Thinking of making the jump to apple but not sure..

[El Zanto]

Basically, I'd like to move from the spyware ridden world of windows and switch to apple and I'm thinking of getting a 13" MBP as my budget simply can't push far enough for a 15" i5. I'll be taking it with me to university and I've got a few questions:

1) Probably the biggest reason for my hesitation is reliability. I'm using an almost 5 year old medion laptop (5 years service in october) and it hasn't skipped a beat. No hardware problems whatsoever except an almost dead battery. This laptop is on all day, every day. I'd really like my MBP to last at least 4 years and if possible the full 5 years through my degree. Anybodys MBP still going strong after 4/5 years of HARD usage?

On a side note, I'll will be purchasing AppleCare.

2) I'm disappointed iX wasn't implemented into the 13" MBP but I have read threads on this forum as to why it wasn't implemented. Can anybody speculate when the next refresh will be and whether or not iX will be added to the 13" lineup?

3) I want to purchase this laptop before October so if there's no refresh before then (looking highly unlikely seeing as they were already refreshed recently) then it'll have to be the 2.4 c2d. Can anyone speculate how much faster an i3 would be compared to a 2.4 c2d? I'll be mainly using it for word processing, listening to music, surfing the web and gaming. Yes, I said it, gaming I've made a list of 15 games I really want to play but haven't got round to yet and had a look at some videos on youtube and a few MBP 13" gaming threads here and it seems the little card will pull everything through on high-max. However, if an i3 is noticeably quicker for gaming and everyday tasks like those aforementioned, should I wait?

4) FINAL QUESTION. I'm quite used to a 15" screen. How hard is it to get used to a 13.3 coming from a 15"? I don't think the res would be too much of an issue - this old 15" screen has a max res of 1280 x 800 and I find it fine to use. How's the 13" screen for watching movies, general useage and the occasional game?

 

[GadgetGeek71]

Basically, I'd like to move from the spyware ridden world of windows and switch to apple and I'm thinking of getting a 13" MBP as my budget simply can't push far enough for a 15" i5. I'll be taking it with me to university and I've got a few questions:

1) Probably the biggest reason for my hesitation is reliability. I'm using an almost 5 year old medion laptop (5 years service in october) and it hasn't skipped a beat. No hardware problems whatsoever except an almost dead battery. This laptop is on all day, every day. I'd really like my MBP to last at least 4 years and if possible the full 5 years through my degree. Anybodys MBP still going strong after 4/5 years of HARD usage?

On a side note, I'll will be purchasing AppleCare.

2) I'm disappointed iX wasn't implemented into the 13" MBP but I have read threads on this forum as to why it wasn't implemented. Can anybody speculate when the next refresh will be and whether or not iX will be added to the 13" lineup? In order to keep the price down, Apple decided not use the iCore processors in the 13"uMBP. Not sure what's going to happen in September.

3) I want to purchase this laptop before October so if there's no refresh before then (looking highly unlikely seeing as they were already refreshed recently) then it'll have to be the 2.4 c2d. Can anyone speculate how much faster an i3 would be compared to a 2.4 c2d? I'll be mainly using it for word processing, listening to music, surfing the web and gaming. Yes, I said it, gaming I've made a list of 15 games I really want to play but haven't got round to yet and had a look at some videos on youtube and a few MBP 13" gaming threads here and it seems the little card will pull everything through on high-max. However, if an i3 is noticeably quicker for gaming and everyday tasks like those aforementioned, should I wait? You'll want to wait for the i3 for gaming...period!

4) FINAL QUESTION. I'm quite used to a 15" screen. How hard is it to get used to a 13.3 coming from a 15"? I don't think the res would be too much of an issue - this old 15" screen has a max res of 1280 x 800 and I find it fine to use. How's the 13" screen for watching movies, general useage and the occasional game? I really didn't notice a big difference between my 15" and 13" screens.

My comments in red

 

[halprin]

1. I believe that your Mac will last a good long time if you take care of it (eg. don't through it against a wall). I haven't owned my MacBook Pro for 5 years (only 1 day), but all of my previous Mac computers have all lasted a very long time!

2. I don't think they will update the MacBook Pro before you are ready. You can go to https://buyersguide.macrumors.com// to see when things were last updated and associated rumors. The MacBook Pro was last updated on April 13, 2010.

3. Eh, I guess the Core i3 will be better than the Core 2 Duo, but I don't think it will revolutionize your gaming experience.

4. The 13" MacBook Pro's resolution is the same as your old 15" (1280x800) so you will not loose any pixels in the transition. The only thing you need to get used is everything will look smaller.

 

[wordoflife]

Basically, I'd like to move from the spyware ridden world of windows and switch to apple and I'm thinking of getting a 13" MBP as my budget simply can't push far enough for a 15" i5. I'll be taking it with me to university and I've got a few questions:

1) Probably the biggest reason for my hesitation is reliability. I'm using an almost 5 year old medion laptop (5 years service in october) and it hasn't skipped a beat. No hardware problems whatsoever except an almost dead battery. This laptop is on all day, every day. I'd really like my MBP to last at least 4 years and if possible the full 5 years through my degree. Anybodys MBP still going strong after 4/5 years of HARD usage?

On a side note, I'll will be purchasing AppleCare.

2) I'm disappointed iX wasn't implemented into the 13" MBP but I have read threads on this forum as to why it wasn't implemented. Can anybody speculate when the next refresh will be and whether or not iX will be added to the 13" lineup?

3) I want to purchase this laptop before October so if there's no refresh before then (looking highly unlikely seeing as they were already refreshed recently) then it'll have to be the 2.4 c2d. Can anyone speculate how much faster an i3 would be compared to a 2.4 c2d? I'll be mainly using it for word processing, listening to music, surfing the web and gaming. Yes, I said it, gaming I've made a list of 15 games I really want to play but haven't got round to yet and had a look at some videos on youtube and a few MBP 13" gaming threads here and it seems the little card will pull everything through on high-max. However, if an i3 is noticeably quicker for gaming and everyday tasks like those aforementioned, should I wait?

4) FINAL QUESTION. I'm quite used to a 15" screen. How hard is it to get used to a 13.3 coming from a 15"? I don't think the res would be too much of an issue - this old 15" screen has a max res of 1280 x 800 and I find it fine to use. How's the 13" screen for watching movies, general useage and the occasional game?

The Macbook Pro will easily last 4-5 years. People are still using their Black Macbooks from 4 years ago that are working perfectly fine and just the same as they got it. The i3 isn't that much faster than the Core 2 Duo, and in some instances it can be slower because some programs only use 1 core and the 1 core of the i3 is running slower than the 1 core of the Core 2 Duo (2.4ghz, 2.66ghz). To be honest, a lot of the power a computer has comes from the OS (operating system). You will notice that even though the Macbook Pro works on a Core 2 Duo, it is still very fast and snappy. On Windows, most of the speed you have is temporary and will not last long. Don't worry about the i3 because it isn't that much better (especially not for most of the things you're doing)

I got my 13'' Macbook Pro two days ago and switched from my 15 inch Dell laptop. No problems at all. The 13'' also has a resolution of 1280x800 so you won't miss a thing.

 

[El Zanto]

Jeez, you guys are fast! First time macrumours user courtesy of a quick google search. I'm already in love with this forum

My comments in red

Even though the 15" has a higher res you don't see much difference? Heh, that sounds sweet! Not too worried about the screen size now.

1. I believe that your Mac will last a good long time if you take care of it (eg. don't through it against a wall). I haven't owned my MacBook Pro for 5 years (only 1 day), but all of my previous Mac computers have all lasted a very long time!

2. I don't think they will update the MacBook Pro before you are ready. You can go to https://buyersguide.macrumors.com// to see when things were last updated and associated rumors. The MacBook Pro was last updated on April 13, 2010.

3. Eh, I guess the Core i3 will be better than the Core 2 Duo, but I don't think it will revolutionize your gaming experience.

4. The 13" MacBook Pro's resolution is the same as your old 15" (1280x800) so you will not loose any pixels in the transition. The only thing you need to get used is everything will look smaller.

Good to hear. One of the reasons my medion has lasted this long is because its been taken care of. Never dropped it, never spilled anything on it, never moved it while the HDD is spinning, always kept it dust free. I'll be showing the same level of care to the MBP so fingers crossed it'll last!

Ahh, the res problem sounds fine then. Don't think I need to worry about the res anymore. Eh, I'll get used to it I'm sure. This 15" screen I'm using has the same res as a 13" MBP so everything will look sharper (if not a bit smaller), right?

The Macbook Pro will easily last 4-5 years. People are still using their Black Macbooks from 4 years ago that are working perfectly fine and just the same as they got it. The i3 isn't that much faster than the Core 2 Duo, and in some instances it can be slower because some programs only use 1 core and the 1 core of the i3 is running slower than the 1 core of the Core 2 Duo (2.4ghz, 2.66ghz). To be honest, a lot of the power a computer has comes from the OS (operating system). You will notice that even though the Macbook Pro works on a Core 2 Duo, it is still very fast and snappy. On Windows, most of the speed you have is temporary and will not last long. Don't worry about the i3 because it isn't that much better (especially not for most of the things you're doing)

I got my 13'' Macbook Pro two days ago and switched from my 15 inch Dell laptop. No problems at all. The 13'' also has a resolution of 1280x800 so you won't miss a thing.

Again, as aforementioned, the reliability assurances are pushing me more and more towards the MBP. I never thought of the i3 being slower in some instances but the way you explained it made it seem so obvious and simple so thanks for that!

Thanks for all the fast and helpful replies guys.

I'm STILL slightly hesitant about this c2d though. What is the likelihood of multi-threaded apps coming out in the future? Surely, somewhere down the line app developers will start to develop their apps to make use of all 4 threads of an i3 compared to a c2d? Although, as wordoflife has said it won't make much of a difference with what I'm doing I still want to feel absolutely sure.

 

[macgeek18]

The 13" 2.4 MBP will be perfect for you.and yes,if taken care of it will last 4-5 years.I'm getting the 13" 2.4 MBP next month for my AS in CIS Networking,and I'm going to be running Windows 7 on it as well.So it should work perfectly for you.

 

[Mac7]

Once you go Mac, you never go back.

 

[I'mAMac]

It will easily last you 4-5 years. Just make sure to take care of it. Although if you are gaming I wouldn't count on the 320M getting everything from medium/high. More realistically you will have to go with low/medium settings.

 

[Corndog5595]

I'm STILL slightly hesitant about this c2d though. What is the likelihood of multi-threaded apps coming out in the future? Surely, somewhere down the line app developers will start to develop their apps to make use of all 4 threads of an i3 compared to a c2d? Although, as wordoflife has said it won't make much of a difference with what I'm doing I still want to feel absolutely sure.

There are already some apps that take advantage of more than one thread, but you really shouldn’t be too worried. I have a 2.53 C2D and I tested the i5 in the apple store. I used handbrake and encoding the same video with the same settings on both machines (mine and the apple store one, 2.4ghz). The apple store one finished in 2 minutes while mine too about 2:45.


It was not a signifignant difference, and the amount of times I actually need that extra power is not enough to make me feel like my machine is significantly slower.

 

[fredeil]

My comments in red

Will the 13" MPB be updated in september already? Maybe i'll have to cancel my order

 

[Narse77]

Jeez, you guys are fast! First time macrumours user courtesy of a quick google search. I'm already in love with this forum



Even though the 15" has a higher res you don't see much difference? Heh, that sounds sweet! Not too worried about the screen size now.



Good to hear. One of the reasons my medion has lasted this long is because its been taken care of. Never dropped it, never spilled anything on it, never moved it while the HDD is spinning, always kept it dust free. I'll be showing the same level of care to the MBP so fingers crossed it'll last!

Ahh, the res problem sounds fine then. Don't think I need to worry about the res anymore. Eh, I'll get used to it I'm sure. This 15" screen I'm using has the same res as a 13" MBP so everything will look sharper (if not a bit smaller), right?



Again, as aforementioned, the reliability assurances are pushing me more and more towards the MBP. I never thought of the i3 being slower in some instances but the way you explained it made it seem so obvious and simple so thanks for that!

Thanks for all the fast and helpful replies guys.

I'm STILL slightly hesitant about this c2d though. What is the likelihood of multi-threaded apps coming out in the future? Surely, somewhere down the line app developers will start to develop their apps to make use of all 4 threads of an i3 compared to a c2d? Although, as wordoflife has said it won't make much of a difference with what I'm doing I still want to feel absolutely sure.

You really are not missing much not having an i3. The i3 used in laptops is not that big a jump at all from the core2duo. At most 10% across the board I would wager.

 

[Blues003]

This is great! A thread created by an user which is in a similar situation to mine! I to have a 15'' Sony Vaio laptop which so far has been great. Over 2 years and 7 months of Vista and Windows 7 only now has it been giving trouble (its graphic's card is kind of failing, and sometimes it shocks me as well). I have loved my laptop incredibly, but after searching about the Apple world, I got more and more in love with what I've seen.

Please note that my experience with Mac OS and Macbook (Pros) in general is very limited. I've only messed with them around 8 or 9 times, just to try it out. So most of the content of my post is goin to be based off the research I've taken my time to do! Here's what I've concluded:



1. Macbook Pros are famous for its reliability and endurance. People today use Macbook Pros and continue to be great laptops, even when they are 3 or 4 years old. Not only that, but by subscribing to Apple Care (you have a whole year to do that I believe, someone please correct me on this if I'm wrong), you get an incredible kind of customer support. In fact, that's one of the reasons I'm thinking of changing! I've had no problems at all with Sony Vaio during warranty, but after the year's gone, I know it only gets tougher.


2 and 3. i3 actually is SLOWER than Intel Core 2 Duo in some situations! As the other user said, Core 2 Duo has a core which individually runs faster than the i3. But even when the program doesn't use a single core, i3 really isn't a major upgrade from Core 2 Duo. Apple has allegedly not used the i3 because it doesn't have space on the Macbook Pro 13'' to do so. They could either use iX with a bad integrated graphic's card, or choose to use C2D + NVIDEA 320m instead. They opted for the second because according to them, it'd provide better performance (this raises a question though: how did Sony manage to fit both an iX processor and a dedicated graphic's card on a Sony Vaio Z 13'' case? Can someone please clarify me on this?).

Most people believe the next refresh will be around January or February. Kind of late for what you need. Regarding upgrades, there is very little information going on. Some believe Apple will keep the C2D processor going, as it's cheaper than the iX. However, Intel's C2D are getting discontinued before January (in particular the ones Apple's MBP 13'' is using currently), so some people say we'll see the adoption of other, more powerful C2Ds... which will also be discontinued later on (beginning of 2011). Others are hoping for Intel's Sandybridge, a CPU+GPU card by Intel that not only has iX, but also an allegedly good integrated graphic's card (Intel isn't famous for its graphic's cards quality), thus solving the space issue. Some days ago, Intel said their Sandybridge production was actually ahead of the schedule, so it is reasonable to speculate that Apple will put it on the MBPs 13'' in January.

Wheather you wait or not, that's up to you. I am waiting, because I'm one of the hopeful dudes who believes Core 2 Duo will not be on the next 13'' MBP. Don't get me wrong, C2D is a great processor. But I believe that you'd be a lot more "future-proofed" if you had another kind of processor. Another reason I'm waiting is: I don't have all the money yet.


4. Finally, I have that problem with the screen sizes too. I'm kind of fearing for my adaptation to a 13'' screen. Of course I could always use an external display (sumed up, it'd still be cheaper than a 15'' MBP), but I'd rather keep the laptop as a laptop... so, could more people please provide feedback on this matter?



Great topic!

 

[vant]

(this raises a question though: how did Sony manage to fit both an iX processor and a dedicated graphic's card on a Sony Vaio Z 13'' case? Can someone please clarify me on this?).

Because it is not .95in thick? The Z case has a lot more volume than the MBP13 case.

The i3 is very similar in performance to the C2D 2.4-2.66. Like others have said, the C2D is faster in some cases.

The current Core i3 will not be in the MBP13 on the next refresh. Why? The IGP is still slower than the 320M, and will be slower for some time. The MBP doesn't have the heatsink room to dissipate the heat from a dedicated GPU. Unless design changes occur (thicker), we are stuck with either the 320M or the IGP.

Apple is in a pinch as they are limited in options. The most likely event will be a rebranding of the C2Ds (Intel is eliminating the C2D brand) to iX processors and we'll be stuck with the 320M (world's fastest IGP).

 

[Blues003]

Apple is in a pinch as they are limited in options. The most likely event will be a rebranding of the C2Ds (Intel is eliminating the C2D brand) to iX processors and we'll be stuck with the 320M (world's fastest IGP).

What do you mean by "rebranding of the C2Ds" ? Keeping them but just marketing them as a different name?

 

[vant]

What do you mean by "rebranding of the C2Ds" ? Keeping them but just marketing them as a different name?

http://www.techpowerup.com/97604/De...ment_Emerge_Gulftown_to_be_Named_Core_i9.html

 

[aeboi]

remember that the i3s wouldn't have turbo boost which makes it less "awesome"

 

[vant]

We have Intel to blame for this...

http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/02/18/nvidia.intel.license.fight/

Read the bottom.

 

[koruki]

My last Macbook pro lasted the two years of ownership without skipping a beat. It was sold cause I couldn't stop myself from getting an i5 Unibody. I'm sure its still going strong, I never had to contact Applecare even once during the two years. I think you're more likely to replace it due to WANTS more than NEEDS before the 4 years is up.

P.S Just don't punch the screen in rage like some other member I saw here do and it should be fine.

 

[mattkidd]

Hello i have recently been in a similar situation keeping it simple i recommend you make the change, i am a heavy Windows user (until now) and i have specialised entirely in Windows (Until now) i have always compared the Apple Mac and Windows PC as cars. The Aston Martin being the Mac and the Ford being the PC. Now i think that in a way justifies the reason for purchasing a mac. Performance,Refined,Beauty. Its great, and its a great thing to invest into, for example im hoping to build myself into the Information Technology industry rather than saying i know how to use Windows but not Mac i can easily say i can do both. Something which is great in employment especially in my area. So putting it simply without going into every detail as many others above have already discussed i would recommend you make the move

 

[brianfast]

Don't expect to play games on high-max in OS X. Source engine is really struggling on my 2010 13 inch MBP... I doubt it will be able to play left 4 dead 2.

 

[Corndog5595]

Don't expect to play games on high-max in OS X. Source engine is really struggling on my 2010 13 inch MBP... I doubt it will be able to play left 4 dead 2.

the problem here is that nvidea kinda just abandoned updating the drivers for the graphics cards when in mac OS X. There was never really a need to. I believe they are working on it now.
I get almost twice the FPS in windows than in OS X when playing CSS.

 

[ag227]

If battery life is important i suggest buying now as currently all of the standard voltage core i processors draw alot more power than the core 2 duo p series processors. (alteast 10 watts more TDP)

Along with needed a discrete GPU to get a acceptable level of graphics performance is why I think Apple has yet to adopt them.

I cant see them saying on there new most portable 'PRO' laptop "Now featuring alot less battery life for a little more core i performance"

 

[El Zanto]

The 13" 2.4 MBP will be perfect for you.and yes,if taken care of it will last 4-5 years.I'm getting the 13" 2.4 MBP next month for my AS in CIS Networking,and I'm going to be running Windows 7 on it as well.So it should work perfectly for you.

I'll be running windows 7 on it for the games I want to play. Should run great

Once you go Mac, you never go back.

It will easily last you 4-5 years. Just make sure to take care of it. Although if you are gaming I wouldn't count on the 320M getting everything from medium/high. More realistically you will have to go with low/medium settings.

Yep, I'm fully prepared knowing it won't take things like crysis at high. I want to play things like oblivion and mass effect 2 and after having viewed some videos on youtube it seems the little 320m can take both games at max at native res. Had a look at a few other less demanding games and everything I want it to run (mainly the 2 games mentioned before and a few RTS) seem to run great on it judging by people's videos. I only really want to game on it occasionally at university. I've got my xbox360 and a gaming quality PC (family PC) for home use/heavy gaming.

There are already some apps that take advantage of more than one thread, but you really shouldn’t be too worried. I have a 2.53 C2D and I tested the i5 in the apple store. I used handbrake and encoding the same video with the same settings on both machines (mine and the apple store one, 2.4ghz). The apple store one finished in 2 minutes while mine too about 2:45.


It was not a signifignant difference, and the amount of times I actually need that extra power is not enough to make me feel like my machine is significantly slower.

You really are not missing much not having an i3. The i3 used in laptops is not that big a jump at all from the core2duo. At most 10% across the board I would wager.

That's EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thank you both very much for that. Makes me feel alot better about going for a c2d.

Most people believe the next refresh will be around January or February. Kind of late for what you need. Regarding upgrades, there is very little information going on. Some believe Apple will keep the C2D processor going, as it's cheaper than the iX. However, Intel's C2D are getting discontinued before January (in particular the ones Apple's MBP 13'' is using currently), so some people say we'll see the adoption of other, more powerful C2Ds... which will also be discontinued later on (beginning of 2011). Others are hoping for Intel's Sandybridge, a CPU+GPU card by Intel that not only has iX, but also an allegedly good integrated graphic's card (Intel isn't famous for its graphic's cards quality), thus solving the space issue. Some days ago, Intel said their Sandybridge production was actually ahead of the schedule, so it is reasonable to speculate that Apple will put it on the MBPs 13'' in January.

Wheather you wait or not, that's up to you. I am waiting, because I'm one of the hopeful dudes who believes Core 2 Duo will not be on the next 13'' MBP. Don't get me wrong, C2D is a great processor. But I believe that you'd be a lot more "future-proofed" if you had another kind of processor. Another reason I'm waiting is: I don't have all the money yet.

Interesting, especially the new sandybridge CPUs. However, I speculate apple will stick to a rebranded c2d in its base 13" (which is the one I'm considering due to budget constraints) and have the sandybridge in its top end 13"/base-high end 15"/17". January is waaay too far ahead for me but I hope the wait pays off for you.

P.S Just don't punch the screen in rage like some other member I saw here do and it should be fine.

Someone actually would do that to a beautiful MBP?!

Hello i have recently been in a similar situation keeping it simple i recommend you make the change, i am a heavy Windows user (until now) and i have specialised entirely in Windows (Until now) i have always compared the Apple Mac and Windows PC as cars. The Aston Martin being the Mac and the Ford being the PC. Now i think that in a way justifies the reason for purchasing a mac. Performance,Refined,Beauty. Its great, and its a great thing to invest into, for example im hoping to build myself into the Information Technology industry rather than saying i know how to use Windows but not Mac i can easily say i can do both. Something which is great in employment especially in my area. So putting it simply without going into every detail as many others above have already discussed i would recommend you make the move

I'm a HUGE car enthusiast so I love how you used a car metaphor. Give me an Aston Martin v8 vantage over a ford any day

Guys, thank you all very much for the helpful replies. I've been 100% convinced that I should go for the base 13" MBP. This video has also been a big help:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioY380Fm7j4&feature=related

Definately getting an SSD when the prices come down. That's unbelieveable performance for a c2d. Every thought I had before of it being slow by today's standards has GONE. 2.4 c2d + 6-8gb RAM + SSD anyone?

 

[El Zanto]

Sorry for double posting guys.

If battery life is important i suggest buying now as currently all of the standard voltage core i processors draw alot more power than the core 2 duo p series processors. (alteast 10 watts more TDP)

Along with needed a discrete GPU to get a acceptable level of graphics performance is why I think Apple has yet to adopt them.

I cant see them saying on there new most portable 'PRO' laptop "Now featuring alot less battery life for a little more core i performance"

I've had a chat with a current students on another forum who are at the same Uni I'm going to on the same course. Everyone seems to recommend a portable machine with good battery life so I think you've just given me a very good piece of advice there.

Don't expect to play games on high-max in OS X. Source engine is really struggling on my 2010 13 inch MBP... I doubt it will be able to play left 4 dead 2.

Will be running games on the windows side

 

[Pavia]

If you don't need a portable computer, don't get a MacBook Pro. Unless you go with an M-stand and keyboard + mouse on the side