Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Which Mac - Urgent help needed

E

EMA747

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 30, 2011
10
0
First post here so go easy. :D I need some urgent advice on a used mac my friends shop will reserve for me but I need to act fast! Please read on. :)

I am going to get a Mac for on the move video editing. I am in the process of setting up a video production company. I have not really been a mac user so I am a bit undecided which to go for out of the following options. Please note I intend to use the latest version of Final Cut Pro with professional 422 Canon MXF files.

1) Get one of these from my video gear provider http://www.jigsaw24.com/product-det....4-core-i7-2.8ghz-4gb-500gb-notebook-computer Cost £1500

2) My friend works in a Mac refurb place, they do insurance refurbs. He just sent me this message as he knows I am looking for one.
"Had a word with my boss and we have a cracker Macbook pro in stock at the moment.

Its a Macbook pro 17" 2010 model.
Specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.8Ghz
8GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM
500GB Hard Drive
Nvidia 9600M GT (with Nvidia 9400M as secondary device)

Cons:
Its second hand (obviously)
Mouse pad left click button is temperamental - but right click and tapping the pad works fine; you could always get an external wireless/USB mouse instead anyway.
It came in the shop to be fixed after it was water damaged, but everything has been replaced or fixed
2 month guarantee, but after that its a risk unless you get it insured with a separate company.


However, RRP = £1,849 (thats with 4GB RAM)
But for this one with 8GB RAM, he's said you can have it for £600.
Cost £600

Obviously the new one is better and has a warranty but the cost difference of £900 is big and is making me undecided. Any advice?

Thanks for any comments.

Andy S
 
Assuming everything has been replaced, for the lower price, it is a steal. It comes down to a risk/reward issue :D I would pick the 17" assuming all moving parts/fans are new!
 
That's a very nice savings to say the least. However, I'd be troubled by the mouse pad not working correctly. This is a 2010 model so is it still under Apple Care? Maybe it can be fixed. Also you mentioned something about water damage in the past. I'd wonder if they replaced everything that was broken/faulty or just the parts that were obvious and noticeable.

Honestly though, if you are serious about setting up a video editing company I have to wonder why you are looking at the MacBook Pro at all. Sure, you can do video editing on it but you might be happier with an iMac or a Mac Pro.

If you just see this computer as a way of getting your feet wet or trying out the Mac you might want to go for it. The price is nice. But if you are basing this on the successfulness of your future endeavors I'd be a bit concerned and probably just get a new one. The 2011 models have the newer generation processors anyway.

Good luck!
 
Richard it's for editing (and backing up clips) when overseas so macbook is essential compared to desktop.

As you say there are some risks involved but are the risks worth and extra £900? In other words if it went wrong I could buy a second one and still be under the £1500 for the new one.
 
i would still go with the £1500 because its new, the used one sounds like it has its set of problems. If you are serious about your business then why shoot yourself in the foot?

But thats just me, you pays your money you makes your choice as they say.
 
EMA747 said:
Richard it's for editing (and backing up clips) when overseas so macbook is essential compared to desktop.

As you say there are some risks involved but are the risks worth and extra £900? In other words if it went wrong I could buy a second one and still be under the £1500 for the new one.
Click to expand...

It might be £900 more but as its for a business, you should be able to claim back the VAT on it. At 20%, its definitely significant.
 
bigjobby said:
It might be £900 more but as its for a business, you should be able to claim back the VAT on it. At 20%, its definitely significant.
Click to expand...
I'm not that far through with the plans yet so I'm not VAT registered. :(
 
EMA747 said:
Richard it's for editing (and backing up clips) when overseas so macbook is essential compared to desktop.

As you say there are some risks involved but are the risks worth and extra £900? In other words if it went wrong I could buy a second one and still be under the £1500 for the new one.
Click to expand...

Ahh.. so yes, a big screen portable like the MacBook Pro makes more sense to me now.

If you think that it's worth a shot and the possibility that you'd have to replace it soon doesn't scare you then maybe you should get it.

On the other hand you should seriously consider how this machine got to be the way it is. It's only a year old but it has had to have parts replaced and some parts are temperamental? That sounds like a careless or worse.. an abusive previous owner to me. I would consider that high risk.

By the way, have you gone down to the shop to check this machine out? All of this is a bit moot if you aren't satisfied with the screen or the body condition.
 
I can't really check it out as it's a shop that is miles from me. I only have my friends word to go on.
 
Consultant said:
2 month third party warranty = useless.
A refurb place that doesn't fix the track pad? Horrible.

Just get it from Apple
Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.8GHz Intel Core i7, 2010 £1,799.00
http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/mac

8GB RAM costs under $100 in the US, sometimes much less on sale. Samsung originals that Apple use costs around $110.
Click to expand...
Can new RAM be installed at home or does it need to be done by an apple technician?
 
EMA747 said:
Its a Macbook pro 17" 2010 model.
Specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.8Ghz
8GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM
500GB Hard Drive
Nvidia 9600M GT (with Nvidia 9400M as secondary device)
Click to expand...

Hold your horses! The 17" MBPs released in April 2010 were either i5 or i7 CPUs and NOT Core 2 Duo. This is likely to be a 2009 model if I'm not correct... so bear this in mind. A new MBP would be far, far superior in every way and if you invest in one and get (say) 4 yrs out it, in business terms £900 would be a drop in the ocean. In my opinion, well worth it.

Also, the new FCP is out in June and so its probably wise to wait for this release as its a very significant one. eg. render while you work. :cool:
 
bigjobby said:
Also, the new FCP is out in June and so its probably wise to wait for this release as its a very significant one. eg. render while you work. :cool:
Click to expand...
You mean wait for the new FCP or wait until then to get a new mac?

This might not be the forum to ask on but someone on another forum said if I am currently running a pc then there is no compelling reason to swap to mac. Is this true? The high end windows laptops don't seem to be much cheaper than macs though.
 
EMA747 said:
You mean wait for the new FCP or wait until then to get a new mac?

This might not be the forum to ask on but someone on another forum said if I am currently running a pc then there is no compelling reason to swap to mac. Is this true? The high end windows laptops don't seem to be much cheaper than macs though.
Click to expand...

Not going into a Windoze vs Apple laptop discussion as you could imagine the crazy tangent this thread would be heading.

If you already have a Windows setup with Avid (or the likes) and a workflow you're happy with, is there really a requirement to change? All depends on how you prioritise or allocate your resources to your startup I guess.

If you decide to take the Apple route, then definitely wait for the new FCP X. In saying that, I wouldn't touch the 2009 17" even for that price because you never know, FCP X might just run like a complete dog on it. :D
 
Easy answer

Easy answer: none of the above.

The used MBP seems to have a number of issues with it, despite the attractive price, and if with a CD2 then not really a consideration compared to significantly faster computers if you are serious about video editing.

The new(er) 15" MBP listed would be a much better option (despite the price, but of course one gets that paid for), however it appears older and less capable than the newest models. One should consider them, with the lesser of the two new 15" MBPs a questionable economy. If you are after serious horsepower the upper-end 15" MBP would be the better option.

If not as critical a consideration, then instead of opting for the lower-level 15" you might even the 13" MBP instead. Less money of course, and no small (or indeed small thing) if traveling. As far as screen real estate is concerned, they will all drive larger monitors, which should be a consideration if video editing.

A good option when purchasing is to buy refurbished from Apple. Reports have these computers carefully hand inspected, like-new, with warranty, and of course less expensive than new. Possibly not as cheap as from some third-party, but far more of a known quantity, less risk. Something else to consider that any computer, new or used, should be working perfectly; accepting something less, and maybe waterlogged, is just asking for trouble. With anything directly from Apple, you will have the best and easiest recourse if any problems occur.

As far as Apple and OS X to being with, versus Windows, that is another question. In my opinion Windows has always been a sub-par operating system. That Apple's OS X is a decidedly superior system, and just easier and more pleasant to use, which is no small thing. If all you do on Windows is video editing, and happy enough with it, then fine. But if using one's computer for other tasks, then you should seriously consider an Apple; as it will prove better at most everything else, and quite adept at video editing as well.

Assuming, that is, you choose the right model to begin with. If time will be money in this enterprise, then reverse your equation and begin with what best suites your needs, then consider the cost.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back