Which macbook?

S

Simon'

macrumors newbie
Hey guys, first time poster here, so be gentle.

I'm looking to buy a new laptop for college, and I've decided that a 13" macbook would probably be best due to its portability. Seen as I only have a weekend job, my budget is pretty limited. Here comes the question:

Should I buy a refurbished/used macbook off ebay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160468180682&ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT#ht_4821wt_905

Or should I wait and save more money until Christmas time and get a brand new one from Apple with an education discount.
 
Wait until Christmas, and do what you can to afford the new 13'' MBP, or get a refurbished one. It's such a better laptop compared to the old (or new) Macbooks.
 
What edu discount are you eligible to get? In UK, higher education store gives you 3-year warranty automatically, for free. Normally it's 199$. I would get a new one, maybe even wait for new MBP since they should be out in early 2011
 
Hellhammer said:
What edu discount are you eligible to get? In UK, higher education store gives you 3-year warranty automatically, for free. Normally it's 199$. I would get a new one, maybe even wait for new MBP since they should be out in early 2011
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+1. UK education store gives you even better discounts than buying refurb. And I would upgrade the HE warranty to full AppleCare for £50+. This would boost resale value down the line.

The eBay auction you are looking at is for an old MacBook (2006 or 2007). I would not spend more than £300 for that. You get so much better performance from the newest MacBook or MacBook Pro, that it is worth saving up a little more.
 
If I were you I'd save up to get a refurbished/second hand 13" MacBook Pro :) The alu ones are so nice...
 
Hellhammer said:
What edu discount are you eligible to get? In UK, higher education store gives you 3-year warranty automatically, for free. Normally it's 199$. I would get a new one, maybe even wait for new MBP since they should be out in early 2011
Click to expand...

Seen as I'm at college, I can only get the FE discount
 
I tried to access the FE discount store using my college's network and it refuses to let me connect. I'm assuming my only other choice would be to phone up and talk to them about it?

I'm still torn between the macbook white and the MBP. I could buy a white macbook and upgrade the HDD to a 500GB Momentus XT for less money than buying the base MBP model.

As I stated previously, the primary use for the laptop would be word processing, internet use, light video editing, just everyday use really.
 
Simon' said:
As I stated previously, the primary use for the laptop would be word processing, internet use, light video editing, just everyday use really.
Click to expand...

This is why you definitely want the MBP. Especially at college, I've found that "light" video editing leads to more video editing, and you'll want the increased power of a MBP for that (and, if you happen to end up editing miniDV (DV or HDV) you'll absolutely need the MBP for its FW port, no importing DV/HDV via USB).

It's definitely worth waiting to get a MBP over a MB.
 
iThinkergoiMac said:
This is why you definitely want the MBP. Especially at college, I've found that "light" video editing leads to more video editing, and you'll want the increased power of a MBP for that (and, if you happen to end up editing miniDV (DV or HDV) you'll absolutely need the MBP for its FW port, no importing DV/HDV via USB).

It's definitely worth waiting to get a MBP over a MB.
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Then OP would have to go for 15" which is much more expensive. 13" MBP is the same as MacBook with aluminum enclosure and couple minor extras
 
The aluminum body and backlit keyboard is worth the extra $200. The plastic has a bad habit of cracking on its own. The aluminum will dent but only if you mistreat it. The plastic will crack from basic use.
 
I would advise to wait until Christmas and go re-furb from Apple

You may end up with problems with the ebay machine

Plus the MBP is a better computer :cool:
 
Which macbook

The 13" MacBook is a great little machine and should serve you well. I suggest you go on the apple.com site and go to the store and click on refurbished macs at the bottom of the page. You can the look at the assortment of MacBooks available. These machines are completely refurbished and carry the Apple 1 year warranty and are eligible for the 3 year AppleCare warranty. They may cost more than the ones available on ebay, but they have the one year warranty! I have purchased a few Apple computers through this source and found them to be virtually indistinguishable from new Macs. The only difference is the shipping box. The refurbs have a plain box labeled refurbished. If you don't mind that, get a refurb from Apple.
 
Hellhammer said:
Then OP would have to go for 15" which is much more expensive. 13" MBP is the same as MacBook with aluminum enclosure and couple minor extras
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The MBP comes with 2x the RAM, a bigger HDD, I believe a better screen (at least at one point this was true, I don't know if it still is) and a firewire port. The MacBook costs only $50 less than the MBP to get it up to the same specs (and you'd never have the FW port). The MBP is also smaller and lighter (admittedly, not by a lot).

To me, especially for video editing, the FW port alone is worth more than the mere $200 difference.
 
iThinkergoiMac said:
The MBP comes with 2x the RAM, a bigger HDD, I believe a better screen (at least at one point this was true, I don't know if it still is) and a firewire port. The MacBook costs only $50 less than the MBP to get it up to the same specs (and you'd never have the FW port). The MBP is also smaller and lighter (admittedly, not by a lot).

To me, especially for video editing, the FW port alone is worth more than the mere $200 difference.
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Both have 250GB HDs. You're right about the RAM but 4GB costs like 70$ from aftermarket and since OP seems to be on tight budget, that saved 130$ is always a plus. FireWire is a moot point because might be that OP doesn't need it at all and FW externals cost a hefty premium as well.

Personally, I would go with MBP but if OP wants to save as much as possible, then MacBook is fine
 
I've found a 2010 refurbished 13" MBP on an electronics store's website for £850, which is £150 cheaper than a brand new one off apple. On the description it states that it has a 1yr warranty, do you guys think that'd be an Apple warranty or the shop itself?

If this refurb is still on the website in a couple of weeks (when I have the money) I'll definitely buy it.
 
Simon' said:
I've found a 2010 refurbished 13" MBP on an electronics store's website for £850, which is £150 cheaper than a brand new one off apple. On the description it states that it has a 1yr warranty, do you guys think that'd be an Apple warranty or the shop itself?

If this refurb is still on the website in a couple of weeks (when I have the money) I'll definitely buy it.
Click to expand...

You can also buy it from Apple for the same price

http://www.refurb.me/
 
Simon' said:
Yes but there is no £850 MBP in the refurbished apple store, otherwise I would buy that one.
Click to expand...

There is, see the link I gave. It's currently unavailable but you can sign in for various notifications which will let you know when it's back in stock
 
I did try your link but it wouldn't load the page. Thanks for that bit of information though, i'll definitely use it
 
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