MBP late 2011 or wati?

[Liquinn]

I know there's lots of threads on this but I just need advice on this

I'm not sure whether to buy a 17" Macbook Pro now or whether I should wait.

I know I'll be gutted when the 2012 model comes out if I spend so much on a Macbook Pro now... but if I'm always going to be wanting the newest thing then I'll be waiting forever.

On the other hand, I wanted to buy the Macbook Pro on the day it gets refreshed, then I get the latest and greatest for longer. But I do need it now. I have the funds for the 17" Macbook Pro now...

The 17" Macbook Pro has a solid and well built design and if Apple changes the design there may be issues/problems with it.

 

[devinesZ]

i was having the same fight with myself and pulled the trigger on my 15" mbp. i got the 2.2 and couldn't be happier! i opted for the 4gb ram because 8gb kits are between $40-70 where apple is charging ~$200. also best buy price matches, they even price matched my late 2011 with the deal on macmall.com for a early 2011. I say if you need it now, get it. If you can wait a couple months then wait. Good luck. BTW I ordered corsair vengeance 8gb kit on new egg for $43 shipped.

 

[Liquinn]

i was having the same fight with myself and pulled the trigger on my 15" mbp. i got the 2.2 and couldn't be happier! i opted for the 4gb ram because 8gb kits are between $40-70 where apple is charging ~$200. also best buy price matches, they even price matched my late 2011 with the deal on macmall.com for a early 2011. I say if you need it now, get it. If you can wait a couple months then wait. Good luck. BTW I ordered corsair vengeance 8gb kit on new egg for $43 shipped.

Congrats on the purchase. It's quite a hard choice. £1,730.00 for a 17" Macbook Pro glossy. That's a little hard to pass up since I'll be saving a few hundred pounds.

It's a tough choice for me. I'm really stuck on what to do

 

[devinesZ]

thats a really good price, i paid 1699 dollars. normal price is 2200 for mine. i would say get it, can't really beat it ya know? the 2012 won't be that price I would bet the 1700 pounds on it! haha

 

[Liquinn]

thats a really good price, i paid 1699 dollars. normal price is 2200 for mine. i would say get it, can't really beat it ya know? the 2012 won't be that price I would bet the 1700 pounds on it! haha

Yeah, I'm thinking on maybe buying it next Wednesday. I'll be gutted when the new MBPs come out with Ivy bridge but it seems to be a good price.

 

[Vantage Point]

For a great price then go for it - I assume it is new and includes a 1 year warranty.

I picked up my 2010 MBP in Early Dec 2010 and the new one came out in Feb 2012 but I got a pretty good price on Amazon so no regrets.

Buying one a few months before the new models come out is okay if one gets a good price since it is less about performance (especially with the 2011 quad core models) and more about value.

 

[Liquinn]

For a great price then go for it - I assume it is new and includes a 1 year warranty.

I picked up my 2010 MBP in Early Dec 2010 and the new one came out in Feb 2012 but I got a pretty good price on Amazon so no regrets.

Buying one a few months before the new models come out is okay if one gets a good price since it is less about performance (especially with the 2011 quad core models) and more about value.

Yeah it's new and comes with a one year warranty. I'm going to e-mail the seller now and confirm this. So it comes with the glossy screen which I will have to live with I guess.

 

[tekmoe]

I had the 17" glossy for a week and ended up returning it for the matte. Much happier.

 

[Liquinn]

I had the 17" glossy for a week and ended up returning it for the matte. Much happier.

how come? I'd have to pay like 400 pounds extra for the matte though.

 

[palpatine]

i would not get it yet, because the whole line is due for a really impressive refresh, which will include a wonderful new processor. i bet it will be more than just a minor spec bump. the 17" is a lot of money to be spending for outdated stuff. i would expect an announcement fairly soon (next month?). it's frustrating, of course, but not a great time to buy.

that said, a used one that has been treated well with a good price might be the way to go. i imagine people will be putting theirs on the market about now with news about these air-like macbook pro revisions and so forth leaking out.

 

[Vantage Point]

Glossy is only a problem if you have a bright lights or a window behind you. Else there is no problem.

 

[Liquinn]

i would not get it yet, because the whole line is due for a really impressive refresh, which will include a wonderful new processor. i bet it will be more than just a minor spec bump. the 17" is a lot of money to be spending for outdated stuff. i would expect an announcement fairly soon (next month?). it's frustrating, of course, but not a great time to buy.

that said, a used one that has been treated well with a good price might be the way to go. i imagine people will be putting theirs on the market about now with news about these air-like macbook pro revisions and so forth leaking out.

Yeah, I don't want an ultrathin laptop in which the RAM/HDD is not upgradable

 

[tekmoe]

how come? I'd have to pay like 400 pounds extra for the matte though.

One simple reason: glare.

Glossy is only a problem if you have a bright lights or a window behind you. Else there is no problem.

If my Mac sat in the same place and never moved, it would not be an issue. However, I purchased a notebook to be able to take it with me. Depending on where I am, I might not have a choice when it comes to bright lights and windows. Needless to say, the matte solves those issues.

 

[Liquinn]

One simple reason: glare.



If my Mac sat in the same place and never moved, it would not be an issue. However, I purchased a notebook to be able to take it with me. Depending on where I am, I might not have a choice when it comes to bright lights and windows. Needless to say, the matte solves those issues.

Yeah I guess. Should I just buy the MBP now? What happens if the new MBPs come out next month for example? I'd be gutted.

 

[tekmoe]

Yeah I guess. Should I just buy the MBP now? What happens if the new MBPs come out next month for example? I'd be gutted.

I used to play that game years ago. "Should I wait for the latest and greatest or buy what is available right now? Ah screw it, I'll just buy now and sell it when the latest and greatest comes out!" That was before I acquired a mortgage...

In all honesty, I would hold off if you can. Worst case, you don't like the latest and greatest and can then pick up the "older" model for even cheaper.

 

[Liquinn]

I used to play that game years ago. "Should I wait for the latest and greatest or buy what is available right now? Ah screw it, I'll just buy now and sell it when the latest and greatest comes out!" That was before I acquired a mortgage...

In all honesty, I would hold off if you can. Worst case, you don't like the latest and greatest and can then pick up the "older" model for even cheaper.

Yeah I see, I can get the 17" Macbook Pro glossy for £1,719.00. That's a good buy since I'm saving money and this is also cheaper than an Apple refurb.

 

[Vantage Point]

If my Mac sat in the same place and never moved, it would not be an issue. However, I purchased a notebook to be able to take it with me. Depending on where I am, I might not have a choice when it comes to bright lights and windows. Needless to say, the matte solves those issues.

Matte solves the issue but for a price. Long ago people had to pay extra for the glare Anyway, I went through this when I purchased mine and it turned out not to be a huge problem. If I am working in a McDonalds or similar place I tried to sit so the window is not behind me. Also, if the background on your screen is white, like this website, then reflections are less of an issue - they become more pronounced if the background is dark, like black. If all fails do what the stores do, turn up the brightness to drown out the reflections - all stores do this so it is hardly noticeable - it's an old trick that works.

Personally, I would prefer matte but I had another problem. The 15" MBP only came in Matte if I buy the High-Res option and I definitely do't want that since it causes me eye strain - same with all the 17" models.

 

[mgsarch]

I'm shocked people are saying to go for it. "Radically redesigned", "said to revolutionize the laptop industry", mbps seem to finally be on the horizon. Even at the discount, if you can wait, I would. Deals on old-style unibody will be even better come release time. I can't say for sure but my guess is that resale value of the unibody machines will also be hurt as people offload their heavy/bulky machines in favor of the "new mbp".

<shrug>

Just My .02

 

[Liquinn]

I'm shocked people are saying to go for it. "Radically redesigned", "said to revolutionize the laptop industry", mbps seem to finally be on the horizon. Even at the discount, if you can wait, I would. Deals on old-style unibody will be even better come release time. I can't say for sure but my guess is that resale value of the unibody machines will also be hurt as people offload their heavy/bulky machines in favor of the "new mbp".

<shrug>

Just My .02

On the other hand, those new slimmed down Macbook Pro Air style machines are just rumors... But I guess if I'm always going to wait for the newest thing I'll never buy anything. I really don't know what to do. It's a lot of money

 

[tekmoe]

If you can wait, I say hold onto your money and see what Apple releases. If you like it, buy it. If not, buy the older model for an even steeper discount. It's a win-win.

 

[Liquinn]

If you can wait, I say hold onto your money and see what Apple releases. If you like it, buy it. If not, buy the older model for an even steeper discount. It's a win-win.

I guess you're right. On one hand it could be a radical re-design. On the other it could be a minor processor bump. I hope they release the new MBPs by June.

 

[RenoG]

I guess you're right. On one hand it could be a radical re-design. On the other it could be a minor processor bump. I hope they release the new MBPs by June.

Shoot I'm in the same boat get a discounted MBP now or wait. Thing is i've been waiting now for the past 3 months WITHOUT A COMPUTER AT ALL the laptop that died on me was my only computer. I don't think I can hang anylonger.

 

[Vantage Point]

Shoot I'm in the same boat get a discounted MBP now or wait

Yeah, a refurb or a place that has a discounted new model is a good way to hedge your bets. I doubt the new chips will bring tangible speed benefits since the latest Sandy Bridge are screaming fast - and the speed difference is only realized when doing certain tasks, not everyday things. The new chips do bring the promise of less heat and power consumption.

The thing is, from this point on, the longer you wait the more difficult the decision is since the release of new models will be that much sooner. I went through this 2 years ago and it was agonizing