About ready to Switch...few questions and advice please!

[thepachman]

Hello to EVERYONE.

I have enjoyed lurking a bit over the past few weeks since I have decided to purchase a MacBook, and finally decided to register and start contributing!

I am currently a full windows user, I have 2 PCs, and a Laptop that are running Microsoft in some form or another (2xXP Pro and 1xVista).

My laptop is now about 4 years old, and instead of buying a new PC, I've realized the MacBook has everything I could ever need in a laptop! I'm still a few months away (college student saving up + waiting for Leopard + possible MacBook updates), so I'm looking to buy around January / February.

A Couple questions!

- If there have been no major updates to the MacBook by then besides the release of Leopard, should I continue to wait until there is? I'm really anxious to get my hands on one, but suppose that I could wait if I'm going to regret not waiting afterwards.

- I know it's not worth upgrading my RAM with apple, since I can install my own RAM for less than half the price, but is there a significant difference in performance (I'll mostly be using built-in OS X software, Office Suite software and HTML editing) between 1 GB and 2? I'm guessing that 2 GB would be worth it, but no idea!

- I'm trying still to decide between the black and white high end MacBooks. I like the look of both, and since getting the white one saves me 200 bucks I'm leaning more towards that one costwise. I think I like the look of the black one a bit more, but every black one I've seen gets smudged easily. Have I just been associating with messy people? Can anyone make a recommendation between the two?

Thanks for all your help, and I look forward to being able to participate in this forum

 

[queshy]

Welcome to the forums! Nice to have you here.

The macbooks will probably see some sort of minor refresh by then...probably in terms of specs. It's totally up to you if you want to wait or not. As you said, the current macbook has everything you need - so by then if there's nothing new, I would go out and buy it. You can never win in the waiting game with technology. At least you'll have leopard. If you wait any longer after january...you might as well wait for the student iPod/Printer promo!

Definitely get 2 gb of ram. Performance will be way, way better. Either do it yourself, or let Apple do it. At least with Apple you have piece of mind that it's "good" ram and that you won't break it when opening it. I know this might be ridiculous but I personally don't like opening up my brand new expensive machine.

I always tell people that unless they really don't like the white, not to get the black. Not worth the premium in my opinion. They will both get dirty just as easily. So if the white doesn't "bother" you, don't consider the black. Spend the extra money on a solid carrying case, external mouse, etc.

I predict that you won't wait 'til January, lol. Leopard will look so good once it's out that you won't be able to resist

 

[xpovos]

The black shows prints and smudges more easily, no matter how clean you keep your hands. I've owned both and had to clean the black more often, but I still preferred the looks of it to the white---especially the black frame around the screen as opposed to the white.

Updates are likely before Jan/Feb, but if you continue waiting for the next update, you'll wait forever.

 

[AdeFowler]

Welcome to MacRumors

I've heard rumours of a MacBook speed bump coming in October. I'm really hoping that Apple do away with their 'black tax' as there's little or no justification for it. You sound like you already know what you're talking about, so if I was you, I'd just wait for Leopard and buy the best I could afford.

 

[Vidd]

I'm really hoping that Apple do away with their 'black tax' as there's little or no justification for it.

Well there is some reason. It presumably adds another process and its black parts are unique whereas the other two models share the same keyboard etc.
It'd be nicer if the gap was a bit smaller, though.

What is the difference now? It looks like £70 in the UK store and that's ridiculous.

EDIT:

- If there have been no major updates to the MacBook by then besides the release of Leopard, should I continue to wait until there is? I'm really anxious to get my hands on one, but suppose that I could wait if I'm going to regret not waiting afterwards.

I'd wait at least until Leopard and see what the rumours are like then. I like the idea of an update close around October and if it gets the X3100, you might be a bit annoyed as it would be more than a processor bump.
Of course, if you're not doing any gaming, it mightn't matter to you.

Of course, I started playing the waiting game a good while ago and still am. Maybe when Leopard finally comes out.

 

[emac82]

Wait until Leopard, since it is only around the corner. As far as waiting for new models, just buy it when you need it.

I bought my Black MacBook in May, when Apple released the new lineup. I actually bought the "end of line" one, I saved $300. There was really no difference. I went in to buy the white one, but they didn't have any so I took a good deal on the black one. As far as smudging, it's not really a big deal. I bought the Marware Protection Pack for like $30CAD, and that helps. I still prefer the white, but I'm used to the black. If you wait you are always going to be waiting...I waited for 3 months for the new line to come out, and when it did it wasn't really an upgrade anyways, and I didn't even end up buying the new model!! lol

 

[thepachman]

Wait until Leopard, since it is only around the corner. As far as waiting for new models, just buy it when you need it.

I bought my Black MacBook in May, when Apple released the new lineup. I actually bought the "end of line" one, I saved $300. There was really no difference. I went in to buy the white one, but they didn't have any so I took a good deal on the black one. As far as smudging, it's not really a big deal. I bought the Marware Protection Pack for like $30CAD, and that helps. I still prefer the white, but I'm used to the black. If you wait you are always going to be waiting...I waited for 3 months for the new line to come out, and when it did it wasn't really an upgrade anyways, and I didn't even end up buying the new model!! lol

Well the thing is, I don't have the money now. I will have around $1100 saved up and put away by December, and can sell my laptop for the remaining cash (I <3 Student Discounts). So the earliest I will have the cash is December. And the latest I'll buy it is April when I graduate, as a gift to myself.

The question then is,

When between December and April do I buy?

 

[emac82]

Well the thing is, I don't have the money now. I will have around $1100 saved up and put away by December, and can sell my laptop for the remaining cash (I <3 Student Discounts). So the earliest I will have the cash is December. And the latest I'll buy it is April when I graduate, as a gift to myself.

The question then is,

When between December and April do I buy?

When you the money

It's hard to say what will be available then, you can't always going by the rumors. But I mean if you know for certain that a new laptop will be coming out a few weeks after you buy, then wait, but really we never know for sure when an update is coming out until Apple releases it.

 

[flopticalcube]

Well the thing is, I don't have the money now. I will have around $1100 saved up and put away by December, and can sell my laptop for the remaining cash (I <3 Student Discounts). So the earliest I will have the cash is December. And the latest I'll buy it is April when I graduate, as a gift to myself.

The question then is,

When between December and April do I buy?

The best time to buy would probably be as soon as the MB are refreshed to Santa Rosa. Probably between Oct 31 and first week of Jan. Then you will have the latest MacBook with Leopard.