Which MacBook Pro should I get?

[RUnited]

Hi, I have a MacBook 13" (unibody) 2008 model that I bought exactly a year ago - which is now an obsolete product since they changed it to MacBook Pro and upgraded the screen as well.

I've felt my screen was inferior to the MacBook Pro lines since day 1 and now I'm feeling that my decision to buy the first gen unibody 13" was a huge mistake.

Question is... is this a good time to buy a new macbook pro without worrying of another major update? My wife wants a laptop and I plan to give this current one to her since she only really needs internet and e-mail and buy myself a new 15" (which I should have bought last year).

There seems to be a lot of talk about an update late this year, but I'm wondering whether it will be a major update. If it's a minor change then I wouldn't worry about it... but if they make a major update after I buy a new Macbook Pro I'm going to be really disappointed because I've made that stupid mistake once before with my current macbook...

I'm also looking to take the plunge and get the 15" 2.66 model. Is that a good investment? I typically use laptops for 3-4 years before updating it.

PS. Sorry for the misleading topic... I realize now the topic should have read "is this a good time to buy a macbook pro", but I can't seem to change it anymore...

 

[jav6454]

Quite frankly, the laptop you have right now is fine. Although if you want to take advantage of the latest updates, I suggest a little more. Why? For starters we have USB 3.0 that is bound to come in consumer stuff next year. Also, by next year Apple will have updated MacBooks (either higher clocked CPUs or CPUs with the new Nehalem architecture).

So my advice for you is wait. That unibody you hold has enough power in it to last next year and so forth.

 

[niuniu]

Personally, it's always a good time to get a MacBook Pro for a casual user. She'll use it for years thinking she has the hottest piece of gadget fashion available.

For guys like myself, we're squeezing the last bytes of life from our MBPs hoping they'll make it to the update due Q1/2 2010. Not because there will any significant boost in performance from the last MBPs to the first round of new architecture, but because we have puny fragile man egos that don't know what's really important in life.

Woe is me, and you by the sound of it. But your wife will be fine.

 

[jt2ga65]

If there is a significant update, it is unlikely to happen until January judging by the average time between MBP updates. I doubt that there will be a seriously large update that will make you regret if you purchase now.

Any update is likely to include the graphics processor, minor improvement in the CPU, possible HDMI and Bluray, USB 3.0, etc. These will likely show up in the next 2 years, but judging by Apple's previous releases, they will not all by in the next release, but sprinkled over the next several releases. This way they provide an incentive to the people that always have to have the latest to upgrade every 6 months.

Honestly, though, the user interface is unlikely to change, so the things you notice regularly will not change. If you want it now and have the money, I would buy it now. Waiting until the next release will only cause you to wait longer until the release after that, and after that, and when you eventually decide to buy, you will doubt your decision because the next release might be better.

And let's be clear... Your wife is getting the hand-me-down MacBook. You certainly want to let her know this before you buy a new one. Girls do not like used gifts.

-jt2

 

[macgirl89]

And let's be clear... Your wife is getting the hand-me-down MacBook. You certainly want to let her know this before you buy a new one. Girls do not like used gifts.

Damn straight. I don't understand why some guys feel that they should have the latest technology while their wives are perfectly fine using old technology. If the screen isn't "good enough" for you, then how do you know it's good enough for your wife?

How about you sell your current MacBook, buy your wife a new 13" MacBook Pro and yourself a 15" MacBook Pro? I think you'd both be a lot happier that way. And I think now is a great time to buy them, as you don't want to keep waiting and waiting for newer and newer updates.

 

[RUnited]

Damn straight. I don't understand why some guys feel that they should have the latest technology while their wives are perfectly fine using old technology. If the screen isn't "good enough" for you, then how do you know it's good enough for your wife?

How about you sell your current MacBook, buy your wife a new 13" MacBook Pro and yourself a 15" MacBook Pro? I think you'd both be a lot happier that way. And I think now is a great time to buy them, as you don't want to keep waiting and waiting for newer and newer updates.

Hahaha! I think I should provide a bit more context of what's happening in my household before I get bombarded for being a selfish husband...

First of all, my wife only requires Internet and some email usage... She does not watch any movies on the laptop (whereas I do).

Secondly, she loves moving around a laptop and has specifically asked me for the laptop I'm using now because she does not want to worry about using a new laptop and having to take care of it. She wants to be able to eat on top of the laptop without worrying about it being a new laptop...

She's asked me for a MacBook white which now costs about US$1200 where I live (Thailand). My coming on to this forum is because I'm thinking a Macbook White is now at the end of its life and my household may be better off with a new MacBook Pro that I won't regret buying.

So there's my dilemma... we can keep trudging through to Jan 2010 using one laptop among two of us if a new major upgrade is just around the corner.. but if it isn't... then maybe the time is now to get a new MacBook Pro...

Further thoughts...?

 

[macgirl89]

Hahaha! I think I should provide a bit more context of what's happening in my household before I get bombarded for being a selfish husband...

First of all, my wife only requires Internet and some email usage... She does not watch any movies on the laptop (whereas I do).

Secondly, she loves moving around a laptop and has specifically asked me for the laptop I'm using now because she does not want to worry about using a new laptop and having to take care of it. She wants to be able to eat on top of the laptop without worrying about it being a new laptop...

She's asked me for a MacBook white which now costs about US$1200 where I live (Thailand). My coming on to this forum is because I'm thinking a Macbook White is now at the end of its life and my household may be better off with a new MacBook Pro that I won't regret buying.

So there's my dilemma... we can keep trudging through to Jan 2010 using one laptop among two of us if a new major upgrade is just around the corner.. but if it isn't... then maybe the time is now to get a new MacBook Pro...

Further thoughts...?

Ah, I understand. I got my MacBook Pro a month and a half ago and I know that it's kinda stressful to be extra careful with it, making sure it gets no scratches or crumbs on it...

I think the white MacBook is going to be updated really soon, so now's not a good time to buy one. I say you should get the 15" MacBook Pro for yourself now, and when the new white MacBook comes out, sell the old MacBook you have and buy the new white one for your wife.