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Open MBP or return it?

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bluetorch18

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 25, 2006
155
0
Heres my story. I ordered a Stock 2.0GHz MacBook Pro and now I'm considering returning it(it is unopened)...I really really want a laptop, but if C2D is right around the corner, I would be extremely pissed off if I keep this. I also would be extremely pissed if I return it and wait and Apple doesn't refresh the line until January...if a new MBP were to come out at the Mac Expo in London next week I would get a refund, but that is probably not going to happen. If it were to happen it would be the following week, so I would be stuck with a CD MBP and not be able to get a C2D MBP. Heres mainly what I use my computer(s) for:
Music Recording(Garageband now, maybe Logic Express/Pro in the near future)
School(will be installing XP)
and Gaming(The Sims 2, AOE 3, games like that, nothing too intensive)

What do you all suggest doing?
 
Well..

There's ALWAYS something 'right around the corner'. And since no one knows just how long that corner is, all anyone can provide is opinions and advice.

My advice:
If you need the computer now, use it now and damn the 'righty around the corner'.
If you think you can survive until Jan w/o a computer, then take it back.

Not very helpful, eh?
 
bluetorch18 said:
Heres my story. I ordered a Stock 2.0GHz MacBook Pro and now I'm considering returning it(it is unopened)...I really really want a laptop, but if C2D is right around the corner, I would be extremely pissed off if I keep this. I also would be extremely pissed if I return it and wait and Apple doesn't refresh the line until January...if a new MBP were to come out at the Mac Expo in London next week I would get a refund, but that is probably not going to happen. If it were to happen it would be the following week, so I would be stuck with a CD MBP and not be able to get a C2D MBP. Heres mainly what I use my computer(s) for:
Music Recording(Garageband now, maybe Logic Express/Pro in the near future)
School(will be installing XP)
and Gaming(The Sims 2, AOE 3, games like that, nothing too intensive)

What do you all suggest doing?
Click to expand...
Open the box and use it. And when the updated MBP's come out, you can decide if u want to keep yours or sell it. Apples resale value is high, so u would only lose a few bucks.
 
Next Tuesday said:
Open the box and use it. And when the updated MBP's come out, you can decide if u want to keep yours or sell it. Apples resale value is high, so u would only lose a few bucks.
Click to expand...

You mean few hundred.
 
Ask yourself this then...

What amazing huge giant momentus change will the Core 2 Duo bring to the table? Can I download porn faster? ;)

Keep what you have and start saving for the Core Quatro Duo Trois.
 
bluetorch18 said:
Heres mainly what I use my computer(s) for:
Music Recording(Garageband now, maybe Logic Express/Pro in the near future) School(will be installing XP) and Gaming(The Sims 2, AOE 3, games like that, nothing too intensive)
Click to expand...
Here's my advice.
First of all, I'm sure that you can find stats for how well those games run on a current MBP. Since those are less demanding games, I'm sure the answer would be "quit well".
XP will run better than fine for school stuff. Even if school includes Photoshop.
As far as the audio portion goes, I can give you a specific example:
I use Logic Pro 7, and have a particular session that pretty much buried the needle on my ibook G4's audio processing meter. On my imac G5 (2.0 ghz) the same session averaged around 50%. Obviously an imac is not the best computer for extremely demanding audio, but this particular session did have over 30 tracks of audio with a few plug-ins on almost every track and two soft-synths.
I sold both of those computers.
I just bought the Macbook in my sig 2 days ago. I also ordered the universal 7.2 version of Logic, installed it, but DID NOT upgrade it to the most recent version (7.2.3) right away, which is supposedly better optimized for multiple cores. This same session I mentioned earlier pegged one of my Macbook's cores to around 15% and the other to around 20%. In other words, about 20% of the Macbook's total muscle. It was 2 days ago that I checked that, and I'm not at home to check again, so that may not be exactly right, but it was definitely not significantly more than that.
Audio processing will benefit around 10% max with the current platform if C2D is added.
Point is, unless you do SERIOUS audio work that requires a ton of real-time processing besides a few plug-ins on each track and a few soft-synths, you will not max out a current MBP, much less a C2D MBP.
I was also waiting for C2D, but I'm a busy guy, and I've got better things to worry about than when a Macbook update is coming. Decide what will piss you off more- buying a laptop that gets updated in a few weeks, or waiting until January to find out you should have just bought it now. Either way, a current MBP will be a significant improvement over even your imac.
Peace, I'm out.

P.S. I would just like to point out again that my new computer is a Macbook, not a Macbook PRO. An MBP would fare even just a bit better than what I experienced.
 
yellow said:
Ask yourself this then...

What amazing huge giant momentus change will the Core 2 Duo bring to the table? Can I download porn faster? ;)

Keep what you have and start saving for the Core Quatro Duo Trois.
Click to expand...
I like the way Yellow thinks!
 
topgun072003 said:
I believe you would benefit from the 64 bits with the programs that you're running.
Click to expand...
Seriously?
The MAIN benefit of 64-bit is memory addressing over 4GB of RAM. This is not possible in the current MBP and I doubt it will be possible in the next model. Even if they up the addressable RAM, it will probably be to exactly 4GB in 2 slots, and 2GB chip are HELLA expensive.
I'm pretty sure that very few applications use 64-bit code. I'm positive that 64-bit code will NOT be a norm for quite some time now. As far as the benefits of 64-bit code vs. 32-bit code (outside of more RAM), I don't know exactly. From what I've heard, the benefits are still pretty much outweighed by the latency introduced or something like that. I don't know. I'm not a software/hardware engineer, and I won't pretend to be.
All of this Merom crap is just people throwing around buzz words. I have personally seen, with my own two eyes, my new Macbook perform comparably to a dual G5. What more do you want?
 
After some serious thought, I decided to return it, and order a refurb MBP 2.0GHz w/ 256MB VRAM, I think this will be a better machine and it also comes standard with a gig of ram and a 100GB HD, its also only $150 more. I'm sorry, but F*CK merom, there I said it, I hope they don't come out until January, because if they come out in 2 weeks, I will still be pissed off.
 
**** merom. I agree.:D

Seriously, I would use the machine. You have a beautiful MBP right there waiting to be opened. Use it. I don't think I could stand not opening.
 
Glad you decided not to play the game.
2 things about returning for a refurb:
#1. I originally ordered a refurb Macbook, and it showed up damaged. :eek:
It wasn't shipping damage, either. Obviously, there are many, many cases of excellent refurb experiences, some of which I've seen firsthand (though this was my first personal purchase), but there's always the chance...
#2. I believe that the refurb model you're looking at is actually from BEFORE the processor speed bump, so it's actually an earlier build. Just keep the one you already bought and use the $150 you save to put towards some RAM. Don't sweat the extra video memory. It's overkill unless you're doing SERIOUS video/photo work.
 
mopppish said:
Glad you decided not to play the game.
2 things about returning for a refurb:
#1. I originally ordered a refurb Macbook, and it showed up damaged. :eek:
It wasn't shipping damage, either. Obviously, there are many, many cases of excellent refurb experiences, some of which I've seen firsthand (though this was my first personal purchase), but there's always the chance...
#2. I believe that the refurb model you're looking at is actually from BEFORE the processor speed bump, so it's actually an earlier build. Just keep the one you already bought and use the $150 you save to put towards some RAM. Don't sweat the extra video memory. It's overkill unless you're doing SERIOUS video/photo work.
Click to expand...

Well, its not just the extra vram, but that is something I would pay extra for. I am going to be doing some gaming, and I really imagine the model I have being piss poor at gaming due to the fact that its underclocked and only has 128MB. I have a iMac G5 that I'm going to be selling soon that has a 160GB HD around 82GB are full...sure its alot of junk, but I really would much rather the 100GB HD...also have 1GBx1 standard is also great cuz i can just get one more to max it out...If the machine isn't up to my standards, I will demand a replacement, as the customer service guy told me I had every right to if the machine had any flaws whatsoever(even cosmetic like slightly bent keys)...so I'm going to return it soon...:)
 
I have a standrard 2.0 MBP with 128mb VRAM, and I play Quake 4 and Doom 3 with no problem. I don't think you really need the extra VRAM for the games you listed. It's not really worth the hassle IMO
 
SC68Cal said:
I have a standrard 2.0 MBP with 128mb VRAM, and I play Quake 4 and Doom 3 with no problem. I don't think you really need the extra VRAM for the games you listed. It's not really worth the hassle IMO
Click to expand...

Well the bigger HD and the 1X1 GB ram standard are alone worth the extra 150 IMO, the extra vram is like icing on the cake.
 
bluetorch18 said:
Well the bigger HD and the 1X1 GB ram standard are alone worth the extra 150 IMO, the extra vram is like icing on the cake.
Click to expand...

I just sold my 2.0 MBP and moved up to the 2.16. I basicly thought the same thing considered Mac OS X takes up 20GB of the HD.. 60GB left on a 80GB HD sucks..

And yea.. the 256MB VRAM was just icing on the cake
 
Honestly, even if Apple does release a Merom C2D MBP next week, that will not be
a total tragedy.

The major improvement in notebooks will be when the 45nm Penryns debut along with smaller and cooler running GPU's.

Regardless of manufacturer, all notebooks are going through rapid transition.

The eventual goal is to have a powerful system with exceptional low voltage CPU and GPU able to run at least 8 hours on a single charge.
 
yellow said:
There's ALWAYS something 'right around the corner'. And since no one knows just how long that corner is, all anyone can provide is opinions and advice.
Click to expand...

To clarify that point, new MPBs have been "right around the corner" since August :)
 
open it. use it. love it.
I got my refurb 2.0 MacBook Pro a few days ago and I love it. It's an elegant, speedy machine. I just ordered a stick of RAM from crucial so it will be cool to see it really fly when that gets here.
*Just another note to mention that my refurb had:
1) slight casing damage
2) a small fleck on the screen.
It's near the bottom left corner so since it's not in a sight-line I'm pretty sure that I'm going to keep it.
SO... basically I am saying that even though my MBP has a few minor flaws I still think it's the greatest computer I have ever owned.
 
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