On 2010-03-29 23:40 , Larry Colen wrote:
We need to buy a new macbook in the very near future. On the off chance that others on the list have just gone through and done this research ....
i have this all at the tip of my tongue ...
It's primary use will be for Zab to use for homework, but it would be nice if it would also work reasonably well for photography when we're away from home. We're probably looking at the 15", but are willing to consider the 17". She'll primarily use it at her desk, but will occasionally need to take it to the library (she's getting a masters in library science, so she spends a fair amount of time at various libraries).
after using a lot of 15" powerbooks and macbooks pro, last summer i thought i was going to get a 17", but then wound up finding a great deal a 13" and discovered it is a great compromise, since i am very mobile -- i carry my laptop to work and back every day, usually on foot, just under a mile; one fewer pound and the more compact dimensions have sold me on the 13"; i plug it into a 2nd display both at work and at home
First question: Is there any huge difference in any of the screen options? I know that they have glossy and anti glare screens, but are there TN, TFT or any other technology choices that I should be aware of?
no, there is only one screen type, with glossy or anti-glare surface; they are very nice displays; i prefer anti-glare, but since i have a 13", i had no choice and glossy isn't as bad as i thought; the 13" and 15" come with an SD slot while the 17" has express card; both have value, but i'm using my SD slot a lot; for the 17" there are two resolution options; if i got the 17", i would get the 1980x1200 "hi resolution" model; but one's eyes must be good, or one must wear good reading glasses for that model
for the whole line, there are actually few differences inside the computer; two basic options -- one that has the 9400 video chip, and one that has the 9400 _and_ the 9600; the latter is faster for 3D stuff and Aperture/iPhoto, but doesn't make as much a difference for Adobe apps (which aren't optimized to use the video circuits for computing, afaik); besides that the 13-15-17 all perform fairly closely; the faster CPUs help a little, depending what you do, but for general use, do not worry about the slower CPUs
my 13" is 2.53GHz and only has the 9400 video, but is great for everything i do except that generating previews in large batches of photos in Aperture takes a while (it works in the background, so you can still use Aperture while it crunches); it came with a 500GB hard drive, only 5400rpm, but the 7200rpm drives drain the battery faster (had one on my previous macbook pro); in a year or so i expect to put in a 500GB SSD
I have always worked on the principle that Apple charges about a three times premium for disk space and memory, that you're far better off getting the smallest amount they sell, and upgrading it yourself. I've heard some rumors that you can no longer buy a 500GB drive for less than the differential in price between the 320 and 500 from Apple.
the premium is much less than 3 times -- but note that if you buy a replacement drive, you get to keep the old drive too; memory i know is cheaper 3rd party; both are now user-replaceable on all Apple laptops; all the good models come with 4GB RAM anyway, and the jump to 8GB will cost you nearly $400, so i'd only do it if it's truly needed -- 4GB is plenty unless you push it hard a lot
Our plan was to buy a refurbished unit, but she also qualifies for a student discount. Can you use a student discount on top of the refurb price?
no, but i bet the refurb is still better priced; you can try it -- just go to the Apple education store online ... also check amazon, smalldog and expercom; remember Apple charges tax in many states in which some other retailers do not; i even bought my previous macbook pro at B&H when they had a discount during MacWorld; that was 3 years ago and i haven't seen as good a price at B&H since; that machine is still in use as my home server
i wouldn't get a refurb of the older models, though (the ones before the integrated batteries), since the battery life is so much better on the current line; so that means the "mid-2009" models or later
Are there any other questions I should be asking?
consider an extra power supply; if it's going to be used a lot for reading, a stand for the laptop and a USB keyboard & mouse can improve the ergonomics considerably (i use an ergotron 2-arm stand at work -- one arm suppports the laptop, the other a 23" display, but a cheap stand at home); the multi-touch trackpads are great, but when on a stand i use a Logitech vx Nano cordless mouse; i do not trust the precision of bluetooth mice
if getting a display, you can use DVI displays with the Mini DisplayPort on the laptops -- just get cheap adapters at monoprice.com
finally, there is a consensus among rumormongers that new Apple laptops are due; some think these will have core i5 processors (quad core), which would tempt me (since i push mine hard), but may also further reduce prices on refurbs of the previous line
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