Apple n00b, a few Qs

It has only been a year since i purchased my S96 but i feel like it is time. I wanted to buy the MBP when it first came out but one thing led to another and i decided against it. So, before i semi-blindly indulge, a few Qs for the knowledgeable here:

1.) There is a $200 rebate applicable to ipods with the student discount, but it ends in a week or two. How often do these deals appear? Can i risk waiting or is this a 'buy it now'? How reliable are Apple's mail-in-rebates? I've had horrible luck with mail-in-rebates with other companies. I have never bought an i-pod or mp3 player before, not sure i really need one but if it comes free why not?

2.) How durable is the shell on the MB vs MBP? I went to CompUSA to check them out and while the plastic on the MB is nice, the MBP's aluminum felt better. I have no interest in the white MBs, i will get them dirty real fast.

3.) What kind of battery life do people get with normal use, i.e. word processing, web surfing, movie watching, etc. I will likely not play any graphics intensive games although the 8600 doesn't seem to be a bad unit.

4.) Apple does not provide a free word processor, are the open software alternatives to iWork and Office worth a try? Can they realistically be used for college reports or work presentations? I've heard Office is better on Macs than on PCs but i refuse to pay $125 for the Student edition.

5.) I do not plan on buying AppleCare, it puts the system well beyond my budget. Is it necessary? I don't really believe in warranties, i can't remember the last time i used one.

6.) Anyone sign up for the Juniper card and pay later? I might have to do that so i can pay in installments.

Thanks guys,
SS

 

1) The current $200 iPod rebate is from the "Buy a Mac, get a free iPod" promotion that happens every year around the summertime in anticipation of back-to-school. Other than that Apple rarely has such promotions that they officially announce. Apple is reliable with these mail-in rebates.

2) Well, both shells are pretty durable...but in a real "crash test" the MacBook would probably sustain more damage. The MacBook has a thicker casing and the hard plastic is stronger than the aluminum on the MBP.

3) I've heard the MBP gets about 3-5 hours on normal tasks.

4) Actually, there is a free word processor on OS X, TextEdit, which is more powerful than Notepad on Windows. But no where near a true office application though. Look at the free NeoOffice, its fine for word processing, but the Powerpoint tool is a bit weak.

5) You can buy AppleCare in the first year of purchase, so if you can't raise the cash now you can buy it later in the year.

 

4. yes, neooffice is good. i dont know about for college and work presentations, i guess it all depends on how in depth they need to be.

5. i dont know about necessary, but its a good idea. i dont have it for the same reason that you do, but when i get some spare money i might get it.

 

1.) It took apple just two weeks to send out checks for my printer and iPod nano rebates.

2.) The build quality is pretty good, much better than my z96j. It flexes but does not creak, the hinge is solid, and there is no rippling of the lcd. However this does not change the fact that is is made from thing aluminum and is not made to be abused like a thinkpad.
3.) I have pretty much just used mine off of AC power but that will change as today I just started classes. It's supposed to get around 4 hours under OS X
4.) It comes with a text pad editor. there is also freeware such as neooffice. I just picked up MS office for $15 at my campus bookstore.

5.) I didn't buy it.

 

Small clarification: The iPod $200 rebate ends 9/16

 

You will need Applecare on the Macbooks. Don't pass this one up. Don't allow your prejudices to against extended warranties to cloud your judgement. If you think your new computer is expensive now.....

 

I didn't really read the fine print for Juniper, but I do regularly participate in this Debt Management Program. It's a good one !

 

^ Well, i guess im hopelessly in debt since i go to college paying out-of-state.

I have the cash for the notebooks even with buying the warranty, but id rather use Juniper and pay it all off within the 3 months. Ill get to reading the fine print one of these days.

 

I've been thinking about the Juniper too. I also have the cash but you never know what could happen that you might need a little extra money

My question is does the student discount go WITH the ipod/printer rebate?

So like 200 + ipod + printer? Or is that too awesome?

 

Yes, its $200 off the MBP, and a free iPod Nano and a free printer. Yes, its that awesome . Get it fast!

 

I average about 4 and a half hours when using Mac OSX to surf the web and play with iTunes, and run iWeb, with half brightness. The life dips a little when I run Windows, to about 3 and a half to 4 hours. I may get a bit more juice out in Windows if I turn the brightness to its lowest setting and not run any moderately intense apps... most of the time I'm on AC power so this doesn't affect me as much.

 

Thats like 600 dollars. Nice, cheaper than a refurb. Now if only it worked ON the refurbs i'd already be typing this on a MBP

 

Thanks for the responses guys. There also seems to be another pay it later type service called 'Bill me later'. I haven't looked into either yet but ill get to it soon.

Has anyone had or heard of issues with the finish on the MB/MBP? Like fading after a year of use near the palmrest area and such. The MBP has been out since jan 06 right so there should be some users out there who've had theirs a long while.

 

The Santa Rosa MBP's were released June 2007.

 

The Education discount makes a difference of $100 on the MB, and $200 on the MBP. The mail-in rebates are at $200 for the iPod, and $100 for the Printer.

So, for the MB, a student who also needs an iPod and a Printer has about $400 to save; on the MBP that's $500.

What's best about Apple's student discounts is that they are consistent!---And they actually tell you exactly when their offers start and end. There's a lesson for Dell to learn.

(Edit: The Education Discount also entails somewhat lower prices for the ram-hdd upgrades.)

 

The MacBook's palmrest will probably "wear out" first (especially it being all white), depending on how rough you treat it (I clean my MacBook every week or so, so everything's still nice and clean). The MacBook did have a palmrest issue where the palmrest got severely discoloured, but if that happens its a defect and Apple will replace the palmrest for you.

I haven't heard much about the aluminum finish wearing off on the MBP, so I guess you're pretty safe on that.

 

These deals come around very often, basically, once a year for back to school.

I don't think either one of the current Mac laptops are all that durable. The MB case spontaneously cracks. The MBP case dents easily.

Both the MB and MBP have excellent battery life. I used to get around six hours of wireless web surfing with the back light turned down.

I use a combination of Neo Office and Google Docs and Spreadsheets.

Only a true Mac fanboy would tell you that Office is better on Mac than PC. It's simply not true. Office on the Mac is weak.

There are plenty of good word processing options for Mac, though.

I never buy extended warranties either. But, Applecare is a must when you buy an Apple notebook. There is a very good chance that you'll have to send this machine in for service.

Nope.

 

I'll toss OpenOffice out there as an option. I run it on my Mac at work, and I think it is pretty full-featured. I like that it gives you the ability to open/edit .doc, .xls, and other MS Office file formats. Here is the link:

www.openoffice.org

 

OpenOffice is available for Mac but it runs under X11, which takes up quite a lot of system resources. They're working on a native Mac version of OpenOffice right now, but for now I'd say use NeoOffice, a Mac port of OpenOffice that doesn't run under X11, so better performance.

Unfortunately, NeoOffice runs in Java, so its not 100% native, but its still better performance than running in X11.

 

Yes i am aware of that. All updates dating to today were to the display and under the hood, there have not been any changes to the casing AFAIK. Hence the question on the durability of the MBP casing since it's introduction to the market.

 

A lot of people including other responses here are saying the same, i suppose i do have a year to buy it. Ill think about it.

Thanks for all the help guys.

 

Well, i just placed the order so im in. Macbook Pro + iPod.

 

Congrats, SaferSephiroth! Tell us how it goes.