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wants or needs?

E

evanrousso

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 28, 2006
267
0
Do you guys buy with your wants or with your needs?

What I mean is, I am about to buy a mac laptop. I probably only need the macbook. Hell, thats probably more than what I need. But I feel complled to buy a macbook pro to get the full package. There is a goo $1200 dollar difference between the two. It has been suggested to me that if I am going to spend the money anyways I might as well go all out, which is a good point. It has also been suggested to me that I am not going to need the macbook pro so why spend the money, which is also a good point. SO i need a macbook but want a macbook pro. How do you guys make those kinds of buying descisions, with wants or needs?
 
I try to find a common ground. I only "needed" a low end MacBook, but wanted a MacBook Pro, so I ended up getting the higher end (white) MacBook with lots of RAM. The MacBook is very nice.
 
I 'spose all I "need" for my computing purposes is my old G3 iBook, but I love my "new" G4 PB. It's beautiful, crashless, and it's going to last me a long time.

I don't mind spending money when I know I'll get quality and a long shelf life in return.

Better question you might ask yourself, though, is "What else could I do with the extra cash?" If things are tight, if you really could do something better with the cash, or if you feel compelled to do something else with it -- well, I really doubt you're going to regret the Macbook.
 
when it comes to electronics, i buy what i want. when it comes to groceries, i buy what i need (like store brand peanut butter versus the national brand, unless there's a sale). i spend a lot of time with my computer, so every time i use it, i wouldn't want to think "oh, i should've gotten the pro so i could do [such and such] better." so i go all out.

when it comes to expensive purchases, my feeling is if i'm going to spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on something, it should be what i definitely want, not something i sort of want and could get by with.

FWIW, i considered the MacBook, too, but ended up getting the MBP because i think it's a nicer machine. on top of the money and the need vs. want, it comes down to what you like better.
 
Lets see....how do I put this....

Pick your Battles. For some things I only but what I "need". For most things, I only buy what I need. Every now and then I will but what I "want". You have to choose wisely when to get what you "want" and what you "need".
 
evanrousso said:
Do you guys buy with your wants or with your needs?

What I mean is, I am about to buy a mac laptop. I probably only need the macbook. Hell, thats probably more than what I need. But I feel complled to buy a macbook pro to get the full package. There is a goo $1200 dollar difference between the two. It has been suggested to me that if I am going to spend the money anyways I might as well go all out, which is a good point. It has also been suggested to me that I am not going to need the macbook pro so why spend the money, which is also a good point. SO i need a macbook but want a macbook pro. How do you guys make those kinds of buying descisions, with wants or needs?
Click to expand...

want: get a maxed out macbook pro

need: get a decent mid range macbook

practicality: get a refurbished powerbook and it will give you the best value for the dollar...both macbooks and macbook pros have had uncharacteristically problematic problems as mentioned by this site and others

...the powerbooks, almost all renditions, have an almost stellar track record from new machines all the way up to three year old machines under heavy usage and that's someting to think about

but you could also wait until apple inc comes up with a macbook/macbook pro that seems relatively problem free and suits the critical eye of macrumors.com members
 
thanks for all the input guys!

This might be the hardest buying decision ive hever encountered.

Its like on one hand the macbook suits all of my needs, but the MBP suits all of my needs and then the needs that I dont even know I need yet...does that make sense?

As far as the problems you guys were talking about, i was under the impression that the MB were the ones that had most of the problems and the MBP are pretty tight now?
 
I'm trying really hard to stay with what I need. I bought a tibook at an excellent price and it is all I really need at this moment. I play with the lady's macbook though and feel like if I want one. It just feels so slick and sturdy. Plus the power doesn't hurt. Oh well, I really wanted a tibook and I got it so that is that. I'll probably give into my wants and buy a macbook around December though:D
 
I like what Brandon said. I wanted an MBP for the longest time. But the MB has some advantages Smaller/more portable and better battery life being the biggest for me. I ended up ordering a Black Macbook wuth 2GB RAM and a 120GB HD. It ended up being almost the same price as the MBP I was going to get. So far I think I made the right choice; although I don't have my computer yet.
 
i agree with buying based on want than need...because having what you want in an electronic item makes you savor it that much more. I didnt need my 30in monitor but I definitely wanted it and one year later I still appreciate the incredible amount of desktop space it offers me.
 
I am in the exact same position :-( and I'm still undecided...the fact that I'm waiting for the upgrades (so I'm not actually going to order one yet) is making matters a lot worse. As soon as I get into my head that I want a macbook the next day I think I'll go for the macbook pro, it's driving me mad! I guess they're good decisions to be able to make...but it doesn't make it any easier...
 
I buy what i want, i learned that lesson when i chose a 1.5GHz PB instead of a 1.67 with SuperDrive. I needed to burn a DVD and had to borrow my friends machine to do so. I sold the PowerBook (luckily for the same price i bought it) and got the real machine i wanted.

From then on its what i want all the way as i dont want to lament ever again.
 
It's important to make sure you budget for a full working system.

Let's say for instance that your primary goal is multi-track recording.

Not only do you need a machine powerful enough to handle multiple tracks, but you also need good DAW software, plugins, a decent interface, microphones, cables and connectors, near field minitors, pre-amps and back up storage.

In some cases, your computer is only 1/3 of your total needs.

So I guess my point is to make sure you consider everything you NEED
when putting together the system that will do what you WANT to do.
 
I always 'want' the very best and maxed out system but in the real world of i look at it this way:

My wallet always tells me what i can or can not buy. If i had the money i would pick up a MacBook (I want the MB rather than the MPB) right this second but due to up and coming part-time college costs and the car insurance i guess i shouldn't.

I always however look for a reason to get that 'perfect' mac, in my case it would be a well speced iMac or MB. I spent around £1200 on my first brand new mac (ibook) and i use it so often its become one of the best buys i have ever made.

I always follow these rules:
1. Buy within my means
2. Buy what i want
3. Enjoy it
 
My mom says I may get what I need. I say I get what I want. This time she ended up deciding, that I could only get a MacBook, and not an MBP, yet next time, it's either iMac, Mini+ACD or MacBook Pro.;)
 
If I were you, the first thing I would look at is size. The MB and MBP are fairly comparable in most respects except for size. Size is the major difference that that could make your choice for you.

Decide if you want the portability of a 13 inch machine, or if you need the working space of a 15 or 17 inch machine.

Once you make the determination of size that fits your needs, then decide if other features really make the difference to change the machine.

Questions to ask:

1. Do I need or want an aluminum case or is plastic fine.
2. Do I need or want a separate graphics card or are integrated graphics fine for my needs.
3. Can I live with a glossy screen or is a matte screen a necessity.
 
Buying expensive items should involve a mixture of needs and wants.

It's always best to start with needs. I, for example, need something ultraportable, which is why I can't buy an Apple laptop at the moment. Copertino fools!

However, if one just buys what one needs then the purchase could be useless as soon as tomorrow. So, it is important to consider our future needs, in the form of what we want for the future.

As I recently found when buying some Mac Pro's, managing needs vs wants can be very difficult. Having a budget to work within forced me to cut many of my wants and think carefully about what I actually needed. Imposing a budget then, for me, is the easiest way of controlling my wants.
 
jne381 said:
If I were you, the first thing I would look at is size. The MB and MBP are fairly comparable in most respects except for size. Size is the major difference that that could make your choice for you.

Decide if you want the portability of a 13 inch machine, or if you need the working space of a 15 or 17 inch machine.

Once you make the determination of size that fits your needs, then decide if other features really make the difference to change the machine.

Questions to ask:

1. Do I need or want an aluminum case or is plastic fine.
2. Do I need or want a separate graphics card or are integrated graphics fine for my needs.
3. Can I live with a glossy screen or is a matte screen a necessity.
Click to expand...

Actually not true. The difference between the 13" MB and 15.4" MBP is surprisingly little. I put my MB on top of my brother's friends MBP the other day, and there really os only a few cencimetres difference. It is just as eays to carry around, and the fact that the MBP is only 1" thin. The weight difference bwteen the two is only 180 grams.

I'd say batterylife is more an issue. The 17" MBP has only est. 4.5 hours, while the MB has 6 hours. For the next gen. I hope the 15" MBP gets a 68 Wh battery as the 17", so it also will sport around 5.5 hours. Perhaps even 6 hours, since Merom saves a lot of power.;)
 
tough decision! I haven't had a new computer in almost 5 years, so when it comes time to purchasing a new one within the year, I definitely want to go with what I want because I'll be paying for it myself anyway, and I don't want to have any regrets! I'm in the same position as a lot of people here. I only need a Macbook, but I want the best MBP out there. who knows, I might change my mind a few months from now. go with what you want! :D
 
It isn't "want or need" because nobody really needs anything - we could all live in our parent's basement and eat ramen noodles all day. So everything's a want. The next question is how much do you invest in the different areas of your life.

Unless you're filthy rich, you can't live in Trump Tower, drive a Lambo, own a PowerMac, take vacations in Hawaii, wear Armani, eat at Chez Cher every night, and still have a little left over for retirement savings. So you pick and choose based on what's important to you.

I don't drive a Lexus, but I have an awesome computer that I use every day, a PBG4. The choice works great for me, but maybe you'd rather have the Lexus or the trip to Hawaii.
 
I needed a laptop so I figured I would get a 17" MBP but then I relized I didn't want to haul that around every day to college. So I was like maybe I'll get the 15.4" MBP. But then I decided it wasn't worth the extra money. So I decided to get a 13" Black Macbook, + a larger display (Haven't decided on which one yet though) Dunno if that helps at all.
 
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