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Seeking Recommendations for Laptop Computer

I've been converted!!

:cheer: Stopped by Best Buy on the way home and the Mac it is. I am so excited. It was hard not to buy it then and there but I want to discuss with DH first before making such a large purchase even tho' he'll tell me to get what I want :whoopie: (that's one of the reasons I love him so).

The MacBook Pro 15.4", 4 GB, 500GB hd at $1,700 will meet my needs perfectly, however, always wanting the best, I'm trying to talk myself into the MacBook Pro 17", 4 GB, 750 GB hd, at around $2,460. it has a much better processor as well as graphics card. Any pros on purchasing the more expensive unit will be greatly appreciated! Cons will also be taken into account...truly they will.

Any info on where to get the best price will also be appreciated. I think Costco sells them on-line so that's my next stop.

Ingrid
 
IngridN said:
:cheer: Stopped by Best Buy on the way home and the Mac it is. I am so excited. It was hard not to buy it then and there but I want to discuss with DH first before making such a large purchase even tho' he'll tell me to get what I want :whoopie: (that's one of the reasons I love him so).

The MacBook Pro 15.4", 4 GB, 500GB hd at $1,700 will meet my needs perfectly, however, always wanting the best, I'm trying to talk myself into the MacBook Pro 17", 4 GB, 750 GB hd, at around $2,460. it has a much better processor as well as graphics card. Any pros on purchasing the more expensive unit will be greatly appreciated! Cons will also be taken into account...truly they will.

Any info on where to get the best price will also be appreciated. I think Costco sells them on-line so that's my next stop.

Ingrid
Click to expand...

Hi, me again :hi:

I live on my Macs, and I don't need all that. I think you'd be just fine with the $1,700 version, or roughly same beastie refurbished for a few hundred $ less.

Sure, the 17" is nice, but is it THAT much nicer? Apple.com has refurbished 17" for $1,719 with basically the same specs as your 15" above.

Unless you are a serious gamer or big-time into videos, a difference in processor speed won't be noticeable, nor will a better graphics card. Remember, today's "slower" or "lesser" version was the latest and greatest six months ago.

One suggestion - if you have an Apple Store reasonably nearby, go there and actually look at the difference between the glossy and anti-glare displays. I agonized over that choice with my last Mac, but didn't have a store nearby to make an informed choice. I ended up with glossy and kind of wish I had gotten anti-glare. It's definitely a matter of personal preference that I think you can figure out only by having the two displays side-by-side.
 
Last edited:
pjrose said:
Hi, me again :hi:

I live on my Macs, and I don't need all that. I think you'd be just fine with the basic 15" for $1,799 (apple.com) or roughly same beastie refurbished for a few hundred $ less.

Sure, the 17" is nice, but is it THAT much nicer?

Unless you are a serious gamer or big-time into videos, the difference in processor speed won't be noticeable, nor will the better graphics card. Remember, today's "slower" or "lesser" version was the latest and greatest six months ago.

One suggestion - if you have an Apple Store reasonably nearby, go there and actually look at the difference between the glossy and anti-glare displays. I agonized over that choice with my last Mac, but didn't have a store nearby to make an informed choice. I ended up with glossy and kind of wish I had gotten anti-glare. It's definitely a matter of personal preference that I think you can figure out only by having the two displays side-by-side.
Click to expand...

Thanks pj. I have an Apple store at my local mall and will be making a stop there this weekend with DH. When I relayed the info to DH tonight, he just about choked on the cost dif between the 15" and 17"...you're right, the 15" will more than meet my needs and at this point, that's where I'm leaning. I saw the anti-glare option on the 'build your own' link at apple.com and that's something I'll be looking at this weekend.

Ingrid
 
I edited and added to my response (two above) before you replied to it, so you might want to go back up and read the new version....just some more info.
 
I Offer My 2 Cents

If you are going to be toting this sucker around, make sure you are comfortable with the weight of the laptop. Try them both out. Wherever you choose to purchase the machine, make them put it in a case and let you walk around with it. It will make a difference. The younger you are, the easier it is to carry. :)

I also second pjrose's recommendation to visit an Apple store if you can. No need to buy there, but they know their products and can answer your questions.

Cheers!
 
pjrose said:
I edited and added to my response (two above) before you replied to it, so you might want to go back up and read the new version....just some more info.
Click to expand...

Interesting...I really like the idea of the larger screen so will definitely looked at the refurbished ones. As long as they offer a good warranty, that works for me.

Ingrid
 
NWL said:
If you are going to be toting this sucker around, make sure you are comfortable with the weight of the laptop. Try them both out. Wherever you choose to purchase the machine, make them put it in a case and let you walk around with it. It will make a difference. The younger you are, the easier it is to carry. :)

I also second pjrose's recommendation to visit an Apple store if you can. No need to buy there, but they know their products and can answer your questions.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

No toting except from room to room. My days of traveling with the laptop (whether across country or from office to home and back) are OVER in two months :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: .

Ingrid
 
IngridN said:
No toting except from room to room. My days of traveling with the laptop (whether across country or from office to home and back) are OVER in two months :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: .

Ingrid
Click to expand...

Yipee!! I guess you just have to decide how much laptop you want on your laptop. ;)

Cheers!
 
Ken555 said:
This speaks volumes about the training at Best Buy, which is what I've experienced first hand, and which lots of our clients have as well.

Boot camp is Apple's free program for using Windows on a Mac. What does cost is that you need a license of Windows. if you don't have a Windows license, this will raise the overall solution cost.
Click to expand...

Exactly, it is expensive to use Windows with Boot Camp on a Mac. I don't know too many people, or anyone that has an extra copy of windows laying around. Especially when you consider the high cost of a Mac plus the extra cost of the windows software. Additionally, the Schwab representative that travels around the west coast giving seminars stated that you can use the Schwab program on a Mac with Windows, but you would have problems.

I don't see your need or why you take joy in criticizing Best Buy employees. When you compare them to any other store around that sells electronics, they are a lot more intelligent than any other company that sells electronics.
 
tompalm said:
Exactly, it is expensive to use Windows with Boot Camp on a Mac. I don't know too many people, or anyone that has an extra copy of windows laying around. Especially when you consider the high cost of a Mac plus the extra cost of the windows software. Additionally, the Schwab representative that travels around the west coast giving seminars stated that you can use the Schwab program on a Mac with Windows, but you would have problems.
Click to expand...

Many companies sales reps say what they know works, and defer to their tech support for details. Some don't. No matter what we think, the Mac will run any Windows program using VMware or Parallels - after all, the application thinks it's on a full Windows system. However, some run slowly (depending on your exact Mac, amount of ram, etc) and bad experiences with this can prompt some to promote using apps solely on Windows computers alone. Basically, I always advise trying the software first hand, since if it's not a game or uses unique functions it should be fine. YMMV.

I don't see your need or why you take joy in criticizing Best Buy employees. When you compare them to any other store around that sells electronics, they are a lot more intelligent than any other company that sells electronics.
Click to expand...

I certainly don't. I'm just stating the facts as I know it, and have dozens of experiences first hand (and more with client reports, not to mention hundreds reported by colleagues over the years) about this topic. Retail, by it's very nature, doesn't encourage great training on anything but the simplest of devices. Even the Apple Store's have this problem, Best Buy is far from unique. Unfortunately, BB gets many of the negative reports since they have had a roller coaster relationship with Apple (not to long ago if you went into a BB and asked for a Mac, a sales rep would respond "Why?" - I was there and heard it myself!). It is getting better, but they've got a long way to go.
 
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