I'm buying a Mac (in about a month)! Help!!

In My Humble Opinion
1

IMHO? GQ? Who knows? I think I want opinions.

Tell me all I need to know about buying a Mac. I’m not going to be buying another computer for at least 3 years, so I don’t plan on going with the low-end Macbook. I kind of have that geeky fetish going on that makes me want a 17" MacBook Pro, but I don’t know if that sort of thing would be necessary.

Here’s what I’ll be using it for:

Intarwebs
Watching videos, and maybe minor video editing.
Webcamming (hooray iSight!)
Word processing/school stuff
DVD/CD ripping/burning (occasionally)
Minor photo editing (I’d like to get a DSLR at some point in my life.)

I know that I can get a brand-new 17" MacBook Pro 2.4 Ghzwith the bf’s Starbucks discount for $2,575, and the only upgrade I’d probably add is the 7200rpm HD if I go that route. But they also have a refurb 17" 2.33 for $2199, but I can’t upgrade the HD through Apple.

I also know that Macs have significant staying power, and I’d probably last 3 years with either of those models, no problem (especially because I’d DEFINITELY get AppleCare), and I have a friend whose mom owns an Apple store, who can get me a killer deal on software, so I’m not worried about that angle, either.

Now the 13-inch Macbook. It’d probably do what I want, and with the discount, the base price is $1222, and I’d add another gig of ram to it, so it would still be cheaper, AND that would leave me with a half a G or more to buy an almost middle-end DSLR.

FINALLY, the question. Other than the big screen that I want, and the secure knowledge that it’s gonna last me a long while, and the bright and shiny factor, I can’t justify the MacBook Pro to myself. 2200 dollars for the refurb is well within my budget, but do I need that power?

2

If you are doing things that require serious graphics power, best to get the Pro versions. The Pro versions have internal video cards with separate video memory; IIRC the non-Pro versions have ‘integrated’ video memory: the video memory is part of main memory. Apparently a lot of serious graphics apps don’t work as well with shared video memory.

Since I’m looking at CAD, I went with the Pro.

Good news: Apple just updated all their portables. You can not get a MacBook Pro with an LED backlight; it has almost twice the battery life of the one I bought two months ago (6 h versus 3.5 h).

3

I bought a Macbook about a year ago. It’s a 2 gHz core duo, 80 gig HD and I put in 2 gigs of RAM I bought from Circuit City. It does everything you’re talking about doing, including video editing for a little video podcast I put together a couple times per month. It’s plenty fast, and the ones available today that are core 2 duo are even faster.

I love the size of the thing, and that I can just throw it in my backpack and take it anywhere. It’s small, thin, and light. The screen real estate is kind of a pain in the butt when doing video editing and some Photoshop work, but I remedied that with a mini DVI to VGA converter and I attach that to a larger LCD that I have when doing things that need more screen space.

For the stuff you’re wanting to do, a Macbook with plenty of RAM will keep you satisfied for 3 years. It won’t be quite as pretty as the Pro or quite as much screen space, but it’ll satisfy your needs.

And welcome to the land of Macs! You’ll love it.

4

And the Intel-based ones will dual-boot Windows from a separate partition, run Windows software inside Windows inside a virtual machine using Parallels, and allow you to run some Windows software inside MacOS X through Codeweavers Crossover, a commercialised version of WINE.

5

I was really leaning toward the 2.33 gHz model. Is this the old one that you speak of with the shorter battery life? Maybe in a month or so when I am ready to buy, they’ll have refurbs of the new models.

6

I’d get the MacBook Pro refurb, and go with extra memory. (There is aftermarket memory available but I’ve heard varying degrees of compatibility and problems.) Swapping out for a larger hard drive isn’t a major problem, unless they’ve seriously reworked the internal geometry of the MacBook from the PowerBook configuration), whereas working on the iBook was a seroius pain in the ass; I suspect the same is true about non-Pro MacBooks. If you’re doing graphics or video playback/editing, I’d definitely get the Pro; the smaller ones are fine for e-mail, lightweight web-browsing, and portable office productivity apps, but I’d prefer the larger screen and better video capabilities of the Pro for video.

I don’t know if I’d bother with AppleCare. I didn’t, and I haven’t had any problems, and the Macs are robust enough that they don’t tend to suffer from wear the way some coughToshibacough laptops do, but it’s your dime and your peace of mind.

Stranger

7

You could do everything you require with a G3 for about $300.

8

Get thee to Mac Connection.

Here’s a MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo, new, at only $1549 ($1,699 before rebate.) It’s the 2.16 GHz version, though.

Mac Connection is an authorized Apple reseller. Here’s the information from the Apple website. This is where I bought my MacBook, and it was cheaper than going through my girlfriend with her student discount. They are completely reputable, and I have not heard of anyone having any major problems with them. They are not a bait and switch operation or anything like that.

9

That site is actually more expensive than going through apple.com with the Starbucks discount. I really kind of have my heart set on the revision D macbook pro, now that I know about the LED backlight. I hope that they have some refurbed ones when I’m ready to buy to make the decision easier for me.

10

It wouldn’t be as shiny, and I’d be worried about longevity. I’m already putting along, and I don’t want to bother porting everything over to an equally-slow computer.

11

The 17" MacBook Pro is just barely in the “Portable” category. It’s HUGE. Unless you need all that screen real-estate on the road, I’d get the MacBook, and put the money you save into an external monitor. I have the original MacBook, and it’s plenty fast. It gives my Quad G5 a run for the money on many tasks.

12

I have the 15.4" MB Pro, plus a 23" external monitor for at home. Best of both worlds.

Oh, and Google Earth runs like a dream. :slight_smile:

13

I picked up my 17" LCD monitor to gauge this, and it seems that it’d be OK. I really only take my laptop anywhere once every other week or so (usually to Waffle House), except for the bathroom (while pooping, you perv! Masturbation happens in the bedroom.)

I’m headed to Memphis next month, so if it really comes down to it, I can take a side trip to the Germantown Apple store, and feel them. I can’t imagine living on a 15" monitor, but I know that the Macbook Pro monitor is a higher resolution than I’m used to working with, also.

Does anyone know how long after a product comes out that they start having refurbs for them? I wouldn’t be opposed to getting a build C model, but I really want the LCD backlight more than anything.

14

Ah, it’s not that big; it is broad, but it has a very slim form factor. But you’re going to have to hunt around to find bags that will accept it, although the options now are better than they were a couple years ago. For me, it’s ideal, and I can even watch movies comfortably on it, which I don’t think an iBook/MacBook would be that great for. But if portability is the key parameter, a MacBook is definitely smaller.

Stranger

15

I love my Mac (had it for about a year now), I love just about everything about it; my problem is the rest of the world. The three things I need to do for my business are PC oriented, and the Mac versions just aren’t the same (MS Word, Excel, and a landscape design programme which won’t run on my Mac without Boot Camp and Windows). Surfing, email, pictures, music - I don’t think I’ll ever go back to PC for these, but I think my next purchase will have to be a PC for my business. I’m running Word and Excel for Macs and I just don’t like them.

16

I just got my new MacBook Pro in the mail yesterday! It’s the 15.4" model. I was torn between that model and the 17" and I couldn’t justify the extra cost for the 17" model, as well as the sheer size of it. It wouldn’t fit into my travel bag.

chaoticbear, if you are set on the 17" I would go for the refurbished model. In my experience, Apple has a pretty good record when dealing with refurbished models - they typically work quite well.

One thing to think about: you said you are thinking about getting a DSLR. One of the main things I used my old iBook for, and will use my MacBook Pro for, is for managing and editing digital photos. I tend to travel a lot and take both my camera and laptop with me, so in my case the smaller size really makes a big difference. If you ever got seriously into photography, you may want to consider getting a smaller screen size along with a nice monitor at home. As always, IMHO, YMMV.

Oh, and if you like photography you really should save up for a nice DSLR. I got a Nikon D70s about a year and a half ago, and for me it changed a small hobby into a much more enjoyable past-time. It’s made all the difference in the world!

Enjoy your new computer! :slight_smile:

17

The one I was looking at was the D40, mainly because the novice photographer in me loves Ken Rockwell, and he loves the D40. So I love the D40. Everyone wins.

Upon reading at macrumors.com, the new 17" doesn’t have the LED backlight anyway, but rated battery life is still 5.75 hours (which must mean that the battery is HUUGE?)

I haven’t set a firm budget yet, but it’s going to be at most 3000, maybe closer to 2600, so once the budget is set, and I get to go play around with the different sizes of MBP’s, I’ll be a little bit more informed.

18

FWIW, I do all my photo editing on the MacBook Pro 15.4 inch model, and the resolution is fine. (Photography is what I do for a living. Ken Rockwell is a bit crazy and I would take all his opinions with a very large grain of salt. However, you will not go wrong with the D40. Also be sure to look into the Canon xTi). Personally, I can’t justify paying that much more for an extra couple of inches. If I want, I plug it into an external monitor. I realize that the regular 17" MacBook Pro will not be cheaper on MacConnection, but they do have the occassional blowout on specific models. The cheapest MacBook Pro on the Apple website is $1999. Here you can get one for $1599. If you’re not going after one of the specials, though, then MacConnection will not be cheaper than something with a student or Starbucks discount.

19

The one that you mentioned for $1599, I couldn’t find, but I did find the 2.16 ghz 15" for $1549, but that’s after rebate, and the refurbed one from Apple is still 50 bucks less. The one you mentioned does include some freebies, though, and I’d have to evaluate at time of purchase if that’s worth it.

On a side note, any big electronics purchase I’ve ever made (read: 2), I’ve bought refurbished, and haven’t had any problems. My one friend with a refurbed MacBook is still plugging along just fine, but is there any reason I should avoid the refurb section with Apple? It still has the same warranty, and I can still buy Applecare.

20

That’s a good question, and I’d like to know the answer to that, too. I assume refurbs would be fine, especially since they come with the same warranty. I’ve just never looked into refurbs before. I didn’t realize Apple was selling them for that cheap.

Personally, I think a 15.4" model, regardless of where you get it from, is the best compromise between the 13" MacBook and the 17" MacBook Pro. I really do think 17" is too big for a laptop. I considered it myself, but decided to save the money towards a MacPro desktop (which I just ordered today! :)) The MacBook Pro works great in a dual monitor setup with a 23" inch screen, if you do need the extra visual real estate (which I completely understand).