Total mac noob. Plz rate my purchase

[lgfaver]

Ok so i own a Sony Vaio(4GB i3/2.4ghz/500gb/bluray dr) but i am selling it, the computer is only a couple of months old and obviously a couple hundred dollars cheaper than a MBP.
So i decided to make the switch from PC to mac. My kid brother had done just that when bought a 13inch MBP for Christmas and i decided it was time i did the same.

I just bought an Apple certified refurbished 15inch Macbook Pro 320GB 2.4ghz for $1269 .
It'll deliver on June 14th according to the confirmation email i just got from Apple.
So, did i do good or was it not as great a deal as it felt it was?
To be honest i was holding out for the Back2School promo and planning on getting the 13 inch model but my vaio is 14 inches and i don't like the idea of having a smaller screen. That would've certainly been a downgrade in my eyes.
Sure, i don't get the 200 dollars i could've gotten from selling the iPod touch and i am spending a couple of hundred dollars more but i think it's worth it. I did do a bit of research and checked out eBay and other online stores(macmall, macconnections) but i didn't find anything close to this price.

 

[qacjared]

Ok so i own a Sony Vaio(4GB i3/2.4ghz/500gb) but i am selling it, the computer is only a couple of months old and obviously a couple hundred dollars cheaper than a MBP.
So i decided to make the switch from PC to mac. My kid brother had done just that when bought a 13inch MBP for Christmas and i decided it was time i did the same.

I just bought an Apple certified refurbished 15inch Macbook Pro 320GB 2.4ghz for $1269 .
It'll deliver on June 14th according to the confirmation email i just got from Apple.
So, did i do good or was it not as great a deal as it felt it was?
To be honest i was holding out for the Back2School promo and planning on getting the 13 inch model but my vaio is 14 inches and i don't like the idea of having a smaller screen. That would've certainly been a downgrade in my eyes.
Sure, i don't get the 200 dollars i could've gotten from selling the iPod touch and i am spending a couple of hundred dollars more but i think it's worth it. I did do a bit of research and checked out eBay and other online stores(macmall, macconnections) but i didn't find anything close to this price.

It's basically a new computer for 29% off. I say you did great.

 

[lgfaver]

i was praying for no tax but unfortunately it was added right at the end
Still, now i need to cope with everything that comes with learning a new OS. I mean, i've played around with a mac computer before, but only for a few minutes. and like i said, my kid brother got one last year and i've seen him use it. Apparently he didn't really have much of a problem adapting to OSx . Then again, the computer labs at his high school were full of iMacs so maybe that helped him.

 

[palpatine]

i was praying for no tax but unfortunately it was added right at the end
Still, now i need to cope with everything that comes with learning a new OS. I mean, i've played around with a mac computer before, but only for a few minutes. and like i said, my kid brother got one last year and i've seen him use it. Apparently he didn't really have much of a problem adapting to OSx . Then again, the computer labs at his high school were full of iMacs so maybe that helped him.

Seems fine to me. I hope you'll enjoy OSX. It can be difficult to transition from Windows sometimes, but if you have any questions, people on the forums (see list of other forums in MacRumors) can get you on track.

To help you get started, here are some shortcut keys
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1343

Also, you may want to set up an appointment at the Apple store. Spending a few minutes running through basic usage there could save you hours of frustration later.

 

[lgfaver]

thanks! I am more excited than worried but yeah... hopefully i pick it up rather quickly.

 

[djosiris]

I would not worry about the transition from pc to mac. Adjusting to the operating system is very easy. Macs are more intuitive.

If you were a Mac guy the whole time converting to PC then I'd expect a rocky transition.

 

[obama3344]

Ok so i own a Sony Vaio(4GB i3/2.4ghz/500gb) but i am selling it, the computer is only a couple of months old and obviously a couple hundred dollars cheaper than a MBP.
So i decided to make the switch from PC to mac. My kid brother had done just that when bought a 13inch MBP for Christmas and i decided it was time i did the same.

I have been using PC for a long time almost 20 years and in the last 3 years switch to MacBookPro. After 3 years of MacBookPro, I don't know why I did not switch earlier and stick with the stinky windows.

 

[lgfaver]

right, well ... im 24 and i've been using computers(PCs) since i was 6 or 7...
all i know is Windows, but like i said before, i have played around with a mac in the past.
The only thing i am a bit bummed about is the fact that i wont be able to use my favorite video editing software(Power Director), which i got for free. I could never stand the disaster that is Movie Maker, perhaps iMovie wont be too much of a downgrade.

 

[CaoCao]

It's basically a new computer for 29% off. I say you did great.

Except that MBP 15" is significantly worse than the current ones processor wise

I started using PCs when I was four so that would have been 1996, I made the switch in October 2009 with no regrets

 

[DudeMartin]

right, well ... im 24 and i've been using computers(PCs) since i was 6 or 7...
all i know is Windows, but like i said before, i have played around with a mac in the past.
The only thing i am a bit bummed about is the fact that i wont be able to use my favorite video editing software(Power Director), which i got for free. I could never stand the disaster that is Movie Maker, perhaps iMovie wont be too much of a downgrade.

Parallels 6 or VMware Fusion are your friends.

 

[lgfaver]

Except that MBP 15" is significantly worse than the current ones processor wise

I started using PCs when I was four so that would have been 1996, I made the switch in October 2009 with no regrets

ok, well let me tell you the exact specs so you can tell me if got the newer model or the older one.

this is the one i got: http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC371LL/A?mco=MjEwNTY4ODY

it says Core i5, if that makes any difference....
However i see it also says 2.4GHz.
the ones on the store say only 2.0 and 2.2 but are Core i7 . What's the freakin' difference? and is it "significant" like you implied?

@DudeMartin: Are you saying iMovie isn't any good? i know a lot of mac users prefer Final Cut but why is that? Does iMovie suck or something?

 

[CaoCao]

ok, well let me tell you the exact specs so you can tell me if got the newer model or the older one.

this is the one i got: http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC371LL/A?mco=MjEwNTY4ODY

it says Core i5, if that makes any difference....
However i see it also says 2.4GHz.
the ones on the store say only 2.0 and 2.2 but are Core i7 . What's the freakin' difference? and is it "significant" like you implied?

@DudeMartin: Are you saying iMovie isn't any good? i know a lot of mac users prefer Final Cut but why is that? Does iMovie suck or something?

The new ones in the store have four cores while yours has two, also the new chips can run a lot faster when needed

 

[kppolich]

you did real good. now sit back and enjoy.

 

[lgfaver]

The new ones in the store have four cores while yours has two, also the new chips can run a lot faster when needed

ugh... you're right. lol well to be honest the vaio i own is only a dual core and it works just fine.
I don't do much on the computer other than heavy internet browsing/iTunes and some word processing for school. Oh, and the occasional video project.
I don't know... maybe that's just what everyone else uses their computers for too lol

i took a hard look at the iMacs(quad cores) but i wanted something portable and it was never between this refurbished 15inch and the "new" 15inch ones. It was either this or a brand new 13inch. I decided i wanted the bigger screen.

 

[Michael383]

I'd rate your purchase a positive. Go ahead and enjoy your MBP.

 

[marc11]

Just remember, that Mac you just got was just fine for so many people that upgraded to have the latest not a few months ago. It will do more than fine for your needs and beyond. I find it funny how some people say the newest one is a must have and the previous gen is suddenly crap.

Sure, if you are going massive video and photo editing the newest gen is a leap forward, but you know what? People were doing massive video and photo editing with that i5 machine you just purchased and LOVED it over the c2d and you know what? People were doing massive video and photo editing on the c2d and LOVED it over the....you get the point.

Oh and the other 98% of the people who talk down on the previous i5/i7 procs and video cards use the machine to surf most of the time anyway!

Your machine is fine, you got a great deal, enjoy the hell out of it.

 

[lgfaver]

thanks, that is quite reassuring, although it's not like i was about to cancel my order. I mean, i already paid for it and i think i made a good decision.
Sure, i could've waited for the B2S promo and gotten a brand 13 inch MBP with for less than 900 bucks(after selling that free iPod Touch) and perhaps would've been able to use the extra cash on a PS3 or a new flat screen but whatever.
The one thing my new Macbook doesn't have -that this vaio does have-- is the bluray drive. No i never used it but I knew i could if i needed to.