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Whatever you do, buy applecare. Anything that goes wrong with this laptop and it'll be half the cost of a new machine to get it fixed. Ram problem? New logic board. Dead battery? New topcase and a plentiful bounty of labour Screen died? Time to sell a kidney. |
Buying a Macbook Pro?
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nickthegun 87,712 posts
Seen 4 hours ago
Registered 16 years ago -
I would be wary of the first version of Apples (or any company for that matter) hardware with new tech inside.
I had a first generation model of the MBP with the dynamic graphic hardware switching and predictably enough it died just out of warranty due to a duff graphic processor on the logic board.
Nice £399 or so repair bill to get it working again
Personally I'll wait for them to release a 13" MBP with the new technology, by which time hopefully any issues will have been ironed out and apps will by and large have been optimised for the display.
...
Edit: What Nick says if you absolutely must buy now!
Edited by BeardofZeus at 12:27:52 15-06-2012
Edited by BeardofZeus at 12:28:07 15-06-2012 -
nickthegun 87,712 posts
Seen 4 hours ago
Registered 16 years agoThis is also true. The first gen of apple hardware is always terrible.
The first shipments of 27" iMacs couldnt power the enormous screens properly. -
Fab4 8,924 posts
Seen 1 year ago
Registered 15 years agoI always buy Applecare. However the one thing that ever went wrong with my Apple products was covered by a recall. It was picked up in the morning by a local Applecare provider and came back the same night at 6pm. Couldnt have been smoother. -
nickthegun 87,712 posts
Seen 4 hours ago
Registered 16 years agoChrist, we would never do that. -
I just use house insurance, access is £150. -
mrpon 37,367 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 15 years agoExpensive. Think I'll break in instead. -
PhoenixFlames 9,263 posts
Seen 6 years ago
Registered 14 years agoRather pleased at picking up a 20" Apple Cinema display for £130 of eBay this morning. Will be using as a display extension for my new MacBook.
I know the display is old now but it still has a few good features including anti-glare coating, extra USB slots and nice design. Good price I thought.
Edit: and these things cost hundreds a few years back!
Edited by PhoenixFlames at 15:09:41 16-06-2012 -
PhoenixFlames 9,263 posts
Seen 6 years ago
Registered 14 years agoJust been to the Apple store to check out the Retina MacBook. Not massively impressed with it when side by side with a normal 15" pro.
I looked at the screen an immediately thought "what's hi-res about it?" Then I noticed that icons on the doc looked sharper, but other than that not a great deal IMO.
Form factor is nice but when taking price, upgradability/fixabilty and lack of optical drive into consideration I'd say the normal 15" is the better option.
After I'd had a look at it, I overheard a couple of blokes looking at the Retina and saying pretty much what I said.
In others news, UPS has left my 13" pro with a neighbour ready for when I get home! New shiny!!.gif)
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Kay 21,321 posts
Seen 4 hours ago
Registered 18 years agoPhoenixFlames wrote:
I was thinking the same thing, but when I specced up the 15" base model with a 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM, it ended up costing much more than the retina model!
Form factor is nice but when taking price, upgradability/fixabilty and lack of optical drive into consideration I'd say the normal 15" is the better option.
I'm actually considering just going with a 13" Air now, as - a bit of gaming aside - can't think of anything really taxing that I'd be doing on the Pro. -
THFourteen 54,987 posts
Seen 2 minutes ago
Registered 16 years agoI'm not sure about the Retina Macbook Pro's. If you play any games on it, they will look shit at non-native res. -
PhoenixFlames 9,263 posts
Seen 6 years ago
Registered 14 years agoTHFourteen wrote:
I've never really seen the appeal of any laptop/Macbook as a gaming machine anyway. I always look at MacBooks as a productivity tool - video, photo, design, communication etc.
I'm not sure about the Retina Macbook Pro's. If you play any games on it, they will look shit at non-native res.
I can't see anyone thinking "I need a gaming machine...MacBook it is!" -
Kay 21,321 posts
Seen 4 hours ago
Registered 18 years agoIt's more a case of using the Macbook to play indie games/stuff I bought on Steam ages ago but have never got round to playing. -
THFourteen 54,987 posts
Seen 2 minutes ago
Registered 16 years agoare the mac and pc steam stores cross platform? you'd save money getting a windows laptop...
wouldn't look as nice I guess. -
Dirtbox 92,600 posts
Seen 38 minutes ago
Registered 19 years ago -
Kay 21,321 posts
Seen 4 hours ago
Registered 18 years agoMost of the games I have are cross compatible, I think. For the stuff that isn't I'll just use Windows instead.
Quite a few reasons for why I'd get a Macbook over a Windows laptop. For one thing, the trackpad is far better than anything I've tried on a Windows machine. -
PhoenixFlames 9,263 posts
Seen 6 years ago
Registered 14 years agoDirtbox wrote:
It'll do what...video editing, graphic design? Not on anything other than small files I imagine. Also, I use the optical drive and like the sturdiness of the pro.
@PhoenixFlames Then what's the point in buying one with a shitload of hardware that you'll never actually get any use from. Just get a bottom run air, it'll do all that.
Edit: and it's waiting for me at home right now! I even managed to buy via the Education store despite not being a student, picking up a hefty discount and £70 iTunes voucher into the bargain \o/
Edited by PhoenixFlames at 15:54:36 20-06-2012 -
Dirtbox 92,600 posts
Seen 38 minutes ago
Registered 19 years ago -
PhoenixFlames 9,263 posts
Seen 6 years ago
Registered 14 years agoDirtbox wrote:
Oh well. Don't get your knickers in a twist. My money, my choice and all that old boy.
Yeah, it would.
Having done both for fucking decades I know it for a fact. -
Kay 21,321 posts
Seen 4 hours ago
Registered 18 years agoPhoenixFlames wrote:
This, too. You get free 3-year Applecare thrown in as well.
I even managed to buy via the Education store despite not being a student, picking up a hefty discount and £70 iTunes voucher into the bargain \o/ -
PhoenixFlames 9,263 posts
Seen 6 years ago
Registered 14 years agoKay wrote:
I did not know that! Cool.
PhoenixFlames wrote:
This, too. You get free 3-year Applecare thrown in as well.
I even managed to buy via the Education store despite not being a student, picking up a hefty discount and £70 iTunes voucher into the bargain \o/ -
PhoenixFlames wrote:
New eyes!!! Standard 15" Pro is far too low res, which is why I took mine back the other month.
Just been to the Apple store to check out the Retina MacBook. Not massively impressed with it when side by side with a normal 15" pro.
Each to their own I suppose. -
THFourteen 54,987 posts
Seen 2 minutes ago
Registered 16 years agoCrispyXUK wrote:
depends what you are doing with them i guess. My last laptop was 1080p and i wished i'd bought a much lower res screen, like 1366x768. The 1080p screen was nice enough for videos (most of mine are SD), nice enough for photos, but when playing games either i had to lower detail to play at that res, or run at non-native res which just looked shite.
PhoenixFlames wrote:
New eyes!!! Standard 15" Pro is far too low res, which is why I took mine back the other month.
Just been to the Apple store to check out the Retina MacBook. Not massively impressed with it when side by side with a normal 15" pro.
Each to their own I suppose.
currently trying to sell it, and if i do buy a replacement i'll be getting a lower res screen for sure. -
Dirtbox 92,600 posts
Seen 38 minutes ago
Registered 19 years ago -
PhoenixFlames 9,263 posts
Seen 6 years ago
Registered 14 years agoDirtbox wrote:
That's a bit harsh. I'm fully aware that I am paying a premium because of the brand but I like the design of the hardware and I can afford it so why not?
PhoenixFlames wrote:
Just another magnificent example of some brainless vacuum buying da bezt because Apple logo. Marvellous.
Dirtbox wrote:
Oh well. Don't get your knickers in a twist. My money, my choice and all that old boy.
Yeah, it would.
Having done both for fucking decades I know it for a fact. -
THFourteen wrote:
Well I don't by laptops for gaming, and I only play indie games anyway, besides that the resolution is double standard resolutions so exact pixel doubling looks much much better than scaling at odd non-integer ratios.
CrispyXUK wrote:
depends what you are doing with them i guess. My last laptop was 1080p and i wished i'd bought a much lower res screen, like 1366x768. The 1080p screen was nice enough for videos (most of mine are SD), nice enough for photos, but when playing games either i had to lower detail to play at that res, or run at non-native res which just looked shite.
PhoenixFlames wrote:
New eyes!!! Standard 15" Pro is far too low res, which is why I took mine back the other month.
Just been to the Apple store to check out the Retina MacBook. Not massively impressed with it when side by side with a normal 15" pro.
Each to their own I suppose.
currently trying to sell it, and if i do buy a replacement i'll be getting a lower res screen for sure.
I want more desktop real estate when working and that's it. -
Dirtbox 92,600 posts
Seen 38 minutes ago
Registered 19 years ago -
PhoenixFlames 9,263 posts
Seen 6 years ago
Registered 14 years agoDirtbox wrote:
Jesus H Christ. I'm not uniformed, I know what the specs are, what the OS can do, how reliable the hardware is, how well-reviewed Apple Care is etc...
Sorry, mindless, uninformed consumerism for the sake of itself just pisses me off. As you were.
ed: actually that's probably the crux of every single negative thing I've ever said on this forum about whatever mass produced toy of the moment. Huh, I'm a fucking hippy crossed with scrooge.
And the bottom line for me is that it's the most well-designed laptop on the market IMO, so I want it. There's no argument really, I want it so I bought it. If you don't want it, don't buy it. -
yegon 6,511 posts
Seen 6 months ago
Registered 18 years agoRemember to buy Apple Care from CeX or somewhere like that. Got Apple Care for both my old MBP and 2011 MBA for less than half what it retails at in the Apple store.
Regarding first rev of macs, there are some examples of them being shakey, but my late 08 mbp (rev1) is still performing admirably as a media centre. Got the trackpad and optical drive replaced on it via the Apple Care purchased in the above manner, that was after two years of heavy usage though, not really a manufacturing fault. -
PhoenixFlames wrote:it's the most well-designed laptop
wellest-designedest
most welled-designest
mostly well-designded
erm...
dunno how to fix it but it doesnt sound right!
.gif)
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