which Macbook/Macbook pro?

I am currently returning a dell studio xps 16" as its so sooo much hassle to deal with dell and the fact that i got 3 messsed up replacements in a row.

i am looking to get a macbook or macbook pro.
i only have a max of £950 to spend and i would prefer a macbook pro (lowest model) although the cheapest method i can find is £1163 from the higher education store.

is there any other way or place that sells it for less?
apple seem to charge crazy prices for a low spec. een £100 would be expensive but maybe afordable.

only discounts i found for the macbook/macbook pro are 14% higher education (the one i am looking to use) and 6% EPP and school discount.


iv looked at the macbook but im going to use the laptop for movies, work and internet. movies on a 13.3" arnt exactly enjoyable to watch so thats why im looking for a macbook pro.

 

Go for a MBP mate.
The screen is much better and the weight increase imo is insignicant, not to mention that you have a better graphic car for just 200$ more.
Both of the Macbook and the MBP are for sale in the NBR market place as mint condtion. you may want to check it out to save some cost.
I went from dell to macbook and now a macbook pro and I fell very satisfied overall.

 

im in the UK

 

You can also check out the refurbished Macbooks Pro. A friend of mine just got a 2.53 Unibody just like mine for $2,100. Don't know what that is in pounds though.

Look it up. The quality is amazing in refurbished from Apple. You might actually say the quality is better than off-the-shelf products, because each refurbished item gets handled by an engineer.

 

I totally agree. Apple has one of the best reputations when it comes to their refurbished products, and like cndalsi said, the quality is great!

 

pm them for a quote maybe.

 

The cheapest refurbed is £1149. I would go with the higher education website. I think genuises get 25% off (comes to ~£1027). May be you could approach one of them and try to convince them to buy one for you.


http://store.apple.com/uk/product/FB470B/A?mco=MjE0NDk5Mw

 

OP, also if you were planning on getting Apple Care (3 yr warranty for the system), you should factor that cost in as a savings since the HE UK store gives you a 3yr hardware warranty. I am not sure how much a 3 yr Apple Care plan retails for in the UK, but I am sure its at least 100-125 pounds for the MBP.

 

no discount on refurbs.
education discount is only for new and that brings it to £1163 for a new macbook pro 2.4ghz.

the 3 year warranty with the higher education link iv got is £45.

im not in uni yet but a apple chat rep gave me this link so i guess il guess use this. i cant see them tracking me down cus i used a discount code on their super overcharged stuff
his fault for giving it to me (actually thts wat a good rep does ) the other telesales rep and another chat rep wouldnt tell me lol.



also, is apple getting a mid product update in this summer (1 month or so?)
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/04/22/macbooks-macbook-pros-and-pro-apps-to-see-updates-at-wwdc/
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/05/04/apple-sweeps-consumer-reports-laptop-recommendations/
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/05/05...ts-possible-plans-to-add-3g-wireless-to-macs/

Is it worth holding out for a month or so? maybe refurb will get cheaper and the macs will get better? they might start using the P8700 2.53ghz instead of the P8600, etc.

apple usually do a update in the middle of a products lifespan.

 

$408.88 (273 pounds)

 

3 year warranty is "# Higher Education AppleCare Protection Plan for MacBook Pro - Auto-enroll [+ £57.50] " on a education discount.

cheapest 3 year warranty i ever seen....

 

You gave the XPS Studio 1640 longer than I did. Back in the last week of January I tried it for a week before returning it. The first week of April I officially switched to this 2.66 ghz MBP. I realize that I no longer have the leather accent across the lid however, that is a sacrifice that I am willing to part with when using a superior product.

Very Happy,
Thraak

 

I have a couple of questions about make programs.

would i be able to use Winrar, or is their an alternate?
do VLC player and Utorrent work?


Also, is the screen nice/bright on the macbook pro?

 

stuffit expander = winrar
unrarx too when stuffit couldn't handle chinese characters
transmission = utorrent
VLC = VLC

there is a thread about pc->windows programs

 

What's not good in the dell studio xps 16 as compared to the macbook pros?

 

utorrent now works on mac too

iv had 3 dell studio xps 16's, all 3 were broken. so i cant handle getting another broken replacement so iv asked for a refund.
plus, the macbook pro looks way better, has a better keyboard, is lighter, longer battery, mac OSX, the touchpad is just soooo good, graphics card is better, way better support and a 3 year warranty for £55.

 

3 years warranty for 55? last time i check apple care cost 400+CAD(~200bp)

have you mistaken that for ipod's apple care?

os/x is just another OS, don't fancy it too much

 

no its macbook pro apple care for 3 years.
well its £57,
Higher Education AppleCare Protection Plan for MacBook Pro - Auto-enroll [+ £57.50]

its witha education discount.

 

Hey, be warned! I get only 1h45mins of battery when using vista on power saver through bootcamp. The battery is better only in os x. The only way to save battery when running windows is to virtualise it.

 

^thats bad.something is wrong.you should get around 3 hours!

 

i dont want to run vista and if i do, il use the paralell or something program so i run both at the same time.

if iv got vlc, utorrent and winrar, there is no need.
plus the apple remote works with vlc.

 

Are you sure? I see you have a macbook, i know yours has an igp cpmpared to my dedicated gpu but could you tell me how much battery life you get in vista? When i set my computer on power saver, and i move my cursor towards the battery icon, it shows me 1h45 remaining. I've never counted if the timing was right. Do you have any idea what could be wrong? My health is currently at 97% because i have used it until it's battery was over 3 times consecutively.

 

some website that did windows on macbookpro(merom or penryn) review it lasted 3hours; but 3hours should be the case for the battery's capacity and spec.

 

Surfing the net through wifi and listening the music with brightness set to minimum and power to power saver, it gives me 1.45 - 2.00 hours. I think it's because of the new lower capacity battery which apple now supplies with its macbook pros. In fact, im pretty certain about this.

 

what????
they provide a worse battery now?

so early unibody versions have better battery life?

 

I get ~the same in both mac os and xp.Vista has better power management.You really should get ~3 hours.

 

previous macbook pro (up till penryn) gets 60Wh battery

new macbook pro (15.4) gets 50Wh battery

 

I really don't know why I get this amount of run time. Perhaps it's a problem with my windows settings. But on os x i get up to 5 hours runs time on battery.

 

fyi, apple remote is no longer bundled in macbook/pro purchases.

 

Yes but it can be bought for dirt cheap on ebay

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220410041038&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123

im going to put a bid in on that soon.

should i?
it seems a bit weird, its a new user and hes selling 5 laptops.

although he has provided a picture as well for proof, given me a phone number and will use parcelforce 24 so i cvan track the parcel plus use paypal.
also hes going to send the serial code over so i can use the apple site so i can prove the warranty will work ( https://selfsolve.apple.com/GetWarranty.do )

should i get any other prood, ask him to open and show the laptop? or anything else?

also he said he will use paypal so less chance of scamming.

he doesnt seem to have that clear plastic cover on the case, and im so sure il get a laptop or a brick (il check that the laptop is in their at the door if courier comes. he also provided a business phone line.

no offence to anyone but he sounds weird and black. he just seems a bit weird.

hess offered me a tempting price tho.

 

i wouldn't even bothered with any 0 feedback.

 

You posted a want to buy thread in nbr marketplace. I sent you a link over there. Check it out.

 

The plastic cover thing is only if you buy it from apple store online. IF you have bought it at a retail apple store or anywhere else that plastic cover thing most likely would not have come. I know several people who have bought macbooks off of ebay that did not get the plastic cover. More likely than not no seller is going to cut the plastic tape over the laptop because that is sort of what shows prospective buyers that is indeed a new laptop.

I dont know if the prices are similar in the UK as it is in the US but here in the US the cheapest mbp that is new is usually around 1750USD, so if he is offering you a close it now price of something that is lower than that then you should take it. Not sure how taxes and stuff works over there. Also does the microsoft cashback work over there? I bought a 2.66 15" MBP for $1950 USD ~ 1290 Pounds (Including the $200 Microsoft Cashback)

Also you are protected under paypal buyer protection so you are covered for the full amount if he does scam you. And Paypal always favors the buyers in disputes regarding ebay.

And whats sounding black have to do with anything ?

 

thanks for the help, i think il put a bid in.

no cashback in the UK.paypal protection is with everything.

 

Yes, paypal always is in the favor of the buyer. Good luck for the bid and let us know how it goes.

 

i just got the serial number off him and it says :
Our records indicate that your product is covered under Apple's Limited Warranty which is estimated to expire on 16 December 2009.

Your product is not eligible for complimentary phone support.

If you believe that this information is inaccurate, learn how to update your coverage status. Please put your sales receipt in a safe place. You will need it for warranty validation.

Extend your service and support coverage for your product with the AppleCare Protection Plan. If you have already purchased an AppleCare Protection Plan, make sure you have registered it.

does this mean hes already set up the warranty, or the laptop is 5 months old at least?

also is it worth waiting for the new OS?
i can get this laptop for under £1000 so the price is tempting, but i would like a new one and maybe with the new OS.

 

The cheapest macbook is under £800

http://store.apple.com/uk/configure/MB881B/A?mco=MzMyMzIyNg

 

For anyone considering getting a Macbook, the latest models now come with screens which are as good as the Macbook Pro screens (like mine which has a 9CA7 display). See: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=375079 .

Yes it does. I'd ask him how long ago and where it was obtained from.

I'm always suspicious of zero feedback eBay listings like these, especially when there's little detail given about the item relating to its condition and origin (apart from the specs) and when there's a lack of useful images (especially when only box shots are given).

What's also concerning me is the fact that, with the seller's other listings, the two 13" Macbook and Sony Vaio listings show the same boxes in the gallery image. While there are plenty of reputable sellers who use the same image as a stock image, in my opinion, together with the other factors, these listings seem high risk.

These listings could be genuine however, and the items are really new. If so, you could truly bag yourself a bargain. As mentioned, you'll be protected through PayPal.

Still, personally I'd look at different, more reputable listings on eBay, or just buy it new from Apple.

 

yeh im not buying from him.
i told him to take a picture of the box sealed and it seems to be closed using not tape and not the one apple uses.

 

Yea the price was to low to being with imo. To good to be true then it usually is a scam. The one i bought off of ebay was from a powerseller who sold like 30 2.66 c2d mbp, 20 2.4 mbp and like 40 mbs so I felt pretty secure from buying from him

 

how much did yours cost?
or are you from US

 

Im from the US. Retail 2.66 GHZ = about 2750, got it for 2050 + free applecare

 

Wow. Great deal.

 

managed to et a deal for £1000 brand new and boxed. i will collect it from where i live and its a good seller.
i will also use the serial code to check iv got most of the warranty.