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what to buy WITH a 13 in mbp

E

eldaniel7

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 20, 2012
20
0
Hello,

My question is not what mbp (or mba) to buy but what to buy WITH the macbook pro. I'm getting the most basic 13in macbook pro as a base and want to know what else should I buy right away

*Macbook Pro
*Mini display to VGA (for proyectors)
*Mini display to HDMI (for everything else)
*Magic mouse
*Apple remote (How much is it used? Is it still the crappy IR remote from the old white macbooks?)
*Neoprene sleeve

*...what else??

is the incase neoprene sleeve from the official store worth the 40 bucks?? Is there any benefit from buying in the official www.apple.com/store rather than, let's say, macmall.com (I would get the magic mouse for free in the last one)?
 
Last edited:
iforbes said:
One vote for AppleCares :)
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Wouldn't it make sense to buy AppleCare right before your 1 year warranty is over? I mean, that way you get 4 year coverage instead of just 3 year coverage.

In any event, I think it would be rather foolish of you to go out and buy accessories that you're not even sure you need.

Something like the Neoprene Sleeve is okay as it protects your investment, but how about you gauge your usage of your machine and then buy accessories as dictated by your needs?
 
Adamantoise said:
Wouldn't it make sense to buy AppleCare right before your 1 year warranty is over? I mean, that way you get 4 year coverage instead of just 3 year coverage.

In any event, I think it would be rather foolish of you to go out and buy accessories that you're not even sure you need.

Something like the Neoprene Sleeve is okay as it protects your investment, but how about you gauge your usage of your machine and then buy accessories as dictated by your needs?
Click to expand...

With AppleCare, it's not an additional 3 years. It extended your original warranty for an additional 2 years, totaling 3 years.


No matter when you buy AppleCare, it's 1 year warranty + 2 years additional protection AFTER one year warranty is up.
 
dlimes13 said:
With AppleCare, it's not an additional 3 years. It extended your original warranty for an additional 2 years, totaling 3 years.


No matter when you buy AppleCare, it's 1 year warranty + 2 years additional protection AFTER one year warranty is up.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clearing that up, I always wondered why people bought it immediately.
 
I like Speck cases, got one on the wife’s MBP13 and on my MBP15. Pretty much removes any concern about it getting scratched up, plus I like the tactile feel.

Personally, when I use the built-in KB/display, I use the trackpad as well, so I’d pass on the MM (that being said, it’s great for a “desktop” configuration, i.e., outboard display and KB).


Adamantoise said:
Thanks for clearing that up, I always wondered why people bought it immediately.
Click to expand...

Also, there’s phone support after 90 days for the first year with AC, so it even improves the service/support during the first year.

mac-graph-20100201.jpg
 
Adamantoise said:
Thanks for clearing that up, I always wondered why people bought it immediately.
Click to expand...
Actually, nothing was cleared up.

People buy Applecare right away because it gives you continuous phone support. Otherwise, if you don't think you'll need it then by all means wait to buy Applecare 364 days after your mac purchase.

I spilled coffee on a MBP 4 months after buying it. Although it's fine, I'm sure the liquid sensors were tripped thereby voiding any additional 2 year extension AppleCare would have provided. Had I gotten Applecare right away I'd have had to go through the hassle of getting my AC money back. (And most people don't even try).

OP: I don't see a RAM upgrade on your list. It's a no-brainer at current prices.
 
Applecare (cheaper from places like B&H), Speck case, 8gb of Crucial RAM and a SSD of your choice... That's what I did.
 
iisforiphone said:
I never purchased anything with my MBP i got accessories and adapters as i needed them
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That's the best thing to do, but I'm from Chile (south-america) and a friend of mine is bringing it to me from the states. I still can buy everything here, but way more expensive (19% Tax for starters)
 
I have apple care, a Magic Mouse, A magic trackpad, an apple remote, a ram upgrade, and an MiniDisplayPort to DVI adaptor. This way most projectors use it, and i can use an hdmi cable as well.
 
I buy the video out adapters from monoprice.com. The Apple Remote is now metal instead of plastic, but do you really need it for a laptop computer?? If you've never used a Magic Mouse, try it out before you buy. I use an Incase Nylon Sleeve Plus which has room for power cord, mouse, and adapters. The Incase Sleeve does a great job of keeping the computer pristine.

Unless you value convenience over money, don't buy any accessories from Apple, because they charge full list price.
 
iisforiphone said:
He means to buy the RAM from a 3rd party how much is 8GB of RAM from online retailers that ship to Chille?

in Canada and US you can get 8GB of RAM with shipping for $40
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4 gb for 60 bucks, either in one slot or two. So 8gb would cost 120bucks. For only 40 it would be insane not to get it. What 3rd party store do you recommend me? What do you think about macmall?
 
I bought Square Trade instead of AppleCare. $180 for additional two years, and it covers accidental damage as well.
 
Adamantoise said:
Thanks for clearing that up, I always wondered why people bought it immediately.
Click to expand...

Another reason is that phone support dies after 90 days under regular warranty, but is for the entire term of an applecare contract.
 
eldaniel7 said:
The extra memory is 200 bucks. Is it really necesary? How much, in a scale of 1 to 10 do you think it helps?
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Yupe, 3rd party. Crucial.com is the way to go. It cost me $50 for 8GB of RAM. You can never have enough RAM, RAM is pretty cheap these days. Just have your friend get everything and then ship it to you.
 
eldaniel7 said:
4 gb for 60 bucks, either in one slot or two. So 8gb would cost 120bucks. For only 40 it would be insane not to get it. What 3rd party store do you recommend me? What do you think about macmall?
Click to expand...

No, check amazon, you can get 2 x 4.0GB DDR3 sticks for 40 USD with free super saver shipping.

Edit: Oops sorry, didn't realize you were in a different country.
 
If you want to save some money consider buying the sleeve off of Ebay instead of from the Apple store. It wouldn't be a name brand but it will serve the same purpose for much cheaper.

That's what I did for my iPad and (at least the one I got) is fantastic and I only paid $4.99 shipped and got it in 2 weeks. I'm sure a Macbook version would be essentially the same.
 
So far I have only purchased a hardshell case. But it was a good purchase. Would recommend it to all MBP owners. I would also buy 8gb of ram from a 3rd party.
 
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