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Buy MacBook today?

K

kevinliu4

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 8, 2006
160
0
I'm thinking about getting a macbook for my wife as early as this week. She has grown very tired and impatient of her pc's crashing and virus problems.

I know there are rumors of a new aluminium casing and of course we know leopard is coming out. I'm actually not too concerned with this as the OS can always be installed later (if indeed it's any good) and we're both happy with the current macbook design. The current macbook specs are also more than enough for my wife's intended use. Of course if we want to install leopard later, we'll need to buy it. I'll need to buy it for my mbp anyway so again, not an issue. I guess my question is, am I forgetting to consider anything?

Thanks for the advice.
 
no, buy it now, it will be fun, and afterwards just buy a family pack leopard for 199.
 
I love my MB :apple:, and I'm thinking in changing all my PCs (with linux) for Macs... If you need it now (it seems) buy now. A revision is coming soon, like nov or so (may be as far a Jan, but not further, I think). You will not regret you purchase, as I do not regret the "extra .16 GHz" I did not get waiting 6 more months :-D (I bought mine as soon as they were out last Nov).
 
Persoanlly I would wait the last few weeks for leopard ot arrive.

Other than that if you need it now - no reason not to buy - nothing is due to be updated for another 6 months minimum on the MB side of things.
 
Oooh.. The (estimated) release of updated macbooks should be in less than 1 month.. If you can wait, wait! If not, buy! And perhaps resell later.
 
if the performance of the current spec MB is all you will need then go4it

personally, im waiting in hope for a speed-bumped santa rosa version plus an upgraded onboard intel gfx (x3_00 instead of the rather tired old 950) :)
 
kevinliu4 said:
I'm thinking about getting a macbook for my wife as early as this week. She has grown very tired and impatient of her pc's crashing and virus problems.

I know there are rumors of a new aluminium casing and of course we know leopard is coming out. I'm actually not too concerned with this as the OS can always be installed later (if indeed it's any good) and we're both happy with the current macbook design. The current macbook specs are also more than enough for my wife's intended use. Of course if we want to install leopard later, we'll need to buy it. I'll need to buy it for my mbp anyway so again, not an issue. I guess my question is, am I forgetting to consider anything?

Thanks for the advice.
Click to expand...

I am in the EXACT same boat. My wife constantly wants to borrow my office laptop (windows based) so for Christmas I wanted to get her a macbook (all she needs and the cheapest) yet I am biting my teeth to wait at least until november (unless an announcement comes this month) before I buy just in case something newer comes out.

Rumors have it, slimmer, better, and of all things CHEAPER. "competitive pricing with todays markets" I think it says, which currently would mean cheaper macbooks. So rather than paying 1200 for a macbook then less than a month later get hit with an iPhone deal and a better macbook for 800 bucks is the lowest model, I doubt stevie is gonna give me 100 bucks in Applestore credit.

So that is why I am waiting at least until november or first week in december.
 
It's so unfair! Now, now, now!!!

Me too (as I've just posted to this forum)

My G3 is now running Tiger, so I think I'll wait a month until Leopard is out and then get my new MacBook with Leopard.
 
Nothing wrong with the current Macbook. Buy it. Don't wait for Leopard. Chances are Leopard won't come preinstalled with Macbooks until a few months after release.
 
TheBonk said:
Nothing wrong with the current Macbook. Buy it. Don't wait for Leopard. Chances are Leopard won't come preinstalled with Macbooks until a few months after release.
Click to expand...

I didn't say there was. If a new OS wasn't looming on the horizon I would buy it tomorrow, however money if a finite resource in my house this year (another brat due in December....) so I can't afford to fork out £800 for a Tiger MacBook and then £120 for Leopard when I've already got Tiger on my iMac.

Actually, I could afford it. I'm just being tight. I'd rather spend money on something else!
 
I know you might love the current system, but I think it's wise to wait a few weeks. What's the worst that can happen? You get Leopard for free, and maybe no new design on the Macbooks?

What's the worst that can happen if you buy now? Not only do you have to pay for Leopard, but you could miss out on an entirely new design with great features, in which the release of the new ones will diminish your Macbooks value, performance, etc. I'd wait, at least 'til the end of the month. But that's just me ;)
 
TheBonk said:
Nothing wrong with the current Macbook. Buy it. Don't wait for Leopard. Chances are Leopard won't come preinstalled with Macbooks until a few months after release.
Click to expand...

I am waiting until at least the date is given for the release of Leopard, that way there should be a cheap upgrade path to it, (Shipping and handling), there's another thread on this.

Plus, if Leopard appears to be high-maintenance, then you'll have the Tiger installation disk to roll-back to!

I'm finding it harder and harder to keep away from the 'buy' button!!

Also, there are rumours-a-plenty that there could be 'the' macbook update announced at the same time.

I guess it's one of those things, you have to make the plunge sometime but hopefully at least things will become clearer in a few weeks!

HTH

- D
 
dwright1974 said:
....Plus, if Leopard appears to be high-maintenance, then you'll have the Tiger installation disk to roll-back to!

I'm finding it harder and harder to keep away from the 'buy' button!!

Also, there are rumours-a-plenty that there could be 'the' macbook update announced at the same time.

- D
Click to expand...

Unfortunately my Tiger is for my G3 so it won't work on an Intel MacBook. In fact, I don't think an Intel of-the-shelf Tiger update would work on a MacBook with Leopard pre-installed. I remember reading something on the Apple website that says you can't roll back the OS to a previous version from what was supplied with the original equipment (i.e. a MacBook pre-installed Leopard can't go back to Tiger.)

BTW, I note that in the UK, PC World (boooo!) are selling MacBooks £50 cheaper than the Apple Store! Unloading old stock anticipating a newer model????
 
Fuzzy14 said:
Unfortunately my Tiger is for my G3 so it won't work on an Intel MacBook. In fact, I don't think an Intel of-the-shelf Tiger update would work on a MacBook with Leopard pre-installed. I remember reading something on the Apple website that says you can't roll back the OS to a previous version from what was supplied with the original equipment (i.e. a MacBook pre-installed Leopard can't go back to Tiger.)

BTW, I note that in the UK, PC World (boooo!) are selling MacBooks £50 cheaper than the Apple Store! Unloading old stock anticipating a newer model????
Click to expand...

Yeah, sorry what I meant was let's say they announce tomorrow that Leopard will be released on the last working day of October. You could order your MacBook on Thursday and it would ship with Tiger.

Get Leopard via. the rebate scheme and if it proves high-maintenance you would have the restore disk that came with the MacBook.

Does that make more sense!?

Amazon have also had them cheaper than Apple for a while - PC World's in an 'web only' deal I think even though you can then collect it instore - I'd rather pay the £50 than go in there :D

- D
 
Fuzzy14 said:
Unfortunately my Tiger is for my G3 so it won't work on an Intel MacBook. In fact, I don't think an Intel of-the-shelf Tiger update would work on a MacBook with Leopard pre-installed. I remember reading something on the Apple website that says you can't roll back the OS to a previous version from what was supplied with the original equipment (i.e. a MacBook pre-installed Leopard can't go back to Tiger.)
Click to expand...

First off, wait. Both Leopard and new MacBooks should be coming soon.

Second, rolling back to a previous OS is often possible, though it depends on whether or not your machine has components which require the newer system. Tiger should work on anything shipped with Leopard if you wish, unless there are further updates that preclude that. None of the Intel machines will work with anything pre-Tiger, because that was actually updated to add Intel support, or rather the Intel version was released. You can probably go back to Tiger if you wish even if you do get a machine with Leopard, though you're right about the one that can with your G3 not working.

jW
 
Thanks everyone.

I have decided to wait. Even if the new MacBooks are ugly (assuming they're announced at all), I will still be able to buy a current MacBook...and likely at a reduced price.

Come Halloween, if we don't hear anything, my wife will have a white MacBook on November 1.
 
kevinliu4 said:
Thanks everyone.

I have decided to wait. Even if the new MacBooks are ugly (assuming they're announced at all), I will still be able to buy a current MacBook...and likely at a reduced price.

Come Halloween, if we don't hear anything, my wife will have a white MacBook on November 1.
Click to expand...

i was going to say go for it, based on your first post.

but waiting isn't bad either. just don't wait forever. get it november 1st like you said.
 
twoodcc said:
i was going to say go for it, based on your first post.

but waiting isn't bad either. just don't wait forever. get it november 1st like you said.
Click to expand...

Hehe. No, I won't wait forever. I'm not like some of the nutty people on here who wait 6 months for something. I decided I was getting a mac for my wife yesterday. I am the sort who makes up my mind, then goes for it. Couple weeks of waiting is reasonable though I think. Like I said, if nothing is announced before month end, I'm getting my wife the white MacBook.
 
kevinliu4 said:
Hehe. No, I won't wait forever. I'm not like some of the nutty people on here who wait 6 months for something. I decided I was getting a mac for my wife yesterday. I am the sort who makes up my mind, then goes for it. Couple weeks of waiting is reasonable though I think. Like I said, if nothing is announced before month end, I'm getting my wife the white MacBook.
Click to expand...

i'm kinda like that also. when i make up my mind, i stick with it. hopefully your wait will be worth it though :)
 
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