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Official "I just bought a MacBook Pro" Thread
- Thread starter AliensAreFuzzy
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Plecky said:The "now-shipping MacBook Pro" huh? Either someone's lying or some people actually are getting there's early, my guess is those close to apple and maybe some press-sites to build up more media around it. Pretty lame, and still false advertising since it seems those who were suppose to ship on the 7th-10th have been pushed back, now shipping - what a joke!
I vote on someone's lying.
I'm with those who think that the 2/7 and 2/10 dates were mistakes and that Apple didn't intend to put out dates that early. They should have corrected this sooner, and they definitely should not have raised false expectations when they changed the date to the 10th. There is no way that they could not have known that they couldn't meet that date 3 days ago when they set it.
I checked with David Jones, the retailer I ordered mine from two days after release. They hadn't heard anything as to when they were getting mine in (a 1.83GHz job with fast HDD).
Couple this with the fact my quiet Antec PSU in my PC has packed it in and been replaced by a yum cha 300W job that sounds like Cyclone Tracy when it's turned on and I really, really need my Macbook...
All I can say about the wait is GAAAAAAAAAAH!
Couple this with the fact my quiet Antec PSU in my PC has packed it in and been replaced by a yum cha 300W job that sounds like Cyclone Tracy when it's turned on and I really, really need my Macbook...
All I can say about the wait is GAAAAAAAAAAH!
I am going to purchase the high end model in two weeks. Any must haves to buy while I am going to order it?
iQuit said:
I got the 1.83 model, the only CTO upgrade I did (as a lot of people it seems) is up the HD to the 7200 100 GB hard drive, although a few have gone the route for the 120 GB hard drive but it seems much fewer have left it stock.
If you're going for the 1.67 model, I'd say try to get the ram above 512 whether it be through apple or elsewhere for cheaper. Other then that, the hard drive thing can apply here as well since its not that costly of a upgrade. I'm not positive as to what other upgrades are available on the 1.67 but ram and and hard drive are two things I'd upgrade on it. The hard drive through apple, the ram probably through crucial but maybe through apple if I deemed the 90 bucks for a extra 512 worth it and depending how much ram I wanted/needed.
Overall and in conclusion, I'd definitely upgrade the hard drive to either the 7200 100 GB hard drive or the 5400 120 GB hard drive mattering if you need a faster drive or more space. The ram can always be upgraded later and probably cheaper if done yourself. Any other upgrades for the 1.67 model I'm missing. Anyways, that's my reccomendation and I'm no Pro yet I will be once I get my MacBook "Pro" (or so I hope).
And I disagree.
I kept my 1.83 stock, but did order an additional 1GB memory module from OWC. The very minimal performance gain that you get from the 5400 to 7200 RPM notebook drives didn't justify it to me. The extra 20GB of space in the 120GB drive also wasn't worth it to me since I'll be working tethered much of the time where I can use network or external drives. When I'm working disconnected, the 100GB drive will be more than sufficient.
If you're doing video production, the small performance increase from the 7200RPM drive may matter, but in most cases I don't feel that it's significant enough to bother with.
I kept my 1.83 stock, but did order an additional 1GB memory module from OWC. The very minimal performance gain that you get from the 5400 to 7200 RPM notebook drives didn't justify it to me. The extra 20GB of space in the 120GB drive also wasn't worth it to me since I'll be working tethered much of the time where I can use network or external drives. When I'm working disconnected, the 100GB drive will be more than sufficient.
If you're doing video production, the small performance increase from the 7200RPM drive may matter, but in most cases I don't feel that it's significant enough to bother with.
My view on video ram is that unless you are gaming or doing intensive video work, 128 VRAM is plenty for just about anything at the moment. I prefer the 256 VRAM of the 1.83 MacBook Pro just for future cases. I'm going to have this computer for a minimum 3 years and for the next year I'm sure 128 will be more then enough, but in 3 years when we have Leopard (10.5) or the next catlike OSX (10.6) 128 may be the bare minimum much like 32 VRAM is now (and currently what I have in my mini which stinks, no support for core image) and really feel that 64 is reccomended for Tiger. At least I wish I had a 64 card for my mini. Keeping with that trend, I'm sure 128 VRAM (64 being what 32 in my mini is now, kind of a minimum) will be ideal for Leopard but I have a feeling whatever follows Leopard may be best with a 256 or better (128 being a minimum). Also, I believe that within a year we'll see and maybe even have 10.5, and then less-than-two years from the release of 10.5 we'll have 10.6. Since I want my MacBook Pro to last so long, I'm trying to get something that will age well. If I wanted something for just a year or two I would've got a 1.67 G4 in october when they were released, if I wanted something for just a year I would've got a iBook when they were updated this past July. But for the next 3+ years, MacBook Pro and I opted for the $2500 one because for 500 more you get more ram (something I would've had to spend money on anyways because there's no way I'm sticking with 512), a better/larger standard hard drive, more VRAM, and a slightly faster processor. Those are enough updates for me to justify the extra money, but it's different for everyone of course.
In a slightly drunken haze last night I ordered myself a MBP (1.83)...checked this morning...estimated ship date was March 10th so I cancelled my order...I need to get the unit before March 7th as Im leaving the country...so I am totally going to stalk out the Yorkdale store and hope to get a unit there...
I'm a long time Apple user...
But I chose to go with a Dell, specifically, the Inspiron e1705. I had been waiting for quite some time for the new MacBooks, but I must say I'm disappointed for a couple reasons...
First, I'm an animator and I need raw processor speed. Not for rendering, but for animating in the viewport. Sure a nice video card helps, but the CPU is what takes a hit when scrubbing through frames with a skinned character. We test this stuff all the time at work. That's why I opted for the 2ghz dual core instead of a 1.8ghz MacBook. As sleek as they are, I need the faster clock.
Second, software. I absolutely can't afford to wait on Alias/Autodesk to come out with Maya 7.5. Thats at least 6 months away. (I asked my rep and he said no UB's until a new version) I also cant afford to use Rosetta. I tested the PLE version of Maya on a 2ghz intel iMac and it chugged with the scenes I gave it. I knew then I needed to go with a PC, unfortunately. And this garbage about Adobe making us wait 18-24 months until CS3 for UB's is simply and utterly despicable.
Thirdly, price. Sure, this is becoming much less of an issue, especially when you can spec some notebooks out to be nearly 4 grand. But for me, I didnt want to spend a fortune. I sold my 1ghz TiBook for 900 bucks, and had 1000 more to spend. With that in mind, I couldn't even get the lowest end MacBook. However, for $1706 (not including tax) I got the e1705 with a 2ghz core duo, and a 256mb GeForce 7800 (arguably one of the best video cards available for portables). Granted, I got a 60gb HD (why doesnt Apple offer options like this this to cut 150 bucks off their cost?) and the computer is heavier, but at least now it fits my needs.
This post isnt to incite a flame war, just to suggest that people buy computers for different reasons. I dont buy them for status symbols, but for pure productivity and desktop replacement. I'm a strong guy, I can handle carrying around the extra 3 pounds. But I will miss my mac though. (good thing I still have the G5 at home ) I'm sure I'll come back to Apple one day
All in all, I might have gotten a MacBook had it not been for the software issue. I think for casual users and video editors, it will be fine because I expect FCP UB's will be available shortly, if not already. But for animators and high end CG people (there are quite a few of us, actually) it's probably best to either wait or choose something else. Oh, and just for the record, the first one I got was DOA and am waiting for the replacement. It happens with Macs too...just thought I'd go on record.
But I chose to go with a Dell, specifically, the Inspiron e1705. I had been waiting for quite some time for the new MacBooks, but I must say I'm disappointed for a couple reasons...
First, I'm an animator and I need raw processor speed. Not for rendering, but for animating in the viewport. Sure a nice video card helps, but the CPU is what takes a hit when scrubbing through frames with a skinned character. We test this stuff all the time at work. That's why I opted for the 2ghz dual core instead of a 1.8ghz MacBook. As sleek as they are, I need the faster clock.
Second, software. I absolutely can't afford to wait on Alias/Autodesk to come out with Maya 7.5. Thats at least 6 months away. (I asked my rep and he said no UB's until a new version) I also cant afford to use Rosetta. I tested the PLE version of Maya on a 2ghz intel iMac and it chugged with the scenes I gave it. I knew then I needed to go with a PC, unfortunately. And this garbage about Adobe making us wait 18-24 months until CS3 for UB's is simply and utterly despicable.
Thirdly, price. Sure, this is becoming much less of an issue, especially when you can spec some notebooks out to be nearly 4 grand. But for me, I didnt want to spend a fortune. I sold my 1ghz TiBook for 900 bucks, and had 1000 more to spend. With that in mind, I couldn't even get the lowest end MacBook. However, for $1706 (not including tax) I got the e1705 with a 2ghz core duo, and a 256mb GeForce 7800 (arguably one of the best video cards available for portables). Granted, I got a 60gb HD (why doesnt Apple offer options like this this to cut 150 bucks off their cost?) and the computer is heavier, but at least now it fits my needs.
This post isnt to incite a flame war, just to suggest that people buy computers for different reasons. I dont buy them for status symbols, but for pure productivity and desktop replacement. I'm a strong guy, I can handle carrying around the extra 3 pounds. But I will miss my mac though. (good thing I still have the G5 at home
) I'm sure I'll come back to Apple one dayAll in all, I might have gotten a MacBook had it not been for the software issue. I think for casual users and video editors, it will be fine because I expect FCP UB's will be available shortly, if not already. But for animators and high end CG people (there are quite a few of us, actually) it's probably best to either wait or choose something else. Oh, and just for the record, the first one I got was DOA and am waiting for the replacement. It happens with Macs too...just thought I'd go on record.
I hope that you enjoy the Dell Hell. No offense to you but if you have never had to deal with them and thier crappy Customer Disservice then hope yours never has a problem. The Dell is not less expensive if you remember that there is an Education discount and some other discounts that you can use if you are buying from Apple. I do hope that it works out for you. Don't forget the virus protection.
AJBMatrix, I have to disagree with you. The Dell is most assuredly considerably cheaper, particularly if you get it during one of their frequent sales or get a good coupon code. The virus and spyware thing is also considerably overblown.
That said, it was worth it to me to sell my 8 month old Dell at a significant loss and replace it with the 1.8 GHz MacBook Pro, just to get OSX. I'm a long time Unix administrator and miss having Unix on my desktop system. Linux is almost as usable as Windows XP on a desktop, but still has a long way to go on a notebook. Being able to get a notiebook with performance that's at least competitive with current Wintel notebooks but with a far superior OS made the extra cost a no-brainer for me, even though I have to stretch my finances a little to swing it.
I write code for a living, so I spend a LOT of time staring at a screen. The simple joy of using a Mac makes it all worthwhile.
That said, it was worth it to me to sell my 8 month old Dell at a significant loss and replace it with the 1.8 GHz MacBook Pro, just to get OSX. I'm a long time Unix administrator and miss having Unix on my desktop system. Linux is almost as usable as Windows XP on a desktop, but still has a long way to go on a notebook. Being able to get a notiebook with performance that's at least competitive with current Wintel notebooks but with a far superior OS made the extra cost a no-brainer for me, even though I have to stretch my finances a little to swing it.
I write code for a living, so I spend a LOT of time staring at a screen. The simple joy of using a Mac makes it all worthwhile.
Try to configure the same thing on a Dell as I have and you will see the difference. Also notice that there is the slower RAM in the Dell version and you have to upgrade like crazy to get the faster RAM. The sales are ok but you also have to think about the initial cost without the sales. I would rather just have a final price than flashy sales to try and hide things. Dell sort of made me very bitter about them and there machines. I got a lemon my first time around and eventually had it replaced. But the service was horrible. I was without my laptop for over 2 months total in a year because of servicing it. I do not trust there work. They also tried to give me the royal run-arround. It took me over 3 weeks to get them to fix it the last time and that was right after a repair. The battery would not charge at all when I got it back. Full charge then after I used that it became a very small desktop till they would take it back. They tried to tell me it was my fault. Loved that one. It arrived that way. Oh, and did I mention that the Optical Drive was DOA? Yeah, DEAD ON ARRIVAL! I am glad to be rid of Dell and Windows. Dell does cheap work and they have cheaper customer service.
The Dell configured the same on Dell.com and Apple.com with Educational Discount as I have in my signature is:
Dell
($1,949 + $400 7.2k HDD + $149 Bright LCD) * 1.07 (TAX) + $175 RAM (independantly bought)= 2847.86 (Dell Total including $400 instant rebate)
Without the Brighter LCD (trust me with Dell's LCD you need the bright one) = 2,688.43
Apple
(2,299 - 90 (RAM Downgrading) + 90 HD Upgrading)*1.07 (TAX) + $175 RAM (independantly bought) = 2634.93 (actually what I paid)
Differences: All in Apple's Favor (Tax is in Georgia)
W/ LCD Upgrade = 212.93 in Apple's Favor
W/out LCD Upgrade = 53.50 in Apple's Favor
That is with everything pretty much the same. HD, CPU, RAM, VRAM, Remote, and all that stuff including Works for PC and iLife for Mac.
The Dell configured the same on Dell.com and Apple.com with Educational Discount as I have in my signature is:
Dell
($1,949 + $400 7.2k HDD + $149 Bright LCD) * 1.07 (TAX) + $175 RAM (independantly bought)= 2847.86 (Dell Total including $400 instant rebate)
Without the Brighter LCD (trust me with Dell's LCD you need the bright one) = 2,688.43
Apple
(2,299 - 90 (RAM Downgrading) + 90 HD Upgrading)*1.07 (TAX) + $175 RAM (independantly bought) = 2634.93 (actually what I paid)
Differences: All in Apple's Favor (Tax is in Georgia)
W/ LCD Upgrade = 212.93 in Apple's Favor
W/out LCD Upgrade = 53.50 in Apple's Favor
That is with everything pretty much the same. HD, CPU, RAM, VRAM, Remote, and all that stuff including Works for PC and iLife for Mac.
AJBMatrix said:
Way to be absolutely biased after he gave very well explained points on why a Dell laptop suited his needs better. I know these are the MACrumors forums, but sheesh, at least understand why somebody MIGHT need a windows machine.
I do wish that I could afford a MacBook Pro, mainly for some portable FCP action (after the universal binaries come out of course). I'm sure by the time I can afford a MBP, universal software will be a lot more widespread anyways. I wouldn't mind a slick 13" widescreen model though...even though that may be a tad small for video editing!
He went with a Dell because he didn't want to wait for universal binary's of software. Truth be told, it will run better on the Dell then in Rosetta on a MacBook Pro, you can't deny that. Other then that, I'm sure once it goes universal and his next laptop purchase he'll go back to a Merom MacBook Pro or whatever's out at the time. Either case, for right now - I'd rather run that native aplication on a Core Duo Dell then on a 1.67 G4 or a MacBook Pro with rosetta emulation. So for the next 6 month's he did the best option he could at the moment for portability. In 6 month's though when most/more software is universal (excluding adobe's of course, grr argh!) and the MacBook Pro is probably on/close-to revision B maybe he'll be droolin' for it, but for the next 6 month's I think it was a smart move. By the way, I had a Dell Inspiron 8600 for 2 years and personally on the hardware side it was very nice, software obviously I prefer the Mac's, the only physical downside is that it didn't look that awesome and was arguably a pound heavier then it probably should've/needed to be... That all said, never had trouble with virus/malware/spyware etc. once going to firefox. Nor have I had problems with hardware-malfunctions or ever having to send it in, get it repaired, etc. Although I have called the tech support for a friend's laptop that was much lower end, one of their sub-500 dollar ones, and the only thing that bugged me about that is that it was some guy I could barely understand due to a thick accent. Not trying to sound like predudice-towards-dialogue or accents, but it does make it tough for technical support... At least I have not encountered it with apple and everyone is very clear and easy to understand which pleases me more then maybe anybody could really understand. None the less, even to this day I need to use the Dell for things like Microsoft Access and some other PC-only-programs (and no, not for gaming! I'm a console guy myself, try NOT to flame me). That being said, I'm a much bigger fan of OSX then XP but like another user said, virus/spyware is way overblown for anyone who's got a fair tech or computer know-how. Not trying to add fuel to the fire of this semi-flame-war, but until more things go native and universal binaries are produced, the MacBook Pro's will not run to the full potential, the last revision of PowerBooks are way old (I mean, how long have we had 1.67 G4's!?), so that leaves a very akward gap for people needing something portable. A gap yet to be filled by Apple, and in a way out of Apple's control and more in the hands of the 3rd party software creators. That odd portability gap can only be filled by a PC (dell, acer, etc.) because the PowerBook's that run everything native are too slow on the hardware end and the MacBook Pro's are too slow on the emulation end. Desktops don't have this problem because the G5 exists (especially the Quad which will be the best for over a year, counting from when it was introduced in October. Since I don't believe Merom will come out before October and I don't think they'll created a PowerMac/Mac Pro with anything less). Okay, it's late and I've spelled/grammared all to hell so I'm off to bed, goodnight and here's to a few more nights of dreaming for our MBP's and waiting for Feb. 15th to hurry up and arrive!
maybe we would understand if you didnt use MAC as a word, since its Mac.jrk07 said:
I dont know what the MAC acronym is for.
buryyourbrideau said:maybe we would understand if you didnt use MAC as a word, since its Mac.
I dont know what the MAC acronym is for.
I was using all caps as a way to emphasize, probably should have used italics.
I still love my iMac way more than any PC I've ever owned, so its all good.
Plecky said:He went with a Dell because he didn't want to wait for universal binary's of software. Truth be told, it will run better on the Dell then in Rosetta on a MacBook Pro, you can't deny that. Other then that, I'm sure once it goes universal and his next laptop purchase he'll go back to a Merom MacBook Pro or whatever's out at the time. Either case, for right now - I'd rather run that native aplication on a Core Duo Dell then on a 1.67 G4 or a MacBook Pro with rosetta emulation. So for the next 6 month's he did the best option he could at the moment for portability. In 6 month's though when most/more software is universal (excluding adobe's of course, grr argh!) and the MacBook Pro is probably on/close-to revision B maybe he'll be droolin' for it, but for the next 6 month's I think it was a smart move. By the way, I had a Dell Inspiron 8600 for 2 years and personally on the hardware side it was very nice, software obviously I prefer the Mac's, the only physical downside is that it didn't look that awesome and was arguably a pound heavier then it probably should've/needed to be... That all said, never had trouble with virus/malware/spyware etc. once going to firefox. Nor have I had problems with hardware-malfunctions or ever having to send it in, get it repaired, etc. Although I have called the tech support for a friend's laptop that was much lower end, one of their sub-500 dollar ones, and the only thing that bugged me about that is that it was some guy I could barely understand due to a thick accent. Not trying to sound like predudice-towards-dialogue or accents, but it does make it tough for technical support... At least I have not encountered it with apple and everyone is very clear and easy to understand which pleases me more then maybe anybody could really understand. None the less, even to this day I need to use the Dell for things like Microsoft Access and some other PC-only-programs (and no, not for gaming! I'm a console guy myself, try NOT to flame me). That being said, I'm a much bigger fan of OSX then XP but like another user said, virus/spyware is way overblown for anyone who's got a fair tech or computer know-how. Not trying to add fuel to the fire of this semi-flame-war, but until more things go native and universal binaries are produced, the MacBook Pro's will not run to the full potential, the last revision of PowerBooks are way old (I mean, how long have we had 1.67 G4's!?), so that leaves a very akward gap for people needing something portable. A gap yet to be filled by Apple, and in a way out of Apple's control and more in the hands of the 3rd party software creators. That odd portability gap can only be filled by a PC (dell, acer, etc.) because the PowerBook's that run everything native are too slow on the hardware end and the MacBook Pro's are too slow on the emulation end. Desktops don't have this problem because the G5 exists (especially the Quad which will be the best for over a year, counting from when it was introduced in October. Since I don't believe Merom will come out before October and I don't think they'll created a PowerMac/Mac Pro with anything less). Okay, it's late and I've spelled/grammared all to hell so I'm off to bed, goodnight and here's to a few more nights of dreaming for our MBP's and waiting for Feb. 15th to hurry up and arrive!
dude, use paragraphs, even i the biggest dyslexic retard of MR have never written a block of text that huge.
I understand the need for a Windows computer and it will run better than a Mac in Rossetta. I agree. I just said that Dell's customer service is more of a Disservice. Just be forwarned. Dell is probably one of the better places to get a laptop from in the PC world. But customer service ends as soon as they have your payment. It was one of the worst experiences I have ever had in customer service. I did not say that Photoshop would not run better on that computer than in Rosetta. In fact it will. Oh and it is a Mac Forum and if you say that you are going to Dell in the thread labled I just Bought a MacBook Pro then be prepared for people to dissagree. And yes I know that the Dell is 17" and that is better for some of the Desktop replacement type uses. I did not say it was not a good computer. I just hope that you have better luck with them than I did. It was a well informed decission to buy that Dell but it also has some trade-offs that you are going to make in the customer service arena. If you get one that does not have 6 problems in 16 months then you will not have the same fight I did.
If you buy from Dell Small Business, many of the customer service issues go away. (and yes, ndividuals can order from them, just use your name as the company name)
My current laptop (until my MBP arrives) is a Dell Inpsiron 6000. I had a logic board failure and they were out the next day to replace it under my 2 year onsite warranty, no questions asked. I also had a key break off of my keyboard and they sent me a new one with the tools to replace it the next day -- I had the option of having a tech come out to do the repair, but it was simple enough that I just did it myself. All in all, I've had terrific service from Dell SB.
My current laptop (until my MBP arrives) is a Dell Inpsiron 6000. I had a logic board failure and they were out the next day to replace it under my 2 year onsite warranty, no questions asked. I also had a key break off of my keyboard and they sent me a new one with the tools to replace it the next day -- I had the option of having a tech come out to do the repair, but it was simple enough that I just did it myself. All in all, I've had terrific service from Dell SB.
AJBMatrix said:
Check your typo. Base price for MacBookPro is 2,499--not 2,299. If that is a student discount, then okay, but you have to factor that in. I'm not a student, obviously a working professional. I'm not going to cheat apple out of 200 bucks like that.
Also, I dont need superbright. I've used their notebook displays without it just fine. My big point is, Apple is missing more mixing and matching. I dont want a 100gb HD. I DO want a faster CPU. I can't get it. The machine that I got for 1702 to me is superior because I could customize it for what I need and pay for only that. I got 2ghz CPU and a (better than ATI?) NVidia 256 mb video card for 200 dollars cheaper than a baseline MacBookPro, and it runs all apps natively. That's all that mattered to me. I know I'll come back eventually, but Im just saying now is a bad time for me to buy a MBP. You cant get one for what I paid, period. AND it will get even better results.
That 100 dollar upgrade to the nicer HD is a good deal at Apple, I have to admit.
And I have dealt with Dells customer service already. My first laptop had some problems, and they sent a UPS guy out the next day to pick up the old one for return and sent the new one immediately.
You got something that you cannot get at Apple. I know that you got a good deal. I was just stating some of the problems that I have had with Dell. I probably should go through the Small Business next time if there service is a lot better. I really got mad at them after they jerked me around for a while. In the end they did take care of the problem and replaced my system completely but it took about a month for them to do that after the last problem arose. Yes the NVidia is better. And yes the screen is larger. And no that was not a typo. It is the Education price that I qualify for. I was stating that you could get it for less at Apple than at Dell. I do like the way that Dells are customizable. I wish you could do some of that will Apple. And I am glad that you had good experiences with Dell's Customer Service. It was just horrible for me. Even if I was to stay PC, I would never buy Dell again. I think I would try Sony next if I was to stay or maybe Acer. I hear that they have a Core Duo lappy.