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So who else is totally happy with the -old- MBP?

Happy or not?

  • Totally satisfied with the old MBP.

    Votes: 171 70.7%

  • Going to get or owning the new one.

    Votes: 53 21.9%

  • Would upgrade, cannot afford.

    Votes: 18 7.4%
  • Total voters
    242
  • Poll closed .
R

rpp3po

macrumors regular
Original poster
It's a new experience for me. Normally when Apple introduces a new product generation I am kind of sad if I cannot afford to upgrade. This time everything is different. I love to work with my April'08 Penryn MBP. It's rocking stable, very high performing, quiet, and even has a matté screen, which I prefer. It's built entirely on Intel parts, having an excellent reputation for the quality of its (comparably expensive) chipsets. I'm very happy to be able to work on that platform which hasn't crashed once since its purchase.

Nvidia has some way to go to reach the same reputation for its chipsets. I used to own a Desktop board, when they were the first to supply dual-channel RAM controllers. With regret I remember all the times reading readme-files of various drivers over and over again listing incompatibility issues in combination with Nvidia chipsets. I never got the board to run as stable as I would have liked. It finally died after 4 years.

I'm totally satisfied with my previous generation MBP and wouldn't even upgrade if there was an inexpensive replacement program? Who else?
 
I am so jealous right now. My friend last night ordered himself a 15" 2.4 off the refurb site. I have a pre SR MBP and totally want to upgrade to the lastest model before Apple release those abominations.
 
I am very happy with my 2.4 SR MBP. Not only is it far prettier than the new ones, I can't see my face in the screen either!
 
me! just got refurb and absolutely love it, so much better than my old blackbook, the led screen and extra real estate are great and i love the design, its so classy.
 
I don't really like the new ones TBH.

I'd rather have kept this design, the matt and added the changeable HD.

Gloss sucks hardcore 🙁

Still, next year when a quad appears in the lineup i'll be getting one 😱
 
rpp3po said:
It's a new experience for me. Normally when Apple introduces a new product generation I am kind of sad if I cannot afford to upgrade. This time everything is different. I love to work with my April'08 Penryn MBP. It's rocking stable, very high performing, quiet, and even has a matté screen, which I prefer. It's built entirely on Intel parts, having an excellent reputation for the quality of its (comparably expensive) chipsets. I'm very happy to be able to work on that platform which hasn't crashed once since its purchase.

Nvidia has some way to go to reach the same reputation for its chipsets. I used to own a Desktop board, when they were the first to supply dual-channel RAM controllers. With regret I remember all the times reading readme-files of various drivers over and over again listing incompatibility issues in combination with Nvidia chipsets. I never got the board to run as stable as I would have liked. It finally died after 4 years.

I'm totally satisfied with my previous generation MBP and wouldn't even upgrade if there was an inexpensive replacement program? Who else?
Click to expand...

I hate to break the news to you but your MBP has an Nvidia video card. Also not sure why people see the need to crap on the new stuff for their own edification. It's a freaking computer.
 
I love my current MBP and the new ones just released put a smile on my face b/c I like my old one better also.
 
Concorde Rules said:
I don't really like the new ones TBH.

I'd rather have kept this design, the matt and added the changeable HD.

Gloss sucks hardcore 🙁

Still, next year when a quad appears in the lineup i'll be getting one 😱
Click to expand...

I totally agree about the hard drive, thats one of the only complaints I have about the old MBP
 
Chupa Chupa said:
I hate to break the news to you but your MBP has an Nvidia video card. Also not sure why people see the need to crap on the new stuff for their own edification. It's a freaking computer.
Click to expand...

I think he is talking about the Nvidia chipset not the GPU. He is making the point that since Intel has been in the chipset game longer then Nvidia that Intel's products are more stable and are compatible with other hardware.
 
P Mentior said:
I think he is talking about the Nvidia chipset not the GPU. He is making the point that since Intel has been in the chipset game longer then Nvidia that Intel's products are more stable and are compatible with other hardware.
Click to expand...

Thank you for clarifying. Intel is not only longer in business, since the good old days of their praised 440BX chipset nobody would question that they continuously delivered excellent parts. I used to built computers and there have been alternatives for a long time from Via, SIS, Nvidia, AMD, ... You always had the least trouble when going all Intel.

Not all of this experience does apply to notebooks. There are no interrupt or DMA issues for USB peripherals (about the only way to extend the MB). So writing drivers is much less error prone. For anything else (internal) Apple provides its own drivers, which should be fine. Extending the MBP via Express Card could be an issue, though. Overall Nvidia's track record with chipsets isn't all that good. Sad enough that my all Intel MBP has a potentially faulty Nvidia GPU, but (thank god) it is covered by an extended warranty now.
 
The older one wins by a mile

Benefits of the old one (which I prefer):

1) Matte backlit LED screen

2) The older one has a DVI port and two Firewire ports.

3) I prefer the understated, refined aesthetic to the new cross between Sharper Image and Fisher Price.

4) The older one has a nicer keyboard.

5) The older one has a smaller footprint (by a 1/2" in each direction).

6) The older one weighs less.

7) The newer ones will accumulate dust behind the glass of the screen (some right out of the box already have dust in there).

8) The older one has a smaller bezel, so it can nestle up more closely to my external display.

9) The older one has USB ports located conveniently on both sides.
 
I'm happy with my Merom Frankenbook with a 1920 x 1200 15" screen.

I can't upgrade until someone figures out how to rip and replace that screen!

Come on iFixit...
 
Merom owner checking in. I think the new ones are cool and all (especially the new mb) but my 2.33 is still trucking along nicely so theres no reason for me to get rid of it any time soon.
 
I'm somewhat satisfied with my Macbook Pro. But mine's the first generation. I'd like to upgrade to a Penryn MBP just before the new releases.

The only things I don't like about my first gen MBP is the ram limit of 2gb, and the excessive heat. I'd like to have multitouch as well though. Overall, it's been a great machine, and with 800 cycles on the battery, it's definitely been used(and slightly abused).

Reasons I don't want a new one:
1. Glossy screen - I don't do much designing these days, but I just really prefer matte screens.
2. I hate the chiclet keyboard - I'm using a bluetooth one right now and I absolutely hate it. When I get a few extra bucks, I'm gonna get the old generation all white/plastic one.
3. I really just prefer the look of the "older" ones, I'm not a big fan of the shiny black screen bezel.

I guess those are miniscule reasons, but they're enough for me to stick with this one for a while I suppose.
 
Count me as happy with my MBP, although don't really consider it an "old" one, since it's on 7 months old. If this design came out today for the first time, it would still look like the most modern, classy and cool laptop out there, and that includes the new MBP.

I will say the manufacturing method of building the chassis of the new machines is impressive, and they could have slightly tweaked the old model's design, and made it the same way they made the new one, adding the new video gpus and touchpad, but leaving the matte screen. Leaving the whole thing aluminum (..."carved out of a solid block of aluminum") would have been a nice, subtle upgrade to the previous generation, without going all mainstream PC stylewise with the black chicklets and shinola effect. Yes, the Macs are much better built than the competition, but the aesthetics of the new design are really mixed. Some aspects are really nice, others are gaggingly repulsive.

The MBP on my desk is a classic, and considering the alternatives, I'm pretty damn satisfied with it.
 
pdxflint said:
Count me as happy with my MBP, although don't really consider it an "old" one, since it's on 7 months old. If this design came out today for the first time, it would still look like the most modern, classy and cool laptop out there, and that includes the new MBP.
Click to expand...

I can't call them old either. I have been referring to them as pre- Oct 14 MBPs
 
Phrasikleia said:
Benefits of the old one (which I prefer):

1) Matte backlit LED screen
2) The older one has a DVI port and two Firewire ports.
3) I prefer the understated, refined aesthetic to the new cross between Sharper Image and Fisher Price.
4) The older one has a nicer keyboard.
5) The older one has a smaller footprint (by a 1/2" in each direction).
6) The older one weighs less.
7) The newer ones will accumulate dust behind the glass of the screen (some right out of the box already have dust in there).
8) The older one has a smaller bezel, so it can nestle up more closely to my external display.
9) The older one has USB ports located conveniently on both sides.
Click to expand...


How about adding
10) Longer battery life on older one.


pdxflint said:
Count me as happy with my MBP, although don't really consider it an "old" one, since it's on 7 months old. If this design came out today for the first time, it would still look like the most modern, classy and cool laptop out there, and that includes the new MBP.
Click to expand...

I would say that design it is even way older than 7 months- it was introduced in 2006 with Intel processors and made with G4 processors since 2003 and from 2001 to 2003 titanium model was produced (which is very similar but not the same). But who really cares? It is timeless piece of hardware. It is bold, not flashy good size and functional design.
Now new model has appeal for PC masses...
 
Well I must say that I don't mind the new design because Apple made their notebook design look too simple (the previous MBP) that to make improvements without getting people flaming them is pretty hard.

But hey, they got a mixed reaction this time. I wonder what will happen if they just made little adjustments? Like maybe thinner display or something like that? Then people will say Apple had lost its touch because the new design resembles the old one or "Oh, the new MBP, yea it has a slight redesign but the overall look still looks like the old MBP, really boring". That's why sometime when you create a product so close to perfection in terms of design, its hard to make improvements. But it still comes down to this, Innovate or DIE! 😎

So like I said, the new design has it cons and I don't think chiclet keyboard sucks. But hey, even the old design has its cons. In fact everything around us has its own pro and cons so cheer up 🙄
 
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