Questions for a person who may buy a Mac

[AnthroAndStargate]

Hello - I am graduating next year and going abroad and thus I am considering getting a new computer, a Mac Book Pro 15".

I have some questions and reservations about it and I was wondering if anyone could answer any of them.

First off I have hear rumors that a new Mac Book Pro or Apple laptop is coming out in January (or at least being announced in January). Does anyone know if this is true? If it gets announced a Mac World does that mean it is coming out then or will it be awhile later?
I wanna get a new laptop bad but I'm willing to wait - I need to get it by Mayish though but pref. before so I can learn the new OS if I do get a Mac.

My other questions involve the Mac hardware/software themself.

In reading this forum it seems like Mac has a lot of problems that the fanboys dont talk about. Installing apps seems to be obtuse at best and arcane at worst. Is this a problem in Mac? I like the simplicity of clicking Next > Next > Next in Windows versus having to drag .app files all over the computer.

Is the issue with icons on the desktop a problem (since they all load into the RAM?)

Also what about gaming with macs? I'm a pretty heavy game, I play TF2, BF2, BF2142, WoW (sometimes), Tabula Rasa, and other games off and on. I know I cant run any of these but WoW in Mac but what about in Windows? I read people complaining about how slow their MacBooks Pros are now with Leopard and how Bootcamp hangs and stuff. Is it still impossible to game on a Mac?

Any other advice/pointers?

Thanks SO much from a prospective user!

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: AnthroAndStargate
Hello - I am graduating next year and going abroad and thus I am considering getting a new computer, a Mac Book Pro 15".

I have some questions and reservations about it and I was wondering if anyone could answer any of them.

First off I have hear rumors that a new Mac Book Pro or Apple laptop is coming out in January (or at least being announced in January). Does anyone know if this is true? If it gets announced a Mac World does that mean it is coming out then or will it be awhile later?
I wanna get a new laptop bad but I'm willing to wait - I need to get it by Mayish though but pref. before so I can learn the new OS if I do get a Mac.

No one really knows, all we have is rumor and speculation to go off of. That being said, i wouldn't expect a major MacBook Pro update until the new Penryn based processors are introduced for the mobile. As it stands right now, the MacBook Pro is plenty powerful, and I can't figure how anything that gets released in January will be much more so.

My other questions involve the Mac hardware/software themself.

In reading this forum it seems like Mac has a lot of problems that the fanboys dont talk about. Installing apps seems to be obtuse at best and arcane at worst. Is this a problem in Mac? I like the simplicity of clicking Next > Next > Next in Windows versus having to drag .app files all over the computer.

Dragging the apps to the Applications folder (so not all over the computer, one place) is in my opinion a much cleaner and faster way to install things than the Windows norm of clicking next and OK about 5 times. However, not all apps get installed that way. They will still end up in the Applications folder, but you will have to go through an install dialog.

Is the issue with icons on the desktop a problem (since they all load into the RAM?)

I think that is no longer the case with Leopard, but honestly, I don't put anything on my desktop for more than a day anyway. It is my dumping ground for images from the web (faster, IMO to drag them to the desktop and then sort/label them later).

Also what about gaming with macs? I'm a pretty heavy game, I play TF2, BF2, BF2142, WoW (sometimes), Tabula Rasa, and other games off and on. I know I cant run any of these but WoW in Mac but what about in Windows? I read people complaining about how slow their MacBooks Pros are now with Leopard and how Bootcamp hangs and stuff. Is it still impossible to game on a Mac?

Gaming on Windows on a Mac is pretty much the exact same as gaming on any equivalently specced Windows laptop. I'm not entirely sure what people are comparing the MacBook Pro to in order to decide that it is slow since a 2.2+ GHz Core 2 and an 8600m GT are not exactly slouches. They aren't dual 7950s in SLI or anything, but definitely nothing to snub one's nose at.

Any other advice/pointers?

Do you research, decide if you really do want a Mac. There is a price premium right now to buying one (since the switch to intel, Apple has had the latest and greatest stuff of each generation first. So the first with Santa Rosa, 8 Series mobile cards, one of the first with Core Duo, etc.) so that would factor in. If they do release a new on in January, then that would be the time to buy since for the first few months that Apple has a major refresh out, they are priced quite competitively against the likes of HP, Sony, Dell.

If you think that you will need to boot into Windows more than say.... 60-70% of the time, then buy yourself a Windows machine. Also, make sure that the things that you use on a regular basis can be replaced on/have versions for, OS X. Nothing more annoying than having to turn on a VM or restart the computer for that one little app.

Thanks SO much from a prospective user!

 

[Parasitic]

If you're graduating this year then you might as well jump on the gun and get a MBP with your education discount. You can save at least $200 off the price of retail.

 

[Pabster]

You can keep waiting forever...

There is likely to be something new in January. My bet is that the Mini will be discontinued in favor of a 'Nano'.

I really don't see anything new on the MB/MBP front. So if it's a laptop you need, go for it.

 

[FearoftheNight]

get the mbp thru the adc program for the hardware discount

 

[AnthroAndStargate]

Originally posted by: FearoftheNight
get the mbp thru the adc program for the hardware discount

adc = academic discount?

i know when i go onto the site i can pick my uni and it gives me like 200 dollars off a mac book pro - is this what your talking about?

 

[MrTransistorm]

adc = apple developer connection

$99 gets you a one-year student adc membership which includes a one-time 20% hardware discount. On the base 15" mbp, you'll save an extra $101 (accounting for membership fee) over the regular student discount.

http://developer.apple.com/products/student.html

To get to the ADC store, click the link below. Then click on "ADC Hardware Purchase Program Store"

http://developer.apple.com/membership/usa.html

 

[Kmax82]

Originally posted by: AnthroAndStargate
Also what about gaming with macs? I'm a pretty heavy game, I play TF2, BF2, BF2142, WoW (sometimes), Tabula Rasa, and other games off and on. I know I cant run any of these but WoW in Mac but what about in Windows? I read people complaining about how slow their MacBooks Pros are now with Leopard and how Bootcamp hangs and stuff. Is it still impossible to game on a Mac?

Any other advice/pointers?

Thanks SO much from a prospective user!

Being an owner of the most recent MBP version, I wanted to chime in on the gaming.

I installed Bootcamp and have run Oblivion, UT2k4, UT3, Crysis, HL2, etc... and they all run VERY well. I installed UT3 and expected it to choke, but it ran at medium/high settings at 1440x900 (native res of LCD). I was quite impressed! Crysis also ran very admirably at Medium settings (1280x800).

I think you'd be quite happy with it. There is a learning curve if you're coming from the Windows platform, but if you read TheStu's guide, or many of the other ones out there, you'll be up and ready to go in no time.

I don't think there will be a major upgrade to the MBP line in January. I could be wrong, I've been wrong before, but I don't see any major hardware upgrades that will warrant an update.

Ultimately it's your decision, but ever since I switched over from PC to Mac, I haven't looked back.

Good luck with your decision. Since it's so close to the Macworld Expo, I would wait until after the conference before you buy anything (just to be safe). You can never tell with Apple, especially when they have a big conference coming up.

 

[ubercaffeinated]

Originally posted by: Kmax82

Originally posted by: AnthroAndStargate
Also what about gaming with macs? I'm a pretty heavy game, I play TF2, BF2, BF2142, WoW (sometimes), Tabula Rasa, and other games off and on. I know I cant run any of these but WoW in Mac but what about in Windows? I read people complaining about how slow their MacBooks Pros are now with Leopard and how Bootcamp hangs and stuff. Is it still impossible to game on a Mac?

Any other advice/pointers?

Thanks SO much from a prospective user!

Being an owner of the most recent MBP version, I wanted to chime in on the gaming.

I installed Bootcamp and have run Oblivion, UT2k4, UT3, Crysis, HL2, etc... and they all run VERY well. I installed UT3 and expected it to choke, but it ran at medium/high settings at 1440x900 (native res of LCD). I was quite impressed! Crysis also ran very admirably at Medium settings (1280x800).

I think you'd be quite happy with it. There is a learning curve if you're coming from the Windows platform, but if you read TheStu's guide, or many of the other ones out there, you'll be up and ready to go in no time.

I don't think there will be a major upgrade to the MBP line in January. I could be wrong, I've been wrong before, but I don't see any major hardware upgrades that will warrant an update.

Ultimately it's your decision, but ever since I switched over from PC to Mac, I haven't looked back.

Good luck with your decision. Since it's so close to the Macworld Expo, I would wait until after the conference before you buy anything (just to be safe). You can never tell with Apple, especially when they have a big conference coming up.

did you upgrade the hdd to 7200 rpm?

 

[Parasitic]

Originally posted by: MrTransistorm
adc = apple developer connection

$99 gets you a one-year student adc membership which includes a one-time 20% hardware discount. On the base 15" mbp, you'll save an extra $101 (accounting for membership fee) over the regular student discount.

http://developer.apple.com/products/student.html

To get to the ADC store, click the link below. Then click on "ADC Hardware Purchase Program Store"

http://developer.apple.com/membership/usa.html

Do you have this ADC membership yourself? How long does it take to get verified and activated?

That $1699 price on the base model MBP is pretty enticing.

 

[Kmax82]

Originally posted by: makoto00
did you upgrade the hdd to 7200 rpm?

No, I wish I had, but I didn't have the money for that upgrade at the time. I had to wait on the 4GB of RAM also. The HDD will probably come sometime after the New Year.

 

[FearoftheNight]

doesn't upgrading the hd on the mbp void the laptop warranty completely?

i have the adc membership and it took like 3-4 days for me to send in an enrollment verification and a scanned copy of my student id

 

[Parasitic]

How long does it take the ADC store to ship a MBP, assuming that I didn't do any upgrades from the base model?
Semester is over soon, and I'd love to have something nice to play with over the break when I'm home

 

[EvilYoda]

I've been waiting for an ultraportable mac laptop since they moved to Intel architecture...with the rumor being strong about a new 13" that's half the weight of a 15" MBP...I'll be first in line.

Granted, I'm sure they'll screw me over again. But in the meantime, I've got Leopard working on my desktop and I'm a happy camper.

 

[ubercaffeinated]

Originally posted by: Kmax82

Originally posted by: makoto00
did you upgrade the hdd to 7200 rpm?

No, I wish I had, but I didn't have the money for that upgrade at the time. I had to wait on the 4GB of RAM also. The HDD will probably come sometime after the New Year.

is the middle model with 256 megs of video ram worth it over the base model with only 128? i'm gonna get a mac book pro as my next laptop, and yes i will game on it as much as it allows.

 

[TheStu]

From what I have heard, the 256MB version is mostly useful for really big maps in games, or for driving really large displays (30" Widescreen)

 

[MrTransistorm]

Originally posted by: Parasitic
Do you have this ADC membership yourself? How long does it take to get verified and activated?

That $1699 price on the base model MBP is pretty enticing.

I haven't got it yet myself. I'm still saving up for the mbp at the moment. I found out about the ADC deal when secretanchitman posted about it recently. Check this thread:

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...id=81&threadid=2086337

Looks like it only took 2 days to get the membership and 19 days to get the mbp.

 

[Kmax82]

Originally posted by: makoto00

is the middle model with 256 megs of video ram worth it over the base model with only 128? i'm gonna get a mac book pro as my next laptop, and yes i will game on it as much as it allows.

If you're going to game with it, or run big dual displays, then I would say yes. For everything else, no.

 

[Parasitic]

Anyone bought the refurbed Macbook Pro off the Apple site online? There aren't cosmetic blemishes at all right?
Bought iPods off the refurb site before and they looked brand new.

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: TheStu
Do you research, decide if you really do want a Mac. There is a price premium right now to buying one (since the switch to intel, Apple has had the latest and greatest stuff of each generation first. So the first with Santa Rosa, 8 Series mobile cards, one of the first with Core Duo, etc.) so that would factor in. If they do release a new on in January, then that would be the time to buy since for the first few months that Apple has a major refresh out, they are priced quite competitively against the likes of HP, Sony, Dell.

I'm not too sure I'd put the price premium on being "latest and greatest." Apple simply builds elegant looking laptops, and that's exactly why you're paying more for them. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with this, but the black macbook is just ridiculous.

You just can't get that same simple and sleek from anyone else... but then again, this is very subjective, and probably why there is so much heated debate on the price premium you have to pay to buy apple.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: randomlinh

Originally posted by: TheStu
Do you research, decide if you really do want a Mac. There is a price premium right now to buying one (since the switch to intel, Apple has had the latest and greatest stuff of each generation first. So the first with Santa Rosa, 8 Series mobile cards, one of the first with Core Duo, etc.) so that would factor in. If they do release a new on in January, then that would be the time to buy since for the first few months that Apple has a major refresh out, they are priced quite competitively against the likes of HP, Sony, Dell.

I'm not too sure I'd put the price premium on being "latest and greatest." Apple simply builds elegant looking laptops, and that's exactly why you're paying more for them. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with this, but the black macbook is just ridiculous.

You just can't get that same simple and sleek from anyone else... but then again, this is very subjective, and probably why there is so much heated debate on the price premium you have to pay to buy apple.

No, I was saying that there is a price premium right now since they haven't updated in a while. They aren't like the other manufacturers that are constantly updating their product lines.

However, when the MacBook Pro was last updated it was incredibly affordable for what you got. So, that was when they had the latest and greatest hardware, fairly significantly before the others had it. I probably could have phrased it better.

 

[AnthroAndStargate]

Originally posted by: EvilYoda
I've been waiting for an ultraportable mac laptop since they moved to Intel architecture...with the rumor being strong about a new 13" that's half the weight of a 15" MBP...I'll be first in line.

Granted, I'm sure they'll screw me over again. But in the meantime, I've got Leopard working on my desktop and I'm a happy camper.

Why do you want an ultra portable, just curious? Also isnt the base 15" MBP pretty portable and light?

Also do you game?

 

[ubercaffeinated]

Question about ADC for anyone's who has used it for a MBP: I can only purchase online the Apple Store using ADC right? No instore purchases?

 

[MrTransistorm]

Originally posted by: makoto00
Question about ADC for anyone's who has used it for a MBP: I can only purchase online the Apple Store using ADC right? No instore purchases?

According to Apple on the ADC Hardware Purchase (USA) page:

NOTE: To receive your discount, you must place the order through the ADC Hardware Purchase Program Store, NOT on any other Apple online store, retail location, or reseller. Purchases made outside of the ADC Hardware Purchase Program Store will not be re-booked or credited at developer pricing.

Incidentally, my ADC student account is now active. I'm going to wait another week (maybe 2) to see if there is any news on the Penryn. I already picked up a messenger bag from the soon-to-be-extinct CompUSA. I'm going to get another copy of XP and possibly a Logitech VX Nano so I'll be set when I get the MBP.