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Should I sell a unibody MB to get a unibody MBP?

S

SuperSnake2012

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 11, 2005
824
19
NY
See this thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/621565/

To summarize the thread, I returned my plastic MB and Apple is giving me a 2.0 MB. Initially, I planned on selling my plastic MB to get a unibody MBP. But now that Apple is giving me a unibody MB, I was just going to keep it. But as time goes by, the urge to get an MBP keeps coming on. I wanted the faster processor and the backlit keyboard, so that makes the MBP even more enticing. I would be using it at college mostly, so the MB obviously has the upper hand here, as far as the weight goes. The MBP weighs just about the same as the plastic MB that I owned so I would never have gotten used to the lighter computer. :D I'd have to put up about $500 bucks to upgrade to the Pro. Is it a good idea? I think if I go through with it, I'm going to put up the MB in the marketplace.

Has anyone gone from the 13" to the 15"? The screen size is really the number one factor in my decision, and I wouldn't spend a great deal of time at a desk with an external monitor... Also, how is the battery life in the Pro compared to the regular Macbook? If I switch to the 9400M on battery, can I get the same battery life?
 
I almost feel that if I won't upgrade to the Pro that I should just keep the computer. It feels strange to spend a few hundred bucks more just for the keyboard. The backlit keyboard feels like a plus rather than an incentive. Because I have a unibody 13" without having to put up any cash. So my options are stay with the 2.0MB or get the 2.4MBP.
 
The screen is rubbish on the macbook, compared to the pro IMHO. I kept my 2.4unibody MB for 2 weeks trying to convince my self. But I still kept on looking at the pro, the screen in contrast seems huge and the quality is so much better the macbooks. You wont go wrong, if you are already thinking about it then I would go ahead and do it. Instincts are never wrong, it is when you try and rationalize them you have problems like I did.
 
Do they use different panels? Hm, if the screen quality is really that much better on the Pro, I think that's incentive enough. Do side-to-side shots exist? I'm very curious about this now...
 
If Apple are going to give you a Macbook and haven't yet done so, can't you ask them to allow you to pay the extra and let you buy a Macbook Pro instead? This would save you a fair bit of money because you're almost definately not going to get the full retail price if you sold the MB yourself.
 
I would end up buying from Amazon or another reseller that sells Macs cheaper than Apple directly. Tax in New York State makes it a deal breaker (sales tax on a MBP will be very high). I wouldn't be trying to sell it for retail obviously, I'd try to sell it for less.
 
Just my personal opinion and I dont know much about the type of screen differences, however I just got a 13" Macbook for Christmas after using a 15" Dell laptop for years. I thought I was really going to miss the large screen and I even considered taking this back to get the larger one, but now that Ive used it for a week, Im glad I didnt! I love this little thing!
I dont miss the screen size at all and I love how the entire little package is compact and easy to carry.
I would say that if you are a college student and going to be carrying around a laptop all the time, I would stick with the smaller 13". I really dont see a purpose anymore for the larger MB unless someone has a specific reason such as the need for the larger screen in video, graphics, etc.
I also really liked the backlit keyboard idea, but it just wasnt enough to make me give up the perfect size of the 13" MB.
 
isn't their backlit on the 2.4 ghz mb? if you would change because of the backlit, you could always trade it for that version?
 
I would get the Pro if you can afford it. It seems you want the Pro and if you get the reg Macbook you will probably regret it later. I tried to convince myself to buy the new Macbook, but after going to the Apple store and seeing them side by side the Pro was much better. I wouldn't of been happy with the reg macbook. The screen on the Pro is way better (they put better screens of course in the Pro--it also costs more so they should) plus you get a larger screen, more ports, dedicated graphics (you have an option to switch from dedicated to integrated--I don't see a huge difference in battery life between the two), better speakers, etc.. Yes it weighs about 1 pound more than the reg Macbook and the footprint is a little larger, but I take it everywhere from college, airport, coffee shops, etc. and the size doesn't bother me at all. It isn't that much difference anyways. I'm glad I didn't compromise on this and got the best laptop I could afford. No regrets.
 
I went to PCWorld today and looked at the Macbooks and the screens are actually really washed out. I was quite suprised at how bad they looked compared to the Macbook Pro.
 
gazfocus said:
I went to PCWorld today and looked at the Macbooks and the screens are actually really washed out. I was quite suprised at how bad they looked compared to the Macbook Pro.
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Compared to the new ones they looked washed out because the new ones are very sharp.

I am selling the older models alot and people are very happy with the performance
 
I'm in a situation where I NEED to buy a new Macbook soon but can't decide between Pro or Standard. I got my wife a 13" Macbook and it's been a mixed bag. I've used both and the performance difference between MB/MBP isn't noticeable, but the screen quality is. The screen on the MB isn't terrible, but what makes the lower quality stand out most is that Apple decided to actively LOOK for an inferior screen rather than just using the fantastic 13" screens they put in the Macbook Air. It's really nothing more than greed and as a consumer it pisses you off.


Anyway, the way I'm leaning in my purchase decision is to get the $1299 Macbook and use the $700 saved towards an external monitor. It keeps the machine portable, and when doing work that requires precision colors then you just plug into a monitor at home/dorm.

Think about it, $1999 for a Macbook Pro vs $2199 for a Macbook plus 24" LED Cinema Display. It's very tempting...
 
People talk about the MBP like it isn't portable... it's only 5.5 pounds and it's not much larger than the Macbook. I think I would prefer to have a higher resolution on the laptop. I never connected an external monitor to my Macbook once and I always felt that 1280 x 800 was somewhat restrictive... I'm leaning heavily towards the MBP at the moment.
 
I love my new Unibody MB. The display is amazing. I would say it's comparable to the MBP display I have seen. It looks better than the MBA display I had with MBA v1. There are like four or five different manufacturers of the displays. I hear it really depends on the display you get, but mine is excellent!

Good luck with whatever you read here. The truth is nobody knows your preferences but you. Look at the MB, try it out. If you don't like it, sell it and get the MBP.

Cheers.
 
I have zero issues with portability with my MBP, why people think its hard to carry around is beyond me. Its no less effort, the Macbook Air is more portable sure. But MB to MBP i see little difference, and the MBP is a much better computer hands down.
 
Scottsdale said:
I love my new Unibody MB. The display is amazing. I would say it's comparable to the MBP display I have seen. It looks better than the MBA display I had with MBA v1. There are like four or five different manufacturers of the displays. I hear it really depends on the display you get, but mine is excellent!

Screen quality great on a macbook? You have got to be kidding, the old air's screen was much better then any macbooks. You obviously have not compared side by side or owned both. Also it goes against what most reviewers say about the macbook screen. It is the cheapest of the lot. THe macbook air and MBP screens are in there own leagues. No matter which manufacturer you have, I had 4 of the things and they were all inferior.
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shoppy said:
Scottsdale said:
I love my new Unibody MB. The display is amazing. I would say it's comparable to the MBP display I have seen. It looks better than the MBA display I had with MBA v1. There are like four or five different manufacturers of the displays. I hear it really depends on the display you get, but mine is excellent!

Screen quality great on a macbook? You have got to be kidding, the old air's screen was much better then any macbooks. You obviously have not compared side by side or owned both. Also it goes against what most reviewers say about the macbook screen. It is the cheapest of the lot. THe macbook air and MBP screens are in there own leagues. No matter which manufacturer you have, I had 4 of the things and they were all inferior.
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Agreed. Gizmodo's review has all 3 MacBooks(Air, Pro, MB) and the MBA easily destroys the MB in terms of screen quality.
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I have been reading all of the posts regarding the screen quality of the MacBook Pro late 2008 and the MacBook Late 2008. I have both computers recently having bought a MacBook 2.0. I have put the computers side by side and set them to same brightness and color profile. IMHO both screen look very good and it is very difficult for me to see much difference in the two. So, I guess if I were looking to buy one of the other I can't see that the screen would be an issue. Just my opinion:)
 
To me, if you look straight on the screen, the quality difference is not huge for average tasks. Why do you need an accurate screen for browsing MR or taking notes? It's not bad enough that you can't see the black on white ;). The difference is in the viewing angles. MBP looks better further away, and at wider angles. It depends on what you want to do with your computer really. You need to tell us more about your uses to get more accurate advices. Just for things like iLife, MS word, Firefox the difference between the screens does not justify the upgrade. How good of a screen do you need to watch Youtube? But if you're planning to do a lot of photo/video work, then MBP's better screen would help. However, if you're serious about that, you would invest in an external monitor anyway.
 
To be fair, if properly calibrated the Alu Macbook screens looks pretty darn good. Although vertical viewing angle is still not as good as the Macbook Pros. There is a thread here where hardware calibrated profiles for the Alu Macbooks were posted. I've tested them on demo machines in an Apple store and the improvement was pretty dramatic.
 
teflon said:
To me, if you look straight on the screen, the quality difference is not huge for average tasks. Why do you need an accurate screen for browsing MR or taking notes? It's not bad enough that you can't see the black on white ;).
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I agree in that the screen isn't as bad as people say. And when compared to previous generations of lower end notebooks then it's better than the rest. But what makes it such a big issue is this. The glassy screen.

When working at around 60% brightness then all the screens handle pretty well. But due to the insanely reflective screen then users are forced to compensate by turning up brightness. The Air and Pro handle high brightness fine, but on the MB then once you get that brightness past 3/4 then the poor contrast ratio is exposed and the blacks come out very washed out.

So while the issue isn't noticeable to everyone, it is noticeable to those who care. But like everyone says, if you are one who requires accuracy then you probably are better off using a real properly calibrated monitor. And the $700 saved will buy you a darn good one.
 
shoppy said:
Scottsdale said:
I love my new Unibody MB. The display is amazing. I would say it's comparable to the MBP display I have seen. It looks better than the MBA display I had with MBA v1. There are like four or five different manufacturers of the displays. I hear it really depends on the display you get, but mine is excellent!

Screen quality great on a macbook? You have got to be kidding, the old air's screen was much better then any macbooks. You obviously have not compared side by side or owned both. Also it goes against what most reviewers say about the macbook screen. It is the cheapest of the lot. THe macbook air and MBP screens are in there own leagues. No matter which manufacturer you have, I had 4 of the things and they were all inferior.
Click to expand...

I have no reason to lie. I LOVE my MB, and the display is excellent. I have seen some inferior ones at the store, but mine is really great. It all depends on the manufacturer I guess... there have been posts about debating which display manufacturer is the best.

All I know, is mine is EXCELLENT. The glossy debate is fine, but I am all around really ecstatic about my MB.

AND, whoever said the MBP is just as portable as the MB has no experience with both. Try opening a MBP in a cramped plane seat or train seat. You have to hold it weird and type at an angle in some of the smaller seats... especially when the person in front of you leans their chair back. The MB is smaller and fits in all of those situations easily... the MBP is sometimes too big. I think it's a big difference... and anyone with experience using either the MBA or MB versus the MBP would notice. And the MBA is similar in portability to the MB, rather than the poster that said the MB and MBP are similar. Flat out wrong... Compare all three in an airplane seat and you will know exactly what I am talking about. I love the MBA v2, I had the first version and it was too slow and ran too hot. I would love to own the v2 MBA, but I plan to wait for a glass trackpad and some other updates to the MBA, possibly v3 will have a 2 GHz CPU, a 256 GB SSD, and 4 GB RAM. My v1 MBA had horizontal lines on the display. Every MBA I have seen has lines on the display. My MB unibody has no lines and an excellent display. Lines and all, I would still rather have the MBA over the MB, even though MY MB has a great display. But I can admit that the computer I would prefer has an inferior display to the MB I have. Maybe I got lucky...

Happy New Year.
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