Decided to buy a Macbook Pro... sort of

Hey,

After many months of researching, mulling it over and trying to save money, I finally decided this morning to purchase a baseline Macbook Pro 13-inch laptop. I researched prices and settled on Amazon.co.uk, where I could get the Macbook Pro aswell as a case for £901... not bad

However moments after ordering, my bank phoned me and informed me that my bank card needed replacing and I had to find another way of paying for the Amazon purchase, or, I had to cancel my order

So I canceled it. I'm now however having second thoughts however about purchasing. I will use the Macbook for blogging, a bit of video editing, DVD ripping and general internet usage. I'm having second thoughts on wether the C2D processor will be able to "cut it" with my planned usage.

Does anyone know when Apple are going to refreshing their Macbook Pro lines?

 

The C2D will be more than capable of "cutting it." A netbook can handle what you are looking to do.

As far as a refresh, figure beginning of the new year or next Spring perhaps.

 

I am holding off on a new 13in MBP due to personal preference, a C2D will more than do what you are asking.

 

I own an MBP 13-inch (circa 2010 flavor) and it handles lots of things i throw at it including: running Win7 as a virtual machine, Eclipse, Cararra (a 3d rendering app), browsing, blogging, and the list goes on. The only thing it doesn't do well is run high-end games but that's what my desktop is for.

 

Are you sure it was the bank that called and not Steve Ballmer?

Really though I see that you were looking for a gaming laptop a few months ago. If you are still into gaming, stick the the PC this time. For the things you listed here the Mac will do just fine.

 

I think the C2D will cut it, that being said, I have a 2010 model MBP myself and if they do an update to core i3 I'd be seriously contemplating selling my machine.

 

i was all excited about getting an i5 processor but to be honest it hasnt impressed me as much as i thought it would. my acer smokes my apple both cpu wise and gpu wise but when i use em they are about the same feel as far as speed is concerned.

 

Then you must not know much about computing.

 

Congrats - you've hit on the exact reason why specs don't always matter for common uses. At idle or low-mid cpu multipliers speeds, the i5 and C2D will perform quite similarly, and this is the speed that the majority of applications will tend to push the cpu at. Performance differences at this level are detectable only, by and large, via benchmarks and are *not* appreciable by the person just sitting at the keyboard . The real advantage doesn't kick in until you push the i5 into the higher speed multipliers.

And to finish the thought, since it didn't quite come across nicely.....

because the performance differences between the i3 and C2D cpu chips are pretty modest, and by itself a cpu update might not be worth the trouble. See MacWorld's comparison of the last current and last-gen entry level iMac, for example.

 

Decision
1- C2D will cut it for anything you want to do on a mac
2- good price, buy it
3- enjoy it
4- ???
5- install windows 7 and remove Mac OS X

 

Decided to go ahead and buy one should be here tomorrow..

A bit upset that it has a C2D but maybe I can overclock it? Or upgrade in a year or two.

 

If you overclock, it'll melt

 

Why would you but a computer you are "upset with"? and it seems like your having buyers remorse before you even got the product. Overclocking is a pain and will give no noticable performance gain, and given your on a budget buying another computer in 1 to 2 years can't be a solution.

I think if your on a tight budget, don't get a mac. That said the 13 inch macbook pro is a good machine if you want a very portable notebook with more performance than a netbook. But there are some pretty decent PCs with i5 for a little bit less that might suit your needs and budget better.

 

Sorry, upset was probably not the right word. I would of liked a faster processor but oh well.

I have a Windows desktop, which I use for gaming that is quite powerfull so I guess I can't complain

 

For what you plan on using it for, a C2D processor is ample.