One Year: Advice?

Hi guys. I am not sure if this is the right place for a thread of this nature, but I don't think I am quite ready for the "What Notebook Should I Buy" subsection. In any case, I am very indecisive by nature and I need all the help I can get.

I am a third year student at an American university. Last year, after doing my own research and asking around on this forum, I bought an entry level 15" unibody MBP (2.4 Ghz). Overall I have been quite happy with the machine. This is the first mac I have owned, and the transition to OSX has been mostly painless. The computer is lightning-fast. The display is absolutely gorgeous. Since last year I have also purchased an Incase sleeve, iWork, and Snow Leopard.

Still, I am not sure that this is the right computer for me. Though slim, the laptop is a bit too large and unwieldy to comfortably carry around campus all day. The battery life is decent but not enough to survive more than a couple hours of note taking. I also wonder if the computing power might be overkill for my purposes. I had anticipated doing a fair bit of photo manipulation and gaming, but I spend most of my time on the computer doing basic operations like typing papers, browsing, and streaming movies via Netflix. I also use iTunes to manage my iPod. Oftentimes I wish I had a small, relatively inexpensive laptop that I would feel comfortable toting around campus.

Given my situation, does it make sense to sell my MBP and look for a more portable computer? What sort of resale value might I hope to get? Maybe it makes more sense to keep my MBP as a "desktop replacement" and save up for a complementary ultraportable/netbook? Perhaps I should sell the MBP and "downgrade" to a newer, smaller Apple laptop?

I should also mention that my 1-year warranty expires on the 28th (Wednesday!). I guess it makes sense to buy Applecare ASAP regardless of my final decision (it is transferrable, right?).

Thanks!

 

applecare can be transferred, definitely.

if you still wanted to use osx, it sounds like you can almost swing a macbook air.

 

If your current machine is not meeting your needs, then yes, selling it seem appropriate.

 

Thank you for the responses. I guess my post was more addressed to myself than anyone else. I bought Applecare and I will think some more on whether or not to sell. In any case, further input/suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks.