Concerns regarding the MBP

Right, so I'm in the market for a new notebook for college. I had it narrowed down to the Dell XPS 1530, the MBP, and a few others, but those two were the top contenders. In the end, I decided to go with the MBP for two reasons: 1. The free iPod and free printer deal is too good a deal to pass up. 2. I actually got to play around with the MBP at a local Best Buy and found that OS X is a lot nicer to use than Windows (though I'll still install Windows via Bootcamp), but didn't find a 1530 is mess with. Overall, the quirks of the MBP seem to outshine the 1530 in my eyes.

However, there are two major concerns regarding the MBP for me as of now. First is the suspected Montevina refresh. I know that the current MBP is plenty powerful for me, but it would kinda suck if I were to recieve the notebook one day, only to find out that the refresh was released as soon as I recieved it. Do you guys think that the promotion for a free iPod would last long enough for the Montevina refresh to be released?

Second is the GPU problem affected nVidia's chips. I do play games somewhat frequently, so the GPU is sure to be somewhat stressed. Because (as I understand it) the GPU problem affects the chip's ability to handle heat, will this problem affect me badly? Or would the problem be present, but small enough to somewhat neglect?

Sorry if these issues have already been covered in another thread.

 

Get a warranty; GPU will probably fail. That's why I'm getting 4 year warranty w/ my m1530

 

I've been using my MBP to play games for about a year and so far everything is running fine (no artifacts while gaming yet). I am glad I got AppleCare though, just in case. You should also get it, as it will be well worth it if something happens outside the original warranty period.

As for the refresh... I have no idea when that will be and doubt they will have an iPod deal with it.

 

Right on, thanks for the quick responses, I think I might feel a bit more secure about buying before the refresh.

How many years does Applecare cover beyond the original warranty? I plan on having the notebook for at least four years, will the extension be stretch that far?

 

It adds 2 years, so 3 years total.

 

Get a warranty because MB Pros get really hot sometimes (my sister's 15.4 inch one that she got last fall) and that may shorten the lifespan of the already compromised GPU. You don't want to be stuck with repair costs (I could only imagine how high Apple repairs probably cost). Good luck.

-J.B.

 

I will never run bootcamp in the summer - Nirvana

 

If its a faulty GPU then im sure they will replace it free of charge especially since this a known problem before warranty expiration.

A new MBP will be out so its probably not a good idea to buy at this time.

 

Yeah, the revision is imminent, the only problem is I'm not entirely sure it'll be out before the free iPod deal is over. After reading a few other threads here, it makes sense that Apple would want to get rid of their current stock through this promotion before releasing their newest lineup. Believe it or not, the iPod promotion is a big factor in me choosing the MBP over the m1530.

@Nirvana - Care to explain what you mean by that? I'm puzzled

 

Well, its quite a gamble. A free iPod would be nice but I personally would rather have a notebook who's GPU that might or *might not* melt down in the near future. Yes, you can get Applecare but the hassle of getting it fixed and losing your notebook for a few days might not be worth it.

 

I am in the same situation actually, after sending my xps 1530 back today, I'm in the market for a new laptop. I've narrowed it down to the MBP but I don't know if I can be patient enough to wait for the refresh, and I also don't want to have to deal with the whole nvidia problem.

I think I will probably wait for the refresh but the free ipod deal is sweet.

Btw, after 5 in home service calls, 3 screen replacements and a motherboard replacement, I won't be doing business with Dell ever again, nor recommending the 1530 to anyone.

 

Does MBP Magsafe Adapters are faulty ? My 3 Month old MBP adapter died last friday . Apple service center told me it'll take 4 days to replace (Due to Gov holiday)

I never plug it into main current line directly .Always use it through APC UPS so I'm sure it's not a overload problem

 

They are fragile, but as far as I know, not faulty. (fragile as in the ports head can break easily.)

 

I was in the same boat as the thread starter. Im graduating next month with my masters and wanted to take advantage of the student discount, as well as get a free ipod...so i took the plung early june, and so far no problems...i just watch the temps and turn the fans up when playing games or noticing the temps going up...

 

Don't be so naive.. they will replace it alright, but they're just gonna keep replacing it with faulty NVIDIA parts. In the end they might just cripple your system by ramping up the cooling fans or downclock the GPU. Things doesn't look good..

 

Yes indeed. It appears that we are pretty much screwed unless they actually solve the problem, or they change the video card all together. It's quite a pain, since this is *not* what I paid for.