New MacBook: To Buy Or Not?

[Andrew D.]

So here it is, these new MacBooks are really tickling my fancy.. haha. Right now I'm rockin' a MacBook Pro old school edition and I'm wondering if it would be worth it to sell it and "downgrade" and pick up one of the new MacBooks.. This is my current MBP's specs:

MacBook Pro 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 15.4
2GB RAM
120GB HD
8x Superdrive
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT 128MB

So should it stick it out with my current or drop it for a new one? All advice, suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[MacMuttonchops]

Like a good Apple fanboi, I generally upgrade things for the sole purpose of having the newest thing. iPhone to iPhone 3G...could have easily done without GPS or 3G speed.

While this unibody enclosure is the SEXIEST thing (have you picked it up at the store yet and groped it?) to come to computing and is reason enough to upgrade, I mainly upgraded from my mid-range white MacBook for the graphics. Compared to that paltry Intel-integrated bologna that was in there before, this thing is screaming now. But since you have a decent card in your MBP already, that probably wouldn't do you any good.

My advice, if money isn't an object, go for it. But if you're looking for a performance boost, you probably won't get one.

For reference, I bought the 2.4 GHz model this time around. I had 2.16 GHz last time. Things do seem a bit snappier, but that may take into account the faster bus speed and the faster RAM that Apple threw in, in addition to the faster processor. Oh, and this illuminated keyboard is golden.

Good luck in your quest.

 

[Phrasikleia]

If you have AppleCare, then no. If not, you might go ahead and replace it to rid yourself of that 8600m GT GPU, which is known to have a defective solder. However, you'll be dumping an otherwise great computer with a far superior screen. Yours has Firewire and an Expresscard slot, which the MacBooks do not. Do you really want to work on a 13" screen that is known to be of rather poor quality?

 

[Vulcan]

Your MacBook has a better screen and another firewire port, it is truly a "pro" machine. Keep it.