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Your input on deciding between MBPs

TrojanX

TrojanX

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 6, 2010
99
0
Houston, Tx
I am currently going into my senior year of highschool, and after an extreme distaste in my mouth from my Toshiba Satalite (screen has a large green line and it crashes every 2-3 days! Never been dropped and no viruses) I have decided to go mac! I am expecting this to last up to 5 years( final year of highschool + College 4 years) without giving it relief from purchasing a new one. I want whatever I purchase to be functional in society uptill i get out of college and be reliable word processor, web browser (mostly youtube ect. but heavy use), and light photo/video editing. My conflict is between the 13" macbook, 13" MBPs, and the 15" MBPs. I want it to last and still be functional 5 years from now. My Budget is no more than 2000 including tax. What is your suggestion?? Should i go to the 15" entry level or stick with the bottom macbook?
 
I know I might have dabble in this in my last thread, so please excuse me if this seems repetitive but, that thread was more for Onyx and Freezing questions involved with the I5. Also, I have read the buying guide on MR and searched through other threads but, I am still conflicted and undecided.
 
Good to hear you're switching to Mac. ;)

Whichever model you decide to get, you will easily get 5+ years out of it. As far as which model to go with, it all depends on your budget, screen size preference, and what exactly you want to use it for.

I'm in college and use a 15" MBP, largely because I wanted to have a bigger screen to work with. But if you can deal with a slightly smaller screen, go with either the 13" MB or MBP. As far as specs go, you're really not going to notice too much of a difference in terms of speed and whatnot between the 3 models.

But since you said you'd be using it for heavy YouTube use, and vid/photo editing, I'd personally just say go with the MBP, either size.
 
saxon48 said:
Good to hear you're switching to Mac. ;)
As far as which model to go with, it all depends on your budget, screen size preference, and what exactly you want to use it for.

But since you said you'd be using it for heavy YouTube use, and vid/photo editing, I'd personally just say go with the MBP, either size.
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I have a 2000 dollar budget( can not excede that with tax) and would really like the entry 15" model, but I am conflicted on whether or not a 13" would be proficient enough for my needs and I could have a bit of money left over for various accessories and other things.
 
TrojanX said:
I have a 2000 dollar budget( can not excede that with tax) and would really like the entry 15" model, but I am conflicted on whether or not a 13" would be proficient enough for my needs and I could have a bit of money left over for various accessories and other things.
Click to expand...

The 13" MBP has the previous generation Intel processor (Core 2 Duo). If you're budget is about 2k, then go with that. You will definitely have enough for accessories/software. And for video/photo editing needs, the 13" MBP will serve you perfectly.
 
I was in the same situation as you as I also needed a new laptop that will last me through grade 12 and university. I chose to go with the fastest processor because in 5 years, the i5 or C2D may be very outdated, so the i7 may benefit in the long run.

Although my setup did cost about $2500CDN with the student discount...

My setup:

i7 15" MBP
HiRes Glossy
4GB RAM
500GB @7200
512MB VRAM
iWork
Final Cut
 
5 years of useful life?

Get the 15" mbp. The only reason that I got the 13" mbp is because I know that I'm going to upgrade probably in 2-3 years.
 
quick question, do you guys think that the 13" 2.4 C2D with 8gb ram would be better than 15" I5 4gb??

hydrocity said:
I chose to go with the fastest processor because in 5 years, the i5 or C2D may be very outdated, so the i7 may benefit in the long run.
Although my setup did cost about $2500CDN with the student discount...
Click to expand...
thanks alot for the info, I just can't spend more than 2000 period so thats a bit out of my league. any suggestions for 2000??? Is the I5 proccesor worth it?

jjahshik32 said:
Get the 15" mbp.
Click to expand...
Thanks, that is honestly how I am leaning. getting the 15" lowend
 
If you get the 15", it will come to $1699, including the student discount. Leaving you $300 to go with either AppleCare (plus a few dollars extra), MS Office, or whatever you may need (AC is strongly recommended.)
 
TrojanX said:
quick question, do you guys think that the 13" 2.4 C2D with 8gb ram would be better than 15" I5 4gb??

thanks alot for the info, I just can't spend more than 2000 period so thats a bit out of my league. any suggestions for 2000??? Is the I5 proccesor worth it?
Click to expand...

More RAM will result in a better multi-tasking experience. I dont know what programs you will be using, but RAM that is not being used = wasted money. Since RAM is upgradable, I would just stick with 4GB and upgrade if you need to when you have more money.

On the other hand, the CPU is not upgradable, which is why I went for the highest currently available. Dont know how much it costs in the US (Im assuming you live there) but I think a 15" i5 will be plenty powerfull enough. Stick with 4GB and upgrade to 8GB or a SSD down the road.
 
Oh, you may want to look into buying a refurbished MBP. Quality control from apple on refurbished products has been good to me so far. You can buy the lowest end MBP right now for 1,529.
 
saxon48 said:
If you get the 15", it will come to $1699, including the student discount. Leaving you $300 to go with either AppleCare (plus a few dollars extra), MS Office, or whatever you may need (AC is strongly recommended.)
Click to expand...
Can you get the student discount if your still in highschool and, if not can a friend do it for you without having issues by returning it for service ect.

Sorry if im asking such newb-ish questions guys and stealing your time.
 
+1 for refurbs.

Alternatively, you may want to shop online other places than Apple for your new MBP. MacMall.com is an excellent site.
 
Yes, also keep in mind that the student discount actually isn't worth it unless you want to go for a high res/anti glare screen. I say this because you can buy the lowest end MBP for 1,713$ off of amazon + shipping, but no tax. So in the end i believe it will actually be cheaper.

This is of course, if you have a problem with refurbished products.
 
TrojanX said:
Can you get the student discount if your still in highschool and, if not can a friend do it for you without having issues by returning it for service ect.

Sorry if im asking such newb-ish questions guys and stealing your time.
Click to expand...


You're not asking n00bish questions at all. Everyone here is more than happy to help you on these forums. :)

About the discount, check Apple's website. I'm not sure if it's just limited only to graduating, college-bound seniors, or all high school/college students in general.
 
saxon48 said:
You're not asking n00bish questions at all. Everyone here is more than happy to help you on these forums. :)

About the discount, check Apple's website. I'm not sure if it's just limited only to graduating, college-bound seniors, or all high school/college students in general.
Click to expand...

Hes right, this is what this place is for:)

As for student discount, I do believe it says university or college only, but if you order it online, theres a very good chance of them not asking for ID. However I do recommend you have a friend or family member in Secondary school just in case.

As for being questioned when you take it in, you should be ok. I think...
 
All they asked me last year was where I was going to college. So I'd say you'd probably be alright going in by yourself.
 
You guys totally rock btw, just saying, and when I grow up to be a longtime mac user i wanna be just like you!!! lol ;)

Now on refurbs, what is the return policy and service policy. Plus, are they pretty reliable in general. I have a bad track record with refurbs and, I had to trade in 3 different refurbished playstation 3s with gamestop to get one that worked more than a day! Oh and, can you get refurbs from the Apple Store??
 
TrojanX said:
You guys totally rock btw, just saying, and when I grow up to be a longtime mac user i wanna be just like you!!! lol ;)

Now on refurbs, what is the return policy and service policy. Plus, are they pretty reliable in general. I have a bad track record with refurbs and, I had to trade in 3 different refurbished playstation 3s with gamestop to get one that worked more than a day! Oh and, can you get refurbs from the Apple Store??
Click to expand...

I belive you get the same policies. 14 day return period, if opened you pay 10%. It also comes with a 1 year warranty.

People also say that refurbs may be better since they are actually inspected by Apple, so the chances of dead pixels/bad screen bleeds will be fixed before sold. Only thing is you wont be able to get an education discount with refurbs.

Oh, and one more very important thing. You WONT get the sexy box! Only a very boring plain white or brown thing...
 
TrojanX said:
You guys totally rock btw, just saying, and when I grow up to be a longtime mac user i wanna be just like you!!! lol ;)

Now on refurbs, what is the return policy and service policy. Plus, are they pretty reliable in general. I have a bad track record with refurbs and, I had to trade in 3 different refurbished playstation 3s with gamestop to get one that worked more than a day! Oh and, can you get refurbs from the Apple Store??
Click to expand...

Refurbs i believe have they have the same return policy. Heres what they say on the apple site.

Before we put a refurbished Mac, iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV up for sale in Special Deals, it undergoes a rigorous refurbishment process to make sure it's up to Apple's tough quality standards. We back it with our standard one-year limited warranty. And you have the option of purchasing an AppleCare Protection Plan for it.

It has the same one year warranty. The only difference is it will come in a brown box? Cosmetically, every apple product i've bought refurbished has been flawless. You can do a search on macrumors and there are several other threads with very happy refurbished products.

Me and hydrocity basically said the same thing at the same time haha =0
 
TrojanX said:
You guys totally rock btw, just saying, and when I grow up to be a longtime mac user i wanna be just like you!!! lol ;)

Now on refurbs, what is the return policy and service policy. Plus, are they pretty reliable in general. I have a bad track record with refurbs and, I had to trade in 3 different refurbished playstation 3s with gamestop to get one that worked more than a day! Oh and, can you get refurbs from the Apple Store??
Click to expand...

Here's Apple's page on refurbished MBP's (all of which come with a 1 year warranty): http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_pro

How they hold up depends on where you get them from. In some cases, refurbs can be hit or miss just like with consoles.

IMO, I'd go with the refurbs from Apple's website, primarily because it comes right from the source, no middleman. But lets see what other users have to say on the matter.

2 other users beat me haha. Guess I'm a darn slow typer. :(
 
Lol =).

I've ordered 2 laptops and several ipod touches from apple's refurbished site.

For them to sell refurbished ipod touches scratch free is amazing to me. Those things scratch if it comes in contact with a cotton shirt! Anyways, this should not be a hit or miss experience like at gamestop. Apple is on a completely different level when it comes to refurbished products.
 
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