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

Wich macbook should i buy?

TurboJobo

TurboJobo

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 24, 2009
524
296
San Diego/Tijuana
I don't really know wich to buy of the 3 ones they have right know for starters i have enough money for the base macbook model the aluminum one i might save a little for the 2.4 one but i don't know which one tu buy but i also like the white one and now it is as fast as the new one ?

the things i am going to use it more for..
1. msn/skype
2.browsing
3. homework /word
4.some music not alot
5 and a couple of videos and musics

i don't really need the firewire i have never used one in my life as matter fact also i never look at the keyboard when i am tipyng but also you have huge ass led infront of you isn't that enough

also im going to take my laptop alot to school so yeah!

by the way im gping to buy it this weekend i don't want to buy then 2 weeks later apple releases a new aluminum one with more ram or the base model comes with illuminated keyboard

do you know when are they going to updated to wait or should i just buy it this week end:rolleyes:

by the way this is going to be my firstmac
 
Don't worry. Buy the 2.0 GHz base model. There's no way it'll be too slow for your needs, which seem very basic. ;)

And you're right. You probably don't need the keyboard backlight. If you really need to look at the keyboard while you're typing, the LED screen sitting in front of you provides quite a bit of light. It's not as good as the backlight, but then again, the backlight (and the 0.4 GHz gain in speed) is probably not worth the $300 difference in price.
 
Why not spend a $100 more and get the 2.4GHz Blackbook from Smalldog.com. Or watch the Apple site for a refurb 2.1GHz model. They usually go for $850. Or you can find the 2.4GHz Unibody Macbook on Ebay for about $1400 shipped.
 
To answer your question further. I doubt Apple will update the notebook line until late 2009 at the earliest.
 
Go with the 2.0 unibody, its more than what you need for it. I would even recommend the white one but since your going to be carrying it around... the 2.0 is lighter.
 
Ugh do not get the refurb blackbook or refurb whitebook... given the price ranges

the new 2.0 whitebook is 999... and that's with nvidia chipset
the refurb 2.0 aluminum is 1099... another really good deal.

Those are your best bets especially from a price to performance ratio.
 
XxpikachuxX said:
I don't really know wich to buy of the 3 ones they have right know for starters i have enough money for the base macbook model the aluminum one i might save a little for the 2.4 one but i don't know which one tu buy but i also like the white one and now it is as fast as the new one ?

the things i am going to use it more for..
1. msn/skype
2.browsing
3. homework /word
4.some music not alot
5 and a couple of videos and musics

i don't really need the firewire i have never used one in my life as matter fact also i never look at the keyboard when i am tipyng but also you have huge ass led infront of you isn't that enough

also im going to take my laptop alot to school so yeah!

by the way im gping to buy it this weekend i don't want to buy then 2 weeks later apple releases a new aluminum one with more ram or the base model comes with illuminated keyboard

do you know when are they going to updated to wait or should i just buy it this week end:rolleyes:

by the way this is going to be my firstmac
Click to expand...

Since you have the cash for the Aluminum already, I guess it comes down to, do you need firewire or not?

If you do, get the white macbook. If you don't, you'll benefit from the new trackpad, LED backlight, new trackpad, much faster RAM, and unibody enclosure of the aluminum, but you'll lose firewire.

As for the 2.4, I wouldn't bother saving for it, especially given the list of tasks you have listed.

Edit: Noticed you said you don't need Firewire. If that's the case, then yeah, just get the aluminum.
 
XxpikachuxX said:
I don't really know wich to buy of the 3 ones they have right know for starters i have enough money for the base macbook model the aluminum one i might save a little for the 2.4 one but i don't know which one tu buy but i also like the white one and now it is as fast as the new one ?

also im going to take my laptop alot to school so yeah!

by the way im gping to buy it this weekend i don't want to buy then 2 weeks later apple releases a new aluminum one with more ram or the base model comes with illuminated keyboard

do you know when are they going to updated to wait or should i just buy it this week end:rolleyes:

by the way this is going to be my firstmac
Click to expand...

The only big thing that differentiates the 2.0 and the 2.4, besides the processor speed, is the illuminated keyboard.

Since you are only using it for the basics and will take it to school a lot, I recommend just getting the Base Aluminum Macbook. The revisions will probably not be out for a few months, and they probably won't have big changes. And since you don't use firewire, the Polycarbonate is the only reason why its still part of the family...

And to be honest, the illuminated keyboard is nice, but I doubt it will be put into the 2.0. Its just that extra frill that is cool, but not an essential, in my own opinion.

Good luck with your choice! :)
 
White should be fine

I think most will agree that the new white Mac Book will be fine for the needs you mentioned.

Given the activities you mention, I doubt you will notice a big speed difference from the faster memory in the aluminum Mac Book. So speed probably will not be a big factor.

So is the nicer looking and somewhat lighter aluminum Mac Book worth the $300 to you? It really depends on how much $300 is to you. (if you have $1000 then $300 is a lot... if you have a million dollars, $300 is not a lot)

To help you decide, here are some things I can buy with $300...
An iPod Touch and 80 songs
Pizza night once a week for 5 months
Dinner and a Movie with a friend 5 or 6 times
A Mac connector cable for your TV and 50 movie rentals from iTunes
iWork or Office and 3-4 other programs for your new Mac
100 gallons of gas

(Note, these are just examples to get you thinking... they are not exact, and will be different depending on where you live, what kind of pizza you like, etc...)

Have fun with your new Mac!
 
Whitebook sounds like a good choice for you.

My only reason for getting the 2.4 Alu MB was so I could play games on it, and it actually does that quite well.
 
Coeus1492 said:
So is the nicer looking and somewhat lighter aluminum Mac Book worth the $300 to you? It really depends on how much $300 is to you. (if you have $1000 then $300 is a lot... if you have a million dollars, $300 is not a lot)

To help you decide, here are some things I can buy with $300...
An iPod Touch and 80 songs
Pizza night once a week for 5 months
Dinner and a Movie with a friend 5 or 6 times
A Mac connector cable for your TV and 50 movie rentals from iTunes
iWork or Office and 3-4 other programs for your new Mac
100 gallons of gas

(Note, these are just examples to get you thinking... they are not exact, and will be different depending on where you live, what kind of pizza you like, etc...)

Have fun with your new Mac!
Click to expand...

Nice way of putting things.

I would say save your money and get the polycarbonate white macbook because it will more than suffice your needs.
 
The 2.4GHZ unibody macbook will do more then what you need. Get that and you will be more then satisfied.
 
How long do you intend on keeping the system? If you're just starting college and intend to use the same laptop the entire time, I'd choose the base 2.0 because of the unibody construction and the led backlighting; both of which promise to be more durable and have a longer useful life than the plastic and TFT backlighting of the new/old whitebook.

If you're a get a new computer every two years or so guy, a white macbook would suit your purposes just fine, and you can invest the money saved into maxing out the ram or getting a larger hard drive later on for relatively cheap.

What do you see yourself doing when you get out of school? You've already been given a list of the pros and cons of each system already, imagine how well each machine will work for what you want to do with it.
 
It is really a question of personal preference, and what your needs and wants actually are; the white MB offers superb value for money just now (and firewire), so if finances are tight, it is the obvious option. If money is less of an problem, and you are sold on the idea of the stunning appearance of the new aluminium MB, then choose that. Apart from the lack of firewire, it seems a bit more "future-proofed" than its predecessors.

Re your other concerns, I can't predict the future, but given the relatively recent appearance of the unibody aluminium MB, I doubt we'll see major changes this side of September, possibly a tweak or two, perhaps a speed bump, or something similar.

Cheers and good luck
 
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