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Need Opinions on which MBP to get

E

EliteEliten

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 12, 2010
11
0
Hawaii
Hey everyone,

This is my first post, so forgive me if I break any rules here. I'm a senior in high school right now, and I am looking to get a MBP for college. For school, we are issued a Macbook and we will have to return it at the end of the year. The specs:
Version 10.6.4
Processor 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory 2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

Because we have to return it at the end of the year, I was looking for to buy a MBP. I was looking at the $1799 MBP but I wanted to know if the speeds with be noticeably faster than an IC2D/if this would be the best choice.

Basically what I would want to use the laptop for would be schoolwork first (writing papers, powerpoints etc),
then some gaming (Starcraft 2 etc). I also like to record music in Garageband, and edit videos and upload them to YouTube, and when I upload them, it is in bulk; many 10 minute videos in HD.

Basically, should I get that MBP now based on what I am wanted to use it for, or should I wait and see what they have in store with the faster models/if I even need them.

If I could get some opinions and ideas, that would be greatly appreciated! Again, sorry if I have broken any rules.
 
The baseline i5 model will be sufficient for you. Won't be a gaming powerhouse, but could probably take on SC2 with moderate settings.
Don't bother waiting. Everyones Mac gets outdated somewhere along the line, you're just delaying the inevitable!
 
EliteEliten said:
Basically, should I get that MBP now based on what I am wanted to use it for, or should I wait and see what they have in store with the faster models/if I even need them.
Click to expand...

This should ALWAYS be your approach to buying electronics. There will ALWAYS be something more advanced down the road. The MacRumors buying guide can give you some idea of the product cycle. As Macs don't usually go down in price, the earlier in the product cycle is usually your best value.
 
Take a look at the buyer's guide tab at the top of the macrumors page. You will see that the mbp is close to a refresh. At the very least don't worry about it until the next model comes out. Since you don't need one until you have to give your old one back, don't worry about it until then.

You might even want to wait until you get to college before buying one. You might find that a desktop + ipad suits your needs better. Or the portability of a 13" outweighs the power of a 15".
 
I had the first generation 15" MBP back in college with the Core Duo 1.83 GHz and that was more than enough to get me through my last 3 years of college.

After using that computer for 4 years I just recently upgraded to the 15" Core i5 2.4GHz model and I couldn't be happier. With an SSD installed it outperforms any other computer I've used.

Andy it plays SC2 on High settings without lag.

In my opinion the base 15" MBP will exceed all your expectations and will easily last you through college
 
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