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Help buying a new macbook pro
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So it's finally time to get a new laptop to replace the first edition 15 inch MBP i got for school and subsequently destroyed. So i'm sort of a douche and ive gotten really used to the mac pro at my dad's work and can't stand using a computer that is slow/doesnt have much space to work with. Also i only get a new computer every so often so i dont see much of a reason to skimp on it.
ANYWAY i'm checking out the 15 inch MBPs and my question is, is there a noticeable difference between the i5/2.53 GHz and the i7/2.66 GHz? it's like a 200 dollar difference.
also, what's a good place to buy a refurbished one? does anyone have any good reason to not buy a refurbished one as opposed to a new one? thanks for your help
oh and if youre here to talk about PCs vs macs, fuck off cause i love my toy computers! also, youre a dork
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oh also, are there new macbook pros coming out? i havent seen anything about it but id hate to fall for another buy-a-new-mac-then-watch-the-new-ones-come-out-2-weeks-later-along-with-cheaper-prices-on-the-old-ones. shit's weak
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just bought a mbp, 13 inch 2.66, 4gb ram, its nice. i havnt ever used a faster computer than this. that said, unless you are doing really heavy hardcore editing or some shit, you should be fine with the "lesser" processor.
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remember that processor speed isn;t everything, there are alot of other things that go into over all speed. you wont notice that diff between the i5 and i7 all that much, but if you decide to go for an ssd over a hdd you will for sure see a dramatic speed increase.
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oh shit i forgot ssd's are in the game...hmm i gotta check the prices on those
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the i5 to i7 difference really won't show itself in everyday use, but it may cut a few minutes of render times and things like that.
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oh holy christ it looks like the SSD ones are more than a grand more expensive. too bad, i dont have the funds for that..
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yeah see that's the thing, i cant guarantee i wont be doing some moderately heavy editing on this thing
thanks for the answers guys keep them coming
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that's a pretty good idea but itd still be expensive right? id want the largest one so thatd be a grand or whatever
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Updates on the MBP happen every 8 months or so. Last update was in April, so they could be doing some upgrades here in the next couple months to hump something out before Christmas, but not a huge redesign or anything.
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hmm okay thanks man. maybe i should just put it off a bit more. couldnt hurt to get something a little better for the same price, or the same thing for a slightly lower price
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is it just the processor that changes the 2.53 ghz to 2.66 ghz? and your saying that there isnt a noticeable difference of the different ghz
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this is the accepted gold standard for all processor speeds. as you can see there is a notcieable difference between the i5 and i7
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nice thank you... unfortunately its looking like i should go ahead and get the i7
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i just noticed that you didnt write anywhere what you would be using this computer for. if your not going to be video editing i dont think the i7 would be necessary
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yeah ill be using it for mostly normal bullshitting but 1) im a douche and have gotten really used to crazy speed on the mac pro, and i will definitely be doing at least some FCP on it
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i5 definitely. and i appreciate that you recognize that people judge you based on your computer. there are so many kids that have macs and dont understand why they are automatically pinned as dbags
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BUMP
it's getting closer and i still am not so sure i should compromise and get the i5
also, i checked out that macrumors page and it says do not buy, can anyone in the know here tell me how soon MBPs are gonna get updated and how?
also, again, what are some really legit places to get a refurbished one? and would you recommend getting a refurbished one?
THANKS A LOT
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also, any opinions on whether it's worth it to get applecare? what do they mean when they say "you get global repair coverage for your Mac — both parts and labor — through convenient service options." ? what exactly does that mean?
i know there are some computer savvy people on here so help me out! please and thanks
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well i do edit HVX footage on it but mostly i'll be doing the normal bullshitting. when you said ill notice a heat difference did you mean the i7 will get hotter you mean the i7 will get hotter right?
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I'd say go with the i5 and use the money saved to upgrade to a 7200 RPM HDD and 8 GB of RAM. I'd buy both of newegg or something and do it yourself. Both are very easy upgrades. You could also use the money to upgrade to a high res or high res matte finish display.
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that's exactly what i was thinking a few moments ago. i was wondering why it's more for a matte screen? when i got my first mbp (first gen) the non-glossy screen wasn't extra, why is the stupid glossy thing considered default??
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You've got me there. I guess it's just Apple being Apple.
I'm thinking of getting the 13 inch MBP myself with the 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo with 4 GB RAM and a 500GB HDD. Later down the road I'm planning on upgrading to 8 GB of RAM simply because its a very easy upgrade and it costs a lot less to buy if off newegg than it does optioning it in from Apple. I'm also thinking of buying a 512 SSD once prices fall a bit (another year or two). Or maybe I'll order it with the lowest HDD and save the money to buy a 7200 RPM 500 GB HDD from the start. I just hope they don't release new 13 inch MBPs with Core i5's in January.
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oh man i know, i was thinking how badly i wish i didnt dislike the 13 inch screen so much or i could get all the good specs for about 900 bucks less
thanks for your help man much appreciated
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i definitely think you should get applecare. it lasts 3 years, and personally i've gotten full use out of it. I needed a new motherboard for my mbp and it was apparently $1000+, but applecare covered it and gave me a new battery too. Also got a new screen a few years ago.
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motherfucker! they explicitly told me applecare didnt cover screens a couple years ago!
(thanks for the input though)
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it wasn't a cracked screen or anything. it was a problem with the connection to the screen. but they did end up giving me a brand new one
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Yeah, but it seems like you wouldn't be happy with the Core 2 Duo unless your talking about the likely i5 update to the MBP 13 inch.
For me, I'm coming off a 4 year old Dell clocked at 1995 MHz (Basically 2GHz), 2 GB of RAM, and a 120 GB HDD so even the 13 inch MBP will be a huge upgrade. Its also a 14 inch screen and when testing out the 13.3 and 15.4 inch MBPs the 13.3 inch felt more similar to my Dell. Specifically the keyboard reach. The 15.4 felt like there was too much distance from the edge of the computer to the start of the keyboard. The footprint of the 15.4and the weight also felt off. The 13.3 felt more natural to me, closer in feel to my Dell.
I do wish I could either get the i5 in the 13 inch or feel more comfortable with the 15 inch MBP, maybe I should hold off for the updates. I'm pretty sure they'll introduce i5s into the 13 inch. If its just the i3, then it's not really an upgrade unless Intel adds dynamic overclocking to the i3 series.
I plan on buying a monitor and keyboard w/ number pad for my 13 inch MBP so I get the portability and similar feel of my Dell, but when I need to run CAD programs like Pro E and Solidworks and programs like Maple, MATLAB, and Excel I have more screen real estate and a keyboard with a number pad.
Very excited to make the switch from Windows to Mac. Like I said I plan on upgrading to 8 GB of RAM on my own and either a faster HDD or SSD if the prices can come down.
When are you planning on buying?
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oooh haha i only glanced and didnt realize the 13 inch wasnt i5
i should have bought one a while ago, ive been using my dad's old macbook for now which is fine, but i need to get a new one soon. the sooner the better cause i'd love to get it and start getting it all set up and loaded with the programs i want. but now im wondering if i should wait for a new gen
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Yeah, rumor has it that when the line gets updated i3 and/or i5 will be introduced to the 13 inch MBP. I need to upgrade soon, my Dell has all sorts of problems and I'm sick of playing its games.
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hmmm wish i could nail down when the next update will happen..
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* The 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro received a new build-to-order option for a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 processor on October 20th, 2010. The new option does not constitute a full update to the MacBook Pro line, but does suggest that a more substantial update to the full MacBook Pro lineup is not imminent.
Probably the best you'll get.
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yeah that was confusing cause in big red letters it said DO NOT BUY NOW but then basically said blah blah blah implies that there probably won't be a big update soon. sort of confusing
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Yo man, just read that Apple will be updating MBP's in April. Wait it out if you can.
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oooh shit really.... that is a while but ive been using my dad's white macbook anyway. maybe i can wait it out, that'd be nice..
thanks for re-finding the thread and giving me the heads up dude, much appreciated
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huge difference if your running adobe products and even bigger if you produce music.
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