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So I'm leaning towards a classic 15" MacBook Pro ...

A

Adamantoise

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 1, 2011
991
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Currently I have a 13" Macbook Pro. I bought it because it wasn't so expensive compared to other 13" laptops on the market.

However, I've come to the realization that a 13.3" screen is too small for me when I actually have work to do (as opposed to just consuming media). So this time around, I'm going to spring for a 15" Macbook Pro.

However, unlike the 13" Macbook Pro, the 15" is a lot more expensive compared to the other 15" laptops on the market.

Now my question is, are there any 15" laptops that have similar build quality to the Macbook Pro? I really don't mind Windows 7 or 8 ... I can live without OS X. My primary concern is buying a laptop that will not fall apart within months of use.

If I go with the 15" Macbook Pro, I'll be buying the base model and putting in my own RAM and SSD. Can anyone comment on how decent the GPU is?
 
If budget is a issue. I defiantly recommend going refurbished! I want to get a 15 inch MBP myself. I applied for a baryclays card for a second credit card and I got approved for $2,000 so I'm not exactly sure which 15 inch MBP to get.
 
Adamantoise said:
Now my question is, are there any 15" laptops that have similar build quality to the Macbook Pro? I really don't mind Windows 7 or 8 ... I can live without OS X. My primary concern is buying a laptop that will not fall apart within months of use.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen any. Even though there are some aluminum laptops out on the market, I haven't seen one yet that matches the build quality of an Apple Product. Asus and Acer come pretty close, but there are details, just by touching it, that you can feel aren't as quality as a Mac.
 
I second the refurb comment. I just got a 15" mbp and aside from the box it comes in, it looks brand new. In fact according to a couple sources, it was manufactured just 4 weeks prior to my purchase.

I saved almost $250 before taxes.
 
nopw said:
Well as you are having an eye on your budget, you should tell us what that would be.
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Oh I can afford to buy it brand new, matter of face I'm considering springing for the higher resolution screen.

I was just asking for other alternatives before I did so. I haven't really desired a laptop this size before so I don't know the good buys.

Sounds like I'll be ending up with another Macbook Pro.
 
In terms of durability - the HP elitebooks are tough. As are the Lenovo Thinkpads.


No theyr'e nowhere near as pretty, but in terms of going the distance they will certainly do so.
 
throAU said:
In terms of durability - the HP elitebooks are tough. As are the Lenovo Thinkpads.


No theyr'e nowhere near as pretty, but in terms of going the distance they will certainly do so.
Click to expand...

Yeah I've used an Elitebook before my Uncle has one. I also use a Lenovo at work. Good machine, but definitely not what I'm looking for in a personal machine.

Battery life matters, as does screen quality ... So far I've taken a look at the Vaio S 15.5" ... Very packed machine for the money.
 
My elitebook 2570 with the uprated 9 cell battery will get 10+ hours of real-world battery life. They're really quite good in that respect.

The 8560 I had previously (15" model) could get up to 7 hours with the battery upgrade also. Similar to my MBP 15".
 
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Adamantoise said:
Yeah I've used an Elitebook before my Uncle has one. I also use a Lenovo at work. Good machine, but definitely not what I'm looking for in a personal machine.

Battery life matters, as does screen quality ... So far I've taken a look at the Vaio S 15.5" ... Very packed machine for the money.
Click to expand...

Vaio's I've seen tend to fall apart pretty quickly, I would steer away if the ones I've encountered are any sign of durability.
 
TC400 said:
If budget is a issue. I defiantly recommend going refurbished! I want to get a 15 inch MBP myself. I applied for a baryclays card for a second credit card and I got approved for $2,000 so I'm not exactly sure which 15 inch MBP to get.
Click to expand...

If you are relying on credit to purchase it, the answer is none of the above, unless you have mapped how the purchase is going to add more to your productivity (in actual $) than the interest costs on the loan.

Buy a 2010 or 2011 from CL for something that you can actually afford.
 
NewishMacGuy said:
If you are relying on credit to purchase it, the answer is none of the above, unless you have mapped how the purchase is going to add more to your productivity (in actual $) than the interest costs on the loan.

Buy a 2010 or 2011 from CL for something that you can actually afford.
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I'm not relying on credit to purchase this laptop lol. I am VERY responsible with my money. I have been in the market for another card for a few months now and this is the one I settled on. I know my limits I know what I can afford. I have a brand new 2012 Prius c that I only owe 6k on it was a $26,000 car. I know how to handle and budget my money. I didn't get this card to just go out and purchase a laptop. I may put some of it on the card no more than 30%. The reason I went for it then gave me a much higher limit than what my capital one card has currently. I pay all my bills in FULL every month. I'm not young and stupid like most kids.
 
Buy a 15 inch classic and install an SSD and 16gb of memory in it. Then enjoy it.
 
Have you thought about the Lenovo? Namely speaking the T530 series. It is about the same weight or lighter than the 15" classic MacBook Pro. The screen can be configured to have higher resolution than the classic mbp 15, like true HD. The Lenovo t series are known for their legendary keyboard. It just feels great to type on. Also their chassis has a roll cage, and their exterior lid are carbon reinforce and steel base as standard on their t class. The t class are essentially built like a tank! They wouldn't get dent on a slight bump like the MacBook Pro do. You can configure them to be just as powerful as the MacBook Pro even up to 16gb of ram. Or just upgrade them yourself.
Currently, they haven't updated their processors yet, so you can only get the 3820qm as max right now. Which is the same as the MacBook Pro best CPU. A newer CPU is 3840qm is slightly faster for the same price.

Lenovo t series are very robust and reliable machines, they just doesn't have that cool factor like the MacBook Pro. But everything about them speaks business.
 
If you like the size, but it doesn't have a high enough resolution you can have the 13" Retina display at a higher res which will allow you to fit more on the screen. From what I've been told, those higher reses still look a lot better than the stock 15" resolution.
 
DockMac said:
I haven't seen any. Even though there are some aluminum laptops out on the market, I haven't seen one yet that matches the build quality of an Apple Product. Asus and Acer come pretty close, but there are details, just by touching it, that you can feel aren't as quality as a Mac.
Click to expand...

I just got a 17" Asus and love it but as the Dock says, it ain't a Mac.

Jeff
 
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