Hey there everybody, I've had my Dell Inspiron e1505 since early 2007 and its starting to get outdated. I'll be heading to college in the summer of 2012 and my parents as well as myself have decided that its time for me to get a new laptop. I was originally looking a Samsung QX410 mainly because it looks pretty similar to a MacBook Pro without costing as much ($800). However after talking with friends who have MacBook Pros we decided that despite costing more they really are worth the money and I'll get plenty of use out of it. I haven't saved up enough money yet but I'll get there around April. Before I buy I have just a few questions for you guys. First white size should I get? My laptop right now is 15"and I really like the size of it and I can't imagine any smaller. However price is really an issue. If would like spend a couple hundred less and get the 13" with the same amount of features (I'm assuming the next 13" will have an Intel Core i5). The laptop will be used at college as well as at home, so what do you guys think? Second how scratchproof is the aluminum casing? My current laptop is four years old and has just a few scratches on its plastic casing so I tend to take pretty good care of my laptops. I'm really anal about scratches however I would hate to put a case on the MacBook. Lastly, is a new line of MacBook Pros going to be introduced this spring? Say nothing gets released, should I still buy one when I have the money or just wait it out? Thanks!
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MacBook Pro Questions
- Thread starter gosabres
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The 13inch is not going to get an i5 processor 
Its too small and theres not enough heat distribution in the 13." I wouldnt be surprised if they kept a C2D in the 13" or went with an i3 for the spring update. The 15" and 17" will get the option for the high end SB CPU's.
The 15" inch is the perfect size for me. At ECU, I see a lot of guys with 15" and girls with 13"
As far as the aluminum goes, its pretty scratch proof
New ones will come out in the spring with SB CPU's. Theres no doubt about that.
Its too small and theres not enough heat distribution in the 13." I wouldnt be surprised if they kept a C2D in the 13" or went with an i3 for the spring update. The 15" and 17" will get the option for the high end SB CPU's.The 15" inch is the perfect size for me. At ECU, I see a lot of guys with 15" and girls with 13"
As far as the aluminum goes, its pretty scratch proof
New ones will come out in the spring with SB CPU's. Theres no doubt about that.
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I think a 13" MBP or even a MBA would suffice. My brother has a 13" 2.53 GHZ MBP he got in 2009 and he is almost graduating college and it worked for him perfectly. He runs Adobe Ai and PS CS4 perfectly.
What are you going to be doing mostly on the computer? What do you plan to get a degree in ( I know it may be a bit early)..
What are you going to be doing mostly on the computer? What do you plan to get a degree in ( I know it may be a bit early)..
There's no guarantees the next revisions of 13" will have the Core i5 in them, it's a great thought and a hopeful one for a number of us, but really until Apple posts the specs on their website it's all just a big guessing game. The real question you need to look at when comparing CPU specs is what the hell do you use it for? I run 2 virtual environments on my laptop at any given time plus continue to work in OSX, and I manage to do that flawlessly on a 13" MBA which has a Core 2 Duo and 4GB of RAM. If I need video editing and the like, then I jump to my Core i5 MacBook Pro, but it's really overpowered for 99% of my uses.
The aluminium casing however I can speak for and it's rather scratch resistant, I've taken mine into the field time and time again, and it's come out in amazing shape considering it's been dropped in a whole slough of questionable conditions and had a couple of weapons end up dropping in it late at night. Wrapsol or some other casing will help preserve the pristine look, but all in all it weathers the storms very well.
The aluminium casing however I can speak for and it's rather scratch resistant, I've taken mine into the field time and time again, and it's come out in amazing shape considering it's been dropped in a whole slough of questionable conditions and had a couple of weapons end up dropping in it late at night. Wrapsol or some other casing will help preserve the pristine look, but all in all it weathers the storms very well.
Thanks for the speedy responses. I would mainly be using it for things like photo editing and maybe some gaming. Nothing extremley demanding I was originaly planning on buying a laptop that could run Microsoft Flight Simulator X (I'm working on getting my pilots license right now) however I decided that I would just buy a PC on eBay for that purpose.
From what you listed, the current gen of Macbook Pros should be just fine for what you need. I wouldn't bother waiting, but thats just my opinion
The current 13 inch MBP is IMO the ultimate education laptop. Does your school do a discount and financing program? Almost all do!
Unless you are majoring in something like film editing, the current 13 inch will leave you delighted. It currently offers features which you need for college, specifically battery life, bright screen against ambient light, portability, and durability. I would get the 13 inch Pro over the 13 inch plastic MB simply due to the fact that computers get beat on in college. The MBA, may look like it is fragile, is NOT. My mother's first Air is living and functioning testament that the MBA beats freefalling and concrete. The aluminum bodied computers do have a durability advantage and the concept of the 'unibody' adds to this as a fewer pieces add structural rigidity (usually).
Above all, invest in a good skin and carrying case!!! I see students carrying expensive computers in their backpacks right next to their textbooks and they get upset that their computer is broken and blame the maker (hmmmmm).
You may also want to invest in a SSD and/or external hard drive, as it can save you a lot of grief.
Unless you are majoring in something like film editing, the current 13 inch will leave you delighted. It currently offers features which you need for college, specifically battery life, bright screen against ambient light, portability, and durability. I would get the 13 inch Pro over the 13 inch plastic MB simply due to the fact that computers get beat on in college. The MBA, may look like it is fragile, is NOT. My mother's first Air is living and functioning testament that the MBA beats freefalling and concrete. The aluminum bodied computers do have a durability advantage and the concept of the 'unibody' adds to this as a fewer pieces add structural rigidity (usually).
Above all, invest in a good skin and carrying case!!! I see students carrying expensive computers in their backpacks right next to their textbooks and they get upset that their computer is broken and blame the maker (hmmmmm).
You may also want to invest in a SSD and/or external hard drive, as it can save you a lot of grief.
Okay, I visted the Apple Store today and the 13" definatley seems like the best size. Now the processor... I'm still in my junior year of high school so I'm not positive on my major yet however it most likely will be something in engineering. What processor would be best for running engineering progams?