Should I buy a 15" MacBook Pro now or wait until it is has an internal battery?

[AndrewShanklin]

Hey All,

I could do with some advice...

Although I regularly look at the Buyers guide page and the Mac rumors pages etc... I am in the market for a 15" Mac Book Pro and cannot decide if I should put off my purchase until apple update the Mac Book Pro 15" to also have an internal battery similar to that in the 17".

I know there are size issues for the battery and so if it was internal in the 15" it would probably have a shorter battery life than the 17" but either way should I wait or just get the Mac Book Pro 15" now?

I can theoretically wait till the end of March before my financial year ends so it would be good for tax purposes to get it before that date. Any one know if there are any likely Mac Book Pro updates between now and March?

Thanks in advance for any advice given.

Andy.

 

[lordthistle]

Will they?

Not everyone likes fixed internal batteries, not everyone lives close to an Apple shop where the battery can be substituted in a day. There are people who prefer two removable batteries than a single fixed one...

Are you sure they will offer that solution?

 

[LinMac]

I doubt the Macbook Pro 15" will be updated the same way. The design of the 17" with that battery was possible because of how physically large it is.

 

[DJ567]

i cant really understand why you would want an internal battery. once the life on it is too short to use you're making it more difficult for yourself to resolve (ie buying a new battery)

 

[Techguy172]

It could happen, It could be done in any computer. However When and Will they do it is the question. I could see it be done in a silent update. Apple generally likes to try things in one computer then if it works move it along the entire line.

 

[mobi]

I doubt the Macbook Pro 15" will be updated the same way. The design of the 17" with that battery was possible because of how physically large it is.

I agree, They are using the 17" MBP as a platform to showcase their evolving battery tech.

 

[GoCubsGo]

I think if you feel the need to have a machine where you can never change the battery yourself without voiding your warranty, then wait. I am not so sure the 15" will see an internal battery in the next quarter, but who really knows. Personally, I wish that they could get us a battery that lasts as long as the 17" is purportedly going to last and still make it user-changeable. However, this is Apple ... taking control from their customers one product update at a time.

 

[Crash1234]

But... the only reason that people are ok with the internal battery on the 17inch is because it will last 8 hours. If they were to put an internal in the 15 and you are actually expecting it to last less time than the 17inch battery, which would probably put the time at near or exactly where it is now, why would you wait for apple to release this inferior product? If an internal battery is not capable of lasting a very long time then it would just be a hassle and a pain for a lot of people and apple probably wouldn't release it anyway. Well, regardless, I don't think anyone knows what apple has in store for the next iteration of the mbp line and now isn't a bad time to buy. If you like what you see right now and the computer you are considering will do everything you need it to do then there is no sense in waiting.

 

[AndrewShanklin]

It might just be me, but as well as buying a product I also think of how the product can be sold when I have finished with it.

What I mean by this is if I want to sell it on Ebay and by then Apple have brought out Snow Leopard or the OS after Snow Leopard I can just upgrade the OS and then re-sell the whole MacBook Pro in good condition with the latest OS. I can also upgrade memory and at a push graphics card etc...

However, if say for the sake of another couple of weeks / a month I got one with an internal battery I wont then be trying to sell a product in the future where people comment:

"oh, its not one of those MacBook Pro's with a removable battery is it", because by then it will be the norm to have internal battery's.

Andy.

 

[tcphoto]

The 15" MBP just went through a major redesign and I doubt that Apple would update the 15" or MB any time soon to include the newer battery system of the 17" MBP. I think that you are over thinking your purchase. You just might be waiting forever for that opportune moment to buy.

 

[mstout]

I bought one now. I will carry an extra battery. No biggie.

m

 

[lordthistle]

"oh, its not one of those MacBook Pro's with a removable battery is it", because by then it will be the norm to have internal battery's.

I see your point. But, frankly, I would rather buy a MBP where I can easily substitute the battery if it is exhausted, than one with an internal battery. The market is larger with the current line.

If you worry about the future, then you should consider other features that are likely to change. The trackpad: I do not think they'll keep producing trackpads as stiff and noisy as the current ones. And the screen: they will add some antireflective cover eventually (exactly as on the previous glossy MB and MBP screens).

I think those two are the major two points where you can reasonably expect an update (besides new, more advanced input ports) that will influence the price you can ask for your used laptop.

-- thistle