Thinking about buying a 15 MBP but..

[bgold0]

I am thinking about buying a 15 Inch MacBook pro for school with these changed specs

2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
320GB Serial ATA @ 7200

With the education discount, it is going to be $2,770.84.

I am going to be spending a good amount of money on this laptop, so I want to make sure that once I buy it, something new is not going to come out a month later.

I am looking for for strictly a 15 inch laptop, not a 17 inch. So if something new is coming out for the 17 inch, that doesn't really concern me.

I will be doing a lot of video rendering and editing so I really would like to get something that is going to satisfy me for a few years.

What do you think I should do? Go and buy? Or wait?

 

[ColinEC]

I don't think Apple will have any updates for the 15" MacBook Pro in January.

All the rumors seem to point towards Apple updating stuff on their desktop line (iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro etc).

If you've got the money, go buy it. You could always wait one week until MacWorld just to be safe.

 

[Nanookfan]

Considering that the 15" MBP was just updated to the unibody on Oct. 14th, the chances of there being an update soon are pretty slim. Good specs, great computer. If you need it, buy it.

 

[macjram]

Wait till MacWorld '09 or whatever it's called I think it's like a week away iirc.

Worth waiting for imo.

 

[Eddyisgreat]

Wait till MacWorld '09 or whatever it's called I think it's like a week away iirc.

Worth waiting for imo.

Macworld will more than likely refresh the desktop line and perhaps introduce a new line of Apple Cinema Displays.

They already had a main event for their laptops. It would have been a waste to have two giant major conferences to the 15 inch and the 24 inch ACD. If anything they will probably focus on the 17 inch since it still hasn't been refreshed.

 

[bgold0]

THANKS FOR THE FAST RESPONSES EVERYONE

So I should be good? I guess I will wait a few weeks just to be safe then.

How long do you think this laptop will last me until I need to buy another one? I mean, what update could they issue in the future (2009/10) other than design?

Are the processors soldered in or will I be able to upgrade it in the future?

 

[HLdan]

THANKS FOR THE FAST RESPONSES EVERYONE

So I should be good? I guess I will wait a few weeks just to be safe then.

How long do you think this laptop will last me until I need to buy another one? I mean, what update could they issue in the future (2009/10) other than design?

Are the processors soldered in or will I be able to upgrade it in the future?

Any computer rather Macintosh or PC will last as long as you find use out of it. That's sort of a difficult question to answer. Even after 2-3 years of use you may find your notebook to be no huge difference from the latest models. It all depends on your use. Example, if you are an email, web surfering guy, your 5 year old Mac won't surf or get email any slower than the latest model.

The only removable parts to the new MBP are the battery, memory and HDD.

 

[Next Tuesday]

THANKS FOR THE FAST RESPONSES EVERYONE

So I should be good? I guess I will wait a few weeks just to be safe then.

How long do you think this laptop will last me until I need to buy another one? I mean, what update could they issue in the future (2009/10) other than design?

Are the processors soldered in or will I be able to upgrade it in the future?

Processors are soldered in, u cant upgrade those. In the future, quad core chicps and bigger hard drives with more memory.

 

[bgold0]

Any computer rather Macintosh or PC will last as long as you find use out of it. That's sort of a difficult question to answer. Even after 2-3 years of use you may find your notebook to be no huge difference from the latest models. It all depends on your use. Example, if you are an email, web surfering guy, your 5 year old Mac won't surf or get email any slower than the latest model.

The only removable parts to the new MBP are the battery, memory and HDD.

Well I am speaking in terms of video editing. Major updates in the processor will probably be the only thing I am worried about.

When does MacWorld announce the new updates. At the Beginning of the expo or at the end?

I only wish the MBP was black hehe

 

[jjahshik32]

Forget the 2.8ghz just opt for a 2.53ghz (not a huge difference at all, unless your number crunching 24/7 and need to save a few extra minutes.

Anyway, I'd say buy a 2.53ghz mbp + intel x25-m ssd and you'll see the world of difference in speed.

 

[xpovos]

Forget the 2.8ghz just opt for a 2.53ghz (not a huge difference at all, unless your number crunching 24/7 and need to save a few extra minutes.

Anyway, I'd say buy a 2.53ghz mbp + intel x25-m ssd and you'll see the world of difference in speed.

I agree, perhaps for different reasons. If my personal experience over the last few years were a reasonable benchmark (which it's obviously not), Apple would have to concede a 92% out-of-the-box failure rate on its MacBook Pro line. And I'm only talking about the "failures" Apple's geniuses were willing to acknowledge in my presence. If we left it to my opinion, I would record a 100% failure rate so far.

Not that this means my experience is typical. If it were, Apple would be out of business by now. Even so, there are a lot of issues with the new MacBook Pros---and these forums are not the only source for that assertion.

The reason this matters so much is that a 2.8 is a CTO, meaning Apple's policy dictates it cannot be returned for any reason other than "dead on arrival".

Not sure your level of familiarity with Apple's culture, but their sh*t doesn't stink. Translation: unless your laptop explodes and burns your house down upon first boot, it isn't DOA.

 

[Tallest Skil]

Wait till MacWorld '09 or whatever it's called I think it's like a week away iirc.

Worth waiting for imo.

NO. There will be NO updates to the laptops at MacWorld! How hard is this to see?

 

[digitard]

What kind of editing are you looking at?

If you're doing small/medium projects in SD then you're probably not going to notice a BIG difference between the 2.53 and 2.8ghz chip as the rendering time difference would most likely be minutes. To me I can go grab a drink, and come back and that minute is over. Not worth it IMO.

If you're looking at big projects, and/or HD editing (especially lengthly ones) then it may be worth it because the render times will get larger between them.

So I'd do some research for your use.

D.

 

[bgold0]

I agree, perhaps for different reasons. If my personal experience over the last few years were a reasonable benchmark (which it's obviously not), Apple would have to concede a 92% out-of-the-box failure rate on its MacBook Pro line. And I'm only talking about the "failures" Apple's geniuses were willing to acknowledge in my presence. If we left it to my opinion, I would record a 100% failure rate so far.

Not that this means my experience is typical. If it were, Apple would be out of business by now. Even so, there are a lot of issues with the new MacBook Pros---and these forums are not the only source for that assertion.

The reason this matters so much is that a 2.8 is a CTO, meaning Apple's policy dictates it cannot be returned for any reason other than "dead on arrival".

Not sure your level of familiarity with Apple's culture, but their sh*t doesn't stink. Translation: unless your laptop explodes and burns your house down upon first boot, it isn't DOA.

What makes 2.8 different than 2.5 in terms of return policy? That does not really make any sense. I mean, I understand it is "configured to order" but why would I want to return it other than the reason of it not working? You are telling me that they would not except it back for a new one if the laptop I bought was anything but perfect? I doubt it.

What kind of editing are you looking at?

If you're doing small/medium projects in SD then you're probably not going to notice a BIG difference between the 2.53 and 2.8ghz chip as the rendering time difference would most likely be minutes. To me I can go grab a drink, and come back and that minute is over. Not worth it IMO.

If you're looking at big projects, and/or HD editing (especially lengthly ones) then it may be worth it because the render times will get larger between them.

So I'd do some research for your use.

D.

I will be doing extensive HD editing, and other things that require higher processor speeds such as color correction and rendering graphics so I have pretty much made up my mind about getting the 2.8 gHz.

What worries me is how long it will be until something higher like the quad comes out that will overpower the 2.8 gHz

 

[ellsworth]

It happens all the time. You buy a brand spankin new laptop and apple comes out with something better tomorrow. The only way to avoid such a situation is to either not care about what tomorrow will bring or buy it the day/week it comes out and enjoy it for the 3-6 months that apple doesn't release a new one. Technology is advancing so quickly now that Apple can keep up with the demand for faster and better laptops. Good luck

What kind of editing are you looking at?

If you're doing small/medium projects in SD then you're probably not going to notice a BIG difference between the 2.53 and 2.8ghz chip as the rendering time difference would most likely be minutes. To me I can go grab a drink, and come back and that minute is over. Not worth it IMO.

If you're looking at big projects, and/or HD editing (especially lengthly ones) then it may be worth it because the render times will get larger between them.

So I'd do some research for your use.

D.

Same concept with this. Just for what you can afford and if you can afford the 2.8, do it.
If you keep yourself thinking that you're only going to be working on SD footage for as long as you have your laptop than what digitard says is absolutely right. I found myself only working on 2D graphics with my ibook. As quickly as I could remember my 2d work fell into 3d work, 3d work fell into SD Video, SD video went into HD. It can all happen in no time. Go big or go Big

 

[MatLane]

there will not be updates to the Macbook line in Jan


The only laptop update i think we might see is the 17' Unibody replacing the old gen



15' is solid until late next year when they speed bump

 

[xpovos]

What makes 2.8 different than 2.5 in terms of return policy? That does not really make any sense.

The 2.8 is a custom configuration. Read their returns/exchanges policy carefully and you will find that custom configurations cannot be returned under any circumstances "unless DOA". The problem is that Apple decides what constitutes "DOA"---and, as much as I like their products in general, Apple is not a company known for acknowledging its own faults.

I mean, I understand it is "configured to order" but why would I want to return it other than the reason of it not working? You are telling me that they would not except it back for a new one if the laptop I bought was anything but perfect? I doubt it.

Any reasonable person would doubt it. It depends on your definition of "perfect". For example, if your machine arrived with 4 dead pixels, Apple does not consider it DOA because their policy calls for 5 or more (iirc). Some people might be willing to accept that in a $3000 notebook; I personally would not. You could receive the notebook with multiple dead pixels, horrible backlight bleed, crooked function keys, nicks and scratches on the outer casing---Apple would probably not consider this machine DOA. It would depend on the person you were lucky or unlucky enough to get on the phone.

None of that would be so worrisome if the flaws I just listed were exceedingly rare. In any case, I offer this advice as someone who has extensive experience with Apple defects. You're obviously free to ignore it---just as I probably would if I were in your position. I learned my lessons about CTO the hard way.

 

[Willis]

Quad Core Mobile chips wont be towards the end of 2009. I cant remember the exact timeframe but I know its towards end of the year.

I've been using my Macbook for 2 years now and it feels as fast as it did when I got it. My MacPro I've had since it was launched. That beast still edits and renders just as fast as it did when I got it. Sure, more RAM will help, even 4 more cores... but... I'd save maybe a total of 2-3 mins on a 15 minute project. Just isn't worth worrying about.

Anything you buy now will be good for 3-5 years.

 

[nippyjun]

I am thinking about buying a 15 Inch MacBook pro for school with these changed specs

2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
320GB Serial ATA @ 7200

With the education discount, it is going to be $2,770.84.

I am going to be spending a good amount of money on this laptop, so I want to make sure that once I buy it, something new is not going to come out a month later.

I am looking for for strictly a 15 inch laptop, not a 17 inch. So if something new is coming out for the 17 inch, that doesn't really concern me.

I will be doing a lot of video rendering and editing so I really would like to get something that is going to satisfy me for a few years.

What do you think I should do? Go and buy? Or wait?

You probably looking about about $1000 more then getting the baseline model when you add in tax. You can get the base version on amazon.com now for $1760 after rebate right now. Add tax to what you have speced out and it's over $1000. You could just get the base model through amazon then upgrade the memory and hard drive for $200 total and still have $800 in your pocket. Sure the vid card doesn't have 500mb of memory but aparently the extra 250 isn't used anyway. And the 400mhz speed increase up to 2.8 isn't going to be that dramatic...... Just some food for thought.

Either way i'd wait until after macworld.

 

[Willis]

For the last time.

The 13 and 15 MB/MBP will NOT see an update or speed bump at Macworld

The only laptop likely to see an update is the 17 MBP. Even that will probably be a silent update!

 

[bgold0]

You probably looking about about $1000 more then getting the baseline model when you add in tax. You can get the base version on amazon.com now for $1760 after rebate right now. Add tax to what you have speced out and it's over $1000. You could just get the base model through amazon then upgrade the memory and hard drive for $200 total and still have $800 in your pocket. Sure the vid card doesn't have 500mb of memory but aparently the extra 250 isn't used anyway. And the 400mhz speed increase up to 2.8 isn't going to be that dramatic...... Just some food for thought.

Either way i'd wait until after macworld.

nippyjun, I don't think you understand; when rendering the video I will be rendering, 0.3 gHz might not make a big difference, but it makes a difference. If I am going to spend 2,500 - why not add $300 and get something a little faster?

The base model just isn't what I am looking for.

I appreciate you giving me food for though but I already laid out the specs I am going to get. In my first post I stated I was worried about not having the up-to-date processor speed because of my video editing I was or will be doing. If I wasn't worried, i would go ahead and get the MBP with 2.53. But I wanted the latest(2.8). Thanks for the comments but that just isn't the route I will be taking.

Money is not my concern. I will splurge a few more bucks to get the laptop I want. When spending the amount of money I am willing to spend, I learned that you should be happy with what you get. If I substitute specs for money, I just won't be happy with the end result. I hope you get what I am saying.

... Anything you buy now will be good for 3-5 years.

That is my main concern, I am glad atleast one person can acknowledge that I will be already lol

 

[dacreativeguy]

THANKS FOR THE FAST RESPONSES EVERYONE

So I should be good? I guess I will wait a few weeks just to be safe then.

How long do you think this laptop will last me until I need to buy another one? I mean, what update could they issue in the future (2009/10) other than design?

Are the processors soldered in or will I be able to upgrade it in the future?

There is ABSOLUTELY no chance that the existing MacBooks will be updated in January. There are a few rumors flying around about cheap netbooks but Macworld looks more like an update to the desktop models.

 

[bgold0]

What is the chance of the Quad-Core processors coming to the 15inch MacBook Pros before this summer?

 

[brentsg]

I would suggest that if extensive HD video editing is going to be the main course and speed is important, then you should be looking at additional RAM and CPU cores. I'd look to a Mac Pro and if you need some portability, just grab a cheap Macbook for that.

 

[Harmless Abuse]

What is the chance of the Quad-Core processors coming to the 15inch MacBook Pros before this summer?

0.000000000001%

Currently, there isn't a market for mobile quad-core processors.

Honestly, if you're going to buy it, buy it, or else you'll be waiting just like you are now, FOREVER.

Technology is updated all the time, and if you're video editing, perhaps a desktop is more suited for your needs. New processors will keep coming, but anything of significant improvement won't come for at least another year.

But it and enjoy it, or wait forever and just dream of it.