My Dilemma. Advice Welcome.

[Skawt]

Alright so it's College time, now it's time to get a new computer! (Esp since the GPU in my iMac is dying, but that's another story.)

I have orientation June 29th - July 2nd, and although it's not required, it's highly recommended you have a laptop or computer there to check out different classes and professors. So I'm not sure what to do.

Now this is what I'm dealing with, I'll either be ordering my computer tonight or possibly picking one up in the store tomorrow.

Right now I'm looking at the high end 15", but would love to upgrade the CPU to 3.06GHz. However I'm not sure how long that would take to configure and ship out by Apple, and I'd rather not impulse buy one from the store unless the change is hardly noticeable and would really be gaining nothing from waiting for the computer to ship.

I think I could do just fine without the computer during orientation (and may even have a loaned comp, though it's unlikely), but if there's negligible difference between the BTO one I'm looking at and the one in the store I might as well just pick it up tomorrow, right?

I guess what I'm asking, is the 3.06GHz that much better than the 2.8GHz? What about the HD? I've read a lot of people are having problems with a click/beep noises on the 7200RPM one, would the 5400RPM really be that bad?

I use the computer for general use, such a word documents, iTunes, surfing the web, but I also use it for heavy gaming, heavy Aperture use, Photoshop, Illustrator, and I've been known to mess around in C4D every now and then. Is any of that justifiable for the CPU upgrade?

Also can you get the printer and rebate in-store or is that just a web deal?

Thanks so much for any help/advice!

-Scott

 

[MacAndy74]

Good timing! I've started a thread about just that here.

Seems to me that the 3.06GHz may well be an overkill for what you do.
I have also chosen to go down the 5400RPM path as the performance difference isn't huge and I'd rather have a trouble free MBP

 

[bli625]

The 2.8 will be fast enough for the stuff you do. I do a lot of the same stuff and I have the pre-WWDC 2.66GHz/5400RPM model and it works great.

 

[cu2010]

Alright so it's College time, now it's time to get a new computer! (Esp since the GPU in my iMac is dying, but that's another story.)

I have orientation June 29th - July 2nd, and although it's not required, it's highly recommended you have a laptop or computer there to check out different classes and professors. So I'm not sure what to do.

Now this is what I'm dealing with, I'll either be ordering my computer tonight or possibly picking one up in the store tomorrow.

Right now I'm looking at the high end 15", but would love to upgrade the CPU to 3.06GHz. However I'm not sure how long that would take to configure and ship out by Apple, and I'd rather not impulse buy one from the store unless the change is hardly noticeable and would really be gaining nothing from waiting for the computer to ship.

I think I could do just fine without the computer during orientation (and may even have a loaned comp, though it's unlikely), but if there's negligible difference between the BTO one I'm looking at and the one in the store I might as well just pick it up tomorrow, right?

Also can you get the printer and rebate in-store or is that just a web deal?

Thanks so much for any help/advice!

-Scott
I guess what I'm asking, is the 3.06GHz that much better than the 2.8GHz? What about the HD? I've read a lot of people are having problems with a click/beep noises on the 7200RPM one, would the 5400RPM really be that bad?

I mainly use the computer for general use, such a word documents, iTunes, surfing the web, but I would also use it for Games, heavy Aperture use, Photoshop, Illustrator, and I've been known to mess around in C4D every now and then. Is any of that justifiable for the CPU upgrade?

Isn't it a bit too early? I had one in September. Maybe you live in the Southern Hemisphere.
CTO orders take at least 4 days, but I suppose it depends on where you live. So don't order it online if you want to take it with you, but I highly doubt you will need it during orientation week.

And you should be able to get the same deal in store as well.

 

[Skawt]

Isn't it a bit too early? I had one in September. Maybe you live in the Southern Hemisphere.
CTO orders take at least 4 days, but I suppose it depends on where you live. So don't order it online if you want to take it with you, but I highly doubt you will need it during orientation week.

Nah I live in Texas, lol. I'll be attending UT and since the school is so big they have Orientations all throughout the months of June, July, and August. All I'll be using it for at orientation would be to look up classes and professor's. All I think I would upgrade on the CTO would be the CPU and maybe the HDD.

 

[w00t951]

For that stuff, you don't need such a powerful computer. The 2.66 should be enough, because I have the 2.53 and it does everything that I need it to do.

 

[midgetsanchez]

Trust me on this. Get the 17" instead of the high-end 15". I'm a student as well. You'll thank yourself later.

 

[Skawt]

Trust me on this. Get the 17" instead of the high-end 15". I'm a student as well. You'll thank yourself later.

I wanted the 17" for sure! However it's out of the question as I end up having to fly on planes a lot! And some of the lecture rooms are pretty cramped, I don't think the person next to me would be to happy if I whipped out a 17" MBP, lol.

 

[cu2010]

Nah I live in Texas, lol. I'll be attending UT and since the school is so big they have Orientations all throughout the months of June, July, and August. All I'll be using it for at orientation would be to look up classes and professor's. All I think I would upgrade on the CTO would be the CPU and maybe the HDD.

What a coincidence! My teacher from last semester will be a professor of English at UT from September. You must take him at any cost

 

[MacAndy74]

IMHO I also found the keyboard on the 17-inch MBP a bit too far recessed.

 

[Skawt]

I'm 100% positive at this point I'm going with the 15" MBP. I'm not in dire need of it right at this moment, but my iMac has ceased to work for more than 10 minutes at any given time due to it's GPU.

If the 2.8 to 3.06 isn't that significant, I might go ahead and purchase it tomorrow at the apple store, but I'm still unsure it I should. Erg these decisions are so hard. I'd like to future proof my machine as much as possible, but I don't know what to do.

Will the 3.06 not make a huge difference in games, aperture (especially), and after effects compared to the 2.8?

 

[Jocelyn84]

I know this wasn't one of your choices, but why not just order the refurbished 2.93 for $1949.00??
http://store.apple.com/us/product/G0GR3LL/A?mco=MjE0NjE5MA

 

[bli625]

I'm 100% positive at this point I'm going with the 15" MBP. I'm not in dire need of it right at this moment, but my iMac has ceased to work for more than 10 minutes at any given time due to it's GPU.

If the 2.8 to 3.06 isn't that significant, I might go ahead and purchase it tomorrow at the apple store, but I'm still unsure it I should. Erg these decisions are so hard. I'd like to future proof my machine as much as possible, but I don't know what to do.

Will the 3.06 not make a huge difference in games, aperture (especially), and after effects compared to the 2.8?

It won't make a really big difference.. I'm telling you.. CoD4.. Mac version.. runs flawlessly. Aperture is great on the 2.66 as well. You won't be future proofing your computer that much by getting the 2.8 and 3.06. Quad-cores are coming in a year.

 

[Richard1028]

All I'll be using it for at orientation would be to look up classes and professor's.

You don't need to rush into any mac purchase just for this.

I think you're just looking for an excuse to get one sooner than you really need it.

 

[Skawt]

You don't need to rush into any mac purchase just for this.

I think you're just looking for an excuse to get one sooner than you really need it.

To an extent, absolutely.

But at the same time the GPU in my current computer (iMac 2006 24") is barely scraping by. I have to keep the fans on 3k (they only go up to 4k) just to be able to surf the internet. I get artifacts on almost every page, it's ridiculous!