Yet another potential Mac user thread...

[amrja]

Yes, I know there are already loads of these, but I have quite a few questions I couldn't find answers to.

Firstly, I should begin by mentioning I live in the Middle East... the Middle East is completley dominated by PCs, with Macs having a very small presence, which meant that I didn't consider Mac properly until I saw and read about it online... if I get a Mac, it will be over the summer when I will be going to the States for a visit.

Now, my questions:
-Firstly, the 2.16GHz MBP is quite expensive... instead, I am considering getting the 2.0GHz MBP with an extra 512MB RAM. Now, my main concern is gaming - I am a big PC gamer, and while OS X will be my primary OS, I will be using Windows for gaming - I don't need things to be blasting at full detail with max. resolution, I just need good fps and for games to look good. Is the difference between 256MB VRAM and 128MB VRAM that big? Also, how good is the ATi X1600?

-Secondly, is it possible to get the RAM on a MBP upgraded in an Apple store/at a retailer, or is this only possible online?

-Thirdly, should I buy a MBP in July, because from what i've read on this forum there are new updated ones coming out in August... but, I don't know if I can wait until then as I will be leaving the States at the end of July/beginning of August. If I do get a MBP before the new Intel Core Duos are released, will I be missing out on much? Will there be any other new significant differences?

-Finally, can someone give me general feedback on how the MacBook Pros perform? I use my computer for everything - Games, music, some Photoshop, internet browsing. How good is MBP as an all-around machine?

Thanks in advance!

 

[amrja]

One more question guys - does anybody know where I can find an online store which ships Macs internationally, or to PO Boxes? I ask because I want to try to get it (MBP) either shipped to Qatar or mailed to a PO Box we have in the States through Aramex if possible - this would be much better than buying a MBP just before a new version comes out. Most major online stores which sell Macs don't seem to do this unfortunatley...

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I cannot help you with games or Windows as I don't care much about either...

But when it comes to international shipping, I would try CompUSA. They shipped iPod minis to Norway back in February 2004 (several months before they were available in Europe), and might just ship you a MacBook Pro if you ask them...

 

[jsw]

Some of my opinions:

(1) I strongly recommend spending money on RAM instead of the tiny 0.16 GHz speed bump (so nice that we're living in an age where a dual-160MHz speed bump is 'tiny'). You will need 1GB RAM as a minimum for any real usability. They can install it at Apple Stores, but it's even more expensive there than online because you basically have to eat the cost of the sticks that come in the stock MBP. If at all possible, see if you can have 3rd party RAM delivered to where you'll be staying while here. It's easy to install.

(2) 256MB VRAM is better than 128MB when you're heavily into games, but I don't think it's worth the extra cost. The X1600 is a decent card, not bad for a laptop GPU. Do I think you'll notice a difference between the two VRAM options? Not enough to justify paying ~15% more for the system, in my opinion. (If you bring the US$1999 base MBP up to the specs of the US$2499 one, there's a $300 price for the speed and VRAM bump).

(3) I think the MBPs are excellent all-around laptops. The 15" size (I have the 2.0GHz one from two months ago) is a good compromise between power/screen resolution and portability, and the low weight and thin profile are fantastic. Battery life is... OK, not great, but the speed is good, the screen is good, the software is great, and I like the aesthetics of it as well.

 

[amrja]

Thanks for the help, jsw and Mitthrawnuruodo.

That just leaves my last question - is it worth it buying one in July or is the new MBP going to be a big change? I heard that it is unconfirmed that it will be released in August, and that it could be released as late as 2007. Is this true?