Uncertain when to buy Macbook 13"

[sweetjumbo]

My daughter has been saving to purchase a new Macbook 13" (the white one) she has used Dells until now - we have little experience of Mac.
She was going to buy this notebook this Friday but now thinks she should wait until they upgrade the operating system from Snow Leopard to Lion. She believes this will take place at some point in the near future. She is also considering purchasing the entry level Macbook Pro as she is also thinking the Macbook 13" could be dropped.
She has no concrete basis for her thoughts but the outcome is she is holding back her investment. She is 14 and has saved for 2 years - you have to believe me when i tell you she is in turmoil right now! - what she refuses to do is buy something thats out of date in 3 months.

It seems strange that Apple would create this confusion with a potential new customer

So my questions are
1. Is it expected that Apple will upgrade the Macbook 13" from Snow Leopaed to Lion? - if yes is there a ball park time period.
2. Are there any thoughts on the longevitiy of thw Macbook 13"
3. Do apple allow you to upgrade Snow Leopard to Lion free of charge - if yes is it subject to notebook purchase date conditions?

Thank you for taking a look at my questions.

Dave

 

[alust2013]

I would wait for a bit. The current model is due for an update soon, probably within a month. I would wait until there is an update or it is dropped to make a decision there. Also, if you are in the US and live near a Micro Center, they may continue their deal where they sell the base 13" MacBook Pro for $999, which is a great deal. I'm not sure if you would see a free upgrade to Lion if you bought before it came out, and it's not scheduled to until sometime this summer. There may be a date where you can get an upgrade for $5 or something like that, which they did for Snow Leopard when it came out. As painful as waiting is, it's probably the best idea for now. Good for her though, I like hearing about kids saving up their money for something, it makes it that much more rewarding to finally get.

 

[turtle777]

I'd second that, wait if you can.

I'm waiting myself for a MacBook refresh for my mom.
It's almost 100% certain that there will be a new MB since Apple didn't discontinue the MB with the latest introduction of the MBP.

The new MB should come out pretty soon.

https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//#MacBook

-t

 

[pboy2k5]

1. Is it expected that Apple will upgrade the Macbook 13" from Snow Leopaed to Lion? - if yes is there a ball park time period.

There is a good chance that the updated MacBook (assuming that Apple might release it within April-June timeframe) will still run Snow Leopard. What you could do is to wait for the official announcement of Lion and then you can visit the Apple retail store near your town (I hope you are in the US or other countries that have one) and consult the sales person there to get the eligibility for the shipping fee upgrade. To give you an example I will provide the following scenario as an illustration: Suppose Apple releases the MacBook on May 1, your daughter might be ready to spend her savings on the new computer. But, on June 2, Apple makes an official announcement that Lion will be available for sale on July 3. Here's the catch with the shipping fee upgrade program: If your daughter purchases the MacBook between May 1 and June 2, she might not be eligible for the upgrade (again consult your nearest Apple retail store for the actual terms and conditions). But, if she buys it between June 2 and July 3, Apple definitely permits the shipping fee program on that MacBook. My best prediction for the summer release of Lion is within July or August. If your daughter wants to get her money worth the purchase, wait until the Lion official announcement. The last time I took advantage of 10.5 to 10.6 upgrade program, I paid only an equivalent of $10 in my local currency.

2. Are there any thoughts on the longevitiy of thw Macbook 13"

If we take Apple's claim that a typical MacBook battery could last 1000 recharge cycle (3 years) we could predict that a MacBook used under normal condition could last somewhere between 3 to 5 years.

3. Do apple allow you to upgrade Snow Leopard to Lion free of charge - if yes is it subject to notebook purchase date conditions?

Aha, consult my sample scenario above. You technically pay the shipping fee only.