rMBP mid-2012 or early 2013?

[deem]

Hi everyone,

I am a third-year law student. I've decided that I want to purchase a rMBP to replace my mid-2010 MBP for my bar prep this summer. I know that it is too hard for everyone to answer the "should I wait for the new one or should I buy now?" question, so I will have to decide that on my own. If I decide to buy now, then I would like everyone's input on whether I should go the refurb route with the mid-2012 model or pay the full price for an early-2013 model. I haven't followed Apple updates as closely as I normally do for the last 6-7 months, so I am unsure how much of a bump the early-2013 update actually provided. Any input or opinions are much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[wonderspark]

I always go refurbished. The only time I didn't was when I didn't know any better.

 

[ColdCase]

As a student, the educational store discount will eat into the refurb deal, especially if you also get apple care. There may be 2013s show up soon, given the number turned in for Samsung screens.

The 2013s are better machines all around, but better is subjective and thats your call.

 

[deem]

I always go refurbished. The only time I didn't was when I didn't know any better.

Hey , wonderspark, thanks for the quick response. I also generally like to go refurbished because it saves money or allows me to get more bang for my buck. However, I do not see any 2013 rMBP (at least in the size I want) in the refurbished section. That forces me to factor in whether the 2013 update warrants the extra money.

 

[wonderspark]

Sure, I understand. I checked the refurb section a few times a day until the exact model I wanted came up... then I pounced. I already had the two SSDs, the OWC Data Doubler, and the RAM upgrade ready to go. If you get a little crazy with checking the site, you'll see it come up. They had nearly every model possible available just a week or so ago.

 

[deem]

Ok, sounds good. Thanks to both of you. I'll keep an eye on the refurb section, but that student discount definitely helps sway me to just buying in the next few days. I don't know why I forgot about it. With the news that it is even more likely that the Haswell rMBP could be out in June/July, that makes my decision to wait or buy now harder. I guess it will depend on how my MBP performs while writing papers and prepping for finals over the next few weeks.

 

[wonderspark]

Ha, another reason I go refurb... I'm not a student anymore. I wonder if I can take a few classes and qualify, haha!

 

[ColdCase]

You can also get another 5% rebate by linking to the apple store through your discover card account. Applies to both refurbs and new, but because the new is more money, you save more $$$ . Thats worth $100 on a $2000 machine, only $75 on a $1500 machine, but $150 on a $3000 machine.

 

[J.L.Photography]

if you can save some money, i have last summer's from the pre order... before they sold out... its blazing fast, and the best laptop ive ever owned.... still runs in "as new" speed and condition... buy either way with confidence.... you get a new one? itll be just that much faster a year or two later!

 

[fskywalker]

+1 for refurbished or similar deals, like open box. If buying a 15 try to get a Samsung display machine, so you can avoid potential IR issues.

 

[BR3W]

Since you're in LA I'd advise going the Craigslist route. There are dozens of retinas on sale in LA and Orange County so you can easily save hundreds of dollars *and* an additional hundred without tax.

When I negotiate on pricing I leverage the price of the refurb section against whatever the seller is offering. You should be able to get a retina with anywhere between 2-9 months of apple care left on it (enough to purchase extended applecare w/ your student discount for $250 which you should be doing anyway for a retina regardless new or used) for around $1400-1600.

I doubt we'll be seeing haswell retinas this calendar year and when they do come out they'll be near double the price of a used retina. Will it be worth an extra $1,000? Only you and your pocketbook can determine that

 

[rpg51]

Is there something wrong with your 2010 MBP?

Curious why your MBP is not meeting your needs which seem pretty light.

 

[ciberkarlos]

Hey , wonderspark, thanks for the quick response. I also generally like to go refurbished because it saves money or allows me to get more bang for my buck. However, I do not see any 2013 rMBP (at least in the size I want) in the refurbished section. That forces me to factor in whether the 2013 update warrants the extra money.

Refurbished 2013 13' rMBP are already available, at least this specific model:

http://store.apple.com/us/product/F...-26ghz-dual-core-intel-i5-with-retina-display

Great deal. However, check MacMall, they have the newer 13' rMBP at great prices.

 

[jmdMac]

Curious why your MBP is not meeting your needs which seem pretty light.

Agreed. I run full on engineering simulation programs on my 2010. Up your memory to 8GB and put in an SSD, it will feel better than when it was brand new.