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The current white Macbook... Viable?

mike.coulter

mike.coulter

macrumors 6502
Original poster
I'll be buying a new laptop at the end of this year, and I was originally planning on buying a 13" Macbook Pro base model. But I've decided that it doesn't offer that much better specs than the standard Macbook, but I wouldn't mind spending the extra money if need be. I love the 13" screen size so that isn't an issue.

But is the current white Macbook viable? Are there any planned future updates?

Also I was wondering how long you think it will last me. It will have a normal amount of usage with; web browsing, word processing, photo/ light video editing and music. I'd like to get at least 5 years out of it...

Thanks, Mike.
 
spinnerlys said:
If you take care of it and have an extended warranty you might get five years out of it..
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... or even if you don't get the extended warranty 😉 IMHO the current generation of Macs are bomb proof. The build quality is amazing, up there with the old Thinkpads which were like tanks.

The older ones (first Intel models) were a bit flaky. But my bit-flaky 2006 Macbook is still going strong & I expect several more years out of it.

IMHO a Macbook is more likely to go obsolete, or die through damage/water, than it is to fail on you.
 
Pax said:
... or even if you don't get the extended warranty 😉 IMHO the current generation of Macs are bomb proof. The build quality is amazing, up there with the old Thinkpads which were like tanks.

The older ones (first Intel models) were a bit flaky. But my bit-flaky 2006 Macbook is still going strong & I expect several more years out of it.

IMHO a Macbook is more likely to go obsolete, or die through damage/water, than it is to fail on you.
Click to expand...

Well that's one vote for the MBP 13" base model then... 😛
 
I just got the white mb and its awesome

For what I use it for, I wouldnt tell a difference

However, microcenter is selling them brand new for 800

Look into that! its a bargin
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0321997

Pax said:
IMHO a Macbook is more likely to go obsolete, or die through damage/water, than it is to fail on you.
Click to expand...

Yea, they are nice machines. I will say that even the 2006 mb's are still great for normal usage. The intel machines have ben nothing but awesome imo
 
Any of the current macbooks should last you some years. I think the most recent update to the white macbooks have made them more durable and they should last longer than the previous ones.
 
Our macs have always lasted a long time, i still have my dad's 1986 mac plus, and my last ibook died last year - after about 7 years of use, that was only as i ripped a socket off the board
 
I just bought a Macbook 2,1 from mid 2007, and it's as fast as any brand new laptop I played with in the stores.
 
...happily typing this on my Nvida Whitebook 2.0Ghz and don't feel a need to go replacing it any time soon unless I do something stupid to it or it gets stolen...
 
For what you need it for OP, I would suspect the white Macbook will last 5 years for you easily. The only issues I have with my 2009 nVidia Macbook is that I could do with some extra RAM, as I handle a lot of large files in Photoshop and Illustrator and I use those programs for Graphics, as well as several others at the same time. This is why I will be upgrading in a year or so's time. If I didn't use those programs I'm sure this would last me straight through Uni to 2014, without a doubt.
 
Update: After posting that last post, I have just found a crack in my topcase. I'm not all that surprised, just a little dissapointed. I guess I'll be taking a trip to the Apple store this weekend to have that seen to.
 
Well Apple has sneakily raised the price of the base MBP from £916 to £999. I think they'd raise the MacBook's price too when it's time to update it. Is money a big issue for you? The current models are still very capable machines.
 
BlizzardBomb said:
Well Apple has sneakily raised the price of the base MBP from £916 to £999. I think they'd raise the MacBook's price too when it's time to update it. Is money a big issue for you? The current models are still very capable machines.
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No money isn't a particular issue. I'm now considering a MBP though, as they seem a little more rugged. Plus may hold their value better. But I'm also considering waiting for the next MBP's to see what they do with the 13" model...
 
I would definitely look for a refurb model off the apple store if you're planning on getting a whitebook.
 
I'm still waiting for them to make a black one again. I got the last rev black MacBook and it's great. I have no plans to replace it any time soon. It's still very fast and I haven't even upgraded the RAM yet.
 
spinnerlys said:
https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//


If you take care of it and have an extended warranty you might get five years out of it.
Many still use their iBooks and PowerBooks with great pleasure.
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Indeed, my iBook G4 turned 6 years old recently and it is still going strong. 🙂 It did need a new HD after 9 months, but since then has been rock solid. The only thing wrong with it is the crack in the LCD screen caused by my son jumping on it a few weeks ago! 🙁
 
I'd wait for a GeForce 320M version. Given my OS X I usage, I don't need a replacement for my Late 2007 model but I do want a more workable GPU situation.
 
mike.coulter said:
I'll be buying a new laptop at the end of this year, and I was originally planning on buying a 13" Macbook Pro base model. But I've decided that it doesn't offer that much better specs than the standard Macbook, but I wouldn't mind spending the extra money if need be. I love the 13" screen size so that isn't an issue.

But is the current white Macbook viable? Are there any planned future updates?

Also I was wondering how long you think it will last me. It will have a normal amount of usage with; web browsing, word processing, photo/ light video editing and music. I'd like to get at least 5 years out of it...
Click to expand...

At this point in time, the MBP is more than worth the difference. CPU a bit faster, better graphics, twice the RAM, 40% longer battery life, aluminium case, backlit keyboard, I think there are more connectors as well. Definitely worth it. It all adds up. I'm sure there will be an upgrade to the MacBook reasonably soon, and I'm sure Apple will keep selling MacBooks for a long time. But if you buy one today and they stop building it tomorrow, so what?

For both, the processor and graphics card can last you five years. You'll be able to upgrade to 8 GB RAM and 1 TB hard drive for very little money in two years time (and it is easy to do yourself, both on MB and MBP). The MBP battery will last longer because you'll charge it less often; I'd say the MBP battery could last 5 years if you look after it a bit, the MB battery will if you look after it very well or if you use it plugged in a lot.
 
mattraehl said:
Indeed, my iBook G4 turned 6 years old recently and it is still going strong. 🙂 It did need a new HD after 9 months, but since then has been rock solid. The only thing wrong with it is the crack in the LCD screen caused by my son jumping on it a few weeks ago! 🙁
Click to expand...

Yep, another iBook that's still working over here too. The battery sucks and it's starting to have some trouble with more intensive tasks, but I'm happy getting 5 years out of this guy.

Also, I'm not insanely careful or anything and it's not even all that scratched/scuffed. I have an InCase for transporting, and it's served me well.
 
max¥¥ said:
both my macmini g4 and my dads quad core mac pro are referb, and they whee both in perfect condition, and my dads mac pro had 8gb ram (should have had 3Gb😀)
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Yeah (To OP) refurb basically means they make sure all the internals are working 100%, slap a brand new case on it and sell it at a discount.
 
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