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Pop My Apple Cherry

A

aCondor

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 20, 2010
430
0
United States
Hello MacRumors members!

I'll get down to business. I don't have an Apple. In fact I doubt the device I have really constitutes a computer. Here it is:

Dell Latitude D520
Intel Celeron CPU 520 @ 1.60 GHz
1 GB of RAM (recently upgraded from 512 MB)

I've had this computer for a couple months over the five-year mark. It is starting to show its age and I've been looking at other computers for a couple months now. My search is over, as I have decided upon an Apple.

I'm a university student. I've never really gotten involved with editing but I would want the ability to do so in the future, should the need arise. I game a little bit, but want this computer to be primarily work-based.

This is where you guys come in. As you have noticed I tend to hold onto things for quite a while. Apple really clinched the deal for me with its durable and reliable product lines. Any computer I get is likely to be light-years ahead of my old Dell. Is is worth it to get a brand-new Apple? I'll be holding onto it for a few years so I don't mind the high price.

I've looked at Craigslist but am always a little hesitant to buy used, especially something as personal as a computer.

Is a new MacBook Pro the light at the end of the tunnel? I've read that the new ones will have a performance boost of about 10-20% over the previous models. I don't really have a way to quantify this, as my current laptop is from the Stone Age. Is that fractional boost noticeable from the current model?

Any university students out there in internet-land use a desktop such as the iMac? This will probably last longer than the MacBook Pro - but is the loss of portability worth it?

I am trying to decide between the MacBook Pro and iMac. Has anyone purchased an iMac and regretted the lack of portability? How much more powerful is the iMac than the MacBook Pro?

I appreciate you reading my whole post, even though you may not respond :rolleyes:.
 
go with an iMac or MBP refurbished right from Apple (both will last for years) ... and yes it will be light years ahead of your Dell :cool:
 
If you can afford it, go for the base model 15". It will last you for years, and if you find yourself needing more screen space, you can pick up a 20 inch + monitor or use your existing one. A new MacBook Pro will last you for a few years for sure.
 
Apple OC said:
go with an iMac or MBP refurbished right from Apple (both will last for years) ... and yes it will be light years ahead of your Dell :cool:
Click to expand...

Does refurbished mean it has been used or that it was simply returned? If I'm buying a computer to hold on to for a couple years I'm not sure I want it to have been previously used.

It's been awhile since I bought a new computer. Could you clarify how new or how used a refurbished Apple is? Do they still offer a warranty?
 
aCondor said:
Does refurbished mean it has been used or that it was simply returned? If I'm buying a computer to hold on to for a couple years I'm not sure I want it to have been previously used.

It's been awhile since I bought a new computer. Could you clarify how new or how used a refurbished Apple is? Do they still offer a warranty?
Click to expand...

Unless I need a CTO build, I always try to buy refurbished. Apple provides the exact same warranty as new, and you can also buy AppleCare. Sometimes the products are basic 101 returns, others I'm sure are genuine something-wrong-but-fixed returns, but as long as Apple is willing to warranty it, I could care less. You can still exchange it for another one if there's something cosmetically wrong, but I have not come across a non perfect refurbished purchase in the 10 units I've bought so far.
 
_TATTOO__Make_my_Cherry_Pop_by_AFH.png
 
I find my 13" MBP (newest one) suffices for most games, grab the 15" if you really want to cover everything... grab a used one from Apple directly, and grab the apple care as well, always a good thing to have...
 
I can say now that a MacBook will last you quite a while, my 2006 MacBook Pro is still running fine and it makes a great school/work computer.

I would go with a 15" MacBook Pro, the 13" can seem confining and you can always plug in an external monitor for more space at home.
 
Thanks for the replies, everyone.

It looks like I'll be getting a 15" MacBook Pro. I'll be starting school in mid-January for the Spring so it looks like I'm not going to be able to wait long enough for the MacBook Pro refresh.

Don't want to be the "sucker" who pays full price for the year-old computer, though... so I'll be reviewing the refurbished MacBook Pros also.

I held out so long! But I can't really go through those first two months of school without a computer :(.
 
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