something like this even necessary?

[bc008]

well, im only 14, going to be 15 in a month and a half.

i have a black macbook, and my family is borrowing my 20 inch aluiMac. i was thinking of selling them both, and picking up a refurb MBP. but the price tells me to buy something like this
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?nplm=FA356LL/A

alright, i know its overkill, but by how much? enough to not jump on something along this line, instead of a portable. the price says enough, and i never would have bought my macbook in the first place if i would have known i could get a MP for 500 more.

this would last me through high school, and college of course.

 

[QuarterSwede]

It depends on what you're going to use it for. If it's just regular college work (writing papers, researching on the net, etc) then you'll be better served by a notebook because you'll be able to take it to class, to the library to study, etc.

What is it about the MB or iMac for that matter that doesn't currently meet you needs?

 

[treehorn]

While I don't think you can go wrong getting a MacPro and will serve you well, my only thought is that you are in the period of time (high school and college) where portability is a major bonus. Maybe if you kept your Macbook to take to classes, the library, coffee bars, the lawn, etc. to do work and take notes and the MacPro to do your more hardcore work/act as media center...

 

[nidserz]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

I would definitely keep a portable. You are only 14 and have a lot of schooling left and in that time you never know with technology changing as fast as it is something better or more appealing to your needs will be available. I just feel that so young you may not want to buckle in and lock yourself to a mac pro for that long. Maybe just trade up for a mbp I would if I needed the graphics/power etc but a MacBook meets my needs 2 years into college.

 

[mperkins37]

The macpro's are more future proof, But a portable is more useful to a student.
Depends on what your future plans are.

 

[tMac85]

you dont need it man. esp. when you are going to be a student. save your money.

 

[bc008]

yea i think later this summer im going to sell both my comps and get a MBP, but you cant tell me that the price on the refurb isnt tempting

 

[digitalnicotine]

Tempting, yes. It'll probably last longer than a laptop, due to upgrading options as well. But here are some other things to consider. Do you plan on going away for college (or at least residing away from home)? Are you prepared to purchase a laptop in addition to this for college? Do you seriously expect to use whatever you purchase for the next 5-8 years?

If I were you, I would hold off selling your current systems until they either no longer function, your parents fund or help fund an upgrade, or until you begin college. At that point, purchasing a MB or MBP would make a lot more sense, and would get you through a 4 year degree program, depending on what you'll be using it for.

MP's are not portable by any stretch. They also require purchasing a monitor, which reduces portability even further. What will you use for note taking in class? Do you want to be bound to a desk for all your computing?

Holding off allows you to save more, and what you buy in 3-4 years is guaranteed to be faster and more powerful than anything you can buy today. What about graduation gifts? Perhaps talk to your parents, and impress them by your frugality in holding off on a major purchase now, while thinking towards your future (parents love that crap). Ask them to buy you a nice MBP for graduation to use in college, or start saving up for one now, while you have plenty of time. You could even ask them about matching you dollar for dollar on whatever you manage to save up between now and then.

I get tempted when browsing the Apple Store too, but I've learned that the longer I can manage to wait, the better system I'll own, often for the same price. Good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[iToaster]

I have to tell you that the Mac Pro is most certainly over the top. While it is certainly a powerful machine (loving mine) it is not what you want. You will see no gain at all in real world tasks, and in fact, it is more of an obstruction that it is a benefit. I find that it is a lot easier to just have one computer, so you would be better off with the MacBook Pro if you were even to get anything. I say you should just keep with the BlackBook and not even bother with two machines (it's an organizational nightmare). As someone who has carried a 55 pound Mac Pro from house to house, let me tell you, it isn't ideal. I have owned a MacBook and a MacBook Pro in addition to my current setup, but the MacBook did very well as a single computer (I only moved up to MBP for the graphics card, I do 3D modeling, but then sold that for a Mac Pro because I discovered the joy of having an unbelievably fast export time for my videos). I would best recommend that you keep you BlackBook and let the family use your iMac. There really isn't any need for the MBP in your case. The MacBook is better for you because it's much easier to upgrade the hard drive and RAM later on in it's life, and consequently, you can sell it and make money toward the goal of a new MacBook equivalent when you find that one too slow for you, but regardless, you won't keep a computer for 8 years, so it'd be best to do a casual upgrade every 2 years or so, before the resell value of your computer drops.

 

[KingYaba]

I wouldn't bring a Mac Pro into a college dorm, period. I would be paranoid enough as it is with a $500 Powerbook let alone a $2500+ MP.

 

[Abstract]

The appropriate answer is: It depends on what you want to do with it.

This applies to your current situation, and what you want to do in the future at uni.

Actually, scratch that. Just get a refurb MP later if you need one at uni in 2-3 years. For now, stick with what you have unless you're into gaming or 3D animation.