New 2009 Macbook Pro lineup (questions, recommendations)

Labbo94

Labbo94

CAGiversary!
Feedback
12 (100%)
I need a new laptop for school this fall, and I've finally decided to follow through with the jump from PC to Mac. I'll mainly be using the computer for internet browsing, word processing, IMing, light multi-media, and maybe a little gaming here and there.

I'd like to keep my budget around or under $1500, but I'm willing to spend a little more if it's really worth it. Right now, I'm mainly looking at the new 13" Macbook Pro or the 15" MBP. Since I'd be buying the $1500 model of the 13", I'm contemplating whether or not to drop the extra $200 on the extra 2" of screen space.

If anyone has any ideas, comments, or reviews of these laptops I'd love to hear them. This is a pretty big investment for me, so I'm doing as much research as possible.
 
[quote name='Labbo94']I'll mainly be using the computer for internet browsing, word processing, IMing, light multi-media, and maybe a little gaming here and there. [/QUOTE]

If that's it, then why on earth would you want a Mac?

I've had Macs all my life. I only recently got my first PC. There is absolutely no reason for your casual word-processor-and-email-user to get a Mac. You have to spend hours looking for obscure lookarounds to do the simplest things, it's stupidly expensive, and you can't play most games.

What's your reasoning here?
 
nice. i think i'll be making a similar purchase in the fall.


personally, i'd go with the $1200 base 13" model. IMO 13" over 15" is an easy choice, the 13" is more portable and nearly the same resolution. the main difference performance-wise is ram and hard disk space... you're much better off storing huge files somewhere else (remotely, home server, or external hdd) and 160 is plenty for programs and such. further, you could (somewhat easily) replace the hdd on your own later if you really wanted to. the ram, especially, is best upgraded aftermarket if you really need to. though i think you'll find 2gb is plenty for OSX.

also don't forget the educational discount, which i believe is 10%. if you go to a big university check with your school if they have any sort of special Mac day. Apple partners with large universities across the country to offer discounted products. at my school it's once a year, there are discounts on top of the 10% educational discount and, additionally, no tax (sales tax is 9.something here, so that's pretty huge). from what i've heard, at some schools (stanford, maybe others) they do it more than once a year.

anyway, yeah.. expect a couple comments from the mac haters here, but don't let them sway you, macbooks are expensive, but a great choice for college if you can afford it.
 
If you're going to get a mac you should have gotten one the week of WWDC, Apple slashed their prices on most refurbs.
 
It really depends. If you're going to be hauling your computer around everywhere then the 13" is the best option. Judging by your needs, it seems as if Koggit is right, you're only going to need to the base model. No need to spend extra money on stuff you'll never need. Especially since you'll probably need every penny as a college student.

Also, remember that you can dual-boot Windows for all of your light gaming needs, so don't worry about games being difficult to find for macs.
 
[quote name='XxFuRy2Xx']It really depends. If you're going to be hauling your computer around everywhere then the 13" is the best option. Judging by your needs, it seems as if Koggit is right, you're only going to need to the base model. No need to spend extra money on stuff you'll never need. Especially since you'll probably need every penny as a college student.

Also, remember that you can dual-boot Windows for all of your light gaming needs, so don't worry about games being difficult to find for macs.[/QUOTE]
obviously cost isn't that big a deal for him since he's getting a mac...

But really, if you're concerned about cost... why are you even considering a mac? Why not spend like half the money on a 13" laptop that can do the exact same thing? I know I sound like a typical Mac hater... but quite frankly buying Macs just really doesn't make sense to me. I mean, if you're rich and want to flaunt your money, go ahead and buy a Mac... otherwise, I just truly do not think it's worth the extra cost
 
i understand where you're coming from okt, it's definitely hard to swallow paying the OSX premium and it's not for everyone, but for users who want a high-end midsize laptop and don't need the flexibility of windows, there really is no better choice.

the only PC manufacturer i can think of that even offers products comparable in quality to macbooks is lenovo, and they're not much cheaper -- and still have a couple drawbacks, inferior battery life, inferior displays and symantec trackpads (though symantec's newer trackpads are very similar to the apple multitouch pads, so this advantage isn't going to last long).

hardware aside, because you admittedly are paying a premium for OSX, macs are good for people who would rather something simple and stable, who don't need much. apple's entire business model is really "don't let the user do more than most need, so we can keep things easy and secure" and for the most part it works. many users are frustrated about this aspect of the iphone. apple chooses to lock down features to keep things simple. hell, you can't even resize windows with anything other than the bottom-right corner... everything is locked down and you don't have as many choices, but if you aren't going to exercise those choices (and it sounds like the OP isn't) then the benefit is a more secure and more efficient system.

note.. i
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I was thinking about a Mac but went with this instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834114611

I bought it for about $415 shipped a month or two ago and couldn't be happier with it. It looks and feels great, has the same specs as the new entry level Macbook Pro (except for the graphics card, and the awesome battery that the Macbooks have), and it runs The Sims 3 very well.

I know that you've probably already decided on getting a Macbook Pro, but just showing you that you can get a great laptop for what you need for 1/3 of the price. It's $379.99 with free shipping right now at newegg, and I can't reccommend it enough, as someone who is starting college in a couple months.
 
thank you for my see one
signature_deepthakur.jpg
 
[quote name='Koggit']i understand where you're coming from okt, it's definitely hard to swallow paying the OSX premium and it's not for everyone, but for users who want a high-end midsize laptop and don't need the flexibility of windows, there really is no better choice.

the only PC manufacturer i can think of that even offers products comparable in quality to macbooks is lenovo, and they're not much cheaper -- and still have a couple drawbacks, inferior battery life, inferior displays and symantec trackpads (though symantec's newer trackpads are very similar to the apple multitouch pads, so this advantage isn't going to last long).

hardware aside, because you admittedly are paying a premium for OSX, macs are good for people who would rather something simple and stable, who don't need much. apple's entire business model is really "don't let the user do more than most need, so we can keep things easy and secure" and for the most part it works. many users are frustrated about this aspect of the iphone. apple chooses to lock down features to keep things simple. hell, you can't even resize windows with anything other than the bottom-right corner... everything is locked down and you don't have as many choices, but if you aren't going to exercise those choices (and it sounds like the OP isn't) then the benefit is a more secure and more efficient system.

note.. i
 
certainly nothing wrong with a mac, but based on the fact that you are getting it for school and what you will be actually using it for, go to HP and get a tablet. A far better choice for what you will be using it for
 
I have to disagree with koggit. I switched from PC to Mac completely and I don't feel limited at all. I do have parallels running in case I need Windows for some reason, but that case hasn't appeared, not yet anyway.

The only thing that I really do miss is using Winamp. I was never the biggest fan of iTunes.
 
Thanks for all the comments guys, they're actually pretty helpful. To everyone asking why I'm so set on a Mac, I guess I can't really give you a reasonable answer. I like the image of them, the quality that comes with them, the business ethics that Apple has always had, and the all-around polish (inside and out) that I've found in Macs.

Let's see if this analogy makes any sense: I feel like on a PC, I'm a child at a carnival. Everything is vibrant and exciting, but with those thrills and options come a certain risk. Anything could happen at any time whether I'm aware of it or not. On a Mac, I feel like a kid in front of a television screen. I get almost just as much fun without any of the risk.
 
[quote name='Labbo94']Thanks for all the comments guys, they're actually pretty helpful. To everyone asking why I'm so set on a Mac, I guess I can't really give you a reasonable answer. I like the image of them, the quality that comes with them, the business ethics that Apple has always had, and the all-around polish (inside and out) that I've found in Macs.

Let's see if this analogy makes any sense: I feel like on a PC, I'm a child at a carnival. Everything is vibrant and exciting, but with those thrills and options come a certain risk. Anything could happen at any time whether I'm aware of it or not. On a Mac, I feel like a kid in front of a television screen. I get almost just as much fun without any of the risk.[/QUOTE]

risks as in viruses? Just get a free anti-virus program like avast, update Windows regularly, and simply be smart when using the internet (like don't download fishy programs, etc) and you'll be virus-free.

But if you're really willing to pay that extra money for those reasons, so be it (although my roommate who owns a Macbook Pro all-out hates the image that comes with owning a Mac). I would go for the 13" over the 15". I have a 15.4" laptop and if I didn't game, I would want it to be smaller.
 
about half my school has macbooks and about half have PCs.. i don't notice any difference between the users, i simply don't understand why people associate any sort of image with pc/mac owners.. someone should describe the 'image of a mac user' or the differences between pc/mac users
 
The image? That's stupid.

The quality that comes with them? That's what we're talking about, quality, and that's what you can't describe. You think they're quality because they're quality?

Business ethics? Like making you get a new computer all the time?

I don't get it. Like I said, I've had them all my life. They're just computers.
 
[quote name='Labbo94']the business ethics that Apple has always had[/QUOTE]

I'm sueing you as that made me laugh so hard I ruptured a lung
 
[quote name='Koggit']about half my school has macbooks and about half have PCs.. i don't notice any difference between the users, i simply don't understand why people associate any sort of image with pc/mac owners.. someone should describe the 'image of a mac user' or the differences between pc/mac users[/QUOTE]

it's one of arrogance, mainly coming from how Apple is portrayed and how they advertise. I would say that this doesn't apply to most people who own a Mac, but there are some (like that Jim Goldman of CNBC who did this really retarded report on how PC's actually come out to being more expensive than Macs)
 
Typing on my 15.4" macbook pro and I would recommend getting a 13" basic model for most of your daily needs. Things to consider before you go ahead with your purchase:

1) Battery life - although great initially over time (over 400 charge cycles) the battery only last about 90 min. In all likelihood you'll have to replace it in about to years.

2) If you want to play games or run windows in parallel you should consider upgrading the ram.

3) HDD - now you can upgrade the harddrive on your own without voiding the warranty so space is not an issue anymore.

4) get the 3 year apple care...it's worth it
 
after being a hardcore pc user for 23 years i finally switched to a mac. Very very happy with my decision. I'm a professional photographer and the speed and ease of usability of the mac only makes my job that much faster. Bootcamping runs all of my favorite games (heavy steam user/valve supporter, battlefield 2, bioshock, stalker) maxed out. Thats all i need. After i maxed the ram out, i haven't had a single "limiting issue" with it. It was expensive, yes, but it sure is easy to take with me on the job. convenience and speed is a must in my line of work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top