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which mbp 13"

M

mansanas

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 5, 2010
160
0
greetings guys, im planning on buying my first mac computer, im one of the many people who are impatiently waiting for the inevitable update, but if i have to buy one now, before the update, im looking at the mbp 13.

i will be using it for:
photoshop
video editing/ while multitasking
watching uploaded hd videos of my basketball games/ while multitasking
install windows 7 via bootcamp
maybe play some old games like strategy games and cs, not into mmorpg

so should i shell out 300 dollars more for the 2.5 mbp 13 ?
i really want the at least 250 gb of hd especially since im partitioning windows 7 also.

my thoughts on the update:
it makes sense for apple to try to persuade as many people as they can to buy an ipad to build a huge user base, so they probably won't give anyone an incentive to spend their money on apple's other products (at least for now). so they will NOT update any other products until after the ipad release.
 
The 226 MHz in CPU speed difference and the 84GiB more HDD space are not worth 300USD.

You won't notice the difference in CPU speed, and a 2.5" HDD with 500GB can be had for less than 100USD.
 
mansanas said:
greetings guys, im planning on buying my first mac computer, im one of the many people who are impatiently waiting for the inevitable update, but if i have to buy one now, before the update, im looking at the mbp 13.

i will be using it for:
photoshop
video editing/ while multitasking
watching uploaded hd videos of my basketball games/ while multitasking
install windows 7 via bootcamp
maybe play some old games like strategy games and cs, not into mmorpg

so should i shell out 300 dollars more for the 2.5 mbp 13 ?
i really want the at least 250 gb of hd especially since im partitioning windows 7 also.

my thoughts on the update:
it makes sense for apple to try to persuade as many people as they can to buy an ipad to build a huge user base, so they probably won't give anyone an incentive to spend their money on apple's other products (at least for now). so they will NOT update any other products until after the ipad release.
Click to expand...

You would probably be better off with the high end 13".

Each product has their own respective refresh cycle. No new devices are going to halt updates on other products.
 
I opted for the low end 13" MBP, because we get a corp discount at the local Apple shop and they put in the 4GB kit for $79 - installed. I ordered a SSD drive and setup Boot Camp / Windows 7. I use Elements just fine and have had zero complaints with performance.

Flash seems to tax the CPU, but that's to be expected. :p
 
oh yeah and i really don't wanna install ram or hd myself, i know its easy and i can do it, but murphy's law totally owns my life, that is, "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong".
 
spinnerlys said:
The 226 MHz in CPU speed difference and the 84GiB more HDD space are not worth 300USD.

You won't notice the difference in CPU speed, and a 2.5" HDD with 500GB can be had for less than 100USD.
Click to expand...

That may be. But then, if you're going to "settle" for the 2.26 MBP (particularly in the stock configuration), you might as well step down to the MB, since it's basically the same machine in a different case. All you lose for $200 less is the SD card slot.
 
mansanas said:
oh yeah and i really don't wanna install ram or hd myself, i know its easy and i can do it, but murphy's law totally owns my life, that is, "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong".
Click to expand...

You'll need the extra 4GB ram for the tasks you mentioned. If you don't want to pick up a phillips screwdriver and do it yourself, you are a perfect candidate for a 2.53 MBP13.

Now, if you want a sweet deal you can do a 2.26 MBP13 with a 80GB X25-M and 4GB RAM for the same price as a 2.53 MBP13.
 
i think if i were in your position, i would choose to get the higher end 13inch just because it would make me feel better. im being honest here :p


BUT

the SMART thing to do would be getting the lower end 13inch and replacing the hard-drive for an amazing computer!


if you're interested, i have a 2.53ghz 15incher which has the same specs as the high end 13inch. Let me say that it performs beautifully and a MINOR reduction in processing power would not be felt at all.

so yeah.....go for the lower end and switch out the drive. :D

EDIT: or you can wait just a few weeks so that you can get the new macbook pros for retail price or get the refurbished current gen ones for cheaper.
 
i went the low route

I went the cheaper route and upgraded the hard drive myself from stock 160 gigs to 320. I got the 320 7200 rpm drive at best buy for 84. They even had it listed for 99 in store but on website it was 84. They had to sell it to me at that price. It took me about two hours to transfer files and another 5 minutes to install the drive. Next it's 4 gigs of ram. :cool:
 
Steve Jobs. said:
i think if i were in your position, i would choose to get the higher end 13inch just because it would make me feel better. im being honest here :p


BUT

the SMART thing to do would be getting the lower end 13inch and replacing the hard-drive for an amazing computer!


if you're interested, i have a 2.53ghz 15incher which has the same specs as the high end 13inch. Let me say that it performs beautifully and a MINOR reduction in processing power would not be felt at all.

so yeah.....go for the lower end and switch out the drive. :D

EDIT: or you can wait just a few weeks so that you can get the new macbook pros for retail price or get the refurbished current gen ones for cheaper.
Click to expand...

I agree..
 
thanks for the replies guys.

its not really the cpu im after, its more the 4 gb ram and the hd space.
i know the smart way to go is buy the $1200 and then upgrade it myself, but i just have a bad feeling something will go wrong.

so if i do decide to do it myself and something does go wrong, will it be covered by the warranty?
how much money will i save if i do it myself? i would have to keep the stock parts just in case i have to get it fixed by apple right?

im still gonna try to tough it out and wait, especially after the latest developments... an update would solve all my problems.. damn u apple!
 
seriously, adding RAM and a HDD is nothing. Its cake. There are so many youtube vids to walk you through it. Just take your time and you'll need a T6 screw driver to do the HDD and you mind as well invest and buy one to do it right.

My bro put in a Seagate 500 GB 7200 RPM drive that cost him $99 at Best Buy but it can be ordered for less, he had a gift card hence why he bought it from Rip off BB. But it took what... 5 mins to put the HDD in? Then he had to boot from DVD and format the HDD and then restore from Time Machine. Also popped in RAM himself also. Just take your time and watch some youtube vids.

I put in my SSD with no issues.

I have to say I'm impressed with the 2.26 my bro has. i mean that thing is a work horse and I honestly felt it was not. But he runs some big programs and there is no lag or SBBOD or anything with the upgrades.
 
iMetalG5 said:
seriously, adding RAM and a HDD is nothing. Its cake. There are so many youtube vids to walk you through it. Just take your time and you'll need a T6 screw driver to do the HDD and you mind as well invest and buy one to do it right.
Click to expand...

And yes, if all you try and do is upgrade the RAM and hard drive, it's covered (Apple even shows you how in the book that comes with the machine). Just don't diddle with anything else while you're in there. Those two are the ONLY user-serviceable parts.
 
mansanas said:
thanks for the replies guys.

its not really the cpu im after, its more the 4 gb ram and the hd space.
i know the smart way to go is buy the $1200 and then upgrade it myself, but i just have a bad feeling something will go wrong.

so if i do decide to do it myself and something does go wrong, will it be covered by the warranty?
how much money will i save if i do it myself? i would have to keep the stock parts just in case i have to get it fixed by apple right?

im still gonna try to tough it out and wait, especially after the latest developments... an update would solve all my problems.. damn u apple!
Click to expand...

upgrading RAM = pulling old ram out, inserting new ram into slot.

if you have ever plugged something into a wall outlet, then its similar to that.....except its RAM...and its a socket rather than an outlet.

upgrading HDD = similar to ram.

seriously, its sooooo easy.

not to mention that RAM prices and HDD prices drop ALL THE TIME.


or yeah, you can just wait a couple measly weeks and get an awesome update! :D

trust me....I'm Steve Jobs.
 
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