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looking to buy a MacBook, suggestions?

E

EatsRainbows

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 15, 2011
17
0
Melbourne. VIC.
Hi all,

I am a Humanities/Psychology student in the market for a Mac. I have previously been Windows only as I was pretty much governed by what was cheap at the time.

Anyway, I'm torn between the high end 13" MBP, and high end 13" MBA.
my current computer usage is web-surfing, watching movies, music and writing essays, creating presentations. I would like to get into an MMO of some description (cant at the moment as my current laptop is horrible).

I have a 1Tb Seagate GoFlex Home hdd hooked up to my network which stores all of my media and backs up my computer.

which MacBook would, in your opinion suit me best?
 
If you are even thinking games like MMOs you really need to get a 15". I just got my new 15" yesterday and I was blown away with how fast and snappy it is.

Anyway, for what you are asking, I would recommend the Pro 13". I think it offers more to your needs, you MAY need that optical drive built in. Also the i7 cpu is awesome. The i5 isn't bad by any means, but that i7 just gives that extra punch. If you are even thinking that you could use the Pro 13" then get it. The air is amazing for the weight and super portable, but if you don't NEED that then get something with more power.
 
I've read a fair few reviews of the 13" MBP, and was concerned about the integrated graphics? I realise the MBA had the same Intel HD 3000 as the MBP, but how would the MBA and/or MBP cope with WoW, Rift, or EVE Online?
 
The MBP 13'' would do pretty well with WoW for sure. Better then the MBA as it's simply faster.

I would also recommend the basic 2.0 GHZ 15inches MBP. The graphic card is good enought, the bigger screen will let you enjoy everything a little more, from movies to games. Of course, it's a little more money, but it's optimal for your use. The MBA would have been great without your desire to game ;)

I just bought the high end mbp 15inch because of the killer specs it had. I'm really looking foward to it and I'm glad that this thread has some positive comments.

If you really want to put the money in this laptop, the 15inch high end is, in my honest opinion, the best laptop apple has to offer. The 17inches are simply too big... and not really faster. But again, you're getting further and further away from the price of the MBA and 13 high end MBP. Altought the 15inches would last for years in the world of mmo, and it will offer a great performace for games such as diablo 3.
 
Thank you for all the positive feedback guys :D

The 15" high end does look amazing, and im sure i can find some more $$ to get the better specs so it will do basically anything I throw at it.
 
With the MBP 15 and 6750 graphics, I think you are future proofing yourself some. Where if you get only the intel 3000 you can play current games decently well, but if something new comes out and you want to play it then it may not be playable. I look at it like if I spend a few hundred dollars more now, it will buy me another year or 2 of use. I am expecting to get the same out of this computer as I did for my old MBP 17" core duo. (thats right core duo, NOT core 2 duo) That system lasted me over 5 years with zero problems. I bought it for $4200 and it was worth every penny. I feel the same with this one.
 
I have to agree with everyone on getting a 15" MBP. not only does it have a dedicated graphics card, but it also has the option of getting a high resolution display.

The hi-res screen option isn't available on the 13"MBP. :(
 
EatsRainbows said:
Thank you for all the positive feedback guys :D

The 15" high end does look amazing, and im sure i can find some more $$ to get the better specs so it will do basically anything I throw at it.
Click to expand...

Get the cheapest 15 inch. Now if you have the money and can splurge for the high end 15, that will be a lot better (concerning games only) but it will cost you.

I think that for your uses, however, the baseline 15 inch would be a great machine.
 
The low-end 15" is priced competitively in the refurbished section of apple's website, at least in the United States. $1529

The high-end 15" is $1869

Refurbished from Apple means as good as new, with the same warranty as new.
 
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