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most future proof MBP?
- Thread starter slimjim40
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I'm about to pull the trigger on a 17-inch (HD-display) macbook pro, with a 7200 RPM hard drive and the 3 GHz processor option. That will be the most future proof, in my opinion, because it will have the most raw power, an HD display, and you can upgrade it to 8 gigs of ram in the future when the price drops.
other things will make whatever macs we end up buying obsolete anyways.. USB 3.0, bluetooth 3.0, Blu-ray drives followed by the death of the optical drive, SSD dropping in price.
You can never be on top of the curve for long, so go big or go home, and enjoy it for the next 3 years while you watch the future unfold.
Buy one now that fits your budget and sell it within few years (get AppleCare) and buy new/refurb/used. If you buy top MBP now, it'll be slower than low-end one within few years
I don't really believe in futureproofing, that's just me. The extra money for something like a processor is better saved and used when you upgrade. The other thing is that there are few users that really keep a computer for that long, most users on here seem to switch every 1.5-2.5 years. I realize that there are those that do keep their computers for six years, but that seems to be the definite minority.
Okay, the truth is: I've been buying a new mac every 4-5 years since 1990 and have come to realise that my long suffering wife just won't go along with me blowing thousands on a new toy more regularly than that. I'm not saying I'm downtrodden so much as troddendown.
I like the selling regularly thing but I'm just too lazy to be that efficient and pro-active. I know I won't be arsed to try and sell my machine when the time is right. I'll just plod away with my tired old machine and moan about it to my wife for two years until she relents.
Thats why I want one that'll last as long as possible
Yes I know she deserves better.
I like the selling regularly thing but I'm just too lazy to be that efficient and pro-active. I know I won't be arsed to try and sell my machine when the time is right. I'll just plod away with my tired old machine and moan about it to my wife for two years until she relents.
Thats why I want one that'll last as long as possible
Yes I know she deserves better.
yeah, I keep mine for about 3 years it seems. so take that into consideration when you read my recommendation.
For someone like you it seems like future proofing might be a worthy concept. I used to hear that all the time 5-10 years ago and it made sense. Nowadays, in our consumer driven society, it seems like most people (especially enthusiast) buy a new computer every 2 years so it's a waste of money to future proof. Good luck with your search.
the fastest one?
What other answer would there be? Its like asking whats the best way to get wet.
What other answer would there be? Its like asking whats the best way to get wet.
Haha! I love the anticipation of people questioning your marriage... because its all of our business.
Yep when that bluetooth 3.0 comes out we might as well throw our current machines out.
There's a difference between obsolete and not having the newest, fastest, and best of everything. When I buy a top-of-the line Mac, I expect at least 4 years good use out of it. My 17" Powerbook gave me 6.
My desired point was when the culmination of ALL those things are out, then your laptop will be (feel) obsolete. It would be like having a ethernet capable USB 1.0 laptop after USB two came out and wifi was prolific.
My main point however was intended to be the same as yours, you can't always be on top. get the best you can afford and then enjoy it for the years to come. then you'll get the joy of owning the newest again when you upgrade.
none....
There is none...I've given up trying to keep up because it is more stressful comparing all the time and crying "I should have waited a little longer." I buy the best one I can afford and that will do the job and then ride it as long as I can.
It's like the stock market--buy a good stock and hold for the long-term and don't check the papers every day.
There is none...I've given up trying to keep up because it is more stressful comparing all the time and crying "I should have waited a little longer." I buy the best one I can afford and that will do the job and then ride it as long as I can.
It's like the stock market--buy a good stock and hold for the long-term and don't check the papers every day.
The most future-proof computer is always the fastest one made. However, it is also typically the one that provides the least value for the dollar. The best thing to due is to buy the computer that offers the best value, which is typically Apple's lowest model in a given range. If you need a 13" MBP, it would be the $1199 MBP, with a RAM upgrade since 2GB barely gets by these days. For the 15", it would be the base-model 15", although the 13" is a much better value. the 17" would be the worst buy, but it's much better to buy a base-17" than to upgrade it with components that will cost 1/2 as much in 8-12 months.
In my opinion, the most future-proof laptop is not the fastest one but the most portable and durable. Five years from now they will all seem the same amount of slow because they will be three generations of architecture behind. And, a big heavy laptop that's slow will likely be a lot less useful than a small, light laptop that's slow.
I currently have an old 17" Dell and I just upgraded to a 13" base model MacBook Pro for these reasons. As upgrades for the MBP get cheaper, I will buy them.
I currently have an old 17" Dell and I just upgraded to a 13" base model MacBook Pro for these reasons. As upgrades for the MBP get cheaper, I will buy them.
No way. Best value is usually found in #'s 2 or 3 down the list. Same for Hard drives, RAM, processors... pretty much anything with computers. The top model usually has inflated cost because it's the latest and greatest. The second less so and the third none of it so you're really getting what you pay for.
The lowest model will be the cheapest, but that doesn't equate to value.
Keep in mind the current 17" base model will probably still be faster than the 13" models 2 years from now. Today's 13" MBP runs at either 2.26 or 2.53, the 17" model from mid-2007 ran at 2.4 or 2.6 GHz.
So someone with a 2 year old 17" MBP is still faster than your brand new 13". Ouch.
If you're going to keep the machine for 4-5 years, why not wait for mobile Nehalem's? A few more months, but the performance, longevity, and resale should be worth the wait.
With Apple's midrange models you're usually paying a lot more for a small upgrade. It's to a lesser degree now, but if you look at past models it was an extra $500 to go from the base 15" to the 15" with more VRAM and a processor bump. It's usually the lowest in the range. And don't forget that it's not just clock speed that's at play. The 13" at 2.26GHz will be faster than many older, higher-clocked models due to improvements in the processor architecture.