Buying MacBookPro

[InverseOfNeo]

So my wonderful grandmother has decided to buy me a MacBook Pro. Being a PC guy all my life, this will be my first Mac. A few questions though...

1. Besides CPU speed and the different size screens, the difference between each model is fairly nominal, correct?
2. Are there any accessories I would want?
3. Anything I'm forgetting to ask?

 

[mmntech]

So my wonderful grandmother has decided to buy me a MacBook Pro. Being a PC guy all my life, this will be my first Mac. A few questions though...

1. Besides CPU speed and the different size screens, the difference between each model is fairly nominal, correct?
2. Are there any accessories I would want?
3. Anything I'm forgetting to ask?

1. The 13'' and low end 15'' model come with a Geforce 9400M with 256mb shared memory. The high end 15'' and 17'' models come with a Geforce 9400M AND a Geforce 9600GT with 256mb or 512mb GDDR3 dedicated memory.

2. A Mini-Displayport to DVI/HDMI adepter is highly useful. You can pick these up at Monoprice.com for a fraction of the price of what Apple wants.

3. That's what we're here for.

 

[suklee]

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/hom...co=MTAyNTQwMDc

 

[InverseOfNeo]

Oh yea... there's no expected update to MBPs for awhile (2-3 months), right?

 

[scootermaster]

Correct. January is the expected refresh. It might (emphasis on might) be a big one, as it'd be a shift away from Core2Duo to i5/7, but it might also just be a Core2Quad, or whatever it is they're calling the 32nm C2D/Q. The latter might be very, very enticing as you'd get current speeds and even LONGER battery life, or a lighter laptop. That would be, for me, the best. A 4.0 pound, 7 hour 15" MBP with c2d speeds.

Anyway, long story short: yes, nothing until '10. I would say wait, because there's a decent chance it'll be kind of a big update, but there is also a chance it won't be, and the update in June '10 will be the big one.

Oh yea... there's no expected update to MBPs for awhile (2-3 months), right?

 

[Alienwho]

Correct. January is the expected refresh. It might (emphasis on might) be a big one, as it'd be a shift away from Core2Duo to i5/7, but it might also just be a Core2Quad, or whatever it is they're calling the 32nm C2D/Q. The latter might be very, very enticing as you'd get current speeds and even LONGER battery life, or a lighter laptop. That would be, for me, the best. A 4.0 pound, 7 hour 15" MBP with c2d speeds.

Anyway, long story short: yes, nothing until '10. I would say wait, because there's a decent chance it'll be kind of a big update, but there is also a chance it won't be, and the update in June '10 will be the big one.

You answered my question before I asked it. My future employer will be buying me a new laptop pretty soon and I'm torn between the current 15" macbook pro (2.66) and something like the XPS 16 i7. I hope the refresh comes in January.

 

[umrigar]

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#MacBook_Pro

Product MacBook Pro
Recommendation: Neutral - Mid product cycle
Last Release June 08, 2009
Days Since Update 148 (Avg = 200)
Recent Rumors
10/25: Unreleased MacBook Pro 6,1 and 6,2 Referenced in Mac OS X 10.6.2
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/10/25/unreleased-macbook-pro-61-and-62-referenced-in-mac-os-x-10-6-2/

 

[Rayzn]

So my wonderful grandmother has decided to buy me a MacBook Pro. Being a PC guy all my life, this will be my first Mac. A few questions though...

1. Besides CPU speed and the different size screens, the difference between each model is fairly nominal, correct?
2. Are there any accessories I would want?
3. Anything I'm forgetting to ask?

To be honest the only reason to buy a 15" or 17" is for the larger screen. I have the 15" and I'm totally content with it. The 13" seems too small and the 17" seems to big.

I'd buy the new multi touch mouse, and a bag at least.