MBP or MB???

[mike2q]

I had to send my MBP back due to various unresolved problems. (Not whine or heat). Now that I have my money back I can now pick out another book to buy. My question is which one do I pick. I don't do games, just day to day tasks. I do however use and own the Adobe creative suite. I am not a pro but do appreciate noticeable speed increases. Size is not important. (read that I would prefer a 17" but would be happy with even a 13.3".
I really don't want to wait for the "next gen" merom processor but everyone on these boards seem to think its the way to go.
Since I would strongly prefer a new laptop now should I:
A. Buy a 17" MBP and be done with it.
B. Buy a MB 13.3" and plan on replacing it next spring.
C. Just hold off until August.

My only problem with option 'C' is that no one know for sure if and when the 64 bit increase will happen. If you could tell me for sure there would be one available aug 10th the I might just wait. I just wouldn't want to wait only to see nothing. Maybe they won't upgrade until the 64 bit version of osx is ready.

Please advise.

 

[mad jew]

What are you running on at the moment?

 

[yankeefan24]

I would go with (and probably do myself) option b. With the exception of PS, you don't need the gpu in the MBP, and i doubt the added extras (backlighted keyboard, etc.), and with this, you stay on the edge of the technology.

 

[mike2q]

I am running a toshiba 1.5ghz celeron with 256 ram and 30 gig hd. Its slow, clunky and has a poor batery life. I'm very done with it.

 

[mad jew]

I'd go with the 17 inch MacBook Pro, simply because it sounds like you need a new machine now and no matter when you get your pro machine, it'll soon be outdated. That's just the nature of technology. The leap from your Toshiba to the MBP is much greater than the leap from Rev A to Rev B will be, if you wait around for it.

 

[calebjohnston]

I just saw the MacBook today, and I wasn't all that impressed personally. The screen seemed very squished to me, and the keyboard looked funky. Cheetah-like speeds though. Owns my PB G4 12". Think I'll be sticking with my the pro-line, if only for the design factor.

Anyway, get the 17" now, and love it. Don't spend 1000 dollars now, only to get rid of it in a year. Or.. if you do... give it to me for free. .

 

[Afro1989]

Wait, what't happening this August?

 

[willgr]

I too took back a MBP after having a lot of problems, including whine and heat, on Monday. Wednesday I bought the base model MacBook and love it better than the MBP. It is a little slower, and I still do not like the heat issues it has also, but all in all very happy with the little guy,

Screen is very nice and I'm the worst about glare, even the size is not hard on the eyes.

If you think you like it when you see one in the store, I can easily recommend the purchase.

 

[mike2q]

No one is sure "whats happening this August" but there's a chance that the new "64 bit" intel chips will be in Macbook's by then.

 

[tristan]

If you are buying any computer right now, there's only one thing to remember: The upcoming Intel release schedule.

June - Woodcrest
July - Conroe
August - Merom

If you can possibly wait until these dates, you should. These are going to be great chips, and they'll also push down the price of the existing inventory.

By the way, welcome to the world of Intel, where processor release timelines and even pricing are known two or three months in advance and you plan your purchases accordingly. I believe the exact date for the next release is already known too - June 19th for Woodcrest, which will very likely be the CPU in the next PowerMac.

 

[tristan]

Oh you're on a Toshiba - holy canoli. You need a Mac right away man. Try your luck with another 15" MBP, and just keep returning until you get a good one.

 

[dmw007]

I say go for a 2GHz MacBook.

 

[yankeefan24]

Oh you're on a Toshiba - holy canoli. You need a Mac right away man. Try your luck with another 15" MBP, and just keep returning until you get a good one.

You're loosing a lot of money if you do that. Between 200 and 250 dollars per machine.

 

[tristan]

Even at the Apple Store?

 

[JurgenWigg]

I know people who work for intel - the Merom chip will be coming out in the third quarter, probably august. If you can bear the wait a little longer, do it. Dell already announced a gaming computer using Conroe in it, to be released june or july (anyone have that link?).

The switch from a 32 bit processor to a 64 bit processor is a pretty significant one, considering the impending release of Windows Vista and the advent of 64-bit OS systems. I can only see that more and more programs will start making that a minimum requirement in the future. If you want a mac or other intel-chip computer, wait until the Core 2 Duo comes out.

Why August 10 though? I know it will be out in the 3rd quarter, again, probably august, but I would wait at least a month for the first changes and revisions to be made - learn from the current MBP stories of faulty inverters and strange noises, buying one of the firsts won't serve you well. So if you really can't bear the wait, go out and buy a MB so if the 64-bit stuff leaves you in the dust, you can go out and upgrade without feeling like you wasted $2800. Just my two cents.

 

[Temptation]

Buy both, I don't regret having both. Normally my siter uses the MB, and I use the MBP. Or you could just use the MBP as a desktop, and the MB when yyou need to get out of house.