folks inform their potential customers at the peril of an immediate sale in some cases, but it should be a store policy, in combination with the discounted "old" stock
 
If you're keeping it for a long time..

I'd get the 2.8GHZ. I'd get the stock hard drive and replace it when bigger drives come back on your own.

Vancouvercanuck said:
I have been saving money to buy a Macbook Pro, but is this the worst time to do it because

1)they usually update their computer in spring tilme and they might consider upgrading their 512MB video ram? Internal blu-ray player? Better SSD drive? Quad-core?

2)Snow Leopard will be coming out soon, i dont want to buy Leopard now, only to be replaced by Snow leopard the next day!

3)Back to school promotion with free ipod in june

So i should probably wait for a few months? How about the CPU? Is it worth the price to upgrade it to 2.8GHz instead of the standard 2.53? I am also considering the 7200 or SSD instead of the standard 5400 but would battery consumption be too much if i upgrade to 7200? Thanks
Click to expand...
 
Tallest Skil said:
You bought Leopard for $129.

You will buy Snow Leopard for $129.

Same for everyone.
Click to expand...

I wonder about this. If SL is a speed increase with no new features I suspect Apple will sell at a lower price than traditionally offered to assist sales.
 
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