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Thinking about selling my 17" MBP for a regular MB. Silly idea or not?

ozziegn

ozziegn

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 16, 2007
1,323
888
Central FL Area
here's my deal. I've had my 17" MBP for roughly two months now and it's been pretty cool to have. but lately I've been realizing that I should have bought a regular MacBook simply because all I need a laptop for is browsing the net and checking my email.

I've always used a 24" external LCD as my main display so the smaller screen of the MB wouldn't be no biggie for me. I figure I could easily sell my 17" MBP for $2500 and then buy a regular MacBook for roughly $1500 and stash away the difference.

I just don't know if I would end up regretting this idea or not? I don't do any gaming on my MBP nor do I use it any where near its full potential. so this is the reason why I would ask you guys (and gals) what you think.

do you think I should sell my MBP and get a MacBook or not? please discuss.
 
ozziegn said:
here's my deal. I've had my 17" MBP for roughly two months now and it's been pretty cool to have. but lately I've been realizing that I should have bought a regular MacBook simply because all I need a laptop for is browsing the net and checking my email.

I've always used a 24" external LCD as my main display so the smaller screen of the MB wouldn't be no biggie for me. I figure I could easily sell my 17" MBP for $2500 and then buy a regular MacBook for roughly $1500 and stash away the difference.

I just don't know if I would end up regretting this idea or not? I don't do any gaming on my MBP nor do I use it any where near its full potential. so this is the reason why I would ask you guys (and gals) what you think.

do you think I should sell my MBP and get a MacBook or not? please discuss.
Click to expand...

That money back in your pocket will sure be nice!! If you don't care about integrated graphics then go for it!! You'll find the MB easier to balance on your chest laying in bed.
 
It's certainly overkill for your needs, although the big screen is pretty cool. You can give it to me if it'll help.
 
Regarding the condition of the MBP

If the condition of the MBP is acceptable, I would buy it from you at $2500. It is a 2.4Ghz Model with the nvidia graphics card correct?
 
TDPHunter said:
If the condition of the MBP is acceptable, I would buy it from you at $2500. It is a 2.4Ghz Model with the nvidia graphics card correct?
Click to expand...

yes, my 17" MBP (2.4GHz, 7200rpm hard drive w/ 8600m GT graphics) is 100% flawless. I am extremely anal about taking care of my computers.

send me a PM and maybe we can talk about details.
 
I don't think it silly if you aren't going to use the components in the macbook pro that make it that expensive.

If you never play games or use the graphics card like crazy.
if you never going to that expansion slow.

then might as well get a macbook and save you a GRAND!!!!!!!! I think MACBOOK is one of the best values in all pcs. (if you get the white one). Do people realize that most pc laptops are clocked at 1.5ghz to 1.8 ghz for the same price?

Rarely do you see computers at best buy with core 2 duo 2.2 or higher for a laptop in windows based laptops.
 
Macs are a HUGE investment anyway you look at it, unless you're a pro and it's a guaranteed writeoff. I'm in the video production field myself but not at a pro level and went through a simliar thing like you are going through. I recently bought the 1920 rez 17" MBP, just so it's future proof for HD editing, but I decided about a month ago I may end up quitting the video job I'm at now because they're jacking me around with pay, so I couldn't justify having paid $3000 for a computer I might only use for email, internet, home movie editing, etc. So I took it back and took the blow of the 10% restocking fee ( I did get use out of it on one project so it wasn't a total waste). I fell in love with it though and the bulkiness/weight issue that's so commonly heard on these boards with it wasn't an issue at all with me (how often am I going to use it on an airplane anyways?). I still want to stay with Macs though, and I still have my G4 Desktop power pc Dual processor which works fine for my projects actually, but gives me the occasional headache with spinning color ball. I think I may actually end up going with a PC laptop in the $800 range (with a dual core processor and 2gb memory) which would probably smoke my G4 desktop, at least if a project comes up I could edit with Adobe, and maybe down the line once the 17" HD models come down in price with the newer models announced in January or later in 2008, I could justify the purchase. So definitely, sell it if you're just going to use it for email and whatnot, and keep it if you will actually use it for what it's intended use is.
 
Thank God, there is a logical person on this planet

Excuse me. I walk around campus and see all these students with MBPs surf'n the net and writing papers. I can guarantee you thats the extent of their computer use...aside from music.

I have a MBP, and I kill it all the time with graphic intensive and processor intensive apps. I have InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Bridge (all CS3) open swapping things I'm working on in the other. Typically I would have sketchup open, as well as Mail, Safari, iChat, and iTunes. I use it! [On the Windows side as well I render in VIZ and other apps like Rhino are intensive with what I use them for].

I mean, to each their own. I can't tell them how to spend their money or use their comp....I just don't see the point.

If I didn't do half the work I do on my Mac, I would gladly go for a MacBook. Portability! I friend of mine has the 17" and she constantly regrets it. By no means is it not great, its just a tad too much to lug around compared to the 15".

If you know what you're using it for, and you know what will work best for you, by all means its a great choice. Take that extra cash, buy an external hard drive for time machine or something.

[/rant] sorry, I just got really excited to come across someone who looked down and was like "do I really need this?", more so, "am I really using this to its full potential?" You rock!
 
I like this thread ... it's real world. I'll take it a step farther ... the cheapest MacBook is the best. People scream COMBO DRIVE?!?, but honestly, with external HDs as cheap as they are now and backups a breeze with Time Machine, how often do you burn a DVD? And if you're like me and have a superdrive on your iMac or PowerMac already, there's no need to spend the extra $.

Cheap MB, throw in RAM, buy a bigger HD if you still have some dough left. The best buy in Macs.
 
well, I'm use to always having "the best" so to speak. this is why I bought my 17" MBP in the first place.

however, there must be a point in time where I should turn around and ask myself, "Ozzie, do you really need a $3K laptop for surfing the internet and checking your email? of course not......

the time has come for me to be rational for once in my life. :p
 
Thanks! And if no one believes me, I'll post a scan of the receipt, lol. Now, had I had the 15" MBP, I think I might have ended up keeping it but I dont know, the 17" was definitely overkill if I'm not staying at the job (and it doesn't look good at this point).
 
Architect4122 said:
THANK GOD, THERE IS A LOGICAL PERSON ON THIS PLANET

Excuse me. I walk around campus and see all these students with MBPs surf'n the net and writing papers. I can guarantee you thats the extent of their computer use...aside from music.

I have a MBP, and I kill it all the time with graphic intensive and processor intensive apps. I have InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Bridge (all CS3) open swapping things I'm working on in the other. Typically I would have sketchup open, as well as Mail, Safari, iChat, and iTunes. I use it! [On the Windows side as well I render in VIZ and other apps like Rhino are intensive with what I use them for].

I mean, to each their own. I can't tell them how to spend their money or use their comp....I just don't see the point.

If I didn't do half the work I do on my Mac, I would gladly go for a MacBook. Portability! I friend of mine has the 17" and she constantly regrets it. By no means is it not great, its just a tad too much to lug around compared to the 15".

If you know what you're using it for, and you know what will work best for you, by all means its a great choice. Take that extra cash, buy an external hard drive for time machine or something.

[/rant] sorry, I just got really excited to come across someone who looked down and was like "do I really need this?", more so, "am I really using this to its full potential?" You rock!
Click to expand...

I feel compelled to say something, as a MBP owner that doesn't often use it in a processor-intensive way. I got my MBP in part because for as long as I was using a PC, I was almost always behind the curve in terms of technology. For the last several years, I was really behind. I was tired of having second and third-rate stuff. I wanted to make an investment in something I knew I would love, would last me for several years and would retain a lot of its value. I appreciate my MBP's 2.33 C2D processor and its 2 GBs of RAM, even if I rarely need it. Just having it means that my laptop should stay pretty viable for years to come. Frankly, I also like the way it looks, and I love the keyboard.

Just because you're not using something to its full potential doesn't mean you shouldn't be using it, or that you might not someday. To sum it all up, I wanted a toy, and I got it.
 
To those thinking getting a 15" mbp would be ridiculous for the normal users, I too beg to differ.

Having had numerous MBP's and Powerbooks, I tried out the whole Macbook scene because it was "so much more portable and that much more affordable."

IMO, you lose in both situations with that machine. One, its not that much portable, if any at all. And its resolution is definitely a huge turn off, as well as the 12" thick bezel surrounding the screen. Too much wasted space.

It might have been a couple of hundred less, but the larger screen, better resolution, and better feel in hand is without a doubt worth it compared it the macbook. I could never justify spending after tax almost $1500 on a still fairly heavy piece of plastic with a fairly poor design as far as bezel/resolution/and edge of the keyboard scraping your wrists.

It might be worth it to buy a macbook for some time, just so that when you do choose to move up to a MBP you will be able to appreciate the differences that much more.

I use my 15" connected to an external 24" at home, and its just the right size to be functional while going to school/library.
 
Sometimes the MPB/MB line differences are bigger than others...

I got an MPB C2D when I believe the MBs were still CD, and that was a big difference to me. These days, if I was choosing now, I think I would have selected a refurb SR white Macbook, and paid less than half of what I did for my stock MPB.

I am kind of harsh on computers, so the cases all get dings and stuff, but if I was sitting on a pristine MPB, I would be trying to trade it for an SR MB.

I do heavy music work, but nothing that really taxes the GPU, and the only things I would miss are the Expresscard/FW800 (but only once in awhile) and the lighted keys (but white keys go a long way to make up).

When I am at home, I am often grabbing the GFs MB for quick browsing or jumping on the Mini, b/c the MBP is usually on a desk looking like medusa with all of the cables and peripherals coming out...

If budget is not a concern, the MBP is a better computer, but if you are tight, the SR MBs are no slouch, and will serve you well.
 
NEVER listen to those who tell you that a computer is "too much computer for your needs." In 2 years (or less) that same computer will be = to the computer that the same people will be recommending for people with similar computing needs. Being that you have the largest of apples portables, it is possible that you would like something smaller & more portable, but it sounds like you mostly use it on a desk.

basically, buy "more" computer now so you will be better off in the long run.
 
Refurbs also help blur the line in terms of affordability and value. I got my 2.33 MBP for $2,000, rather than $2,500. It worked out pretty well. I'm extremely pleased with it, have had it for nine months now, and look forward to having it for several more years.
 
I always thought that too, and I have gone down the path of buying really nice now and using it longer down the road.

The part that you should factor in is this though. How much more are you paying now for this technology to last 3+ years down the road. And, how much will this technology be worth down that road compared to the price difference you're paying now and the price of new tech down the road.

A $3k laptop right now is really nice. But to save $1500, that could very well buy you a nice quad core laptop in less than two years. I'm amazed as it is some of these laptops out there now for around $1500 that have Blu-ray and HD-DVD with dual cores, etc. etc.

Thats the computer industry, buying better for road doesn't always mean the outcome you're hoping for.

And please, don't get me wrong about my post. I myself bought a PC laptop 5 years ago that was a little more than my budget so that it will last me. It lasted me a solid 4 years plus what I use it for now (Battlefield 2, and as an extra CAD machine and work horse for rendering when I'm working on another file on the mac.

And with the mac I have now, I splurged so that it will last me. It comes down to money I guess and what you can afford and need, versus what you can afford and want. Just dont take my comment as truth. Sorry if it came off as something more.
 
I could never give up my 17'' for a macbook; but I use it as a desktop replacement as well as a portable, if you already have a desktop solution, a smaller portable might be a good idea.
 
I would definitely sell the MBP and go with the MacBook if you can get $1000 back. I have the Blackbook upgraded to 2gb and will likely update it to 4gb in the future, basically to help ensure its longevity. Because it is my desktop replacement, the only reason I would consider a MBP would be the screen size. My wife has a 15 inch Dell and I like its size. However, I use it similar to you - plus a weekly Keynote presentation.

So personally, if I were able to get roughly $1000 back, especially if I had a 24" display, I would definitely go for it. That extra money could go a long way...
 
quietmind said:
I feel compelled to say something, as a MBP owner that doesn't often use it in a processor-intensive way. I got my MBP in part because for as long as I was using a PC, I was almost always behind the curve in terms of technology. For the last several years, I was really behind. I was tired of having second and third-rate stuff. I wanted to make an investment in something I knew I would love, would last me for several years and would retain a lot of its value. I appreciate my MBP's 2.33 C2D processor and its 2 GBs of RAM, even if I rarely need it. Just having it means that my laptop should stay pretty viable for years to come. Frankly, I also like the way it looks, and I love the keyboard.

Just because you're not using something to its full potential doesn't mean you shouldn't be using it, or that you might not someday. To sum it all up, I wanted a toy, and I got it.
Click to expand...

But, but, just think of all those lonely clock cycles you are depriving of meaningful purpose in life. :(
 
well, I just came home from the Apple store with my MacBook in black flavor. everything's hooked up and she's ready to go. now all I need is to order some extra memory.

where's the best place to order memory from?
 
ozziegn said:
well, I just came home from the Apple store with my MacBook in black flavor. everything's hooked up and she's ready to go. now all I need is to order some extra memory.

where's the best place to order memory from?
Click to expand...

I just ordered and received a 4 GB kit from OWC, which seems to be frequently recommended on these boards. This is for my one-month old 17" high res MBP, so that I can read email quicker, surf the web tirelessly and use iMovie to do really simple things with bad home movies. I am such a tool noob. ;)

For the record, I think you were way wise in your decision. I may in fact follow your lead...
 
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