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Who's glad they still have a "Classic" MacBook Pro?

mikes70mustang said:
So your saying its better b/c you can still utilize monitors and FW by having a bunch of adapters? And you are brainwashed if you think that apple displays are the best you can buy. Im not talking about matte on mine. My glossy is wayyy better than what is on those glass covered things. Most people seem to prefer the old keyboard. For those who dont use tap to click, the new pad sucks. Get a clue about the DVI. That is like the most common monitor hook up. Go hang out and fondle your sd slot:D. And there is still not justifying the reflective screen of the new unis.
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LOL. Who CARES what's most common? New MacBook Pro owners are moving ahead because they have NEW ports. If we only bought stuff that was "common," when would we ever progress? And for the money, you find me anything that TOUCHES the Apple Cinema Display 24". And before you quote me off a thousand crappy TN panels, I want the following, for under $899:

An IPS panel, LED backlit, speakers, microphone/webcam, looks gorgeous (subjective, I'll grant you), USB hub, powers my laptop (i.e. saves me buying a second power brick), and backed by a company that has great customer service.
 
WilliamG said:
LOL. Who CARES what's most common? New MacBook Pro owners are moving ahead because they have NEW ports. If we only bought stuff that was "common," when would we ever progress? And for the money, you find me anything that TOUCHES the Apple Cinema Display 24". And before you quote me off a thousand crappy TN panels, I want the following, for under $899:

An IPS panel, LED backlit, speakers, microphone/webcam, looks gorgeous (subjective, I'll grant you), USB hub, powers my laptop (i.e. saves me buying a second power brick), and backed by a company that has great customer service.
Click to expand...

For me, when I weigh how much I paid for my MBP as well as the use I have gotten out of it since I bought it (instead of waiting for newer models), I'm still super satisfied with the purchase. There are some definite advantages to the newer models, but not enough to justify an upgrade, in my opinion. Were I in the market at the time of the latest updates, I probably would have gone with the previous gen refurbs just based on pricing.

I think your example of the ACD illustrates this same point. For many people, the features of the Apple display that you listed do justify the purchase, but it's quite a bit more money for those when you compare it to something relatively similar like the HP LP2475W, which also has some of its own advantages over the Apple Cinema Display. It's all subjective based on the user, but I think many people tend to spend much more than they need to based on a perceived 'superiority' of a product when they may actually be perfectly productive and happy on lower cost hardware.

In the end, are the latest models so much better than some of the classic MBPs that they justify upgrading? Not for me. My current 'old' model is great as it provides all the features I needed when I purchased it as well as all the features I currently need. Upgrading would give me marginal gains and likely minimal noticeable additional utility for what I do. So, yeah, I'm glad I still have my classic.
 
I'm very happy wtb my classic. In fact the new uMBP is useless to me after it lost the express card slot. (the 17 is too big to carry around the world win my camera gear)
I do like the look of the new ones when they are closed though.
And the benefit to have both fw ports when meeting people and havng to transfer files. There is always a way to connect. I know I can use the fw800, but I don't always remember to bring all the different cables I need
 
I still love my classic 15" mbp. It's connected to my 'classic' 23" ACD. I have all the ports I need, and If I wanted a card reader, I could get one for my express card.

I also prefer the 23" aluminum ACD to the new glass ACDs. I think it looks better aesthetically and I have always preffered matte displays.
 
As someone who takes issue with the new uMBP design - loose hinges, no DVI, forced gloss, Nvidia chipset, lack of expresscard etc. I monitored the Apple refurb store for quite some time and grabbed an ATI MBP2,2 for 1200$, added a 320Gb 7200 RPM drive and 3Gb memory and I am quite happy with it. I occasionally use my wife's MBP4,1 (when it is not out for repair :p ) and the ATI MBP never feels slower. If I had to complain about the ATI MBP - trackpad is not that smooth even compared to the earliest multi touch models - but I can live with that.

On the other hand since Apple has reduced the MBP prices - I am pondering selling off the MBP4,1 and getting the new $1699 one or the $1799 Air - not sure which one as of now.

Looking back at the various MBP models it doesn't feel like they got a whole lot faster but they lost quite a bit of features, so if you look at it from a strictly utilitarian view - there is no point in upgrading the trusty old classic MBP unless it is giving you trouble - may be add a new disk, max out the RAM and it is every bit as fast as the new models for daily use.
 
I love my Late 2008 CTO 17" MBP.

I bought it brand new with 3 yr Apple care for about half the price MSRP.

The latest gear is really nice, but I still think the Wallstreet and Pismo lines were the most versatile and expandable laptops that Apple has ever produced.

Dual removable bays and an upgradeable processor. :D
 
WilliamG said:
LOL. Who CARES what's most common? New MacBook Pro owners are moving ahead because they have NEW ports. If we only bought stuff that was "common," when would we ever progress? And for the money, you find me anything that TOUCHES the Apple Cinema Display 24". And before you quote me off a thousand crappy TN panels, I want the following, for under $899:

An IPS panel, LED backlit, speakers, microphone/webcam, looks gorgeous (subjective, I'll grant you), USB hub, powers my laptop (i.e. saves me buying a second power brick), and backed by a company that has great customer service.
Click to expand...

Sniff, sniff, i smell fanboy. Id rather spend my money on better things, not apple propaganda.
 
mikes70mustang said:
Sniff, sniff, i smell fanboy. Id rather spend my money on better things, not apple propaganda.
Click to expand...

Fanboy? Are you kidding? I have a LOT of gripes with Apple:

1.) No easy way to switch to a single display when connected to an external monitor without putting to sleep, waking up blah blah

2.) Finicky Wireless N connections. Airport Express N takes about 25 minutes to connect a WPA2 Wireless N Time Capsule when you plug the Express in.

3.) Dust under my iPhone screens, my iPhone 3G screen, all my Apple glassy display unibody MacBook Pros etc etc, even a speck in the corner of my 24" LED Cinema Display.

4.) Lack of customization in GENERAL.

5.) Lack of choice of matte displays for 15" and lower.


Don't get me wrong. I think the current MacBook Pros are the best yet. But don't EVER call me a fanboy of anything. There's just a tendency for people to defend what they already HAVE and to poo-poo something they DON'T have. In fact, I have both generations of MacBook Pro. I'm certainly not a fanboy. Am I saying that it's necessary to buy the latest MacBook Pro if you have a mid-2008 model? NO! If you have a crapload of money, YES! But it's unquestionable that performance and features-wise, the current model is the fastest/offers the most, especially if you like the glossy displays, and get over the lack of Expresscard slot (on 15" and below). The 1.5Gbit SATA throughput is an oddity, though, I'll give you that. But, in terms of memory bandwidth, processor speed, GPU speed, sexiness, ability to connect to 24" LED Cinema Display, lack of crappy push latch, more responsive keyboard, better trackpad (perhaps arguable to some people...), this generation wins out.
 
mikes70mustang said:
Sniff, sniff, i smell fanboy. Id rather spend my money on better things, not apple propaganda.
Click to expand...

I have a low end Penryn MacBook Pro, and it has been awesome. I still have 2 years on Applecare. I don't think I am going to upgrade for another 3 years.

I wouldn't call it apple propaganda. The Unibody MacBook Pros are amazing computers, they just aren't for me and the new aesthetics aren't in my taste. I can see why people like the new look, I just don't like it personally. And the loss of expandability ports and firewire 400 aren't for me. If someone likes their Unibody MacBook Pro, good for them. This isn't a war or anything.

I think I am going to wait for a new model after the Unibodies and see what they look like. If I don't like them, then I will most likely go for a PC Laptop, as Windows 7 has been very good, and they are cheaper and more customizable.
 
TuffLuffJimmy said:
Makes you wonder if he had that list of requirements before or after the display came out.
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Er, no. The new Cinema Displays were part of the reason for my switching to the Unibody system.

Again, it's not like the pre unibody systems are bad. I enjoyed mine tremendously. It's just that, to me, the unibodies are better. If you disagree, great for you! It's not like you're wrong or anything. :)
 
WilliamG said:
Er, no. The new Cinema Displays were part of the reason for my switching to the Unibody system.

Again, it's not like the pre unibody systems are bad. I enjoyed mine tremendously. It's just that, to me, the unibodies are better. If you disagree, great for you! It's not like you're wrong or anything. :)
Click to expand...

Oh I think the unibodies are killer, especially the current line up, with their amazing batteries (I picked one up a few days ago). And I'll be picking up a cinema display once I have the money.

I just thought it was funny that you had a list of "requirements" that was basically the copied and pasted description of the display from the Apple site.
 
TuffLuffJimmy said:
Oh I think the unibodies are killer, especially the current line up, with their amazing batteries (I picked one up a few days ago). And I'll be picking up a cinema display once I have the money.

I just thought it was funny that you had a list of "requirements" that was basically the copied and pasted description of the display from the Apple site.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be that unoriginal. I mean, it's not like I don't know what I like about the current Cinema Display! I just really, really dig it, despite its quality-control issues (dust).
 
The way I see it. Apple is not superior to any other computer company. Their made in the same place, same components(not exact config obviously). Like ive said before, if it wernt for osx, apple would be sunk. I promise no one would get these things if they only ran windows. Anyways, back to the thread at hand...........
 
I still like mine but after the new OS update my SR MBP seems to be running a little hotter lately



James
 
Dual Link DVI :)

DSC08563.jpg
 
Nah, WAY too thick now. Glad I sold mine. This new one is a thing of beauty. Unibody, nom nom nom.
 
i dont like the Toshiba/HP/Acer screen of the new ...

I love mine...

the 17inch is way to big...

in fact i m going to pump it with 500GB HDD and 4GB RAm...:D

I M IN TOTALY love with it...
 
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