My MBP13 buying plan (help)

Been using PC for the past 8 years on my 8 year old compaq runs like a champ haha. I am about to buy a new 2010 MBP 13in base for my main for my first two years of college then selling it to buy the newer MBP. I've done my homework and i want to get the most BANG out of this baby since its pricey.
Here is my plan:
student discount -$100
Free Ipod touch after $200 rebate then selling for 180$
Free Wireless Printer after $100 rebate (keeping)
Purchasing with American Express. Benefits are extending my warranty by an extra year and 2% cash back.
so with that and 8.75% tax. So in the end I'll end up paying $1013.43 for my base mbp 13(two year warranty) and printer.
Anyone else have any suggestions to help me save$$ or gain more?
thanks.

 

If you want a lot of bang for your buck get a PC and have twice the power for less.

There's really no other way to save if you're shooting for a MBP, that I'm aware of.

 

I understand but I have my mind set on a Mac. its been back and forth for me for the passed few months.

 

Hm. I'm not aware of any other savings or rebates that you can get out of the MBP 13". Don't forget that in 2 years that MBP 13" will be outdated and not worth as much as it is now. When you sell it, expect around $700-$900 depending on the way technology evolves in the next year or two. That covers around half the cost of a 15" MBP currently, and as far as the cost of a 13" in two years, again that depends on what happens. I would say the price would stay about the same as it is now unless Apple stops overpricing their products (lol).

 

yeah, but i wont be losing much when i sell it. i was stumped between the 15 in and that's a 600$ difference. I like to tell myself i'm saving that money to upgrade in the next two years. Which is more than likely to be better than specs of the 15 today. Whatever it takes to convince myself. hah

 

Not sure if the 13" specs are going to change a whole lot. I mean, it still uses a C2D processor. Apple seems to lag behind when it comes to newer and better things. The $600 difference is almost unjustifiable from a technical standpoint, so you are right in getting the 13".

We'll have to see what time brings us.

 

Macbook refurbished 15% off the store. They look brand new. And yes, I bought one.

 

^That sounds like a good idea, you'll probably save a good bit more.

 

He won't. The refurbished base model 13" costs $1029 and he won't be eligible to get all of the rebates.

 

The Apple II was the first personal computer to offer colour graphics [1977]
VisiCalc, first spreadsheet program, released for the Apple II [1979]
First PC maker to reach $1 billion in annual sales [1982]
First personal computer (Apple Lisa) to use a GUI (Graphical User Interface) [1983]
First personal computer company to use a mouse [1983]
First personal computer with dynamic memory allocation [1984]
First computer with API programming support (the Toolbox) and a graphics API (QuickDraw) [1984]
Built-in LAN networking [1984]
Built-in sound [1984]
First personal computer to use 3.5 inch floppies disks that most PC users now use [1984]
Self-configuring LAN networking [1984]
Microsoft Word is released on the Mac only (Windows is yet to appear) [1984]
Microsoft Excel is released on the Mac only (Windows is yet to appear) [1984]
PostScript printer [1985]
Built-in SCSI [1985]
Disability support [1985]
Aldus PageMaker is released, ushering the concept of desktop publishing [1985]
Apple was the first to allow use of multiple monitors [1997]
Microsoft PowerPoint is released 3 years before it will appear on Windows is yet to appear) [1987]
Address 8 MB RAM [1988]
Hypercard - objects [1988]
Optional Unix OS [1988]
Multitasking [1988]
16 million colours [1988]
First to introduce a superdrive floppy drive that could read and write Mac, DOS, OS/2, and ProDOS floppies [1998]
Apple invented True Type fonts (Reference) [1990]
Built-in sound input [1990]
32 bit Operating System [1990]
Built-in file sharing [1990]
QuickTime - the first standard architecture for dynamic media [1991]
QuickTime for Windows - first cross-platform dynamic media standard [1992]
Auto docking portable computer [1992]
Portable with full I/O [1992]
First to ship a personal computer with built-in CD-ROM [1992]
First worldwide language support for an operating system (Worldscript) [1992]
Apple released the Newton and used the new term "PDA" (Personal Digital Assistant) to describe it [1993]
First unified telephony and e-mail architecture for a personal computer operating system (PowerTalk and PowerShare) [1993]
NTSC video input and output [1993]
First personal computer with built-in TV and CD stereo system (Macintosh TV) [1993]
Speech recognition [1993]
Speech synthesis [1993]
First to provide colour-matching technology built-in to an operating system (ColorSync) [1993]
The first computer to introduce built-in microphones on its chassis (Colour Classic) [1993]
80486/Windows machine inside a Mac [1994]
RISC microprocessors [1994]
Apple was the first company to release a laptop with a trackpad instead of a trackball or nubby [1994]
First panoramic VR technology for personal computers (QuickTime VR) [1994]
Invented Firewire technology for connection video cameras to computers for easy video editing (reference) [1995]
2nd generation RISC [1995]
Delivered desktop Java applications [1996]
First to ship a personal computer *without* a Floppy Drive [1998]
First computer manufacturer to use solely USB as a means of connecting peripherals, with no serial, ADB or SCSI ports [1998]
First portable computer with wireless networking capability built in [AirPort] [1999]
First computer maker to bundle an optical mouse with every computer sold [2000]
First monitor manufacturer to drop CRT displays and produce only flat panel monitors [2001]
First company to produce a 64-bit personal computer [2003]

Apple may be slower at adding some things to systems but to say they lag behind on newer and better things is just incorrect. iPod, iPad, iPhone, magic mouse, the new touch pad are a few more examples of Apple leading the way. Apple has its reasons for holding back on some tech updates and they are usually good reasons.

 

But the thing is that will the OP need to get all of these rebate items??

Well, I bought a MBP 15 so my discount in term of dollar out valued these free printers and ipod, and no hassle of selling the ipod.

Ipod can be tough to sell since there are a ton of it the market now, I really doubt if you can sell the ipod for that price.

However, you still can purchase with your American Express.

 

There's only a $170 discount for the base MBP.

The iPod is worth $200 new and you get a $100 printer rebate with the purchase of a new MBP. If you need either of those things, get a new one.

 

only on their computers for the last 8 years ( if you dont count the fiascos they made for themselves in the mid to late 90's )

they are pretty high up on the consumer gizmo's though

 

The iPad isn't a revolution in anything. Not sure what you're aiming for there. Nor is the iPhone. All of their mobile devices including the iPad lack Flash support, and up until a few months ago, lacked multitasking and customization. The magic mouse again is not a revolution. Nor is the touch pad. These are things that have been around for a long time and Apple just spiffed it up a bit. Don't forget that there wasn't a right click on a Mac mouse for a very long time.

Apple leading the way? Hardly. Making things interesting so they can make them more expensive? Yes.

And in regards to the context of my original statement, the MBP 13" still lacks newer processor support such as the i3 and i5.

As Engadget says: "We're not going to go on about the contributions Apple's made to consumer electronics and personal computing. We don't really actually think they're all that innovative a lot of the time, they just have a knack for taking what's out there, what's a little higher end or out of reach to the average user, and bringing it to the mainstream at just the right time."

 

I agree that the iPad was not revolutionary, at all, but the iPhone absolutely was. If you think back to the mobile space in early 2007, you would see how important of a device that was. It raised the bar for phones.

Wait, so which laptops in particular had a multitouch enabled trackpad with gesture support before the unibody Macbooks were released in 2008?

lol

Do you know why that is? Apple would not have been able to fit a discrete chip onto the logic board without a major redesign of the laptop. They did not want to be limited to integrated graphics only on a "pro" laptop.

That's exactly what they do.

I also believe that they take what the competition is offering at the time and integrating it into a superior user experience overall. They have a knack for making their devices just a little bit better than the other offerings that are out there.

 

I don't know of any, but Apple didn't invent it either. I don't see why people make such a fuss about it. I hate all track pads equally, including those on Macs.

Let's not forget that IBM was working on multitouch screens in the late 60's. Again, Apple has taken concepts and merged them together after they saw the success of the iPhone and iPod touch.

 

It doesn't matter that they didn't invent multitouch; I'm not arguing that they did. They implemented it better than anyone else has to date.

 

^And that's all fine and dandy. What are we arguing about again?

 

I'm guessing it was about something that had to do with Apple.

 

Oh, them again.

 

Micro Center - Apple MacBook Pro MC374LL/A Laptop Computer - Silver MC374LL/A

Microcenter has 'em for $999 in store.. that's where I got mine. Quite happy with my decision... and mind you I went from a Core i5 430m + ATI 5850 to Core 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz + 320m. I don't game very much (though I dabble in Age of Mythology and Warcraft III), so it's perfect. I don't really notice a difference between Core i5 and Core 2 Duo.. and photoshop loads faster on a Mac, which was a nice touch to me. I may install an SSD at some point in the future... that'd probably be the most noticeable upgrade for me, especially seeing as I only use 70gb of data on the hard disk.

OS X was worth every penny I think... the whole operating experience is better in my opinion. And I had never used it much before I bought it a few weeks ago. The quality + good keyboard + nice screen (lowish res tho) + light weight + 8 hours of battery.. can't really be beaten.

 

I used OSX for a few months and can't say it was all it's cracked up to be. Just another OS. I was neither impressed nor unimpressed, but I missed why people make such a big deal about it.

As far as photoshop load time, it loads on my PC in less than 6 seconds with other applications running (just timed it at 3 seconds). I don't really see where a few seconds is that important.

As far as the keyboard, it lacks a numberpad, which was a big deal for me when I was looking for a new computer. Fortunately, the G73 had it so that helped me in my selection.

 

Funny that you just gloss over all the firsts listed and go after the the other products that I didn't claim were firsts. Apple led the way with the iPod, iPhone and iPad by making products that worked and sold well. The Magic mouse is the only one I know of with multi-touch built in, got another one in mind? The reason the iPhone didn't have Flash support before is because it didn't exist unless you count flash-lite. Even the new mobile flash doesn't work very well so Apple didn't accept it.

As for the OP's question. He shouldn't need or want justification from anyone to buy what he wants any more than we should condemn his choice.

 

The concept of the magic mouse is frankly stupid. If I wanted multitouch I would use the mousepad. As far as those firsts you listed, I can't verify the validity of ALL of them so I won't comment on them (some of them aren't worth noting. Like the Microsoft Word thing. Yes, Windows wasn't around but DOS was and it was made for DOS and other systems before it was made for Mac)- plus that's becides the point. I am talking about now not then. And If you want, a list can be made of all the innovations and actual creations of products from PC companies. IBM was around long before Apple and has done far greater and far more important things.

 

Your claim that Apple is slow to bring on new tech is debunked though, which was my point. They could be faster but they concentrate more on usability and overall value and not just stuffing the newest stuff in a box. I think we can agree to disagree on this one.

 

I don't think a whole lot of companies just throw stuff in because it's new. How stupid do you think PC manufacturers are? Most of them are smart enough to outsource to India. (lol)

 

I didn't say that other companies just toss new tech in their systems because its new. You are comparing a single company against many different PC companies with different model releases and updates that come out at different times. Some PC manufacturers do use hardware updates as a selling point and rush them into systems in order to be the first to offer it. Apple likes to do updates all at once and combines the hardware with OS updates. Would I like to see Apple speed up the process? User experience (not specs) is Apple's top priority and the reason people are willing to spend more for their products.

 

To be honest, I don't see why you're trying to compare a G73 with a MBP 13. They serve completely different purposes.

To me, I've used PCs my whole life. I like Windows 7... but I had 3 different PCs in the course of 2 months. I had a 4 year old Compal HEL80, which died of natural causes. Then I had an Envy 15, which got hot under normal use and died in 2 weeks during an update. Then I had an GX640, which had a really bad keyboard and load of power, but I didn't use any of it.

When I realized I don't need a gaming laptop, then it was a pretty easy decision to get a Mac.

I understand you're happy with your G73. That's great.. but some people don't need all that power. Hell, a Core 2 Duo is probably fine for most people. It all comes down to what you need. If you're gaming, then a PC is a much more attractive option.

But if you're going to be doing some photoshop, web design, essay writing, and you need long battery life and easy repair service in college, it's pretty much ideal. If anything goes wrong with my mac, I'll be able to take it into the campus store and have it fixed quickly. I'd have to ship off a PC

The touchpad was lacking on all three PCs I had retrospectively compared to the Mac.. it is simply the best one I've found, it's a pleasure to use, and works nearly perfectly. I never knew how useful gestures like 2 finger scrolling and 4 finger Expose would be to me... I use them constantly.

The keyboard is great too.. perfect key size and separation. A lot of companies have emulated and some have probably improved on the design.. but a lot of companies still haven't figured out a good keyboard. That's what drove me away from Asus especially, reports of bad keyboards on their smaller models (flex and whatnot).

The battery life is wonderful.. sitting typing on the web, and I have multiple apps open and it says 9 hours of battery. There are only a few PCs that you can find with this long of life.

One thing I didn't know about is how Apple rolls all the hardware and software updates into one nice updater app. Uninstalling and installing new drivers on Windows was always kind of a pain... it's quite painless on the Mac.


In reality, specs are important only if.. well, they are important to you! They average consumer isn't going to tax the CPU as heavily as a professional. I bought into the spec hype and bought a GX640 because of its ridiculous GPU and nice Core i5. But you know.. I never came close to using all of that power.

As for the few seconds argument, my "underpowered mac" opens up photoshop with 5 big photos just as quickly as your G73. Specs aren't everything. Software is important too.

I'm not saying one is better than the other... but I enjoy my Mac thoroughly and I don't really miss having the fastest 15" laptop available in its size. The user experience is just as important as what's under the hood. Which is why I recommend people USE a mac before buying it. I did, loved it, and I'm really happy with it. Some people don't, so they are happy with PCs. It's all about what you need.

 

^I understand that you're fine with a MacBook. I probably would be too. But it's the fact the it costs so much compared to having the best hardware and pretty damn good software too. I understand why people get them, the portability and all that jazz, but I don't see things like that as being tangible and being worth the extra cash.

 

"The best hardware"...the best hardware for what? Your G73 is a nice laptop - well built, powerful components, and a pretty ingenious cooling system. But when I held it in Best Buy, and then held the aluminum Macbook, the G73 felt like a heavy, rubbery turd. The "portability and all that jazz" may not be tangible to you, or worth the money, and that's fine - for YOU. For me, who likes to move around the house and to the library to work on my courses, but still likes to plug in and play Borderlands once in a while, my Macbook is perfect.

I'm well aware that I paid a premium for my Macbook, but to me, it was worth it. I like OSX a lot more than I like Windows 7. I like how solid and well built the metal unibody is. I like the fact that, if I ever need tech support, I can drive down to the mall and walk into an Apple store. I like how light and compact it is, and how the battery lasts about 6 hours of regular use. Does it have the fastest processor, or graphics chip around? Of course not. But at the end of the day, Apple made a fantastic machine that does everything I want it to do, and does it all well. I'll still be using this thing three years from now, and it'll still be a finely crafted laptop that does exactly what I want it to do.

Honestly, I don't know why you're even in this forum. If you're still confused as to why people would want an Apple laptop, then no amount of discussion will convince you - nor will it convince me/us otherwise. To me, personally, my Macbook is the best laptop out there and the price is more than worth it. Whether or not you feel the same way is irrelevant to me because, well, you aren't me.

 

ok your going way out of proportion all the guy ment was that apple dont put the latest cpu,gpu, in for the money they cost a pc that cost $1700 would have far better tech in it what your on about is inovation

 

And besides, $999 is reasonable for what I got... it is similarly specced to the 13" Asus models, and all those models fit are $800 - 950. I'll pay $50-150 extra for everything I've listed.

 

^The reason I'm here is to advise and give opinions to people that are considering MacBooks. When people post here about if they should get a MacBook or not, they expect a bunch of Mac-Biased responses. I like to think my opinions level the playing field. I gave my opinion and you gave yours. See how well that worked? At the end of the day, regardless of who makes them, how well they are built and how long the battery lasts, they are still computers.

I'm not confused as to why people buy MacBooks- I don't dislike MacBooks, not in the least. In fact if I wasn't happy with my G73, I would get a MacBook. But I demand a lot out of my system and I want to get as much power as possible for what I spend. For people that have money to spend on creature comforts, my opinions are just as good as me saying that you should buy store brand food over brand name food. If you've got the money you're still going to get what you like.

But my opinions are for those that don't have the money to spend on small luxuries that improve the users experience, and opinions that are based from using Macs for a while with OS X Leopard. It's not like I'm a complete outsider. From that experience I'll tell anyone that needs to know that in my opinion, it's a nice OS, but so is Windows 7. And Macs are beautiful computers and they have some nice features. But do I think paying hundreds more for those is worth it? Depends on if you're going to value those features.

 

In that case, that's actually a pretty good deal. If I was in the market for such a small computer, I'd jump on it in a heart beat.

 

USING a Mac is much different than OWNING a Mac. Using one just means you used some programs and went on your way. Owning gives you experience with initial set up, maintenance, use, customization and gives you an overall better gauge on value. Its like renting a car and then trying to give an opinion to owner or prospective buyer about reliability and value.

 

Let me explain my experience.

I was a Teachers Aid senior year, so I worked in the media center for my school in the mornings. This is before all the computers are on and no-one is around. I'd walk in and my first job was to start all the computers (They were all iMacs in the front computer lab, as well as white MacBooks in the back, but I didn't start them up or anything) and get them logged in. We had about 20 iMacs so it took a bit of time (occasionally, the lady in charge of the tech department would have a couple on already). Then I would go back to the front desk and use our iMac for the next hour. I used to to do some coding for my websites using TextEdit, general web surfing, and when there was nothing else going on, I would screw around with the programs.
After using Macs that much in a year, I think I have a pretty darn good idea of what it's like to use them. You don't need to own one to know how they perform or how compatible you are with them. The only issues I had with our iMacs and MacBooks was when they are networked, it took FOREVER to detect and log into the network. Waiting for the yellow light to go green was like watching paint dry. But I used the iMac at the desk like it was my own computer (being the only TA for this period) and I even had my own wallpaper and dock setup. And when I wasn't TA'ing, I would occasionally use the other iMacs during a different period to do papers and whatnot. We all had our own account so it was like a computer away from home. This was until I started bringing my laptop to school.

Picking out a computer isn't some spiritual experience, and who cares what initial setup is like? I was in the kitchen makin' sammiches while my computer was setting up.

 

I understand your motives, but people aren't coming to this forum to ask "should I get a Macbook instead of XXXX laptop?" And if they are, then they aren't using this resource to its full potential. You should read your previous posts - you aren't "leveling the playing field", you're saying that Macbooks aren't worth the money. Let's face it - most people shopping for a laptop already know that macbooks are more expensive than PCs. They can read specs and read reviews online, so they know that an i7 is more powerful than an i5. Most people who buy a mac aren't doing so for cutting edge processors or video cards.

You need lots of raw power, and few laptops do it better than your G73. Considering $4000 will get you a *slightly* better Clevo or Sager laptop, the modest price and build quality and features of a G73 are fantastic. For you, and your needs, it's a great machine and I'm stoked for you.

"But do I think paying hundreds more for those is worth it? Depends on if you're going to value those features." The problem is, you haven't had a clear message on this. You say that, and yet in previous posts, you state that those features are not valuable. Again, I keep going back to this - you aren't providing the facts and letting people decide, you're semi-bashing Apple laptops and calling them overpriced for what you get. And to some people (like yourself), they are. Then again, to someone like myself, I think that the features of the 15" MBP - the size, the battery life, the construction and build quality, the software - make it a better value than your G73.

At the end of the day, someone who comes to this particular forum has pretty much already decided on buying a Macbook; your negative views on Apple products don't help the situation; they simply come off as trolling.

 

I meant, if it wasn't clear, that I think those are pointless and not worth the money. And trust me, I'm not trolling. If you think this is trolling, you haven't met a real troller.

I'm not bashing Apple, and I'm not bashing any of their products other than their laptops. I have an iPod Touch (only reason I got it was because it was on sale for a pretty good price) and I like it. Has a few drawbacks but I get over them. It plays music just like my Sansa that I've had for almost 10 years, but it has some nice features like internet and a touchscreen and all that. But the only reason I got it was because of the price.

I've said in other posts that I think MBP's are very nice computers. When I had Vista, I used a mod to dress it up like a Mac because I was soooo bored with Vista. And I've also said before that If I didn't need what I need, I would have paid a couple hundred more bucks for a Mac because they are very nice but they didn't fit the bill for me.

And as far as the people shopping for hardware, I have yet to meet someone that's been computer shopping and actually knew what they were getting. My own Aunt had to bring me to the store when her Dell fried in a lightning storm, since she didn't know jack crap about computers in general. She didn't even know what defragging was until I showed her, but her Dell was already 4 years old.

She's like a lot of people that I see. They don't know how to operate a PC properly or they in general don't know much about them. When I told my other aunt about my new laptop, I told her what a Core i7 is and I swear her eyes glazed over.

 

Basically you're about 20 years old and think you have experience because he turned on iMacs and played with some programs for first period during senior year. Thank's for confirming my suspicions. I now know that no matter what I say it isn't going to change your mind. I wish the OP good luck with his decision and look forward to hearing what it is.

 

^Try 17, going on 18.

Apparently using something for a year is totally irrelevant and doesn't count at all, even though some people here say that they only used a Mac for a day before switching. Some people say go to the Apple store and use a Mac for a bit.
I used one for a year. You seem to think that's unimportant.
I'm done arguing with you. You seem to blow everything way out of proportion for some reason. This thread was done on page 2.
(And since you seem to be unable to deduce tone from posts on the internet, I'll help you out on this one. I'm a little huffy.)

 

Wait, you're 17? I'm sorry. I thought I was dealing with an irrational adult. It all makes sense now.

 

Really now? Anyway thread closed.