Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Just bought a Macbook... did I buy too late?

Diversion

Diversion

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 5, 2007
773
142
Jacksonville, Florida
I just bought a Macbook Mini with Superdrive (the 1299.99 version).. Did I buy too late? As in.. is the newest line (Santa Rosa perhaps) of Minis coming out soon? Or did I make a decent choice for now? I haven't opened it yet.. But someone respond fast cause I really want to open it up and have some fun with it. ;)

Jay
 
Well, you're going to get 2 different camps here on MR:

Camp 1: "If you need it now, just keep it. it's a great computer and will last you a long time, enjoy it!"

Camp 2: (which I'm on) "The Macbook is due for an update, especially with Santa Rosa, and maybe an entirely new design. They are at the end of their average life cycle, and there have been many rumors about new ones coming out later this month with Leopard. Wait."
 
Veritas&Equitas said:
Camp 2: (which I'm on) "The Macbook is due for an update, especially with Santa Rosa, and maybe an entirely new design. They are at the end of their average life cycle, and there have been many rumors about new ones coming out later this month with Leopard."
Click to expand...

Thats what I would go with too.
 
Veritas&Equitas said:
Well, you're going to get 2 different camps here on MR:

Camp 1: "If you need it now, just keep it. it's a great computer and will last you a long time, enjoy it!"

Camp 2: (which I'm on) "The Macbook is due for an update, especially with Santa Rosa, and maybe an entirely new design. They are at the end of their average life cycle, and there have been many rumors about new ones coming out later this month with Leopard."
Click to expand...

How long has the current Macbook model been out? How much did it cost at first? If I got a lot of money off what it cost when it first came out, then I will probably keep it..

And... Will the new Leopard Macbook cost the same as what I paid? If so, maybe I should return this and wait?

I feel kind of bad for paying an extra $300 for the Superdrive, bigger harddrive, and 160mhz faster cpu.. I don't know if this is all worth $300... thoughts? I think I could have been fine with the $1099 version with just 2ghz/dvd reader...

Jay
 
Diversion said:
How long has the current Macbook model been out? How much did it cost at first? If I got a lot of money off what it cost when it first came out, then I will probably keep it..

And... Will the new Leopard Macbook cost the same as what I paid? If so, maybe I should return this and wait?

I feel kind of bad for paying an extra $300 for the Superdrive, bigger harddrive, and 160mhz faster cpu.. I don't know if this is all worth $300... thoughts? I think I could have been fine with the $1099 version with just 2ghz/dvd reader...

Jay
Click to expand...

Well it all depends on what you do if you need a bigger HD and a super there ya go if not well... still a nice oneand by leopard macbook do you mean the macbook or leopard? the macbook price will most likly stay the same through out the next revs (also there has not been a price reduction while your macbook has been on the market.) Hope I helped a little bit anyway.
 
The new models will almost surely be the same price, they always are. Anytime Apple releases a new update they usually keep the prices the exact same. Hence, the previous version of the model you bought was $1,299, just as your newer model is still $1,299, and the next model will likely be that price too.
 
Thanks.. Well this is my first Mac.. I just want to make sure i'm not making a mistake.. I'm a very impatient person as it would be extremely hard for me to wait for the next generation of the Macbook.. and i'm assuming it wouldn't be any problem going from Tiger to Leopard on this Macbook...

So I guess there's no definite knowledge about when the next generation of Macbooks are due.. With the way my luck is though, after my 14 days are up, the new Macbooks will have arrived and I will be very upset at myself for not waiting... Sigh.. decisions decisions.

Jay
 
Diversion said:
Thanks.. Well this is my first Mac.. I just want to make sure i'm not making a mistake.. I'm a very impatient person as it would be extremely hard for me to wait for the next generation of the Macbook.. and i'm assuming it wouldn't be any problem going from Tiger to Leopard on this Macbook...

So I guess there's no definite knowledge about when the next generation of Macbooks are due.. With the way my luck is though, after my 14 days are up, the new Macbooks will have arrived and I will be very upset at myself for not waiting... Sigh.. decisions decisions.

Jay
Click to expand...

Well I'll happliy tell you, you should have no problems upgrading
and as far as updating goes...just enjoy your mac! Thats what I always say ;)
 
pscoble said:
Well I'll happliy tell you, you should have no problems upgrading
and as far as updating goes...just enjoy your mac! Thats what I always say ;)
Click to expand...

Well if I crack this thing open and then the new refresh of the Macbook comes out and it has an LED screen, is lighter, 2.2ghz or more, smaller, etc. for the same money i'm gonna be really upset! I'm the type of person that has to have the best.. ya know.. and then i'll be stuck with a brand new old version of the MacBook heh..

Jay
 
Diversion said:
LED screen, is lighter, 2.2ghz or more, smaller, etc. for the same money i'm gonna be really upset!
Click to expand...
I'd really hold off on keeping your Macbook, as I see all of these changes you noted as not only possible, but probable within the next 3 weeks.

Except maybe the lighter & smaller; those are less probable. But at least a speed boost and a Santa Rosa upgrade is likely. :rolleyes:
 
Veritas&Equitas said:
I'd really hold off on keeping your Macbook, as I see all of these changes you noted as not only possible, but probable within the next 3 weeks.

Except maybe the lighter & smaller; those are less probable. But at least a speed boost and a Santa Rosa upgrade is likely. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Ack.. it's sitting in the box.. it wants me to open it! HALP. ;)
 
I got the exact machine about a month and a half ago. I really needed it RIGHT THEN. I hadn't had a computer for over two years.

It doesn't sound like you NEED it right now. I'd return it if I were you.
 
I couldn't resist.. I opened it last night.. and I absolutely love it so far.. what a nice, elegant machine.. And I was shocked to see NO bloatware pre-loaded on the machine.. is this the norm with all Apple computers? Like I said, this is my first ever.. But you are all right, I didn't *need* it.. and I never needed it, I just wanted to pick one up to see what having a Mac is all about.. i'll try anything once. Hopefully the refresh of the Macbook isn't enough to make me sell this off and run out and buy one of those too... The Santa Rosa platform will be welcomed, although the performance difference is very marginal.. If they go LED lcd, it'll make me want one bad.. otherwise, any other changes won't be a major deal to me.

Jay
 
Diversion said:
And I was shocked to see NO bloatware pre-loaded on the machine.. is this the norm with all Apple computers?
Jay
Click to expand...

Why yes, yes it is. :) I end up shaving things down a little more by deleting all the printer drivers I do not use. I deleted the Microsoft Office Demo because I already purchased the full version two years ago.
 
As far as...

As far as spending an extra $300 for the Superdrive, bigger HD and Ram; you'll definitely appreciate the HD and Ram, my Macbook has the Superdrive as well and in the 9 months I've owned it I've used it like 5 times. But I was really glad I was able too. I did upgrade my Macbook to 2.5 gigs ram from OWC, that was a significant improvement over the 1gig.:)

My macbook is the best laptop I've owned. I go back the 145B...Lombard, 15.4 PB Titanium, 15.4 PB aluminum, 2 iBooks. The size is just right, it does everything I require of it efficiently, usually effortlessly.

Like you, I've tended to buy right before the upgrade cycle I bought the last version of the iBook w/ the G3 ugh! Keep it, use it and you'll love it. The next version will come out when it comes out and you'll have the "D'oh" Homer Simpson moment, but you'll also have had 3 - 4 weeks of Macbook happiness now.

Enjoy!

Coachingguy
 
Diversion said:
Well if I crack this thing open and then the new refresh of the Macbook comes out and it has an LED screen, is lighter, 2.2ghz or more, smaller, etc. for the same money i'm gonna be really upset! I'm the type of person that has to have the best.. ya know.. and then i'll be stuck with a brand new old version of the MacBook heh..
Click to expand...

That MacBook should last you for at least three years, and there will be people using theirs after six years. Even if you get the buying time absolutely perfectly right, six months later it won't be the latest and greatest anymore. That's just normal way of life.

You say you're the type of person that has to have the best... In that case, keep the MacBook until a new one is released, flog it on eBay, get a new one and so on and so on. Or better, realise that instead of chasing the latest and greatest forever and never getting anywhere, you can choose to be happy with what you got.
 
Veritas&Equitas said:
I'd really hold off on keeping your Macbook, as I see all of these changes you noted as not only possible, but probable within the next 3 weeks.

Except maybe the lighter & smaller; those are less probable. But at least a speed boost and a Santa Rosa upgrade is likely. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Mac Book update in three weeks???? I expect the Mac Book Pro to get a revision in 4 months, but the Mac Book probably is still about 6 months out from an update.
 
MacsAttack said:
Mac Book update in three weeks???? I expect the Mac Book Pro to get a revision in 4 months, but the Mac Book probably is still about 6 months out from an update.
Click to expand...

I don't know where people are getting this three week number from. Seems way too soon with the rumors that have been floating around.
 
MacsAttack said:
Mac Book update in three weeks???? I expect the Mac Book Pro to get a revision in 4 months, but the Mac Book probably is still about 6 months out from an update.
Click to expand...
If you've read the Buyer Guide, or heard any of the discussion, you'd understand that the Macbook is due for an update way before the Macbook Pro (which just got Santa Rosa, LED, etc. in the recent update, which the Macbook got nothing). Macbook is same old, same old.

So you're timeline is way out of whack...where did you pull those numbers from?
 
Diversion said:
I couldn't resist.. I opened it last night.. and I absolutely love it so far.. what a nice, elegant machine.. And I was shocked to see NO bloatware pre-loaded on the machine.. is this the norm with all Apple computers? Like I said, this is my first ever.. But you are all right, I didn't *need* it.. and I never needed it, I just wanted to pick one up to see what having a Mac is all about.. i'll try anything once. Hopefully the refresh of the Macbook isn't enough to make me sell this off and run out and buy one of those too... The Santa Rosa platform will be welcomed, although the performance difference is very marginal.. If they go LED lcd, it'll make me want one bad.. otherwise, any other changes won't be a major deal to me.

Jay
Click to expand...

you could always use it for a week, learn the OS, then take it back and wait to see if they are updated in a few weeks. I forget the exact time-frame you have to do this, and whether or not you'll pay a re-stocking fee.
 
The macbook is a splendid machine...if you need it now just buy it. I don't find it really outdated compared to other machines on the market.
 
One thing that has not been mentioned, but is kinda important. When updates come out to the Macbook, it means that the first models are likely to have bugs. The machine you got now has been out for some time and has proven to be reliable. And I have the first gen Macbook and still love it too.
 
return policy

"Apple will assess a 10% restocking fee on any opened hardware or accessory" And you have 14 days from purchase to do so. As the previous poster noted, the Macbook is a mature product and many of the bugs have been worked out. If the "new" MB is going to significantly changed, it'll essentially be a 1st gen product and open to the bugs that come with that. See iPod Classic as a classic example.

Coachingguy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back