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iW00t

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Nov 7, 2006
3,286
0
Defenders of Apple Guild
I noticed this trend for quite a while now, whenever the refurbished store gets restocked the 15" MBPs, 1.83 MBs, and blackbooks will vanish in a flash, but the "Whitebook Superdrive" remains together with the other machine!

Is there some reason for this trend?
 

tundotcom

macrumors member
Jan 10, 2007
81
0
NYC
For the MB's, people usually want either the cheapest one they can get, or the black. This leaves the mid-range model as the poor unwanted bastard child of the three. :eek:
 

valdore

macrumors 65816
Jan 9, 2007
1,262
0
Kansas City, Missouri. USA
I've got the midrange bastard stepchild. :D :eek:

I would have preferred black, but wasn't willing to depart with that much money, and I sure didn't want the lowest end model either.
 

Koodauw

macrumors 68040
Nov 17, 2003
3,952
197
Madison
That plus the fact that if your going to shell out the type of money for the 17'' MBP, you can afford to go with a brand new one. The 17'' MBP is for a rather specialized part of the market.
 

dixiehacker

macrumors newbie
Dec 21, 2006
26
0
Really specialized?

That plus the fact that if your going to shell out the type of money for the 17'' MBP, you can afford to go with a brand new one. The 17'' MBP is for a rather specialized part of the market.

What makes the 17" MBP a laptop designed for a specialized part of the marker. I am a college student + a Java software developer. I originally got a 15" that broke, then replaced it with the 17" for the extra screen size. I dont' really consider myself speciaized, other than the fact that the laptop will be one of the most important parts of my life for the next 3 years.
 

extraextra

macrumors 68000
Jun 29, 2006
1,758
0
California
What makes the 17" MBP a laptop designed for a specialized part of the marker.

Idk, it seems most people aren't really willing to carry aroung a 17" laptop. I couldn't imagine carrying that to school, I had enough trouble with a 14" iBook! 17" seems like a desktop replacement that can be used as a portable if necessary, but I don't see many people carrying 17" notebooks around. Look at how many people complain about the 13" Macbook being too big! ;)
 

compuwar

macrumors 601
Oct 5, 2006
4,717
2
Northern/Central VA
Idk, it seems most people aren't really willing to carry aroung a 17" laptop. I couldn't imagine carrying that to school, I had enough trouble with a 14" iBook! 17" seems like a desktop replacement that can be used as a portable if necessary, but I don't see many people carrying 17" notebooks around. Look at how many people complain about the 13" Macbook being too big! ;)

I think it's more the price point. While that may have been true of the original 17" TiBooks, look at the extra time it took Apple to fill the C2D 17" orders and I think you'll intuit what I did-- they sold a lot more of them than they originally expected. My 15" TiBook was a desktop replacement, my 17" C2D is no less of one, and gets carried to the same places (though I haven't tried it on an airplane yet, which may be its failure mode.)
 

dixiehacker

macrumors newbie
Dec 21, 2006
26
0
Thanks for your answers, I guess I am a specialized part of the market, in that i am willing to tote around a heavy laptop a half a mile a day.
 

mac000

macrumors 6502a
Sep 6, 2005
679
0
I noticed this trend for quite a while now, whenever the refurbished store gets restocked the 15" MBPs, 1.83 MBs, and blackbooks will vanish in a flash, but the "Whitebook Superdrive" remains together with the other machine!

Is there some reason for this trend?


maybe apple gets a lot more whitebooks than anything else, and far less blackbooks and MBP 15"
 

MacsAttack

macrumors 6502a
Jul 2, 2006
825
0
Scotland
I noticed this trend for quite a while now, whenever the refurbished store gets restocked the 15" MBPs, 1.83 MBs, and blackbooks will vanish in a flash, but the "Whitebook Superdrive" remains together with the other machine!

Is there some reason for this trend?

People going for refurbs want to save money anyway - so they are either going to pick up the 1.83, or they specifically want the black one.

Can't see why people want the black one... looks just like a Dell :D
 

timswim78

macrumors 6502a
Feb 8, 2006
696
2
Baltimore, MD
I've got the midrange bastard stepchild. :D :eek:

I would have preferred black, but wasn't willing to depart with that much money, and I sure didn't want the lowest end model either.

I also have the midrange bastard stepchild. It just seemed to be the best value point for me. Who wants a computer without a DVD burner nowadays?
 

benthewraith

macrumors 68040
May 27, 2006
3,140
143
Fort Lauderdale, FL
I also have the midrange bastard stepchild. It just seemed to be the best value point for me. Who wants a computer without a DVD burner nowadays?

Unless your burning DVDs (and who actually does, not THAT many), CDs are perfectly fine for most people, as almost everyone nowadays has a large-capacity backup device (mine being a d2 LaCie 250 GB hard drive). If for whatever reason they need to, buying an external burner would be just as effective.
 

timswim78

macrumors 6502a
Feb 8, 2006
696
2
Baltimore, MD
Unless your burning DVDs (and who actually does, not THAT many), CDs are perfectly fine for most people, as almost everyone nowadays has a large-capacity backup device (mine being a d2 LaCie 250 GB hard drive). If for whatever reason they need to, buying an external burner would be just as effective.

Lots of people burn DVD movies, especially people with children, nephews, nieces, or grandchildren.

Considering that a good bit of software is now published on DVD's, a DVD burner is essential for making backup copies (in case the orignal gets scratched, lost, etc.)

Also, if you do any mapping or large graphics work, a DVD is often the best way to send media files to a client.

The only thing that I don't use DVD's for is backing up my system. That's all done on my desktop with redundant drives.

Finally, I want my laptop to do everything when I am on the go. Carrying around an external DVD burner is as cumbersome as carrying around another laptop.
 

YoseMan

macrumors newbie
Jan 13, 2007
3
0
Unless your burning DVDs (and who actually does, not THAT many), CDs are perfectly fine for most people, as almost everyone nowadays has a large-capacity backup device (mine being a d2 LaCie 250 GB hard drive). If for whatever reason they need to, buying an external burner would be just as effective.

I'm new here. Hi everyone.

I've been watching the refurbs myself. I plan on getting either a MBP 17 or and iMac 20 or 24. I can justify a MBP because of needing portability. 17" because I do a lot of graphics, photos, 3D solid modeling. That last one is where the iMac is a little more appealing. I'm leaning to the iMac. I can get it and do 2 3D jobs and get a brand new MBP 17 in short order.

A friend of mine has PB 17s. She uses one for video production at her taekwondo school and it goes with her on trips. The other is shared with family members at home and is the all around work horse between home and the studio.

She says its a bit cumbersome on the plane unless you go first class on some airlines.
 

timswim78

macrumors 6502a
Feb 8, 2006
696
2
Baltimore, MD
I'm new here. Hi everyone.

I've been watching the refurbs myself. I plan on getting either a MBP 17 or and iMac 20 or 24. I can justify a MBP because of needing portability. 17" because I do a lot of graphics, photos, 3D solid modeling. That last one is where the iMac is a little more appealing. I'm leaning to the iMac. I can get it and do 2 3D jobs and get a brand new MBP 17 in short order.

A friend of mine has PB 17s. She uses one for video production at her taekwondo school and it goes with her on trips. The other is shared with family members at home and is the all around work horse between home and the studio.

She says its a bit cumbersome on the plane unless you go first class on some airlines.

My advice to you, and I am sure that other people will offer different advice, is to buy a 15" MacBook and a 17" or 19" LCD. The 15" MBP will give you the power and portability that you want. If you ever want to use a larger screen, just connect it to the LCD that you bought. This method will cost you less than the 17" MBP and will give you more flexibility and portability.
 

TraceyS/FL

macrumors 601
Jan 11, 2007
4,174
316
North Central Florida
I"m buying new - edu price for my 17" (cross fingers).

But I burn LOTS of DVDs. Last years pictures just took 9 DVDs!!!

I have an iBook with just a SuperDrive and i'd never do that again - but, I burn lots of DVDs.
 

TonicAngel

macrumors regular
Jan 1, 2003
163
0
California
I'll be buying the 17" at EDU price also.. but that will be in March or April. At that point I'll have enough $$ to pay cash and hopefully by then something newer will be out since that is around 6 months after the Oct update. Plus hey I want ilife 07 & leopard p reinstalled :D
 

valdore

macrumors 65816
Jan 9, 2007
1,262
0
Kansas City, Missouri. USA
I also have the midrange bastard stepchild. It just seemed to be the best value point for me. Who wants a computer without a DVD burner nowadays?

My sentiments as well. that price point was the sweet spot.


Same here ;)

And to date, after a few months, it is a very :cool: machine.

Agreed, the C2D seems well constructed -- the processor runs circles around my old (and more expensive when it was new) PC pentium 4 at 3.2ghz.
 
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