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Very apprehensive to make this purchase...

B

britneyfan

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 18, 2010
443
0
I'm young, and I've been saving my money.
I am going to use my Christmas money to get the MBP the day after.
I'm really exited, but I want to know what I will be gaining from this purchase.
I really want a mac, and I've wanted one all along. Last year I got an HP DV6 15'' with great specs and I paid $800-something for it when it was all said and done. Don't get my wrong, it's a really good computer, just after purchasing my iPhone 4 over the summer I want something different that has a good build quality.
MacBook Pro LOOKS really nice. I can only afford the 13" STANDARD though.

Is it still nice?
Is it fast? (I mostly browse, itunes, skype and do photoshop.)
Will I like it?
Is the screen too small, after coming from a 15"?
Will it last me?
Will I get the same protection from the one year warranty as I would from applecare? and later, can I buy the apple care from the apple store even if I don't buy the computer from there?

I also see a deal online from a website that's an authorized retailer selling it for $999. You order it online, but you pick it up from the store. Thing is, the store isn't in my area. Could I print out the webpage and show them? They have to match the price.

OVERALL, Is it worth it?

OH and is there a choice between antiglare and glossy with the 13"?
If so, which one is better?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1065537/
This should help you feel a bit better. There are few other computers with so many repeat and satisfied customers.

I spent virtually the last $1,400 of 'free money' I had at the time on it and for a while had to live frugally. Was it worth it? Damn straight; while I was eating a lot of PBJ's, I could at least say that I was computing with style and capability.
 
No their is no screen option on the 13", but in answer to everything else, yes it's worth it and yes it will do 99.9% of the tasks you throw at it.
 
I'm assuming you are talking about microcenter. Some people have had luck getting bestbuy to match the deal and others have not. I guess it all depends on which bestbuy you go to and who you speak to. It's worth a shot just ask nicely.
 
bigjnyc said:
I'm assuming you are talking about microcenter. Some people have had luck getting bestbuy to match the deal and others have not. I guess it all depends on which bestbuy you go to and who you speak to. It's worth a shot just ask nicely.
Click to expand...

oh, bestbuy, alright, thanks :)
 
Oh and is it definite that I will be able to update it when Lion OS comes out?
 
Simple answer: absolutely yes.

Look on YouTube for some video reviews/graphic performance tests, etc on the 13". It rocks everything thrown at it.
 
britneyfan said:
I'm young, and I've been saving my money.
I am going to use my Christmas money to get the MBP the day after.
I'm really exited, but I want to know what I will be gaining from this purchase.
I really want a mac, and I've wanted one all along. Last year I got an HP DV6 15'' with great specs and I paid $800-something for it when it was all said and done. Don't get my wrong, it's a really good computer, just after purchasing my iPhone 4 over the summer I want something different that has a good build quality.
MacBook Pro LOOKS really nice. I can only afford the 13" STANDARD though.

Is it still nice?
Is it fast? (I mostly browse, itunes, skype and do photoshop.)
Will I like it?
Is the screen too small, after coming from a 15"?
Will it last me?
Will I get the same protection from the one year warranty as I would from applecare? and later, can I buy the apple care from the apple store even if I don't buy the computer from there?

I also see a deal online from a website that's an authorized retailer selling it for $999. You order it online, but you pick it up from the store. Thing is, the store isn't in my area. Could I print out the webpage and show them? They have to match the price.

OVERALL, Is it worth it?

OH and is there a choice between antiglare and glossy with the 13"?
If so, which one is better?
Click to expand...

If you just bought a laptop within the last year, I don't recommend buying the 13" yet. I'd wait til the update if you can, then you should be able to pick up the new one for the same price.

And if you don't need the expandability, backlit keyboard, or optical drive, I'd go with the 13" MBA. They're a nice machine for a light user that doesn't need those things. The extra screen resolution is nice but the screen doesn't quite look as nice to me. Colors looked muted from what I saw at the Apple store.
 
Wattser93 said:
If you just bought a laptop within the last year, I don't recommend buying the 13" yet. I'd wait til the update if you can, then you should be able to pick up the new one for the same price.

And if you don't need the expandability, backlit keyboard, or optical drive, I'd go with the 13" MBA. They're a nice machine for a light user that doesn't need those things. The extra screen resolution is nice but the screen doesn't quite look as nice to me. Colors looked muted from what I saw at the Apple store.
Click to expand...

I need a built in OD though.
 
britneyfan said:
I need a built in OD though.
Click to expand...

Then you can either wait for the update or buy the current one from Microcenter for $1K.

I wouldn't pay Apple's price of $1.2K for the current model when the update is going to be soon.

You can wait and buy AppleCare later as long as it's within a year of the date of purchase, so you don't have to buy that now. And Amazon is cheaper for that than Apple is.
 
If your just going to be surfing, photoshopping, emailing and using Skype? Do you really need the MacBook Pro?
 
Wattser93 said:
Then you can either wait for the update or buy the current one from Microcenter for $1K.

I wouldn't pay Apple's price of $1.2K for the current model when the update is going to be soon.

You can wait and buy AppleCare later as long as it's within a year of the date of purchase, so you don't have to buy that now. And Amazon is cheaper for that than Apple is.
Click to expand...

I don't have microcenter near me :(
April is a long ways away, though.
 
Benjy91 said:
If your just going to be surfing, photoshopping, emailing and using Skype? Do you really need the MacBook Pro?
Click to expand...
Are the webcams the same in ever one of the mac devices?
The MacBook just looks cheap to me though.
 
We have no idea what the next revision will bring, or when it will be. I wouldn't let that sway your decision much, as we haven't seen any 'solid' leaks that would suggest a launch within a month or two.

If you feel like you need a high-end computer, then get the MBP. If your money is tight, though, the MacBook is hard to beat.

Also, for the price of the MacBook ($999), you can get a much higher spec'd HP Envy... I'm just saying. Of course, it seems like OSX is something you want.
 
JKK photography said:
We have no idea what the next revision will bring, or when it will be. I wouldn't let that sway your decision much, as we haven't seen any 'solid' leaks that would suggest a launch within a month or two.

If you feel like you need a high-end computer, then get the MBP. If your money is tight, though, the MacBook is hard to beat.

Also, for the price of the MacBook ($999), you can get a much higher spec'd HP Envy... I'm just saying. Of course, it seems like OSX is something you want.
Click to expand...

I have a high spec HP right now... I don't like Windows OS too much
LOL.

IDK, the pro seems like a sturdier computer.
 
britneyfan said:
I have a high spec HP right now... I don't like Windows OS too much
LOL.

IDK, the pro seems like a sturdier computer.
Click to expand...

Then you are where I was. I wanted OS X, but I knew that other computers had better specs. I decided to go Mac, and it's great. Honestly, i recommend it to anyone.
 
I would wait until Apple updates their MBP lineup.

It'll only be a few months, and if you're planning on keeping the machine for a while, it will be worth it.

I always purchase my Apple computers after an update, and it gives me much peace of mind.
 
Capt Underpants said:
I would wait until Apple updates their MBP lineup.

It'll only be a few months, and if you're planning on keeping the machine for a while, it will be worth it.

I always purchase my Apple computers after an update, and it gives me much peace of mind.
Click to expand...

what kinds of updates are we seeing with this?
I really need an optical drive.
would it be a complete redesign of the computer itself like they did in 08?
or would it be a slight bump in the processor and ram?
 
britneyfan said:
so it'll last four years and is worth the $?
Click to expand...

I purchased a 13" 2.66 mbp for school. It's my 2nd mbp and my, like, 20th apple product over the years.

I didn't even consider the non-pro 13", at all. I've noticed the case degrades more readily over time - typically through staining. Whereas my aluminum unibody doesn't stain in the least. Also, you can simply tell by the construction the case is solid. Unless I drop it, it's going to look the same four years from now as it will today. I particularly like the solidity of the case, and the simpleness of it.

Purchased a OWC SSD drive for main drive bay, swapped out the optical for the stock 320gb HDD...and it flies. I have no doubt in my mind my MBP will be as fast four years from now as it is today.

The MBPs are well-built, solid machines. To me (a former professional graphic designer) the LCD is excellent - once calibrated for your environment. When I'm at home, I plug in a 27" LCD - no problems there, either. It all just works.

you have 1 year from the date of purchase to decide if you also want Applecare. Odds are, though, that if your lap top makes it 1 year, it will go 5 or more years....hard drive excepting, of course. Then again, at my last job we had mission critical macs that were nearly 10 years old w/original hard drives and all...so, who knows.

if you want it, it's in your budget it...get it...and enjoy :)

(ps: I more or less surf, use photoshop, write papers, listen to music, etc. w/my MBP)


edit: to answer a couple of your other questions - I had one of the "new" first-gen 2006 MBPs with the notorious whine. I had no trouble getting Apple to replace my motherboard for one which didn't whine and overheat without Applecare. Apple really takes care of people, at least in my experience.

also, it's likely that any future updates to the MBP line won't be anything that you would particularly need. The advantage for you would be, if you wait for the updates...you could get the pervious gen for less money...maybe what? $150-$200 less? Possibly more.
 
britneyfan said:
so it'll last four years and is worth the $?
Click to expand...

Yes. There are people on here who still have their '07 Macbook Pros.

Technology will slowly pass it, of course, but it will be as fast as it was the day you bought it.

The best upgrade you can do? Get a good SSD (MRoogle can help you there, as well as just looking around a bit on the forum). it'll make everything nearly instantaneous.
 
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