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New Apple Convert =P

L

Liam89

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 16, 2007
12
0
Well, recently I started to get some sense out of my brain and decided to look into Macs after a lifetime with PC's, and I've come to a rock solid decision that I will be getting a MacBook and not another useless and unreliable PC. All I ever do on my PC is chat to friends, design, make music, videos, etc. I never play games which is why I'm not going for another PC, I have an Xbox 360 for that.

So, to all you Mac users out there, could you please give me some information on what the best specifications are for me. I'm 17 and I basically want to use it for music, movies, dvd writing, and maybe the odd piece of college work. I'm not getting a MacBook Pro, that's for definite, there's no need for it because it will just go to waste and won't be used to it's full potential which would be a shame.

I've been looking at just the standard MacBook which I believe has been updated a while ago, specs for that are:

* 1GB 667 DDR2 - 2x512MB SO-DIMMs
* 80GB Serial ATA drive (5400rpm)
* Keyboard (English) & Mac OS (English)
* 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* Combo Drive
* AirPort Extreme Card & Bluetooth
* Power Adapter
* Battery

That would set me back £699 including VAT.

Or I was thinking of updating it a little and going for the next best thing:

* 1GB 667 DDR2 - 2x512MB SO-DIMMs
* 120GB Serial ATA drive (5400rpm)
* Keyboard (English) & Mac OS (English)
* 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* Double-layer SuperDrive
* AirPort Extreme Card & Bluetooth
* Power Adapter
* Battery

£899 including VAT.

Any sort of advice would be appreciated, thanks.:)

Instead of getting the next best thing, do you think I should just get a standard MacBook and upgrade from the original 80GB Serial ATA drive (5400rpm) and upgrade to 120GB Serial ATA drive (5400rpm)? Or maybe even # 160GB Serial ATA drive (5400rpm) if I can spend the extra £89.99
 
if you are a student, look for the educational discount... or, if you arent a student, get a job at Mcdonalds as the employee discount off apple products is identical as the edu discount :p


I would say get basic if you dont need the superdrive...

otherwise, get the other
 
What does the superdrive do that the combo can't do?

Sorry if it's a stupid questions.:p

and yes I am a student, so I'll definately look into the discount, thank you.
 
Liam89 said:
What does the superdrive do that the combo can't do?

Sorry if it's a stupid questions.:p

and yes I am a student, so I'll definately look into the discount, thank you.
Click to expand...

It writes DVD's. The combo drive is DVD ROM/CD RW. What you might consider is buying the $1299 MB, then ordering the 2MB upgrade from OWC. It is $109.00. So, the total is $1408 - $90 cheaper than the top end MB, and you have double the memory. However, you will have 40 GB less disk space. You could add $75 and get the 160 GB drive. Then you would spend $1483. That is still cheaper by $16.00 ($1499 - $1483), but you have double the memory (a very important thing in my opinion). However, you can take that $90 and buy an external drive. You can get Drives in the 120GB, 160GB, 250GB and 320GB capacity for about that price. I have even seen some 500GB for under $125! So, for same price as the top MB ($1499), you can double your memory and triple your total storage capacity.
 
Hey, I'm exactly in the same position as you :)

I'm pretty new to the Mac scene, but plan to purchase a Macbook in the summer. I use my 360 to play most of my games, with a few exceptions (but they're very low spec games that Windows boot camp should handle with ease :))

I'm lucky in that I have a friend I am visiting in the states soon, so I plan to purchase my Mac through them, them being of so kind heart that I'm able to use their educational discount ^_^ - As a result I can afford the middle range macbook for less than it would be over here :)

Cart Subtotal:
$1,199.00

Free Shipping:
$0.00

Est. Tax*: (This is Texas/San Antonio - so 6.25%)
$98.92

Total:
$1,297.92

Exchange Rate of $1-£0.504 :
£654

That makes it incredibly cheaper than the U.K :) (Of course, the flight would make up this difference, so of course ;) no point in going over just for it.

Not sure how much help this is to you, but just thought I'd let everybody know here, as I've spent a long time considering this, so I thought it might possibly help somebody in my situation :)

P.S. I'm aware that UK Customs would apply a 17.5% import tax to it anyway, which would bring it up to £768 (still cheaper than the model over here, even with education discount) - but there are actual ways of avoiding this tax. (Duty doesn't apply to Laptops btw)

P.S.S. You overstated the price of the 2nd Macbook. It's £829, not £899 - so an added bonus :D (or £779 if you use the education discount)
 
Liam, if you're able to access the Internet from the educational establishment, order from http://apple.procureweb.ac.uk/

The entry MB model is £601.60 and the mid-range is £713.23 (both includes VAT) - you also get a three-year limited parts and warrenty cover included free, which you can increase to the full 3-year Applecare for about £65.

As SMM advised, it's more economical buying a third-party hard drive and/or RAM than ordering it from Apple.
 
Igantius said:
Liam, if you're able to access the Internet from the educational establishment, order from http://apple.procureweb.ac.uk/

The entry MB model is £601.60 and the mid-range is £713.23 (both includes VAT) - you also get a three-year limited parts and warrenty cover included free, which you can increase to the full 3-year Applecare for about £65.

As SMM advised, it's more economical buying a third-party hard drive and/or RAM than ordering it from Apple.
Click to expand...

Just to clarify, those prices are for the Higher Educational discount. Liam is in college, so he would not be entitled to this, as this option is only open to University students (Unless there is someway around it) I was looking at this as an option too :)

The free 3 years warranty is a huge bonus that they really should give to all students though.

Don't intend to be nit picking, I was just trying to clear things up :)
 
Maybe I'm confused but I was under the impression that college was "higher education" and that high school and below didn't qualify for education discount. I'm also a college student and I'm positive that I'm entitled to the education discount.

EDIT: Oh, I see you're making the distinction between college and university students. Sorry, I'm a "university student." Does Apple make the same distinction between college and university?
 
Since your burning DVDs you need at least the middle model. Get the middle model with a student discount and stick 2GB of RAM in there and you'll be good to go :)
 
MattJessop said:
Just to clarify, those prices are for the Higher Educational discount. Liam is in college, so he would not be entitled to this, as this option is only open to University students (Unless there is someway around it) I was looking at this as an option too :)
Click to expand...
Institutions other than universities are included – for example, Havering College of F & HE and I think even some 6th Form Colleges in Wales. After all, in the UK higher education is generally regarded (and I speak as someone who works in the sector!) as a third-stage, non-compulsory form of education. But yes, the bulk of institutions included by Apple in this agreement are universities.

The easiest way to find out if your institution is included in the HE agreement, is to click the link from its network – if it’s not, you’ll get a message saying you’re not authorized to access it.

You are meant to be 18 years or older in order to place an order this way though. Here’s the small print:

(i) 18 years of age or over;
(ii) a registered student of a higher education institution participating in the National Higher Education Agreement with Apple and possess a valid student I.D.; or
(iii) a teacher. lecturer, tutor or other superviser of students engaged or employed by an eligible higher education institution participating in the National Higher Education Agreement with Apple;
(iv) a parent purchasing on behalf of their child who is a student currently attending or accepted into a higher education institution participating in the National Higher Education Agreement with Apple;
 
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